Projected Lineup v Slovenia and more

It's going to very interesting to see what Bob Bradley does here. Speed is what gave Slovenia problems in the first game and that facet of the game could be exploited with the possible inclusions of DaMarcus Beasley or Stuart Holden. Jose Torres would be a welcomed sight in the centre of the park for Ricardo Clark. Torres provides a confidence on the ball that no other US midfielder has, not to mention his immense technical ability. His through balls, passing prowess, and cheeky touches could open up the field for Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore to run onto. Another question to answer is whether Robbie Findley will stay up top or if Edson Buddle gets his chance up top. It's been argued that Buddle and Altidore are too similar to start next to one another but it remains to be seen. With that said, here's the lineup I see Bradley trotting out...

Howard

Bocanegra Onyewu Demerit Cherundolo

Donovan Bradley Torres Dempsey

Altidore Findley

I see Findley staying up top just simply due to the speed factor he possesses, although I think Buddle or Herculez Gomez gets into the game much earlier than they did v England. Torres gets the call ahead of Clark just based on what was written above. When he is in the game, the team flows much better and he creates many more scoring opportunities as opposed to Clark. While he doesn't possess the size, grit, or defensive capabilities that Clark does, Torres allows for players to get forward, which will be paramount in a match where spacing will be crucial.

Game Prediction: United States 2 Slovenia 0

I can't see the United States losing this game. They will definitely be prepared and will not take the smallest nation competing in this World Cup lightly. The way the United States took Wayne Rooney out of the match was beautiful, as he didn't even touch the ball until the 17th minute. This will be the plan against Robert Koren as well, as Michael Bradley will draw the assignment in stopping the former West Brom man. The speed of the United States will cause the Slovenians problems in this highly competitive match and I believe that Donovan will have a much more impacting game than he had against England.

Check back tomorrow for more updates and news...

JOGA BONITO