Bradley makes changes; USA in Gold Cup final

US soccer is looking a lot better these days. Coach Bob Bradley is finally making better decisions.

Moving to a 4-5-1 formation, using Clint Dempsey as an attacking midfielder, has been brilliant. I've always felt the way to cover up our weakness at forward, was to overload our midfield with attacking players, creating strength in numbers.

Jermaine Jones, Alehandro Bedoya and Sasha Klestian are working well together with Michael Bradley in the middle and Clint Dempsey attacking at the top.

Bradley used Freddy Adu, yes that Freddy Adu, who made an immediate impact in Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Panama. He isn't always beautiful, but he is constantly in attack mode. Adu adds creativity to our team that we normally lack. I have always liked his mindset, even if his skill set doesn't always back it up.

There is still work to be done, but these adjustments on the fly are proving very effective…

Bedoya and Klestian aren't long term answers, but both are proving valuable in this Gold Cup, more so than I gave them credit for. Ultimately, Stuart Holden will come back to start and Benny Feilhaber will be a great second half sub.

Bradley's boldest change has been moving team USA's all-time leading scorer, Landon Donovan, to the bench, giving the team a great spark off the bench in the second half.

Donovan accepted the move with class, showing maturity and a high level of leadership by saying, "Sitting on the bench gives me energy. I get excited to get in there in the second half."

When he does get in the game, the US needs to use him more as a holding or attacking midfielder. Putting him on the wing is like buying a Ferrari and then driving it through a residential neighborhood.

Landon is smart, creative and always makes the right pass. He was so successful at Everton because they played him in the middle and took advantage of his talents and high soccer IQ.

To beat Mexico in Saturday's Gold Cup final, the US will need Landon's intelligence in the midfield. Mexico is confident and talented; a tough challenge for the US.

In "Chicharito", Mexico has a legit star. Team USA doesn't have anyone of that caliber on their roster, and with a new back line, Chicharito and Giovanni Dos Santos, also a world class player, Tim Howard is going to have be at his best.

The US is playing confidently, as well, and believes they are a better team than their rivalries to the south. They may not be flashy, but grit has been a valuable characteristic of this team for a while and has won them many games people didn't expect them to.

Bottom line, if I was only allowed to watch five sporting events all year long, this would be one of them. I've been to one USA-Mexico game, in Phoenix, several years ago; a 2-0 USA victory and the best sporting event I've ever attended. Passion, Patriotism and incredible fans.

I look forward to watching this one from a TV somewhere in San Jose where I'm making my first visit to meet my girlfriend's family. It's a careful line to toe: make a good impression, while finding a way to watch my favorite starting eleven take on our bitter rivals.

Come on good weekend!