- by Angel Soto, writing from California
1. New Faces
The start of a new tenure for Bob Bradley should be interesting as he integrates some new blood into the national team like, Jermaine Jones(Shalke 04) and Eric Lichaj(Aston Villa). How well will they do in this friendly? And what likeliness do they have of starting or playing?
2. Rebuilding the Defense
The Defense has been a huge question mark since the World Cup Qualifiers, so how does Bradley look into rebuilding a team that is essentially built off it's defense? Captain Carlos Bocanegra seems to be reaching the end of his peak, as is Hannover 96 stalwart Steve Cherundolo. How will Jonathan Spector, Eric Lichaj, Clarence Goodson, and Michael Parkhurst perform knowing they have an audition to present to Coach Bradley?
3. New Leadership Roles
Every new World Cup Cycle some of the players have come to step up and earn leadership roles. Before Carlos Bocanegra, Tim Howard, Landon Donovan, Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu and Clint Dempsey, the US team had, Brian McBride, Kasey Keller, Claudio Reyna, Eddie Pope, Eddie Lewis and Pablo Mastroeni, as it's leaders. Now this cycle we wont be losing many of the team's leadership, but there must be some players who have to step up. Michael Bradley seems to be a top candidate to grasp this new role, although we seem to forget he is still only 23 years old. Maurice Edu, Jermaine Jones, Benny Feilhaber, and Stuart Holden could also be prime prospects for this leadership role. So who will grab this opportunity and sail with it?
4. Depleted Forward Line
This topic continues being one of the major concerns for both fans and coaches of the US Men's National Team. Jozy Altidore seems to not be getting much time at Villareal, but his situation has been better this season than seasons past, as he does get some looks for the strong "Yellow Submarine". The surprise and probably the most controversial call up(at least among fans) is the inclusion of Fulham striker, Eddie Johnson. Many fans have grown tired of "the experiment" with him, but he has been playing well for the London side, although he hasn't put a ball in the net. Will Bob start them together or just one of them? It has been a fantasy for many fans in the past to have them start together.
5. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions....
The strength of the team is definitely the Middle of the field. It is a good problem to have, as Bob Bradley has depth beyond past managers wish they could have. Bob Bradley's midfield is arguably the best in CONCACAF, and one of the best of the Western Hemisphere especially with the inclusion of Jermaine Jones to the team. But the team will be without one of it's most influential players in Landon Donovan, though this could be a blessing in disguise. This could be a coming out party for young impact midfielders like, Alejandro Bedoya, Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden. Many would have liked to see young Dallas midfielder Brek Shea in this match but unfortunately he will be unavailable for the match vs. Poland. Central Midfield will be a battle as Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Jermaine Jones and Feilhaber(if used there) will be playing for time on the field as this is a deep position in the overall player pool.
It will be an interesting game to watch as Poland is rebuilding completely as they failed to qualify in this past World Cup. They should never be taken lightly but the US team has to be a favorite coming into this match. Another strong test for Bob Bradley's men as they try to build on this years World Cup.
