Setting out a Plan for USA to Halt Colombia Superstar James Rodriguez

The United States men's national team opens the Copa America Centenario on Friday with the first of three big tests in Group A. The Yanks will play host to James Rodriguez and Colombia at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. 

Containing the Real Madrid superstar will be no easy task for the tournament hosts as they look to start off on the right foot in a competition that carries a ton of meaning for the direction of the program and potentially the job security of manager Jurgen Klinsmann.

The Yanks are no stranger to opening a major tournament versus a tough opponent. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the USMNT started the Group of Death with a 2-1 win over Ghana.

James made headlines during that tournament in Brazil for his splendid play for Los Cafeteros, and it also earned him a move to Real Madrid. The World Cup performance of the 24-year-old and his teammates proved just how dangerous they can be as a unit.

James enters the Copa with motivation to prove he belongs among the Galaticos at Real Madrid. The 24-year-old had a rough season at the Santiago Bernabeu as he made 17 league starts for Zinedine Zidane's squad.

In the four starts he received in the last two months of the club season, James produced two goals and two assists. Those numbers suggest he will not experience a drop off in form at the start of the Copa despite his lack of playing time. 

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The USMNT have a few ways to stop the roaming midfielder, who will drift out to either wing if need be to open up the attack to create more space for players like Juan Cuadrado and Carlos Bacca, who are dangerous in their own right. All of the potential game plans for the Yanks circle around who starts in the defensive-midfield role. 

Based off Klinsmann's recent starting lineups, the USMNT will most likely take to the pitch in a 4-3-3 formation with Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and one other player in midfield. Alejandro Bedoya seems like the best fit in that formation due to his defensive capabilities and experience, but there is still a chance Kyle Beckerman receives a look. 

Beckerman, 34, has been a rock in front of the back four over the last few years for Klinsmann's men, but he lacks the vision and range of Bradley, who played the No. 6 role to near perfection against Ecuador and Bolivia in the USMNT's last two pre-Copa friendlies.

Given the success of Bradley over the last week in front of the defense, the Toronto FC man should keep Beckerman off the field to start. There is a good chance Beckerman could come off the bench to reinforce the defensive game plan late in the match. 

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It would be wise for Klinsmann to align Jones and Bedoya in front of Bradley because of their defensive abilities.

Jones is still one of the top enforcers on the USMNT roster. The tackling of the 34-year-old is a blessing and a curse for the Yanks since he is one of the players most likely to earn a yellow card each game. But Jones brings a chemistry with Bradley to the pitch that few others in the 23-man squad have, and that is invaluable when defending against a player like James. 

At times, Jones will have to drop back further to clog the central passing lanes. Jones will also come into play when Bradley opts to go forward. If Bradley crosses midfield to start an attack, Jones can't drift too far forward. If space is open for James to pounce on the counter, there is no guarantee the USMNT back four will be able to stop him in transition.

By having an extra body in their own half, the Yanks will prevent the risk of conceding quickly in a match that could be critical to their Copa success.

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Another key for the Yanks in their defensive game plan will be defending the flanks. If DeAndre Yedlin and Fabian Johnson are able to shut down Colombia's production on the wings, James will feel more pressure to create through the middle, where Bradley and two center-backs will meet him.

The USMNT full-backs must time their runs forward perfectly since just one wrong move could allow Jose Pekerman's side to surge forward with numbers. 

Defending well on the wings is also important, because if it is done correctly, it will kill most of the service Carlos Bacca expects from that area of the pitch.

Shutting down the flanks with solid one-on-one defending will force Bacca to drop further back to receive the ball, which may put fewer Colombia players in the box during the attacking buildup.

Bradley and either John Brooks or Geoff Cameron will be tasked with stopping the interplay in tight space between James and Bacca. If that is kept to a minimum, scoring opportunities in front of Brad Guzan should be few and far between. 

If the Yanks start off the match by containing James and limiting his movement, they should grow in confidence and show more commitment to breaking ahead in attack.

The USMNT should have an attacking mindset on Friday in a game they need to get a result from, but spending too much time in the Colombia half could result in a key chance for Los Cafeteros if a bad turnover occurs. 

With Bradley patrolling the area in front of the back four, the Yanks should carry confidence into Friday that they can deny James a large amount of chances, but the play on the wing against Cuadrado and others is as important to keep Colombia from beating them with terrific combination play in the final third. 

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