USA vs. Panama: Geoff Cameron and Americans Who Must Make Most of Opportunity

The United States men's soccer national team will take on a tough Panama team in an international friendly tonight in Panama City. The Americans won't have their "A" squad for the game and it may not even be their "B" squad, but there are several players who will be handed a great opportunity.

The Americans are coming off a hard-fought win over Venezuela and they will look to keep the momentum going for head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. It certainly won't be easy, however, as the United States' top team struggled vs. Panama in this past Gold Cup, splitting two meetings against them.

With the big boys away, the reserves will play, and here are three such players who can make their case to be a part of the big team moving forward.

MF Benny Feilhaber

Despite his penchant for making plays and delivering pinpoint passes, midfielder Benny Feilhaber has never gotten his due credit for the men's national team. He has earned 39 caps over the course of his career and was a key reserve on the latest World Cup team, but he seems to get passed over time and time again when it comes to earning a starting role.

With Bob Bradley out and Jurgen Klinsmann in as manager, however, there is reason to believe that he can make a good enough impression to become a key player. Even when the US team is at full strength, I think it's fair to say that Feilhaber is one of the squad's best distributors in the midfield. If he can make some things happen by setting up a goal or at least some scoring chances, I think his role will expand moving forward.

F Chris Wondolowski

As of right now the Americans' top two strikers are Jozy Altidore and Juan Agudelo, basically by default. Neither will be playing on Wednesday night, so there is a major opportunity for some unheralded forwards to get involved in the mix. Early indications are that Chris Wondolowski of the San Jose Earthquakes will get the start. He has yet to set himself apart as an impact player for the US, but he did make the Gold Cup roster.

There is no question that the United States has a serious lack of depth up top, so if Wondolowski can mount any sort of offense, he will immediately be a name for Klinsmann to keep in mind. I don't view Wondolowski as much more than a reserve since he lacks top-end tools, but his production on the pitch will determine his true worth.

CB Geoff Cameron

Perhaps the most noticeable player in the Americans' recent victory over Venezuela was centre-back Geoff Cameron. It appears as though Cameron has surpassed Tim Ream in the pecking order following Ream's shaky Gold Cup performance, so another good outing would be huge for Cameron. That is especially true because the centre-back position is quite unsettled on the United States' top squad.

With that in mind, it isn't inconceivable that Cameron could play his way into starting consideration for World Cup qualifying. Provided Cameron plays steady, even-handed defense, I don't see any reason why Klinsmann wouldn't put some trust in him. A centre-back doesn't have to be dynamic by any means, he simply has to be solid and strong on the ball. If Cameron avoids mistakes against Panama, then he'll be a name worth watching.