by Matt Hoffman

The United States Men’s National Team is hoping home cooking and the right mix of hardened veteran and young, emerging talents will propel motor the USMNT past the group stage of Copa and be a stepping stone for a berth in the 2018 World Cup. Few teams will be more a truer test to their ambitions than their first opponent, Colombia (Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California. 6:30 PM PST, Fox Sports 1, Univision).

With a brilliant run in 2014 World Cup and a few unlucky breaks in last year’s Copa, it should be a surprise to no one Colombia is one of the favorites to win the tournament. It has been ten years since the United States has won against Colombia and, on paper, you have the makings of a blood bath.

But that is only on paper. Any one who has ever seen a tournament can tell you that that guarantee is only as valuable as the paper it’s written. Look at US’s upset of Colombia in the 1994 World Cup as a perfect example. In many ways, it is perfectly fitting that the United States became the first country outside of South America to host the tournament.

Corruption in Brazil and Venezuela have capitulated those countries into chaos. Across the Atlantic, mass transit strikes have stymied France. Milk farmers literally armed with pitchforks are protesting price controls in Germany. All this amid the backdrop of a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions with no easy answers.

The United States, mercifully removed from these woes, has made large strides to becoming a soccer nation in the 22 years since hosting the World Cup. As the US looks to host a second World Cup in the coming years, Copa America venues are quickly selling out and belief in the team under Jurgen Klinsmann may seldom be higher.

This is not to suggest that Klinsmann has earned the complete faith and trust of the American public. The back four continues to be in flux. Further there’s the issue of how the midfield will be constructed. Will a stopper like Kyle Beckerman, be deployed to spearhead the defense? If so, what will the roles of Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley be?

Jurgen Klinsmann has not started same back four in consecutive matches since 2014 World Cup. Streak now at 32 games.#USMNT

— John D. Halloran (@JohnDHalloran) May 28, 2016

Up top, it’s reasonable to expect Clint Dempsey to make the start, likely flanked on the sides with some combination of Gyassi Zardes, Alexander Bedoya, Graham Zusi.

While the veterans will likely be getting the starts for now, many aren’t expected to be on the presumptive World Cup 2018 roster. Copa America might very well be the passing of a baton from the veterans to the next generation.

Christian Pulisic, Bobby Wood, and Darlington Nagbe have each shown individual moments of brilliance in the build up to Copa. These haven’t yielded starts–yet–but the murmurs could develop into full-throated crescendos following a strong star turn by the triumvirate.

Facing them is a Colombian side featuring both a team and individuals who’s trajectory faced some minor corrections following some setbacks. James Rodriguez rode into Real Madrid as a shooting star but may be looking for a spot elsewhere having fallen out of favor with Zinedine Zidane. Juan Cuadrado earned a lucrative transfer fee with Chelsea where he was seldom used. Loaned and, eventually, sold to Juventus, Cuadrado is nearly a reclamation project.

Meanwhile keeper David Ospina’s time in Arsenal, finishing out the 2014/15 season showed the Gunners enough to offer a substantial sum and outright control of the position to the elder Peter Cech.

If recent warm-ups are predictive of success (they are lukewarm, at best), Colombia has shown both a tendency to be prolific scorers (9 goals over three games) but not without concessions failing to register clean sheets against Bolivia, Ecuador, and Haiti.

Colombia generally tends to play in a 4-2-3-1 but can mix it up even rolling out the Christmas Tree (4-3-2-1) against Bolivia. In either way, Rodriguez plays in the hole, mostly as a withdrawn striker but with some play-making flourishes for good measure.

With two or even three players playing holding roles, Rodriguez (and to a lesser extent Cuadrado and Milan’s Carlos Bacca) is free to roam and find seams in the defense. Marking him will be a priority for the USMNT but without wholly forgetting his talented supporting crew.

A draw would be a totally reasonable result for the US with the aim to look to gain the bulk of their points elsewhere. Don’t expect that to be the mindset of the team though. If the US can sustain, Colombia’s opening barrage, they might find help on the counter.

The trick will be to keep mistakes to a minimum; Colombia possesses desirable traits of both physicality with suburb technique.  The USMNT will require a strong defensive performance to have a puncher’s chance.