It’s hard to take too much stock in what occurs during January camp and the ensuing friendlies, but with a new manager in place and crucial matches upcoming for the U.S. Men’s National Team the last few weeks have certainly provided some clarity for Bruce Arena’s side.
After an underwhelming effort draw against Serbia to end January, the USMNT rebounded against Jamaica with a win in a more complete effort.
Here’s a look at four players that lifted their standing with the USMNT since Bruce Arena’s return.
Benny Feilhaber
The Sporting KC man obviously wasn’t a favorite of Jurgen Klinsmann’s during his time as USMNT manager, however, Feilhaber proved that he deserves a place within the U.S. roster moving forward and put pressure on Sacha Kljestan for a hold on the starting attacking midfield position. His vision in the buildup to Jordan Morris’ goal was spot on and Feilhaber controlled the attacking flow in a positive way for most of the Jamaica match.
Dax McCarty
The Chicago Fire midfielder has probably had the craziest few months out of any USMNT player, but McCarty handled himself with class as he was transitioned from one club to another. Although he didn’t see the field against Serbia, the veteran center mid controlled the middle of the park well against Jamaica and linked up well on several occasions with Feilhaber. His defensive presence is something that could potentially be crucial for Arena’s team moving forward, particularly in March when Jermaine Jones is suspended for the Honduras encounter.
Walker Zimmerman
The young center back only missed on seven of his passes in his national team debut against Jamaica, and Zimmerman’s confidence for FC Dallas certainly showed. While Zimmerman faces the challenge of getting past veterans in the pecking order like Matt Besler, Geoff Cameron and Omar Gonzalez, the 23-year-old has proven at club level that he can hold his own defensively and score critical goals in attacking positions when thrown into the box.
Steve Birnbaum
Serbia and Jamaica didn’t pose the biggest threats in the attacking third, but the D.C. United defender was strong in both matches, and more importantly Bruce Arena saw Birnbaum as fit enough to go the full 90 minutes against each opponent. With Geoff Cameron’s availability uncertain ahead of WCQ’s resumption, the 26-year-old could be in line to slot next to John Brooks in the center of the U.S. back line.