Its Under-17 team reached the knockout round of the 2005 World Cup but lost to the Netherlands. Mexico? It beat Brazil 3-0 in the championship match.

The U.S. Under-17 squad then failed to qualify to last year's World Cup. Mexico? It beat Uruguay 2-0 in the final.

What about the Under-20s?

The United States didn't qualify to the Under-20 World Cup in 2011. Mexico? El Tri finished third in the tournament.

Then there's the Olympic team that just beat Brazil, a team mostly made up of European based players who are under multi-million dollar contracts with clubs such as Manchester United, AC Milan and Real Madrid, to name a few.

"In certain elements there is a gap, in other elements we can close gaps right away," Klinsmann said about the difference in recent results between both nations. "If we just continue our path and work harder to close that gap, I think a lot is happening in the American system. There are a lot of positives happening in MLS and also our youth development in the MLS and the U.S. Soccer Development Academies. The next couple years will be exciting to follow what soccer in the U.S. can do, but at the moment Mexico is a step ahead of us."

Since taking over the team, Klinsmann has tried to give the United States a different identity. He is working on implementing a more fluid brand of soccer that focuses on technique than just managing the physical part of the game. Klinsmann wants his players to be more tactically savvy and not just rely on their brute athleticism.

That is why, in part, Klinsmann has made sure to include players from the Mexican League who have a U.S. passport.

That includes Club Tijuana's Joe Corona and Edgar Castillo. Both are part of Klinsmann's call up to the friendly against Mexico Wednesday night. So are Jose Torres (Pachuca), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Herculez Gomez (Santos) and DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla).

"That's important for us to have a presence down here," Klinsmann said about having national team players in Mexico. "The people in Mexico are starting to realize that. They see that we come down here and watch games. They are open to any dialogue. I think it means a lot to us and to the players constantly being called back into the national team program.

"It's good to see Joe Corona breaking though in Tijuana out of his comfort zone and making his path through the league, but also doing it differently than a player that had to deal with that disappointment of not qualifying for the Olympics. There is a benefit to players that play abroad, but there is a benefit to the challenge at home in the U.S. The point is that for the players to see that they are equally evaluated by the national team coaches no matter where they play. The players in Mexico get that recognition and see that they are there to fight for a spot. All of these guys want to go to Brazil in 2014."

ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com