THE UNITED STATES men's national team's World Cup preparations just got a bit more interesting. The team will square off against Mexico on April 2 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The game will start at 11 p.m. ET (ESPN2, UniMas), and the buzz will no doubt begin long before that.

This will likely be the last competitive match before U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann sets his pre-World Cup training camp roster in May. The stakes will be through the roof for the 7-10 players players fighting for a seat on the plane to Brazil, including Brad Evans, Eddie Johnson, Clarence Goodson, Kyle Beckerman, Michael Parkhurst, Chris Wondolowski, Mike Magee, and others.

"We are going to be watching our players very carefully before making final decisions on the roster for the World Cup, so this will be a great benchmark to see where they are at and how they compete against our biggest rivals," Klinsmann said. "Games against Mexico are always special for the players and for the fans. We expect that it will be an amazing atmosphere in Phoenix with supporters for both teams, and it's great to have an opportunity to play before the start of the World Cup. You couldn't ask for a better experience to help with our preparations."

While El Tri was a bit of a mess in 2013, the team's talent is unquestioned. Do you think this is a good warm up for Brazil? Would you rather see the Yanks play a South American side in April. Chime in below.