THE U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM arrived in Aarhus, Denmark today ahead of Wednesday’s friendly, but until a few days ago there was speculation as to whether there would be a match to play.

OK—that may have been a slight exaggeration. But the Danish football association (DBU) said it would have replaced its senior players who didn’t agree to terms as a collective bargaining stalemate between the federation and its players started to turn ugly. Fortunately, the two sides have come to a resolution, allowing us to properly preview the Danish squad ahead of tomorrow’s friendly.

Overview

The long-standing collective bargaining feud began at the top of the year after the DBU wanted to cut international payments by 17% along with entering into individual agreements with players over wages rather than paying the team as a collective. Players responded last week by calling the demands “un-Danish” and a “waste of time for all parties” as negotiations sputtered.

The DBU threatened to leave out the players who disagreed and call up only those who agreed to the new wage proposal for the two friendlies this week (the latter coming against France on Sunday). But tension eased over the weekend as the two sides agreed to lower overall wages with bigger bonuses for qualifying and advancing in major competitions.

Meanwhile, long-time manager Martin Olsen announced he will step down following Euro 2016 next summer after more than 100 matches at the helm. After captaining his country to its first World Cup in 1986, Olsen has served as head coach since 2000, leading the Danes to the 2002 World Cup in his first year in charge. Two years later, Olsen led Denmark to the quarterfinals of Euro 2004, arguably his biggest achievement yet.

Recent form

After missing out on Brazil, Denmark ended its 2014 atop Group I in Euro 2016 qualifying, securing seven points from a possible 12 in a group featuring Portugal and Serbia. The Danes’ only loss in group play came at the hands of a stoppage-time goal from Cristiano Ronaldo.

While Olsen’s men have fared well in qualifying, Denmark is winless in two friendlies since the World Cup. Most recently the side dropped a 2-0 result in Romania, where it managed only four shots on target. However, Denmark will look to replicate its last result over the U.S, a 3-1 comeback win in 2009 when it scored three unanswered second-half goals.

Tactical Review

Due to the stalwart presence of Nicklas Bendtner up top, Olsen has adhered to a 4-2-3-1 diet since Euro 2012, when Denmark took down World Cup runner-up Netherlands in its opening match. But just recently Olsen has reverted back to an attacking 4-3-3 to remedy a one-goal-per-game average in 2014.

Denmark’s biggest vulnerability this week will likely be its young defense which will miss Daniel Agger and Anders Bjelland, both of whom were left off the roster due to injury. That could make room for 22-year-old Aston Villa defender Jores Okore—one of two Premier League Danes along with Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Denmark is also without veteran midfielder Thomas Kahlenberg, who has recorded five goals in 46 caps.

Top Players to Watch

Christian Eriksen is the biggest star on the team and will serve as the primary playmaker in Olsen’s attack. The Tottenham attacking midfielder has put together his best season since joining the North London side in August 2013 following the transfer-record exit of Gareth Bale. Eriksen is third among Premier League midfielders with nine league goals (11 in all competitions), highlighted by his knack for stoppage-time winners and replay-worthy free kicks.

While Eriksen facilitates the goals in Denmark’s attack, Bendtner has made a habit of finishing them. The 27-year-old has scored 26 goals in 64 senior caps since 2006 as the immediate successor to all-time leading scorer Jon Dahl Tomasson. But Bendtner has struggled to score since moving to Wolfsburg on a free transfer in the summer. The former Arsenal star has tallied just once in 16 Bundesliga matches, and was pushed to the bench following the thunderous run of Bas Dost.

Also Keep an Eye on...

Protecting the inexperienced back line will be Wigan midfielder William Kvist, who serves as the team’s captain in Agger’s absence. The 30-year-old defensive midfielder has found a home in the holding slot directly in front of Denmark’s two central defenders, deftly clogging passing channels and using his physicality to win aerial challenges. Kvist has recorded 2.2 interceptions per match this season in the Championship, more than Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets.

At 31-years-old, Michael Krohn-Dehli has shown no signs of slowing down. The former Ajax winger has six goals in 47 international caps and has become a fixture on either wing under Olsen. This season with Celta Vigo, Krohn-Dehli has recorded a goal and four assists as his performance even spawned rumors of a move to Spurs. But most impressively, Krohn-Dehli is in the Top 10 of La Liga attackers with an average of 59.2 passes per game—on par with Lionel Messi and Xavi.

Andrew Gastelum will be covering the U.S. men's national team in Zurich over the next few days. This is his first piece for ASN and we really think you should follow him on Twitter.