A difficult draw has given the United States an unenviable task in Brazil. Ian Watson looks at how far Jurgen Klinsmann's team can go...
Tuesday 10 June 2014 14:38, UK
Optimism was eroded only slightly by their placing in the group of death but hopes remain higher than expectations for the United States.
The USMNT qualified strongly, topping the CONCACAF Hexagonal ahead of Costa Rica, Honduras and Mexico. Brazil will be their seventh consecutive finals appearance and, hosts aside, they will be the best supported nation, with over 150,000 tickets being sold to fans in the United States.
Klinsmann has done an impressive job since replacing Bob Bradley, with the German coach overseeing a record 12 straight wins in 2013 and a Gold Cup triumph.
Few teams will be better organised or disciplined than Klinsmann's side. Scoring goals may be a greater problem than keeping them out, with Jozy Altidore leading the line, supported by Clint Dempsey, who must provide the creative spark which the team has been accused of lacking.
USA's Group G fixtures:
Monday June 16: Ghana v USA - Natal (23.00)
Sunday June 22: USA v Portugal - Manaus (23.00)
Thursday June 26: USA v Germany - Recife (17.00)
Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann
The German has plenty of World Cup finals experience, having played and scored in three consecutive tournaments, winning the first of those in 1990. The 49-year-old also coached his country in the 2006 finals on home soil, when Germany reached the semi-finals only to be beaten by eventual winners Italy. Klinsmann resisted calls for him to stay on with the national team, but the lure of Bayern Munich was too strong in 2008. His spell in charge of Bayern was far less successful, and he was replaced five games before the end of his first season. Having previously rejected overtures from the USA when Bradley was appointed instead, Klinsmann accepted the USSF's invitation at the second time of asking in 2011. The California native has recovered from a shaky start to take his team to Brazil with relative ease, sealing qualification with two games to spare.
Star man: Michael Bradley.
Dempsey will be required to be the USA's creative force, but against the forces of Germany and Portugal, and the strong midfield of Ghana, Bradley will have to be at his combative best if Klinsmann's side are to squeeze out of the group. The midfield general, who returned home to MLS in a big-money January move from Roma, played every minute of the 2010 tournament and, though he was passed up for the captaincy role, the 26-year-old provides vital experience having played in Holland, Germany, England and Italy since making the first of his 83 caps in 2006. Bradley has built up a strong partnership with Jermaine Jones, with the pair crucial at the base of the midfield, allowing Dempsey to focus primarily on his creative brief.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake).
Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nurnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders).
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City).
Strikers: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).
British based players: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Geoff Cameron (Stoke), Jozy Altidore (Sunderland).
Sky Bet odds: 125/1
Jurgen Klinsmann's team had to qualify for Brazil the hard way but they will need to create a major upset if they are to match their performance in the 2010 World Cup. On that occasion they suffered an agonising extra-time defeat to Ghana, who ironically are the side they face in their opening match of this year's tournament. But if they are to reach the last 16 this time they are going to have to upset Germany or Portugal early on. The USA are odds-on to make an early exit and 9/1 to win the group.
