US 0, Canada 0: What did we learn?

The January US National Team training camp is always a bit of an interesting thing to behold for US fans. Yes, the big names plying their trade abroad aren't anywhere to be found, but we can at least begin to get an idea of how some of the good MLS players on the national team fringes in attendance may figure into the scheme of things once World Cup qualifying or other competitions roll around. 

This year's January gathering culminated in last night's friendly with a young Canadian side, but unfortunately for both us and Jürgen Klinsmann, the game was nothing short of a dour affair, with Canada largely packing it in defensively, the US scarcely able to string more than two passes together, and accordingly chances being very few and very far between. A better game would have surely given us and Klinsmann a bit more to digest and analyze, but nevertheless, we can at least attempt to discern who helped and who harmed their chances to be around for the pivotal start to the final round of World Cup qualifying at Honduras in one week's time.

Brad Davis would have loved nothing more than to have put on a stellar performance in front of his home crowd, but that just didn't happen. His normally precise set pieces betrayed him, and he, like some of his other midfield compatriots, was far too anonymous throughout. Davis' lack of true pace already handicaps his chances of playing on the left wing for the US, so a good game here was paramount for him to work his way into Klinsmann's thinking. That didn't happen.

Chris Wondolowski looked absolutely ecstatic to be back in a US shirt during the national anthem, but a quiet game from him will leave us wondering when he'll wear it again. He did miss a couple of half chances in the first half, the kind that he seemingly made a living off of last season on his way to 27 goals, but I don't think we can hold those misses against him too much. To be fair, the service into him was always lacking as well, which understandably makes a striker's job only that much harder. While the US has more athletic and physically imposing options in the form of Altidore and Eddie Johnson, I do feel that there has to be a place for a guy who simply has a knack for being in the right place at the right time on the way to scoring some vital goals. His sample size with the US has been small, so it's probably unfair for us to write him off of the national team scene just yet.

Omar Gonzalez ultimately had little defending to do against Canada, so it's hard to say if he hurt or helped his chances over 90 minutes; he did show his worth on set pieces, however, with his second half header, perhaps the USA's best chance of the game, going just over the bar. Regardless, his performances in MLS, especially over the second half of last season after he returned from his ACL injury, should see him playing a more important role for Klinsmann from this point on. Carlos Bocanegra isn't getting any younger, so now is the time to groom Gonzalez for the bright lights of the international stage.

Josh Gatt has being an intriguing prospect for some time now, but his second half performance last night was uneven at best. His speed was on display from time to time, but a couple of his deliveries in particular were woeful. Still, the aforementioned speed could be an attribute in the coming months for the US, especially if he's used as a second half sub against tired legs. Expect him to stay around in some capacity.

With all of this said, it'll be interesting to see what the roster for the Honduras game looks like and how many January holdovers will remain. One thing is for certain, however: Dempsey, Bradley and the now free-scoring Altidore would be a sight for sore eyes for US fans after last night.