Roster spots to be had for USA soccer
The U.S. team has already qualified for the 2014 World Cup, but player selection is next step.
THE LAST TWO matches of World Cup qualification generally aren't times when a national team coach can relax.
And United States coach Jürgen Klinsmann has emphasized to his players that tomorrow's CONCACAF Hexagonal match against Jamaica in Kansas City, Kan., and the final match at Panama on Tuesday are as important as any other qualifiers the USA has played.
"We want to win these games," Klinsmann said recently. "We want to finish off the year on high note.
"These games already count toward the World Cup in 2014 in terms of the internal competition and the mentality we are trying to build."
That's good. That's what Klinsmann should say, but let's be honest, the coach could not have dreamed of a better situation than the United States is in right now.
The USA already punched its ticket for Brazil next summer in the last round of games in September.
Along with the host nation Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Iran, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and the USA enter the final games without having to worry about qualifying for 2014.
That security will allow Klinsmann to concentrate more on finalizing the 23-man roster he will take to Brazil - an unexpected luxury at this point in qualification.
"Everything we do now sets the tone for summer 2014, and therefore it's important that the players understand this is serious business," Klinsmann said. "We want to see an improvement of the entire squad. We want to see competition in every spot. You only have to say one word - Brazil. Then you automatically get fired up."
Barring injury or a catastrophic drop in form, USA stalwarts like midfielders Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and Graham Zusi; goalies Tim Howard and Brad Guzan; forwards Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan and defensemen Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez are locks for Brazil.
Still, Klinsmanm has sparked this rebirth of USA soccer by fostering constant competition and never allowing any player to get too comfortable about job security.
Leaving an under-motivated Altidore off the roster for some high-profile friendlies and making Donovan, the most recognized face in USA soccer, earn his way back onto the roster after a self-imposed exile were two of the biggest decisions Klinsmann made in solidifying a competitive mindset for the entire squad.
The 20-man roster for the matches against Jamaica and Panama has some interesting players to watch - ones who could play their way on or off the roster for Brazil.
Left back DaMarcus Beasley, a three-time World Cup participant and captain of the 2013 Gold Cup champion squad, is probably going to Brazil but would like some good showings to strengthen his case.
As a 19-year-old in 2001, Beasley first got noticed during a CONCACAF qualifying match against Trinidad & Tobago that had no bearing on the standings. But that ended up being the first step for Beasley to make the 2002 World Cup roster.
Seattle FC forward Eddie Johnson looked like he was done as a national team player. He had not scored a goal for the USA since 2008, when Klinsmann surprisingly gave him a shot in a qualifier against Antigua and Barbuda in 2012.
Johnson scored in that game and has touched the back of the net five times for the United States in 2013. Scoring goals always keeps you in the World Cup picture.
Since choosing to play for the United States over Norway in 2012, Mix Diskerud, 23, has played his way into the mix of the crowded United States midfield.
With Bradley injured and off the roster, Diskerud could get a shot in the next two games to pin down a midfield spot for Brazil.
But perhaps the most intriguing player on the current USA roster is 22-year-old forward Aron Johannsson.
Having dual citizenship in Iceland, Johannsson made the commitment to the USA senior team in August.
Despite having just two caps for the United States, the young star from AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch League showed enough flashes against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Costa Rica to warrant a closer look.
The bottom line is that while the United States has qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the players who will make up that team are still to be determined.
That in itself makes these next two games against Jamaica and Panama huge.
"Right now there are spots for Brazil and everyone knows that," Beasley said. "There are 23 spots that go on the plane next summer. You want to be one of them that are on the plane."
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