US Men's National Team Friendly vs Spain Preview

The European Cup almost upon us, its easy to forgot about some of the star power that the US Men's National Team will be squaring off against in the coming days. Just a week after suffering a defeat on English soil the National Team will be traveling to Spain for a friendly surly designed to "prep" the Spaniards for the European Cup.

Ranked number 4 in the world, Spain has the talent to make a run for the Euro 08 title, but on Wednesday, what can the United States expect? The United States won't have to worry about being terrorized by Raul or Bojan, but with a roster as impressive as Spain's, the good news stops there. Spain will probably look to give their European team a chance to gel before the tournament, so the United States should expect to see a full roster. The attack will be lead by Cesc, Xabi, Iniesta, Torres and Villa. Spain's defense will be controlled by Carlos Puyol, Sergio Ramos as well as Liverpool's Alvaro Arbeloa. Impressive.

Bob Bradley will look for Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson and DaMarcus Beasley to lead the attack. And with Landon Donovan out with a calf strain, perhaps its time for Freddie Adu to merit a starting position. Adu's injection into the squad could in turn give the United States more fluidity and creativity in the attack, something they will certainly need to break down Spain's defense.

Spain notoriously under preforms. On paper it looks like the US is in over their heads, but in actuality they need to be ready to take advantage of any studdering by the Spaniards. Upset anyone? I believe. Be sure not to miss this one, the game airs tape delayed on Wednesday at 5:30 PM on ESPN2.