United States Vs. Mexico: A Preview of the United States' Starting XI

The United States Men’s National team plays Mexico Wednesday night at Columbus Crew stadium to kick off the final round of World Cup Qualifying.

For the U.S. soccer fan, this is more than just a rivalry game. This is more than wanting to see a sea of red blanket the stands. This is a chance for the United States to signal the end of Mexico’s era of supposed domination.

This U.S. team can establish itself as the favorite to be the number one seed to advance from the CONCACAF region and they have the proper personnel to do it.

Here is a rundown of the expected Starting XI to face Mexico.

Starting from the back, Tim Howard is in top form for his club Everton and is establishing himself as the next great in the storied line of American keepers. He has shown his brilliance not just for Everton, but on the international stage as well.

His capacity to shut down the advances from perennial power Argentina last summer has most certainly been noticed by Mexico’s attackers.

The Center Back pairing of Oguchi Onyewu and Carlos Bocanegra exhibited domination at times during last year’s round of qualifying.

Bocanegra, the captain, has shown more versatility in his game and made the switch to left back for his new club team, Stade Rennes. This is his first season in France after leaving Fulham and has helped anchor one of the French Ligue 1’s most stingy defenses.

Oguchi Onyewu has seen his name come and go concerning possible moves during the last few transfer windows. All he has done is guide his team, Standard Liege, to the top of the table in the Belgian Jupiler League and in to the round of 32 knockout stages in the UEFA cup.

Onyewu is well noted for his stare down of Jared Borgetti in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. His fearlessness on the pitch will be much needed in Columbus.

Steve Cherundolo has been ruled out of the match Wednesday night and will be replaced by ageless veteran Frankie Hejduk. Hejduk’s energy, penchant for making overlapping runs, and experience in World Cup Qualifying makes him a suitable replacement.

The most likely option at Left Back will be Heath Pearce. Although Pearce did look a little out of place at times during the last round of qualifying, his familiarity with his back line teammates will be very helpful in stopping the Mexican attack.

In Bob Bradley’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, he slots two “holding” midfielders in between the back line and the attacking midfielders. These two will most likely be Michael Bradley and Sacha Kljestan.

Kljestan gave his international career a boost in his most recent game against Sweden. He registered a hat trick with goals including a free kick, penalty kick, and one in open play; showing his offensive prowess. His willingness to get back and defend has placed him next to Michael Bradley.

Michael Bradley, although he is the coach’s son, has done more than that to earn his spot in the lineup. Bradley currently plays for Bundesliga cellar dwellers Borrusia Moenchengladbach but is getting quality minutes and will no doubt be in good form.

The attacking midfielders/forwards of the squad will feature DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Brian Ching. This quartet is quite familiar with each other and will be expected to come up big in this matchup.

Landon Donovan has recently gone on loan to German powerhouse Bayern Munich and has fit in well. He registered roughly 20 minutes in Bayern’s 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund Sunday afternoon. His ability to compete at such a high level is what has made him a mainstay in the squad since 2000.

Clint Dempsey, the constant hustler, has seen his fortunes change drastically in England while playing for Fulham. Dempsey was seeing little-to-no playing time earlier this season, but after registering two goals against title contender Chelsea, has earned a regular spot in the Starting XI. His nose for the goal and tendency to “express himself” will be worth watching.

The only player worried not to be in top form will be DaMarcus Beasley. The usually tight lipped Bob Bradley has even stated his concern. “The fact that some guys haven’t played as much is a concern,” noted Bradley.

Beasley has not been getting so much as sniff of the pitch for club team Rangers. However he did play in a friendly against Milan recently and even notched a goal. I have a feeling Beasley will be up to the task.

Brian Ching—oh how we adore thee. It seems after every match the United States forward does not score a goal, fans from across the nation want him to retire. For some odd reason, we expect him to BE Brian McBride.

I’m sorry to say it, but he is not. However he is a very good fit for Bob Bradley’s attacking style. He positions himself in the correct places, he beats defenders to the spot, and he draws fouls; just ask Sacha Kljestan.

There you have it, your probable Starting XI for “la Guerra Fria”. With the temperatures in Columbus this will probably end up being “la Guerra Fresca”.

Don’t tread on this.