OMNISPORT

When the U.S. national team takes on Mexico on Saturday, it won't just be a showdown of rivals. It will also be a meeting between teams in a state of flux. The U.S. will likely deploy a lineup that looks like one we either haven't seen in a good while, or maybe one we've never seen before. Mexico will be led by a coach who is in just his third match in charge (and his penultimate). The Americans are coming in after a disappointing Gold Cup finish, while Mexico comes in having won the Gold Cup, but hardly in impressive fashion.

None of that means it still can't be a special match. The U.S. enters at close to full strength, while Mexico has most of its top players available as well, marking the first time the CONCACAF rivals will have squared off at close to full strength in more than two years, since the World Cup qualifier won by the U.S. in Columbus, Ohio in September of 2013.

Much has changed since then. Though the U.S. has many of the same faces, others, like Landon Donovan, are long gone. El Tri has a generation of talent coming through the ranks that is thriving in top European leagues, though Mexican fans are waiting for all that talent to actually play well together.

If the U.S. is going to beat this Mexico side, it will obviously need top performances from the usual suspects, such as Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Brad Guzan to name a few, but there are other keys to an American triumph. Among those are tactical battles the U.S. needs to win if it has any hope of reversing the result from the last time these teams met at the Rose Bowl.

Here is a closer look at three keys to the U.S. securing a victory Saturday.

STAY BALANCED IN MIDFIELD

Mexico has the weapons to burn the U.S. defense on the counter-attack if Klinsmenn's men aren't careful, and a big key to preventing that is Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones (and potentially Kyle Beckerman) being able to maintain balance in midfield and not getting caught with too many numbers forward.

This will especially be the case if Klinsmann doesn't use Beckerman, and deploys a 4-4-2 with Bradley and Jones in central roles. That tandem cannot afford to be caught up field, thus allowing a gap in front of the defense where Andres Guardado and either Hector Herrera or Jesus Corona can get in behind and cause havoc.

This is why it might make more sense for Klinsmann to sacrifice a more natural wing option and use Beckerman, Jones and Bradley together, to help maintain some possession and keep pressure off the central defense. That could lead to a lineup that is too defensive, though.

If Klinsmann uses a standard 4-4-2, then his wingers (like Gyasi Zardes and Alejandro Bedoya) will need to press forward to keep Mexican fullbacks Paul Aguilar and Miguel Layun honest defensively, but they will also need to be careful not to get caught up field too often without proper support behind them.

KEEP CHICHARITO UNDER WRAPS

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez has never scored a goal against the United States, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous heading into the CONCACAF Cup. His speed, movement and tireless series of runs will make him a handful for whichever central defenders Klinsmann calls on.

Matt Besler has had success against Chicharito in the past, and that experience should earn him the nod in central defense. He has more pace than any of the other left center back options, and he knows how Chicharito plays in the Mexican system, something neither Tim Ream or Ventura Alvarado have had the chance to experience.

"He makes it hard on you because he never gives you a play off," Besler said of the Bayer Leverkusen forward. "Always takes chances in behind. His runs are very well timed, so as a defender you always have to be aware of where he is, and you have to stay locked in for 90-plus minutes."

Hernandez won't be alone though, as Carlos Vela is expected to start next to him. Though Vela's form is not where it was when he was peaking in Spain a year ago, Vela is still good enough to keep the U.S. from being able to key on Hernandez.

FORCE THE ACTION WIDE

In the 2011 Gold Cup, Mexico took over the game after American fullback Steve Cherundolo left the match with an injury. El Tri attacked the left side of the U.S. relentlessly as it overwhelmed substitute Jonathan Bornstein on the way to a stirring 4-2 victory.

Four years later, the U.S. has some solid fullback options in Fabian Johnson and DaMarcus Beasley, two veterans who have the pace to handle their defensive duties well, while also being able to get forward and test the Mexican defense. Their presence makes it a reasonable strategy by the U.S. to push Mexico's possession wide by clogging the middle and forcing the action toward where the U.S. team has some speed to deal with El Tri attacks.

Klinsmann could choose to start DeAndre Yedlin on the right wing and Zardes on the left wing, giving the American lineup some serious speed, but as we saw against Brazil, all that speed won't matter much of the defensive organization isn't there.

Whoever plays in midfield, it will be a safe bet Klinsmann asks his men to try and push Mexico's possession wide. If the U.S. can force El Tri to settle for playing to the outside and trying to pump in service to the forwards, where Brad Guzan can use his imposing size to dominate in the air like he did when he shut out Mexico at Estadio Azteca in 2013, then the Americans could stifle the Mexican attack enough to walk away with the victory.