Jamaica vs. United States: 5 Talking Points for USMNT in World Cup Qualifier

The United States men's national team resumes CONCACAF qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with an away match against Jamaica on Friday in Kingston.

The two teams are tied atop Group A in the semifinal round of qualifying, so Friday's match—as well as Tuesday's return fixture in Columbus, Ohio—will be vital to the Americans' hopes of qualification. In four previous World Cup qualifiers in Jamaica, the U.S. has produced four draws.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, with TV coverage on beIN Sport. Click here for the full U.S. roster (via USSoccer.com).

While we wait for kickoff, here are five talking points for Jurgen Klinsmann's U.S. squad ahead of the game.

Neither Landon Donovan nor Michael Bradley was included in Jurgen Klinsmann's 24-man roster for Friday's match. Both are nursing injuries and remain with their respective clubs for now.

Clint Dempsey, who is part of the squad, hasn't played a competitive match in months. Before he transferred from Fulham to Tottenham Hotspur last Friday, he had a falling-out with Fulham manager Martin Jol and didn't play in either of the Cottagers' first two matches.

Dempsey was the best American field player during the last club season, but—assuming he starts—he will probably lack match sharpness against Jamaica.

With Donovan and Bradley missing, can Dempsey be The Man for the U.S. in Kingston?

U.S. midfielder Jose Torres has struggled in recent appearances, and manager Jurgen Klinsmann has called on the Pachuca man to produce against Jamaica (via goal.com):

"Jose is at a stage where we would like to see him taking over more responsibilities, taking more control of the game and also making more decisive passes or plays in a game," Klinsmann said. "He has that quality, we believe. He has the technique. He's quite experienced. He's not a youngster anymore, he's not the age of Joe Corona. He knows now what it is all about."

Torres hasn't shown that quality recently, and his struggles have led to calls for more of Graham Zusi in the midfield.

Part of Torres' problem with the U.S. recently has been lack of time on the ball, but in recent matches, he has shown a reluctance to drop into deeper positions and thus exert his influence on the game. That will have to change against Jamaica.

Zusi is part of the U.S. squad for these qualifiers, and if Torres struggles again, Klinsmann could make a change.

Jozy Altidore started the club season impressively, scoring four goals in AZ Alkmaar's first two matches in the Dutch Eredivisie.

The big American forward hasn't scored since then, but he's shown signs that he has added more polish to his physical game.

Will Altidore's strong start translate to the international stage? Can he be the big, strong target man the U.S. needs leading the attack?

Jurgen Klinsmann's 24-man roster has nine defenders, and several players could potentially hope to play against Jamaica.

U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra (pictured) recently completed a move away from in-crisis Scottish club Rangers to Racing Santander in the Spanish second division. As captain, he figures to start in central defense.

Maurice Edu, who recently completed a move from Rangers to Stoke City in the English Premier League, played as a midfielder for Rangers. He's listed as a central defender for the U.S., and he performed admirably in the role against Mexico in the U.S.'s historic victory last month at Azteca Stadium.

Edu's new teammate at Stoke, Geoff Cameron, impressed in his first match with the Potters and is another possibility in central defense.

For the full-back berths, Fabian Johnson and Steve Cherundolo seem to be the front-runners, but Michael Orozco-Fiscal played and scored the winner against Mexico.

Manager Jurgen Klinsmann has said the team's goal is to win both matches against Jamaica and collect the maximum six points.

"We want to do well and we want to get maximum points if possible," he said (per USSoccer.com). We're trying to get the players focused on going into Jamaica for the Friday night game and hopefully pull off a victory on Jamaican soil."

Of course Klinsmann would say that, and he obviously means it. But while that's true, a draw in Kingston would be a good result for the United States—as long as the Yanks win the return fixture next week in Ohio.

Winning on the road in World Cup qualifying is always difficult, no matter the opponent. Taking four points off the primary challenger for Group A superiority—the top two teams advance to the final round of qualifying—would be just fine for the U.S.

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