5 Things We Learned in the USMNT's Loss vs. Chile

The U.S. men's national team succumbed to a 3-2 defeat against Chile on Wednesday in a friendly. The U.S. led 2-1 at halftime but couldn't hang on to the lead, as the Stars and Stripes have only recorded one win in their previous nine matches.

There were a couple of positives from the match. DeAndre Yedlin has continued to excel, and two returning MLS players scored in the game. However, there were a couple of glaring issues that cost the USMNT and must be resolved soon.

Here are five things we learned in the United States' loss against Chile.

Jermaine Jones Has to Play in the Midfield

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

Jermaine Jones has started as a center back for the U.S. in the last few friendlies, but Wednesday's game showed that the experiment has to end.

Jones likes to roam forward on occasion, but when he does that as a defender, it leaves the back line exposed.

If head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is going to use a 3-5-2 formation, he needs to slot in a defender in Jones' spot. FC Dallas center back Matt Hedges could have been an option in this match. Chile's big stars weren't available. And it's a friendly, so it would have given Hedges a big confidence boost.

If the U.S. has any hope of making an impact at the Copa America or Gold Cup, Klinsmann needs to shore up the defense by adding another center back and using Jones as a shield in midfield.

DeAndre Yedlin Has Improved Tremendously

Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

DeAndre Yedlin's World Cup campaign (he appeared in three matches, including major minutes against Belgium) was the beginning of his rise to fame. It looks like that experience impacted the 21-year-old because he's vastly improved all areas of his game.

Yedlin's long passing and crossing have been especially stronger as of late. His interplay and blazing speed led to Jozy Altidore's goal on Wednesday. The ex-Seattle Sounder was arguably the USMNT's most electric, creative player.

The U.S. could use some flair and creativity on the flanks. As long as Yedlin keeps improving and earns valuable minutes for club and country, Klinsmann will continue to include him in the lineup.

Bobby Wood Should Never Play for the USMNT Again

Peter Morrison/Associated Press

Bobby Wood did not record a shot against Chile, according to ESPN FC. Another lackluster performance led to Wood's substitution before the start of the second half, and he wasn't missed.

The 1860 Munich striker has not scored in six senior caps for the U.S. He's also recorded zero goals for his club in just seven appearances in the German second division.

Wood has not been lethal enough to warrant a spot in the starting XI. Gyasi Zardes, who was substituted into the second half, should have been in the lineup from the beginning.

Coaches tend to use friendlies as experiments. Zardes scored 16 goals in 32 regular-season matches, so he's earned his chance and deserves to start over Wood in future games.

2nd Halves of Games Have Been Woeful

Luis Hidalgo/Associated Press

The USA can't seem to finish matches. Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated tweeted that the United States has been winning at halftime in four of their last five games but have failed to hold onto the lead by the end of each encounter.

ESPN's Paul Carr followed that up with an even more daunting statistic. The USMNT hasn't even scored a goal in the second half in its previous five encounters.

The U.S. conceded decisive goals in the second half of all three of its World Cup group-stage matches. If it wasn't for John Brooks, the United States probably wouldn't have recorded a single victory in Brazil.

The USMNT's last five matches have been friendlies, but the team's capitulation in the second half of games is a worrying sign. 

The constant tactical switches don't help, but players giving away possession and failing to track back during counterattacks also contribute to the madness.

The Same Defensive Mishaps Keep Occurring

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The U.S. conceded three goals that could have easily been prevented. Matt Besler and Jones failed to mark Roberto Gutierrez when he scored the opening goal, and Mark Gonzalez was able to stroll into the American box before he tied the game at 2-2.

The defenders were watching the ball on both occasions. They also have to be paying attention to the forwards. It's unacceptable for center backs to commit such basic errors at this level. If Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli had his best players available, La Roja would have had a field day.

These same issues occurred at the World Cup, and it's continued in 2015. This is one of many areas Klinsmann needs to fix prior to the Gold Cup, or else the USMNT won't repeat as champions.

Peter Galindo covers MLS and U.S. soccer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @pgalindo16.