Group D - Ghana

Group D

Germany

Australia

Serbia

Ghana

Nickname: The Black Stars

Colors: You would think black, but actually their home kit is white while their away kit is red with yellow stripes

Current World Ranking: 31

Manager: Milovan Rajevac

To add a little element of drama to this group, Rajevac happens to be Serbian. He’s a former player and manager in the Serbian league and has been at the helm for Ghana since 2008, though his appointment was met with a lot of criticism in Ghana from fans who wanted a home grown coach. They also weren’t impressed with his resume, which lacked any big team or international coaching experience. But Rajevac has let his performance do the talking for him, helping the team to cruise through qualifying. He’s a defensive minded manager who likes to pack the midfield, which is just as well for Ghana because they lack a world-class striker.

History: Ghana gained their independence from Great Britain in 1957 but it took them another 50 years to qualify for their first World Cup in 2006.

Despite their lack of success outside of Africa, Ghana has been a dominant force on the continent, earning the nickname “The Brazil of Africa” back in the 60’s. They’ve won the African Cup of Nations 4 times making them the most successful nation behind Egypt. After a relative drought in the 90’s the team was basically taken over be a young crop of players at the 2002 African Cup of Nations that have remained in place through the 2004 Olympics, went undefeated in 2005, and announced their presence on the world stage at the 2006 World Cup. They were drawn into the “Group of Death” with Italy, the Czech Republic, and the United States. They were expected to finish last in the group and certainly looked like they would after a 2-0 defeat to eventual champs Italy in the opening match but they went on to shock the shit out of the Czech Republic, who had just spanked the US 5-0, by winning 2-0. They needed to beat the US in the final match and have Italy beat the Czech Republic and that’s exactly what happened. They conceded the US’s only legitimate goal of the tournament to Clint Dempsey but went on to win 2-1 to allow them to advance to the Round of 16 behind Italy and become the only African nation to do so. Unfortunately they came up against the Brazil of South America and lost 3-0, but overall the tournament was a huge success for the team especially considering they were the youngest team in the tournament with average age just under 24.

In the most recent African Cup of Nations held in Angola this past winter they were drawn into a group with Ivory Coast, Togo, and Burkina Faso. Togo withdrew from the tournament after their bus was savagely attacked by terrorists, killing three people. As tragic as that was, it benefited Ghana’s cause because it was too late for a team to replace Togo so the group competed with only three teams. Ghana lost to Ivory Coast 3-0 then beat Burkina Faso 1-0 and thanks to a draw between Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, Ghana advanced to the knockout stage. A series of 1-0 wins over Angola and Nigeria saw them advance to the finals where they lost to Egypt 1-0.

Players: Ghana is literally a who’s-who of international talent, with players on top-flight club teams all over the world. As mentioned, the manager employs a very defensive style and utilizes a strong midfield to control play. If they have a weakness it’s up front – their most promising striker, Dominic Adiyiah, is only 21 with just 3 caps and 1 goal under his belt but the players believe the team overall is stronger than the 2006 squad, especially now that many of the kids from the squad that won the 2009 U-20 World Cup are now on the roster. Despite all the talent on the Ghana team, it’s probably not an exaggeration to say that their hopes in this tournament rely on the fitness of one man:

Michael Essien – Midfielder

At 26 Essien is a powerful and versatile midfield player who contributes endless energy, a knack for goal, and a tough tackling style that has earned him the nickname “The Bison”. You might think that’s kind of odd but then you watch him play and you’re like, “Dear God, that guy plays like a bison.” He’s played for the English club Chelsea since 2005, which means I absolutely hate him. He was voted Chelsea’s player of the year in 2007, was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007, and won the African Player of the Year award in 2005 and 2006 then became runner up for the same award in 2007. Unfortunately for Essien, his recent career has been marked by major injuries sustained on international duty. He missed almost the entire 2008-09 season due to a knee injury and then sustained another injury in the 2010 African Cup of Nations causing him to miss the entire rest of this current season and make him questionable for the World Cup. Early reports were that he’d make a full recovery in time but he recently said himself that he fears he’ll miss the tournament all together. While Ghana has plenty of quality players on the bench, Essien is the heart of the team and will be a huge loss if he can’t be fit in time.

Stephen Appiah – Midfielder (Captain)

If Essien’s fitness concerns weren’t enough, their captain also has injury concerns of his own. Having started at the age of 15 in the Italian Serie A, Appiah has had a sterling career as a “box-to-box” midfielder with the nickname “Tornado” for his constant energy or strong play on the pitch. Appiah has played for the national team since 1996 and was the one to score the penalty against the US in the ’06 cup to send them into the Round of 16. Unfortunately a devastating knee injury sustained in 2008 has largely kept him off the pitch, even with club team Bologna in Italy. If he and Essien do play, along with the next guy, Sulley Muntari, Ghana will have one of the best midfields in the tournament.

Sulley Muntari – Midfield

At just 25 years of age, Muntari is one of the most capped players for Ghana with 52 appearances and 15 goals. He first played for the team in 2002 but had a falling out when he was sent home from the 2004 Olympics for disciplinary issues. He vowed never to play for Ghana again but retracted a short while later and was accepted back into the team. He played in three of the team’s games in the ’06 cup, scoring against the Czech Republic, but missed the fourth game due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Muntari recently got himself back into hot water with the international team by purposely skipping a friendly match, though he’s still expected to be an integral part of the team this summer. He has played for Italian side Internazionale for the past two seasons.

Prediction: The same players that were the African darlings of the 2006 Cup are still basically intact and having come off a good, if a bit shaky, performance in the African Cup of Nations, Ghana could be expected to play well this summer, especially on their home continent. But like I said, it may come down to Essien’s fitness. The way I see it, Germany’s biggest challenge in this group with come from Serbia. If they can handle them, they’ll get out of the group unscathed on top. After that, the other three are a complete toss up for me. I could see each of them advancing in the second spot just as I could see each of them laying an egg and underperforming. This is one group I’ll be watching very closely though, as the runner up will face the winner of Group C. 

Group D - Serbia

Group D

Germany

Australia

Serbia

Ghana

Nickname: Beli Orlovi (White Eagles) – from the coat of arms.

Colors: Red, White, Blue

Current World Ranking: 15

Manager: Radomir Antic

The Serbian is a former player who has been managing for the better part of 2 decades now and has the distinction of being the only man to coach Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. He’s been managing the Serbia national team since 2008 after turning the job down multiple times before then. He employees an attack minded system and often uses a veteran squad injected with young talent.

History: From 1992 to 2003 the Serbian team was known as the Yugoslavia National Football team and then as Serbia and Montenegro until 2006 when they became the Serbia National Football Team after declaring independence. Interestingly though, both FIFA and UEFA allowed Serbia to inherit the records and status from both Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro.

Yugoslavia was banned from international competitions in the early 90’s so their first World Cup of the modern era came in 1998 in France. They were underdogs but played amazingly well, beating Iran and the US and drawing Germany after being up 2-0. They finished second in the Group to Germany due to goal difference, which earned them a Round of 16 match against the Netherlands that they lost in the dying seconds of the match.

Serbia and Montenegro failed to qualify for the 2002 Cup in Asia but finished atop their Group in the 2006 Cup qualification ahead of favorites Spain by going undefeated and allowing only 1 goal in 10 matches. They were unlucky to draw the “Group of Death” in the tournament though, along with Netherlands, Argentina, and Ivory Coast. They lost the opening game against the Dutch 1-0 then got owned by Argentina 6-0. They had only pride to play for in the final match against Ivory Coast but lost that as well 3-2, to complete a thoroughly embarrassing tournament. Part of the reason for their poor play was an injury to one of their top players, Mirko Vucinic just before the tournament. The coach, Ilijia Petkovic controversial chose his son to fill that spot, only to have his son back out due to intense pressure and scrutiny from the fans and media.

Serbia finished atop their group in qualification for the 2010 Cup ahead of France and a disappointing Austria.

Players: The Serbian players compete all over Europe in some of the top leagues. They are extremely tough defensively but as stated before, the manager has adopted an attacking style that served them well through qualifying.

Nemanja Vidic – Center-back

This dude is hard as nails. Just look at him; he eats gravel for breakfast and shits out concrete. There is no one tougher in the air in the world and no one more fearless. He plays his club ball with Manchester United, where he was named Premier League Player of the Year last season. While any striker not named Fernando Torres is more likely to wet himself than score on Vidic’s watch, he’s been injured for long spells this season and is always on the verge of a yellow card no matter what he’s doing. If he’s fit for the Cup though he will be a force in the central defense for Serbia.

Dejan Stankovic – Midfield (Captain)

The 32-year-old first made an international appearance in 1998 and has been an integral part of the team ever since, racking up nearly twice as many caps as the next nearest player. He has been playing his club ball and scoring as an attacking midfielder with Italy’s Inter Milan since 2004. No doubt this will be Stankovic’s last Cup and he certainly has a lot to prove after the disappointing showing in ’06.

Milan Jovanovic – Midfield

The 29 year-old currently plays for Belgian side Standard Liege but will be making the move to Liverpool over the summer. He only earned his first cap for Serbia in 2007 but has made 24 appearances and 9 goals since then. He and Stankovic should anchor the midfield with a lot of veteran leadership.

Prediction: This Group should really come down a competition for second place as Germany are heavy, heavy favorites to win. Serbia will have to get the job done against Ghana and Australia and that won’t be easy. Their only advantage in this group is the experience they have playing against the top talent in Europe, which is far superior to what Ghana or Australia see in their Confederations. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them come out as runners-up and I also wouldn’t be surprised to see them upset Germany. 

Group C - United States: Update

This is unfortunate for Charlie Davies but it's a good article that sums up the personnel dilemmas for the US team:

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worldcup/story/042610-davies-injury-creates-certainty-for-usa

Group D - Australia

Group D

Germany

Australia

Serbia

Ghana

Nickname: Socceroos (No, I did not make that up)

Colors: Green and Yellow (however their away jerseys are blue?)

Current World Ranking: 19

Manager: Pim Verbeek.  Verbeek has been in charge of the Socceroos since December 2007 and led a very successful World Cup qualifying campaign.  He is a Dutch manager who coaches Dutch style football which the Aussies are familiar with from previous manager Guus Hiddink (Pim was an assistant under Guus Hiddink at South Korea in the 2002 World Cup).  Despite his success with the national team he has chosen to leave Australia after the World Cup so the finals will be his last appearance as manager for the team.  

History:  Australia has a fairly young soccer history forming the national team in 1922 and a very brief World Cup history.  They have only qualified for the 1974 and 2006 World Cups (which coincidently were both hosted in Germany).  Due to the country’s isolation in relation to the rest of the soccer world their opponents were limited to the Oceana Football Confederation which also made it very difficult to advance to the World Cup.   

In the 1994 World Cup qualifying campaign Australia had to win the Oceania group play-off, play a second play-off game against the CONCACAF runner up (Canada) and then go on to play against the South American group runner up Argentina which they lost.  The 1998 and 2002 qualifying campaigns were much of the same where Australia came out on top of the Oceania group then had to face multiple runner-ups from other groups where they could not find a win in the final game.  Finally in 2006 under wonder coach Guus Hiddink Australia beat Uruguay in a penalty shoot out to qualify for their first World Cup in 32 years.  They advanced out of the group stage only to be beat by eventual champions Italy with a controversial injury time penalty kick. 

As of 2005 Australia has been part of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and qualified first out of the group for the 2010 World Cup quite easily with 6 wins, 2 draws and zero losses.   

Players:  The Australian domestic A-League has only been in existence since August of 2005 meaning that most of the national team players play for European Leagues.  In addition to a young, inexperienced home league many players chose to play for other national teams leaving slim pickings for the national team.  However, there are also a handful of players who have played for other nations youth teams but ultimately chose to play for Australia at the national level.

Tim Cahill - Midfielder

Cahill currently plays for the English club Everton and is Australia’s highest profile player.  He is an attacking midfielder who can score just as many goals as a striker when on the pitch.   He was the first Australian to score a goal in a World Cup and has scored the most goals by any Australian in the World Cup (Germany 2006 – 2 goals).  He was also just awarded the Australian Professional Football Associated Player of the year in 2009. 

Cahill made his national team in 2004 after playing for the Samoa Under-17 team and was a prolific goal scorer in the 2006 World Cup and 2010 qualifying campaign.  He is Australia’s 7^th all-time goal scorer with 19 goals in 37 appearances.  In fact, Australia has never lost when Cahill has scored.  Cahill will definitely be a determining factor in how well Australia perform in South Africa. 

Mark Schwarzer – Goalkeeper

The oldest player on the team at 37, Schwarzer brings great experience to the team.  He is the most capped goalkeeper and Australia’s longest ever serving player. He has been playing for the national team since the 1994 World Cup qualifying games and has been instrumental to the team.  In the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign he saved two penalty kicks against Uruguay for them to advance to the finals.  He blocked another penalty shot against China during a 2010 World Cup qualifying game and only conceded one goal in eight games during the campaign.

Schwarzer currently plays for Fulham in the English Premier League so he has plently of practice saving shots from the likes of Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres.  He is one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the league and has a knack for saving penalty kicks.  He is a force between the goal post and will provide tremendous strength to the Australian team heading into South Africa.  

Lucas Neill – Center Back

Neill currently plays for the Turkish club Galatasary but has only been with them since January 2010.  Before the transfer he played with Cahill at Everton in the EPL.  He is a solid, composed defender but has been criticized for his lack of ability against aerial strikers and temper on the field. 

Neill made his national team debut in 1996 becoming the second youngest player to be called up at age 18.  He helped Australia qualify for the 2006 World Cup by scoring a penalty shot against Uruguay and started all four games at the Finals.  It was Neill’s tackle during injury time against Itlay that led to the penalty kick sending Australia home after the round of 16. 

Prediction: Australia has their work cut out for them going against both Germany and Ghana in the group stage but I think if they can handle Ghana they can come out of the group as runner-up.  The Australian teams seem to perform well under Dutch coaches (Guus Hiddink took them to the 2006 World Cup) and with Pim Verbeek at the helm I think they just might have a shot at advancing.  Of course if they do advance they will have their work cut for them most likely to face England, but history has shown that this team can compete against the best. 

Thanks to Nebraska's Nani for putting together this post. 

Group D - Germany

Group D

Germany

Australia

Serbia

Ghana

Nickname: The Nazis. I’m kidding! I’m kidding. I swear that will be the last reference to Germans and Nazis here. Their real nickname is Doucheland. I’m kidding! I’m kidding again. I swear that will the last Douche/Deutsche reference. Really the nickname is National Mannschaft (National Team) or DFB Elf (DFB Eleven) or National Elf (National Eleven).

Colors: White, black, red, yellow

Current World Ranking: 6

Manager: Joachim Low

As an assistant to German living legend Jurgen Klinsmann during the 2006 World Cup, Low was appointed to the managerial position after Kilnsmann was unceremoniously dismissed following that Cup. He’s led them well, just as a typical German would – with discipline, unending work ethic, and a focus on goal scoring prowess.

History: Germany is the third most successful team in all international play, having won 3 World Cups and 3 European Championships as well as 4 WC runners-up, 3 Euro runners-up, and 3 WC third place finishes. They were founded in 1908, took a little break from international play prior to 1950 for obvious reasons, spent the years from 1949 to 1990 as two separate teams, West Germany and East Germany, with the West being more successful, but since 1990 they unified and have retained all the records and accolades of the two separate teams.

Germany (united) was ranked #2 behind Brazil for the top national teams by win percentage (72%) from 1980-2001 and on that same list West Germany was ranked #9 ahead of England. So basically Germany (East, West and united) always seem to over perform what is expected of them by scoring more goals than they should. 

Despite all their success they haven’t won a major tournament since the 1990 WC and the ’96 Euro Cup. Consequently expectations have been low for the team lately, even in Germany. They exceeded those expectations in the 2002 Cup in South Korea making it all the way to the final but lost out to Brazil. Similarly in 2006 as the hosts they exceeded expectations by going undefeated in the Group stage then beating Sweden and favorites Argentina 4-2 on penalties, then lost to eventual champs Italy after conceding two goals in extra time.

In their most recent international competition, the 2008 Euros, they beat Poland, lost to upstarts Croatia, and then advance to the knockout round by beating rivals Austria. They then beat a favored Portugal side before being taken to the limit by cinderellas Turkey before winning 3-2 in the last minute of regulation. In the final against Spain they got off on the front foot before Spain battled back and my boy, Fernando Torres, outpaced a German defender and beat the keeper to win the game 1-0.

Qualification for the 2010 cup was pretty much a breeze for Germany, having won 10 games and drawing 2, but the last few years have been marked by a lot of disharmony for the team as the manager has brought in a lot of new young talent, much to the chagrin of the old guard.

Players: Only two Germans play outside the German Bundesliga, which we’ll touch on in a minute, which means the Germans play a very consistent style across the board – big, aggressive, and tactically precise. But the German league is probably only 3^rd or 4^th best in the world right now behind the English, Spanish and Italian leagues.

Michael Ballack – Central Midfield (Captain)

As one of the most decorated players in German history with 42 goals in 98 games since 2000 and three German Player of the Year awards to his name, Ballack is positively ancient in soccer years at the age of 33. He won almost every trophy there was to win for clubs in Germany before making the move to English side Chelsea where he’s already won a League title and an FA Cup. But why would the captain of the German squad and one of the best players of their history make the move from his domestic league to England? Because he’s a money-grubbing ass of a player. This guy is mean, dirty, a generally just a royal douche. Basically he’s the Karl Malone of soccer and easily makes my top ten list of most hated soccer players. While he’ll definitely have an impact on the pitch, it’s just as likely to be for a yellow card as anything else.

Bastian Schweinsteiger – Midfileder

Just 25-years-old, and the most German sounding name of any German in the history of Germany, Bastian is already a well decorated veteran for both club and country, having acquired a staggering 74 caps. As a versatile midfielder for Bayern Munich since he was a teenager, he’s just as likely to score a goal as he is to set one up as he is to get a card for a horribly rash challenge. The kid is aggressive to say the least and you’ll either love him or hate him and you’ll likely only love him if you enjoy torturing puppies. Regardless, he’ll have a huge impact with his dribbling, shooting, and set piece skills. Interestingly the team has never lost when he’s scored.

Miroslav Klose – Striker

At 31-years-old he may be just slightly past his prime, but Klose is an out-and-out goal scorer, no question about it. He scored 5 goals in each of the past two World Cups and has an unbelievable goal scoring ratio of 48 in 94 matches. Lately he’s been a bit marginalized by his club team Bayern Munich, but you still have to think when he’s on the pitch he’s going to score. Interestingly, just like Schweinsteiger, Germany has never lost when Klose has scored.

Lukas Podolski – Striker

Podolski was one of the most electrifying players at the 2006 Cup, netting 3 goals including 2 inside the first 12 minutes against Sweden, and at the age of 25 he has more caps (70) and goals (37) to his name than any other player at his age in German history. He continued to score goals all through qualification and is showing no signs of stopping by the time the Cup starts in June. I fully expect him to be Germany’s most influential player in this tournament.

Prediction: Australia and Ghana might provide some stiff resistance but honestly Germany should cruise to the top of this Group. It’s in the knockout stage that they’ll have to exorcise their demons of recent history. They have the talent to win it all and I wouldn’t be surprised if they do. Personally I’ll be rooting against them and even if the US can’t knock them out in the Round of 16 as I previously predicted, I don’t think they’ll make it much further. One really important fact about the German team is that they have not lost a penalty shootout in a major international tournament since 1976. In fact, a German player has not missed a penalty kick since 1982. That could be huge. 

Group C - Algeria/Slovenia

Group C

England

United States

Algeria

Slovenia

Algeria

Nickname: Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes)


Colors: White and Green

Current World Ranking: 27

Manager: Rabah Saadane

This is his fifth time coaching the national team including one of their earlier appearances in the World Cup in 1986.

History: Algeria is located in northern Africa with a population of more than 35 million. Their soccer history is brief but storied. They qualified for their first World Cup in 1982 where they shocked the shit out of reigning European Champions West Germany, 2-1, on the first day. They lost to Austria in the next game 2-0 before beating Chile 3-2. But in one of the most obvious cases of match fixing in all of sports, Germany and Austria played against one another in the final match of the Group after the Algerian/Chilean result was known, so Germany and Austria knew that if Germany won by 1 or 2 goals, they both would advance leaving Algeria out in the cold. Germany came out firing on all cylinders and scored within the first quarter hour then the two teams spent the rest of the match aimlessly kicking the ball around the pitch. It was so egregious that even German and Austrian fans were appalled. Algeria complained to FIFA but the result stood. It did however lead to a rule change that has been in place ever since – both of the final matches in each Group are now played at the same time so the result of one will not be known before the other.

Algeria qualified for the ’86 World Cup but again failed to advance out of the group stage. 2010 will be their first Cup since, though they’ve had an up and down couple of decades in the African Cup of Nations, finishing in the semis in the most recent competition.

They finished atop their group in the first round of qualification in Africa and appeared to be set to qualify with ease in the third and final round after beating archrivals Egypt, Zambia and Rwanda. But prior to the second and final match against Egypt the team bus was attacked by a group of hooligans, injuring several of the players and the team went on to lose the match. The incident caused such a stir that Algeria actually stopped exporting gas to Egypt for a while. The loss set up a final playoff game between Algeria and who else, Egypt, for the last qualification spot in Africa. Algeria won the match and qualified.

A few short months later though, Egypt got their revenge by beating Algeria in the African Cup of Nations.

Players: They’re a young, inexperienced team that are prone to inconsistent performances but you can’t sleep on any of the African nations in this Cup.

Karim Matmour – Striker

Born in France in 1985, Matmour enjoys dual citizenship and was first called up to the Algerian team in 2007. He’s scored two goals for his country and is currently a teammate of Michal Bradley’s for the German club Borussia Monchengladbach.

Maroud Meghini – Midfiled

Another Algerian with dual French citizenship, the 26-year-old has long been hailed as the next Zidane. He had a sterling international career with the French youth squads but injuries have rocked his professional career, consequently he’s never been able to get out from under the weight of the comparison to the greatest player ever. In 2009 he revived his international career but this time with the nation of his father by donning the Algerian colors. If he’s healthy he will no doubt have an impact in South Africa with his ability to control the ball and make plays out of nothing. He may not be compared to Zidane there, but he’ll likely be known as a major pain in the ass by the English and Americans.

Prediction: England and the US should easily qualify out of Group C but it would be positively foolish for either team to overlook Algeria. I was shocked to find out they’re currently ranked 27^th in the world, which puts them in the perfect position to upset one of the two favorites. Still, Algeria’s hopes rely squarely in their first match against Slovenia. If they win that then don’t be surprised if they upset one of the big boys.

Slovenia

Nickname: Zmajceki (Dragons) – from the crest of the flag of the capital city

Colors: White and Green

Current World Ranking: 29

Manager: Matjaz Kek

He won multiple Slovenian League titles as a player and manager before becoming the national team manager in 2007.

History: Not to be confused with Slovakia, (as I did all my research on Slovakia before I realized I should have been researching Slovenia – stupid Eastern European nations…) the national soccer team formed for the first time in 1992 after the dissolution of Yugoslavia and have been playing the role of the underdog ever since. They finished behind Slovakia in their qualifying group and ahead of the Northern Ireland, San Marino and usual Euro middle-heavyweights Czech Republic, and Poland but needed to beat mighty Russia and the luckiest coach on the planet, Guus Hiddinck, in a two game playoff, which they did even after going down by 2 goals early in the first, to make it to the Cup, which is only their second after 2002.

Players: They boasted the strongest defense in European qualifying, which is the hallmark of their team, even though they lack a single recognizable name from any of the major European clubs.

Milivoje Novakovic – Striker

He’ll be 31 by the time the Cup kicks off and in the prime of his career, having scored 5 goals in qualifying and a total of 14 for his country. He currently plays in Germany for FC Koln.

Robert Koren – Midfield

The current captain of the national team, Koren has been capped 44 times scoring 8 goals in his international career. He’s played for English Championship club West Bromwich Albion since 2007.

Predictions: Just like Algeria, the US and England would be foolish to count these guys out. They have one distinct advantage over the US – they play against European teams all the time. Also just like Algeria, their World Cup hopes come down to the first game. If they win that, they’ll be primed for an upset. As a US or English fan you should be rooting for a draw in that match

Group C - United States (Part 2)

Players: So after all of that in Part 1 you’re probably thinking that the US really, really sucks. Actually, they’re actually pretty good this year. Thanks to a long list of veteran players alongside some really exciting young players, I’m looking forward to them stepping up to the plate this summer. They no longer need to be afraid of the big teams, and no longer need to be surprised when they perform well against them. We’re beyond moral victories here. They need to be appalled when they lose to lesser teams and need to be disappointed when they underperform against the big ones. It’s that simple.

  

Landon Donovan – Attacking Midfielder

Landon Donovan, a.k.a. “Landycakes”, is the face of American soccer and is carrying the World Cup hopes of his team on his shoulders.  At 28 years old Donovan has been around longer than any other player and is the all time leader is scoring (42 goals), assists and caps (100) for the US National Team. 

In 1999, straight out of high school, Donovan attended the IMG Soccer Academy (part of the U.S soccer training program) and got noticed by the German club Bayer Leverkusen.  Donovan became the youngest American player to be signed on by a foreign club but had a hard time adapting to the German game and lifestyle and was loaned to the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001.  He flourished in the MLS and after returning to Germany he told Bayer he wanted to play in America permanently.  Donovan was then transferred to L.A. Galaxy in 2005 where he still plays today and has won everything there is to win with an MLS club, including getting a chance to play alongside David Beckham.  Recently during the MLS off season Donovan went on loan to the English club Everton where he made an immediate impact on the pitch.  This is promising form going into the World Cup as he faced many international competitors on the field while in England.

In addition to Donovan’s club success, he has been a key player for the national team since 2000.  He earned his first cap and goal against rival’s Mexico which solidified his place on the team.  The 2002 World Cup was Donovan’s first international competition where he scored two goals named Best Young Player of the tournament and named to the All World Cup Honorable Mention team.  Donovan was also a member of the disappointing 2006 World Cup Team.  During 2010 World Cup qualifying Donovan scored 5 goals in 10 games securing their advancement to the finals and was a strong presence in the 2009 Confederations Cup with 2 goals. 

Bottom line is that Donovan has great pace on the pitch and can set up goals like no one else.  He has extensive international experience and can compete with the best of them.  He will be the key to the US’s success in South Africa. 

DaMarcus Beasley – Left Winger

Beasley has been a key player for the US national team and has enjoyed a lot of success playing in Europe but his international form lately has been lacking and there is speculation on whether or not he will make the trip to South Africa with the team in June. 

Beasley got his start in the MLS with Chicago Fire but currently plays for Rangers in the Scottish Premier League.  He has been a great scoring asset to the club at both club level and in the Champions League due to his pace and crossing abilities.  His playing time with the Rangers has declined this season fueling the argument on whether his is fit to play with the US in the 2010 World Cup.

Beasley made his debut for the national team in 2001 and was named to the 2002 World Cup squad where he earned a starting spot on the team.  Beasley was also on the 2006 World Cup team and was heavily criticized (along with Landon Donovan) for the team’s poor performance.  He contributed 2 goals to the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign and although his position is still up in the air he is still young with pace and could be a scoring threat in South Africa. 

Tim Howard – Goalkeeper

Tim Howard is a solid goalkeeper and saves shots you would think he couldn’t possibly have a chance at.  The 2010 World Cup will be the first time he is a starting goalkeeper (not a backup) and he is more than ready for the challenge. Howard earned his first cap for the US team in 2002 but did not make the 2002 World Cup roster.  He was named to the 2006 World Cup team as Kasey Keller’s backup but never made a game appearance.  Since 2007 he has been Bob Bradley’s number one choice between the goal posts and hasn’t disappointed earning 2 shut-outs against Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago during qualifying.  He also earned a shut-out against #1 Spain in the Confederations Cup who hadn’t been held scoreless for two consecutive years. 

Howard got his start in the MLS in 1998 with the New York MetroStars (now Red Bulls) and immediately made an impact winning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2001 and drawing the attention of Manchester United.  He signed for United in 2003 and became their #1 goalkeeper where he had a great first season and then started to struggle.  He moved to Everton in 2007 where he has been the #1 goalkeeper since blocking shots from some of the greatest strikers in the game. 

Howard is a fearless goalkeeper and is a great defensive leader for the team. 

Michael Bradley – Midfielder

Yes, he is the coach’s son, yes he was drafted by his dad as the 36^th pick for the New York Red Bulls in the 2004 SuperDraft and yes he is one of the youngest most inexperienced players on the team but the kid does have some skills.  In 2006 Bradley became the youngest American to be transferred to a European team and in 2008 broke the record for most goals scored by an American player in a single season surpassing Brian McBride.  He currently plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the German League.

Bradley made his US national team debut 2006 but did not land a spot on the 2006 World Cup team so 2010 will be his first World Cup appearance.  He is a great attacking midfielder with the presence to track back and play defense when necessary but more often than not his temper gets the best of him.  At the start of this year’s club season Bradley was suspended due to an argument with the manager over playing time (I’d like to see his dad suspend him).  He was also sent off in the US game against Spain during the Confederations Cup resulting in him missing the final and he also received a 3 match ban due to confronting the referee after the game.  Despite his flaws, Bradley has scored some very important goals both in the qualifying campaign with 2 goals against Mexico and the Confederations Cup.  If he can keep his temper in check and maintain his scoring form Bradley could make an impact at the 2010 World Cup.

Carlos Bocanegra – Captain - Center/Left Back

Bocanegra is a no-nonsense defender who gets the job done and is an excellent leader on the field. He was the 4^th overall draft pick in the 2000 MLS draft signing with Chicago Fire and moved across the pond to the English side Fulham in 2004.  He was the 2^nd leading scorer in the 2006/2007 season for Fulham with 5 goals which is a pretty record good considering he’s a defender.  Bocanegra currently plays for the French club Stade Rennais.

Bocanegra earned his first cap for the national team in 2001 and became a key defender to the team solidifying his position in the squad.  He was on the 2006 World Cup team and became first choice captain of the team in 2008.  Bocanegra will be a key defender going into the 2010 World Cup and can never be counted out as a goal scoring threat by the opposition.

Maurice Edu – Midfielder

Edu is young and has only been playing professional ball since 2007 but he has made an impact in that short time.  He was drafted by Toronto FC as first overall pick in the 2007 draft and won the MLS Rookie of the Year award.  He had a breakout season with Toronto attracting the attention of Scottish Club Rangers where he has played since 2008 alongside DaMarcus Beasley.  He suffered a knee injury in his first season with the Rangers but has since recovered and regained a first team spot scoring a 93^rd minute winner against Old Firm rivals Celtic.  If you don’t know anything about Scottish soccer this is huge. 

Edu debuted for the nation team in 2007 and has never been to a World Cup.  The only international competition he has played in were the 2008 Summer Olympics so he doesn’t have much experience playing against European teams but he’s a quick midfielder who creates a lot of chances so I hope Bob Bradley takes notice. 

Stuart Holden – Winger

Despite the fact that Holden looks like he’s about 6, the 25 year-old has been contributing the national team since 2007. He was born in Scotland before moving stateside when he was 10. He spent two years at Clemson then went back to the UK to sign with British club Sunderland but never featured for the first team because he was attacked outside a bar in New Castle and suffered a fractured eye socket. He then headed back to the states to sign with the Houston Dynamo where he’s already won two MLS titles and become an invaluable part of the club. During this past MLS offseason he signed a contract with English club Bolton Wanderers where he has logged valuable minutes in the run-up to the World Cup before fracturing his fibula in the friendly against Netherlands back in February. He’s made a quick recovery and expects to feature in Bolton’s last two matches of the season and will hopefully be fit for this summer. He’s a versatile attacking midfielder and can play on either side of the pitch.

Jozy Altidore – Striker

Only 20 years of age, you can say a lot about this kid provided one of the things you say is that he scores goals and lots of them. He signed a professional contract with the New York Red Bulls before even graduating high school and became the youngest player to start in and score in a MLS playoff match at the age of 16. In the summer of 2008 he signed with Spanish club Villarreal for a record $10M for an MLS player and soon became the first American international to score in La Liga. Villarreal loaned him to Spanish club Xerez but he never featured for the club due to a minor injury. Last summer Villarreal loaned him out again, this time to English club Hull for the entire season.

For the international team he’s already scored 8 goals including three that I personally witnessed here in Nashville in a qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago as he become the youngest player in US history to score a hat trick. He also scored one of if not the most important goal in US soccer history last summer against Spain in the Confederations Cup on the way to upsetting the European giants.

Personally, Jozy is my pick to be the US’s standout player in this Cup. If he can score goals, and I believe he will, the US will cruise through the Group Stage. As young as he is he doesn’t show a bit of fear on the pitch, even against the World’s superstars, and that will be invaluable not just in the Group Stage but also when the US advance beyond.

On a side note, Altidore’s parents are both Haitian so Jozy joined Wyclef Jean and others on a week-long service trip to Haiti after the earthquake. Jozy is also featured on the cover of EA Sports FIFA 08 soccer game alongside the likes of Ronaldinho and Guillermo Ochoa.

Eddie Johnson – Striker

Johnson is lightning quick and at age 26 is one of a handful of veterans from the 2006 Cup. He started his career as the youngest ever draft selection in the MLS but had three inconsistent seasons with Dallas before being traded to Kansas City where he broke out in 2007 scoring 12 goals in 11 matches include back-to-back hat tricks – a first ever in the MLS. He garnered a lot of interest from European clubs but didn’t make the jump to England until January of 2008 where he bounced around between a few teams before landing in Greece on loan from Fulham this past December.

Johnson’s international career has certainly been more consistent. He started at the U-17 level, scoring 23 goals in 25 matches before making his first senior cap and goal in 2004. Since then he’s scored 12 goals including a hat trick against Panama a few years ago. Between Johnson, Altiore, and Davies below, the US has a pretty formidable trio of strikers. Individually they may not stand up to the likes of a Rooney, Torres, Villa, or Kaka, but collectively their whole is greater than their parts.

Charlie Davies – Striker

Born in 1986, Davies has just 16 caps and 4 goals in his young international career but after the Confederations Cup last summer he established himself as one of the most purposeful and electric players on the pitch for the US, scoring one goal against Egypt (off the keeper’s face, I might add) and generally causing a ruckus for the opposing team’s defense. Davies was a standout at Boston College for three years before entering the MLS draft. Before he was drafted though he went to Europe to sign with a club there, eventually landing with Swedish club Hammarby. He struggled in his first campaign but came on strong in his second, scoring 14 goals in 27 games. In 2009 he made the move to Ligue 1 club Sochaux in France but after only 6 appearances with the club he was seriously injured in a car crash in Washington DC. According to Wikipedia: “On October 13, 2009, Davies, who was in Washington, D.C. for a World Cup Qualifier game between Costa Rica and the United States, was a passenger in an SUV that went out of control on the George Washington Parkway and struck a metal railing at about 3:15 a.m., tearing the vehicle in half. The accident shut down the George Washington Parkway until 8:15 a.m. that morning. The accident killed a 22-year old woman who was in the car with Davies, while Davies himself suffered a lacerated bladder, fractured right tibia and femur, a fractured elbow, and facial injuries.”

Remarkably, not only has Davies recovered from his injuries but he’s returned to France to his club team and is expected to be back in action in May, which just might be enough time for him to be fit for the World Cup. If that happens and he makes the squad, not only will he be a huge inspiration to his teammates, he will be a huge factor on the pitch, especially when teamed up alongside Jozy

Clint Dempsey – Winger

At 27 Dempsey is one of the most decorated veterans on the national team. He started his career with the New England revolution in 2004 when he was named Rookie of the Year. He went on to have three extremely productive seasons in the MLS before making the move to Fulham in England where he’s been ever since. In fact, Dempsey was one of several US players on the Fulham squad two years ago, earning them the nickname, Fulhamerica. Known for his aggressive play and exceptional ball control, Dempsey often ends up being an opportunistic goal scorer, which is to say, he puts himself in the right place at the right time. He has the distinction of scoring the US’s only goal in the 2006 Cup (the other goal was an own goal by an Italian defender) and scored in three consecutive games against Egypt, Spain, and Brazil in last summer’s Confederations Cup. Dempsey is a regular starter with the national team now but on a personal note, he sometimes frustrates me with his ability to disappear in a game. I expect a player of his stature to have an impact every time he steps on the pitch. If he does this summer, the US will do well.

On a side note, Dempsey has recorded some hip-hop music under the nickname “Deuce” with his Texas-based group, The Screwed Up Click, who were featured in a Nike ad leading up to he 2006 Cup performing on of their songs, Don’t Tread On Me. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Oguchi Onyewu – Central Defender

One of the baddest mofo’s on the US team, “Gooch” as he’s known, is also one of the toughest defenders and veterans on the squad. Now 28, he got his professional start in Europe in 2002 with French Ligue 1 side, FC Metz before being loaned to La Louviere in Belgium and eventually Standard Liege where he really made a name for himself getting named to the Belgian league’s Best XI and earning the best foreign player award in 2005. He had a brief stint in England with New Castle United before returning to Liege where they had a 29-match unbeaten streak and won two league titles in a row. Last year he made the jump to the Italian Serie A with AC Milan, becoming only the third American to do so in the modern era, but unfortunately only featured a few times for them before rupturing his patellar tendon in a WC qualifying match the day after Charlie Davies' horrible car accident. Remarkably like Davies, Onyewu is looking more and more likely to be fit for the Cup this summer. If so he will certainly anchor the defense just as he’s done for the better part of the last 6 years.

If there’s on criticism of his game it’s that he’s a bit slow and prone to fouling much faster, smaller opposing strikers. But no one will question his toughness and just about every opponent will think twice about going head to head with him.

Prediction: We’re not ready to be mentioned in the same breath as the European and South American super powers, but we are to the point where we can be dominant among the next tier of countries and occasionally take down a super power like we did last summer against Spain. Is England that next super power? On paper, no. In reality, it could very easily happen. I look for us to give England a run for their money and maybe, just maybe come away with a draw. The real goal for us is to not just win but dominate Algeria and Slovenia. If we advance as the runner-up out of Group C we can expect a showdown with super power Germany. Do I think we can win that? On paper, no. In real life though, I’m joining the Quentin Tarantino bandwagon this year by saying the Germans will get slaughtered by a bunch of Yanks. You read it here first.