Jurgen Klinsmann's 2nd-Half Fixes Lay Foundation for Potential Copa Lineup

As he has done on countless occasions in the past, United States men's national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann handed fans hope with his changes after a first half full of lifeless action. 

With his substitutions Wednesday against Ecuador, Klinsmann provided a glimpse into what his future starting XI may look like for the Copa America Centenario opener on June 3 against Colombia. 

After a brutal 45 minutes of play at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, the USMNT sprung to life with the additions of Darlington Nagbe and Bobby Wood. Nagbe was inserted into the middle of the pitch for Kyle Beckerman, while Wood entered for Gyasi Zardes on the wing. Minutes into their tenure on the field, the USMNT looked like a completely different side. 

Nagbe and Wood brought a new dynamism to the USMNT attack that was lacking in the first half due to the presence of Beckerman in defensive midfield and only Clint Dempsey up top in a 4-3-3 setup. With Nagbe in the fold, Michael Bradley dropped back to the No. 6 position to control the attack with his passing and vision. Wood began on the left wing and did more on the flank in 18 minutes than Zardes did in 45. 

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Bradley's combination with Nagbe deep on the pitch opened up the Ecuador back line because of the movement it created in midfield. Wood, who is flowing with confidence at the moment, gave the Yanks more pace on wing, which provided Nagbe with an outlet as he surged over midfield. 

In the 63rd minute, Klinsmann inserted 17-year-old Christian Pulisic and Alejandro Bedoya into the fold to replace Dempsey and Jermaine Jones. Those two changes allowed Wood to play in the forward role like he did Sunday against Puerto Rico. Bedoya was crammed into a central role with all the playmakers on the field, while Pulisic took charge of the left wing. 

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

The dangerous lineup showed plenty of potential, which is a great sign for the Copa after the dreadful opening stanza in which Klinsmann reverted to his old ways by playing no true target forward and Bradley in an advanced role. The second-half version of the Yanks didn't create many clear-cut chances, but those will come if that group plays together in training and Saturday against Bolivia at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City. 

All of the players mentioned above won't be able to share the field together, but if Klinsmann dials up the right formula, it could lead to a successful tournament for the Yanks.

One thing Klinsmann must do is play Bradley in front of the back four. It was made clear Wednesday that Bradley is more capable of playing in the role in front of the back four than Beckerman. The Toronto FC man has better vision and speed to track back on counters, like he showed in the 51st minute. 

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Nagbe proved his worth throughout the second half and finished off his solid performance with his first international goal in the 90th minute. Based on his second-half exploits, Nagbe deserves a chance to start in the midfield trio alongside Bradley and either Bedoya or Jones. Jones may be the better option for a starting nod over Bedoya if Klinsmann goes to a 4-3-3 since he is better centrally. However, if Klinsmann goes to a 4-4-2 or any other formation, Bedoya would be the best choice since he is versatile on the wing. 

As for the forwards, Dempsey should be one of the first names on the team sheet until he produces a string of awful performances. The USMNT needs the Seattle Sounders man in the lineup because of his experience in big games. Dempsey can always exit the pitch in the second half for fresh legs like he did Wednesday, which is where Pulisic fits right in.

The young star brought an impressive hunger to the field against Ecuador. The most impressive part of his night may have been his control in space near midfield toward the end of the match. Wood also displayed his quality on Nagbe's goal as he headed the ball back to the body of Nagbe. 

Ideally, Dempsey and Wood will start together with Wood out on the left and the two interchanging in the middle of the forward trio. The final attacking starting spot is still up for grabs between Bedoya, Pulisic, Zardes and Graham Zusi. Zardes took a step back, which means we could see Bedoya in the front three to bring more of a defensive presence to the match if that is required against a top side like Colombia or Costa Rica. 

The improvement shown by the attack left the focus off the USMNT back four. Three-fourths of the starting defense for the Copa appears to be set with Fabian Johnson and DeAndre Yedlin on the flanks and John Brooks in the middle. The health of Geoff Cameron will decide if Steve Birnbaum, who looked out of place, or Matt Besler finds a spot in the starting 11. The ESPN2 broadcast reported Cameron was a participant in training before the Ecuador match.

The USMNT gave fans hope after its second-half performance, but there is one variable that needs to be taken into account, and that is Klinsmann. The USMNT boss is set in his ways, and he could easily use the same starting 11 again Saturday versus Bolivia before making the same changes. Hopefully for the Yanks, Klinsmann learns from his lineup mistakes and allows his optimal lineup time to jell before the Copa opener on June 3. 

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