ESPN Andrew Hush Blog

The weather might be unseasonably warm in Columbus, thus diminishing the advantage the U.S. was believed to have gained by staging a February qualifier in Ohio. Still, the Americans remain heavy favorites to get their campaign in the final qualifying round for the 2010 World Cup off to a winning start at the expense of Mexico.

In a stadium at which it boasts a 3-0-2 (W-L-T) record in qualifiers -- with two of those wins coming against El Tri -- Bob Bradley's side will put on the line a home record of 8-0-2 against Mexico since the turn of the century. Furthermore, the U.S. is 40-0-10 at home against CONCACAF opponents since 2001.

A look at the likely starting lineups indicates another American advantage: Bradley will deploy a balanced and experienced side, while Mexico is deprived of several key men and plays under a coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson, who knows that defeat could swiftly be followed by dismissal from his job.

With all that said, however, these games are not played on paper, and the result is no foregone conclusion. Last February, Mexico more than held its own in a 2-2 draw in Houston, a game played eight months after taking the lead before being narrowly beaten 2-1 in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Still, the U.S. should win this game. And although Mexico could win, a draw is more likely than a road triumph for Eriksson's men. Leaving Columbus with a point would be considered a victory for El Tri, and so the onus is on the hosts to ram home their clear advantage.

The chosen few

In my opinion, Team USA virtually picks itself, with only the full-back slots and the midfield alignment open to any real debate.

With Steve Cherundolo ruled out, Marvell Wynne is pushing for a start at right back. However, it's almost certain that Bradley will opt for the experience of Frankie Hejduk. At 34, the Columbus veteran hardly represents the future, but for the purposes of winning this game he's the best option.

Things might have been different for Wynne had he excelled against Sweden, and the same can be said for Jonathan Bornstein at left back. But much like Wynne, Bornstein has seen his attacking promise at times undermined by defensive fragility. So Bradley will stick with Heath Pearce, a man who played more national-team minutes (945) in 2008 than any other.

Clint Dempsey will start on the right of midfield (though he will have a license to roam), flanking Michael Bradley. Beyond that, there are three candidates for the remaining two spots. Personally, I would start Ricardo Clark in the middle, with Sacha Kljestan pushed wide left. DaMarcus Beasley, whose only recent minutes came in a friendly, would be on the bench.

However, it is more likely that Bradley will remain loyal to Beasley and also include the in-form Kljestan, meaning Clark will be the odd man out. Given all that, here is the Americans' likely starting XI:

Tim Howard
Frankie Hejduk
Oguchi Onyewu
Carlos Bocanegra
Heath Pearce
Clint Dempsey
Michael Bradley
Sacha Kljestan
DaMarcus Beasley
Landon Donovan
Brian Ching.

As for the bench, substitutes could play a key role. If the game is tight deep into the second half, most eyes will be on Jozy Altidore. But Charlie Davies' ability to settle quickly into a game as a replacement suggests that he, too, could be a viable option.

Meanwhile, should things become too narrow, the natural width offered by attacking full backs such as Wynne and Bornstein could also come into play. If more midfield stability is required, Jose Francisco Torres has the technical game needed to maintain possession.

The X factors

U.S.: Six of the past eight goals the U.S. has scored against Mexico, including each of the past three, have come following a set piece or a crossed ball. Thus corners and the ability of Brian Ching to win free kicks should generate plenty of similar opportunities Wednesday. Look for Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu to help lead the charge to attack dead-ball deliveries.

With Ching leading the line, expect Landon Donovan and Dempsey to rotate as the second striker. The late runs of Bradley and Kljestan will also be vital to getting bodies in the box. Quality service from the wings in open play, therefore, will be just as important, placing extra emphasis on the roles of Hejduk and Pearce, especially if the outside midfielders in front of them drift inside.

Mexico: I wonder how Sven-Goran Eriksson reacted when he saw Pavel Pardo's comments in a recent interview with FIFA. Pardo implied that defeat Wednesday would not be a disaster for Mexico, given the nine fixtures that remain in the qualifying group. "We can't just think about USA," Pardo said. "We need to focus on all the qualifiers ahead of us."

Eriksson has courted controversy since taking charge of El Tri, with team selections as well as Mexico's near-implosion at the end of the last round of qualifying doing little to endear him to fans or press. If Eriksson's players fail to respond and rise to the occasion Wednesday, it likely will be the end for this (not-so-much) Sven-gali.

A thing that made me go hmmm …

What to make of the deal that engineered Christian Gomez's return to D.C. United from Colorado? On the face of it, the move makes sense for both sides. Gomez returns to a franchise with which he won the MLS Cup in 2004 and the league MVP award two years later. The Rapids, meanwhile, are rid of a player who didn't fit into Gary Smith's plans and, in the process, acquire a solid veteran in Ivan Guerrero.

However, there's a more pessimistic side of the debate that suggests neither club makes out especially well. D.C. gets a 34-year-old whose most recent displays in the league imply his star is on the wane. Alongside Fred, Luciano Emilio and Jaime Moreno -- all of whom will be at least 30 by the time next season's playoffs begin -- can Gomez be the difference-maker United needs to get back to the postseason?

Meanwhile, Colorado must pay half of the departed Argentine's wages, meaning that almost 10 percent of the Rapids' salary considerations will be invested in a player who will try to keep them from winning a championship. Furthermore, with Guerrero likely to be involved in Honduras' World Cup qualifying campaign, of how much use will their new man be?

Well played, old man

While many of his old teammates on the national team focus on meeting Mexico in his home state, Brad Friedel will settle down to watch the action a thoroughly contented man.

Friedel's Aston Villa is arguably the No. 1 success story of the Premier League season in England, with last Saturday's 2-0 win at Blackburn seeing the Birmingham-based side rise to third on the strength of an unbeaten run that has, to date, lasted three months and 13 games.

Keeping a clean sheet in the win at Ewood Park had extra significance for Friedel. On a ground he used to call home, the 37-year-old extended his current shutout streak to 349 minutes. He may have some way to go in order to catch Edwin van der Sar, but for the man who has played 177 consecutive Premier League games, it's another feather in an already impressive cap.