With the United States national team arriving in Panama today for their Wednesday friendly, it’s time to turn the page on the USMNT’s first friendly in 2012. Since it’s Monday, though, let’s shake out the ol’ reporter’s notebook and see what we can find from Saturday to tide us over until the Panama previews start rolling in.

Champions League Contenders: After his team’s 1-0 victory against Venezuela, United States national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann was asked about the sterling performances turned in that day by two players who weren’t with the team: Zak Whitbread and Clint Dempsey. Whitbread played center back and helped Norwich City secure a goalless draw with EPL giants Chelsea. The clean sheet, City’s first in Premier League action this season, came about in part because the Canaries executed a plan to keep Chelsea out of the box and deal with crosses.

Klinsmann acknowledged Whitbread is “on our radar screen,” but had much more to say about Dempsey’s performance. The Fulham man scored a hat trick – his second in the new year – during Fulham’s 5-2 defeat of Newcastle.

“Clint is ready for the next challenges,” Klinsmann said. “That’s what I talked with him about from the beginning when I came on. I said ‘Clint, if you go to Europe, it’s great. If you play in Europe it’s awesome in the first division, if it’s the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, but then there are two more levels waiting.

“There’s Europa League, which is another level, and there’s Champions League is another level. And then within the Champions League there’s another level as well, and I want him to climb up those levels.”

After a reporter asked another question about where he saw Dempsey fitting in with the squad, Klinsmann said Dempsey always plays an attacking role whether positioned as a forward or a midfielder. Then, he returned to the theme of Americans getting more minutes with Champions League teams

“I just hope for him, personally, that he keeps pushing and pushing because the big clubs are watching him. Because I know it from them,” Klinsmann said. “That’s what I want to see from him. I want to see Tim Howard stretching every game because I would like to see more American players playing European Champions League one day. Jermaine (Jones) is pretty much the only one doing it on a regular basis, and that is another level.”

Dempsey has been rumored to be a transfer target for several Champions League regulars both in the EPL and in other leagues. It is widely speculated he’ll stay with Fulham during this January’s transfer window but join a larger club this summer.

Manning the flanks: The United States was able to have some success on the wings, an advantage over the Vinotinto the staff pinpointed in scouting. Unfortunately for the U.S., much of that advantage was negated by poor crosses or easy giveaways.

Midfielder Brek Shea said he had hoped to exploit the weakness in the Venezuela side, but he wasn’t able to have the success he desired.

“I think I prepare the same for each game, but I like that,” Shea said of playing a team that is weak on the outside. “I like being able to attack from the flanks because obviously that’s my strength. I don’t think we did it as much as we wanted to, but I think we still created a lot of chances, and I think their goalie did well.”

Shea said he was “fighting a little cold or something,” that hindered him from having as good a game as he would have liked.

Mr. Jones wears the armband:  Jones, called into the camp after being handed an eight-game domestic suspension by the German FA, wore the captain’s armband Saturday. When he arrived into camp January 14, Klinsmann asked the Schalke midfielder if he wanted to take time to acclimate. Instead, Jones jumped into training immediately.

“He elevated the whole group within one training session with his energy, with his leadership, with his vision on the field that makes just a big difference,” Klinsmann said.

Klinsmann said his willingness to help some of the younger players along and his status as a player with Champions League experience made it an easy decision to award Jones the captaincy.

“Jermaine jumped in and talked to the guys, and that’s why it was an easy decision to make him captain today. Obviously because the European guys are not there, but also for him, to give him a signal that we want this type of leadership from you,” he said.

Jones responded well, earning man of the match honors and getting the assist on the match’s only goal. For his part, though, he said while it was an honor, it didn’t affect the way he played.

“It’s not important to have it, but I was happy,” he said. Jones also said what was more important than any individual performance was the team playing together as one unit. He said everyone on the team was “rooting for the other guys,” which would lead to long-term success.

Center back Geoff Cameron said he enjoyed having an experienced player like Jones patrolling the midfield.

“He’s a beast, man. He’s a solid player,” Cameron said. “It’s exciting to watch him in front of us, especially I can give him a ball and he can really take it. I can really whip in a ball and he can just take control of it.”

Cameron’s quality: Geoff Cameron and the rest of the back line weren’t too busy on the evening, but Klinsmann was still impressed with the way the center back organized and led the unit.

He called Cameron a joy to work with and said he has impressed the coaching staff thus far.

Cameron said the coaching staff’s admiration was mutual and hopes his solid performance Saturday will lead to more opportunities to play with the U.S.

“A good first step, plenty more to go,” he said. “That’s the goal, I want to be (a regular in the team), hopefully. Just continue with the (right) attitude, keep positive, keep working hard and that’s the only thing I can do is just kind of leave it on the field like I did (Saturday).”

We’ll have coverage of the Panama match, so stay tuned.

by Jon Arnold