Written by ABRAM CHAMBERLAIN on 03 June 2011.
This Saturday the USMNT takes on Spain on ESPN. While everyone, outside of Spanish fans, wants them to come out on top, I just do not want them to come out looking like fools. To be perfectly honest, I would be happy with a 3-0 US loss. However, the Gold Cup begins just three days following the Spain friendly. The team needs to perform and perform well in the CONCACAF Championship, despite the fact that the CONCACAF region currently seems to be imploding upon itself. However, critics should measure the success of each player in different ways.
Front Office Blogs is a community of current and former ESPN bloggers who were regularly featured on SportsNation’s Blogging The Nation. These top bloggers offer sports commentary and insight on just about every sports topic available. From the NFL, to MLB, to the NBA, college sports, and beyond – Front Office Blogs offers the best blogs on the Internet by some of the best writers.
For the keepers --typically the USMNT's deepest position-- Gold Cup success is probably the easiest to judge. Starter Tim Howard needs to first and foremost not get injured. Secondly, he should not give up more than four goals during the group stages. His primary backup Marcus Hahnemannneeds to keep the bench nice and warm, because Howard is the key to the team's success. The third keeper, Nick Rimando, was picked, but is not going to even go to the practices unless Howard or Hahnemann gets injured, needs to stay in Utah to help a struggling Real Salt Lake team.
Being as we usually judge success on the offensive end with goals, assists, and nice runs, and on the defensive end with clean-sheets and saves, it is difficult to assess the performance of individual defenders. Overall, the group should let up no goals within the first 35 minutes of the game, something that the team has struggled to do under Bob Bradley’s watch. They should also keep at least one clean-sheet in the group stages.
Individually, Steve Cherundolo and Carlos Bocanegra should be the backline stalwarts. With Bocanegra playing out of position at left back, if only to prevent Jonathan Bornstein from seeing the pitch. Oguchi Onyewushould be looking to have no stupid give aways, while Clarence Goodsonand Tim Ream should look for one start each. Jonathan Spector, who will prominently feature next year in the Championship for relegated West Ham, should make almost all of the game day rosters, and should make one or two substitute appearances. Eric Lichaj only needs to see the pitch to become cap-tied for the Gold Cup to be a success for him.
In the midfield, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have the toughest roles to fill. All eyes will be on the two biggest American stars. After all, they are the heart (Dempsey) and soul (Donovan) of this team. A few goals, a few assists, and the act of simply pestering defenses to the point of over committing onto them in order to free up the US’s depleted striker core would be perfect. Maurice Edushould start the majority of the group stage games, which leads to Michael Bradley showing that he is mature enough to come off the bench.
During the last few friendlies Jermaine Jones has played in, mostly with b-team players, he has tried to do everything. He needs to prove that he understands his role as a defensive cog in the system and not its star. For someone who will probably not play a whole lot, Freddy Adu has a huge amount of pressure on him. Seeing the pitch in one or two games as a substitute, a nice 
pass or two, or just not looking foolish is a success for Adu. Alejandro Bedoya needs to show the attacking flair that Jose Torres (omitted), Stuart Holden (injured), and Benny Feilhaber (injured) have for a successful Gold Cup. Meanwhile Sasha Kljestan just needs to not poop his pants if he actually sees the field. Robbie Rogers should be perfectly happy in a penny, because seeing the game day roster would be an abject failure.
Lastly is the forward core. 
There is a lot of pressure on Donovan, Dempsey, and Adu, each of whom may see some time at forward, but Jozy Altidore is probably the most anxious going into this tournament. Anything less than two goals from him may lead to the end of him in a US jersey. In the minds of most people, wunderkind Juan Agudeloneeds just one goal to surpass Jozy as 
the top US striker. However, Agudelo's best role is coming off the bench late in a game, as a change of pace type of player. A successful Gold Cup for Agudelo means he scores once. If he scores more than once, the clamoring for Jozy to be put out to pasture will be deafening. Chris Wondolowski is a great MLS player, but should be happy being the warm-up act to Agudelo. His job is to wear down defenses with his excellent poaching and good runs, before happily jogging to the bench for Adu or Agudelo, or possibly to sit out as Dempsey or Donovan is pushed forward.
There are many ways to measure Bob Bradley’s success: winning his group, getting to the Finals against Mexico, winning the whole thing. If the US loses the tournament, to someone other than Mexico, or if Mexico beats the US by a score of greater than 2-1 it would be shocking to see him still coaching the US in 2012, forget about 2014.
