Posted on 12/06/2013 12:02:24 PM PST by 1rudeboy
Defending champion Spain will play its opening World Cup game against the Netherlands, a repeat of the ill-tempered 2010 final, while host Brazil faces a relatively easy path to the knockout stage after Friday's draw.
The draw was full of bad news for the United States, which has the toughest group and the worst travel schedule. The U.S. opens with African power Ghana on June 16 on the coast in Natal, then plays Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Amazon rain forest city of Manaus. The Americans then go to back to the northern coast to play Germany, one of the favorites, in Recife.
"I kind of had in my stomach that we were going to get Germany," said U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who played for Germany's 1990 World Cup championship team and coached his native country to third place in 2006. "Obviously it's one of the most difficult groups in the whole draw."
Brazil starts its campaign for a sixth World Cup title with an opener against Croatia. Mexico, which struggled to qualify, and Cameroon are also in the group.
Argentina, champion in 1978 and 1986, first plays Bosnia-Herzegovina, the only World Cup newcomer among the 32 teams. After that game in Rio de Janeiro, the Argentine team and four-time world player of the year Lionel Messi plays Iran and Nigeria. In six previous World Cup encounters, Nigeria has beaten Argentina just once.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Group G: USA, Germany, Ghana, Portugal.
Group Misery, more like it.
That draw is just evil for us. Meanwhile France backs into the World Cup and gets Switzerland, Backhairistan and somebody else.
Oh, well. There’s always playing in 200-degree heat in Qatar four years from now if things don’t work out.
I’d bet my right ball that Blatter’s going to change the tournament to wintertime regardless of how pissed the Europeans are with that.
Yeah, the US will be lucky to get a W. Best hope might be a bunch of ties. Meanwhile, South American teams generally look like most all of them could advance. Convenient.
Somehow, I doubt it. Blatter will do whatever makes him the most money.
So essentially, the first game is a must-win for the US or it’s over before we even start!
Even Mexico, only has to get past Croatia and Cameroon.
If Germany beats everybody, it’s a wash....The key is beating Ghana, we couldn’t do it last time, but at least it went to extra time.
The good news is that Portugal is a one-man team, and his WC history is far from stellar.
Mexico isn’t playing well and they’re in with Brazil. I can see Cameroon giving them a tough time and you never know about Croatia. Under ordinary circumstances I’d say they’d go through without a second thought but now you never know.
Mexico has the talent....they need the coaching.
That's why for all intents and purposes, it's a three-team group. Brazil should win out.
They’re hugely talented. But they need time to settle into someone’s system. Anyone’s system, in fact. For more than a month or so.
For me, though, I wouldn’t mind seeing them finish third in their group :)
I just got a bad feeling once the US let them off the hook, that they will get their act together.
You too, eh? We did save their bacon, so to speak. They are a talented group and I hope our generosity doesn’t come back to bite us.
Howard Webb is more famous as a soccer ref than Ed Hochuli as an NFL ref.
No Euro team has won a WC held outside of Europe.
Nice win for Everton, by the way. Congrats.
Yep, Moyes finally saw Everton win at Old Trafford.
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