Ever wonder what’s up with Bob Bradley’s deployment of Landon Donovan in right midfield? To be fair, the one-time U.S. striker has responded brilliantly this year, scoring nine goals and adding three assists in a string of mostly midfield performances, but Ives Galarcep, writing on his blog Soccer by Ives, says that U.S. fans better get used to seeing Donovan in midfield, because “someone else has shown an ability to perform better than him at forward.”
That someone would be Clint Dempsey, a one-time right midfielder himself, who has proven to be a worthy replacement at the position of second striker. Dempsey’s on a hot streak for both club and country recently, having scored three goals in his last three games for both Fulham and the U.S. national team. Why right-mid? Galarcep says Bradley’s made it pretty clear that future of center midfield belongs to his son Michael and Benny Feilhaber (and possibly Ricardo Clark?), while Eddie Johnson and Jozy Altidore represent the future of the center forward position, which leaves Dempsey and Donovan to duke it out for second striker, a position Galarcep says Dempsey is better suited for because he’s a better finisher.
Dempsey tells Galarcep that he prefers to play in the No. 2 forward slot in Bradley’s 4-4-2. An attacking or defensive mid for most of his career, Dempsey explains that his move to Fulham in England caused the change. “When I got to Fulham … they moved me up top,” Dempsey said. “Anywhere I’m going to be near the goal is where I want to be. I love scoring goals … I love attacking and wherever I can do more attacking than defending is where I want to be,” he said.