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The U.S. Olympic Team: A closer look at Group B

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While you can’t call the men’s Olympic soccer tournament’s Group B the Group of Death, it’s pretty damn close. With the Netherlands, an underrated Nigeria and the United States all vying for a top two spot, this group is going to be brutal.

Just how brutal? Just take a look at the rosters for the other teams in Group B with the United States:

NETHERLANDS

GOALKEEPERS: Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse), Kenneth Vermeer (Ajax)

DEFENDERS: Kew Jaliens (AZ), Calvin Jong-A-Pin (SC Heerenveen), Kees Luijcks (AZ), Dirk Marcelis (PSV), Erik Pieters (PSV), Gianni Zuiverloon (West Bromwich Albion)

MIDFIELDERS: Otman Bakkal (PSV), Urby Emanuelson (Ajax), Jonathan de Guzman (Feyenoord), Hedwiges Maduro (Valencia), Evander Sno (Celtic)

FORWARDS: Roy Beerens (sc Heerenveen), Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Royston Drenthe (Real Madrid), Roy Makaay (Feyenoord), Gerald Sibon (sc Heerenveen).

NIGERIA

GOALKEEPERS: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv/ISR), Ambrose Vanzekin (Akwa United), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Ocean Boys)

DEFENDERS: Taye Taiwo (Olympique Marseille/FRA), Monday James (sans club), Onyekachi Apam (Nice/FRA), Dele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam/HOL), Olubayo Adefemi (Hapoel Bnei Lod/ISR), Chibuzo Okonkwo (Bayelsa United)

MIDFIELDERS: Sani Kaita (Sparta Rotterdam/HOL), Olufemi Oladapo (Boavista/POR), Emmanuel Ekpo (Columbus Crew/USA), Oluwafemi Ajilore (Groningue/HOL), Promise Isaac (Genclerbirligi/TUR), Chinedu Ogbuke (Hoffenheim/ALL), Bernard Okorowanta (Sivasspor/TUR), Yinka Adedeji (3SC)

FORWARDS: Victor Anichebe (Everton/ANG), Obinna Nsofor (Chievo/ITA), Peter Odemwingie (Locomotiv Moscou/RUS), Ikechukwu Uche (Getafe/ESP), Solomon Okoronkwo (Hertha Berlin/ALL)

JAPAN

GOALKEEPERS: Kaito Yamamoto (S-Pulse), Shusaku Nishikawa (Trinita)

DEFENDERS: Hiroki Mizumoto (Sanga), Hajime Hosogai (Reds), Naoaki Aoyama (S-Pulse), Masato Morishige (Trinita), Michihiro Yasuda (Gamba), Atsuto Uchida (Antlers), Maya Yoshida (Grampus)

MIDFIELDERS: Yasuhito Endo (Gamba), Takuya Honda (S-Pulse), Hiroyuki Taniguchi (Frontale), Yohei Kajiyama (FC Tokyo), Keisuke Honda (VVV Venlo), Tsukasa Umesaki (Reds)

FORWARDS: Yohei Toyoda (Montedio), Tadanari Lee (Reysol), Shinji Okazaki (S-Pulse), Shinzo Koroki (Antlers), Takayuki Morimoto (Catania)

The Dutch, led by Ryan Babel, Roy Makaay, Roysten Drenthe and Jonathan Guzman, is the clear favorite. Nigeria, which features Victor Anichebe, Peter Odemwingie, Ikechukwu Uche and Taye Taiwo, is also dangerous. Japan, which only brought one over-age player and is lacking any senior national team stars, looks like the weak link.

What do you think of the group? Can the Americans advance out of this group? are the Dutch a lock to win the group? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. For what it’s worth, Nigerian captain Isaac Promise was an awesome player for my FIFA 2007 dynasty (he and Jay Demerit led Ipswich Town to 3 Champion’s League titles). He’ll probably be pretty good, he tried out for Chelsea at the same time as John Obi Mikel. But the US really should advance, as long as the defense holds up.

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  2. for all the naysayers in here the US team stacks up very well against all of these teams, including the Dutch. Maybe you don’t know but Michael Bradley tore the scoring up from a recessed midfield position in the Dutch league playing against almost every player on there roster and he isn’t the best player we have sent. That being said this is soccer and with these teams all being fairly even the US could still go out strong and lose every game, but I just don’t see that happening.

    Also in reference to the comment about us 18-20 somethings not knowing their Animal House, you can’t group us all because of one person who happened to post first who didn’t get it. I have a Belushi poster wearing his College shirt in my apartment, and is Fawn Libowitz here?

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  3. That Dutch team is on a whole other level in terms of talent. So are quite a few others in the competition.

    And call me crazy, but I don’t think it’ll take a Nesta to stop the US attack. These same guys that were moaning about it a year ago are now convinced that it’s the best at the tournament. Give me a flippin’ break.

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  4. I think this is going to be a great group, teams are going to have to really bring it defensivly to stop us. Its a given that Jozy and mcbride are going to start up front with Freddy playing the # 10 role. That is some serious talent and power. I would like to see sacha and robbie rogers play the outside midfield roles. i cant wait

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  5. drenthe is not a defender, where did you hear that?! de Guzman has a brother who plays for Canada. he is the one who got taken out by Bocanegra at the Gold Cup. this de Guzman decided to play for the Dutch.

    nigeria will be a solid team, but like we shouldnt underrate them, dont overrate them (which it seems a lot are doing). japan will also be a strong team. but i wouldnt say they are that much stronger than the USA. i think we can do well.

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  6. I always love when people quote that line from Animal House and THEN forget that the next line is “Germans?” Dave, I’m with you.

    Typically exhange is:

    First dude: “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”

    Second dude: “Germans?”

    First dude: No, you don’t get it, it’s a line from Animal House.

    Second dude: I know you idiot, the next line is “Germans?”

    Reply

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