Let's just get one thing straight -- the United States is going to the World Cup next year. CONCACAF qualifying simply doesn't offer anything close to enough to deny Bob Bradley's side a spot in South Africa, however out of sorts it looks.
Wednesday night's 3-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in Nashville was effectively a formality, a comfortable stroll that achieved the primary objective of three points and not much more. Jozy Altidore's hat trick, helped by some atrocious goalkeeping by T&T's Clayton Ince, put a nice gloss on a routine win, but the lack of real knowledge about this team and what it is capable of has U.S. fans in a kind of limbo ahead of the World Cup.
It is clear that the U.S. can perform well on its day and, especially at home, can overpower weak opposition. Yet unless things really start clicking over the next 14 months, it is hard to see the Americans being competitive against the leading nations.
Altidore has great potential, although his peak time may come in future World Cups rather than this next one. Conquering a hapless CONCACAF opponent will surely boost his confidence and further assist his transition into international soccer. Still, it won't do him much good against the top dogs from Europe and South America.
Bradley's side is full of capable players who can do a job at a certain level. It just doesn't have a world-class game changer upon which to rely. Altidore, for all his promise, is not it -- not yet anyway.
It is hard to criticize a team for winning 3-0 and I won't attempt to do so. But apart from a bit of extra spirit and organization, there was nothing especially praiseworthy to take from Wednesday night either.
It is similarly hard to predict the potential of this U.S. squad. We just don't know -- and we shouldn't expect to find out too much more until it is thrown into a South African shark pool such as this summer's Confederations Cup, the dress rehearsal for the World Cup host.
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