US playing for future in Brazil

US soccer fans couldn't help but feel unlucky when their World Cup group opponents were named: Germany, Portugal and familiar foe Ghana. With all the work German manager Jürgen Klinsmann has put in since taking over in 2011, it's a shame the new American squad may not get the chance to fully stretch its wings.

Four years ago in South Africa, the US exited the World Cup in the round of 16 at the hands of Ghana - a side that have proven to be their stumbling block in the last two tournaments. After missing out on what might have been their most straightforward run to the semifinals in the modern era, the US Soccer Federation was forced to rethink.

New-look Americans

US Soccer President Sunil Gulati spent big when he brought in Klinsmann to revamp their program. Just as he did when he took the Germany job in 2004, the Swabian coach concentrated on fitness and refocused player mentality with an eye on the future. In his three years at the helm, he's consistently incorporated new players into the setup, testing and trying who fits best into the "Klinsmann system."

The result is more depth than the US has ever had going into a World Cup, and the most-talented group of players the country has seen since their run to the 2002 quarterfinals in Japan and South Korea.

Klinsmann has used his respected reputation - winner's medals from World Cup 1990 and Euro 1996 - to attract several German-American players to the program who have proven, or may yet prove to be, crucial cogs in the US team. Borussia Mönchengladbach winger Fabian Johnson is one of the few players considered a guaranteed starter in Brazil, while Bayern Munich youngster Julian Green's decision to spurn Germany for America is seen as the greatest coup yet during Klinsi's reign.

Up until Klinsmann named his squad on May 22, the lead storyline heading into the tournament was the evolution of US soccer since the 2010 World Cup. Tactically, mentally, and physically, the team has changed since the defeat to Ghana four years ago.

Additionally, the rapidly developing US domestic league - Major League Soccer - has taken deliberate steps to make sure as many top American players as possible are playing for its clubs during a World Cup year. Captain Clint Dempsey and midfielder Michael Bradely - undoubtedly the country's two most important players - both made notable moves back to North America in partially league-financed deals that cost tens of millions of dollars.

A total of 10 players on the 23-man World Cup squad play for MLS clubs - more than double the number four years ago. It's a clear sign that while Americans are continuing to find success overseas, the league is making it more and more desirable to keep American talent at home.

Shocking omissions spark controversy

While US soccer has undeniably made huge strides under Klinsmann, the German coach was sharply criticized for his entirely unexpected squad selection. Seattle Sounders all-rounder Brad Evans, who played a key role in the final phase of the US team's qualification campaign, was left off the roster at the expense of his 20-year-old club teammate, DeAndre Yedlin. Striker Eddie Johnson, joint second among all-time leading US scorers in World Cup qualifiers, was left off the 30-man preliminary roster entirely.

The omission of Landon Donovan, widely considered the best player the US has ever produced, over untested youngsters like Green made the American press question whether Klinsmann was playing for the future, rather than the present.

At 32, Donovan is undoubtedly past his peak, but as goalkeeper Tim Howard put it just days before the squad was announced: "If Landon is on the field he is one of our top one or two players." The LA Galaxy midfielder is the all time US leader in assists (58), goals (57), and goals scored at the World Cup (five in 12 matches, more than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronald combined). Despite a mediocre start to the MLS season, he looked certain to play in his fourth World Cup this summer.

Klinsmann, however, saw it differently. The US coach openly expressed his dissatisfaction with Donovan's fitness earlier this year and their relationship has reportedly been in question ever since the midfielder's decision to take a four-month "soccer sabbatical" a year ago. In the press conference the morning after his squad was announced, Klinsmann said that he currently feels "like the other players … are a tiny bit ahead of him."

'Unproven talents' get their chance

The "other players" Klinsmann talks about are the unproven members of his squad. Green is only 18 and has managed just a handful of minutes at the top level. Yedlin, while a talented right back who has shown great potential domestically, has just two caps and is prone to the sort of defensive lapses that often befall such inexperienced players.

Joining Green and Yedlin among the "unprovens" is Hertha Berlin's John Anthony Brooks - a solid central defender in the Bundesliga this season, but one who has hardly asserted himself in any of his three US caps. Nuremberg defender Timmy Chandler and Houston Dynamo winger Brad Davis will travel to their first World Cups. While Davis' set piece delivery and vision from the flank are nearly unmatched in MLS, it's hard to see how the 32-year-old will have more of an impact in Brazil than Donovan would have. Chandler, meanwhile, had been out of the national team picture for 15 months and his sub-par season at a woeful Bundesliga club made his inclusion more than a surprise.

Youth questions aside, Klinsmann is still supported by a solid but small group of proven international players that will form the core of the team in Brazil. The aforementioned Dempsey and Bradley, along with Jozy Altidore, Tim Howard and DeMarcus Beasley all have previous World Cup experience (Brazil will be Beasley's fourth tournament). And although midfield destroyer Jermaine Jones will be appearing in his first World Cup, his performances for Schalke in the Champions League show that he's capable of holding his own against the best.

The goal for the US in Brazil is to reach the Round of 16, but as Julian Green told DW back in April: "It's a really difficult group." Realistically, qualifying for the knockout round is not an expectation for the US this time around. The fact that Klinsmann's contract has already been extended to 2018 says the federation management believe exactly that.

The US surprised to win their group at the last World Cup in South Africa and made an unexpected splash by making the quarterfinals in 2002. If Klinsmann's entirely transformed team want to perform the same sort of heroics this year, not only are they going to have to overcome two of the strongest teams at the tournament, but they're going to have to do it without Landon Donovan - the man who made it happen 12 years ago.