It's been a slow but steady crawl up the world football hierarchy for Team USA since Jurgen Klinsmann took over the fledgling operation last summer. He'll look to keep his squad headed in the right direction when it meets Venezuela in Phoenix on Saturday for one of its two friendlies during January training camp.
The US Men's National Team has improved since its slow start to the Klinsmann era, winning matches against Honduras and Slovenia while remaining competitive against the likes of France and Ecuador. That development was reflected in FIFA's latest international rankings, which saw the USMNT move up to 33rd.
Still, the Americans have much work to do this month and far less than a full complement with which to accomplish it. The team's stalwarts—Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and Carlos Bocanegra—won't be around.
Neither will the US' up-and-coming back line be on hand. Tim Ream (Bolton), George John (West Ham) and Omar Gonzalez (FC Nurnberg) are all currently on assignment in Europe.
Not that these absences are necessarily a bad thing for Klinsmann's club. If anything, they've opened up opportunities for some of the other talent sitting on the American roster. Michael Parkhurst and Geoff Cameron will have the chance to strut their stuff in defence, alongside Heath Pierce and A.J. DeLaGarza.
Up front, young prospects like CJ Sapong (of Hope Solo-serenading fame), Brek Shea and Teal Burnbury will see time with Juan Agudelo out on account of an injury suffered during training.
And in the midfield, Klinsmann will once again get to tinker with Kyle Beckerman, Ricardo Clark and Jeff Larentowicz competing for pitch time, along with newcomer Graham Zusi.
Saturday's meeting with Venezuela will hardly be a make-or-break affair for Team USA, though it could ultimately prove pivotal to Klinsmann's effort to define a pecking order and develop domestic talent over the long haul.
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