Anthony Hudson has plenty of decisions to make as his inexperienced roster prepares to face the team's old rivals on Wednesday
Wednesday night's clash may not feel like a typical match between the U.S. men's national team and Mexico, but it could offer a glimpse into the future of what this rivalry could look like.
Both the U.S. and Mexico arrived in Arizona this week with young, inexperienced, largely domestic-based squads as they usher in new eras. Mexico's has officially begun under Diego Cocca, while the USMNT's is something of a work in progress, with interim boss Anthony Hudson still in charge.
Neither team will have its heavy-hitters, with European players out of the picture, but several young stars could continue their rise with this midweek friendly. That's especially true for the USMNT, who have several high-potential players in camp that should be Europe-bound sooner rather than later.
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With that said, GOAL takes a look at who the USMNT start against El Tri:
GettyGK: Sean Johnson
Drake Callendar and Roman Celantano may get time to shine, but we'll start with the steady hand of Johnson, the lone goalkeeper with caps in the squad.
Johnson has been a valuable member of the USMNT for some time, having earned his World Cup place last year.
We'll give him the start, but don't be surprised if one of the other two is tossed in for a debut at some point.
AdvertisementGettyLB: Caleb Wiley
The Atlanta United star is the USMNT's potential left-back of the future if his MLS form is anything to go by, so why not see what he can offer in the present?
To be fair, Hudson likely won't make this move, considering the short run up to what would be Wiley's first cap, but why not see what he has? He's been fantastic in the attack with Atlanta so far this season and, although he's likely to remain with the Under-20s for a bit longer, he has certainly earned a look at this level.
Julian Gressel, meanwhile, made his debut in January, showing off his incredible crossing ability during the first camp of the year. He likely won't really be a part of the full team picture but, if he is, you know what you get from him in terms of attacking production.
Gressel is the more likely starter, but Wiley is the more fun one, so we'll give him a go.
GettyCB: Walker Zimmerman
Right now, still possibly a starting centerback when the full team is together, although Miles Robinson and Tim Ream might have something to say about that.
But, with those two not here, Zimmerman gets the nod.
He'll provide leadership and experience for this one, which is still a big rivalry game. Zimmerman also makes sense as captain as well, which makes him an obvious starter.
Getty ImagesCB: Matt Miazga
The fun selection would be Joshua Wynder. The safe selection would be Aaron Long.
But Matt Miazga is probably the most interesting selection.
The FC Cincinnati star spoke last week about feeling "screwed" by the old regime, and this is a chance to prove himself correct. He's been good for Cincinnati after being stuck in Chelsea's loan cycle and, at 27, there's still plenty of good soccer ahead of him.
Let's see what he looks like next to Zimmerman in this one and then go from there.