The US will play its final Confederations Cup match on Sunday, looking to redeem its poor performance in the first two matches of the competition. The Americans will need to show effort, organization, and discipline against the Egyptians, which are playing for a semifinal spot in the tournament.

The defensive back four will likely remain the same. The only question mark is if Carlos Bocanegra will return from injury. Fullbacks Jonathan Bornstein and Jonathan Spector appear to be fit and able to play another match. A quality performance from Oguchi Onyweu, who has had a good tournament, could help him secure a contract offer from a top European side.

Bob Bradley needs to send a message to Clint Dempsey, who has looked uninspired during the summer national team campaign. This comes as a surprise to many, considering his solid effort during the Premiership season. A benching could send a message to Dempsey that his spot is not secure.

Ricardo Clark, the only destroying midfielder on the roster, will return from a suspension. If Clark starts, Michael Bradley will be able to push-up more. Bradley looked very poised in the attack against Italy. The midfield will need to get width from Landon Donovan on the right flank and Jose Francisco Torres, assuming he starts, on the left flank. Benny Feilhaber is expected to feature as the attacking midfield option if Bradley sticks with the 4-5-1.

If Bradley does only start one striker, Jozy Altidore would be the logical choice. But if he elects to use two strikers, Freddy Adu should start with either Altidore or Charlie Davies. Alitdore, not being a true target striker, would struggle to create chances for Davies.

Prediction: Egypt 2 US 1

Who would you like to see Bradley start? Would sending a message to Clint Dempsey be a smart idea? Could Altidore and Davies work together? Feel free to comment below.

Bob Bradley has been a popular topic lately. After the dismal performance against Costa Rica in a qualifier last week, many were calling for him to be fired. However, on Monday, Bradley had a chance to redeem himself.

Formation: Critics have said he should not change the formation from match to match. The reality is that the United States is not good or deep enough. The 4-5-1 arguably gave the US the best chance to win, as it flooded numbers in the middle of the park to match against Italy’s best team attribute.

Squad Selection: Bradley tried to keep a cohesive unit on the pitch, despite the formation change. Jonathan Spector could have been moved to the center of the park but it is a moot point, because Jay DeMerit filled in admirably for Carlos Bocanegra. His decision to insert Jozy Altidore as the lone striker was his best decision. However, selecting Benny Feilhaber was questionable. Felihaber likes to spray the ball around the park. Several of his passes were not connected, since there was no width. Sacha Klejstan, who can open up things with his long shot ability, would have been a better choice.

Tactics: The US originally attended to clog the middle of the field, and put the ball over the top to Altidore. The US should have gotten more width, but there was plenty of room to work with and they took advantage to create some quality chances.

Decisions: The US came out attacking in the second half and then shortly after the first Italian goal. Instead, with a goal lead and only 10 men, they should have attempted to slow the game down and conserved energy. Bradley had to do something about the gaping space between the back line and the midfield. He failed to do so, and the result was two goals.

Subs: Altidore had been given the Italians fits and forced the defense to stay honest. With Charlie Davies in the game, there was no target man. Passes out of the back were not being connected. Connor Casey would have been a better choice. Klejstan and DeMarcus Beasley should have been flip-flopped.

Bradley’s squad selection and tactics were good enough to win against the defending world champions. But tactical, on-the-fly decisions are critical after a player has been sent-off. Combine his questionable in-game decision making and the poor substitutions, and the result is a below average grade.

Overall Grade: C-

The United States will face its toughest challenge of the 2009 campaign when it squares off against the defending world champions, Italy. The Italians have a brought a star-studded team to the Confederations Cup.

Breaking down the veteran defense of the Italian squad will be a tough challenge. It does not help matters that the US has failed to click on offense and has not scored a goal from the run of play in its last two matches. The Americans seem to lack a creative spark and organization in the attacking third, which has led to few quality chances.

Talented striker Jozy Altidore has failed to live up his expectations this summer after a hat trick against Trinidad and Tobago. There are questions concerning his health following a lingering toe injury. Connor Casey started against Honduras, but he struggled and was substituted before making an impact on the match. However, if Bradley wants to deploy his traditional holding striker, Casey is the only option. It is possible that the US could line up in hybrid 4-5-1, with Landon Donovan playing an attacking midfield role. Donovan will need to use his pace to go at players in the attacking third.

Ricardo Clark, who had a very good game against Honduras, will have to play well for the Americans to keep things close. Michael Bradley will need to have a workman type performance as a box to box midfielder, while avoiding an early caution. Clint Dempsey has to be a constant danger on the right wing.

There are several options on the left wing. DeMarcus Beasley is the veteran of the group, but his his form is in question. Sacha Kljestan could provide some much needed creativity to the attack, but has also struggled with form. Jose Francisco Torres is another option, but he has fallen out of favor with Bradley after being at yanked at half-time against Costa Rica.

Carlos Bocanegra’s probable absence has led to a question mark as to who Bradley will pair with Oguchi Onyewu. Jay DeMerit came on as substitute in the Honduras match, and is expected to get the starting nod. However, another option would be to slide Jonathan Spector over to the central defender role. Marvell Wynne, who would fill in at the right back slot, did have a poor match against Costa Rica. However, Wynne has performed well in tournaments similar to the Confederations Cup (see U20s, Copa America, and the Olympics). Jonathan Borenstein looks like a safe pick for the left back spot, and he will need to provide overlapping runs and good service.

The Americans will likely need to convert a set piece opportunity and hope that Donovan and company can spring a counter attack. The defense will likely leak a goal or two. However, with Brazil and Egypt on deck, the US will need to take some chances and try to get the full three points.