Azerbaijan is an interesting side. Their best player is likely Ruslan Abishov, a midfield plying his trade for Rubin Kazan in the Russian Premier League.
Milli is led by German coach Berti Vogts. Ironically, Vogts is also employed by the United States as a "special advisor" to Jurgen Klinsmann. An interesting dynamic -- as Vogts is literally working for both sides.
Azerbaijan is a team likely to 'park the proverbial bus' from a defensive standpoint. In World Cup Qualifying, the team conceded only 11 goals in 10 games. It's likely from this statistic, the USMNT will enjoy the lion's share of the possession. Milli will likely hope for a counter attack chance in order to nick a goal.
This match should give us an indication as to a possible starting lineup for the match versus Ghana on June 16.
Here's the lineup I predict Klinsmann will trot out:
Jozy Altidore
Clint Dempsey
Graham Zusi ---- Michael Bradley ---- Alejandro Bedoya
Jermaine Jones
DaMarcus Beasley ---- Matt Besler ---- Geoff Cameron ---- Fabian Johnson
Tim Howard
There's no real surprises within this group. I opted for Beasley over Chandler due to experience. I still do believe Chandler will ultimately start the first game of the World Cup.
Zusi and Bedoya will act as the workmanlike two-way players on the flanks of the diamond. Both are adept at tracking back and helping out on the defensive effort. I believe Bradley will play in an advanced role, with Jones playing a bit behind. Of course, Jones will have the license to make energetic forays up the pitch. In the event of such an occurrence, Bradley will slide back in a deeper role.
Besler and Cameron will be the first choice pairing in the middle. It's imperative both get comfortable playing with each other in game-like conditions. I expect this to be the eventual starting unit in the middle come the Ghana match.
Dempsey will resume his role as a false 9, tucking behind Altidore with the freedom to roam in the middle and link up with Bedoya and Zusi.
This should be a fascinating game to watch. Azerbaijan will not be easy to break down (as evidenced by their goal against numbers in qualifying). The USMNT will have to be patient and pragmatic when attacking the goal.
I also expect to see plenty of substitutions by Klinsmann. I'll be most interested to see Julian Green, DeAndre Yedlin, John Brooks and Timothy Chandler.
It'll be significant for the team to get off to a good start with this being the first of four friendlies leading up to the tournament. While the scoreline isn't necessarily important, the form on the pitch will be. Gaining confidence and building chemistry should be the ultimate goal from this fixture.
The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. PT. It can be seen on ESPN2.
The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. PT. It can be seen on ESPN2.
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