Is there a U.S. forward ready to fill the gap?

Jozy Altidore is a promising U.S. striker, but he may have his hands full just trying to fulfill the tricky obligations of punctuality.

Charlie Davies may have his hands full just reclaiming a normal life, alas.

There’s clearly an opening here for some U.S. forward to climb further up the totem poll. There are two performers in Major League Soccer’s playoffs currently who could possibly provide some options. Robbie Findley and Chris Rolfe, make your case now or forever hold your peace.

(Yes, yes, I know there are U.S. strikers in Europe, too, notably Kenny Cooper. But this is about two guys with a chance to make a difference in big games going on right now.)

Findley made some noise by scoring Real Salt Lake’s lone goal last week, giving his side some hope in Thursday’s return leg in Columbus.

He is 24 now and has played about 4,500 minutes in MLS regular season matches. That’s roughly equal to about 51 games. (I looked at the numbers like this because Findley has come off the bench more than 40 percent of the time). He has 26 goals.

So he has roughly one goal every other match, a strike rate that more than respectable. In fact, it approaches "prolific." Obviously, those numbers are stretched a little, but it’s just to show that Findley has been productive in MLS.

Consider that Brian Ching has about the same rate of scoring in the league.

Findley has the speed to stretch defenses vertically. His game still needs some polish, and I have my doubts about whether he can be a difference maker internationally. Then again, some guys have the ability to rise to the moment, so maybe he’s one of them.

Rolfe is definitely a guy who can rise to the moment. He, like everyone else on the Chicago Fire, started with a mad flourish over the weekend against New England. Rolfe was working the flanks expertly, and then popped up in the right place to put his side ahead with a calm and clinical finish.

Rolfe has had some health issues in years past. And that really is too bad, because he was on a hot streak a couple of different times before getting hurt. Rolfe can play two different spots, forward or outside midfielder. He’s a little bit of a poor man’s Clint Dempsey that way, with the same scrappiness and nose for goal, but without the size.

What I really like about Rolfe, who is 26, is that he does tend to turn up in big matches. That goal last week was the perfect example. And he provided a huge playoff strike last year against the Revolution.

For whatever reason, Bob Bradley hasn’t seemed to favor Rolfe, who has nine caps (and just three starts) over the last four years. Perhaps that’s why Rolfe will blow out of the Windy City in the winter transfer window, jetting off to join Danish club Aalborg. Perhaps he, like others, has noticed that Bradley seems to prefer individuals performing in Europe.

This much is certain: there will be precious few chances between now and 23-man selection time for next year’s World Cup. If either of these guys gets a chance, they’ll have to seriously jump on it.