Every World Cup cycle brings its share of surprises. And Bob Bradley is surely shoving a few aces up his sleeves to catch England by surprise in their June 12 opener in Rustenburg. Since taking over the team back in 2007, Bradley has used nearly 90 different players, but there are still some new faces Bradley should consider before deciding on his final 23.

For far too long, the United States has been content with hard work, athleticism and frantic forays into the attack. After six straight world cups and fifteen years of MLS, the US is starting to produce a different quality of player – true footballers who have the ability to caress the ball as well as punish it.

The year 2009 will properly be remembered for the national team’s run to the Confederations Cup final. However, the performance of Real Salt Lake on their Cinderella run to the MLS championship was an equally important step towards developing that elusive American style.

The Confederations Cup has to go down as one of the most successful accomplishments in US soccer history, but it would be foolish not to learn from the vulnerabilities it exposed. Throughout the tournament, there was an inability to maintain possession and a lack of composure under pressure. Those flaws prevented what would have been a truly earth-shattering win over Brazil in the final.

Possession is the key to controlling the game, and composure is the key to maintaining possession. Bob Bradley needs to search for and identify players at every position that do not panic under pressure and are able to find the nearest open teammate rather than just whack the ball into the stratosphere.

Under the guidance of Jason Kreis, (proving to be at least as good a coach as he was a player,) RSL was not afraid to play the game. It was in the midfield where this was most evident. Javier Morales, Andy Williams, Clint Mathis and Ned Grabavoy are key, but it was Kyle Beckerman who makes the engine purr.

In order to take the best advantage of its midfield talent, RSL went with an almost Barcelona-like 4-3-3. It is a route Bradley should consider. Not only was it entertaining, it was effective – with marauding wingbacks, a smart pivot in the center, precision at the front of the midfield, and a constantly moving front line leading the attack.

This would not require a massive adjustment. In reality, the US is almost playing this formation already. It would only require making the central midfield more aggressive by flipping the triangle upside down.

It takes players to make a system work, though. And I believe there are several newcomers who deserve a look. Knowing Bradley’s hesitance to select players at times that would hurt their club teams, several of these players were likely under consideration before. It would be beneficial to see if they have what it takes.

If history is a guide, the US will sneak in about ten games before the World Cup kicks off, but the final three will be the final tune-ups just before the tournament begins. That leaves seven matches to figure out who goes and who stays.

Among the defensive experiments, Clarence Goodson deserves a longer look, while newcomers like Darrius Barnes, Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron and Edgar Castillo could prove to be useful.

There is almost no way Carlos Bocanegra will not be in the starting lineup for the tournament. Still, for all the intangibles he brings to the table – the pairing of Onyewu and Bocanegra is vulnerable against fast forwards. Watford’s Jay DeMerit is another obvious choice for a potential starter, but I would like to see the US use some of these valuable training dates to look for some diamonds in the rough.

There is still a question as to whether Gooch will even be game-shape by June. If he is not, Goodson is the best replacement. With his height, long legs and positioning he would make life difficult for the opposing forwards. Still, the US needs a quick central defender to pair with whichever strong man they put back there.

I have New England rookie Darrius Barnes just a hair above LA’s Omar Gonzalez. Even though he fell short in the balloting for Rookie of the Year, Barnes is quicker, a better marker and makes fewer mistakes.

Tigres left back Edgar Castillo deserves a chance to show what he has learned after three years in the Mexican Primera. I would also like to see Houston’s versatile Geoff Cameron get some games. The converted midfielder stepped in for the injured Eddie Robinson for the Dynamo and they did not miss a beat. With his ability to dribble and pass, he could provide some added weapons in the back.

It is asking a lot for debutantes to be thrown to the World Cup wolves, so a few outings against the likes of the Netherlands and Mexico could show if it is worth the gamble.

The central midfield is the deepest spot for Bradley to draw from, and the obvious choice does not require a lot of searching. As the coach’s kid, Michael Bradley has always had to prove he really deserved to play – and when he is on, there can be no doubt. In addition, Ricardo Clark has shown signs he is ready for more. However, there are a number of new faces that might be better than Papa Bradley’s current options.

After leading Real Salt Lake to the championship, Kyle Beckerman is at the top of his game and he contributes many characteristics that are seriously lacking on the current squad. Beckerman is the best central midfielder in MLS. He might not be fast, but he more than makes up for it with a quick mind and an accurate pass. The revitalized Benny Feilhaber is the only other player to share these skills on the current squad.

If he ever gets healthy again, Schalke 04’s Jermaine Jones – one of the Bundesliga’s best central midfielders before his injury – should get a long look in the run-up to South Africa. Dax McCarty and Jose Francisco Torres are also good on the ball.

Clint Dempsey might be the most dangerous attacker the US has against England, but it would be asking too much for him to line up against John Terry from the opening whistle. He is more dangerous starting on the right and coordinating his runs with the forwards to find the gaps that will certainly be there in Rustenburg.

It is a similar story to Landon Donovan on the left side. Pushing him to the front line will mean fewer touches on the ball and the US will need Donovan a lot. Starting out wide will give him a chance to find the space and pick his battles.

Barring a miraculous return by Charlie Davies, the success of the US next summer might depend on the performance of Jozy Altidore who is almost a lock for the “power” forward position. However, Altidore is still young and he frustrates almost as much as he tempts. While he is playing better recently at Hull, he still has not turned promise into goals. Therefore, Bradley will need to close in on a Plan-B.

Whoever it is will have to beat out Brian Ching, who is the safe choice. Ching might not be a fan-favorite, but he does many of the little things well. In addition, Bradley will want someone to keep John Terry occupied. Kenny Cooper should recover from his knee injury quickly and deserves some minutes, but Conor Casey appears to be the better fit for the match against England.

It is not just the dominating game Casey had against Jolean Lescott and Everton in the MLS All-Star game. He was one of the top scorers in MLS this season, and he has played in Europe before. He is strong and effective in the air and a bruiser when the ball is on the ground. He only needs to work on his hustle when the other team has the ball.

While a favorable draw gives US fans renewed hope, the horrific injuries suffered by Charlie Davies this past summer did serious damage to the US chances next year. While Davies believes he will be back in time, Bradley has to identify some fast and quick-thinking attackers in case the miracle does not occur.

Unless Bradley digs really deep and brings up youngsters like Marcus Tracey and Mike Grella, Jeff Cunningham and Robbie Findley are his best alternatives. Cunningham might be getting up there in years, but is coming off his best season as he single-handedly dragged Dallas into the race for the playoffs. Meanwhile, Findley was a key part of RSL’s championship season – and he shares many of the tools that make Davies special.

As far as other potential contributors like DaMarcus Beasley, Freddy Adu and Eddie Johnson – until they start performing on the club side, a spot on the World Cup team should be the last thing on their minds.

After beating Spain and taking Brazil to the wire, there is little chance the US will be overlooked this summer, despite what various media reports say. In 2009, the United States proved that it has the capability of beating any nation on earth on any given day. However, the flip side of the coin is still almost as likely.

While the United States is not a lock to advance out of the group stage, if the US lives up to its potential – and gets those breaks along the way that every World Cup champion gets – it could even win the World Cup. That is a huge jump from a country that only recently emerged on the world stage. It should make for an exciting summer.

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