On Wednesday, in the first of two friendlies scheduled over the March international break, the U.S. Men’s National Team will take on Denmark (3 pm: ESPN2, UniMas, Univision Deportes, Watch ESPN). The teams last played in 2009, with Denmark running out 3–1 winners. (See the full U.S. roster here.)

Shea at left back ≠ a total disaster?

When Jurgen Klinsmann moved Brek Shea from midfield into the left back position, it seemed like nothing more than a statement on the paucity of great left backs in the American game. But since then, Shea has done more than just get by. While his positioning and defensive instincts are still a work in progress, Shea’s new club team, Orlando City SC, has chosen to continue the experiment, and Shea has looked quite assured in his new position. While Shea’s offensive abilities have long been known, his inconsistency has undermined their effectiveness. Now given the structure of the left back position to constrain him, Shea may blossom into a real two-way threat.

Of course, Shea’s transition may never have happened if Greg Garza had been in the squad at the time. The 23-year-old plays left back for Liga MX’s leaders, Club Tijuana, and looked very effective for the U.S. during friendlies in the fall. If Shea is to become the DaMarcus Beasley of the USMNT’s future, he will have to outplay Garza first.

ArJo returns

Aron Johannsson, last seen for the U.S. in the Ghana game at the World Cup (he really should have seen more time in later games—*cough* Wondo! *cough*), has been hampered by injuries since the summer but is finally returning to full fitness. An electric player when on form, his ascension to first-choice for the U.S. has been delayed. This is his chance to reassert himself.

Other returnees include Danny Williams, who has not played for the U.S. since March 5 of 2014. With Klinsmann persisting in saying that Michael Bradley is not a defensive midfielder, Williams may hope to stake his claim to take over the Kyle Beckerman role in the U.S. setup.

New faces include Ventura Alvarado and William Yarbrough, 26, a goalkeeper born and raised in Mexico to American parents.

Navigating the Julian Green hype train

Green was added to the U.S. roster as soon as the German-American was eligible, and brought along to the World Cup in place of more experienced players like Landon Donovan. While his selection was questionable, his shinned goal against Belgium seemed to vindicate him. Since then, the player’s fortunes have been poor. Unable to get time with the senior team at Bayern Munich, he was loaned to Hamburg, where he has also failed to get time. What’s more, there have been conflicting reports about his bad behavior, including Green’s refusal to play for the Hamburg reserves or youth team.

Whether any of that is true or meaningful, there are a couple things we can know for sure: (1) Julian Green has real talent; and (2) He has not fulfilled his potential. He may do so yet, or he may not. But building the kid up into the next Freddy Adu (The Savior of American Soccer™) is only going to cripple his development. Just look at what it did to the actual Freddy Adu. He’s been selected to this roster. With luck, he’ll play and be effective and learn from those around him. You know, the only things we should be asking of our young players.

Denmark

Currently ranked ahead of the U.S. in the almost completely meaningless FIFA national rankings (28th to the U.S.’s 32nd), Denmark (according to Wikipedia) also sports this collection of awesome nicknames: Danish Dynamite, De Rød-Hvide (The Red and White), Olsen-Banden (The Olsen Gang), Olsens Elleve (Olsen’s Eleven), and The Red and White Football Aces.

The Red and White Football Aces have many accomplished and dangerous players, including defender Simon Kjær, midfielder William Kvist, and erstwhile but talented striker Nicklas Bendtner. The jewel in the Danish crown, however, is surely attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen, now playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the British Premier League. Eriksen is enigmatic, but can be deadly both from open play and set pieces.

The Danes have a mixed recent record, but currently lead their group (ahead of Portugal) in the qualifying stages for the 2016 European Championship. The U.S. has faced them only four times, but has yet to win. Denmark has, however, also failed to keep a clean sheet in each meeting.

Prediction

Friendlies between two teams of basically equal on-paper strength are a crap-shoot. Denmark are at home, which favors them, but Klinsmann teams have been surprisingly strong away from home to European teams, and many of the U.S.’s top guns will play and are in form (Bradley, Clint Dempsey*, Jozy Altidore). If the less-established players around them can gel, the U.S. could get a result, but bet on a Danish win, 2–1.

(*Dempsey has now been ruled out of the friendlies with a hamstring injury picked up in training.)