World Cup Preview

The World Cup is almost upon us so you better get ready to kick some balls and fake some injuries. As far as I'm concerned soccer players are just cross country runners who can solve a Rubik's cube with their feet and that just doesn't really do it for me. And then when I see dudes flopping all over the field anytime they get touched it just makes me hate it even more. In fact, the only soccer player I respect is Elizabeth Lambert because nothing about this hair pulling was fake.



But as much as I would rather cover a cat fashion show than the World Cup, I know this is kinda the biggest deal in sports to a lot of people. So, without further ado I've brought back Pistons writer and soccer aficionado MarcUM to fill you in.

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Team USA - Part 1


Forwards
The Yanks are pretty thin up top, like always. Jozy Altidore (Hull City) is the only guaranteed starter out of the group and he struggled in his first year in the Premier League in England. After Altidore it’s anybody’s guess, so here is mine. The second starter is probably going to come from a group of either Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Herculez Gomez (Puebla), or Edson Buddle (L.A. Galaxy). My money is on Edson Buddle. Not only is he a teammate of Landon Donovan’s in L.A. but he has also been tearing up the MLS this year. He has 9 goals in 7 games, leading the league, but most of his goals have come with a Donovan assist. That chemistry should prove the deciding factor for Buddle because it will make his transition into the team that much easier. Gomez may also be a good option, though, having led the Mexican League in goal scoring.

Midfield
This area of the team is obviously the strength, having many impact players that have been very successful in Europe. The three guaranteed starters are Landon Donovan (L.A. Galaxy) on the left flank, Clint Dempsey (Fulham) on the right, and Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach). Donovan was on loan in the EPL for over a month and proved he could play with the best. In a game against Chelsea he abused England defender Ashley Cole so badly that he literally broke his ankle. Dempsey is the most creative and gifted attacker on the US’s roster. He has a knack for scoring quality goals in big games and easily has the highest showtime rating on our roster. Bradley is the son of the coach, but don’t let that fool you. He has been locking down the central midfield in the German Bundesliga and provides a gritty presence.


Defenders
With the return to fitness of Oguchi Onyewu (A.C. Milan) our defense is turning back into a strength. Onyewu was out since October with a knee injury but has been in full training for a month now. Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), the team’s captain, has been a quality defender in Europe for years now, and Jonathan Spector (West Ham) will have competed against every player on England’s roster.

Goalkeepers
All you need to know about this position is that Tim Howard is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. This is THE position of strength for the US.


I’ll save predictions and overall group analysis for the next post. 27 Days!

MarcUM