AMSTERDAM – The absence of hit men Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey should be seen as a chance to shine for those attackers left on board for this friendly road trip to Europe, says US men's national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann.
The head coach, who is also missing workhorse right winger Alejandro Bedoya, is not altering the game plan for Friday's game here against the Netherlands (3 pm ET; ESPN2) or in next Wednesday's World Cup 2014 rematch against Germany in Cologne to make up for the missing, or trying to run production by committee. Instead, he is essentially challenging a young group of forwards and set-up men to prove they belong in the core group as the Gold Cup draws near.
"I think the principles within the team are the same," Klinsmann told reporters assembled at Amsterdam ArenA ahead of Friday's tilt. "You don't want to miss a few key players, but at the same time the players that come in get that opportunity to follow through with the same approach in the game.
"This is their opportunity – take it! Impress everybody and show they deserve to be on the team."
At the age of 27 and with all of 30 caps, Fabian Johnson has suddenly become the elder statesman of the attacking stable, and even he may be deployed at left back. However, he says everyone is being counted on to raise their contributions to the goal of creating consistent offense.
"Jozy and Clint are two great players that are missing," Johnson told MLSsoccer.com. "But we have great players here, too, and I think we just have to figure it out as a team."
