Team USA got the following 2010 World Cup draw:
June 12 England
June 18 Slovenia
June 23 AlgeriaWhile the English are ranked ninth in the world and have stars such as Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, whose club matches are televised throughout the world, Algeria (28th) and Slovenia (33rd) both needed to win playoffs to reach the tournament and are ranked well behind the U.S. (14th).
If the U.S. fails to advance, it should be considered a huge upset, and another major failure for American soccer.
“This is the best draw we’ve ever had in any World Cup,” said former U.S. forward Eric Wynalda, now an analyst for the Fox Soccer Channel. “No disrespect to England, but this is an ideal group for us.”
I tend to agree. Even without knowing how Slovenia and Algeria match up with the U.S., I have to believe that if we are fit, we should manage to advance.
