BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
August 20, 2015
4:55 PM

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Given that, the two September friendlies against Peru and Brazil will provide Jurgen Klinsmann with a crucial opportunity to assess personnel and ensure that he brings the right players to the all-important clash with El Tri. 

Here is the roster I think we'll see for the games in September. 

 

IN THE MIX: Sean Johnson, William Yarbrough, Nick Rimando

 

THE SKINNY: Tim Howard is back on the team Klinsmann says he is now the No. 2 option behind Brad Guzan. Who is No. 3? William Yarbrough is no longer the starting keeper at Leon and he has struggled in the Copa Mx. It would be surprising to see him keep his spot on the national team. Meanwhile Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson have both played well and one of them should have the inside track.

 

 

 

IN THE MIX: Greg Garza, Matt Besler, Michael Orozco, Tim Ream, Steve Birnbaum, Matt Hedges

INJURED: Brek Shea, Fabian Johnson

 

THE SKINNY: The U.S. backline performed miserably at the Gold Cup, which could prompt Klinsmann to make changes. Geoff Cameron has played well to start the Premier League season and should be set for a return. Ventura Alvarado struggled at the Gold Cup but Klinsmann seems to love him—will the U.S. coach keep using him in crucial matches? John Brooks is another favorite but if the lanky German-American does not return to Hertha's starting lineup it will be hard to rely on him. The injury to Fabian Johnson and the poor start to the season for Greg Garza at Atlas complicates things at fullback. Eric Lichaj has been a national team outsider but he might get into the team by default. Tim Ream is just getting settled at Fulham and Matt Besler is probably behind others at centerback. There are other central defenders making solid cases, including Steve Birnbaum and Matt Hedges, but they're both more likely to get a look in January.

 

 

 

IN THE MIX: Kyle Beckerman, Alfredo Morales, Dax McCarty, Ethan Finlay, Gedion Zelalem, Miguel Ibarra, Jose Torres, Graham Zusi, Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen, Brad Davis

 

THE SKINNY: Jermaine Jones is now back on the field for the New England Revolution and it would not be a surprise to see him brought back into to the squad for the first time since the win over Panama in February. Kyle Beckerman looked a step slow at the Gold Cup and might lose his spot. The big question is to whom? Perry Kitchen brings some defensive bite but Dax McCarty is a player to watch given his season with the Red Bulls—his game is very similar to Beckerman's. Danny Williams is also a potential option now that he his healthy and back on the field for Reading. Meanwhile, Alfredo Morales might be earning Bundesliga minutes but his departure from the team after the group stages suggests there were difficulties integrating him into the team. Ethan Finlay is a player to watch. While it is true that few MLS players have earned their first Klinsmann call-up outside of the January camp window, Finlay is a wide player who has speed to burn. DeAndre Yedlin fits that description, too, but does not appear to be in the picture at Tottenham at the moment and minutes have been very scarce for him in 2015. Yedlin may have to shift his focus to the Olympic U-23 team.

 

 

 

IN THE MIX: Jozy Altidore, Alan Gordon, Chris Wondolowski

 

THE SKINNY: Published reports hint that Andrew Wooten will be called up for these matches and that would make sense after his strong start to the 2.Bundesliga season. Clint Dempsey showed well at the Gold Cup and Aron Johannsson's stock is surging with a move to Werder Bremen. Meanwhile, Bobby Wood is playing well for his new club, Union Berlin, and his heroics against Germany and the Netherlands have not been forgotten. The Jozy Altidore situation is fascinating. He was dropped from the U.S. squad following the Gold Cup group stages but at the time he was still returning from an injury. Since then, Altidore has done nothing but struggle for Toronto FC and it would not be surprising if Klinsmann tried other options in September.

These are my predictions—now share yours. I'd love to see who you think will get the call on or around August 30.

 

Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.