World Cup Group C Preview

On to the Group C preview, perhaps the one most of you have interest in. No game has been talked about more than the United States vs. England, the rematch of the Americans' shocking 1950 upset. ...though I'm not sure a game played 60 years later can be considered a rematch. Still, it should be a very intriguing game between the clear top two teams in the group. The big issue will be how much injuries bother the U.S., whose failure to advance out of the group in 2006 was a huge disappointment. Another early exit would be a big step back for American soccer.



Algeria

Algeria is a team that is being overlooked by many fans, but this is a dangerous team that reached the semifinals of the African Nations Cup, beating Ivory Coast. But it's also a potential disaster, as it showed getting hammered by Malawi and Egypt. This is not a flashy team, focusing on its defense and solid midfield play and scoring a lot of goals on crosses finished with their heads. This is also a team with plenty of hotheads and not a lot of depth, so any injuries or cards could spell doom for the Desert Foxes. Also, there are a lot of new players on the roster who have hardly played for Algeria - many of them recently switched from France to Algeria - and that could cause some locker room issues for a team that already has had many locker room issues.
Coach: Rabah Saadane. The only African coach in the tournament also led Algeria to the 1986 World Cup, the last time the Desert Foxes reached the field. Hasn't done much to distinguish himself but hey, he's been around for a long time and has his team in the World Cup, so he's gotta have something going for him.
Players to Watch
Madjid Bougherra: Played in the EPL before moving on to Rangers in Scotland, he's the toughest of a tough group of defenders. Injuries have been an issue, though, and he's needed so Madjid better take better care of himself.
Nadir Belhadj: He'll miss the first game after getting in a fight, but he's probably the team's best attacking player despite playing defense. He plays for terrible Portsmouth in the EPL but is rumored to be moving to Barcelona, which is the opposite of terrible.
Rafik Halliche: Another defender who tends to move forward and be a threat, he plays his club ball in Portugal.
Antar Yahia: Came up playing internationally in France, he switched to Algeria and is now a hero after scoring the key goal in his team's ultimate qualifying match. Plays in Germany and is often overlooked among Alrgeria's solid group of defenders.
Abdelkader Ghezzal: Often used as the team's only forward, but incapable of being a team's only forward as he's only scored twice in 13 games. He has scored six times for Siena in Italy's Serie A but he'll need some help.
Rafik Djebbour: Was in the doghouse for much of the season for AEK Athens, causing him to see very little time for his country. But then he went nuts for Athens and all of a sudden was back on the radar for Algeria. He may not start but he could be a threat off the bench for a team that lacks scorers.

England
As usual, few teams will face the level of pressure that England will. But few teams have as much talent, either. And that holds true despite the loss this week of captain Rio Ferdinand, the all-world center back who is lost for the tournament with a knee injury. That's another hit to the English defense, which also lost Wayne Bridge, but not to injury. Bridge quit the team when it was revealed that teammate John Terry - the married John Terry - had an affair with Bridge's girlfriend. That cost Terry his national team captaincy, and Bridge said, and I quote (but not really), "Screw this. See if you can win the World Cup without Wayne Bridge."
Of course, England is used to drama. The Brits have advanced to the knockout stage in six major tournaments since 1990, and got eliminated by penalty kicks in five of them. Ouch! Of course, it beats not making the knockout stage at all, right England? The Brits shockingly failed to qualify for Euro 2008, but at least they've rallied to go undefeated through qualifying. But, this is still a very good team that will challenge for the title, unless they implode, which might also be entertaining.
Coach: Fabio Capello. Only the second foreign manager ever for England, he's one of the most accomplished club coaches ever, having guided Real Madrid, A.C. Milan, Juventus and Roma. An extremely good tactician, his main job could be managing all the egos, something that is one of his strong suits.
Players to Watch
Wayne Rooney: One of the world's top players, the 24-year-old already has 57 caps and 25 goals for his country. But none came in the last World Cup, which he missed with injury, likely ending any hope England had of winning the Cup. A rugged, physical striker who dominates at Manchester United, he's continued to struggle with injuries and has to be healthy. If he is, he'll be one of the top players in South Africa.
Frank Lampard: One of the world's best attacking midfielders, he scores often for England and led Chelsea to the EPL title.
Steven Gerrard: Also one of the world's best attacking midfielders, which leads to a problem. Neither Lampard nor Gerrard are much for defense, so playing them together sometimes leaves a hole defensively, not good given the state of the English defense. But both are probably too good to leave off, especially now that Gerrard has assumed the British captaincy from Ferdinand. Gerard didn't have a good season for Liverpool, but don't sleep on him!
David James: His nickname is Calamity James, which isn't a really complimentary nickname. Unfortunately, the 39-year-old has earned it. While he's really good at stopping shots, he also can be really bad at being a really good keeper. With England's defense short-handed, you really don't want a keeper whose nickname is Calamity.
Emile Heskey: Not the most talented or dangerous striker, but a big, physical guy who compliments Rooney well and thus will get the starting spot alongside the star forward.
John Terry: Well, take out the scandal that cost him his captaincy and cost England a starting defender, and Terry is still one of the top center defenders in the world. He'll have to be at his best with the absence of Ferdinand.
Gareth Barry: Could be called on to play a lot more than expected due to all the defenders being out, he'll have to step up and overcome some injury issues.
Peter Crouch: If Heskey falters, it could be Crouch who steps in alongside Rooney. Either way, he'll be on the field plenty. The 6-foot-7 Crouch has scored 20 goals in 37 games for England.

Slovenia
The smallest nation in the World Cup with about 2 million people, and the second youngest, after breaking away from Yugoslavia in 1991. But this is no rookie team, having qualified for the World Cup in 2002 and then getting through a tough group this time around, including beating out the Czech Republic, Poland and beating Euro 2008 semifinalist Russia in a playoff. These guys can play and will defend like crazy, hoping to break through with a goal here or there.
Coach: Matjaz Kek. A guy who truly worked his way up through the ranks, coaching domestically before taking on teams in the youth program, then taking over the real deal in 2007. He struggled early on but now has the team rolling. His defensive strategy conceded only four goals in qualifying, and his players love him.
Players to Watch
Robert Koren: By far the best known Slovenian player, Koren played in the EPL with West Brom Albion. A center midfielder and the captain of the team, he criticized the head of the Slovenian football association until the guy finally resigned. Now that's power. He also clashed with his West Brom manager, but that didn't turn out as well, as West Brom dropped him last month. He'll do his darndest to show that no one treats Robert Koren that way.
Samir Handanovic: The keeper had five shutouts in the last six qualifiers and the 6-foot-4 Udinese star is now being linked to Manchester United and A.C. Milan. A very agile keeper, he'll be tested in this group.
Milivoje Novakovic: The 6-foot-4 forward scored 16 goals for Cologne in the Bundesliga in 2008-09 and led Slovenia in scoring during qualifying. He's a physical target who scores about once every three games for his country. Slovenia will need him to up that a bit, though.
Zlatko Dedic: I've always liked guys named Zlatko. I covered a guy named Zlatko once. Everyone called him Zo but I refused. I liked Zlatko too much. He's been a hot scorer lately, including the decisive one in the qualifying win over Russia.

United States
So what will equal success for the United States in this World Cup? Just qualifying doesn't cut it anymore. Getting out of group play? Maybe, given that it didn't do that in the last Cup. But shouldn't this team be past that by now? The Americans are in a group that they should do well in. They've shown they can beat top teams, such as last summer's stunner over Spain. But they're also up and down, and have struggled with injuries. The defense could be a big issue, though the offense has shown some life and should be entertaining to watch. This will be the most well-tested group the U.S. has ever fielded - and probably the most confident - and realistically, anything less than a solid group round followed by a strong showing in the knock-out stage will be disappointing. That doesn't mean they'll make it past the Sweet 16, but they should at least compete.
Unfortunately, the lineup that worked so well against Spain isn't available, as Charlie Davies was left off the roster after his October car accident. Jozy Altidore sprained his ankle, but should be OK. There are small injuries here and there that could hold the U.S. back but this is a motivated team that will have a ton of fan support (but also a ton of. ....non support).
Coach: Bob Bradley. It's odd, he's not all that well liked by the public (hey, including me), but he's very well liked and respected by his players and by players his teams play against. His record is solid, with a Gold Cup title, a spot in the finals of the Confederations Cup and the top spot in qualifying. He's made some solid decisions and isn't afraid to change things up. Maybe he's just not liked because he never says anything to anyone, kind of the Tyrone Willingham disease, though Bradley at least seems kind of likeable.
Players to Watch
Landon Donovan: The best known American player has finally started to really show what he can do. Donovan did not play well in the 2006 World Cup but has taken a big step forward and the country's all-time leading scorer is clearly the team's best all-around player. His strong play at Everton gave him a load of confidence and he'll try to continue that play in South Africa.
Clint Dempsey: Maybe the most entertaining American player, Dempsey is flashy and an outstanding scorer. He's had his best U.S. success playing on the wing but may have to move up to forward with Davies out. He's really emerged as a top player for Fulham and may be the United State's top scorer in the Cup.
Michael Bradley: I played high school baseball with a guy named Michael Bradley. He was a big, physical, strong and, yeah, scary guy who we nicknamed The Bear because legend has it that he spent his summers wrestling bears in the woods. This Michael Bradley reminds me of that Michael Bradley. He's physical, a tough defender and a hot head. He's played well in the Bundesliga for Borussia Monchengladbach and is developing as a creative passer from midfield.
Benny Feilhaber: Probably won't start but is a creative midfielder who has been a solid substitute and may provide the U.S. with a spark when he does see the field.
Tim Howard: The U.S. always seems to have a good keeper and this time is no exception. Howard has excelled in the EPL, including this season at Everton. This is his chance to show that he's one of the top keepers in the world.
Jozy Altidore: The most intriguing player in the U.S. team, though his sprained ankle could slow him down a bit. Altidore is big, strong, fast and always a threat and is finally seeing some playing time in Europe (with Hull City) after languishing in Spain. But for Altidore to be successful, the U.S. has to find another solid forward to play next to him.
Jonathan Spector: Could be the weak link on defense for the U.S. He struggled badly this season for West Ham United, and my guess is most of the English players are aware of that. He's got to step up to help a questionable American defense.
Oguchi Onyewu: The imposing center back tore up his knee almost as soon as he joined world power A.C. Milan and has only played in two games since October. When healthy his a big, physical presence in the middle of the defense and showed how good he is in the Confederations Cup. But if he can't be at the top of his game, the U.S. is in trouble.
Carlos Bocanegra. His last name means Black Mouth. So essentially he's Carl Black Mouth. That's kind of cool. Another defender who has been hurt, but ideally he'd team inside with Onyewu.
Jonathan Bornstein: If the best U.S. team is out there, Bornstein isn't. Unfortunately, injuries may force the incosistent defender to play. If so, he better play well, or we'll all be really disappointed in Mr. Bornstein.
Jay DeMerit: This guy has a good story, you should look it up. He's also a decent defender, who teams well inside with Onyewu. He's played in England for a long time so he should know the Brits well. That might even count for something.
Edson Buddle: I never liked this guy, mostly because I just don't like his name. Edson Buddle? But he's been really good in MLS and is one of the hottest players on the team, so if he can score, he can be named whatever he wants.
Herculez Gomez: His name really is Herculez. I mean, seriously, what parent thought of that? I'm not saying it's a bad name, it's just kind of presumptuous. Anyway, he's another guy who could see time at forward, so he's worth paying attention to.
Robbie Findley: Another potential forward to team with Altidore, but probably not. Just thought I'd mention him.
Jose Torres: Could be one of the real stars for the U.S. in the future. A creative midfielder who could see some time depending on lineups, he might open some eyes.