World Cup watch - Could Bradley change the formation?

Throughout Bob Bradley's tenure as the head coach of the United States mens soccer team he has used only two formations, the 4-5-1 and the current 4-4-2 alignment. But with the rash of injuries and the unlikely return of Charlie Davies, is it time for Bradley to possibly deploy a different formation that better suits his current crop of first team players?

I'm thinking that Bradley might want to use this time to experiment with his team to see if there is a better option out there. Another reason to try this is the possibility that both of the centerbacks who are currently hurt (Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit) do not return to form prior to the World Cup. Bradley needs to have all of his options available in case something goes wrong. So now we get to have a little fun and throw out some interesting ideas that will surely be read by Mr. Bradley himself.

The formation that Bradley would be most likely to try would be a 3-5-2. Here's what my lineup would look like:

Howard

Spector Bocanegra Bornstein

Clark Bradley

Holden Torres Donovan

Altidore Dempsey

I'll start by saying that Jonathan Bornstein is currently the best option at left back for this team. That may change once Edgar Castillo gets called into camp and proves to be the better option. Ricardo Clark also gets the nod right now but could be replaced by either Maurice Edu or Jermaine Jones once they are healthy and game sharp. I chose Jose Torres over Benny Feilhaber based on my own opinion of their play. Feilhaber is good on the ball but he has a tendency to defend with his arms too much and not by moving his feet. Torres proved against Costa Rica that he can be a solid two way player in the middle of the park and deserves to get increased time with the national team. The selection of Clint Dempsey at forward is both my preference and feeling that he'll be playing up top more alongside Jozy Altidore.

Now here's my idea for the best possible U.S. lineup using only available players.

Howard

Spector Bocanegra Bornstein

Holden Torres Bradley Castillo

Dempsey Donovan

Altidore

I'll start by clarifying that this is more of a three forward set up than the dreaded lone striker alignment that seems to never work. Picture this formation as a free-flowing set up that allows the team to adapt to the game on the fly, sort of like an amoeba. Castillo has been called an attacking defender with good speed and ball skills so putting him in the left wing spot will allow him to attack from the flank without the defensive commitment of a full time left back. Castillo's versatility will also allow him to drop into that left back position if the U.S.A. finds themselves under heavy attack and Landon Donovan can fall back into a left mid spot to cover. This lineup also reduces the defensive responsibilities of Dempsey and Donovan and allows them to roam the field looking for spots to attack. Michael Bradley would have to be a more defensive minded midfielder to provide better cover if the backline gets stretched. If Onyewu returns as expected then Bocanegra could shift to the left and replace Bornstein.

The best teams in the world push players forward and use atleast one of their wing backs as more of an attacker than a defender (Spain, Brazil). The Americans have too rigid of a system to allow themselves to really put consistent pressure on a team. This formation would allow Castillo, Holden and Spector the chance to pull up and hit crosses. You can also swarm the midfield and try to take control of the game by having Dempsey and Donovan fall back and make it harder for an opponent to get the ball forward.

I think it's worth a try but I don't think Bradley will try out something like this. I'm pretty sure that he has a little bit more riding on it this thing than I do.