On Monday, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann selected his preliminary 30-man World Cup roster. These players begin arriving today in Palo Alto, CA for the team's training camp, and Klinsmann has until June 2 to select the final 23 who'll travel to Brazil. That leaves almost three weeks to speculate who those players will be.
FIRST CLASS: Reserved exclusively for surefire starters.
Michael Bradley (M, Toronto FC) - Going into the 2010 World Cup, the then 22-year-old Bradley was a promising but unproven prospect. He turned in a terrific performance in South Africa and over the last four years has blossomed into a polished two-way midfielder. He'll pull the strings for the U.S. this summer.
Clint Dempsey (F, Seattle Sounders) - Dempsey has taken over the title of 'Most Important U.S. Player' from Landon Donovan. The team's captain, Dempsey will likely play in a withdrawn forward position giving him plenty of freedom to affect the game. See my full profile on Dempsey here.
Tim Howard (GK, Everton) - Howard continues America's lineage of excellent goalies. He'll man the U.S. net for the second consecutive World Cup, and he'll need to be on his game facing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Thomas Mueller and Asamoah Gyan.
BUSINESS CLASS: Reserved for those who should make the starting XI unless something goes awry.
Jozy Altidore (F, Sunderland) - On the back of a breakout season in Holland, Altidore has endured a nightmare first campaign for Sunderland scoring only one goal in 31 English Premier League games. Still, his ceiling is head and shoulders above any other forward on the roster, and the U.S. will need Altidore to be a force as their target forward this summer.
Matt Besler (D, Sporting Kansas City) - Besler is as steady as they come, and while he isn't an overpowering physical presence, he makes up for it with excellent positioning and reading of the game. He should make up one half of the U.S. central defense.
Omar Gonzalez (D, Los Angeles Galaxy) - Gonzalez will likely make up the other half of the central defense. At 6'5'', he cleans up anything in the air, but Gonzalez has a disconcerting tendency to crucially lose focus once or twice per game.
Fabian Johnson (M/D, Hoffenheim) - The left-footed Johnson is something of a Swiss Army Knife for the U.S. as he can play on the left side at either fullback or outside midfielder. He'll play at whichever Klinsmann needs him more.
Jermaine Jones (M, Besiktas) - Jones is a bit complex. On the plus side, he's not afraid to get stuck into a tackle, has a rocket shot, and can distribute the ball from central midfield. On the flip side, his passing can be erratic, and he's a yellow card waiting to happen. Klinsmann seems to prioritize the first category, so expect Jones to pair with Michael Bradley in central midfield.
BUSINESS COACH CLASS: A hybrid section for those sitting on the fence between a starting spot and a positional backup.
DaMarcus Beasley (D, Puebla) - Beasley is an interesting case. He burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old jitterbug at the 2002 World Cup, featured again for the U.S. in Germany 2006 and seemingly fell off the face of the earth somewhere around 2010. Now, he's resurrected his career in Mexico of all places and has a good chance to be the starting left back this summer.
Geoff Cameron (D, Stoke City) - The U.S. has a gaping hole at right back, and Cameron would seem to be a good fit as he's had success at the position in one of the toughest leagues in the world. Klinsmann doesn't seem to envision Cameron at right back, but maybe Klinsmann will come around.
Landon Donovan (M/F, Los Angeles Galaxy) - For the last decade, Donovan's name has had a reserved space on the lineup card, but Father Time may be catching up to him at age 32. Still, Donovan was the best player at last summer's Gold Cup and may have the legs for a final World Cup run.
Brad Evans (D, Seattle Sounders) - Evans is a good MLS player but little more. The thought of him starting at right back against Cristiano Ronaldo is both terrifying and a realistic possibility.
Graham Zusi (M, Sporting Kansas City) - In the last three years, Zusi has become one of the most dangerous players in MLS and has shown similar form for the U.S. in World Cup Qualifying. He could be one of the team's breakout players in Brazil.
COACH: Seats those who'll make the team and hope for an unexpected opportunity.
Kyle Beckerman (M, Real Salt Lake) - The most interesting thing about Beckerman is his hair as his role is to allow other players the freedom to go forward. If Jermaine Jones goes on a yellow card rampage, Beckerman is waiting in the wings.
Alejandro Bedoya (M, Nantes) - Bedoya is part of the U.S.'s glut of outside midfielders. He's a nice player but will likely be stuck behind Johnson, Donovan and Zusi in the pecking order.
Brad Guzan (GK, Aston Villa) You have to feel for Guzan. He's been superb for a weak Aston Villa side, but he's stuck behind Howard on the depth chart. If anything happens to Howard, Guzan will be the next man up.
Aron Johannsson (F, AZ Alkmaar) - Johannsson wasn't on anybody's radar screen about two years ago, but the 23-year-old can't stop scoring goals for AZ Alkmaar in Holland. He's too small to play the target forward role, but if Klinsmann opts for a two-forward system, Johannsson could see his name called.
Nick Rimando (GK, Real Salt Lake) - He'll need Howard and Guzan to get food poisoning if he wants to get on the field, but Rimando will make the squad as the third goalie.
STANDBY: There are a few tickets left boys. Find a reason for Klinsmann to give you one of them.
Terrence Boyd (F, Rapid Vienna) - The 23-year-old Boyd is big, powerful and an unfinished product. He's been on fire for his club side recently scoring six goals in his last four games. Good timing can go a long way for a striker.
John Brooks (D, Hertha Berlin) - Brooks has shown great promise in his first season in the German Bundesliga and is one of the brightest American prospects. At 21, he may be one World Cup cycle away.
Timmy Chandler (D, FC Nurnberg) - Chandler is a funny case because he could not make the roster, but he could also end up as the U.S.'s starting right back. Chandler hasn't played for the U.S. since February 2013, but he's an undeniable talent. Chandler is a player to watch closely in training camp.
Joe Corona (M, Club Tijuana) - Klinsmann seems to like Corona. I'm not sure why.
Brad Davis (M, Houston Dynamo) - Think of Davis as an 8th inning relief specialist. He has a magical left foot, and if the U.S. is down by a goal in the 75th minute, you could do a lot worse than putting Davis in and trying to win as many corner kicks as possible. He should make the team.
Mix Diskerud (M, Rosenborg BK) - Diskerud brings something in short supply on the U.S. squad, creativity. There's a sense of the unpredictable surrounding him, and that may be enough to earn Diskerud a ticket.
Maurice Edu (M, Philadelphia Union) - Four years ago, Edu was a bright prospect and played a significant role for the U.S. in South Africa. A few unsuccessful spells in Europe later, Edu fell off the map, but he's reappeared just in time for Brazil. He's third choice right now behind Jones and Beckerman at defensive midfielder.
Clarence Goodson (D, San Jose Earthquakes) - Goodson is firmly behind Besler and Gonzalez, but he has plenty of experience. You could do worse than Goodson as your reserve central defender.
Julian Green (M, Bayern Munich) - Ah yes, here's the boy with the Golden Ticket. The most exciting U.S. prospect since Landon Donovan, Green plays for arguably the world's best club in Bayern Munich although he's played a grand total of one game for Bayern's first team. If Green makes the U.S. squad, it will be a story.
Michael Parkhurst (D, Columbus Crew) - Steady, experienced and unspectacular are words that come to mind. If Parkhurst plays right back for the U.S., it's an indictment of the alternatives.
Chris Wondolowski (F, San Jose Earthquakes) - If Wondolowski makes the team, get ready to hear pundits shouting back and forth that "HE JUST SCORES GOALS". This is true, but it's in MLS. Wondolowski will never be confused with Luis Suarez, yet Klinsmann may decide that Wondolowski is the kind of guy to bring off the bench with 15 minutes to play.
DeAndre Yedlin (D, Seattle Sounders) - Oh my god, it's that right back question again. Yedlin is somebody to watch very closely because the 21-year-old has serious talent. The question is if he's the right back of the future or ready to be thrown into the deep end now.