Projecting U.S. roster for Copa America: Questions as big as roster holes

Make the cut: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, David Bingham

Just missed the cut: William Yarbrough, Nick Rimando

Dark horse: Ethan Horvath (pictured)

Howard and Guzan will be on the team if healthy, leaving the third goalkeeper spot up for grabs. It's tough to see Klinsmann going with Rimando once again, and Bingham is in very good form in MLS play and looked sharp in his national team debut.

Yarbrough is a very good candidate as well, having re-established himself as the starter for Club Leon. If either Howard or Guzan goes down, Yarbrough would be a good replacement.

Horvath featured in the Under-23 Olympic qualifying playoff series and is earning raves for his play with Molde. His future is bright, and if Klinsmann decides to go real young with his third goalkeeper slot, Horvath could be that player.

Make the cut: DeAndre Yedlin, Geoff Cameron, Matt Besler, Edgar Castillo, Steve Birnbaum, Omar Gonzalez, John Brooks, Brek Shea (pictured)

Just missed the cut: Michael Orozco, Ventura Alvarado, Greg Garza

Dark horse: Jorge Villafana

This is a tricky group because there are vulnerable regulars, and Klinsmann has clear favorites who wouldn't normally be anywhere near a projected squad. Orozco and Alvarado are examples. Neither is seeing first-team action for his teams, but Klinsmann has continued to call them. Will that change when tournament time roles around?

If Klinsmann insists on shoe-horning in an Alvarado or Orozco, we could see a surprising exclusion from the squad, such as Gonzalez. That might sound crazy considering Gonzalez is starting for a strong Pachuca squad while Alvarado and Orozco are stuck on the benches for their Liga MX clubs, but Klinsmann isn't afraid to make unconventional roster selections. Gonzalez's shaky showing in Guatemala didn't help his chances.

Birnbaum made the most of his chances, most recently against Guatemala, and looks more and more like a solid pick to make the squad. He might need to fight for a spot in training camp before the final roster is set, but Birnbaum can play as a central defender and right back, and his poise in his early caps was impressive.

At fullback, the left back position remains wide open and we have included picks that might surprise. Edgar Castillo held his own against Guatemala in the 4-0 victory, and he stated after the match that Klinsmann let him know that was his last chance. Castillo did enough to stay on the radar, but could lose out if other options emerge, such as Villafana or Tim Ream.

Brek Shea makes the cut here because he's playing very well for Orlando City. Klinsmann has long been a fan of what Shea can bring to the table.

Villafana continues to be someone Klinsmann should consider, but at this point it seems unlikely he gets a call, unless he's invited as a fringe pre-Copa camp invitee, which might be all the former Portland Timbers defender needs to break his way in.

Make the cut: Fabian Johnson, Clint Dempsey (pictured), Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya, Jermaine Jones, Kyle Beckerman, Graham Zusi, Darlington Nagbe

Just missed the cut: Lee Nguyen, Ethan Finlay, Mix Diskerud, Danny Williams, Alfredo Morales

Dark horse: Christian Pulisic

How this group shapes up will depend quite a bit on where Klinsmann plays Johnson and Yedlin. If he decides that he needs them both as fullbacks, that would free up slots in the midfield. The only issue there is that the depth at the wide midfield spots isn't all that much better than the fullback options Yedlin and Johnson could replace. Yedlin should be a fullback, but Johnson seems a safer bet on the wing.

Another big question is how many defensive midfielders Klinsmann will bring. Jones or Beckerman, possibly, but will he bring both? Jones is serving an MLS suspension but should be back in action before Klinsmann makes his selections. Given the fact both players are in their mid-30s you would think Klinsmann would want a younger option, but theren't are many, at least not ones Klinsmann seems ready to consider.

Williams should be under consideration, but his exclusion from the March qualifiers doesn't bode well for his chances. Wil Trapp is another talented young player, but this summer's Copa is probably a bit too soon for him.

True wingers are in short supply, which made Klinsmann's use of Zusi as a central midfielder against Guatemala all the more surprising. Zusi showed well and is healthier now than he was in 2015, so he's a better bet now for Copa America than most would have expected just a few months ago.

Nagbe makes this cut, but the fact he didn't play in the U.S. win against Guatemala makes you wonder just how safe he is. Could Klinsmann leave Nagbe home, or leave out Zusi in order to bring Pulisic? That has to be considered a possibility, particularly if Pulisic continues to find time with Borussia Dortmund. Nguyen just misses the cut, but can push his way into the squad with a strong run between now and roster decision time.

Make the cut: Jozy Altidore, Gyasi Zardes (pictured), Bobby Wood, Jordan Morris

Just missed the cut: Chris Wondolowski

Dark horse: Rubio Rubin

Klinsmann must hate the fact Altidore is so injury prone, because the U.S. attack relies on him to lead the forward line. None of the other forward options looks ready to be a comparable replacement, so Altidore must stay healthy for the U.S. attack to be effective in Copa America.

Zardes and Wood are safe bets if healthy, leaving a fourth and final forward slot for either Morris or Wondolowski. Morris is going through expected early rookie season struggles, but if he's in good form closer to the tournament he will be a good bet to make the squad.

Klinsmann could also use Dempsey as a forward, which would free up a roster spot for another midfielder. That seems a good bet if Morris doesn't hit his stride in the next six weeks. Wondolowski is likely an injury-replacement option, particularly if Altidore can't stay healthy.

Rubin is a bit of a forgotten man after missing almost six months recovering from a broken foot, but he has worked his way back to health. If he can earn steady playing time in the next two months for FC Utrecht, he could play himself into a shallow forward pool. This one might seem a stretch, but let's not forget his first cap came as a starter, against Colombia no less, back in 2014. He showed at last summer's Under-20 World Cup that he's a real talent, but he's running out of time to state his case for this summer's squad.