Gold Cup rosters are always odd.  While in theory they SHOULD feature a nation’s best 23 players, they often do not.  In the case of the United States, players like Tim Howard and Geoff Cameron are sitting out the 2015 Gold Cup to recuperate fully from injuries or spend time with family, while MLS teams often are less than pleased to see star players go (Matt Besler and Lee Nguyen).  This results in a roster that is around 80% strength, give or take.  In other words: the Gold Cup is not the World Cup.  Yes, winning it gives you a shot at the Confederations Cup, but it is far from the big stage.  If the World Cup is the Academy Awards, then the Gold Cup is the MTV Movie Awards.  Good, but you can do better. 

The fact of the matter is that until you get to the semifinals, nations like the USA, Mexico, and Costa Rica should have no problem advancing with B teams. In any case the Gold Cup does present a good opportunity for fringe and bench players to get first team action.  With games competitive enough to matter and a roster featuring many 24th-through-30th players, the Gold Cup will provide Jurgen Klinsmann ample opportunity to observe his players experiencing big tournament stress that he otherwise wouldn’t get to see.  

Take the 2013 Gold Cup for example. You could argue that impressive play from Mix Diskerud, Alejandro Bedoya, Chris Wondolowski and even Nick Rimando actually got them on Klinsmann’s radar to begin with, as none were prominent USMNT features beforehand and all eventually made the World Cup roster. And while this roster features a lot more established and returning stars than its 2013 predecessor, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few players on this roster that are poised to make an impact. Let’s meet the top three.

Gyasi Zardes

Zardes really shouldn’t be a surprise inclusion for anyone who relatively keeps up with MLS. After a breakout MLS campaign where he scored more goals than any other American, Zardes topped off his dream season by opening up scoring in the 2014 MLS Cup. As an international, he had good showings for the USMNT vs. Panama and Mexico before netting his first international goal vs. the Netherlands a few weeks ago. The Gold Cup will represent Zardes’ first meaningful game for the U.S. Senior Side, and he’s in the running to start at left wing for the Stars and Stripes. With amazing natural ability and a confidence that has to be through the roof right now, expect big things for Zardes this summer. 

Brad Guzan

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yours truly knows he’s not exactly a newcomer to the national team.  For almost as long as Howard has been the USMNT backstop, Guzan has been his understudy. However, while he’s played a group stage game vs. Egypt and a pair of lights out World Cup Qualifiers vs. Mexico and Costa Rica, Guzan has never played the duration of a tournament vs. serious opposition.  He’s been named the #1 for the duration of this one and may stand to gain from it more than any other USMNT player.

How?

Well, once Tim Howard returns from his hiatus, he’ll be on the wrong side of 35 and will be 39 by the time Russia 2018 rolls around (this writer thinks). Howard has stated he has every intention of fighting for a spot on that roster, but for the first time since 2007 the race for the USA’s #1 shirt is now up for grabs. Howard’s age calls into question his dibs as default goalkeeper, even if he is still the best the U.S. has. Guzan is his main competitor, and the job may be his if he earns it. If he doesn’t? Well… while the USMNT’s next crop of backstops in Bill Hamid, William Yarbrough and Cody Cropper aren’t quite ready, a lot can happen in three years. 

Aron Johannsson

Johannsson has been a bit of a frustration in the Red White and Blue.  He’s shown flashes of brilliance vs. the likes of Denmark and Panama, but at other times such as the Group Stage match vs. Ghana he turned invisible, like an Icelandic Steven Naismith. Granted, he was playing in substitution of Jozy Altidore when he typically shines brightest playing OFF of a target man like Josmir, but his performance left much to be desired nonetheless. He will likely not see an excessive amount of time for the Stars and Stripes, but given Clint Dempsey’s age and Chris Wondolowski’s well… this, Johannsson is probably Klinsmann’s first striker off the bench and could be on as early as the 60th minute for a fatigued Dempsey or an ineffective winger. 

Johannsson has provided SportsCenter and ESPN FC with plenty of wunder goal highlights for his club AZ Alkmaar in Holland, and in the little amount of time we have seen him playing off of Jozy he’s looked pretty good.  It will be interesting to see what Johannsson and Jozy stir up with some prolonged minutes. Best case scenario? Aron turns into the USMNT version of Toronto’s Giovinco. Worst case?  Aron does this.