ANDI HERZOG'S UNITED STATES U-23 team defeated Mexico Wednesday night by an eyebrow-raising 3-0 scoreline. Jordan Morris, Christian Dean, and Mario Rodriguez delivered second-half goals to give the United States its second win against Mexico in the space of a week.

The game offered insight as to the makeup of the roster but the lopsided result doesn't tell the whole story. This match was not played on a FIFA international date and many European clubs were unwilling to release players. Also, some age-eligible players in MLS were not released for the contest. Here are my thoughts on what transpired.

A Tale of Two Halves

In the first half, the U.S. U-23s were sloppy, disorganized, and ineffective. Mexico was far superior over the first 45 minutes, and if not for two squandered chances El Tri would have held a lead going into intermission.

The second half, however, was a completely different story. The U.S. came out and took the game to Mexico and was by far the more dangerous team. Did Herzog make some tactical/motivational adjustments during the break? It certainly appeared that he did.

Several players Shined

The big winner on the day was Luis Gil, who controlled the midfield throughout the second half. It's not a huge surprise that Gil performed well since he is one of the most experienced American players ever for his age. The Real Salt Lake midfielder's strong showing must have come as a relief to Herzog, who can now build a team around this core contributor.

Jordan Morris and Cody Cropper also played well. Morris is in very good form at the moment and he brings the U-23s a welcome dose of pace—something Jurgen Klinsmann's full national team sorely lacks. Cropper made some key saves along the way and looked very comfortable in goal. Dillon Serna also looked like an impact player for the United States and should be an important part of the team as Olympic qualifying approaches.

The above players were expected to do well, but there were a few surprises as well. Dan Metzger replaced an injured Jose Villarreal in the 40th minute and didn't miss a beat as the U.S. bossed the midfield. Mario Rodriguez also looks improved from his days with the U.S. U-20 team.

Whose stock fell?

Despite the convincing win, not every American player will look back fondly on the match. Benji Joya was a key player for the U.S. U-20 team in 2013 but struggled in the game—likely due to a lack of playing time. Shane O’Neill eventually settled down nicely in the second half but had some shaky moments early in the game.

Oscar Sorto has been a regular with the team but did not have a good first half. Aside from his goal, Christian Dean looked rusty.

And the qualifying roster...?

It's tough to say which of these players will be part of Olympic qualifying in October. Previously unheralded players will likely emerge over the next few months and others are sure to fade—it's expected for players in this age group.

It's also unclear which European teams will release their players for qualifying; they're not obliged to do so.

Here's my best guess for the 20-player roster Herzog will name. The only European-based players on my list are DeAndre Yedlin, Cody Cropper, Emerson Hyndman, and Mario Rodriguez. I am including them now because their clubs have shown a willingness to release them in 2015. Individual situations could change by October but for now they have a good chance. I am leaving off players like John Brooks and Rubio Rubin, who are unlikely to be released.

1. Cody Cropper
2. Zach Steffen
3. DeAndre Yedlin
4. Eric Miller
5. Walker Zimmerman
6. Shane O'Neill
7. Erik Palmer-Brown
8. Juan Oceguda
9. Kellyn Acosta
10. Wil Trapp
11. Matt Polster
12. Luis Gil (captain)
13. Emerson Hyndman
14. Jose Villarreal
15. Alejandro Guido
16. Dillon Serna
17. Bradford Jamieson
18. Khiry Shelton
19. Mario Rodriguez
20. Jordan Morris

That's what Brian Sciaretta thinks. Give us your take in the Comments section below.