USA vs. Venezuela: 5 Things You Need to Know About Showdown

If the United States men's soccer team is going take the next level and become one of the better squads in the world, it needs to have a strong 2012.

The new season will begin on Saturday when Jurgen Klinsmann's team take on Venezuela in Glendale, Ariz. Klinsmann's tenure as the American manager has not started well, and the team's attack has been dreadful with just five goals scored in seven matches.

This weekend's match with Venezuela is important and the United States must win, so let's look at five things you need to know about this showdown.

1) USA's young talent will be on display

A good mix of veterans and quality young players will be on display for the United States against Venezuela, as Klinsmann finds out which youngsters are ready to play an important role on the senior squad.

Midfielder Brek Shea will make his 10th appearance for team USA. He will give the middle of the pitch some pace and creativity that will hopefully allow the team to score more goals, or at least create more quality scoring chances.

It will be fun to watch the future stars of the national team get their shot on Saturday.

2) Juan Agudelo is the next good American striker

Juan Agudelo is a very good attacking talent and has the ability to be a reliable goals scorer that the Americans can depend on for a long time.

USA doesn't have a forward who really strikes fear into opposing nation's defenders, but Agudelo, at just 19 years of age, has the potential to be a fabulous player.

If he can play well against Venezuela this weekend, he will earn more chances to shine in the starting lineup.

3) Jermaine Jones returns to squad for first time since August

Jermaine Jones is a quality central midfielder who will return to team USA for the first time since August, because he is currently serving an eight-match ban in the Bundesliga.

Jones has played well at the club level in Germany, and will be a nice addition into Klinsmann's team. He hasn't played with the team since August, so he may take some time to develop some chemistry with his teammates.

However, Jones will give the Americans some playmaking quality in the midfield they lack when he's not on the pitch.

4) Klinsmann still doesn't have a formation

Jurgen Klinsmann has yet to find a formation that works for the Americans, and that might not be decided any time soon because he still needs to see which players give him the best chance to win matches. You cannot give the team a formation unless you know which players will start regularly.

He's used both a 4-1-3-1-1 and a 4-4-2 in recent matches, with the 4-4-2 looking like the best formation because most players, especially the ones who play club football in Europe, are used to it.

This match will give Klinsmann a better idea of which formation to use moving forward.

5) USA badly needs a win against an inferior Venezuela team

The USA is not a world power but there is no reason they should lose to a nation like Venezuela, who with all due respect, are not better than the Americans on the pitch.

Even without stars Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, the Americans should still be able to defeat Venezuela.

Finding motivation to do well should not be a problem at all, since so many players are fighting for their spots on the team and in the starting XI. Hopefully the opportunity to impress Klinsmann for more playing time is something these players can use to their advantage.

If the Americans lose, there will be a lot of questions of the players moving forward, and also if Klinsmann is the right manager for the team.