Let's predict Jurgen Klinsmann's starting XI for the U.S. against Mexico

Just two weeks remain until the United States men's national team faces archrivals/mortal enemies/blood-feud-antagonists Mexico in a playoff for CONCACAF's berth in the 2017 Confederations Cup. Since the head coaches were, for some unknowable reason, required to announce a 35-man preliminary roster on Sept. 15, almost a month ahead of the game, they had to make a few projections and judgment calls.

So let's try to predict how Jurgen Klinsmann will sort through the pile of names and put his team together for the Oct. 10 showdown at the Rose Bowl.

GOALKEEPERS

On the preliminary roster:
Bill Hamid (D.C. United)
Tim Howard (Everton)
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

There's little doubt that Guzan, Howard and Rimando will form the trio of goalkeepers – in that order. Klinsmann has said the job is Guzan's to lose through this playoff, in spite of carrying the ball outside the area in the Gold Cup semifinals, whereupon Jamaica scored the free kick that knocked the Americans out of the tournament prematurely. Howard is back from his year-long national team sabbatical but probably won't slip into whatever time-sharing arrangement Klinsmann devises for his goalkeepers until after this game.

Because while Howard may be in fine form for Everton, Guzan has won his starting job back with Villa and done nothing to relinquish it. Hamid has put in some stellar performances, even as DC United has collapsed down the stretch in the MLS season, but Rimando remains the tried and true understudy for now.

CENTRAL DEFENDERS

On the preliminary roster:
Ventura Alvarado (America)
Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City)
John Brooks (Hertha Berlin)
Geoff Cameron (Stoke City)
Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Michael Orozco (Tijuana)
Tim Ream (Fulham)
Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)

Alvarado and Brooks continue to play regularly for major clubs. And despite their poor performance at the Gold Cup – frankly, we can quite comfortably call their tournament a failure – Klinsmann seems committed to the young pairing. Certainly, both men are plenty talented. But they are raw as well. All the same, don't be surprised to see them in the lineup on Oct. 10.

What's odd about all of this, however, is that Klinsmann already had a pairing of young center backs that not only survived the many pitfalls of World Cup qualifying, but showed pretty well at the World Cup. And while Gonzalez's form with the Galaxy has been mixed, Besler has been solid as ever for Kansas City. Given that they are 26 and 28, respectively, there's no good reason for them not to form the heart of the back line through the World Cup in Russia in 2018 – if not longer. But then Klinsmann's ways are unknowable.

Which brings us to Cameron, who has shifted into central defense from right back at Stoke City and has looked good there. Klinsmann talks endlessly about playing at the highest possible level. So there's just no explaining why the only American to fashion himself into a consistent Premier League starter since Clint Dempsey with Fulham in 2011-12 can't seem to land a fulltime job with the national team. All the same, Cameron once again appears to be on the outside looking in. Literally, perhaps, since it's more likely that he'll play at right back – in spite of his attacking deficiencies on the flank – than in the middle.

Ream and Spector might just make the cut for their versatility – Ream can also play left back while Spector can play every defensive position as well as holding midfielder. Orozco is looking like the odd man out here, having never quite convinced at the international level.

OUTSIDE BACKS

On the preliminary roster:
Damarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo)
Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders)
Greg Garza (Atlas)
Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach)
DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)
Geoff Cameron (Stoke City)
Tim Ream (Fulham)
Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)

The news here is good. The dearth of depth in the outside back positions, which is dragging into its second decade now, reared its ugly head again in the early September friendlies against Peru and Brazil. But Beasley and Johnson have returned from injury, with the latter scoring five minutes into his Bundesliga return. Both are imperfect as defenders, but they're better than the alternatives. Yedlin, meanwhile, listed as a defender for this camp in spite of his more regular appearances as a winger for the USA, has made his debut for Sunderland and did well enough.

Don't be surprised to see Cameron at right back, or to see Johnson moved into the midfield again. Ream did nicely at left back in September. It's unlikely that Evans gets a look, though.

Curiously, Brek Shea wasn't on the preliminary roster, even though he shows promise at left back and was close to a return from injury. Garza, meanwhile, has a hip injury and will miss the game.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS

Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake)
Michael Bradley (Toronto FC)
Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution)
Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt)
Danny Williams (Reading)

Here's where the guesswork begins. Because there's really no telling what sort of formation Klinsmann will deploy. While numbers like 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 4-3-3 and 4-1-2-1-2 are increasingly just that – numbers – it's hard to predict how many central midfielders he'll field, how many of them will be defensive, how many attacking and how many two-way.

Whatever the case may be, expect Bradley and Jones to be in the lineup. They are the midfield stalwarts. Their partnership is well-established, even if the results won't always blow you away. Bradley has played in a more advanced role a lot lately for Klinsmann. Jones is typically a two-way player. And if they are both deployed under that remit, expect Beckerman out there as the holding midfielder to shield the back line.

It's unlikely that we'll seen anybody else in the middle of the park. Morales hasn't established himself in the team yet and Williams is essentially a Jermaine Jones starter kit who hasn't seen much national team action of late.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS

Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes)
Michael Bradley (Toronto FC)
Joe Corona (Veracruz)
Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders)
Mix Diskerud (New York City FC)
Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)

Again, we're kind of reading tea leaves here. Because the very notion of an attacking midfielder in Klinsmann's ever-changing system is a bit nebulous. As mentioned, Bradley has played upfield a lot but his defensive instincts are such that he tends to drop back. Dempsey is sometimes posted there but acts as more of a second striker playing off the target man. And Diskerud sometimes enters the fray late in games to try to unlock the defense.

It's most likely that it will be Bradley or Dempsey playing in some kind of attacking midfielder role, if anybody is deployed there at all. Klinsmann doesn't seem to regard Diskerud as a starter while Nguyen and Corona are backups. And the German head coach tried Bedoya as a defensive midfielder – with predictably poor outcomes – before he gave him a chance as a number 10.

WINGERS

Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes)
Joe Corona (Veracruz)
Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach)
DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)
Gyasi Zardes (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

There have been few constants in Klinsmann's time in charge, but he has almost always played with wingers. In a few games, he has chosen a narrow midfield diamond, but for the most part he plays with real wide men. Zardes has been a bright spot there for the Americans, consistently showing well in a breakout 2015. Expect him to start.

On the other side, it's a guessing game. Zusi has receded from the picture since the World Cup as his club form has meandered. And while Bedoya is a natural winger – even if Nantes plays him in the middle a lot – Klinsmann would seemingly rather shoehorn him into central roles he isn't as well suited for. Yedlin has been brought into games as a winger late on to bring energy and trouble tired defenders with his pace, but he's been listed as a defender for this camp, suggesting another role. Corona, again, doesn't look to really be in the picture here either, especially now that his playing time with Veracruz has dwindled.

Johnson has had good games out wide – as well as plenty of forgettable ones. And while he's badly needed in the back, he's probably the most likely option to start on one of the flanks.

STRIKERS

Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC)
Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders)
Alan Gordon (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Aron Johannsson (Werder Bremen)
Jordan Morris (Stanford University)
Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
Bobby Wood (Union Berlin)

The question here really is: Who starts beside or behind Altidore – if anybody? Klinsmann has been totally unambiguous about his preference up front. If Altidore is fit and in form, he plays as the hold-up striker that the attack revolves around. If Klinsmann opts for a second forward in the hole behind him, that job likely falls to Dempsey. Should he choose for someone besides Altidore – which tends to yield better results by far – Johannsson will probably be the guy.

Look for either Wondolowski or Wood to make the roster to give the Americans options off the bench. Gordon could fulfill that same role in a game where the USA needs another aerial presence. Morris has been called up to the Under-23 team that will likely play in the make-or-break semifinal of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament on the same day.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.