USA vs. Germany: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Team USA continues its friendly tour in anticipation of its upcoming World Cup qualifying matches as it will face Germany on Sunday. The Americans were schooled by Belgium on Wednesday, according to FIFA.com, but they have a chance to erase the memory of that loss quite quickly.

While Team USA has certainly been inconsistent under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the red, white and blue has scored some impressive results during his tenure such as a win at Italy and a draw at Mexico's Estadio Azteca. A win over Klinsmann's native Germany could very well top them all, however.

Germany didn't bring its A-level roster overseas as players from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are still recovering from their UEFA Champions League Final clash. Even so, the Germans took care of Ecuador 4-2 on Wednesday, according to TSN, and boast a better second team than the first teams of most countries.

That may very well be the case in this match as Team USA will have its hands full. The Americans are missing some key players in their own right such as Michael Bradley and Fabian Johnson, but the bulk of their roster will be expected to help the team qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Friendly results technically don't count for anything, but a win or draw against Germany would have to be huge for Team USA's confidence moving forward. With that being said, the Germans didn't make the long trip with the intention of losing.

Here is everything you need to know about Sunday's friendly meeting between the United States and Germany, including when and where to watch it as well as what you should keep an eye on while viewing.

Where: RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

When: Sunday, June 2 at 2:30 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN2

Live Stream: ESPN3

USA Player to Watch: Tim Howard

World-class goalkeeper Tim Howard started Team USA's friendly against Belgium and left the game after the first half having given up just one goal. Howard had no chance on Kevin Mirallas' early goal and he let his defenders hear about it as he was hung out to dry. Howard made way for Brad Guzan with the match knotted 1-1, though, so perhaps the result would have been different had Howard stayed in.

The point of a friendly is to get most of the roster involved so they remain in good form, but this match against Germany is far more important than that for Klinsmann and the Americans. A good result could work wonders for the team, so Klinsmann would be wise to play Howard for the entire match. Potential injury is always a concern, but the reward of beating Germany outweighs the risk of leaving Howard in the match for all 90 minutes.

Having Howard play the entire match obviously doesn't guarantee anything as the defenders have to play well and Team USA has to display some semblance of an offensive attack. Howard is the reason Team USA always has a fighting chance, though. He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and will be the key to the Americans' success for as long as he plays on Sunday.

Germany Player to Watch: Lukas Podolski

Germany may be without dynamic offensive players such as Thomas Müller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil, but that didn't stop the Germans from running roughshod over a quality Ecuadorian squad. The biggest reason why Germany was able to win with ease was the play of forward Lukas Podolski as he scored nine seconds into the match and ended up with two goals overall.

Podolski and the Germans led 4-0 until Ecuador scored in the 44th minute, and while Ecuador was able to pot another one late in the match, Germany was always in control. Podolski has 46 career goals for Germany and there is no doubt that the Germans will lean on him heavily against Team USA. Belgium was able to wreak havoc on the American back line, and Podolski hopes to do the same.

Podolski played nearly the whole match on Wednesday, so maybe head coach Joachim Low will take him out a bit earlier on Sunday. That probably depends largely upon the flow of the game, however. Podolski was all over Ecuador from the starting whistle on Wednesday, and he'll test Team USA early and often.

Matchup to Watch: German Attack vs. American Defenders

While the Americans were supposed to play an attacking style under Klinsmann, they tend to lay back and have often been conservative. Even if they try to press the issue against Germany, the Germans are unlikely to allow it. Germany is brimming with offensive talent even without some of its top players, so the American defenders will almost certainly find themselves in some difficult situations.

Omar Gonzalez, Clarence Goodson and Geoff Cameron did not handle Belgium's attack well on Wednesday and that showed up on the scoreboard. Guzan wasn't particularly steady between the pipes in the second half either, but the American defenders need to be stronger on the ball and more sure-footed on clearances.

Team USA botched a couple clearances against Belgium, and had the defenders made fairly simple plays, the Americans may have won or at least picked up a draw.

If an unheralded squad like Belgium can capitalize on mistakes so easily, there is no doubt that Germany will do the same. With that in mind, Team USA must play nearly flawless on defense. Team defense should be the main focus as even a 0-0 draw would be huge for the Americans. Wednesday's performance suggests a 180-degree turnaround is unlikely, but it's Team USA's only hope.

Prediction

It's almost a given that Team USA will play better defensively against Germany simply because it can't play much worse than it did against Belgium. Even so, the Americans will be under siege for much of the contest and simply won't be able to overcome a superior German side.

Germany 2, USA 0

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter