The first possible opportunity for Jurgen Klinsmann and his US Men's national team to put the disappointment of their Gold Cup failures behind them is in their match against Peru at the RFK Stadium.
Klinsmann and several members of his team came under heavy criticism as well as increased media pressure after their 2-1 defeat to Jamaica in July's Gold Cup Semi-Final.
Many were critical of Klinsmann's tactical approach during his side's campaign in the tournament and the German coach will secretly be looking to use the upcoming friendlies against Peru and Brazil to demonstrate his managerial prowess against the two Latin American sides. Particularly with the upcoming Confederations Cup playoff match against Mexico in October.
Klinsmann's squad announcement brought with it several interesting surprises, as several players returned to the national team setup after prolonged absences.
Tim Howard, Matt Besler, Geoff Cameron and Jermaine Jones all reported to training after being called up having missed out on participation in the Gold Cup and in Howard's case having been absent from the national team since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Howard returns after rumors of an impending retirement from national team involvement and could be set to replace Brad Guzan between the sticks for the USMNT, who featured throughout the Gold Cup.
Guzan, however, was staying focused on his job and not letting the return of Howard upset his preparations.
Guzan told reporters: "Nothing changes from my point of view. Tim and I get on really well, on the field and off the field. Your job as a player doesn't change - you have to go and perform, you have to go and play. It doesn't matter if you have a No. 1 title associated with yourself."
Fans could see a change in the defensive line for the US as Klinsmann could be set to replace John Brooks and Ventura Alvarado in the center of defense with the returning Cameron and Omar Gonzalez likely to come in and provide the experience that many felt was missing during the Gold Cup.
The US will need to firm up their defense against a Peru side who proved to be one of the surprise packages of June's Copa America clinching third place after strong performances throughout the tournament.
Despite being lead by veteran strikers Paolo Guerrero and Claudio Pizarro the Peruvians proved to be both aggressive going forward and also very solid at the back.
Whether Peru look to blood new players during the friendly or not they will certainly prove tough opposition for the US, who cannot afford any mistakes creeping into their play ahead of the playoff match with Mexico.
The first chance at redemption for Klinsmann and his USMNT side will be an opportunity to get back on track and expect the US to come out aggressively in the capital in front of a roaring home crowd.
When: Friday, September 4th
Kick-Off: 19:00 ET
Where: RFK Stadium, Washington
TV Schedule: Fox Sports 1, Unimas, Univision, Deportes Newtork
Live Stream: livesoccertv.com, Fox Sports Go
Official Hashtag: #USAvPER
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