USMNT: Team of the Decade

EAST HARTFORD, CT- OCTOBER 10: Landon Donovan #10 of the United States reacts as he leaves the field after playing in the first half during an international friendly with Ecuador at Rentschler Field on October 10, 2014 in East Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

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HARRISON, NEW JERSEY- SEPTEMBER 01: Geoff Cameron #22 of the United Starts during team presentations before the United States Vs Costa Rica CONCACAF International World Cup qualifying match at Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey on September 01, 2017 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /

Centre-Backs

Perhaps the most uncertain position in the Team of the Decade, which says more about the lack of options available than it does the depth of quality, there are several ways that you could go here. John Brooks might be the most talented, but injuries scuppered his best years and availability, while Matt Besler was arguably the most consistent.

However, I have moved in a different direction to both. The first if Geoff Cameron, who broke through midway through the decade and shone in several different positions, from centre-back to central midfield and full-back. His versatiltiy was crucial, starting the opening two matches of the 2014 World Cup and the entirety of the 2016 Copa America. He also played at the highest domestic level with Stoke City in the Premier League for much of the decade.

Alongside Cameron, I have plumped for Omar Gonzalez. He was excellent in the 2014 World Cup, especially against Germany, the eventual victors, and Belgium, the USMNT’s biggest game of the decade, and he totalled 14 clean sheets across the decade, more than any centre-back. Not the most convincing, admittedly, but still the best of a bad bunch.

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