The U.S. trots out what amounts to the junior varsity squad for Saturday’s friendly against Chile (10 P.M. EST, ESPN3.com and TelaFutra). Bob Bradley has called up his usual MLS/Scandinavian roster for the January camp, and this roster is particularly young: Alejandro Bedoya, who has six caps (all in 2010), is the most-capped player. The only player to have an international goal is 18 year-old Red Bulls striker Juan Agudelo. In all, the team has a collective 23 caps among them. For comparison, Landon Donovan has 128 caps. Sacha Kljestan, a fairly young player that is hardly a national team regular, has 25 caps alone.

However, when I use the term “junior varsity” I do not mean it in a degrading way. Rather, it’s a young team that may include future national team stars. Against Colombia in October, Brek Shea became the first player born in the 1990s to earn a cap. This team has four players born in the ’90s, all of whom are seeking their second cap. Fourteen players in camp are 23 years old or younger.

With the Gold Cup beginning in just over four months and World Cup qualifying beginning as early as this fall, this may represent a last chance for players to play themselves into the picture for the upcoming critical matches before some of the World Cup key players begin to fade from the picture.

With that introduction, here are the five things I’m most interested in watching on Saturday night:

1) How will the forwards look?
It’s no secret that forward isn’t the strongest position for the U.S. American strikers have famously gone two consecutive World Cups without scoring a goal (although I do think that Jozy Altidore had a good World Cup despite his lack of goals). Two World Cup veterans— Edson Buddle and Robbie Findley– recently left their clubs in the domestic league for teams in Europe; both were forced to join second-division clubs. The best U.S. forward, Alitdore, struggles to get off the bench for Villarreal; the remaining forward from that team, Herculez Gomez, had scored once in fifteen appearances for Pachuca this season.

It is due to that current situation that so many U.S. fans were excited by the play of young Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury in November. Agudelo, the former academy star for the Red Bulls, emerged as a starter for New York in the playoffs as injuries slowed Thierry Henry. He parlayed his breakout performances over the two legs (which included a great assist for a brief, late equalizing goal in the second leg) into a cap, where he scored the winner against South Africa at just 17 years old (and became the rare forward to score a senior international goal before a senior club goal). Bunbury, meanwhile, had a 5-goal rookie campaign for Sporting Kansas City and may have more minutes available in Sporting’s 4-3-3 next season with the departure of former national teamer Josh Wolff. He will also have the chance to learn from Mexican World Cup veteran Omar Bravo next year. Bunbury appeared as a second-half sub against South Africa and looked promising.

The remaining forward options are more interesting and unconventional in background. Chris Wondolowski, 28 years old next week, came out of nowhere (11 goals in all competitions his first six years as a professional) to win the MLS Golden Boot with a stunning 18 goals in 26 regular season matches before adding a series-winner in the playoffs. He becomes the latest in a line of hot/in-form US forwards to get a previously-unexpected national team shot (see also: Jeff Cunningham in late 2009, Gomez, Buddle, and Conor Casey in 2009). Is Wondolowski just a fluke wonder— 12 of his goals came in the last 13 games of the season, including two hat tricks— or is he a late bloomer? While not physically impressive in the manner of Agudelo or Bunbury, Wondolowski demonstrated a great knack for finishing— something that US strikers could stand to use.

The other interesting forward option is the late addition to the camp, the Ukrainian-born Yevgeni (“Eugene”) Starikov. Starikov emerged on the scene literally from the middle of nowhere (I would classify Siberia as “nowhere”) emerging as a key player for FC Tom Tomsk while on loan from powerhouse Zenit St. Petersburg. No one is quite sure what to make of him as a prospect, but at just 21/22 he was making starts in one of the best non-Big Four leagues in Europe so he would seem to have some talent.

2) What formation does Bob Bradley use?
During the fall string of friendlies, Bradley experimented with a number of lineups besides the 4-4-2 (more of a 4-2-2-2) that he used for the most part during the previous cycle. Against Poland, he used a 4-5-1. Against Colombia, he used a 4-3-3 with three central midfielders (Maurice Edu, Michael Bradley, and Jermaine Jones) in vein of the Manchester City inverted triangle. Against South Africa, we saw both the 4-4-2 and the 4-2-3-1 that was so popular at the World Cup. With the depth that the US has in central midfield, I would not be surprised if the 4-2-3-1 emerged as the preferred formation this cycle. Could we see the young Norwegian-American Mikkel “Mix” Diskerud (who had the impressive game-winning assist at South Africa) playing the center of the 3 (as many speculate may emerge over time)?

3) Will depth emerge at the wide midfield positions?
While Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, the two stars of the last cycle, both play officially wide attacking midfield positions, neither are true wingers (both tend to have the freedom to move around the field in the 4-2-2-2) and the US has a lack of proven depth in the outside midfield. With Stuart Holden playing more and more centrally at Bolton Wanderers, there is an opportunity for young outside midfielders to prove themselves. Shea and Bedoya in particular could stand to gain significantly with strong performances, and Diskerud and Eric Alexander– both of whom play more inside but may play outside on Saturday– also have a lot to gain. While Shea impressed coaches from Real and Atletico Madrid while playing at centerback during the MLS Generation adidas trip to Spain, I still think that the 20 year-old’s immediate future is at winger. For the sake of the US, who already have a number of young centerbacks in the pool, I hope he can develop into a dynamic left-footed attacker. Bedoya, meanwhile, looks to continue his rise within the American ranks. Both (along with Diskerud) are probably on the Gold Cup roster bubble right now, showing an ability to provide service and creativity from the wings would go a long way towards earning themselves a spot on the roster.

4) How will the back line shake out?
As I mentioned, the U.S. does seem to have a number of potentially strong centerback options. Three of them— Ike Opara (injury), George John (injury), and Gale Agbossoumonde (on trial in Sweden)— aren’t here, but several of them are in camp. Will Tim Ream (possibly the best US centerback of any age with the ball at his feet) and Omar Gonzalez prove to be a long-term pairing? Is one-time rightback Marvell Wynne (whom I don’t think has played since his disastrous outing in a 3-1 loss at Costa Rica) a budding athletic centerback star (where he revived his career with Colorado)? Will Anthony Wallace become a player at left back, or will the US continue its century-long search for a reliable player there (although Jonathan Bornstein played very well at the World Cup)? Where does AJ DeLaGarza— generally the backup to fellow camper Sean Franklin at RB, an often-effective pairing with former college teammate Gonzalez– fit into the picture?

5) Do Jeff Larentowicz and Dax McCarty have a future with this team?
I feel bad for Larentowicz and McCarty in a way. Both of them have flourished in MLS, with McCarty having a great season for Dallas while Larentowicz may have been the most important addition to MLS Cup champion Colorado. As mentioned, central midfield is the deepest US position. However, one can never have enough depth. Unlike the central midfielders that went to South Africa (Logan Pause and Brian Carroll), both Larentowicz and McCarty seem to have some upside. Will they play enough to at least become options as qualifying stretches on and some injury-prone players (cough, Jermaine Jones, cough) fall in and out of form, or will their careers mirror Kyle Beckerman’s— probably a key player for the US five years ago but left behind by the current crop of talent?

My predicted lineup:
———————————Rimando———————————
—Franklin———-Ream———Gonzalez——–Wallace—
——————-Larentowicz——McCarty————————
——–Bedoya————————————-Shea—————
———————Agudelo————-Wondolowski————–

Johnson (Rimando)
Miller (Wallace)
Cronin (McCarty)
Diskerud (Larentowicz)
Bunbury (Agudelo)
Alexander (Shea)
Starikov (Wondolowski)

Also, while I’m not gunning for stickers, this strikes me as a 1-1 draw.

1) Will Bob Bradley attempt to play something other than a 4-4-2?

Bob has lived and died by the 4-4-2 since becoming the manager of the team.  He once tinkered with a 4-5-1/4-3-3 in a World Cup qualifier down in Costa Rica (a 3-1 loss) in 2009, but after getting behind early and the team just looking awful, he quickly abandoned that plan and really hasn’t strayed from the 4-4-2.  I am eager to see if Bob tries anything new or if we will see the standard 4-4-2.

2) Who will step up and be the offensive leader with no Landon Donovan in the lineup?

With Lando trying to win the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the Galaxy (as well as giving him a little bit of a break), he was not called to the team for these friendlies.  He has been the offensive “quarterback” for most of the last four years.  If the US is doing something creative offensively, it is more than likely that Donovan is involved.  It should be interesting to see who steps up and takes the on-the-field leadership when it comes to creating offensively.  Will it be Dempsey?  Or will someone like Benny Feilhaber or Stuart Holden take charge?

3) How far along is Gooch since his injury?

People are quick to write off Gooch since he returned quicker than normal for someone with that major of a knee injury and looked average in the World Cup.  People have forgotten how well he played for the US between 2005-2009.  Plus, he is still less than a year away from his surgery and has not been getting playing time at AC Milan.  These games will give him a chance to play actual minutes in an actual game and I want to see if he looks better.  If the US wants to get that defense back to something of a strength for the team, they are going to need a healthy and confident Gooch.

4) Who is going to play left back?

Heath Pearce will not be able to play in Saturday’s game, but will return (with Brek Shea) for next Tuesday’s game.  Carlos Bocanegra is the next logical choice by looking at the roster, but I would like to see Eric Lichaj and Jonathan Spector given a chance.  While Spector has played LB for West Ham, he has only featured once at LB for the US under Bob Bradley and that was at the 2007 Gold Cup in one game.  This position has been a giant question mark for the US in recent years (long live Jeff Agoos!) and while Bocanegra and Jonathan Bornstein did a serviceable job at the World Cup, the US needs to find someone to take control of the position.

5) How well will Jermaine Jones play within the squad?

One of the best qualities of the US teams in recent years has been the fact that they are close knit family, many of which have grown up playing with each other in the US youth systems.  Now enters this 28-year-old midfielder who grew up in Germany most of his life and is brand new to the US program.  I am just interested in how he interacts with the players on and off the field.

So those are my questions heading into the games over the next week.  What are you interested in seeing or knowing?

If you’re a reader of this blog, you are undoubtedly well-aware of the fact that the 30-man preliminary World Cup roster was released earlier this week. From this 30-man roster, Bob Bradley must find 23 to take with him to South Africa (actually, it’s 20 men from 27 since all three goalkeepers will be there).

There are some guys who are mortal locks, there are some guys who are probably in to help balance out practices and scrimmages as much as anything. I am guessing myself that there are really only a handful of spots up for grabs at this point, but I wanted to look at the top five battles of interest (to me) over the coming weeks:

#5: Heath Pearce vs. Jonathan Bornstein
A few weeks ago, I had penciled in both guys to make the 23. However, I’ve reconsidered that. When you consider that Carlos Bocanegra plays leftback for Rennes (and probably will against Slovenia and Algeria) and that Jonathan Spector can also play leftback (mixed results or not), this may be a race for the third-choice option at LB. Only two of the four semifinalists as the last World Cup brought eight true defenders and only one semifinalist at the 2002 World Cup did. I consider Bocanegra, Onyewu, Demerit, Cherundolo, Goodson, and Spector to be relative locks. Couple that with DaMarcus Beasley’s ability to play LB in an emergency (however harrowing this was during qualifying) and Maurice Edu having token experience at CB, and this may be the last defender spot available.

Versatility could be a factor. Pearce has demonstrated an ability to play LM with some success with FC Dallas in action so far this year, and Bornstein played CB after the Conrad red card (and rather well) and has lined up at CB some for Chivas USA where he was serviceable playing out of position. This one could come down to form in camp; the fact that Bradley has a history with Bornstein (coached him at Chivas and actually moved him to LB out of college) may play a factor.

#4. Ricardo Clark vs. Maurice Edu
Strictly speaking, you could throw in Benny Feilhaber and Jose Francisco Torres into this discussion, but their skills are probably better suited for coming off the bench (although I think Torres may get the starting nod against Slovenia or Algeria due to his ability to break down a defense). Michael Bradley will (rightfully) start against England, but his midfield partner is certainly up for debate. Clark of course started when Bradley in the epic win over Spain last summer and was first-choice in the critical stretch of qualifying. He also came on strong late in the season in Germany and earned himself a permanent deal. Edu on the other hand was not healthy for much of 2009. The fact that Clark is more of a destroyer while Edu likes to get forward more may play a factor here.

#3: DaMarcus Beasley vs. Alejandro Bedoya
While I know a lot of the Beasley truthers think that Bradley has a secret plan to start him, I don’t think that Beasley is a lock. That said, I expect him to be on the roster as it is clear that Bradley trusts in the reliable veteran (nearly 100 caps). I don’t think Bradley will rate Beasley ahead of guys like Feilhaber, Holden, etc., but I think he will be the mix. In particular, believe that this may be the fight for the 23rd roster spot. Bedoya has had the better form over the past year and has really come out of nowhere to add a true winger option.

#2: The Forwards
This position was difficult to evaluate before the events of the past few days; now it’s impossible. Initially, I suspected that we’d see Ching, Buddle, and Gomez (assuming Davies was not healthy). However, Eddie Johnson’s form has been really strong lately (3 goals in Greek playoffs) so he seemed tracking in the right direction before he got hurt. Now, of course, he may miss more than a week of camp. Brian Ching’s injury in early April seemingly left him out, but he returned last night against Salt Lake. In that same match, Robbie Findley of Salt Lake scored his first goal of the MLS season and generally looked dangerous.

Then you have the two wild-cards: Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle. I’m of the opinion that Gomez is the closest thing to Charlie Davies left in the US pool. Gomez of course led the Mexican league in scoring, the first American to lead a foreign league in scoring. Buddle has scored nine times in eight MLS matches so far this year. They’re both somewhat of enigmas at the international level; Buddle has but one cap, in a 2003 friendly. Gomez has all of two, both in Copa America 2007. While Findley only has four caps, we’ve at least seen him in multiple caps over the last year.

#1: Where Does Dempsey Wind Up?
This isn’t a battle per say. We know that Dempsey is going to start. However, where he starts is going to be dependent on the form of Stuart Holden (or whoever would be the alternative at RM) and the performance of the guys mentioned #2. I rank it #1 because it’s a sort of meta-issue for the team overall.

What do you guys think?

I looked at my five favorite jerseys worn by Americans overseas this season a couple weeks ago, and with the latest USMNT World Cup jerseys being unveiled last week, I thought it was time to look the jerseys worn all-time by the USMNT and come up with a new list with my five favorites.

This is all my opinion.  Feel free to disagree and argue in the comments.

Honorable Mention – 1934 Home

So my list will actually have six jerseys when it is all said and done.  I am a sucker for old school stuff, but this one is a pretty classic look and I am a fan of the old US Soccer badge.

Biggest win in this jersey: The US only played two international games in 1934.  A World Cup qualifier against Mexico and their first round loss to Italy in the actual World Cup.  Because of that, their 4-2 win over Mexico on May 24, 1934 in Rome gets the nod.  Aldo Donelli ended up scoring all four goals for the Americans on that day.

#5 – 1950 Home

Yes, the jersey behind this year’s version.  Another classic look, and once again, I like the old school US Soccer badge.

Biggest win in this jersey: Any fan of US Soccer should know this answer, especially since it has been mentioned about 9,483 times since the US drew England in their group back in December.  On June 29, 1950 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Joe Gaetjens was able to head a Walter Bahr shot/cross into the back of the net leading to the US’ 1-0 victory over England in the World Cup.  The greatest victory in US Soccer history?  I think so…..for now.

#4 – 1995 Road

After some really ugly jerseys for most of the 1990s, especially both worn in the 1994 World Cup, Nike came along and produced two solid jerseys.  But I am giving the road jersey the nod as I like the blue.  This jersey also led to the 2006 road jersey,  where Nike took this design, made slight changes and updated it a bit.

Biggest win in this jersey: After already surprising Chile in their first game of Copa America ’95, the United States upset (ranked #8 by FIFA) Argentina 3-0 (goals by Frank Klopas, Alexi Lalas and Eric Wynalda) on July 15, 1995 and advanced to quarterfinals.

#3 – 2008 Home

This was one of those jerseys that underwhelmed me when they released it, but over time, it slowly won me over.  Now, I am a big fan and wish it wouldn’t go away.

Biggest win in this jersey: You could argue their 3-2 win over Honduras to clinch a spot in the World Cup was the biggest, but I am going with their 2-0 victory over #1 ranked Spain in the Confederations Cup on June 24, 2009.  It snapped Spain’s 35-game unbeaten streak and propelled the US to their first ever appearance in the final of a worldwide tournament.

#2 – 2006 Home

After Nike made some solid jerseys in 1995, there was a run of some pretty average jerseys until this bad boy.  Even a bloody nose still looks bad ass in this jersey.  Plus, it was unique to the United States after wearing some Nike jerseys that they made for other countries and just used the same template.

Biggest win in this jersey: On June 24, 2007, Benny Feilhaber kicked the game-winner in the 73rd minute against Mexico in the final of the 2007 Gold Cup.  The win gave the US their first ever back-to-back Gold Cup titles.

#1 – 2006 Third

A throwback of sorts to the old days, this jersey is easily my favorite of all-time.  I wish the US would try to use red more often, but they just stick to white and blue for whatever reason.  Plus, they used the old school US Soccer badge that I like a lot more than the current one.  If anyone has an extra one of these laying around, I will gladly buy it off of them.

Biggest win in this jersey: Here is the problem.  They only wore these in one game and I don’t know which one that was exactly.  I want to say it was in their 1-0 win over Lativa on May 28, 2006 in their run before the 2006 World Cup.

So there you have it.  What are your thoughts?  Fire away in the comments.

Every once in a while we will try to look at various things and make a Top 5 list.  Some things will be serious, most will not, but I thought I would start off with something easy and take a look at the Top 5 jerseys worn by Americans in Europe for this season.

This is all my opinion.  Feel free to disagree and argue in the comments.

But take a look at my Top 5 list after the jump.

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