Yes, Ghana is our boogieman but at least in 2010, our team was drained because of the bad officiating in group play, we could not advance until our 3rd game, a win over Algeria and perhaps that was an emotional win not gotten until the closing of the game. I think that's how it happened. 2010 World Cup and then, we met Ghana in the 1st round.
Germany should not have lost to Croatia in the group stage of the 2008 Euro Cup but they did. So I hold out hope of getting a draw with one of either Portugal or Germany. Of course, the objective is to win all of the games, unlikely.
And we do owe Ghana, to beat them this time around. We get out of our group, we could possibly really do something.
I agree, and Klinsmann is a huge upgrade in the brain trust department over Bob Bradley. Letting Ricardo Clark and Robbie Findley anywhere near a World Cup match in 2010 should have been a capital offense.
The USA will have to catch Germany on a very bad day to take points off them. Given Klinsmann’s history with them, I don’t see that as likely. But you never know.