Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood headline a stable of American forwards that may be deeper than ever.

To fully appreciate just how good things are for the current talent pool at forward for the U.S. national team, one doesn't need to go too far back to a time when things looked extremely bleek.

Just two years ago, the state of the U.S. national team's forward options could be best described as abysmal. Jozy Altidore and Aron Johannsson both had injuries that kept them from showing their best at the 2014 World Cup, and those issues lingered on into the latter part of that year. Altidore was struggling at Sunderland while Johannsson struggled to match his outstanding 2013-2014 season at AZ Alkmaar.

There wasn't much behind that pair. Clint Dempsey was enduring a rough first season back in MLS, Terrence Boyd suffered a torn ACL late in that year, Juan Agudelo was mired in limbo after having his quest for a work permit fail, killing a move to Stoke City. Landon Donovan had been pushed out of the picture, and Chris Wondolowski was stuck with the scarlet letter associated with his infamous World Cup miss.

Things had gotten so bad after the 2014 World Cup that Jurgen Klinsmann began expanding his search for help. He started looking at younger forwards, hoping he might uncover a gem. he gave Rubio Rubin a start against Colombia at the age of 18, in his first year as a professional. He called in Bobby Wood and gave him playing time even though Wood was struggling in the German second division. He also made the seemingly questionable decision to call in a college player in a little-known Stanford striker named Jordan Morris.

Fast forward two years and Klinsmann is poised to reap the rewards for those seeds he planted during that desperate time. Wood has blossomed, making the jump to the Bundesliga and earning a starting role with Hamburg as well as the U.S. national team. Morris is in the midst of a rookie of the year season in MLS with the Seattle Sounders. Rubin starred at the 2015 Under-20 World Cup, and after enduring a long spell on the sidelines with a broken foot, has returned to action with Dutch side FC Utrecht, and is back on Klinsmann's radar.

Then you have Altidore, who has recaptured his top form for the first time since clutching his hamstring in Brazil two years ago. He is scoring for club and country, and appears to be forming a strong partnership with Wood.

As for others who endured rough times in 2014, Johannsson has returned to health and is playing at Werder Bremen, Agudelo has recently rediscovered his goal-scoring touch and has helped spark a playoff push by the New England Revolution.

No, thing's aren't quite perfect. Dempsey is currently on the shelf as he deals with an irregular heartbeat and Gyasi Zardes, another player who earned his first national team look late in 2014, is sidelined by a broken foot and may not be back in time for November's World Cup qualifiers.

Even those absences aren't enough to diminish the overall strong shape of the forward pool, which will be the first position in the U.S. national team player pool Goal USA breaks down over the course of the coming weeks.

Here is a closer look at how Klinsmann's forward options stack up at the moment:

Playing great for Toronto FC and the U.S., he set a new national team record for goals in World Cup qualifying with his double against Trinidad and Tobago earlier this month. Perhaps no player is poised to benefit more from an improving level of wing options as well, not to mention more good forward options to partner with him.

Injuries continue to be a concern for Altidore given his history, but while he's healthy he's the top American striker in the business, and the increased number of viable forward options for Klinsmann should also add some motivation for Altidore to stay sharp.

Remember when Klinsmann left some scratching their heads when he kept giving Wood playing time back in 2014, when he was struggling with his finishing and playing at a low level? That faith Klinsmann showed in Wood has helped the young forward blossom on the club level and in the international game. He has already scored several memorable goals, against the likes of Mexico, Germany and the Netherlands, and is starting for Hamburg.

Wood has made the most of his national team opportunities, and looked good playing alongside Altidore in the U.S. team's most recent qualifying victories. Though capable of playing as a wide forward in a 4-3-3, he is much better suited to play in a 4-4-2, and his tireless effort, both in making runs in attack and hustling defensively, make him the ideal partner for Altidore.

Dempsey has been sidelined since the discovery of an irregular heartbeat. Details have been scarce, but he recently resumed training with Seattle, and while the timetable on his return has not been set yet, the belief is he will be back this year.

Some might think it's time to move on from the 33-year-old Texan, but he was the U.S. team's best attacking player at Copa America and has plenty left in the tank. If he can return to action in time to regain fitness ahead of the November World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica, you can rest assured Klinsmann will find a way to get Dempsey on the field.

A nagging hip injury cost Johannsson a large chunk of last season with Werder Bremen, but he has returned to health and regained a starting role with the struggling Bundesliga club.

It is easy to forget how highly regarded Johannsson was two years ago, before an injury prior to the World Cup left him limited heading to Brazil. His movement, technical quality, and finishing ability make him a candidate to start for Klinsmann once he finds his top form, just as soon as he starts behaving better around referees (cue his recent red card for dissent).

Used more by Klinsmann as a winger than a forward, Zardes is still a good option up top if needed. Though his touch lets him down at times, Zardes provides the kind of energy at forward that can take some pressure off a Jozy Altidore or Bobby Wood if he's partnered with one of them.

Of course, Zardes is sidelined with a broken foot and there's no guarantee he'll be ready to go when November's qualifiers roll around. Even if he is, there's a good chance Klinsmann will use Zardes on the flank rather than as a forward. Either way, Zardes will want to return quickly because the competition at forward, and on the wings, is improving considerably.

When Klinsmann left Morris off the Copa America squad, there was an initial disappointment, and even some outrage at Morris being left out in favor of Chris Wondolowski, but letting the young forward stay with the Sounders rather than being stuck on the bench during Copa America turned out to be a wise move. Morris has enjoyed an outstanding rookie season with Seattle, and chances are he won't be missing many national team camps going forward.

Which role suits Morris best? His speed makes him a good wide forward in a 4-3-3, or a second forward who can run off a target striker. He is painfully one-footed, and still doesn't always read plays well, but his steady playing time in Seattle, and playing alongside players like Dempsey, Nicolas Lodeiro and Osvaldo Alonso, is speeding up his learning.

A foot injury cost Rubin a large part of last season with FC Utrecht, and cost him a chance to build on the momentum of his outstanding showing at the 2015 Under-20 World Cup. Klinsmann's decision to call him in for the national team's most recent World Cup qualifying camp suggests he hasn't been forgotten.

Rubin is a tough and technical forward with the strength to hold his own as a target player, and quickness to be a second forward. The big issue for Rubin now is recapturing a starting role for FC Utrecht, where he has struggled for minutes early in the current season.

It might seem pointless for some to see Wondolowski on this list at the age of 33, and given his disappointing outings with the national team, but he keeps scoring goals in MLS and keeps getting call-ups from Klinsmann.

Wondolowski turns 34 in January, and given all the younger forward options coming up the pipeline, it should only be a matter of time before Klinsmann stops calling him in.

No, Green isn't finding playing time at Bayern Munich, but making Bayern's first team was an accomplishment in itself. Also, the fact that Carlo Ancelotti took such a liking to Green as a forward makes you wonder whether Klinsmann will follow suit and start bringing Green in for some looks with the national team.

The current wealth of forward options in the U.S. pool could leave Green with Bayern until he starts earning some minutes, which will be tough to come by without an injury or two limiting the Bundesliga champions. Let's not forget that Green is still only 21, so time is on his side.

It might sound a little crazy, but Juan Agudelo is still only 23-years-old. Some might assume he was older given how many ups and downs his career has already gone through. He is surging upward again, earning steady playing time and scoring goals for a resurgent New England side.

Just how close is Agudelo to national team consideration? Klinsmann isn't above a reclamation project, and when Agudelo is on his game, he's as technically gifted a forward as there is in the U.S. player pool. If he can keep up the scoring and finishing the current season on a roll, a January camp look is definitely within reach.