USA vs. Germany: Key Battles to Watch in International Friendly

After getting thoroughly outclassed by Belgium, the U.S. men’s national team will look to regroup against Germany as they prepare for their upcoming World Cup Qualifiers. 

They face a scary prospect in the German national team, which is stacked with world-class talent at just about every position. And despite not necessarily bringing first-choice players, the European powerhouse methodically picked apart Ecuador in their first international friendly this week. 

Here are some of the key matchups for the U.S. team as they once again prepare to test their mettle against one of the world’s elite soccer nations. 

Priority one for Jurgen Klinsmann will be slowing the forever running, forever explosive Lukas Podolski. The Arsenal man netted against Ecuador so quickly it almost felt as though the South Americans did not realize the game had actually started yet. 

With Podolski deployed on the left wing, it could be a long afternoon for makeshift right-back Geoff Cameron. Klinsmann does not have too many options in terms of pace at the position, so it will be up to Cameron to do his best to keep Podolski in front of him. The right center-back, presumably Omar Gonzalez, will need to be ready to provide plenty of cover.

It will be critical for the Yanks' backs to not repeat the early mistakes of Ecuador. They should look to play safe, first and foremost, especially in the first 20 minutes.

The other goalscorer for Germany was Lars Bender. Like Podolski, the Bayer Leverkusen man netted twice. One of the old adages in soccer is that a match is won and lost in the midfield third. It rings even more true when one of those players can score, as well as create danger and set tempo.   

Slowing Bender and the rest of the German midfield will be crucial for the U.S. Michael Bradley could return to the lineup, which will certainly add both distribution acumen and superior positioning and ball winning for Klinsmann. Both Bradley and Jones need to have near perfect performances to try to match the tidy technique and intelligent off-the-ball movement of the German midfield. 

This is a phenomenal test for the U.S.’ first-choice midfield pairing.

Up top for the Germans might be the legendary Miroslav Klose, who is an absolute expert at scoring with his head. The Yanks’ best aerial defender is Gonzalez, so he will have to be very sharp in terms of marking, anticipating and timing his jumps for headed clearances and aerial duels. Per usual, defending corners and set pieces is a must against a German side that includes Klose. This is another measuring-stick game for the LA Galaxy defender.

As this is the final dress rehearsal for the USMNT before World Cup Qualification begins again, expect a starting 11 that will likely see the field against Jamaica. As with every friendly, the result is less important than the lessons learned and questions answered. A poor showing against Germany will only be remembered if the Yanks fail to earn three points against Jamaica as qualification for Brazil 2014 remains the ultimate goal.