Against Slovenia the tried and trusted counterattacking measures will not work.
This is a team that has a very well organized defense. With a win under their belts against Algeria, the Slovenians are not coming out to push upfield leaving their hindquarters exposed for a punishing counterattack. They actually have very little skin in the game. The US will be far hungrier to dictate terms to try and force the pace.
This means that the US will have to resort to plenty of ball possession to try and break that defense down. This means lots of patience and lots of short passes.
Unfortunately, the USA is not built that way, at least not with the personnel on the field against England in the first match.
The team is very poor when it comes to making passes and accuracy. They are the third worst passing team in passes completed (218 )and completion percentage (57.98%). Compare that to top ranked Germany with 474 passes completed for a 76.7% rate. Only Switzerland and Honduras are worse. Which would lead one to point out, didn’t Switzerland win? What’s the problem exactly? The problem is that the goal scored was a fluke. Just like the US scoring against England.
Someone like Jose Francisco Torres in the middle, whose style of play is antithetical to the present fast and unthinking counterattacking, is ideal when it needs to break down as obdurate a defense as the Slovenians (six goals conceded in their World Cup qualifiers).
He slows the game down pushing and probing to get the one pass that will split the defense. Technically gifted, with great dribbling and passing ability, he is the virtual opposite of Landon Donovan whose greatest skills are off the ball.
Against the Slovenians we need to push up the possession stats. Become more accurate. Learn patience. And win the match not around a potential Samir Handanovic mistake but with real craft. That is not Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark. Bob Bradley needs to bite the bullet and introduce Jose Francisco Torres to his first big start.