Ricardo Clark notched the game-winner for the U.S. (Greengeorge/Creative Commons)

The United States men's national team kicked off 2012 with a dramatic 1-0 victory against Venezuela, featuring many young fresh faces on the national side. Here are the salient points from Saturday's match in Glendale, Ariz.

Veteran midfielders led the way

In his brief history with the national team, Jermaine Jones has been very up and down. Some matches, he looks like first-choice player in defensive midfield. Others, he's just trying to play one against 11. Saturday was an example of the former, as Jones played his best game since the opening round of the Gold Cup.

Jones exhibited great effort in retrieving 50-50 balls, was an outlet for passes, made great runs, attempted timely shots and crisply passed the ball on the ground and expertly through the air. He did have some lapses of judgment, carelessly passing the ball away, but hustled back to try to recapture possession (in the second half, after passin  the ball to a Venezuelan player. Jones proceeded to commit a hard challenge for the ball, saving his backline from an attack but was booked in the process). It was very good to see Jones in-form.

Further up the pitch is where Benny Feilhaber played and excelled. Despite being the usual first substitute during the 2010 World Cup, this was his first cap under head coach Jürgen Klinsmann. As a starter, Feilhaber was creative up top, playing well off midfielder Graham Zusi and forward Teal Bunbury. He struggled to keep his temper restrained as he was being fouled on corner kicks, but he was a positive force in the U.S. attack.

New players doing work 

Among the young players that impressed tonight – namely Michael Parkhurst, Geoff Cameron and Graham Zusi – only Parkhurst had been capped. It was the first time that Klinsmann called each man to one of his squads. Parkhurst prohibited any crosses to pass him; Cameron was a calm distributor from the back; and Zusi showed confidence on ball as well as playing great balls off corner kicks and free kicks.

A.J. DeLaGarza was a surprising plus playing outside of his natural center back position for the L.A. Galaxy, going 90 minutes at right back for the Yanks. He combined well with Zusi in the early phases of the game before Zusi moved to the left side. 

Missed chances continue to plague the team

Unlike other games in the Klinsmann era, the U.S. started sharply, compiling good build-up play and shots. However, similar to just about every other game in the Klinsmann era, composure in the box continues to be a problem. The players Saturday night often played for their own shot instead of the best chance, and that can kill a team's offensive flow.

Chances like Bunbury’s curled strike outside of the box in the first half are worthwhile and do not kill a team. But chances such as Shea's first-half strike on the left wing and Bunbury's low-and-wide shot in the second half must be on frame from inside the box. Finishing has been the bane of the Americans' existence and needs to improve for them to compete with Mexico in CONCACAF.  

Other notes:

-- Venezuela was timid, often having ten men behind the ball. Fortunately, the U.S. defense never lulled and made a mental error that could have been converted for a goal – they were solid all night.

-- The game was very physical and loosely called. Five yellow cards were handed out, four of which to Venezuela. Defender José Velázquez was given a red card after Ricardo Clark's winning goal in super stoppage time (97').

-- C.J. Sapong made his first cap. The young Sporting KC forward did not do anything notable, but was effective.

-- Chris Wondolowski played as well as a substitute, including a nifty move in which he boxed-out a Venezuelan defender off a deflection and shot the ball on target, as well as a back-heel pass to Bunbury to set up a good (and missed) chance.

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