WELCOME TO THE FIRST-EVER all-Ukraine edition of "Hot or Not?" In a match designed to test the depth of Jurgen Klinsmann’s primarily European-based squad against a high-quality opponent, there is much to take away from a 2-0 loss to the embroiled former Eastern bloc nation. The problem is: there is even more we wish we could forget.

THEY'RE HOT....

Alejandro Bedoya—The man from Nantes, who can be seen leaving a canary yellow streak up and down the pitch every week in Ligue 1, showed on Wednesday that his recent return to prominence within the U.S. national team was no fluke. Bedoya has undoubtedly picked up his game since moving on up from the Swedish Allsvenskan in July, so much so that Graham Zusi’s enduring stranglehold on the right side of midfield is far from a sure thing in a Brazil. Against Ukraine, the 26-year-old was one of the few Americans to maintain a sustained presence. After a dire opening half, Bedoya led the charge in the second, working well along the touchline before moving to a more familiar central role he occupies for his club.

In the 48th minute, he nearly equalized off a deflected cross from Sacha Kljestan, only to have his close-range effort deflected over the bar. His set-piece delivery also caught the eye, nearly setting up Aron Johannsson for what would have been a beautiful volley from a second half corner kick. A late fizzing strike from outside of the box, and unfortunately from the outside of Bedoya’s boot, was the closest the Americans came to grabbing a late concession. Nantes, winless in eight matches, has a chance to end their poor run of form against basement-dwellers Ajaccio in league play on Saturday.

The new U.S. jerseys—C’mon! They aren’t that bad! With the names and numbers added in they begin to lose their undeniable Wimbledon vibe. Keep in mind that they will never approach the glory that was the Waldo Kit (RIP), but I’m warming up to them. Now, about Nike’s rumored Captain America-style offering…

Everyone who didn’t play—For every gaffe in the center of defense (and there were several), Clarence Goodson, Michael Orozco, and Tim Ream look that much better. For every blown marker up the flanks, the—I can’t believe I’m saying this but—steadiness of DaMarcus Beasley and Brad Evans appears even more important. For every possession lost or directionless midfield pass, the forever-expanding value of Michael Bradley becomes more crystalline than ever. For every laughably sailed cross, the delivery of Zusi and Brad Davis looks world class by comparison. Jurgen Klinsmann confirmed this sentiment after the match—the Americans missed the MLS contingent. “If you don’t have your main group together—and it’s a mix between MLS players, European players and Mexican players—then there’s a bit of drop in quality.” Safe to say it’s not what many would’ve predicted heading into this cycle.

...AND THEY'RE NOT

The American backline—Oh boy. Where to start? After Wednesday’s match and as the injuries pile up, a certain level of panic is emerging on the Road to Brazil™. Thoughts of a charging Cristiano Ronaldo, Andre Schurrle, Michael Essien, or Mario Gotze running at the U.S. defense are surely waking Klinsmann from his helicopter-related dreams in a cold sweat. On the outside against Ukraine, Edgar Castillo just couldn’t deal with Tymoschuk. He sliced and diced, leaving the Tijuana man a string of paper dolls by the time he was subbed out early in second half. Geoff Cameron did well enough, but there has to be something said about his lack of offensive contribution. Obviously a vestigial remnant of his stay at Stoke-on-Trent, he must be able to contribute on the wing, or else Klinsmann may be forced to move him in to the middle.

Speaking of the middle: this was not a very fun day for Oguchi Onyewu and John Brooks. On the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to current career trajectory, the two had zero chemistry. Despite being similar in their styles and obviously unfamiliar with each other’s idiosyncricities, there is no excuse for lack of simple communication in a nearly empty stadium. Brooks, especially, did not appear ready for primetime. He lost the plot on the first goal and was embarrassed on the second. His frightening—as in, “please make it stop”—scampers past the center line likewise did not imbue a great deal of confidence in his decision making. Jurgen undoubtedly rates him, but is he ready for Brazil? Maybe not as much as supporters would’ve hoped.

The top of the “spine”—When do struggles turn into an unequivocal dirge? Whenever it is, we may be at that point with Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey—two players mentioned recently by Klinsmann when defining the “spine” of the U.S. national team. Frequenters on this side of the ledger for a few months now, both players looked bereft of initiative. Altidore looked unsure of exactly how to break out of his current slump while Dempsey was forced to drop so deep that he never really affected the game. His passes were telegraphed and his movements obvious. How long does it take to regain match sharpness, really?