5 Storylines to Follow in the USMNT's International Friendly with Iceland

The U.S. men's national soccer team will open its busy 2016 schedule with a friendly against Euro 2016-bound Iceland on Sunday at 3:45 p.m ET.

As is the case during every get-together with the USMNT, there are a few key storylines to pay attention to during Sunday's match.

Whether it is the potential starting goalkeeper or how the new players will perform, there are a lot of lingering questions about this team.

Here are five storylines to follow in the USMNT's international friendly versus Iceland.

1. How Will the Youngsters Perform?

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Manager Jurgen Klinsmann's 23-man roster has a distinctly youthful feel. Ten players are uncapped and the average age of the squad is 24 years old. The German tactician told the USSoccer.com his rationale for naming a young team:

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We start out our year with a January camp where we give the opportunity to the next wave of players to come in and make an impression and see if they are ready to step it up into international level, if they are ready to understand what it takes to become a national team player. This camp will be a little bit different because we’re going to mix it almost half-and-half with senior players that are already national team players or some that are older and maybe get the chance to play their first cap, and a lot of the Under-23 players that hopefully qualify us for Rio de Janeiro. This will be more of an identification camp and a development camp.

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The Olympic playoff against Colombia is the key date for the youngsters. More than half the squad, including the likes of Matt Miazga and Jordan Morris, are all eligible for the two-legged affair.

However, the coaching staff would probably love to see what Tim Parker or Matt Polster can provide the senior national team.

Parker has to be a candidate to be called up to the U-23 team. He enjoyed a fantastic rookie MLS season last year with the Vancouver Whitecaps, appearing in 15 games and two playoff matches.

As talented as 18-year-old Cameron Carter-Vickers is, he was out of his element in that tournament. Parker is more experienced, strong in the air and reads the game well for a player that young.

Polster, meanwhile, was a candidate for MLS rookie of the year and is regarded as a technical midfielder. The 22-year-old has already made six appearances with the U23s, but with Fatai Alashe suffering an injury, the Chicago Fire man can seize his chance with the senior side.

Brandon Vincent and Khiry Shelton could also provide the U23 team a boost out wide. Vincent is a capable left-back, while Shelton is a tricky and pacy winger.

The coaching staff is certainly not short of options for the upcoming playoff.

2. The Goalkeeper Battle

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There is no Tim Howard or Brad Guzan in the January camp. Instead, MLS goalkeeper of the year Luis Robles, Sean Johnson and David Bingham are between the posts.

Robles is the most experienced of the three. The 31-year-old has been one of MLS' best goalkeepers since he joined the New York Red Bulls in 2012. He's also been capped once by the USMNT.

Robles will be competing with Johnson, who has yet to truly hit his full potential. In addition, the relatively inexperienced Bingham will also be out to impress.

Klinsmann still sees Johnson as a solid option. The Fire shot-stopper earned his first start under the German and usually competes with Bill Hamid for a call-up during each international window. In fact, the 26-year-old got the nod once Hamid suffered a long-term knee injury.

Meanwhile, Bingham is flying under the radar despite a stellar 2015 with the San Jose Earthquakes. The ex-California Golden Bear started all 34 games for the Earthquakes, recording 12 clean sheets. Not bad considering he faced 147 shots, the third-highest amount in MLS last year.

Robles may have the advantage based on his experience. However, Klinsmann has not been afraid to give a younger goalkeeper a chance to demonstrate his abilities.

3. The Left Back Dilemma

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Jorge Villafana is not on the U.S. roster, which is understandable given his recent transfer to Santos Laguna.

Villafana, fresh off an MLS Cup win with the Portland Timbers, would've been an automatic starter at left-back for the U.S. The 26-year-old is also open to representing Mexico, per Jon Arnold of Goal.com.

It seems like Jurgen Klinsmann is prepared for the latter scenario with the additions of Eric Miller and Brandon Vincent.

Miller barely played for the Montreal Impact in 2015 after earning 21 appearances in his rookie year in 2014. Donny Toia and Ambroise Oyongo were the starting full-backs, which kept the 22-year-old out of the lineup.

Vincent, on the other hand, was selected at No. 4 by the Chicago Fire in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. He was a standout at Stanford, en route to a College Cup win in 2015. The 21-year-old was named the most outstanding defensive player in the tournament as well.

Klinsmann clearly thinks Vincent is talented, or else he wouldn't be with the USMNT. Now the defender has a prime opportunity to impress in a position that is still there for the taking.

4. How Will the Midfield Line Up?

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If there was one criticism that defined the U.S. men's national team's struggles in 2015, it was the midfield. MLS armchair analyst Matthew Doyle pointed out that the USMNT lacked creativity, which led to fewer scoring chances.

It appears as if Jurgen Klinsmann listened to the criticism. He called up more complete midfielders to the January camp. They're either creative, athletic, defensively disciplined or all three at the same time.

Klinsmann has 10 players who can play in the center of midfield. He'll have many combinations he can play against Iceland.

Whatever formation Klinsmann decides to use, Michael Bradley will probably start. He made 18 starts for the U.S. last year, so he's almost guaranteed to play when fit.

Starting Trapp along with Bradley would also be wise. The Columbus Crew midfielder is the deep-lying midfielder the U.S. needs now that Kyle Beckerman is slowing down.

Doyle highlighted Trapp's dominance during the 2015 MLS playoffs. The 22-year-old shut down Didier Drogba, and his vision was second to none in that second leg against the Montreal Impact.

The U.S. has enough depth and variety to experiment with several different formations. However, the young midfielders, including Trapp, must earn consistent playing time if Klinsmann is serious about transitioning to the next generation.

5. Will Any of the Strikers Impress?

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Clint Dempsey opted to skip the January camp, which may be a blessing for the USMNT.

The coaching staff now has an opportunity to watch Jozy Altidore and see how he reacts. The Toronto FC forward scored six goals in 14 games for the national team in 2015, but four came against Peru and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Altidore was constantly played out of position for TFC, yet he still finished with 13 goals in 26 matches. The 26-year-old is a solid scorer, but he needs to be the No. 9 and have the right partner beside him.

Gyasi Zardes and Jerome Kiesewetter may fit the bill, although Kiesewetter can also contribute out wide.

Zardes scored 16 goals during the 2014 MLS season in a central role with the LA Galaxy, although Robbie Keane likes to roam and create from a deeper position. Altidore is more effective when he's making runs, muscling past defenders and finishing in the box.

Jordan Morris will also be aching for minutes, though. The 21-year-old just signed with the Seattle Sounders and will be raring to prove to Jurgen Klinsmann that he's ready to become a regular starter for club and country.

Considering Altidore is an experienced member of the squad, allowing Morris to start would be a wise decision. The former Stanford forward is also one of only a few players who has the potential to be a consistent scorer for the national team.

However, it's up to Klinsmann to grant Morris the opportunity to prove his worth.