Why Fabian Johnson Is the USMNT Player with Potential to Match James Rodriguez

Keeping with Jurgen Klinsmann's strategy of scheduling competitive friendly matches against the best teams in the world, the United States men's national team will face Colombia at Craven Cottage Friday. 

Colombia earned a ton of praise at the 2014 World Cup thanks to the breakout performance by James Rodriguez, who used his stellar showing in Brazil to earn a transfer to Real Madrid. 

Since joining up with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, James has played a role in eight league goals. Although his four goals and four assists in 11 appearances may seem like average numbers compared to Ronaldo, the 23-year-old is having a terrific start to the La Liga campaign. 

There is no doubt that James will be the top man to watch at the ground of Championship side Fulham Friday, but the United States have a player that can contain him. 

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Fabian Johnson is seen as the best full-back, and maybe even the top defender, in the United States talent pool at the moment. He has played at left-back and right-back during his time with the Yanks, and he has even shifted forward to a wing role on occasion. 

With James wandering throughout the entire width of the playing surface at Craven Cottage, Johnson will be one of a few players tasked with denying the goalscoring opportunities produced by the Colombian.

Although a few other players have the potential to shut down James when at their best, Johnson presents the best skill set to deal with the electric midfielder. 

Johnson is a key defender for the Yanks, but his name has escaped the headlines a bit since the World Cup thanks to the emergence of DeAndre Yedlin at right-back. Yedlin will be on his way to Tottenham soon, but he still has some flaws in his game. 

At some point during this World Cup cycle, Yedlin could overtake Johnson as the best full-back on the team, but for now that title belongs to the Borussia Monchengladbach player. 

The match against Colombia presents Johnson with a perfect opportunity to prove his worth, especially since he has seen limited playing time at club level this season. With a strong performance against one of the best players in the world, he could find a way back into the good graces of the Bundesliga side. 

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How Johnson can stop James is not simple, but if he limits the Colombian's scoring threat, the United States could find a way to earn a result. When James drifts out to the wing, Johnson needs to mark him tightly in order to prevent a terrific cross from flying into the box. 

When James decides to play the ball in tight spaces from the middle of the box, Johnson must be able to cut off his potential passes to the wing. If he is successful at doing that, he could force the Colombian out wide, where he will get to mark him one-on-one. 

There is a strong possibility that Johnson will be outmatched if he takes on the task of defending James by himself, but he is the best player equipped to do so in the American squad. 

Depending on how fresh Yedlin is following his 90 minutes of play Monday night against FC Dallas, Johnson could start at either full-back position. He would start on the left with Yedlin out of the starting 11, but he could move over to the right if Greg Garza earns a start on the left. 

Another attribute that will help Johnson is his pace moving forward. If he can find success in the attacking half of the pitch, it will force James to drift further back in order to help his team defend. 

Johnson's bursts forward on either side of the pitch would also hand the Americans a strong chance of creating a scoring opportunity in the final third. If a cross from the 26-year-old finds Jozy Altidore in the box, it could cause trouble for the Colombian defense. 

Attacking early and often will also dictate the pace of the match. If that facet of the game is owned by the Americans, Colombia could struggle to find an attacking rhythm even with James in the lineup. 

Containing the Real Madrid star is no easy task for any side, but with someone like Johnson on the field, the United States at least stand a chance at shutting him down to earn a result in London. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.