Teams: USA

Expectation a heavy burden

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Coach: Bruce Arena
Captain: Claudio Reyna
Winners: Never - 1930 semi-finalists, 2002 quarter-finalists
Pitted against: Italy, Czech Republic, Ghana
Prospects: They must progress from group to credit their unlikely world ranking
Odds: 80-1

If there is one thing the USA would like to take home with them from Germany it is, of course, the World Cup. If they had to settle for something else however, it would be knowing they proved to the world that they really can play, writes Carl O'Malley

Bruce Arena’s side are ranked fourth in the world. Now, Fifa rankings are flawed, but they’re not that flawed. The high ranking is seen as a product of the Concacaf region’s low quality, meaning the US can easily rack up victories during the qualification stages of the World Cup.

Their showing in 2002, when they reached the quarter-finals before losing to Germany, signalled huge progress for Arena’s side, but frustratingly for him, it failed to generate popular support back home.

"I would think a majority of people in the United States probably think we failed at the last World Cup because we’re all about winning," Arena admits. "That’s all they understand, that’s the way it is in our country."

"We win in all the other sports. We are the world champions at American football because nobody else plays it and our NBA champions are the world champions at basketball. That’s the way it is in the United States, you have to be a world champion.

"Our women’s national team won the World Cup and the Olympics so people think why can’t we do that? So I may just create my own sport, win a game and call myself a world champion!"

Arena has both talent and experience available to him this summer. Landon Donovan, Brian McBride and Claudio Reyna were all part of the side that beat Portugal in their tournament opener four years ago. PSV Eindhoven’s DaMarcus Beasley also played that day, while he was on the books at Chicago Fire. His performance that year earned him a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs and where he has since played a key role in impressive Champions League runs.

Unlike his coach the winger is talking up his side’s chances. "We’re at a point now where if we don’t at least get to the quarter-finals it will be a disappointment," said Beasley. "I think that’s a good way to think. Be optimistic. If we get out of our group, then anything can happen because in one game you never know."

World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Marcus Hahnemann (Reading), Tim Howard (Manchester United), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach)
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Cory Gibbs (ADO Den Haag), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Eddie Lewis (Leeds United), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege), Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake)
Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (PSV Eindhoven), Bobby Convey (Reading), Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), John O'Brien (Chivas USA), Ben Olsen (D.C. United), Claudio Reyna (Manchester City)
Forwards: Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards), Brian McBride (Fulham), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)