Ricardo Clark got a little redemption but that's about it. (Getty Images)

It has been a long time coming for the US Men’s National Team. A solid three-game winning streak.

Typically these sorts of things happen around the January friendly time. It certainly isn’t the first time this has happened but with Jurgen Klinsmann in as boss, it is.

So what can we take away from these last three games, or more importantly these last two against Panama and Venezuela? In all honesty not a ton.

For the most part Klinsmann now knows the type of depth is in his system. Most of this camp has been MLS players with a few players in Europe and Mexico mixed in. Some players he wanted to test out dropped out of the mix due to club situations and transfers. But for the most part we know that guys like Brek Shea, Jermaine Jones, and Teal Bunbury (though he didn’t have the best of night last night) are likely going to be mainstays for the foreseeable future.

But why not a Graham Zusi or Geoff Cameron or even a guy like Ricardo Clark who has found a bit of redemption? I think it is in due time that it happens for guys like that.

For me it is always hard to take these January friendlies that serious. It isn’t the because of who the US was playing – I thought both Panama and Venezuela were good tests – but because the US was missing a main core of it’s lineup.

If anything though Klinsmann can know that he has a group of guys that can go to a Central American country, get an early lead, lose a key defender and still win. Klinsmann can also know that he can take on a fairly decent B-squad from a tough South American opponent and come away with a hard fought late goal to win.

The US did a good enough job killing off the game last night that if it were a qualifier, most of us would be thrilled with the three points on the road.

In all, there were enough positives over the last couple weeks for this inexperienced group to outshine the negatives.

This January camp is now over and this group of players will likely not come back together for a while. A few will go on to the camp that will get together before the Italy match next month with the main core of the US squad from Europe. A game that should matter a little more than the last two.

George John could be on the move (again). (Getty Images)

A fun bit of news broke late yesterday evening. Two US National team defenders George John and Omar Gonzalez were said to be leaving the national team camp for “club-related matters”. Naturally their two teams instantly sent out messages about those matters. For one player it was about a loan, the other a transfer.

Gonzalez – the 2011 MLS Defender of the Year – is headed to Germany on loan with FC Nurnberg until at least the middle of February, the German club announced on its website on Thursday. The German side hoped to make a move for Gonzalez in the summer but got an opportunity sooner than they had expected with the short-term loan.

Joining U.S. international Timmy Chandler on a team that is just above the relegation zone, Gonzalez could make his debut for Nurnberg on Jan. 21 when it takes on Hertha Berlin.

Gonzalez joins the long list of US National team players that have taken a loan or training stint in Europe this winter.

John on the other hand is heading in a different direction. With a Greek passport he has a chance to move just about anywhere he wants in Europe. Last summer he nearly moved to England with Blackburn but the deal with the Rovers fell through in the final stages. I’ve been trying to contact John’s agent about where he could land and once I have that detail I will be sure to pass it along to you all.

John’s club FC Dallas will now have to go back to square one in finding defensive depth to replace him. They have already brought in one defender this winter but after the possibility of gaining a decent transfer fee, they could be able to score another quality one to replace him.

These are two very interesting developments considering how much both players were desired by US fans to be on the National team this winter. It is very possible that we won’t see either of these two back in MLS in 2012. More than likely John will be sold and Gonzalez will return for a brief amount of time with the Galaxy.

Out of the 20 players called up, only two were not from MLS.

The camp will run January 3-26 in the United States and Panama. The U.S. will host Venezuela on Jan. 21 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Four days later, the U.S. faces Panama at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City.

Overall I don’t have too many issues with this roster. What about you?

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (7): Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), A.J. DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), George John (FC Dallas), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Benny Feilhaber (New England Revolution), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), C.J. Sapong (Sporting Kansas City), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

The US National Team will play Venezuela and Panama in January. (Getty Images)

The usual pair of January friendlies for the US Men’s National team have been announced today by the USSF. Jurgen Klinsmann will lead his team against Venezuela in Phoenix on January 21 and then again on January 25 against in Panama City against Panama.

The January friendlies are typically a time for US-based and Scandinavian-based players to get some playing time in the national team set-up. These dates do not fall on a scheduled FIFA date for that reason.

Getting a quality South American team like Venezuela and a decent CONCACAF team like Panama is a good way to start the important year that 2012 will be.

“It’s very important that we start the year off in the right way with a good training camp and two challenging games,” said U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “We are going to continue to increase the demands on the players and have them develop a better understanding of how we want to play. Venezuela has done well to start World Cup qualifying and they earned a big victory against Argentina. Panama is a team the players know well from the Gold Cup, and we think traveling to Central America before qualifying is important to give them a taste of what the environment will be like there.”

The next official FIFA date for international competitions is Feb. 29, 2012.

A few surprises but mostly what you would expect from Klinsmann at this point. It seems as though Orozco Fiscal has replaced Jonathan Bornstein as the weird defensive call-up that makes no sense. Still wonder why we aren’t seeing guys like Herculez Gomez or Omar Gonzalez getting the call too.

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (Everton), Bill Hamid (D.C. United).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hanover), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis).

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim).

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Edson Buddle (Ingolstadt), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy).

Caleb Porter will now lead the U-23 National team. (Photo via Akron Athletic Department)

A bit of news we heard about yesterday over on Twitter. University of Akron head coach Caleb Porter has been officially named the US U-23 head coach – more importantly the Olympics head coach for the US.

Porter will lead the U-23 team to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games when they compete in CONCACAF qualifying in March next year.

In addition to this news about Porter, the USSF also named former US Men’s National team midfielder Tab Ramos the U-20 head coach.

“We are excited to have Caleb join our youth National Team staff,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “Still early in his career, Caleb has been extremely successful and has demonstrated the ability to mentor and develop young players. A proven winner, we believe he will do a great job of leading our Under-23 Men’s National Team as they look to qualify for the Olympic Games next summer.”

“Tab Ramos has been one of the pioneers of the sport in this country and will bring a wealth of experience in his role as the Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach. His addition to our national team program will be a benefit as we continue to concentrate on the development of our youth players at the international level.”

Both are great hires for the US. Porter has long been thought of as the next great coach in American soccer. He has taken Akron to new heights over the last few years – turning out MLS player after MLS player. It was only a matter of time before he would be a coach on this level. He will still continue to be the Zips’ head coach, so fear not Akron fan.

Porter has an eye for young talent and that should carry over nicely for the U-23 program. I’ve always thought that would be a good fit for him down the road and the time has finally come for it.

Jurgen Klinsmann and the USMNT take on Costa Rica tonight. (Getty Images)

In a way, the future is really now.

The Mexico friendly for the US National Team a few weeks ago was merely a money grab for the parties involved. Sure it was Jurgen Klinsmann’s first match with the US but he barely got anytime to really build the team he wanted before hand.

This time things are different. With a week or so of training under their belts, not the day or so they had before Mexico, Klinsmann has had a little more time to devote to seeing his roster play out.

Tonight the US takes on Costa Rica and will then travel to Europe to face Belgium next week. Two big friendlies that should show us all where Klinsmann is taking us.

The roster call ups showed that Klinsmann is trying new things out. FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea is likely going to get more playing time on the wings, and as will Jose Francisco Torres. Injuries and club team issues for guys like Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and Ricardo Clark helped pave the path for some fresher faces in the US camp.

I’d expect to see Tim Chandler back in the line up tonight as well, his height will be an advantage in the back for the US and will help counter Real Salt Lake striker Alvaro Saborio.

Clint Dempsey won’t be available for this match with Costa Rica but he will be with the team in Belgium. Not having him will create another opening in the midfield.

For Costa Rica, things aren’t easy to figure out. The team is in a state of flux as they are about to get a new manager next week. They’ll be without Bryan Ruiz for this one too which weakens their attack. Not seeing players like Ruiz in the lineup for the Ticos means the pressure on the US to get a convincing win.

This is a game the US can and should win. The big deal will be to see if Klinsmann can lead this squad in a more convincing and positive manner than what Bob Bradley would have done in this situation. Klinsmann wants to push the US to a new level and for me it really does begin tonight against Costa Rica.

LA also has a CONCACAF Champions League date against Mexican side Monarcas Morelia on Sept. 13. that he will be sticking preparing for as well.

Donovan is the second MLS player announced who will miss at least one of the two upcoming friendlies for club obligations. The Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman will play in RSL’s home matchup against Philadelphia on Saturday instead of suiting up against Costa Rica, but he will join the US team against Belgium.

We shouldn’t be too shocked by this news considering the playoff race going on and the CCL matches for Donovan and the Galaxy. I wouldn’t be shocked to hear someone like Brek Shea do the same. Some of these MLS players have a lot of games on their plate and going off to Europe does complicate matters a bit for their clubs.

Clint Dempsey and Stever Cherundolo are expected to join the Americans in Europe for the Belgium game, both will be staying abroad during the Costa Rica match.

Tim Howard would love to return home to MLS some day. (Getty Images)

On a recent Twitter Q&A, US National Team keeper Tim Howard gave a rather candid response about playing in Major League Soccer again some day.

 “Oh, one hundred percent. If all things were to work themselves out I would really, really like to come back and play a few years in MLS. A lot of things have to come together, and I want to be playing at a very high level when I come back. I don’t want to be dragging through seasons. I want to feel fit and ready. I want to have that desire, intensity and passion that you see with Everton and the U.S. National Team when I come play in MLS. Those things are important.”

Naturall these are things that are always said by Yanks abroad but with Howard slowly getting up there in age (32-years old at the moment), it doesn’t seem too far fetched to believe we’ll see him back on this side of the pond before long.

Sporting Kansas City's Kei Kamara and Teal Bunbury have been called up by their respective national teams. (Getty Images)

It will be a fairly slow week around these parts, seeing how MLS is pretty much off this weekend (except for two games). With a FIFA fixture on the calendar this weekend there are a full slew of MLSers involved in friendlies and even some World Cup qualifiers.

MLS released this list of players and I felt it was worth putting up here as well. A total of 51 players representing 17 different countries from 17 MLS clubs. Only San Jose failed to have anyone called up.

Chicago Fire
Marco Pappa (Guatemala)

Chivas USA
Ante Jazic (Canada)
Michael Umaña (Costa Rica)

* Heath Pearce was called by USA but withdrew because of injury

Colorado Rapids
Steward Ceus (Haiti)
Omar Cummings (Jamaica)
Jeff Larentowicz (USA)
Sanna Nyassi (Gambia)

Columbus Crew
Julius James (Trinidad and Tobago)
Robbie Rogers (USA)

D.C. United
Dwayne De Rosario (Canada)
Bill Hamid (USA)
Dejan Jakovic (Canada)
Andy Najar (Honduras)
Chris Pontius (USA)

FC Dallas
Marvin Chávez (Honduras)
Brek Shea (USA)

* Zach Loyd was called by USA but withdrew because of injury

Houston
Carlo Costly (Honduras)
Andre Hainault (Canada)
Jermaine Taylor (Jamaica)
Je-Vaughn Watson (Jamaica)

LA Galaxy
Landon Donovan (USA)
Robbie Keane (Ireland)
Chris Birchall (Trinidad and Tobago)

New England
Kenny Mansally (Gambia)

New York
Juan Agudelo (USA)
Bouna Coundoul (Senegal)
Rafa Márquez (Mexico)
Roy Miller (Costa Rica)
Tim Ream (USA)
Dane Richards (Jamaica)

Philadelphia
Keon Daniel (Trinidad and Tobago)

Portland
James Marcelin (Haiti)
Lovel Palmer (Jamaica)
Steve Purdy (El Salvador)
Rodney Wallace (Costa Rica)

Real Salt Lake
Jean Alexandre (Haiti)
Arturo Alvarez (El Salvador)
Kyle Beckerman (USA)
Will Johnson (Canada)
Álvario Saborío (Costa Rica)

Seattle
Terry Boss (Puerto Rico)

Sporting KC
Teal Bunbury (USA)
Roger Espinoza (Honduras)
Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone)
Shavar Thomas (Jamaica)

Toronto FC
Julian de Guzman (Canada)
Terry Dunfield (Canada)
Ryan Johnson (Jamaica)
Javier Martina (Curaçao)

Vancouver
Nizar Khalfan (Tanzania)
Mustapha Jarju (Gambia)