By Ives Galarcep, Goal.com
When FIFA unveiled the makeup of the four pots from which teams would be drawn at Friday’s World Cup draw on Tuesday, U.S. national team fans probably spent a good amount of time staring at an inevitability USA has been facing for some time now.
The starting lineup for the United States Men’s National Team huddles prior to facing Costa Rica during the FIFA 2014 World Cup Qualifier at Estadio Nacional on September 6, 2013 in San Jose, Costa Rica. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images
Avoiding a brutal World Cup draw will be extremely difficult for the Americans, especially after CONCACAF teams were placed in the same pot with Asian teams , thus removing several of the easier potential opponents from the USA’s list of possible group stage options.
Now, the Americans are facing the strong likelihood that at least two world powers will be in their group , and there may even be three juggernauts in the USA group.
How tough are we talking?
Consider that the USA could wind up in a group with Brazil, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Yes, that could actually happen.
That worst case scenario is just one of several “Group of Death” draws that could leave the Americans facing their toughest road to the knockout rounds in World Cup history. Consider it the harsh reality of a World Cup field with few pushovers, and even fewer among the field of teams the USA could be paired against.
As scary as some scenarios might be, it should be noted that history has shown that, at times, seemingly scary draws have worked out very well while seemingly easy draws have led to heartbreak and plenty of nail biting.
Consider the 2002 World Cup. While some revisionist history might suggest the USA had an easy draw that year, it wasn’t thought of as one going into the tournament. The Americans were drawn against a powerhouse in Portugal, a host nation with talent in South Korea, and a European team that went unbeaten in World Cup qualifying (Poland).
The 2002 U.S. team survived that group, with some help from South Korea, and went on to a run to the quarterfinals, and a team that drew little fanfare as a force heading into the tournament left the 2002 World Cup considered by some as arguably the best U.S. team ever.
The 2014 U.S. team has the potential to be even better, and while some forgettable friendly results have tempered the enthusiasm surrounding Jurgen Klinsman’s side, it should also be noted that the Americans have not had their full-strength team together for much of the year.
A full-strength American team could potentially do well in a Group of Death, and while it is understandable to want a cushy draw, facing and surviving a group of death could do much more for the U.S. national team program than advancing out of a weak group.
Unfortunately for the Americans, the odds of being dropped into a truly weak group are pretty bad. Throw in the fact the U.S. received a reasonable draw four years ago, and it becomes even tougher to see the Americans get lucky yet again.
So what can we expect out of Friday’s World Cup draw for the USA? Here is a rundown of best-case scenarios, worst-case scenarios, and match-ups that could offer up some of the best storylines from each of the three World Cup draw pots that USA opponents will be drawn from in Brazil on Friday.
Read the full article by Ives Galarcep from Goal.com.
