U.S. national team faces a critical year in 2009

Looking at the key story lines that will pop up in 2009 for the U.S. men's national team, I feel like I'm looking at one of those Babushka dolls -- you know, the ones that are nested inside one another. Certainly in the case of the national team, qualifying for the next World Cup in South Africa is the only thing that matters. But getting there will require several key items to fall into place, and as each of these issues are teased apart, I find there are subplots within subplots, each of which could determine the Americans' degree of success in the coming year.

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Teen sensation Jozy Altidore could provide an extra boost to the U.S. offense in 2009.

The perception that World Cup qualifying will be a snap for the U.S. will be put to the test in 2009 as it enters the Hexagonal round. The final six CONCACAF teams will play each other home and away, combining for 10 games. The top three earn an automatic berth in the 2010 World Cup (the fourth-place team will face CONMEBOL's fifth-place team in a home-and-home playoff series).

On the plus side, the increased road fortitude that the Yanks have shown under coach Bob Bradley should make reaching the finals easier, although improving on the qualifying effort from four years ago, when the Americans booked their ticket to Germany with three games to spare, will be tough to top.

The apparent disarray of Mexico -- they edged Jamaica on goal difference to barely qualify for the Hexagonal -- also appears to put the U.S. in pole position. But that ignores the fact that, historically, Mexico has almost always burned through a coach or two during qualifying, only to right itself in the end. The reality is El Tri remains the most talented team in the region.

Costa Rica, with the likes of attacker Bryan Ruiz, appears to have passed the torch from the generation that qualified for two World Cups. And Honduras looks set to give the presumed big three all they can handle, with forward David Suazo looking wholly committed to the Catrachos' cause. Trinidad & Tobago and El Salvador are expected to dispatch these two opponents with relative ease, but it still adds up to a Hex that likely will be more difficult than four years ago.

2. Will the Yanks' attack raise its game?

Defensively, the U.S. looks solid, but questions persist about its offense. The Americans, at least to a degree, shook off their reliance on set pieces during the semifinal round of qualifying, and their 14 goals were second only to Costa Rica's 20. But the U.S. can expect opposition defenses to be much tighter during the Hexagonal, and the fact remains that against more difficult opponents, the Yanks' offense did not exactly dazzle the eye in 2008. Possession remains problematic against top-flight opposition, and in those moments when the U.S. did have the ball, the side lacked a creative spark.

If the Yanks are to take that next step, then Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley and possibly Jozy Altidore will need to provide the necessary imagination in the attacking third. A creative force in the middle of the field will need to emerge, as well, but tapping into this creativity requires a development that is largely out of Bradley's hands, which leads us to the next point.

3. Will the American overseas contingent win the battle for more playing time?

The cheers over Dempsey's brace in Monday's 2-2 tie against Chelsea were echoed back across the Atlantic, as U.S. fans rejoiced at the Texas native's continued good form for Fulham.

Yet some of Dempsey's international teammates haven't been so lucky. Beasley appears to be on his way out at Rangers, while his club teammate, Maurice Edu, has barely gotten a sniff. Michael Bradley's time with Borussia Moenchengladbach has had its ups and downs, but the departure of former sporting director Christian Ziege, the man who recruited Bradley to the club, would appear to leave him in a vulnerable spot.

The defensive side of the ball is faring better. Carlos Bocanegra's move to Rennes has paid off, while Oguchi Onyewu remains a mainstay with Standard Liege, although a move to a bigger club during the January transfer window appears likely. But the contrasting fortunes for American midfielders and forwards -- Dempsey notwithstanding -- are no doubt keeping the elder Bradley up at night. Certainly it's a development that will need to change if the U.S. is to make a positive international impression in 2009.

4. The progress of Jozy and Freddy

Given the considerable hype that Altidore and Freddy Adu have received in their short careers, they deserve a category all their own. Fans have been clamoring for Adu to get increased time with the national team, and he hasn't looked out of place during his stints on the field. But I'll stick to my assessment that he's aiming for a super-sub role at best. His lack of playing time while on loan at Monaco -- a move that was supposedly designed to speed his development -- along with his defensive deficiencies mean that he can play only as an attacking midfielder in Bradley's 4-5-1. And I don't seem him supplanting either Donovan or Dempsey from that slot anytime soon.

The future looks brighter for Altidore, and he's seen more extended playing spells for Villarreal. Yet if he is going to contribute heavily during qualifying, he needs to be playing full games on a consistent basis, whether with his current club or on loan.

Regardless, plenty of American eyes will be on both players during the coming months.

5. The Confederations Cup

The Confed Cup in June certainly lacks the prestige of some other international tournaments, but its importance to the U.S. cause can't be underestimated. Finding quality opponents is difficult in the best of times, yet this competition will give the U.S. three quality matches against Brazil, Italy and Egypt. The trip also will present the U.S. with an opportunity to iron out some of the logistical details in South Africa one full year before the World Cup (assuming of course that qualifying is progressing as expected.)

For Bradley & Co., the competition should also provide a useful benchmark in determining the progress the team has made over the past year.

6. The Gold Cup, a.k.a. The Last Chance Saloon

With no Confederations Cup berth at stake, whatever luster the Gold Cup has will be diminished even further this summer. That said, not only will the U.S. be aiming to make it three titles in a row, but the players involved -- most likely of the fringe variety -- will be keen to get on Bradley's radar as qualifying winds down. This includes up-and-coming players such as Francisco Torres (assuming he hasn't already cracked the starting XI) as well as those struggling mightily at club level, like Bobby Convey and the currently injured Benny Feilhaber.

7. World Youth Championships

It's worth noting that both the U-17s and the U-20s will be contesting World Cups this year. Wilmer Cabrera's U-17 side, led by goalkeeper Earl Edwards and attacker Stefan Jerome, will be aiming to reach the finals in Nigeria. Thomas Rongen's team, now minus the star power of players like Adu and Altidore, will be aiming to do the same in Egypt. Midfielder Peri Marosevic and defender Kyle Davies are among the players to watch.

Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPNsoccernet. He also writes for Center Line soccer and can be reached at eljefe1@yahoo.com.