Countdown to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil:

The 2014 World Cup begins on June 12, when Brazil plays Croatia in the opening match. The Times is counting down to the start of the tournament each day with a short capsule of news and interesting tidbits.

First he named 30 players. Then, after about 10 days of workouts, he sent seven of them packing. (You may have heard about at least one of these cuts.) Now Jurgen Klinsmann will take the 23-member United States national team out for a test drive on Tuesday night with an exhibition game against Azerbaijan in San Francisco.

What will he be looking for? Klinsmann gave some hints about what he wants to see when he met with reporters on Monday. First among them is a win.

There’s a purpose behind choosing Azerbaijan,” Klinsmann said. “It’s a team that’s not in the top category of opponents. We wanted to kind of not hit a Top 10 team right away in the first match after a very strong preparation where we did a lot of physical work so the legs might be here and there a bit heavier. It’s important to start the send-off series with a win and build confidence.”

Other things fans should be on the lookout for:

Substitutions. Klinsmann says he expects to use all six at his disposal. “We’ll definitely experiment here and there,” he said. So if you have a favorite player who’s not a goalkeeper, you’ll probably get a look at him.

Tinkering. Klinsmann has hinted the lineup that takes the field on Tuesday night will be close to the one he’ll run out against Ghana in the Americans’ first World Cup game, but he also said he would try some different combinations — especially on the back line — to try to get a feel for who and what works best defensively. Various reports have suggested a variety of combinations, with a center-back pairing of Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron emerging as a strong possibility with Omar Gonzalez recovering from a knee injury. It’s on the outside where things are less settled. Fabian Johnson, Timothy Chandler, DaMarcus Beasley, Cameron (who plays on the right for Stoke City in England, and only if he’s not in the center) and others all could get a look. Because what’s more fun than tinkering with your defense two weeks before the World Cup?

A New No. 10. With Landon Donovan back in training with the Los Angeles Galaxy, the No. 10 jersey he has worn for the United States for years is on the market. Klinsmann wouldn’t say who would wear it in Brazil — “I’m going to ask the equipment manager,” Klinsmann said, smiling. “That’s his job.” — but whoever gets it will have more than performance fabric on his shoulders. He will also carry have Donovan’s considerable legacy, and the outrage of many fans who think only one man should be wearing it. Someone on the team is getting it — FIFA rules require jerseys numbered 1 to 23 at the World Cup — but so far no one is stepping up. Clint Dempsey has made it clear he doesn’t want it — he’s gone so far as to describe it as unlucky— and no one on the team even wears it at the club level.

We’ll post a lineup later (the game kicks off at 9:55 p.m. on ESPN2), but for now here are a couple of questions to ponder: Who would you like to see in the No. 10 in Brazil? And who is in your preferred back four?