IN ITS FINAL FRIENDLY before opening up World Cup training camp, the United States women’s national team defeated New Zealand 4-0 on Saturday afternoon in St. Louis, Missouri.

The win came on the back of a second-half scoring barrage in which the Americans tallied three times to overwhelm the plucky but overmatched Football Ferns.  Meghan Klingenberg, Lori Chalupny, Julie Johnston, and Morgan Brian all scored for the Jill Ellis' side. 

Here are four thoughts from the match.

STILL WORK TO BE DONE

Despite the 4-0 scoreline, it’s noteworthy that three of the U.S.’s goals came from defenders and a midfield substitute grabbed the fourth. The U.S.’s forwards in the match, starters Alex Morgan and Amy Rodriguez, as well as second-half substitutes Sydney Leroux and Abby Wambach, were goalless. Morgan, Rodriguez, and Leroux all missed good chances to score.

Kling, Chalupny, JJ, Brian. No goals from forwards. I mean, I'll take it. And A-Rod was knocking. But. Guys. #usavnzl

— thrace (@thrace) April 4, 2015

All four have made their case at some point in the past (Wambach is the team’s all-time leading scorer, Morgan was unstoppable in 2011 and 2012, Leroux came on strong in 2013 under former head coach Tom Sermanni, and Rodriguez was on fire in the NWSL in 2014), but none are playing all that well at the moment.

In Saturday's match, Rodriguez hit the post and had another attempt narrowly tipped over the bar, while Morgan missed a fantastic chance in the 58th minute. Leroux should have done better with a good chance in the 71st minute.

If the U.S. is truly going to compete at this summer’s World Cup in Canada, at least one of its strikers is going to need to find her goal-scoring form.

IS JOHNSTON NOW A STARTER?

It’s been quite a journey for 22-year-old defender Julie Johnston over the past six months. This fall Johnston missed out on the U.S.’s initial World Cup qualifying roster; she has now started four of the team’s last five games, scoring twice in those contests.

Taking advantage of injuries to Christie Rampone and Whitney Engen at last month’s Algarve Cup in Portugal, Johnston has now seemingly worked her way from the U.S.’s No. 4 at center back to a starting position alongside Becky Sauerbrunn.

Against 17th-ranked New Zealand, Johnston followed up her strong Algarve Cup performance with another good game, doing her work defensively and contributing another goal on the offensive end.

 It’s a little scary to think that Johnston wouldn’t have even gotten the opportunity under head coach Jill Ellis had Engen and Rampone not gotten injured, but Johnston has taken advantage of the opening with some breakout performances.

FINAL EVOLUTION OF THE LINEUP?

Ellis indicated in interviews this week that she is close to naming her final roster for the World Cup and that she is done experimenting with the lineup.

Against New Zealand, Ellis moved Carli Lloyd back to the middle of the field from the wide position she had played in Portugal. The move puts Lloyd in her more natural position, but in a two-player midfield it also limits Lloyd’s chances to get forward. While few fans are lamenting the fact that Ellis has long abandoned the 4-3-3 that she tried to implement last fall, it is disappointing a 4-2-3-1 was never given a run out.

With Brian and Lauren Holiday holding, and Lloyd deployed in an attacking midfielder role, she would be free to get forward and influence the U.S.’s offense—a role she has excelled at in her years with the national team.

It also appears that Ellis continues to see the battle at left back as a competition between Meghan Klingenberg and Lori Chalupny—who both scored on Saturday—with Kelley O’Hara and Crystal Dunn on the outside looking in.

SPEAKING OF CRYSTAL DUNN

For Saturday’s match, Ellis dressed 20 of the 25 players on the roster. The five exceptions: backup goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, an injured Christie Rampone, Shannon Boxx, Rachel Van Hollebeke, and Dunn.

Only 23 players will be on the final World Cup roster, so the question now becomes—which two are going to get cut?

It seems extremely unlikely that Ellis would cut Rampone, and the coach indicated earlier this week that Rampone is likely to play in a closed-door scrimmage against New Zealand on Monday. Naeher will also likely make the squad as the team’s third goalkeeper, leaving Boxx, Van Hollebeke and Dunn potentially on the chopping block.

Boxx brings leadership and experience, and may have some value as a late-game substitute when holding a lead. Van Hollebeke now appears to be the team’s fifth center back, and barring an unexpected injury, is expendable. Dunn could be helpful to the team, has shown a lot of promise, and has world-class speed, but is also fifth on the depth chart at her position.

Ellis is expected to make her final decisions next week.

 John D. Halloran is an American Soccer Now columnist. Follow him on Twitter.