Any young-ish soccer players in the house?

[Hawkmoon]

I'm curious. I played high school and college soccer ... more than 45 years ago. I sort of knew that on-field alignments and the names of positions had changed since then, but I never paid much attention. I'm looking at a layout now showing the way the U.S. and Algerian teams are deployed. Looks like the U.S. is using a 2-4-4 (+goalie/keeper), and Algeria is using a 3-4-3 (+goalie/keeper).

When I played, in both high school and college, I was primarily a goalie and I played a few games as a halfback my senior year in college due to injuries wiping out most of our halfbacks. In those days, every team played a 5-3-2 alignment: the front line was a center forward, two insides, and two wings. Then we had three halfbacks, and two fullbacks.

Does anyone even use that alignment today? What is/are the advantage(s) of these other alignments?

BTW -- I see Tim Howard is in the goal for the U.S. I thought he was banged up so badly in the previous game that he was out for the duration. How did they patch him up?

[T.O.M.]

When I started playing in the early 70's, we played the 5-3-2 system you described.  By the time I was in junior high, it switched to a 4-3-3.  Curently, the team of kids I coach (3-4th graders) use 9 players, and I use a 3-2-3 system.  I would use a 2-3-3 or a 2-4-2, but I lacked the talent to make either of these systems work.  The shift seems to be for (1) more of a balanced presence on the field and (2) recognizing that most of the action takes place at midfield. 

As for the keeper, there was fear he was hurt, but he (like all keepers) is a little crazy, so he's playing.  No broken bones, just bruises.