Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
The draw for the 2014 World Cup was not kind to the United States.
The U.S. Men’s National Team was handed one of the most difficult groups in World Cup history as they were placed in Group G with Germany, Ghana, and Portugal, with matches in the north (Manaus) and northeast (Natal and Recife) of Brazil. In addition, the distances between the venues they’ll play in and their home base in Sao Paulo are vast. The U.S. will likely end up traveling nearly 9,000 miles in the group stage alone.
Group G is filled with plenty of story lines, from USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann facing his native Germany to the never-ending rivalry between the USA and Ghana.
Here’s a closer look at the outcome of the rest of the draw:
2014 FIFA WORLD CUP DRAW
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea
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What did you think of the draw? Worried about the USMNT’s chances? Think they can make it into the knockout stages? What other groups do you think are the toughest?
Share your thoughts below.
It really all comes down to beating Ghana.
The USA’s group is a challenge certainly but if you compare our group to other Pot 3 teams, I think it could have been a lot worse. Australia, facing Spain, Chile and Netherlands and Costa Rica, facing Italy, England and Uruguay, have much worse groups than us.
We know Ghana and played them evenly in both matches even though we lost and I think Portugal tends to play to the level of their competition. They both can be beat. It’ll be a challenge but this is not an unbeatable group.
Also for anyone who watched the draw, it sounded like when the USA was announced in Group G with Germany and Ghana, there was a loud gasp from people in the audience. Was that maybe a sign of respect or people immediately realizing the Klinsmann/Germany connection?
Respect for the USMNT? Not at all.
The only question is whether to play Hasselhoff in midfield or as a striker.
Those curls deserve to be waving. I say GK
For everyone who says there’s no way we are getting out of the group. What does the team have to do for this to be a successful World Cup for Klinsmann? How do we judge the progress he has made as coach?
Personally, I think he’s already ptoving his merit. But if I had to base it solely on WC performance?
Beat Ghana
Don’t underplay the currently top 5 FIFA ranked Portugal (and hope they underplay us)
Give Germany hell and hope for a draw.
If refs don’t play a role, anywhere from 3 to 9 points are there. I personally want to see the US earn 4-6. That would tell me they played well and kept fate in their own hands.
Oh and I think they have good odds to advance, but it will be very challenging.
The USMNT will not advance but maybe they can score a few goals or make one of the other teams struggle.
You probably said that 4 years ago also. And when they do advance, because they will, you can act like you new they would.
I’ll always stand by my comments. And the USMNT was a minute away from tying Algeria and packing their bags if not for a last second goal by Landycakes.
“because they will”
Blind optimism much?
We’re gonna have to play some ugly soccer to get ahead.
I’m sorry, but reading all of these posts, one thing is clear. People here are DRAMATICALLY overrating Portugal and Ghana!
They are nice, quality teams, no doubt, but these are simply not world-beaters. Portugal is mainly a one star team. Moutinho gives them a world-class box-to-box mid, but other than that, you never know when the rest of the offense will show up. They have a history of underperforming that dates back to the time the Dead Sea Scrolls were written. They had ten games in qualifying and couldn’t even finish ahead of Russia- Russia people! And this is nothing new, they barely qualified for the last WC, also needing the extra play-in series. We even knocked them out in 2002. They just aren’t a top-class side,,,and NO ONE’S favorites to win the cup.
Ghana only seems threatening because of our history against them. If this were any other team in the world who drew them I can assure you they would not be trembling in their boots. Most of these fans can only cite the two WC games we lost against them. This is simply not a particularly threatening side. So incredibly much has changed since the last Cup, and we almost beat them then, only losing in extra time, with Bradley as coach and a far inferior product on the field compared to what we can put out there now.
I’m not saying these two teams are cakewalks, but, outside of Germany, which I doubt we will beat or even draw, we ABSOLUTELY stand a very reasonable chance of besting Portugal and Ghana. This is simply not the group of death, people. In fact, I think it is only the third toughest group. Aside from the obvious Spain-Holland-Chile group I also believe Italy-Uruguay-England is a tougher draw.
Stop overrating Portugal and Ghana and have a little confidence in your team. There is no reason we won’t put up a good fight at the very least.
I agree they are good sides but if we aren’t at the point where we can beat a Ghana or Portugal then this team really hasn’t progressed under Klinsmann.
Did you read my whole post? I’m saying I believe we can beat them, both of them. Not saying we will, but can. And Klinsmann hasn’t yet had a chance to prove if we are now capable of beating them, he hasn’t played them.
What I’m saying is they are good sides but not great, and certainly nothing to call “group of death” material. Only Germany truly is of that ilk.
No I agree, and I’d say landing in B or D would have been worse for us. So it’s hard to really say it’s the group of death when there were at least 2 worse possibilities.
You can’t blame people for being realistic.
“I’m sorry, but reading all of these posts, one thing is clear. People here are DRAMATICALLY overrating Portugal and Ghana!”
Perhaps you’re overrating the USMNT?
No he is not. Read his post. Reading Comprehension, buddy.
Yes he is. He is obviously confident of the USMNT facing these teams since they are supposedly not that great, as if the USMNT is.
Bradley was and always will be a good coach so don’t make it sound like he was a liability.
+1. I agree completely. We should be thankful we’re not in Australia or Costa Rica’s position.
LOL a few posts up this guy asked if I was crazy. Than posts this.
Michael Bradley, please stay healthy. Then anything is possible.
all i can say is, I feel bad for australia.
Tough draw, but
(a) I agree with those who say that the Spain, Netherlands, Chile group would have been harder to advance from.
(b) The group games will be entertaining.
(c) Don’t we want a chance to finally beat Ghana?
“one of the most difficult groups in world cup history” man here’s hoping the hyperbole doesnt ratchet up even MORE between now than June. I’m already sick of this not-true sentence.
It is for the USMNT.
This couldn’t have been scripted better for a Hollywood film.
Ghana – well, if you write on here you know those stories.
Germany – same thing.
And last but not least, we have to take on Ronaldo’s Portugal who are a solid although beatable team.
This is far and away the worse possible group for the USMNT.
That being said, I feel the US will get through; we beat Ghana, beat Portugal and tie Germany. Here is to dreaming…
If we advance, we play against Group H I believe.
That’s Belgium, Russia, Algeria, South Korea. So, we do get rewarded if we advance because each of those teams will be easier than the three we play in the group.
Yep, unlike Mexico, which have an ok group only to advance and be crushed xD
At least they would advance.
Is this a joke? Belgium is certianly light-years ahead of Portugal and Ghana and about on par with Germany. Have you been following international soccer this year. Belgium is a potential World Cup winner.
Yeah just look at that Belgium roster its scary.
Belgium is a potential World Cup winner? You’re insane.
The word is potential. Agree Belgium have the potential just as the US has the potential to make it out of their group. Belgium is stacked everywhere on the pitch.
P ortugal
U SA
G ermany
G hana
L
Y
P ortugal,
U SA,
G ermany,
G hana.
S **t
P ortugal
U SA
G ermany
G hana
L – ose
Y – your out!
Not hearing much yet about youth and fitness being an issue. It seems like a strenuous setup (heat and travel) and I wonder if there are any thoughts about some of our older players not making the cut. I guess I’m thinking about Dolo who has been in the news lately and Beasley ,Donovan etc. I still really feel that we were a step too slow/old against Ghana last time around with Boca being the most obvious example.
Is there a position where a better player may have to sit in place of a younger player in better shape?