United States Soccer: State of the USMNT

The United States Men's National Team is riding high after dismantling archrival Mexico and earning a birth in next year's World Cup.

The focus for the USMNT turns from qualifying to preparing for soccer's most important tournament, and as it currently stands, the future looks bright for the Americans.

Jurgen Klinsmann has his team firing on all cylinders. Under his guidance, the USMNT has won 13 out of its last 14 games and is now ranked No. 13 in FIFA's world rankings. 

This slideshow will examine just how far the team has come over the last two years and discuss the current state of the USMNT as it prepares to try and make a statement in Brazil. 

No More Controversy

Back in March, Sporting News published a report portraying unrest within the USMNT. According to the article, players were not happy with how Klinsmann was running the team. Everything from tactics to training was being criticized by players who were speaking anonymously. 

With the team and coach under fire, Klinsmann made a seismic change. He named a new captain, Clint Dempsey. Since, Dempsey and the USMNT have been completely different. 

It's safe to say any negativity from the article is gone, and it's clear the players trust Klinsmann and each other. If anything, the article was a blessing. It forced the USMNT to reevaluate itself and come together. Now, the team is playing with a chip on its shoulder, out to prove that outside forces can't and won't bring it down.

In the report's aftermath, the USMNT is a cohesive unit, ready to prove itself on the world stage.

He's Back

Since Landon Donovan returned to the USMNT during the summer's Gold Cup, he's reestablished himself as one of the country's best.

Led by his stellar play (five goals, seven assists), the United States won the tournament. Donovan proved he still belonged and could play at a high level. 

As a reward, Klinsmann brought Donovan back into the World Cup qualifying fold, and once again, Donovan rewarded his coach for his good faith. 

Donovan was in top form last week against Mexico, providing the assist on Eddie Johnson's goal and adding a goal of his own, putting the game away. 

With a rejuvenated and reenergized Donovan, the USMNT is suddenly a much more dangerous squad. As he showed against Mexico, he is still lethal on set pieces and seems to always be in the right place at the right time.

Donovan isn't afraid to step up and nail a penalty shot, either. 

It appears Donovan is back to the form he displayed at the 2010 World Cup, and the USMNT should be much better because of it.

Central Defense Is Set

Since the end of the 2010 World Cup, one of the major questions facing the USMNT has been who will anchor the central defense? 

The 2010 tandem of Jay DeMerit and Carlos Bocanegra is long gone. Bocanegra, despite performing at a high level while wearing an American jersey, has fallen out of favor with Jurgen Klinsmann.

Instead, Klinsmann has tried a variety of players and found a capable combination in Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez. They are still young but get better from game to game. 

It appears the USMNT has locked down the most important part of its back line, a great sign for the team going forward.

Forward Found

After Ghana bounced the United States from the 2010 World Cup, one thing was clear. The USMNT was desperate for a forward who could put the ball in the back of the net.

In South Africa, none of the team's goals were scored by a forward. Jozy Altidore, long viewed as the team's next big thing in terms of goal scoring, was nowhere to be found.

When Klinsmann took over, the trend persisted. Altidore was netting goals in club play, just not when wearing a United States jersey. Altidore continued to struggle until the calendar turned to 2013.

Then, in a friendly against Germany, Altidore finally broke through and scored his first goal in the Klinsmann era. 

In the team's next contest, a World Cup qualifier against Jamaica, Altidore netted another. In the USMNT's next two qualifiers, facing Panama and Honduras, surely you can guess what Altidore did.

The USMNT won all three qualifiers, thanks in large part to the play of Altidore. The 23-year-old put the team in great position to qualify for Brazil.

The next time Altidore suited up for his country was a friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina. He was dynamic, earning a hat trick, setting a new team record by scoring in his fifth consecutive game and leading the U.S. to a 4-3 victory. 

Clearly, Altidore is dialed in, and finally, the USMNT has its striker. 

Depth

In 2013, the USMNT has showed it's loaded with talent. In all areas of the roster, there are a number of players who are capable of getting the job done. 

Up front, Eddie Johnson can fill in for Altidore.

In the midfield, Geoff Cameron (against Panama) and Kyle Beckerman (last week versus Mexico) displayed they could step up when needed. Graham Zusi is a quality option, as well.

On the back line, Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez have been strong, but when Besler was unavailable for last week's Mexico game, Clarence Goodson was fantastic in his absence. 

Even in goal, the nearly-impenetrable Tim Howard has a solid backup in Brad Guzan. Guzan proved he could handle the big stage when he shut out Panama and Mexico (in Estadio Azteca) in World Cup qualifiers. 

Through suspensions and injuries, the USMNT has had a "next man up" mentality and showed it can get results no matter who is in the lineup.