MLS players proving themselves on World Cup stage

From exciting starts to glorious finishes, from embarrassing flubs to chest-beating comebacks and finally a gut-wrenching equalizer that leaves us not entirely sure how we should feel, the United States' first two World Cup games have been filled with ups and downs.

The talisman, of both the team and the MLS contingent, has been Clint Dempsey. When Dempsey opted to join the Seattle Sounders last summer, the excitement over his coming home was almost shouted down by the detractors that claimed the move was bad for the national team's hopes. Playing against a lower level of competition would dull his edge, they argued. How can he ever become a truly elite player if he doesn't have to fight for playing the time?

Through two games, Dempsey has put to rest those concerns. After an inspiring performance against Ghana, Dempsey followed up with arguably his best game ever on the international stage. Not only did Dempsey score what looked all the world to be a late-game winner, but he also completed 93 percent of his passes, was a constant goal-scoring threat with five shots and generally proved shockingly effective as a lone forward.

Dempsey's MLS brethren have only helped their league's case as well. Whether it was DeAndre Yedlin showing the spunk that led to Dempsey's go-ahead goal, Graham Zusi proving himself competent as a multi-faceted wide midfielder, Matt Besler turning in the Americans' most consistent defensive performances or Kyle Beckerman managing to make himself an almost indispensable part of the central midfield, MLS has supplied Jurgen Klinsmann with some of his most important players.

It's also telling that Klinsmann appears to have plenty of trust in these players. When Jozy Altidore went down, it was Zusi who got the surprise start in midfield. When Alejando Bedoya needed a breather from the suffocating heat and humidity of Manaus, it was Yedlin who came off the bench and supplied a burst of energy. When Dempsey was finally allowed to rest, San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski was the one tasked with helping kill the clock. Eight of the nine MLS positional players with the squad have seen the field.

The one mark against the MLS contingent has been the underwhelming performance of Michael Bradley, the American around whom expectations may have been highest coming into the tournament. Especially in comparison to those expectations, Bradley has probably been the United States' worst player. He was actively bad in the first game and failed to convert an open chance and had the result-deciding giveaway in the second.

Bradley's performance aside, this has been a huge step forward in terms of legitimizing the quality of player MLS is producing. Internationally trained players like Jermain Jones and Fabian Johnson will and should always have a place in the USMNT, but the backbone is going to be built on MLS players. No matter what happens on Thursday against Germany, the spine seems to be in good shape.