World Cup Brazil 2014: Can Team USA Finally Win It All?

By Mariah Lin

The world’s biggest sporting event is almost here again, after four long years. With more than 2,000 fans coming out to New York’s Times Square to cheer on the national team as it prepared for the kickoff of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, pressure and expectations are high and rising for Team USA as they seek victory against Brazil.

Team USA will be appearing for the seventh consecutive year at the World Cup. With the opening ceremony less than two weeks away, let’s take a moment to look at the odds for Team USA.

How it Works:
Composed of 32 teams all seeking to make it to the championship, the first round has eight groups of four teams in a round-robin style of playing. The top two teams from the first round will advance to the Sweet Sixteen round. The sixteen teams will then seek to “knock each other off” the bracket on their way to the top.

What are the odds?
The question of if Team USA stands a chance at making it to the second round all comes down to chance. Having drawn the cards to play in Group G, it will not be an easy first round for USA. Known as the “group of death,” this is one of the hardest obstacles for the team as they look to make it to round Sweet Sixteen.

One Nation, One Team:
Jurgen Klinnsman is leading the United States Men’s National Team. A diverse roster of 23 players will keep things interesting this year. Since taking over in 2011, Jurgen has the roster looking stronger than ever, recruiting strong players who are eligible to play for the USMNT-through dual citizenship. Every player’s performance is a make or break-it, with no margin for error. Starters and reserves alike need to give maximum effort if Team USA wants to make it back to the knockout round. Here are three key players to keep an eye out for on the field that will lead Team USA to victory:

1. Clint Dempsey, USMNT World Cup Team Captain, Forward
With an impressive international club resume of experience, Dempsey needs to be one of the team’s strength. Although it is unclear if he is the best player on the team, as captain, this is his team. He will be the difference maker for the team, and if he does not perform well, it will be hard for the team to perform well. Dempsey is one of the few players that will determine if the team makes the first cut.

2. Tim Howard, Goal Keeper
Seasoned veteran player, Howard is known to be a strong leader for Team USA. The urgency and volume with which he uses to direct the team will be crucial for the U.S and they seek to maintain focus and momentum. Howard’s outspoken nature on the field will be needed to guide the team especially when emotions run high.

3. Julian Green, Attacking Midfield
18-year old German-American Green is a dynamic player for Team USA that can surprise the opposition. Young and not well-known, Green’s straight-line offensive pace and fast footwork make him a powerful, underestimated secret weapon for the U.S.

This is possibly the best U.S. National Team that had ever been put together. The only thing that could undo this would be the unlucky bad luck draw for Group G. Either way, Klinnsman has already been signed for the next world cup in Russia 2018, and the majority of the starting field players on the team are under 30 years old, meaning the 2018 USMNT could be an even stronger one.

History:
The USMNT has had a rocky place in the world cup since the team’s first appearance at the inaugural world cup in Uruguay in 1930. After finishing third in the semifinals in 1930, the team’s playing went downhill. From 1954-1986, Team USA went through a dry spell, unable to qualify for a single tournament.

This year’s team has little history, with only five players on the roster having competed in a World Cup before. Looked upon as the underdogs, there is little pressure on the team to meet high expectations. Hardly any soccer predictions have chosen the team as a favorite for emerging from the first round. However, usually all predictions are inaccurate.

The best part about being looked at as the underdog is when the underdog pulls a surprising win. In 2002, USMNT did just that by advancing to the quarterfinals.

First Matchup: Ghana
The first matchup, in the Group of Death, for Team USA is against Ghana, a pesky team that has already knocked them out of two consecutive world cups before. It is no secret that the first game against Ghana is a must-win for Team USA. The Ghana national team can be summed up in one word: athletic. With superlative speed, agility and strength, Ghana will keep Team USA on their toes. A defense driven strategy might work for Team USA by frustrating their opponent’s offense. With a young team this year, the 2014 USMNT should have no problem keeping up with Ghana’s offense. A size advantage could also work for the US, because Ghana is a team of smaller stature.

Possible Second Opponent: Portugal
If the Americans’ are able to take down Ghana, they will run smack into Cristiano Ronaldo and Team Portugal. Ronaldo is arguably the current best player in the world, and is also the reason Portugal is in the world cup this year. He is also the biggest threat towards Team USA because not only is he fast, he is also a great ball controller and has a fiercely accurate shot. The American’s best weapon against them is Portugal’s over confidence. As long as they can contain Ronaldo, the American’s have a good shot at emerging victorious. Who knows, Team USA might pull another unexpected win, just like in 2002.

Challenging Matchup: Germany
Team USA will roll into Arena Pernambuco on June 26 to compete against a team many are picking to win the World Cup title: Germany. The German team is well rounded and strong, with no obvious weaknesses besides the youth of their players. However, that does not mean all hope is not over for the Americans. Looking into the past games against Germany, Team USA has dominated against them before. Many tend to overlook the fact that Team USA is an extremely physical team. They can run with the best of them and run teams into the ground.

In the game of soccer nothing is for certain. The structure of the world cup makes upsets inevitable, and that unpredictability is what adds to the excitement of the game. For the second-straight year, Americans are once again the nation with the most people who have purchased tickets for matches in Brazil among non-host nations. It is the closest thing that Americans have to home court advantage with 18,000 fans already scheduled to be in attendance. As soccer fans across the world anxiously anticipate June 12, U.S soccer fans will once again be telling themselves that this might be the year that the underdogs win it all. Who knows, it just might be.