USMNT: Team of the Decade
Central Midfield
The more established names begin to fill out the Team of the Decade as we move into the more attacking positions, starting in central midfield.
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You cannot have a Team of the Decade without Michael Bradley at the heart of it. He has his critics, certainly, but when compared to the rest of the USMNT central midfielders of the decade, he has been head and shoulders the best and most consistent performer, whether that be in the deep-lying role, his best-suited box-to-box position, or even higher up the pitch.
Alongside Bradley, I have gone for his old mate, Jermaine Jones. He was inconsistent, yes, and his best position, like Bradley, was difficult to determine at times, but his peak outings were tremendous, especially during the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Copa America. He was arguably the USMNT’s best player at the latter.
The first American to score in three World Cups. 30 goals across the decade. Two U.S. Male Player of the Year awards. Any team of the decade would be utterly remiss to not include Clint Dempsey. Played with flair, commitment, fire, a true USMNT star.