Gold Cup Final 2013: USA Stars Who Will Shine vs. Panama

The 2013 Gold Cup final between USA and Panama is set to take place on Sunday, and several of the American stars throughout the tournament are great candidates to continue shining in Chicago's Soldier Field.

An attacking siege has been launched by the U.S. this year, keyed by the amazing play of 31-year-old forward Landon Donovan. Should his team win the trophy, it's likely he will figure prominently into the equation and have a direct hand in at least one goal.

Unfortunately, manager Jurgen Klinsmann has been suspended for the final, which hurts the hosts slightly but should not significantly affect their play on the pitch.

Let's take a closer look at Donovan and the other American standouts who are likely in for big games in this showdown.

Note: Statistics and information are courtesy of CONCACAF.com.

Landon Donovan

Whatever lack of passion for the sport that drove Donovan to take a hiatus that lasted approximately four months has been totally recovered. Donovan is playing like someone still in his prime.

With five goals and seven assists, it's hard to argue against Donovan as the premier player in the entire Gold Cup, since he's had a hand in 12 of the Americans' 19 goals.

Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead has been impressed with Donovan, even hyping him as possibly the best national team player of all time:

That legacy still should have more to be added to, since Donovan has a great chance to be on the USA's 2014 World Cup roster.

Donovan is the unquestioned leader of his team, which should allow the U.S. to thrive even without Klinsmann at the helm. Given his experience and ability to play with this particular group so well, it's likely that Donovan is in for another stellar performance.

Nick Rimando

Having such a potent offense is ideal for any goalkeeper, but Rimando has had to be up to the task on his end of the pitch to keep the momentum in the USA's favor.

That is precisely what Rimando has done. Even in the quarterfinals against El Salvador, whom the U.S. trounced 5-1, there was a critical point in the match when the tide could have turned.

Expectations of a letdown from the Americans has been existent throughout the tournament, yet it hasn't happened. Rimando played a key role in preventing that from possibly happening with a couple of big saves that could have given El Salvador an early equalizer:

It's plays like those that separate this U.S. team from the ones that typically struggle on the international stage.

Although this is not the best assembly of American stars that Klinsmann could have gathered, the elevation of play on this supposed lesser team bodes well moving forward.

With a Panamanian attack featuring joint goal leader Gabriel Torres and the dangerous playmaker Blas Perez who has three goals of his own, it will likely be up to Rimando to step up in a critical juncture once again. If his recent form is any indication, he'll rise to the occasion again.

Chris Wondolowski

Capitalizing on inferior competition in the early going helped inflate Wondolowski's numbers, as he scored five goals in the first two matches of Group C play.

Since then, the San Jose Earthquakes star striker has gone a bit quiet on the stat sheet, but he's due for a big day in Chicago.

Wondolowski has a thunderous strike and is the reigning top goalscorer in Major League Soccer.

That has to count for something, and in his last shot at making an impression in the Gold Cup for a World Cup roster spot, he will have to bring his best.

As long as Donovan is attracting as much attention as he should from Panama's defense, the knack Wondolowski has to be in the right spot at the right time should reveal itself. Thus, expected Wondo to find the back of the net again in contributing to the USA's bid for a fifth Gold Cup title.