Sunday, June 15, 2014

United States World Cup 2014 Preview and Predictions



In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa the United States got past the group stage but lost to Ghana in the next round for the second straight World Cup. The United States soccer federation then fired head coach Bob Bradley and hired former West German star and World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsman, who immediately instituted a new coaching style, hopefully for the better. Then, was the World Cup Draw, the US was grouped in group G.Group G is the United States, Portugal headed by Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Rinaldo, Ghana who knocked the United States out of the World Cup and Germany headed by Bastian Schweinsteigger who plays for top German club Bayern Munich. As if the United States being grouped in the "Group of Death" was not enough they also have the highest number of miles traveled out of any of the 2014 World Cup teams, going from Natal where the game time temperature is suppossed to be 86 degrees to Manaus in the middle of the rainforest, back to Reciefe which is south of Natal. Below is a map of Brazil, with the host cities marked.



Group G:

The United States opens against Ghana, the bottom left in Natal, then they go against, Portugal in Manaus, top right, lastly they go against Jurgen Klinsmann's former country Germany, top left. This group is commonly referred to as the "Group of Death" with many pundits announcing the United States not making it out of the group,  but the greatest United States soccer player of all time Landon Donovan said "It's the group of death because we are in it too". Which I agree with because I think even though soccer is not as big in the States as the other countries and the US does not have such an illustrious history as the rest of the countries in Group G, they have shown they can play and beat good teams, in a friendly last year the United States beat Germany, and great defense even caused the German keeper to have a mishap and an own goal to occur.

Portugal:

I think Portugal is beatable because I do not believe there is enough people around Cristiano Ronaldo for them to succeed. When Rinaldo for example, has a bad game they will probably lose. Portugal is ranked 4th in the world, but because of what I just said I do not think they will make it out of the group stage, so prepare for changes after this World Cup, probably because the coach always gets blamed, in the form of a managerial change.

Germany:
(credit A.J. Levine for the help)

The German team is the team I am most scared about in the Group of Death, they are filled with EPL and Bundesliga players, most of them play for top German club Bayern Munich, one of the best teams in the World. In the FIFA world rankings the Germans are ranked number two behind 2010 champions Spain. I think Miroslav Klose, Mezut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski will have the best tournaments for the German team. If the Germans are holding up the World Cup trophy in a month, it would not entirely shock me.


Ghana: 


The dang United States killers are back. The Ghanaian National team includes players from various different teams in the world, including Juventus, Orlando Pirates, and Schalke 04. I believe Ghana will not get out of the group and they will lose to the United States of America in the first game.

United States: 

The Underdogs from the United States of America. I am American so I am biased for this part, I think the United States will finally bury their demons and beat Ghana, I also think they will make it out of the group. The Americans will lose in the quarter finals to Argentina. The United States has players ranging from the MLS at home, to the EPL, to other European leagues.  I believe the results in the group stage for the States will be, the names after the scores denote the game winning goal scorer, or general goal scorer
US 3-1 Ghana, Mix Diskerud
US 1-1 Portugal, Clint Dempsey
US 1-4 Germany, Jozy Altidore
I think the United States will only get as far as Clint Dempsey can bring them, he is taking over for legend Landon Donovan, but Clint Dempsey is not a young inexperienced player by any stretch of the imagination, he is a hell of a player. I do not like however that Jurgen Klinsmann publicly stated them winning the world cup was "Just not realistic". I hate that because even if that is true and they are gonna be a colossal failure this year, they should not believe that they should believe that they are the best team in the world, and they can beat anybody they are up against.

The United States 23 man roster going to Brazil:

Goalies: 

#1- Tim Howard-Everton FC, England
#12-Brad Guzan-Aston Villa FC, England
#22-Nick Rimando-Real Salt Lake, United States

Defenders: 


#2- Deandre Yedlin- Seattle Sounders FC, United States
#3-Omar Gonzalez- LA Galaxy, United States
#5-Matt Besler- Sporting Kansas City, United States
#6-John Brooks- Hertha BSC, Germany
#7- Damarcus Beasley- Puebla, Mexico
#20-Geoff Cameron-Stoke City, England
#21-Timothy Chandler- Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany
#23-Fabian Johnson- Borussia Monchengladbach, Germany

Midfielders: 

#4-Michael Bradley- Toronto FC, Canada (part of the United States, MLS league)
#10-Mikkel (Mix) Diskerud- Rosenborg, Norway
#11- Alejandro Bedoya- Nantes, France
#13- Jermaine Jones- Besikitas, Turkey
#14-Brad Davis- Houston Dynamo, United States
#15-Kyle Beckerman- Real Salt Lake, United States
#16-Julian Green-Bayern Munich, Germany
#19-Graham Zusi- Sporting Kansas City, United States

Forwards:


#8-Clint Dempsey (C)- Seattle Sounders FC, United States
#9-Aron Johannson- Az Alkmaar, Norway
#17-Jozy Altidore- Sunderland FC, England
#18-Chris Wondolowski- San Jose Earthquakes, United States

No comments:

Post a Comment