• Hot List: Landon Donovan's big return

  • By Doug McIntyre | April 1, 2013 8:01:19 AM PDT

Getting four points from two tough World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico was a triumph for a heavily depleted U.S. squad, but last month's individual performances will be ancient history by the time Yanks coach Jurgen Klinsmann picks his next roster roughly six weeks from now.

With the international break over, what matters most until mid-May is how Klinsmann's players fare with their clubs.

Making the cut for the May-June camp will be more difficult than ever. After injuries revealed impressive -- and surprising -- depth in the American player pool, the way guys play week in, week out will go a long way toward determining who'll get a chance to join the team ahead of five first-team matches this summer, including pivotal June qualifiers against Jamaica, Panama and Honduras.

The process has already begun. Here are seven players who helped (or hurt) their chances of either a getting a call-up or keeping their spots in the lineup when the U.S. national team reconvenes next month for its busiest stretch of 2013.

Warming up

Landon Donovan, M/F, L.A. Galaxy (MLS)

Why he's here: Nearly four months after his last game and with just a few training sessions under his belt, Donovan played the final 30 minutes of Saturday's 2-2 draw at Toronto.


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