Two summers ago, Mexico humiliated the United States in the Concacaf Gold Cup final at Giants Stadium.

Even though the game was played on American soil, exuberant Mexican fans outnumbered U.S. supporters by a margin of at least four to one. The on-field action was even more lopsided: led by Gerardo Torrado and Giovani Dos Santos, El Tri scored five second-half goals and routed the Americans, 5-0.

That crushing defeat notwithstanding, the stakes were lower in that tournament than they will be for this year’s Gold Cup, which begins June 5 and ends June 25 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The 2009 Gold Cup winner received a trophy and some bragging rights; this year’s winner will gain entry into the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil — a prestigious FIFA tournament that will serve as the dress rehearsal for the World Cup a year later.

In 2009, Mexico and the United States both sent second-tier squads to the Gold Cup. (Some felt that the U.S. sent third-stringers.) This time, both countries will be hungry to win, and both will be sending their best players.

Mexico has already announced its roster, and it is impressive. Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez will lead the attack, joined by the likes of Rafael Marquez (Red Bulls), Dos Santos (Racing Santander), Torrado (Cruz Azul) and Andrés Guardado (Deportivo La Coruña).

Who will United States Coach Bob Bradley select to his 23-man roster? We have both predictions and recommendations for Bradley.

Predictions

Tim Howard (Everton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton)

Howard and Guzan are practically automatic at this point, with Howard likely to start all of the key matches. The only question is who will get the third slot, which is essentially a bench-warming role. David Yelldell (MSV Duisburg) got the nod over Guzan for the recent friendlies against Argentina and Paraguay, but Hahnemann has more experience and is familiar with both the team and the system. He should be the No. 3 keeper.

Recommendation: These are the right guys.

Predictions: Carlos Bocanegra (St. Etienne), Jonathan Bornstein (UANL Tigres), Timothy Chandler (Nuremberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Vancouver), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Oguchi Onyewu (FC Twente), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)

Do Bornstein and Onyewu deserve a spot on this team? Probably not. But Bradley places high value on experience and remains loyal to the error-prone Bornstein (who spent a lot of time riding the pine this season) and the imposing-yet-awkward Onyewu. Cherundolo and Chandler provide quality, but they both prefer to play on the right. So does Spector. This conundrum opens up a spot for the left back specialist Bornstein.

Worth noting: An abdominal injury kept Onyewu out of Twente’s season-ending loss to Ajax on Sunday, and this late development could keep him off the Gold Cup roster, too. If that’s the case, Tim Ream would be the most likely replacement.

Recommendations: Drop Bornstein, Onyewu and Spector; add Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa) and Ream (Red Bulls).

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Gonzalez is a younger, steadier, more mobile version of Onyewu. Though only 22, he is strong in the air and has been outstanding in the middle of the Galaxy defense this season. His time has come, but Bradley doesn’t seem convinced.

Bradley clearly values Ream’s composure and vision, but does he have enough roster slots to accommodate the 23-year-old? Perhaps not, but he should make space. Based on Ream’s skill set alone, one could make a strong argument that he is already the best central defender in the U.S. player pool. His technical skills and his ability to link up with the midfield to set up counterattacks will be essential if the United States is to overcome the likes of Costa Rica and Mexico.

Lichaj, an up-and-coming right back, has the unfortunate handicap of playing for a country that doesn’t need any more right backs. That said, he got a chance to play on the left during his loan spell at Leeds United and performed well. Lichaj locked down his side defensively and moved forward with energy and smarts. He should be in; Bornstein should be out.

Predictions: Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), Michael Bradley (Aston Villa), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (New England), Jermaine Jones (Blackburn), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht)

Of the eight players listed above, six are shoo-ins – Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, Edu, Feilhaber and Jones. A seventh, Bolton’s Stuart Holden, would definitely make the squad if he wasn’t injured. So Bradley’s decision boils down to two or three fringe players, depending on whether he prefers eight midfielders or nine.

Last June, Bradley included Ricardo Clark, DaMarcus Beasley and Jose Torres on his World Cup roster, but because of injuries and/or poor form none of those three seem likely to push for a midfield spot this month. That leaves Kljestan, who is coming off an up-and-down year at Anderlecht; Bedoya, who has started brightly at the Swedish club Orebro; Mixx Diskerud (Stabaek); and a few M.L.S. long shots like Brek Shea (F.C. Dallas) and Dax McCarty (D.C. United).

Expect Bradley to include Kljestan in large part because he has the experience (26 international appearances) and the potential to be an offensive spark plug as a late-game substitute. Bedoya and Diskerud both play in European leagues that schedule games throughout the summer, so their inclusion on the Gold Cup squad would mean they could miss up to four club matches. (Have fun making that phone call, Bob.) Of the two, Bedoya probably deserves the nod, having scored three goals in his first seven league games.

Recommendations: The eight listed above are, in fact, the best midfield options. Diskerud, a talented 21-year-old with the potential to be a true No. 10, will get his shot in future Gold Cups. Shea and McCarty don’t yet play fast enough to succeed at the international level. Torres should come to M.L.S. and succeed here to get back in sync with the U.S. team.

The bigger question in the midfield: who will play? Bradley’s loan to Aston Villa has been a disaster; the coach’s son has logged just 27 minutes of league action since February. If he continues to be a 90-minute player for the United States, he will have to shake off considerable rust, as well as the howls of American fans convinced he receives preferential treatment from his father.

Predictions: Juan Agudelo (Red Bulls), Jozy Altidore (Bursaspor), Teal Bunbury (Sporting K.C.), Edson Buddle (F.C. Ingolstadt)

D.C. United striker Charlie Davies seemed destined to make this squad … until he suffered a hamstring injury in Saturday night’s match against Colorado. Bradley attended the game and no doubt crossed Davies off his roster right then and there. Too bad. It would have made a great story, and Davies has already scored at least one big goal against Mexico.

Despite his recent goal-scoring drought and substandard form in Turkey, Altidore will make this squad and play a ton of minutes. Bradley will be counting on his burly striker to play a physical game and wear down defenses, opening up chances for Dempsey, Donovan, Buddle and others.

Agudelo is an easy selection, as he has the ability to turn half chances into highlight-reel goals. It also helps that Agudelo is currently on the substitute’s bench for the Red Bulls. Bradley doesn’t want to disrupt M.L.S. teams more than necessary, and the talent-rich Red Bulls can easily overcome a month without their 18-year-old striker.

The same cannot be said for Bunbury, who starts and logs loads of minutes for a struggling Sporting K.C. team. He is a central component of his team’s attack, and if selected to the Gold Cup roster he will probably miss six M.L.S. games. That would sting.

Recommendations: Drop Bunbury, add Herculez Gomez (Pachuca)

Gomez ended his season in the Mexican Primera Division on an absolute tear, scoring four goals in his final five matches. He scored on breakaways, on headers, on free kicks — he’s in rare form for an American striker, and his familiarity with some of the players on the Mexico roster couldn’t hurt either. Bring him in, Bob.

Corner kick: What do you think of our roster predictions and suggestions? Who would you like to see on — and off — the team? Share your thoughts in the comments.

John Godfrey obsessively tracks the progress of far-flung American soccer players and is a regular contributor to the Goal blog. Follow him on Twitter: @jhgodfrey.