USA vs. Honduras: 5 Players to Watch From Each Team

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The United States and Honduras national football teams are getting ready to face each other this Saturday in a friendly at Miami's Sun Life Stadium and there are already some interesting changes with the lineups.

Each side is without a major headliner—Landon Donovan is out for the Yanks and Stoke City's Wilson Palacios will sit this one out for Honduras—but new arrivals and up-and-comers will certainly make this an interesting showcase of talent.

Here are five players to watch from each of the national teams. Obviously, there are others worth noting, so give us your thoughts on the lineup and other players fans should watch out for in the comments. 

Jozy Altidore

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Altidore has been on fire so far this season with AZ Alkmaar, netting some top-quality goals for the Eredivisie side and getting some action in Europe.

A couple of weeks ago, he scored in AZ's 1-1 draw against Metalist Kharkiv and has helped keep his side at the top of their group in the Europa League. Let's see if he can keep his hot streak going in this weekend's matchup with Honduras and score a goal or two.

Oguchi Onyewu

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Back from a rather long absence from the USMNT, Onyewu has recovered from recent injury woes and looked strong last week in Sporting Lisbon's victory over Lazio, inviting suggestions that the centre back is back to his 2009 self.

He played the full 90 minutes and kept the Serie A side from scoring until well into the second half of the match, when a red card reduced their numbers to 10. 

It will be his first time playing for the national team under Jürgen Klinsmann, and if he continues to demonstrate the skill he has at his new Portuguese club, it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. 

Danny Williams

Danny Williams, a 22-year-old German-born dual-citizenship-holding midfielder who plays for TSG Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, will make his debut for the U.S. men's national team against Honduras.

Williams is one of the most intriguing selections to the squad this time around, and he certainly has a lot of expectations to fulfill for Klinsmann's side. 

His Hoffenheim teammate, fellow newcomer Fabian Johnson, is eligible to play for the team after switching FIFA allegiances, but is out due to injury. 

Edson Buddle

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Buddle was a late addition to the roster for the match against Honduras, taking the place of Landon Donovan, who is out with a strained quadriceps.

The former L.A. Galaxy star and 2010 MVP, now with German side FC Ingolstadt 04, has struggled to break into the national team due to struggles with injury.

Now 30 years old with only seven caps for the national team under his belt and off to a solid start in Germany, this match against Honduras could be his chance to shine. 

Tim Howard

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The keeper is one of the USMNT's best assets and has been a fixture on the squad for a while.

Howard is just coming off of a stunning performance against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, and although his Everton lost 2-0, he held off their attack well for the most part. Expect him to do the same when facing Honduras. 

Jorge Claros

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A last-minute replacement for an injured Wilson Palacios, Claros, who plays for Honduran first-division side Motagua, had injury woes of his own after thieves shot him over the summer. 

Now recovered, Claros, a promising prospect for Celtic before the incident and a player who made his mark representing Honduras at the Beijing Olympics, is looking to get back into international play.

This match will be his first major test, but he's got some big shoes to fill in the absence of Palacios. 

Roger Espinoza

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The versatile Sporting Kansas City star scored for his team in a friendly against the United States back in January 2010 and hopes to repeat such a strike this time around.

Espinoza is a quality midfielder who has been a consistent performer for his MLS side and has helped make Sporting Kansas City serious contenders this season. Perhaps he can do the same for Honduras.

Osman Chávez

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Osman Chávez has been making a name for himself in Poland at Wisla Kraków. Last season, he helped bring the Polish league side to another championship victory.

A veteran for his national team with more than 40 caps, defender Chávez faltered a bit in Kraków's most recent Europa League match, so he may take this opportunity to return to form against the United States. 

Alfredo Mejía

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One of the youngest members of the Honduras squad, Alfredo Mejía has been providing the X-factor for his club, Real España, scoring an equalizing goal against FC Dallas to prevent the MLS side from defeating them in a recent CONCACAF Champions League match.

He will be representing Honduras at the London Olympics and impressed at the national youth levels. Now looking for his big break in the senior team, Mejía may get it at Sun Life Stadium. 

Roger Rojas

The second Roger on our list for Honduras, 'RoRo' is a clever forward who knows how to get past defenders.

He recently emerged as something of a hero for Los Catrachos, scoring a pair of goals in their recent CONCACAF victory over Nicaragua and helping the team get to the Olympics.

Another young starter for the team at 21 years of age, RoRo still has a lot of potential to fulfill with the national team. Expect to see a few glimpses of it this weekend.