2010 World Cup Preview: United States

After last year’s awe inspiring 2-0 victory over Spain in the Confederations Cup, many expected the United States to finally join the elite ranks of world soccer. Yet the revolution that many in the nation clamor for didn’t happen as hoped.

Injuries have hit Coach Bob Bradley’s men hard and the progress made in forming an identity has taken a significant step backward. Despite all of these factors, the Americans are still predicted by most to advance past the group stages.

Schedule

England: June 12
Slovenia: June 18
Algeria: June 23

Aside from the Stars and Stripes’ first game against a strong England team, the rest of the team’s Group C matches are games that the team should win.

The opener against England is one of the most anticipated matches of the entire tournament and the Americans can use their familiarity of the atmosphere of the Royal Bafokeng Stadium from last year’s Confederations Cup to steal a result. The talent level drops down considerably in Slovenia and Algeria but the United States have to avoid their tendency to get complacent in order to advance past the group stages.

The true tragedy of the team’s group stages matches is that none of their fixtures will be played in the magnificent Durban Stadium or the stunning Green Point Stadium.

Key Players

Having 121 international appearances and 42 goals to boot, the world knows what to expect from Landon Donovan.

Relentless energy and pace define the 28-year-old forward and his recent experience as a loan signing for Everton will only heighten his level of play.

The questions revolve around the rest of the roster, especially due to the aforementioned injuries. The car crash that has sidelined forward Charlie Davis for almost eight months has had head coach Bob Bradley scouring the globe to find another player who can replace the forward’s pace and productivity.

Physically gifted strike partner Jozy Altidore has been promising in international play (eight goals in 24 appearances) but the 20-year-old’s sub-par season at Hull City (two goals in 30 appearances) has many wondering whether or not his confidence has been shaken.

On defense, the team is led by fiery Tim Howard at goalkeeper and rock solid Oguchi Onyewu. The remaining options aren’t as solid after but have been recently effective. Carlos Bocanegra often shuffles between left back and center back depending on the matchup and provides Bradley with a reliable veteran presence.

Jonathan Spector and Jay DeMerit also shuffle between center back and right back and both are decent options when they aren’t on the operating table.

Strengths and Weaknesses

For all of the complaints that the Americans lack technical ability, one underappreciated aspect of the team is its sheer size and athleticism. The average height of the expected starting XI is slightly above six feet and due to the physical nature of the team, the US has a clear advantage in set pieces and winning headers, two very important areas.

Clint Dempsey has become a solid impact player in Europe this season under Roy Hodgson at Fulham and his ability to make clutch plays were key in the team’s magical run to the Europa Final. Michael Bradley continues to be one of the most underrated players on the national team despite being the coach’s son, and his versatile skill as a box to box midfielder makes him dangerous on both sides of the pitch.

The main weakness of the United States lies in the team’s lack of depth. While some World Cup teams will have the luxury of featuring the likes of Daniel Alves and Jermain Defoe off the bench for teams like Brazil and England respectively, the talent drops off significantly on the US bench.

The team would be significantly impacted if an injury or suspension were to happen to any of their starters and devastated if Donovan, Dempsey, or Altidore have to miss any time.

It Wwould Be a Great World Cup If…

The expectation might be for the US to make the knockout stages but optimists are hoping that the team finds a way to re-live its giant slaying ways from last summer. It might be delusional to hope for the team to make the World Cup final but a run to the final eight would be a massive step forward.

It Would Be a Disaster If…

The United States continue their lackluster play of late and fail to win in any of its fixtures. Algeria and Slovenia are maybe ranked much lower than the US but both have had significant victories over good teams in Russia and Egypt. If the team draws with either team or both, it would be a huge letdown as the stars and stripes realistically need at least five points to qualify for the final 16.

My Prediction

Don’t be surprised if the United States makes an awe-inspiring run to the World Cup’s final eight. The country is at a significant turning point of its development in soccer and many guys on the roster have chips on their shoulder wanting to prove themselves.