Jurgen Klinsmann Should Experiment with Darlington Nagbe During USMNT Friendlies

The United States men's national soccer team has struggled to find a consistent playmaker in the middle of the park for a while.

Due to the lack of stars in the No. 10 role, USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann has started Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey in the position during big games in the past. Klinsmann can do that again on Wednesday against Ecuador, but he also has a better option in Portland Timbers playmaker Darlington Nagbe.

Nagbe, who gained citizenship in September, is coming off a spectacular match on Sunday in Portland's 4-2 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer. Whether that play can translate to the international level on a consistent basis remains to be seen, but Nagbe should be handed a chance to impress Klinsmann during Wednesday's friendly at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

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Klinsmann should use Wednesday's match against Ecuador at the home of FC Dallas and Saturday's contest at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, against Bolivia to find the best combinations he has in the major areas of question heading into the Copa America Centenario. Luckily for the USMNT boss, he doesn't have to worry too much about replacing the injured Jozy Altidore because Bobby Wood is in tremendous form, but he needs to find someone who can play just underneath his forwards in either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation.

Lining up in a 4-3-3 is a possibility for the USMNT, but that setup may negate a chance to build up through the center of the pitch since most of the playmakers will be spread out wide with either Bradley, Jermaine Jones or Kyle Beckerman occupying the central midfield role. If Klinsmann utilizes a 4-2-3-1, he'd be able to start Beckerman and either Bradley or Jones in a double pivot. The presence of Beckerman would allow the other defensive midfielder to surge forward on a more consistent basis.

If Klinsmann goes to the 4-2-3-1, the second defensive-minded central midfielder would ideally open up space for Nagbe in the No. 10 role. Opposing defenses won't be able to focus on every player in red, white and blue who surges into the final third. With that in mind, Bradley or Jones could break over midfield with the ball and draw attention to themselves to free up Nagbe, who can easily make runs through the midfield channels.

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In an ideal world, Klinsmann would have Alejandro Bedoya and Fabian Johnson on the wings to support an attack that would also feature Wood or Clint Dempsey in the lone forward role, but Johnson might be needed at left-back since Timothy Chandler is the only other left-back listed in the 23-man squad. That means Gyasi Zardes, who has regularly played on the wing under Klinsmann, or Graham Zusi would occupy the wing position opposite Bedoya.

In order to be able to create through the wings without facing suffocating pressure from the opposing defense, the USMNT must be able to pound the ball into the middle of the pitch and distribute from that point. The Yanks lacked this attribute in the 3-1 win over Puerto Rico on Sunday. Although Bedoya and Wood were the only first-teamers to start in attack, Sunday gave us a look at what the USMNT might look like in a 4-4-2 diamond, which could produce success if the right personnel is inserted into it.

If Klinsmann aligns his starting 11 in a 4-4-2 diamond, he will have to put trust in Bradley to stay back and keep opponents from countering and opening up the vulnerable back four. If the USMNT plays just one defensive midfielder, the pressure would be on the central player at the tip of the diamond to create most of the chances.

That is where Nagbe comes into the picture. If he's at his best during the Copa, Nagbe will be a consistent provider of opportunities for Wood and Dempsey up top, which is something we haven't seen much out of the USMNT in the last two major tournaments.

But the only way a formation like that can work during the Copa is if Klinsmann gives it a run out in the two friendlies against South American foes this week. Since Ecuador possess more quality than Bolivia, Wednesday would be the perfect time to send out the diamond formation with Bradley and Nagbe in the middle to see how effective it can be.

If that idea fails, it could be back to the drawing board for Klinsmann, who may have to alter his starting lineup based off how his back four looks as well. If Beckerman is needed to provide extra support in front of the defense, Nagbe may be limited to a substitute role in order to get both Bradley and Dempsey on the pitch.

However, if Klinsmann has faith in his defense and is willing to attack opponents on home soil like he should, Nagbe will be a critical part of the USMNT's success over the next month.

Joe Tansey covers U.S. Soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.