Twenty years ago, Colombia was tragically embarrassed in the World Cup during a match-up with Team USA.

In this past World Cup, the Columbians saw their redemption and will now face the Americans Friday in a friendly match that will be an interesting test for the Americans.

"This is a real bench mark. You want to see how good we are right now? This is the bench mark that you want to have," said U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann regarding the importance of this game. "We want to finish 2014 on a high note and continue to try to meet the top teams eye to eye," said Klinsmann. "In these last two games we want our veterans to really become mentors both on and off the field, and we want to see our youngsters take advantage of the opportunity to make their case and grow from the experience. These performances will set the tone for 2015."

Colombia enters this game as clear favorites with the likes of James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado and Carlos Bacca. Bacca and Rodriguez have had tremendous years thus far in the Spanish League and will undoubtedly test the American defense.

Jermaine Jones, who was employed as a center back the last time he played for the team, will certainly be occupied in defending against Rodriguez, who is at his best when in the hole behind Colombia's top striker. Jones was far from his best in this experimental role, though Klinsmann seems interested in making it work on some level.

The other player to look out for is Lee Nguyen, who is making a return to the national team for the first time in seven years. He has been tremendous for the New England Revolution with 18 goals and five assists this season. It will be interesting to see if he gets a chance up top alongside Jozy Altidore or starts on the bench.

Notable absences for the U.S. in this game include Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and Omar Gonzalez.

The teams have met 16 times, with the most famous occasion coming in the aforementioned 1994 World Cup. Despite that iconic win for the USA (and infamous defeat for Colombia), the North Americans actually hold a woeful record against their South American rivals. Colombia has actually won 10 of the contests and only lost three; the other three games ended in draws.

The three USA wins came in 1994, 1981 and 2005. The 1981 win came in the Columbus Cup while the most recent victory took place in during an international friendly.

Since 1994, the two sides have met seven times, including three competitive matches. Colombia won a Copa America match 4-1 in 1995 and then proceeded to win a Copa America match 1-0 in 2007.

The most recent match between these two teams came in 2010 when the two sides played to a scoreless draw.

Schedule, How to Watch

The game can be watched on ESPN starting at 2:45 PM EST. Live streaming of the game can be seen here.


Predictions

The United States cannot be overlooked. Klinsmann has found a way to make warriors out of these players and that should make for an extremely entertaining game.

However, Colombia should still find a way to pull off a win. Look for a high-scoring game that ends 4-2 in favor of Colombia. Rodriguez and Bacco should score at least a goal each.