usa

 Manager: Bob Bradley
Captain: Carlos Bocanegra
FIFA Ranking: 11
World Cup appearances: 8
Best World Cup: Third Place – 1930

USA Team Profile

In most sports, the American just turn up, strut their stuff and walk away with bags of medals. In football, however, that isn’t the case. In fact, the USA will be hard-pressed to make the last-sixteen of the competition in South Africa, although they did go as far as the quarter-finals back in Korea/Japan in 2002; their best performance in the finals of a World Cup for over 70 years, before later bowing at the group stages in Germany, 2006.

Credit were credit is due, the USA is showing huge signs of improvements both with their international displays and in regards to the popularity of the sport back home in general. Soccer is generally not perceived to be part of the popular brand of sports over in a country which consists of several high profile sporting activities, but in recent years better players have emerged from the shadows and their emergence of new talent was evident in their 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup performance which seen them make it as far as the final itself, taking a 2-0 lead in the final before losing 3-2 to eventual champions Brazil.

In North America however, despite ‘Soccer’ not yet reaching the heights in the popularity charts as expected when David Beckham moved over to the MLS several years ago in a bold bid to boost the reputation, the USA are the team to beat in qualifying or their own respective major tournaments. USA are the only North American team to have played in five successive World Cups. They stormed through qualifying, booking their tickets to South Africa with something to spare.

USA Key Players

Landon Donovan

We were tempted to call Landon Donovan a veteran as he does have so much experience but we mustn’t forget that the LA Galaxy forward is still just 27 years-old and still has every chance of reaching the following finals four years later. Donovan isn’t the biggest of players at just 5ft 7inc but his presence in the starting line-up brings about added enthusiasm from the rest of the squad as his work rate and ethic is second to none. He doesn’t allowed the opposing defenders any time on the ball, he chases down nothing balls and he also tracks back to help out in defence whenever necessary. He will be USA’s biggest goal threat in the final as he just seems to have a unique knack of getting in the right places at the right time, as well possessing the ability to create a chance out of nothing with his swift, intricate ball skills.

With 42 goals in 120 appearances for country, Landon Donovan is the most prolific striker the United States has ever had. He is the all-time leader in both goals and assists and will be the most-capped player in the US squad. Like we said above, Donovan brings vital experience to the fort as the squad is still fairly young in stature.

Tim Howard

The Everton number 1 has been his country’s number 1 for some time now but he’s a long way behind catching Landon Donovan in the caps department. Howard has been capped 48 times for his country and he has made that goalkeeping berth his own since Brad Friedel’s retirement from International duty. He has just about everything you want in a goalkeeper. He is clam and collected when in possession, he commands the respect of all those in front of him on the pitch whilst his immense shop-stopping ability makes him one of the best goalies in the game.

Tim Howard’s finest performance to date came against Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup. Howard pulled off a string of good saves to not only deny Spain several goals but also aid his side into the finals of the tournament, albeit losing against Brazil in the final after a valiant display. He was the first goalkeeper to keep Spain at bay for the full 90 minutes for over two years. He was deservedly awarded The Golden Glove for his performances on the whole throughout The Confederations Cup.

Strengths

The biggest compliment we can pay to the American’s is they work so damn hard during 90 minutes, harassing the opponent throughout. They don’t allow their opponents to have any time nor space when in possession, they aren’t afraid to get involved with a tackle and seemingly have energy in reserve. The US are arguably the most enduring and industrious team on the block, and whatever team they come up against, no matter how classy they are, they’ll have to work doubly hard to squeeze anything out of a game with a USA team which fights tooth and nail for every last blade of grass.

Weakness

While there is no doubting the commitment of the USA team, were one of their key players to suffer an injury setback while in South Africa, manager Bradley would struggle to fill the void left. Their starting eleven isn’t the strongest in the first place, but it’s their determination on the field which enables them to push the big teams hard. Were one of the wheels in the US cog to go missing, you would fear for their chances as the USA rely heavily on team work and the great chemistry they’ve built up over some successful years.

USA Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: North, Central America & Caribbean
Group: 1
Position: 1st
Win-Draw-Lose: 6-2-2
Goals Scored: 19
Goals Conceded: 13

World Cup Potential: 2/5

The USA are a team you would ideally prefer to avoid; great work ethic all round the team,their attitude on the field is great while their overall team work in second to none, both when in possession and not. However, for all their workmanlike qualities, the US still aren’t strong enough, certainly in depth, to handle the gauntlet thrown down by some of the more equipped nations, such as England, a team they’ll face in the group stages.

In fairness though, they were handed a very generous group, one they stand every chance of bypassing after being thrown into the mixer with England, the favourites to win the group, Slovenia and Algeria. The two key games as far as the USA are concerned are the Slovenia and Algeria matches, both of which they have to win in order to keep their chances of making the last-sixteen promising. If they can get something out of their game with the USA then great, and that’s not behold the realms of possibility. However, if the USA do want to go far, they’ll need to somehow finish the group in first place in order to avoid the ever consistent Germans in the round of 16.

On their day the USA can be a handful and are one of a select few that in terms of being rated as an outsider, could spring a shock against one of the elite nations. However, consistency would be an issue and while their ability to shock will be a threat to opponents, their main objective in South Africa will be to make the Round of 16.

USA World Cup Betting Odds

USA to win the World Cup: 80/1 Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on USA were 80/1 

Official USA World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)

Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Tim Howard (Everton)

Defenders

Carlos Bocanegra (Stade Rennes)

Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA)

Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96)

Jay DeMerit (Watford)

Clarence Goodson (IK Start)

Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan)

Jonathan Spector (West Ham)

Midfielders

Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers)

Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Clint Dempsey (Fulham)

Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers)

Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus)

Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers)

Jose Torres (Pachuca)

Strikers

Jozy Altidore (Villarreal)

Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)

Herculez Gomez (Puebla)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 USA Fixtures – Group C

26/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: USA – Ghana: 1-2 AET

World Cup 2010 Group C - Table

 World Cup Fixtures and Results

Slovenia V USA Preview

Kick-off: Friday, 18th June – 15:00 GMT
Stadium: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Referee: Koman Coulibaly (Mali)
Group C

Slovenia

There’s a genuine prize up for grabs for Slovenia should they wish to reach out and grab it with both hands, as victory over the United States would guarantee Slovenia a place in the last-sixteen whilst leaving their match day opponents, Algeria and England to do battle for the one remaining berth. A win would also leave Slovenia one win away from a perfect record in Group C, with England to follow, but it would also open up an avenue for Slovenia to nick top spot thus avoiding the probability of facing the formidable Germans in the Round of 16.

The Slovenians made a wonderful start to their second World Cup and are already fairing a whole lot better than in their previous campaign, when finishing bottom of their group without a single point at Korea/Japan 2002. Their performance in Polokwane on Sunday wasn’t great, while some of their attacking play at times was dreadful but they got the result they initially set out for and are well on their way to completing a dream which, dare I say it, seemed far-fetched before the tournament began and that’s qualifying from Group C. Beforehand, it seemed USA were their main rivals for second spot, behind the likely group winners England, but now there’s a real possibility that Slovenia could yet top the group let alone qualify, possibly sending USA home all in one foul swoop.

It’s not everyday you have the opportunity to book your place in the last-sixteen of the greatest sporting spectacle in the world, especially not if you’re Slovenian, but that’s how influential, potentially destructive if you’re an American, Robert Korean’s fluke goal was. The West Brom midfield seen his speculative effort somehow bounce past the Algerian goalkeeper and into the net with less than ten minutes left to play. It’s that type of good fortune which often inspires a team, one of those moments you look back on and say ‘that was fate’. Slovenia could be uttering those exact sentiments although only if they complete the second half of their assignment by beating the USA on Friday. However, even with three points on the board, two more than the United States, Slovenia are the underdog in this contest and if you watched glimpses of Slovenia’s performance against Algeria you will understand why. While their defence managed to repel every meaningless attack that came their away, there was concern over their ability to carve out chances against an Algerian defence which clearly lacked organisational nous, as well as a respect leader.

Nevertheless, Slovenia do have the inventory to unlock a defence of USA’s calibre, with lung bursting runs down the flanks a definite way through, as the United States full-backs were run ragged by Aaron Lennon of England in particular last Saturday, helpless to his quick turns and and pacey runs in behind. The problem for Slovenia is they don’t have a player like Aaron Lennon in their squad, although Zlatko Dedic looked a tricky customer in his first outing and may quickly find he has the beating of his defender, while Roberto Koren and Valter Birsa are readily available to have a pop from distance, and with this controversial Jubulani balls, it’s certainly worth having a go.

Will Slovenia land the knock-out blow?

USA

USA vice-captain, Landon Donovan, claims Friday’s encounter with Slovenia is one of the biggest his country will ever play. It’s hard not to agree with those comments when the reality is a Slovenia victory would almost guarantee an early exit for our American counterparts. The United States, though, will fancy their chances after earning a 1-1 draw with Group C favourites England, whereas Slovenia needed a large slice of luck in order to see of an average Algeria, so on face value the Americans edge in front. All they need to do now is back it up with a winning display in Johannesburg.

The Americans don’t have the best of records when it comes to qualifying for the knock-outs, as in eight previous finals only on three occasions (1930, 1994 & 2002) have they made the cut. The signs aren’t promising this time around despite earning a hard-fought point against one of the competition favourites in their opening game of the finals, with Clint Dempsey’s strike handing the United States a share of the spoils against England last Saturday in a game where they certainly had chances to win it, with Jozy Altidore in particular missing a glorious opportunity. Nevertheless, a point was a decent outcome for coach Bob Bradley, whom will now try to go one further against the Slovenians.

Four years ago in Germany, USA crashed out of the competition without winning a single game and despite facing Algeria in their final Group C game, there is every chance they could emulate such a feat (Not winning a game) should they fail to beat Slovenia, as it would leave the Americans under all sorts of pressure heading into their final group match. A draw would leave USA having to beat Algeria and praying England do them a favour by beating Slovenia, whereas defeat on Friday would be curtains for the United States as they would need Slovenia to beat England in the final round of fixtures. There are so many permutations but none of which will count for anything if Bradley’s men do their part on Friday by beating Slovenia in a game they are fancied to win.

It took a collective team effort to restrain England in Rustenburg, valiantly defending for the most part as they claimed a point more than many anticipated. There will be nothing of the sort on Friday afternoon, with the United States on the prowl for the win that could save their bacon. That’s not to say it will be gun-hoe from the Americans, but they will commit more men forward to attack than they did against England, with Donovan looking to pull the strings once again. We may even see Bradley introduce some pace into the mix, with DeMarcus Beasley and Edson Buddle chomping at the bit to get on and make that difference.

World Cup Preview – Slovenia V USA Betting Tips

Match Odds:

Slovenia – 4.00 SkyBet
Draw – 3.40 totesport
USA – 2.15 WilliamHill

Our Prediction: Draw – 3.40 totesport

We have every faith in the USA defence after their ability to frustrate and restrict England to just the one goal, but we’ve yet to discover whether they have the craft and imagination to create enough chances at the other end. The Americans have always lacked quality up top, it’s the main reason why time and time again they focus in defending whenever they’ve been pitted against a quality opponent. In 2006, USA drew 1-1 with eventual champions Italy, although that was their only point of the tournament. They’ve already got their hands on another scalp, that of England with another 1-1 draw, but as we keep pointing out, when the USA have had to attack against the lesser teams, they’ve generally come unstuck and been found wanting.

Slovenia have faired so much better than their previous finals, when losing all three of their group matches at Korea/Japan 2002. They weren’t particularly impressive against Algeria but the win will have lifted the spirit in camp and will of had the players believing in their own ability, that they do have what it takes to win a game of this magnitude, a game with a huge prize at stake.

We reckon Slovenia’s confidence boosting win over Algeria will see them take something out of this match although we feel they may have to settle for the point and hope they hold England in their final game in order to be certain of progression.

Our Recommended Bet: 1-1 Correct Score – 6.50 SkyBet

England V USA

Kick-off: Saturday, 12th June – 19:30 GMT
Stadium: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil)
Group C

England

England fans need little reminding that their one and only previous triumph at a World Cup was on home soil way back in 1966. A iconic year in the eyes of many England followers. At the 2010 finals in South Africa, the Three Lions will head into yet another World Cup with the same expectant attitude, with anything less than a final appearance likely to be deemed a failure by the English media. So with all this pressure, the weight of a nation dreaming of World Cup success for just the second time bearing down on them, is it healthy to be expecting so much from a nation which has never coped well under pressure?

Fabio Capello’s men kick-off their campaign against the United States in Rustenburg on Saturday, June 12th, with the sole aim of bringing home three points thus setting them up nicely for a comfortable ride through to the knock-outs. Their Group couldn’t have been any easier in fairness, with only their opponents on Saturday likely to pose any sort of problems. However, that could all change should our Three Lions lose their roar in Rustenburg and not come away with all the spoils. On paper, even Saturday’s encounter should be plain sailing even though they’re up against a United States team which surprised everyone with their trip to the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup last year, dashing Spain’s 35 game unbeaten run along the way.

You would be forgiven for claiming England have a far better player in every single position that the United States, and you would be correct. That makes dropping any points on Saturday even more disastrous, calamitous in fact. But with England it’s never simple even though it should be.  We have the problem of who will start in goal, will it be Jamies Carragher or Ledley King playing alongside John Terry at centre-half and who will play Rooney’s side-kick up front. All of these issues should have been resolved weeks ago, and perhaps they have behind closed doors, but it’s this uncertainty which is leading to doubts and what has partly led to some pretty shambolic international displays during their preparation period before the finals.

In all three of England’s warm up games, not once did we see some natural chemistry of link-up play. We’re still playing as individuals instead of coming together as a team and this is largely down to our own bad luck with injuries. Without one of the most composed centre-backs in the game in Rio Ferdinand we’re vulnerable in defence and the absence of Gareth Barry means we’re unbalanced now that Steven Gerrard has slotted back into the middle of the park with Frank Lampard. We know this can’t be helped but it appears Lady Luck, who has always been against us in previous finals, still isn’t siding with the Three Lions. We were showing some real togetherness during qualifying that has been missing from the England national team for years, but these latest injury setbacks have done just that, sent us back to the stone age where England forget how to play as a team and struggle to carve out opportunities. We’re concerned, although an impressive display against the USA on Saturday would change our mindset completely.

USA

The United States went as far as the semi-final way back in 1930 in what was then the inaugural World Cup. Since then, however, USA have performed to a lousy standard at recent finals and in the 9 finals they’ve competed in, only three times have they qualified from their group. When the draw for South Africa 2010 was made, the United States were delighted with their group, with not only the glorious opportunity to make the knock-outs encouraging the nation to get behind their team but the chance to get one over on the English, who in just about every other sport are inferior to the US.

The one and only occasion the USA recorded a win over England in a World Cup encounter was 60 years ago in Brazil, when the United States etched out a 1-0 victory in the 1950′s finals. Go forward over half-a-century and a similar result would reverberate around South Africa, with Bob Bradley’s not fancied to get a whole lot out of their Group C opener with Fabio Capello’s Three Lions in Rustenburg.

Bradley masterminded USA’s safe passage through qualifying, finishing top of the CONCAFAF table, topping the likes of Mexico and Honduras, of whom both are participants in the 2010 finals. However, it’s common knowledge that football up in the Northern hemisphere isn’t at the same level or standard as that down further south, and that no North American country has ever lifted the FIFA World Cup. The United States did, however, come within touching distance of lifting last years Confederations Cup only to be denied by a second half Brazilian surge, after previously taking a 2-0 lead into half-time. Many of the 100,000+ USA supporters in South Africa are clinging onto their inspirational performance during what is the World Cup prep tournament for dear life, praying it will serve them will and provide the United States team with a springboard to further success in South Africa.

The main characteristics with this current United States crop is their self-belief and their industrious mannerism on the field. Very rarely will a USA team turn up for a match, especially those against the elite nations, and put in a lazy performance. This especially has been the case under coach Bob Bradley, who has instilled some hard-working qualities into this USA team and it has served them well recently, more notably at the Confederations Cup last year. They are, though, a tad lightweight at the back in terms of calm and composed defenders, defenders which are smart enough to spot the oncoming runs and quell the attacks. You don’t really get that with this USA team, and whole their organisation is often second to none, they are susceptible to capitulating if they concede early on.

Bradley tried to go with a 4-3-3 formation in the pre-World Cup friendlies, although that didn’t really work out in the early part. Against England, Bradley will probably set his team up in a more defensive formation. The bulky figure of Jozy Altidore will play the role of the forlorn striker, with Fulham’s Clint Dempsey and former Everton loanee Landon Donovan with the onrushing support. It’s likely to be something in the shape of a 4-5-1 formation, with the idea being to keep the game stalemate for as long as possible, whilst looking to snatch a goal on the counter or from a set-piece.

Match Odds:

England – 1.53 PaddyPower
Draw – 4.30 VCbet
USA – 7.50 WilliamHill

Our Prediction: England to WIN – 1.53 PaddyPower

While we have sided with England, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that the United States will grab a share of the spoils in Rustenburg. The US will look to rattle England’s cage right from the start, harassing whoever is on the ball and allowing none of the England players to settle when in possession. They are a hard-working bunch of lads these Americans, relentless in how they go about their business and it will be intriguing to see if England have the answers to unlock what is likely to be an organised and well-drilled USA defence.

In Wayne Rooney, we feel England do have the answers and if the Man Utd forward can fire England towards their first set of three points, it may be the platform for the rest of the team to grow in stature and confidence. The first game is always going to be nervy, perhaps doubly more so for England as the pressure on them is enormous, so it may well take a scrappy and ugly win in order to get the Three Lions in the swing of things. However, we don’t rate this American defence in the slightest and while Bob Bradley will try  his utmost to ensure the United States defence as resolute as possible and ready for the test of England, there just aren’t enough wide-old heads at the back to thwart the likes of Rooney, Lampard and Gerrard for the full 90 minutes.

Our Recommended Bet: England -1.25 (Asian Handicap) – 2.10 Bet365

Serbia

Pre-World Friendly Form:WDL

Serbia 0-1 New Zealand
Serbia 0-0 Poland
Serbia 4-3 Cameroon

The Serbians went over 180 minutes before finding the goal in an international, but when they did Serbia began to find their way again, locate the sort of form and ruthlessness in front of goal which seen them finish above France in qualifying.

It all began in worrying fashion when Serbia fell to a shock 1-0 defeat to New Zealand, this despite coach Radomir Antic fielding a strong starting eleven. It was, though, Serbia’s first warm up encounter whereas it was New Zealand’s second, if that’s any consolation. With 90 minutes under their belts, and a bitter defeat to spur them on, Serbia were once again disappointing against the Polish. A fabulous opportunity o wipe away some forward cobwebs was passed up by Serbia. However, in their final game before the finals, Serbia’s forward play finally began to flourish, although at the same time their defence was showing some early signs of vulnerability. As Serbia found the net four times through Krasic, Stankovic, Milijas and Pantelic, at the other Stojkovic in the Serbia goal was left exposed and ended up conceding three goals.

While the victory over Cameroon was a welcome relief, the three goals they conceded will be of great concern for the coach, who has built up a solid, resolute and consistent side and won’t want to see defensive lapses creep into their play.

Slovakia

Pre-World Friendly Form:WD

Slovakia 1-1 Cameroon
Slovakia 3-0 Costa Rica

Following the disappointment of drawing with an out-of-sorts Cameroon, with Kamil Kopunek scoring in a 1-1 draw, Slovakia eased some of the worries back home with a resounding win in their final international friendly, routing Costa Rica 3-0 in Bratislava, Slovakia, with goals from Vittek and Stanislav Sestak. The latter was especially lively in both encounters.

On the whole, Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss will be pleased with how their preparations went following two unbeaten friendlies. The ‘Slovaks’ will now nosedive into their World Cup opener with New Zealand on June 15th feeling confident of their chances.

Slovenia

Pre-World Friendly Form: WW

Slovenia 4-1 Qatar
Slovenia 3-1 New Zealand

Although the quality of opposition hasn’t been great, Slovenia have done their hopes of springing  surprise in Group D no harm with a quick-fire double. Forward Noavkovic opened the scoring against Qatar in a 4-1 romp while Novakovic was once again the player to open the scoring this time against New Zealand as he accounted for two of Slovenia’s three goals against New Zealand.

It will be beneficial to have this winning mentality instilled into the players but Slovenia will face far bigger tests in South Africa against the likes of Algeria, the United States and Group C favourites England.

South Africa

Pre-World Friendly Form:WWWDW

South Africa 4-0 Thailand
South Africa 1-1 Bulgaria
South Africa 2-1 Colombia
South Africa 5-0 Guatemala
South Africa 1-0 Denmark

South Africa coach Carlos Alverto Parreira pencilled in a variety of games against a mixture of teams, ranging from Asian side Thailand to European’s Denmark. They started in a positive manner, obliterating Thailand 4-0, before finalising their preparations on home soil with a hugely impressive 1-0 win over Denmark. In fact, South Africa remained undefeated after five pre-World Cup internationals, recording 4 wins and a draw. They’ve also been scoring plenty of goals, mostly against the ‘lesser’ nations however, but their 13 goals in five games will only aid the forwards in their quest to fire South Africa into the knock-out stage, thus avoiding becoming the first host nation not to qualify from the groups. It was also nice to see some team spirit and togetherness in their games, and from a nation which needs little excuse to party, Bafana Bafana’s enthusiastic manner on the pitch will likely prove infectious around the ground.

Spain

Pre-World Friendly Form: WW

Spain 3-2 Saudi Arabia
Spain 1-0 South Korea

The favourites to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the reigning European Champions. Spain haven’t been at all convincing nor have they justified their strong favouritism in the betting rings with their performances in recent friendlies. It took an injury time winner from Fernando Torres back-up Fernando Llronte to spare their blushes against Saudi Arabia, while Jesus Navas’ beautifully curled effort was once again a lifesaver for the Spanish, who now won two games on the spin but only by a one goal margin.

Against Saudi Arabia, there were enough errors at the back to have Vicente Del Bosque worried, while they were equally as disappointing and lacklustre against South Korea although the fact Spain are in arguably the easiest group of the lot in South Africa should allow the Spanish team to cut out there mistakes and build up some winning momentum before they really get tested in the knock-out stages.

Switzerland

Pre-World Friendly Form: DL

Switzerland 0-1 Costa Rica
Switzerland 1-1 Italy

Swiss fans were in dismay when their team fell to a shock 1-0 defeat to North Americans Costa Rica. In a scrappy game, where chances were few and far between for both sides, a mistake at the back led to Costa Rica’s opener and eventual winner, as Switzerland suffered a bitter blow ahead of the finals. They did, however, make amends in their next friendly, their last, by holding the reigning world champions Italy to a 1-1 draw in Geneva, Switzerland, thanks to a goal from midfielder Gokhan Inler, who has scored Switzerland’s last two international goals, his only goals in 34 appearances.

Uruguay

Pre-World Friendly Form: W

Uruguay 4-1 Israel

Uruguay, who need a play-off against Costa Rica to book their tickets to South Africa, only played one international in preparation for what they hope will be an enjoyable and fruitful stay in South Africa. A 4-1 win over Israel, with the La Celeste in control throughout in the Uruguay capital of Montevideo, led to joyous scenes at the end of the game as the Uruguay players and fans rejoiced at their qualification for the World Cup. That game was over a fortnight before Uruguay play their opener against France on Friday, June 11th, and there could be question marks over the lack of match practice Uruguay have had.

USA

Pre-World Friendly Form: WWL

USA 2-4 Czech Republic
USA 2-1 Turkey
USA 3-1 Australia

Following their 4-2 defeat to the Czech Republic on home soil, many were beginning to write off USA’s chances of even making the knock-out stage of the competition. Two wins the rafters though and Bob Bradley’s Americans are well and truly back in contention in Group C and will arrive in Rustenburg for their opener against group favourites England full of confidence and in high spirit after back-to-back victories over Turkey and Australia.

The biggest surprise to come out of USA’s warm up results was the amount of goals they scored – 7 in 3 games – as many, including us, weren’t exactly buzzing over their striking prowess. Somehow though, through their usual industrious and workmanlike attitudes, the United States have thumped in seven, with an impressive three of those coming in their final warm up match against Australia in a 3-1 win. Against Turkey, however, the American’s showed great tenacity and togetherness when coming from a goal behind, in a game they were being completely outplayed in, to record a much needed win. A sign that the Americans  have a tonne of fighting spirit within their camp.

England World Cup Betting will hit fever pitch with the online bookmakers very soon, as bets starting piling on ahead of their opening World Cup fixture. The big World Cup kick off for England is now just days away, with the two nations kicking off on June 12th in Rustenburg. England coach Fabio Capello has named his official 23 man squad, with some surprises, but overall, as long as Gareth Barry is fully fit, then there is little doubts as to the starting eleven that Capello will field. So, if Capello can put out his main starting eleven, the side which pretty much got them successfully through qualification, what does that mean in context for betting on the game? This is the big match which a lot of hopeful England fans and punters will target, as it is the first game of the tournament which involves one of the proposed favourites to win the 2010 World Cup. Naturally England will start the match as favourites, but what threat will the USA pose to England and their World Cup hopes in this match?

Before the recent spate of International Friendlies, the USA were sternly criticized for not having any kind of firepower up front. In a friendly against the Czech Republic recently, the USA looked short in a tactical approach to the game, and the frailties in them going forward were clear to see. The effort was there, but the end product looked a long way short of the effort that was being put forth. Were they simply guilty of trying too hard to secure World Cup spots in the final 23 man squad? Possibly, as they exposed themselves poorly time and time again at the breakdown in midfield, but coach Bob Bradley has some tough decisions to make in terms of selections as well as personnel in the team. Incidentally, this is this youngest USA squad to hit the World Cup, with an average of just 27. So, being pulled out of shape could simply all be down to inexperience. So what will their approach be to the game against England? Try to snuff out the attacking threat from midfield? Or find a way to shut down the flanks?

The USA are one of the teams used to the conditions in South Africa, after partaking in the 2009 FIFA Federations Cup. The USA did rally themselves though from the Czech Republic defeat, they did rally from behind to beat Turkey in their next warm-up match. The USA finished top of the CONCACAF ahead of Mexico, in what is considered one of the weaker qualification zones. But the USA, as shown before at the World Cup, will be full of confidence in causing an upset against their more illustrious peers. It really is not about the lack of want of trying, as they did reach the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup in a big surprise, beating Portugal and Mexico along the way. But a good question to base your England v USA betting strategy on, is to look at the USA squad and ask yourself how many of them would get in the England World Cup squad? There is a gulf in class between the two teams, in every position. England simply have to make sure they keep their cool and play as a team.

It is likely the Americans will be somewhat gung-ho in their approach, if their friendly warm-up matches are anything to go by. They will see their best chance as catching England cold in the first half of the match, by throwing speed into the equation against the England defence. England’s slow first half performances may have just given the USA a hope of sneaking an early goal and then shutting up shop. The USA will get one more run out before they take on England, as they play Australia on Saturday, in which a lot could be learned in your approach to betting on England at the World Cup. The Australians will be a tough test, as they are an equally hard working team, but like to play a bit more of a physical game. It is well worth keeping an eye on, for the defensive frailties of the USA, could influence your correct score bets.

For England, if Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry is fully available, then it will answer all questions of team selection as well as formation queries which arose during the recent International Friendly matches against Mexico and Japan. The only question which may be raised, is who gets to partner Wayne Rooney up front? There are two camps here. Emile Heskey may get the nod, simply because he is tried and tested, and could really cause the shaky USA defence a lot of problems with his physical presence. That would allow Rooney to play off him, a position in which he is at his most dangerous. The other camp is leaning towards Peter Crouch, who can provide a little extra potency on the floor, and in finding the back of the net. The World Cup start is all important for both sides. With England in the hunt for glory in South Africa, according to the best bookmakers for betting on the World Cup and the USA facing an uphill battle in the supposed race for second place.

Now it is on to the crux of things. England v USA betting odds:

England to win: 1/2 at SkyBet
Draw: 10/3 at Bet365
USA to win: 13/2 at Bwin

Asian Handicap Betting Tip
Yes, there will be, and has been much talk of the famous 1-0 USA win over England at the 1950 World Cup, the only time the two teams have met on the world stage. Despite the winds of confidence blowing over from the across the pond, England really should win this with relative ease. It is the perfect chance to build some momentum for the rest of the tournament, as the will be much, much harder games to come. England should comfortably be two goals better than the USA, and you will need to decide whether you want to take the USA in a plus to hang on, or look for better prices on England to come from behind.
England -1.25 Asian Handicap is 21/20 at Bet365, or England -1.5 is 32/25, both of which represent decent value.

USA V Turkey

Saturday, 29th May – 19:00 GMT
International Friendly
Location: Philadelphia, USA
LIVE coverage can be found by logging into your Bet365 or Betfair account.

USA

It was back to the drawing board for United States coach Bob Bradley after the Americans succumbed to a heavy 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic. To make matters worse, the loss inflicted upon them by a team that won’t feature in the finals next month came on home soil in East Hartford, Connecticut. The loss may well have left a nation surprisingly buoyed by their country’s successful qualification for South Africa in disarray as few would have have anticipated such an emphatic scoreline at the beginning of the night, certainly not in the oppositions favour.

The Americans will, though, have the opportunity to make amends for their Czech mistakes just four days later, although, for some it was the last straw, with Bob Bradley axing several players who failed to make any lasting impression in that loss. Brian Ching, Eddie Johnson and Sacha Kljestan where all sent home by Bradley after the game while key defender Oguchi Onyewu, who has been out of action for over six months, was included after being one of a select few in the US team which came away from that Czech defeat with some pride still in tact, defending with a lot of heart throughout. Onyewu’s gritty attitude could inspire the rest of the US defence, one which was lifeless and untidy on the night despite the likelihood of some imminent exclusions from coach Bradley. A player which did catch out eye on the night was Ranger winger DeMarcus Beasley, who was a nuisance down the left-wing position, and his team-mate Maurice Edu, who scored the game’s opener.

Bob Bradley didn’t play a full-strength USA team against the Czech Republic, opting to leave the likes of Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy) and Jozy Altidore (Villarreal, former Hull City loanee) out of the team altogether. All three are expected to play some part, if not start, against Turkey in Philadelphia. And my how they need all three as the USA, from an attacking perspective, were toothless and unimaginative despite  a bucket load of pace in the final third of the pitch with Eddie Johnson, later axed by Bradley, Buddle and Beasley. An industrious Donovan will ensure the oppositions defence won’t rest easy throughout the night with his tenacious and relentless attitude. Clint Dempsey is arguably the smartest player Bob Bradley has at his disposal in terms of knowing when to get forward and which position to be in – superb positional sense and awareness – while Jozy Altidore is remarkably strong and will enable the US to hold the play up and wait for support, something which was absent on Wednesday as attacks seemingly petered out into nothing.

After a poor showing against the Czech Republic less than a week ago, the entire USA team will feel they owe it to Bob Bradley, and more importantly the nation, as after all the US, who aren’t naturally soccer lovers, have pledged their support for the United States team by coming out in their thousands to cheer them on in their friendlies and having purchased more tickets for the finals than any other nation, excluding the hosts South Africa.

Turkey

Turkey are playing their part in the World Cup by assisting those actually participating in next month’s showcase. On March 3rd, Turkey beat Honduras 2-0 in Istanbul and on Wednesday where out recording their third successive international friendly victory, recording another 2-0 win over Northern Ireland. The Turks have always been a dangerous team, finishing as a semi-finalist at Euro 2008 although they haven’t made the finals of a World Cup since 2002 in Korea/Japan. Even so, some nifty players such as Arda Turan, attracting plenty of support from big European clubs, Tuncay Sanli, the Turkish equivalent to David Beckham and Bayern Munich’s Hamit Altintop will provide this vulnerable bunch of United States stars with a proper game.

Match Odds:

USA – 2.20 SportingBet
Draw – 3.30 Bet365
Turkey – 3.25 totesport

Our Prediction: Draw – 3.30 Bet365

We’ve found these two teams hard to separate, as with home advanatage and the return of some big names, the United States should fare a whole lot better than they did in their 4-2 defeat against Czech Republic four days ago. Turkey, though, are on-fire at present, recently recording a hat-trick of friendly wins after a 2-0 win in Northern Ireland, as well as beating both Honduras (March 3rd) and the Czech Republic (26th May) 2-0 and 2-1 respectively.

If the USA defend as they did against the Czech’s, Turkey will find a way through Tim Howard’s goal without too much of a fuss, although Brad Guzan was in goal on the night. Even so, a far sharper performance is needed from the United States if they are to step up their preparations ahead of the finals in June, while Turkey themselves have one eye on Euro 2010 qualification and will be eager to continue their fine run of form away in the States. Like we said, too difficult to split them apart so a draw is a fair and perhaps logical punt.

Our Recommendation: Landon Donovan Anytime Scorer – 3.00 Bet365

 USA V Czech Republic

Wednesday 26th May, 01:00 GMT
International Friendly
Live coverage can be found by logging into your Bet365 account.

USA coach Bob Bradley, whose son also play for the USA national team, has prepared a tough assignment for his players ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa in June by organising a pre-World Cup friendly with the Czech Republic – A repeat of the Group E clash back in the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany. A brace from Thomas Rosicky and a goal from giant Jan Koller was enough to send the Czech’s home happy in a convincing 3-0 win in Gelsenkirchen, but with Michal Bilek’s men failing to make the 2010 South Africa cut and USA making the finals with something to spare, will Bradley turn the tables by recording an important victory ahead of a big summer of football for the US.

It’s been reported that the USA, despite putting a number of others sports above football in terms of priority and popularity, have purchased more tickets for the World Cup than any other nation excluding, of course, the hosts, South Africa. That says all you need to know about the growing popularity of the sport over in the US, with kids slowly but surely considering a future in ‘Soccer’ with the MLS (Major League Soccer) a real possibility for these youngsters. While the progress of football (Soccer) is steady, some serious in-roads in South Africa from their national team would certainly speed proceedings along nicely. The US will, however, need to fare a whole lot better than in their previous appearance in a World Cup – Germany 2006 – when they finished bottom of Group E, after recording a draw and two losses.

The target for Bradley and his industrious US team will be to qualify from a favourable looking Group C alongside England. It’s safe to assume that, in all probability, the English will take up one of the two available qualifying spots leaving the US to out-muscle and out-gun Algeria and Slovenia. Their display at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup – the warm up event before the FIFA World Cup – would suggest USA have solid claims for a top two finish in Group C, finishing the tournament as runners-up after previously ending Spain’s 35 game unbeaten run in the semi-finals with a 2-0 win. However, it should also be noted that in the same tournament the US were beaten 3-1 and 3-0 by Italy and Brazil respectively, as well as suffering a bitter tasting 3-2 defeat in the final itself, once again to the Brazilians. It was a tournament in which the US rode their luck to make the semi-finals but also one where they seized their golden opportunity, their second life if you like, with both hands.

One trait that has always plagued the US from a football point of view is their inconsistency, as the Americans always been a hard-working bunch of lads with a tint of resilience about them. The USA are a side which can produce the big performances on the big occasions, but it’s the sheer fact they don’t perform to the high standards needed on a more consistent basis which has held them back from really achieving their full potential in a major tournament. The US have, though, two games before they take on England in their opening Group C encounter on June 12th to string a run of results together. They take on a talented yet recently underachieving Czech Republic side on Wednesday 26th May in the US and then another team who had the potential to make the finals but didn’t in European’s Turkey, once more on US soil.

Considering how the USA fared back in Germany 2006, we feel it’s imperative that they head into South Africa with some momentum, some form to really shout about, and that means securing two win in their pre-World Cup friendlies are pivotal in their chances of making the last-sixteen of a World Cup for the second time in their last three finals. Bob Bradley has yet to whittle down his 30-strong provisional squad, of which we expect the maximum of 16 will be used in full on Wednesday, but Bradley will know the importance of gaining some steam ahead of the finals, so we expect nothing less than a strong US side for this match with the Czech’s with the aim being to register a huge pre-tournament victory.

The Czech Republic have always been a tidy little footballing nation, although they are one which massively disappointed during qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, finishing third in Group 3 in the European sector beneath Slovakia and Slovenia. It means some big European names won’t be heading to South Africa this summer, at least not to play football, as the likes of Thomas Rosicky (Arsenal), Petr Cech (Chelsea), Jaroslav Plasil (Bordeaux) and Tomas Necid (CSKA Moscow) all miss out on some African festivities. Even so, the Czech’s have a very good selection of players and will provide the USA with a thorough examination. A player to watch out for is CSKA’s Tomas Necid, a player with quick feet and a keen eye for the goal.

Match Odds:

USA – 2.00 Bet365
Draw – 3.40 Boylesports
Czech Republic – 4.00 WilliamHill

Our Prediction: Czech Republic to WIN – 4.00 WilliamHill

Home soil should help the Americans, as well should the fact a World Cup is just around the corner for them and not for the Czech’s. However, even so, the Czech Republic, in our honest opinion, have a stronger team than the US and possess some lively and dangerous characters. Michal Bilek, the Czech Republic coach, struggled to stamp his mark on the team during qualifying but sooner or later they will get it right, the team will slot together and become the tidy force of old. The Europeans will get the ball down and play crisp on the floor football, and while the US will work their socks off as per usual, the technical ability of the Czech’s could prove too much for the US, whom just might be feeling the strain, that expectant pressure to perform in order to make Bob Bradley’s final 23, in the knowledge that a World Cup is only a few weeks away and that Bradley’s official squad will be announced imminently.

Our Recommendation: Czech Republic to WIN 1-0 (Correct Score) – 10.00 PaddyPower

Full Name: Landon Timothy Donovan
Date of Birth: 4th March, 1982
Position: Striker

Current Club: LA Galaxy (USA)

International Appearances: 121
International Goals: 42

International Accolades: Most capped USA player; 121, All-time leading scorer; 42

For the part-time punter, or ‘Armchair Punters’ as we like to call them, only a select few of the USA national team should ring a bell and it’s their leading all-time scorer which we’ve pinpointed as their key individual ahead of South Africa.

Landon Donovan has been around the block in club football and has played at some prestigious clubs around Europe; Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Everton. However, Donovan has only really made an impact back home in America in the MLS. In fact, he’s one of the MLS greats and has achieved virtually every accolade available to a soccer player over in America, ranging from MLS MVP(Most Valuable Player) to winning the ‘Honda Player of the Year’ on six occasions. An award given to the player on behalf of the US sports media to the best player in the USA national team. Donovan has won the award for the last three years running and is set to win it for the fourth time in a row, seventh overall, after playing an instrumental part in guiding USA to the South Africa World Cup scoring five times during USA’s successful qualifying campaign, even scoring the goal which sent USA to the finals itself in a 3-2 win over Honduras.

Donovan, despite being just 26 years-of-age, is the most capped American player in history having played a staggering 121 times for his country. His 42 goals while on International duty is also the highest amount scored by any American soccer player, so Donovan is rightly seen as one of the greatest USA soccer stars in recent history, perhaps ever.

English followers will instantly recognise Donovan from his time spent at Everton during the 2009-2010 season where he joined the Toffees on loan from LA Galaxy. Donovan played thirteen times for Everton, scoring twice, and was even named Player of the Month for January. David Moyes, the Everton manager, was so impressed with Donovan’s displays that he wanted to extend his loan stay but Galaxy declined, so Donovan will now have his admirers. Moreover, those of you who watched the World Cup’s prep tournament, the Confederations Cup in 2009, will have made a mental note of just how good a player Landon Donovan is. He’s versatile; willing to play in any position asked, hard-working, professional, smart, has great awareness and has bags of composure. Moreover, he’s becoming a great leader with all his experience. He’s currently only vice-captain behind Carlos Bocanegra but is a natural born leader in the making.

The USA team is picking up in terms of recruiting genuine quality players but Landon Donovan still stands way above the rest of the USA pack. He was instrumental in getting his country to the finals of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and if the USA are to have a successful World Cup in South Africa, you would put your money on Donovan having a large hand in it.