World Cup 2010 begins June 11th, with host country South Africa taking on Mexico in the opening match. The next day, USA plays England at 1:30 PM ET on ABC. We’ve been waiting for 4 years for this day, but is Team USA ready?

Last week, head coach Bob Bradley announced the final cut for his 23-man roster for South Africa. Since then, the United States has had two international friendly matches to help Coach Bradley determine the strengths and weaknesses of the team.

The Americans looked good in these final exhibition games. FIFA’s 14th ranked team, USA defeated Turkey last Saturday in Philadelphia, a 2-1 victory. And early this morning, USA took down Australia, 3-1, in South Africa. The Australian team is a World Cup competitor and started a strong roster in the match. And while Turkey did not qualify for the World Cup, they are a strong team that attracted a large crowd and started their top players for the match last weekend.

In the two friendlies, the United States started very different rosters. There was much to take out of each game. Here’s a look at the full squad that Bob Bradley is taking to South Africa, with comments about each player and what their role might be.

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Team USA’s 23-Man Roster (Age, Club Team):

G TIM HOWARD (31 years old, Everton) - A staple of US soccer, Howard is a world-class goalie and one of the leaders of the team. Surprisingly, Howard has never played in a USA World Cup game. His lack of experience on the big stage should be cancelled out by his great experience playing at the highest level in the English Premier League, and his 54 games of experience for Team USA in other competitions.

G BRAD GUZAN (25 years old, Aston Villa) - A very quality backup goalkeeper who also plays in the English Premier League. The team would be confident with Guzan in net, but he will serve as the primary backup.

G MARCUS HAHNEMANN (37 years old, Wolverhampton) - Experienced goalie, is the type of guy you want to bring along as the insurance goalie.

D CARLOS BOCANEGRA (31 years old, Rennes) - Bocanegra is the team Captain, and most experienced defender. He can play anywhere on the back line but will likely be the full-time left back. He is a solid defender and shows the occasional spark on the offensive end.

D STEVE CHERUNDOLO (31 years old, Hanover 96) - This is Cherundolo’s 3rd World Cup, a quality right back who will start there all World Cup. He has captained two of his club teams and is a good leader as a defender.

D OGUCHI ONYEWU (26 years old, AC Milan) - Onyewu is USA’s most prized defender. He is a physical specimen and strong asset that plays for one of the world’s best club teams. But, Onyewu is coming off of a devastating knee injury that sidelined him for all of last season. He is healthy enough to play, but has not shown to be at 100%. His health in the back line might be the most important factor for the team. Will start at center back if in good form.

D JAY DEMERIT (30 years old, Watford) - Solid defender that is not particularly flashy or strong, but is a smart player. All signs point to him starting at center back, alongside Onyewu, for the team.

D JONATHAN SPECTOR (24 years old, West Ham) - Nice option as a young wing back. He is likely the first defender off the bench for substitutions. He may get time if coach slides Bocanegra to center back.

D CLARENCE GOODSON (28 years old, Start) - Backup option as a center back. He has good size at 6’4”, but is not particularly skilled or quick. Would likely start if Onyewu is not at full health.

D JONATHAN BORNSTEIN (25 years old, Chivas USA) - Decent backup option for a left or right back. He plays in the MLS, so he obviously does not face quality competition for his club team. He has shown flashes of being a crafty wing back, but should not be relied on for much time.

M LANDON DONOVAN (27 years old, Everton) - Team USA’s best player, a world-class offensive midfielder that is a true playmaker. Donovan is the team’s most experienced player and top goal scorer (123 national team appearances, 42 goals). Donovan is the key to USA’s offensive game, as he puts pressure on the defense and can create scoring opportunities.

M MICHAEL BRADLEY (22 years old, Borussia Monchengladbach) - Very important player to the team, Bradley is a tough, defensive midfielder but has the ability to attack up front and has a knack for scoring goals. Is a good finisher while also being a strong tackler. He is the coach’s son and will definitely be a starter.

M CLINT DEMPSEY (27 years old, Fulham) - Dempsey is a key component to the team. He is an aggressive, attacking midfielder that plays as an outside mid. But, due to the lack of strikers on the team, Dempsey might be a starting forward for the team. He is valuable in either role, and will be relied on as a goal scorer and attacker from outside of the box.

M RICARDO CLARK (27 years old, Frankfurt) - Nice option as a defensive midfielder. He did not play much with his team in Germany, and is not too experienced with Team USA. But he is a smart player and nice defensive mid. Could start, depending on the matchup and formation.

M MAURICE EDU (24 years old, Rangers) - Versatile midfielder that can play a traditional holding role or be placed as a defensive mid. He also could start, depending on the matchup. At worst, he will be a key substitute that can come in and play in several spots at midfield.

M JOSE TORRES (22 years old, Pachuca) - Definitely a key part of Team USA’s future, it’s unclear if Torres will get time in this year’s World Cup. He might be the most skilled player on the entire team, but currently lacks the physicality and experience that Coach Bradley is looking for in the midfield.

M STUART HOLDEN (24 years old, Bolton) - Is usually the best player on USA’s second-team lineup, but probably will not receive much time in the World Cup. He is also recovering from a leg injury. If he’s in full form, look for Holden to be a potential substitute late in games as a distributing mid player that is good on set pieces.

M DAMARCUS BEASLEY (28 years old, Rangers) - Once considered the key piece of Team USA’s future as an attacker, Beasley has been a disappointment. He has tons of experience, (92 appearances, 17 goals), but has generally underperformed. He simply has not shown the skills or smarts to be a useful mid. But, he is still the fastest player on the team and has the experience of 2 World Cups. He should not start, but could be Plan B if the team needs a spark or change.

M BENNY FEILHABER (25 years old, AGF) - I think of Feilhaber as a very poor man’s Donovan. He has some skills as an attacker and distributor. He is definitely inconsistent, but if the team chooses to go with several offensive mids, then Feilhaber is the 4th man in the lineup (alongside Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley).

F JOZY ALTIDORE (20 years old, Villareal) - Altidore is the future of United States soccer. He is only 20 years old with the strength, skills, and finishing ability to play at the highest level. He is signed to a strong team in the Spanish La Liga and clearly is a prized recruit. However, he’s still incredibly inconsistent. He does not play much on Villareal, and often times disappears in games. When he’s on his game, Altidore is a scary player up front that can create opportunities. If Team USA is going to do well in the World Cup, Jozy Altidore will be a primary goal scorer.

F EDSON BUDDLE (29 years old, LA Galaxy) - Journeyman who plays in the MLS. However, Buddle has built up momentum and is playing at his best at this point in his career. He scored 2 goals against Australia. It would be a surprise if he starts, but could be the 2nd option up front with Altidore if he is playing well.

F HERCULEZ GOMEZ (28 years old, Pachuca) - Has burst onto the scene with a terrific year on his club team in Mexico, and is a fan favorite already. He might be the super substitute up front that looks to come in and provide a spark as a breakout performer.

F ROBBIE FINDLEY (24 years old, Real Salt Lake) - Essentially is Charlie Davies’ replacement. He is a similar player, but certainly less skilled and consistent. Findley is the last man to make the team, and plays in the MLS, but was chosen over more experienced Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson because neither of them have shown anything special in the past. Findley has great speed and will be used as a sub if the team needs his quickness up front.

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Team Strengths:

- TIM HOWARD is a quality goalkeeper that shows leadership. He is not the most skilled goalie in the world anymore, but is very consistent and intelligent and sets up the squad in the back. He has never played in a World Cup game, and will be leaving it all on the field in South Africa. The team is very confident with Howard in net, which might be all that matters.

- The MIDFIELD is the clear strong point of the team. With Donovan at the attacking point, Dempsey as a streaking wing, and Bradley as a strong holding mid with scoring prowess, the midfield is primed to dominate games. The 4th starting midfielder is a point of versatility, as it could be a defensive player (Edu, Clark), attacking player (Feilhaber, Holden) or skilled X-factor (Beasley, Torres). Or, the team could choose to use Dempsey as a striker and play 2 of those 6. There are many combinations of players that could work here as playmakers and key contributors. Donovan and Bradley are the definite starters and are both very quality players to compete on the big stage.

- CONSISTENT DEFENSE is a point of emphasis, as well. Bocanegra is the captain and Cherundolo has much experience. Both of them are solid defenders that are reliable. Then, Onyewu is the star center back that could push the team over the edge as a competitor. Those 3 all make up a solid unit, and Jay Demerit can be counted on as an unspectacular but consistently solid center back. The defense, at full health, is a solid unit.

- VERSATILITY is something that Team USA can hang its hat on. The overall offensive unit has several different qualities. Strength, quickness, playmaking, finishing, speed, and intelligence are all qualities that make up the attacking players on the team. Players like Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu have the skills as defensive mids but can also make runs. Jozy Altidore has a man’s body and the strength to compete against world-class defenders, but is also skilled with the ball. A player like Clint Dempsey can play midfield or striker. Overall, the team should not show any lethargic, uninspiring offensive play that plagued the team in the last World Cup.

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Team Weaknesses:

- FORWARD DEPTH is something that is severely lacking on the roster. Jozy Altidore is the only quality striker, and he is a 20-year-old without much experience on the club or international level. Clint Dempsey is a natural midfielder and a true asset as an attacking wing midfielder, but he might need to start up front because of the lack of strikers. Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez, and Robbie Findley are the other striker options, and they all are talented but incredibly inconsistent. Gomez plays in Mexico, while Findley and Buddle play in MLS. They have a combined 13 GAMES of national team experience between them. None of them seem ready for World Cup games. They all have skills and could be useful as substitutes, but who knows how they will do matching up against world-class defenders to open up a game. Dempsey is the safest option to start alongside Altidore, but it would be helpful if one of the other 3 could emerge.

- While I praised the consistency of the solid defense, there are no RUNS FROM DEFENSE on this team. Teams like Brazil, Spain, Italy, and Netherlands all have this component to their teams that are incredible valuable: The wing back defenders can go forward and start attacks. You’ll never see Steve Cherundolo or Carlos Bocanegra making runs up the wing to put pressure on a defense. Because they are so one-dimensional, opponents never worry about them as extra attackers, and can focus on putting pressure on them to defend. The lack of skilled defenders is something that the USA has always lacked.

- OVERALL EXPERIENCE is a weakness of the team. For the first time in history, Team USA has many players on the roster that play for club teams in Europe. We have players in France, England, Italy, and Ireland. For the first time ever, our guys are playing against top competition at the club level. However, there is still a lack of experience in this aspect. Jozy Altidore barely plays on Villareal. Oguchi Onyewu played just 1 game for AC Milan. Brad Guzan has been a backup on Aston Villa. Landon Donovan only played on Everton for 2 and a half months. And as for the national team, only Landon Donovan has recorded over 100 appearances. Some key players that will be relied on have very little experience. The team is improving its experience on the big stage, but it’s still not up to par with most other top teams.

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Overall, Team USA is primed for a breakout performance in the 2010 World Cup. If the team does not advance out of the Group Stage, it would be a tremendous disappointment. USA should be the 2nd team to advance, with England, in Group C. Slovenia and Algeria are the other competitors in the group.

Any wins after the Round of 16 would be unexpected and all gravy, but it’s certainly possible. With Howard, Donovan, Altidore, Dempsey, Bradley, and Onyewu, this team has several world-class caliber players. If the team is clicking on all cylinders, Team USA could be left standing in the Final 8.

So get ready for June 12th’s matchup against England. A win would do so much for Team USA, but a loss or draw is more likely and expected. The key is to defeat Algeria and Slovenia and advance to the round of 16. Let’s hope for the best result for Team USA in South Africa, World Cup 2010!!