The new triumvirate

In the crucial first game of the 2002 World Cup, U.S. coach Bruce Arena faced a Portugal team that many had picked as a dark horse contender to win the entire tournament. His picks for the starting lineup would have to contend with the wily skill and experience of the European players.

Surprisingly, Arena didn't choose Claudio Reyna, the best-known American field player, despite his years of club soccer in leagues of England, Germany and Scotland.

He also didn't start Clint Mathis, who had been such an explosive performer for the team in World Cup qualifying that many predicted the tournament would be his coming-out party.

Instead, Arena unexpectedly inserted Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Pablo Mastroeni into the midfield corps.

All three players were young, athletic and fearless. All also were little-known by the Portuguese squad.

That was at least partly because, at the time, Donovan, Beasley and Mastroeni played in Major League Soccer. Even if it was never voiced, the thought of many around the soccer world could be phrased as, "Can anything good come out of MLS?"

The element of surprise was devastatingly effective against Portugal in 2002. The U.S. team jumped to a 3-0 lead and held on to win by a goal.

Often used in an interchangeable argument about who is the best American player, Donovan and Beasley aren't unknown elements anymore. As World Cup veterans, not only will they both be expected to lead the U.S. team but they also can expect to be closely marked at all times by their competitors.

Other players making their debuts at the tournament might then have the opportunity to become the unpleasant surprises Donovan and Beasley once were for the opposition.

Donovan himself named Eddie Johnson, Clint Dempsey and Oguchi Onyewu as his bets to make such an impact.

Dempsey might be the one who wants it most. The lanky midfielder is the team's resident wild child. The intensity he displays on the field is rivaled only by his creativity and uncanny ability to be in the right spot to make things happen. Dempsey's occasional lack of discipline and consistency, though, might make Arena consider him too much of a liability. So it remains to be seen whether Dempsey will receive the nod in the lineup or have to work his magic in limited moments as a substitute.

Johnson has the physical talent to be a game-changing forward. The youngest player on the U.S. squad at 23, he is fast, agile and strong in the air. His confidence skyrocketed after his first few games with the national team as he was scoring nearly every time he set foot on the field. It was his foot that betrayed him, though, when he suffered a painful and lingering injury that sidelined him for much of 2005.

The six-footer has nine goals in fewer than 20 international games, although his scoring rate has dropped off drastically from those early outings. Johnson seems to have recovered his fitness after rehabilitation from the foot injury, but his touch and poise around the goal have been fickle. The mental worry of his injury might bother him more than anything, because he still seems a bit tentative.

If it were somehow possible to transfer some of the passion Dempsey has in excess and bestow it on Johnson, the balance would benefit both players. As both are good friends and occasional roommates on the national team, perhaps the natural influence of the other's company on the World Cup journey will accomplish that. Johnson's easygoing nature might help keep Dempsey loose, and Dempsey's drive might push Johnson to stay focused.

Teammates often inspire each other -- Donovan and Beasley's long and steady progress from national team youth camps is an example of this.

In fact, Onyewu might be considered the late bloomer of that generation. Although he might not be as unheard of as Mastroeni was in 2002, Onyewu has yet to break into any of the big leagues of Europe, which generally are considered to be the top levels in Germany, Spain, England and Italy. Although Onyewu plays in Belgium, it generally is considered that he soon will be chosen as a transfer target by a team in a more prestigious league.

An excellent World Cup would push his price and payday much further. Although Onyewu has the fewest international appearances of any of the projected U.S. starters, his place in the backline is secure. His maturity and decision making have improved vastly in his recent performances, and his size, strength, speed and power are exactly what the team needs to counteract the large forwards on the squads the Americans face in group play. With one goal for the team on a late-game header, he even can provide occasional offensive punch for his side.

Onyewu's liability is that his aggressive play at times attracts the referees to the cards in their pockets. He often has argued that even in a fair tackle, a bigger player can be viewed as brutal and thus he is the victim of misguided perception. Nonetheless, if Onyewu wants to remain on the field to contribute for his team, he has to combine a little grace with his energetic effectiveness.

As a trio of relative unknowns to their adversaries, Dempsey, Johnson and Onyewu have a chance to follow in the footsteps of the 2002 players who will be attracting much more attention this time around. One or more have a good chance to be the revelation of the U.S. team this time around.

Andrea Canales covers soccer for ESPN Soccernet.com. She also writes for topdrawersoccer.com and soccer365.com. She can be contacted at soccercanales@yahoo.com