The pools have been set for this summer’s World Cup in South Africa. The United States has received a fairly favorable draw, being grouped with England, Slovenia, and Algeria. In the US’s last nine meetings with England, they have lost seven times and won only twice. In the most recent meeting between the two last year, England beat the US 2-0 at Wembley Stadium. The US has never faced either Algeria or Slovenia, but they are figured to be the favorite in both those matches.
The US has several players that play in the English Premier League against many of the players on England’s roster. Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, and Carlos Bocanegra are all US players that play in Europe. Another interesting thing will be Landon Donovan and David Beckham playing against each other. The two are teammates on the Los Angeles Galaxy and were part of an early season dispute that caused many people to question their relationship as teammates.
The world’s number one ranked team, Brazil, drew a rather tough group. It will face the Ivory Coast, Portugal, and North Korea. Both the Ivory Coast and Portugal are ranked in the top 16 of FIFA’s world rankings.
The US will open up its World Cup campaign on June 12th in Rustenberg, South Africa against England. Be sure to keep up with Team USA as it prepares for the world’s most popular sporting event and hopes to “go for the gold.”
This looks like a great draw for the US! They have a great shot at advancing to the 2nd round and further! They need to stay on the top of their game. I’m sure they will all be hungry for the victory when they get to South Africa!