Yes, I'll admit it. I thought we were dead in the water. 4 minutes into the game and England scores through terrible American defense. And then even when we got the ball moving, nobody was taking any decent shots, except for Altidore's missed header. But then the soccer gods smile upon America (well put Lalas) and Clint Dempsey, the Nacogdoches, Texas boy, fires a shot right into the English keeper's hands...and it rolls past into the goal. Robert Green is the American MVP!!
Really? Of course not. It was Tim Howard, hands down. The American keeper lived up to expectations and played amazingly tough and amazingly quick. He made some clutch saves that kept it a 1 goal game for America, and then some more clutch saves to hold the tie. Altidore also showed bursts of his speed and agility, burning England's defense to nearly net a goal. As an American soccer/football/futbol fan, you have to believe that what just happened was a victory. 1 point is better than none. And with that, here is Group C.
Group C: Algeria (No. 30), England (No. 8), Slovenia (No. 25), United States (No. 14)
Algeria can surprise some big teams if they're not careful. They took out Ivory Coast in the African Nations Cup, and the Coast has potential to give Brazil and Portugal trouble. However, they were the last African nation to qualify for the World Cup, and the team is plagued by injuries, suspensions, and new recruits. Without any big stars and a healthy roster, things do look bleak for the northern African nation.
England has to be excited for this World Cup. Even without aging star David Beckham, they bring one of the best players in the world of soccer to the stage. Wayne Rooney is looking to redeem himself after his red card ousting in the 2006 World Cup, and there are plenty of English Premier players filling this roster. Hell, Steven Garrard has been scrutinized for his poor play with Liverpool, and he scores a goal against the U.S. 4 MINUTES into the game. Unfortunately this team does have 2 weaknesses. One pointed out by the game announcers was that they lack some team chemistry. This is a great group of stars but how do they all play together? And as shown in the game against the Americans, they lack serious depth/talent at goalie. Can they overcome these weakness and return football glory to England?
Slovenia has the honor of representing the country with the lowest population in the tournament. The team itself is used to tournament play, reaching the World Cup in 2002. The team sports one of the stingiest defenses in the Cup. However, they got destroyed in the '02 World Cup, and could not qualify in 2006. The team features no big names, not even a player from the Premier League. If they fall behind early in a game, they lack the firepower to pull back in. Does this team stand any chance of advancing?
The United States already showed some poise (and luck) forcing a draw with England. This team has some stars who showed skill even in the English Premier League, like Donovan and Dempsey. Altidore is another great player, but he's also the only real forward on the team, with 3 candidates vying for the spot. Tim Howard has to be the MVP of the team at goalkeeper, recognized as one of the best keepers in the world. But as shown against England, this team makes a number of mistakes controlling the tempo of the game and making even the simplest of passes. However this team is under more attention than any American team has been in a while. Can they respond to the fanbase and live up to any of the hype?
Picks for Group C: If England and the United States do not make it out of this group, I'm pretty sure everyone would be shocked. Algeria is too injury-ridden while Slovenia lacks the firepower. The expectations for England and America are far too high for both teams to fail.
After 3 groups, my laziness is starting to set in. So, I think I'm just gonna cover my picks of Groups D-H in the next blog, and hopefully be able to throw in some NBA Finals and college football expansion talk. Until then guys, remember...U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
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