Five Reasons To Be Excited About Team USA

Charles Klein

The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is only twelve days away, which means it is just about time for America to pretend it cares about soccer for a month. And yet this year the build-up to the World Cup feels a bit different here in the states. I think that finally there is a good bit of deserved optimism around the national team and the evolution of soccer in the United States since 2006 has definitely piqued the interest of even the casual sports fan.

With that, the 4-1-1 On Sports gives you five (count 'em) reasons to be excited about the U.S. Men's National Team.

1. The United States finally has an easy group. In pretty much every World Cup in which Sam's Army has played they have been placed in a group of death. In 2006 the U.S. played in a group with Italy (the eventual winners), the Czech Republic and Ghana. All three teams are in the top 30 FIFA rankings. In 2002 the USMNT was in a group with tournament hosts South Korea, Portugal and Poland. At that time they were the beneficiaries of an under performing world power and reached the knockout stages.

This year the boys in red, white and blue lucked out by being placed in a group with Algeria and Slovenia. Obviously England is the favorite to win Group C, but the Americans ought to be favored against both of the other members of their group. Neither Algeria nor Slovenia have many players who play in the top leagues and I doubt either will carry on their run of play into the competition. While both knocked out major powers from their respective continents (Egypt and Russia, respectively), Team USA ought to have enough firepower to deal with both of them.

2. Team USA have Clint Dempsey. For whatever reason this season at Fulham, Dempsey seemed to score almost every crucial goal for the Cottagers. Goals like the one he scored against Juventus (see below) can make anyone forget about the failed promise of Freddy Adu. Whether he is stationed on the left side of midfield or up front, Dempsey is the goal threat the USA need to produce in order to advance in this tournament.

3. The Maturation of Jozy Altidore. Say whatever you like about his play at Hull City last season, but this boy scores goals galore for the national team. Perhaps the American version of Lukas Podolski, Altidore seems to always shine in the colours of Team USA. Altidore's play at the Confederations Cup (particularly against Spain) showed that he has all the necessary tools to be a successful center forward. Altidore will likely play in tandem with either Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez or Landon Donovan up top for the USA and expect him to put a few in the ol' onion bag before this competition is over.

4. Tim Howard. Quite simply, the one thing that the United States seems to continue to supply to our brothers across the pond is quality goalkeepers. All three of Team USA's goalkeepers ply their trade in England (Marcus Hahneman at Wolverhampton, Brad Guzan at Aston Villa and Tim Howard at Everton) and each have become better for it. And perhaps no one has improved more for Team USA than Howard since he departed MLS for Manchester United back in 2003. While Howard was not able to stick at United, he has shined at Everton. And if Team USA expect to go far in this tournament, they will need Tim Howard at his best, which I fully expect him to be. 

5. THEY BEAT SPAIN! As much as Team USA's detractors like to write off the side's success in South Africa last summer, the way this team came together after a disappointing start cannot be ignored. Michael Wilbon (a.k.a. the dumbest analyst currently employed by ESPN not named Joe Morgan) said that Team USA mostly succeeded because it was facing every other nation's JV team, when that was simply not the case. Spain had all of their best players on their Confederation's Cup roster (names like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Fernando Torres, Iker Casillas and Cesc Fabregas all come to mind) and were unable to deny a determined Team USA. The United States was up 3-0 against Brazil in the final, only for Brazil's best center forward since Ronaldo's pomp (a.k.a Luis Fabiano) did them in. 

Brothers, countrymen, lend me your ears. Our team actually has a shot to do well at this year's World Cup. Certainly Team USA lacks the star power of sides like England, Brazil, Argentina, Spain etc. but what it lacks in individual parts is made up by the team concept instilled by manager Bob Bradley. While they are not the favorites to win it all, it is definitely reasonable to believe that this team can make it to the knockout rounds of the World Cup. Most importantly, this team has demonstrated that when it plays together it can beat anyone in the world.