U.S. youngsters looking to impress

Sporting KC striker Teal Bunbury is trying to force his way into Jurgen Klinsmann's plans.

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The U.S. national team's first full year under Jurgen Klinsmann starts Saturday against Venezuela inside the University of Phoenix Stadium in suburban Glendale, Ariz. Klinsmann's young side (this is a "B" team, as most regulars from abroad are excused from the annual January camp) will travel from there to Panama for a contest against the southernmost CONCACAF rival.

Saturday's match from Glendale begins at 9 p.m. ET (ESPN3/Galavision), and the Jan. 25 match at Panama kicks off at 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN3/Galavision). Here are five story lines to follow, and five players to pay attention to during the games:

Five storylines to watch

1. A new day. Some of the faces in the January camp have been here before. But this is Klinsmann's first January go-round, and players talk of a newness about it all. Not only is Klinsmann's positive energy contagious, but everyone feels the tug of fresh opportunity.

"He's giving everyone opportunities compared to the other camps I was in, where you felt like maybe the team was already chosen before, or that guys had already been picked and minds were already made up," center back Geoff Cameron said by phone earlier in the week. "It's pretty much a free for all out here right now, and you can see it in the way guys are playing and showing so well."

2. A world of opportunity. Leaving bright lights such as Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Carlos Boganegra and other first-teamers with their European club teams means the door is wide, wide open for younger types to make depth chart moves through strong match performance.

True, someone like A.J. DeLaGarza or Zach Loyd is unlikely to dislodge a trusty incumbent by shining in a meaningless January friendly, but that's not necessarily the point. What younger types can do is leave an impression and lay critical groundwork for future opportunities. Injuries do happen, after all, and as it stands, two defensive starters would be 35 by World Cup 2014. Since that scenario spells trouble, Klinsmann is looking today for the players who can step up tomorrow. Which players have the best chances? Keep reading.

3. Welcome to Central America, Mr. Klinsmann. For all of Klinsmann's travels and accomplishments in global soccer, culturally diverse as they are, one thing he hasn't done is tackle the quirky obstructions of the CONCACAF region. How will he handle that hotel or bus issue that suddenly comes up on a trip to Jamaica? How will he instruct his team to react inside the intimidating grounds in San Pedro Sula, Honduras? The match next week in Panama was arranged, in part, to give Klinsmann a little taste of what's ahead.

4. About the opposition. Venezuela has started strong in South American qualifying for 2014, tied for first (along with Argentina and Uruguay) atop the group with a 2-1-1 record. But the team that beat Argentina back in November won't look much like Saturday's side. Like his American rival, Venezuelan coach Cesar Farias is using younger players on this trip. Most of the same players fell to Costa Rica (2-0) in December in Barquisimeto, about 225 west of the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

Panama has yet to release its roster, so it's hard to say how many of the Marea Roja starters that stunned the United States last summer in Gold Cup group play will be around. The Americans have a win and a draw in their only two matches on Panamanian soil.

5. It's time to win. The mumbling and grumbling grew steadily last year for a little less "getting acquainted" from Klinsmann's team, a little more king-of-the-CONCACAF-hill type bullying. This is the United States, after all! Friendlies or no, they really shouldn't be losing at home to Ecuador and Costa Rica, or so the grousing went. Those were two of the black and bluest marks from Klinsmann's modest 2-4-1 record over his first months at the U.S. helm. A year-capping 3-2 victory at Slovenia -- finally, some goals! -- helped placate the masses, at least temporarily.

But the grumbling is sure to start anew with a loss Saturday to Venezuela. The goal of this camp is clear: to get an additional number players familiar with the Klinsmann ways, and to take his messages -- mostly about a more comprehensive approach and greater level of commitment to being professional soccer players -- back to MLS clubs. But Cameron says the boss still values victories along the way.

"He wants to win, there's no doubt about it," Cameron said. "He's a guy who does not like to lose. It's just that at the same time, he wants to make sure everyone learns the system. That's not going to happen overnight, and I hope people realize that."

Five players to watch

1. Teal Bunbury. You could probably say the same thing about Juan Agudelo, although he is now dealing with a minor ankle injury and is questionable for Saturday. Heck, you might even throw C.J. Sapong into the mix here, although the recently named MLS Rookie of the Year is uncapped internationally and may not be in quite the same position.

The bottom line where Bunbury, the Sporting Kansas City striker, and all U.S. forwards are concerned: there hasn't been one to get into the zone and reliably produce over any extended stretch since Eddie Johnson about seven years ago. Yes, Eddie Johnson. Let that sink in.

So the depth chart at forward is begging to be sorted out. A couple of goals in January friendlies certainly won't convince anyone that Bunbury, Agudelo, Sapong or Chris Wondolowski are ready to take World Cup qualifying by storm. But they sure wouldn't hurt as Klinsmann begins lining up the opportunities for tougher tests ahead.

2. Geoff Cameron. When Klinsmann named the January camp roster, most observers circled three names. All were center backs, a trio brimming with potential, especially considering age- and performance-related issues that continue to make central defense a less stable spot. This was a place where Cameron, Omar Gonzalez or George John could make a big move. Perhaps even Michael Parkhurst could leapfrog into the conversation; it's a bit of a long shot, but he is the kind of smooth, cerebral type that Klinsmann seems to fancy.

But the situation shifted quickly. John left camp for an opportunity at West Ham. Gonzalez took a similar opportunity at Nurnberg but injured himself on the first day of training. So, through circumstances good and bad, Cameron landed in a fortuitous spot. He's sure to start once, if not twice. (The Houston Dynamo center back started alongside Parkhurst in one recent scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic team, and alongside Jeff Parke in the other one.) He said most of the soreness is gone from the knee he injured in the MLS Cup final loss to Los Angeles, and his background as an MLS midfielder makes his passing range and aptitude picture perfect for Klinsmann's attacking system. For all those reasons, no one has a bigger opportunity over the next few days.

3. Benny Feilhaber. The New England Revolution man and 2010 World Cup veteran has the midfield vision and technical ability to thrive in Klinsmann's preferred MO. But this is his first camp under the new boss. Who knows what kept the interest so tepid before, but this is Feilhaber's opportunity to shift the calculus; it's on him to make the coach say, "I need that guy."

4. Sean Johnson (or Bill Hamid). Brad Guzan's recent outings for Aston Villa have likely cemented his place as Tim Howard's backup in U.S. goal. But these two youngsters will be around for years to come. And since there's usually a hot young goalkeeper prospect or two in the U.S. developmental pipeline. Nick Rimando, the trusty, older type in camp, will get some minutes, but Klinsmann will surely want a look at one or both of his younger prospects.

5. Heath Pearce. The Chivas USA defender was close to establishing his place as the first-choice left back in 2008 but couldn't quite get over the finish line (and then Pearce lost his place as the position once again deteriorated into a painful rotation of stopgaps and hopefuls.) But Klinsmann is looking for a different skill set, and Pearce's strengths (passing rather than in lockdown defending) may be an asset. Pearce started at left back in both recent scrimmages in California (rather than center back, where he plays now for Chivas.) At age 28, he's in the sweet spot along the age-experience continuum. Will it be enough to challenge the promising likes of Tim Chandler at the left back position? These two matches could have something to say about it.