Edu set to start in Old Firm Derby

I know what you're thinking ' We said this the last time there was an Old Firm Derby, and he didn't start'.

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This time, there is nothing to stand in the University of Maryland graduate's way.

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With Barry Ferguson out, and Edu continually piling minutes and good performances on top of one another, his chances of starting in tomorrow's Old Firm Derby look good. His two winning goals this season have kept Rangers in the title race, and with Rangers only 1 point behind Celtic in the standings, and this the last Old Firm Derby of the season, a victory at Ibrox could very well seal Rangers' spot at the top of the table.

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In short, it's the most important game of the season so far.

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However, Edu has been known to step up when the team needs him to. He's showed leadership qualities for Toronto FC and during the Olympics. His gritty, aggressive, athletic style of play on the defensive end make him perfect for the SPL and perfect for this match.

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The U.S. Central Midfield

As far as lineup problems go, I’d have to say this is the one I’d like to have the most.

There are quite a few options in central midfield varying from gritty Pablo Mastroeni, to skillfull Jose Francisco Torres. Considering the influx of central midfielders there was in 2007, the starting central midfielders have changed around quite a bit, from Benny Feilhaber to Ricardo Clark, to Sacha Kljestan, with the only constant being Michael Bradley.

Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)- The most experience of the central midfield bunch, Pablo operates really as more of a third center back. He has a really bad reputation for getting booked with for bad tackles. His red card against Italy still haunts many USA fans. He lacks the creativity and flashiness that you’d think a central midfielder playing next to Michael Bradley would have, but his ability to break up attacks, and make the possession-maintaining passes keep him an option Bob Bradley likes to use against physical teams.

Sacha Kljestan (CD Chivas USA)- After a good Qualifying campaign in 2008 and a dream start to 2009 with a hat-trick against Sweden, He looked a shoe-in to go to Celtic. But after the deal fell through, He started slumping in form. A technically gifted central midfielder, he’s able to orchestrate the attack with his creative passes. He’s also able to carry a bit of the defensive load. However, an uncomfortable percentage of his passes don’t work out. He’s also a bit on the slow side, but his ability to make runs into space with good timing somewhat supersedes that.

Maurice Edu( Glasgow Rangers)- In my opinion, the central midfielder in the best position of the whole bunch. With Barry Ferguson banned from international play and placed on the transfer list for Rangers, Edu stepped up to his starting spot and made an immediate impact with two winning goals that kept Rangers in the race for the Scottish Premier League title. The most athletically gifted of the central midfield group, reasonably skillful on the ball, and a sharp passer.. He’s also very versatile, playing as a center back during the Olympics. He’s got a bit of a problem with fouls and bookings. On paper, he’s the best partner for Bradley in central midfield.

Jose Francisco Torres( Pachuca)- The most skillful player on the ball we have in the central midfield. A constant starter for Pachuca, the Gold Cup looks to be his coming out party. His skill on the ball, creative distribution, and solid work rate make him great prospect in central midfield.He’s done more than enough to prove he’s good enough for the Confederations Cup. There was a scare in which everyone thought that he would go for Mexico but when they didn’t call him up, he decided to accept a call up from the U.S.A.. With significant playing time during the Confederations Cup, World Cup Qualifying, the Gold Cup, not to mention a good season for Pachuca, he could find his way into Europe.

So what order do I put these guys in? I see something like this

Maurice Edu
Jose Francisco Torres
Sacha Kljestan
Pablo Mastroeni

Edu tops my list mainly because he’s in Europe, getting playing time, and making a huge impact for his club. Mind you, his league isn’t the greatest, but he’ll be around European eyes and with the progress he’s making, I could see him starting. I also like the idea of two central midfielders who can create and destroy. Rather than looking for two polar opposite central midfielders so that one defends, and the other attacks, why not play a pair that can do both? I see the lineup working like this:


---------------Altidore------Ching------------------

Donovan-------Bradley---------Edu-------Dempsey

Beasley--------Bocanegra-----Onyewu------Hejduk

-------------------------Howard---------------------

I honestly like the central midfield pairing of Bradley and Edu for a couple of reasons. For starters, these are two players who are starting constantly for their respective club in Europe. Second off, they have been able to make a positive impact on their clubs.

Bradley has great pace, tackling ability, and offensive intensity. However, he's starting to learn the finer nuances of being a center midfielder. He's finding out that he needs to be more than just fast and have a good shot on the offensive end. He's gaining the vision in the final third, he's become great at keeping possession, and has learned to move with the team and put himself in good positions.

Maurice Edu is a special kind of center midfielder becuase he's able to play an aggressive, ball-winning midfielder on the defensive end, but still shows the finesse, ball skill and a great soccer brain going forward. He was useful in away games like the Switzerland and Guatemala where there wasn't much time on he ball and we're looking for some level of control and composure while still being able to be gritty on the defensive end. He's been good for Rangers of late with two winning goals that kept them in the title race and looks ready to start for them this weekend in the Old Firm Derby.

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