FRIENDLY WINS ARE MOSTLY MEANINGLESS but learning how to get positive results can sometimes prove invaluable. The U.S. men's national team posted impressive road victories over the Netherlands and Germany in the last week, and these results should help Jurgen Klinsmann figure out how to get the most out of his team.

Here are five thoughts on the week that was.

Bradley is on another level

What is the best position on the national team for Michael Bradley? Is he a defensive midfielder or a box-to-box midfielder or...? He covered a tremendous amount of real estate at the 2014 World Cup but perhaps it wasn’t a sign of strength that he was forced to run as much as he did.

From Klinsmann’s perspective, perhaps the best news from these two friendlies is that there appears to be a clearly defined role for Bradley—one that seems to maximize his strengths. In each of the games, Bradley was in more of an advanced role but also seemed to have a good understanding how he fit with the other midfielders.

Bradley’s back-to-back man-of-the-match performances raises the question—again—as to how Jones will fit into the midfield once he returns to health. Will Bradley continue on with the role he had these past two games or will the midfield revert to the old system that resulted in a lack of shape and clarity, where Bradley and Jones ran endlessly for 90 minutes?

The team is progressing very well without Jones, who is now 33 years old. Does the New England Revolution midfielder still have a big role on the team moving forward or is this now Bradley’s midfield? Is there only room for one of them?

Beckerman still fits the team well

While he didn't have a great game against the Netherlands, Kyle Beckerman definitely helped his case in the Germany match.

When the U.S. took over in the second half, Beckerman was playing very strong soccer. His game wasn’t flashy—when has it ever been?—but it was very effective. He forced turnovers and once he got possession he quickly made smart passes to either help the team maintain possession or move into attacking positions.

Like Jones, Beckerman is 33. But he is aging very well. While he is not among the most athletic American players, he is one of the smartest and knows how to do lots of the little things that help win games.

Right now he is serving two crucial roles: He is shielding the backline and he is bringing out the best in Bradley. It's very easy to see him not playing for the team come 2018 but it is looking like he will have a role getting the team there. At least for this Gold Cup, he could be a key player as Klinsmann and co. attempt to repeat as continental champions and earn a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup.

While there is no evidence to suggest it just yet, Beckerman also seems like he might be an intriguing overage Olympic player option should the United States qualify for Rio de Janeiro. 

Wood's remarkable rebound

This past season was brutal for Bobby Wood. He had a falling out with his coach at 1860 Munich and was subsequently benched. He struggled for playing time and then forced a transfer to Aue, a team that  was relegated out of the 2.Bundesliga. Wood had gone ages without scoring but he eventually started playing well for Aue before suffering injury.

This past month saw his fortunes reverse in spectacular fashion, with dramatic, game-winning goals against the Dutch and the Germans. These two strikes all but guarantee that he will attract interest from decent teams this summer.

Many people, myself included, discounted Woods but it's important to remember just how talented he was until a series of serious knee injuries began to plague him while he with the United States U-20 team in 2011. He was easily one of the standout American players from that age group.

The talent was there but the confidence has been missing for years. If he has now reclaimed that, then perhaps he can continue to be a useful player for the national team in the months and years ahead.

Confidence soaring ahead of Gold Cup

Remember when the dominant narrative surrounding the U.S. men's national team was its propensity for late collapses? Consecutive wins against Mexico, the Netherlands, and Germany can turn the story around in a hurry.

Americans looked like they were having fun on the field over the past few games, and the players seemed to understand how best to interact with one another. This hasn't always been the case during Klinsmann's tenure.

Never mind that Germany did not put its strongest lineup on the field. Many of Germany’s second-stringers are stars on first-rate clubs, and the Yanks played with the sort of confidence that made it seem like scoring goals was inevitable. It bodes extremely well for the team’s chances at the Gold Cup.

Win caps remarkable run

• The back-to-back wins over the Germany and the Netherlands capped what has been a remarkable month for American soccer.
  
  
• The United States women’s national team opened up the World Cup with a win over Australia. 
  
  
• The U.S. U-23 team finished in third place at the prestigious Toulon Tournament, with wins over England and the Netherlands.
  
  
• Tab Ramos' U-20 national team defeated Colombia 1-0 in dramatic fashion on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the under-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
  
  
• The United States opened criminal investigations into FIFA executives for corruption. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar no longer looks like a sure thing (which is great news for the world). And as a result there is a glimmer of hope that the 2022 tournament might be played in the United States.