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.