Shorthanded US Faces Stern Dutch Test

So much for the opportunity to field a full-strength side on Wednesday, the only FIFA match day available before U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley names his World Cup roster.

There will be nearly as many notable names among the injured as there will be on the field when the U.S. plays the Netherlands at Amsterdam Arena (2:30 PM ET, ESPN2). So while we monitor the progress of Clint Dempsey, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Charlie Davies and Ricardo Clark (it's probably safe to say at this point that the whole Jermaine Jones thing isn't happening), we'll get the chance to see how a side that will sort of resemble the one Bradley hopes to have in South Africa fares against the third-ranked Dutch.

Certainly a few players are who are locks (if healthy) to start against England on June 12 will be featured. Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore are slam dunks. Up-and-coming European-based players like Stuart Holden (above) and Maurice Edu (and perhaps even Eddie Johnson) also will have the chance to make their case on Wednesday. Edu hasn't played for the national team in nearly a year.

The real intrigue will be in back, where a group that remains unsettled just a few months before the World Cup will have to contend with some genuine world-class attacking talent.

It's humbling to consider what kind of talent the Netherlands, a country considerably smaller than West Virginia, continues to produce. The Dutch will be missing the injured Robin Van Persie but still can call upon the likes of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart, each of whom is 25-27 years old. At 29, you have Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt, who scores goals at an alarming pace for someone possessing no discernible skill with a soccer ball, and his Merseyside teammate Ryan Babel is just 23.

While this Oranje edition may not be as celebrated as its predecessors, it demonstrated its potential with victories over France and Italy at Euro 2008 and a perfect World Cup qualiifying campaign. There is no one on the Dutch side as dangerous as England's Wayne Rooney, but as a group they present as stiff a defensive challenge as England will in three months.

Bob Bradley's defensive corps comprises of Jonathan Bornstein, Carlos Bocanegra, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Heath Pearce, Frank Simek and Jonathan Spector.

Pearce and Goodson did well against El Salvador last week and earned this trip to Amsterdam, but there really isn't a player among this group that one can put on the field and forget about. All have question marks. DeMerit has been playing regularly for Watford for nearly three months after returning from an eye injury, but he hasn't played for the U.S. since August. The slower Bocanegra will find a quick Dutch team that can attack from a variety of positions a challenge, and may play on the left if Bradley decides to give Goodson his shot in the middle. Spector is likely to start at right back.

If the back four can hold, with some assistance from Michael Bradley, Donovan likely will get at least a couple of opportunities to orchestrate the U.S. counterattack. That really is where he's most dangerous, even though the idea of ceding too much possession isn't attractive. The Americans will just have to take their chances when they come, and hopefully will learn from playing a team in the sort of game where just one mistake will be costly. Regardless of the result, it's good preparation for the summer.

A few fun facts to whet the appetite, courtesy of U.S. Soccer:

-- The U.S. is 0-3-0 against the Netherlands and has never scored a goal. The Dutch have managed five. The most recent matchup was a 1-0 loss in Amsterdam in February 2004. Robben got the goal.

-- Ranked third in the world by FIFA, the Netherlands is the highest-ranked team the U.S. ever has played on the road. All previous meetings with a side ranked in the top three were at home or at neutral stadiums.

-- Altidore and Babel each scored a goal when their respective Olympic teams tied, 2-2, at the Beijing games in 2008. Brad Guzan, Michael Bradley, Edu and Holden also played in that game.

-- Bornstein, Pearce and Robbie Findley are the only players at Bradley's disposal currently on MLS rosters.