WORLD CUP THE FORMATION In April, Klinsmann introduced a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield. Previously, the U.S. team played in a Team USA The 4-4-2 4-2-3-1 formation. formation Projected starters allows Bradley to take a more More than half of coach Juergen Klinsmann’s starting offensive role ... lineup and 17 of the 23 players on the roster will be making their World Cup debuts. DaMarcus Beasley will be playing in his fourth World Cup, his third while four other players are playing in their second. The oldest player on the squad is goalkeeper at 35. Six other players are in their 30s.

... while it lets Jones fall back into a defensive role.

Kyle Beckerman Forward Age: 32 Caps: 37 Age: 24 Caps: 70 Club team: Club team: Sunderland (England) World Cups: 1st Goals: 1 World Cups: 2nd Goals: 23 Has played 335 games in , second Started all four games in South Africa in 2010. Sixth on all-time among . Appeared in a career-high the all-time U.S. goals list. Was U.S. Soccer’s male athlete 10 games for the U.S. in 2013, starting twice in World Cup of the year in 2013 with eight goals in 14 appearances. qualifying.

Alejandro Bedoya Midfielder Center back Right back Age: 28 Caps: 27 Age: 27 Caps: 28 Age: 26 Caps: 22 Club team: Stoke City (England) Club team: Nantes (France) Club team: Monchengladbach () World Cups: 1st Goals: 1 World Cups: 1st Goals: 1 World Cups: 1st Goals: 1 Scored five times in 23 games for Nantes last Converted midfielder set career highs with 12 appear- ances and 10 starts for the national team in 2013. Came back from broken hand suffered in January. season. Played in a career-high 12 games for the U.S. in German-born player made his U.S. debut in 2011. 2013, scoring his only international goal in a friendly Started eight times for the U.S. in 2012 and 2013. with Guatemala. Clint Dempsey Forward Center back Midfielder Age: 31 Caps: 105 Club team: Sounders FC Age: 27 Caps: 17 Age: 32 Caps: 42 World Cups: 3rd Goals: 37 Club team: Club team: Besiktas (Turkey) World Cups: 1st Goals: 0 World Cups: 1st Goals: 2 Team captain. Has two World Cup goals, including one Debuted with the U.S. in 2013 and quickly earned a job at in South Africa, where he played all 390 minutes. Second center back, where he started 11 games. Anchored a Physical midfielder is one of five German nationals on all-time in goals by an American and 10th in caps. the U.S. team. Started a career-high 12 games for the U.S. defense that did not allow a goal at home in World Cup in 2013. qualifying. Midfielder DaMarcus Beasley Left back Tim Howard Goalkeeper Age: 26 Caps: 86 Age: 32 Caps: 116 Club team: Toronto FC Age: 35 Caps: 100 Club team: Puebla (Mexico) World Cups: 2nd Goals: 12 Club team: Everton (England) World Cups: 4th Goals: 17 World Cups: 2nd Shutouts: 35 Played every minute in South Africa, scoring once. The With his first appearance in Brazil, will become the first second modern-era American to play in Italy’s , Tied for second in national team history for caps by a American to play in four World Cups. Started a team- also played in top leagues in the , Germany goalkeeper. His 54 wins are the most by an American high 17 games last year. Fifth all-time in U.S. caps. and England. keeper. Substitutes GOALS/ WORLD NAME POSITION AGE CLUB TEAM CAPS SHUTOUTS CUPS THE SKINNY John Brooks Defender 21 Hertha BSC (Germany) 4 0 1st Physical, German-born. Played on age-group national teams for U.S., Germany. Defender 24 (Germany) 13 0 1st German-born, missed time with torn meniscus in left knee in February. One start in 2013. Midfielder 32 Dynamo 16 0 1st Assisted on two goals in win over . Led Houston to two MLS titles Midfielder 23 Rosenborg () 20 3 1st Norwegian-born, played in 13 of the final 14 games last season, scoring his second goal. Midfielder 19 Bayern Munich (Germany) 2 0 1st Youngest U.S. player, born in Tampa, Fla., moved to Germany at 2. Defender 25 LA Galaxy 20 0 1st Tallest U.S. player at 6-5. MLS Rookie of the Year, 2009, Defender of the Year, 2011. Goalkeeper 29 Aston Villa (England) 25 9 2nd Backup in 2010 World Cup. Played 38 games for Aston Villa last season. Aron Johannsson Forward 23 AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) 8 2 1st Born in Alabama, raised in Iceland. Had 24 goals in 48 games for AZ Alkmaar last season. Goalkeeper 34 Real Salt Lake 14 4 1st Third goalkeeper won all six games he played in last season, allowing just four goals. Forward 31 21 9 1st Scored six goals in a three-game span for the U.S. last summer. De Andre Yedlin Defender 20 Seattle Sounders FC 4 0 1st Made his senior international debut as a substitute in February against South Korea. Midfielder 27 Sporting Kansas City 23 3 1st Personal highs for the national team with 12 games, 9 starts, 2 goals and 2 assists in 2013. Where they play club ball Ranking the groups From toughest to easiest, based on average world ranking (red bar) Costa Rica: 28 England: 10 Italy: 9 Uruguay: 7 GROUP D

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 1 Avg.: 13.5

Ghana: 37 : 13 : 4 Germany: 2 GROUP G

70 60 50 40 30 20 Avg.: 14 10 1

Honduras: 33 Ecuador: 26 France: 17 Switzerland: 6 GROUP E

70 60 50 40 30 Avg.: 20.5 20 10 1

GROUP C Japan: 46 Ivory Coast: 23 Greece: 12 Colombia: 8 Group G schedule 70 60 50 40 30 Avg.: 22.3 20 10 1

Monday Germany vs. Portugal, 11 a.m. GROUP B Australia: 62 Netherlands: 15 Chile: 14 Spain: 1

Ghana vs. U.S., 5 p.m. 70 60 50 40 30 Avg.: 23 20 10 1

Saturday Germany vs. Ghana, 2 p.m. Cameroon: 56 Mexico: 20 Croatia: 18 Brazil: 3 GROUP A June 22 U.S. vs. Portugal, 5 p.m. 70 60 50 40 30 Avg.: 20 10 1 24.5 June 26 U.S. vs. Germany, 11 a.m. Korea Republic: 57 Algeria: 22 : 19 Belgium: 11 GROUP H Portugal vs. Ghana, 11 a.m.

70 60 50 40 30 Avg.: 27.3 20 10 1

ODDS TO WIN IT ALL By Bovada Nigeria: 44 Iran: 43 Bosnia-Herzegovina: 21 : 5 11-2 25-1 100-1 200-1 GROUP F Germany Portugal United States Ghana 70 60 50 40 30 Avg.: 28.3 20 10 1

SOURCE: U.S. Soccert, FIFA, Tribune Newspapers reporting GETTY, EPA, REUTERS, USA TODAY SPORTS PHOTOS DYLAN STONE/TRIBUNE