Starting in two weeks, the world will shift away from South America and the World Cup in Canada to the United States to watch the Gold Cup. 

The United States enters the tournament as the current champion and will look to retain the title and participate in the 2017 Confederations Cup. There are many reasons to believe that the Americans are the runaway favorites to win this competition. Here are a few.

Confidence on the Rise

A year ago, the U.S. put up a great performance in Brazil, making it out of the group of death and into the quarterfinals against a terrific Belgian side. Since then, the Americans have struggled at times, showing moments of brilliance against the Czechs before rattling off a painful streak of five games without a win.

Everything changed in April, when the team took down Mexico 2-0. That win was followed up by two major victories against the Netherlands and Germany in international friendlies. Both wins came late in the game, showing the Americans' abilities to come together in the clutch.

The team will have a lot to prove in the upcoming tournament, being faced with Honduras and Panama in a difficult group. However, a team with this much confidence should have little trouble navigating a tournament with far inferior competition.

Michael Bradley is Back

Back in 2010, everyone had the expectation that Michael Bradley would one day turn into a top player for the U.S. national side.

He fulfilled that expectation momentarily, but when the World Cup came around last summer Bradley struggled to put it together. Save for a final moment of brilliance against Belgium in the Round of 16, the man who had brought hope was a nonentity.

Things have changed a bit of late as Bradley has not only found the form that made him a prized player but superseded it with two incredible turns against Germany and the Netherlands. He looked like a man possessed with the ball at his feet and was constantly making intelligent plays to pick apart opposing defenses.

The pass he made across the pitch against Germany for the U.S.'s opening goal was the work of true brilliance. The 50-yard run he made on the fourth goal against the Dutch in the 90th minute, during which he dribbled through and around three Dutchmen, was Messi-like.

If Bradley plays this way in the Gold Cup, the Americans should have no issues lifting the trophy.