I think we make it out of the Group of Death but no further.

I think we are not playing in the group of death, and sadly I don't think we make it out of the group, but it all comes down to the first game.

the group of death i think is argentina, netherlands, ivory coast and serbia...obviously either argentina or netherlands get through but then the last spot to go to anyone...i dont see us making it out of group play (1 win-ghana with either a draw and a loss or 2 losses) we never play well in europe and we have a hard time finishing and italy never lets anyone score and czeck is very disciplined

Unless we win the group, we would play Brazil in the round of 16 so even IF we make it out of Group E, we aren't getting to the QF.

I'm cautiously optimistic but I really have no idea what to expect. I will say this. I think we'll either make top 2 or lose all 3. If we lose the first 2 games, I don't see us beating Ghana. IMO, we can only beat Ghana if that game actually means something to us.

I disagree. I think we are in the group of Death.

Czech-#2 World ranking
USA-#5 World ranking
Italy-#12 World ranking
Ghana-#46 World ranking, best team out of Africa

Yes, most of us here are familiar with the FIFA world rankings but most of us here are alos familiar with the fact that the FIFA world rankings mean about as much as my grandfather's social security welfare reforms, nothing. Don't take those into too much consideration, you should look at the last 1.5 years of qualifying to really determine where a team should be ranked.

Look at our group and group B
Argentina clearly better than all teams in our group, Holland clearly better than US or Czech's and Ghana, S&M better than Ghana and possibly US, Ivory Coast is a tossup they could win the group or lose all games.

Easily better competition in that group and have a team that has won a trophy in the last year.

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Unless we win the group, we would play Brazil in the round of 16 so even IF we make it out of Group E, we aren't getting to the QF.

I'm cautiously optimistic but I really have no idea what to expect. I will say this. I think we'll either make top 2 or lose all 3. If we lose the first 2 games, I don't see us beating Ghana. IMO, we can only beat Ghana if that game actually means something to us.

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I share the same opinion about Ghana. It's the "Poland effect".

We are definitely not the group of death, Argentina and Holland could win the thing, Ivory Coast has turned into the pearl of the african teams: they came in second in the african group of nations and qualified over Cameroon and Egypt(two of the better african teams). Serbia Montenegro may seem like a push over but consider the fact that they only allowed a single goal during the final round of eufa qualifying in a group that included spain and belgium.

I tend to agree with the Ghana/poland comparison. All this talk of losing makes me sick to my stomach...Everyday we get closer to the world cup the more I feel like im going to have to throw up. All I can think of is france last world cup and the USA the world cup before that.

Riley, you must be really doubting our team, saying that S&M and Holland are better than the US. I forgot how did they do in the last world cup? So yea, US's group is the group of death.

The last world cup? you mean four years ago? I guess we should just not play the group stage and start with the 16 teams that advanced in 2002, guess we better get FIFA to give a waiver to Senegal, Turkey, Ireland, and Belgium since they made it to the final 16 but didn't qualify this time around. Hell we should just give Turkey third place again.

Yes I think holland is better than the US and I'm pretty sure that about 90% of the world believes that too. As far as S&M goes I think they would play us well and considering their outstanding GA/G and our inability to consistently put it in the net we would stand a chance to lose or more likely tie.

Heh, I guess we shall see. I think US will take all 3.

I'd say Holland is better than us. I'm not sure about S&M though.

I could see anything happening in this group, but if I had to bet money on it I'd say we won't advance, sadly. We could play very well and not advance.

On the bandwagon since birth. Raised in the bleachers of Kyle, Olsen, and G. Rollie White

Holland is amazing...on paper they are way way way better than us and S&M is probably equally as good as we are (maybe better)... Yall look at the fifa world rankings to much. The only reason we are ranked so high is that we play a bunch of cream puffs. This formula isnt like any fancy BCS bowl poll it doesnt take into account we play trinidad and guatemla and teams like the netherlands play the czech and bulgaria...stop looking at the rankings they mean nothing...all they mean is that we are clearly better than the competition we normally play.

The only opponenets we have beaten in the last year that is worth a damn are mexico and poland

Before any starts quoting the rankings as gospel, please look at the formula uses to create them. It's based on the "competitiveness" of the game rather than the quality of the opponent.

Example: If the US beats Grenada in the Gold Cup (our continental championship), they get more of a boost than if they were to beat Brazil in a friendly. It's quite absurd really.

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Heh, I guess we shall see. I think US will take all 3.

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I hope you are right, but I think you are smoking crack. I'll change my sig to honor you if you are right.

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"The rest of the world will be rooting for the U.S. to fall flat on its face. Tell your soccer-hating friends that if they couldn't care less about how the U.S. does in these games, they are right in line with the French."

Page 2 writer Michael Davies

Ok, well I'm glad that at least some people agree with my view. I really think that we're running up against some class in our group but here's to hoping we come out.

I think we win the group. We beat the Czechs, tie Italy, and beat Ghana. I see the standings looking like this:

1. USA - 7
2. Italy - 5
3. Ghana - 4
4. Czech Rep - 0

It honestly all depends on the 1st game. If we win the game, we win the group but if we lose I don't think we will make it out of the group.

I think if we win the first game we play our way into the second spot, but if we lose or tie we lose out on the second round. I don't think that many people know too much about Italy or the Czech Republic.

I think Italy succumbs to the internal scandal and doesn't make the 2nd round.

Listen everyone agrees the rankings leave much to be desired but while it can be argued the USA is ranked too high it can also be argued that Italy is way too low. Many agree they are one of the top 10 teams in the world.

Also I don't concede Argentina is better than Czech.

Good article debating the two groups (Author ultimately agrees w/ me) http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5154466

[This message has been edited by RailRoad04 (edited 5/31/2006 12:05a).]

surprisingly I too agree with the author and you Holden, just like the article states there are two teams in group C that are (or should be) heavy favorites to go 1 - 2 in the group while in group E anything can happen. How is Czech going to do with the latest injuries, will Nedved be able to carry them; who knows anything about Italy; which US squad will show up, the "best US team ever", or the team that came out against Monocco. You can compare Ghana to S and M and the Ivory Coast in that they may jump up and surprise someone in the group but they will not be favored to win.

Does anybody ever watch Bobby McMahon? I know he keeps a whole channel afloat with his "expertise" but if you've ever watched him you know that he doesn't predict anything right. Just go look at the articles from this year that he's written.

Also, Messi, Crespo, Tevez, Riquelme, Aimar, Sorin, Coloccini, Cambiasso, and Abbondanzieri make Argentina better than the Czech Republic. Usually I would not agree to that since I'm from the Czeska but its true. We just don't have the quality to match the attack force of Argentina.

And here's a few articles that suppose group C is the group of death.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=368725&root=worldcup&cc=5901

http://www.ndtv.com/sports/fifa/videos.asp?page=1

http://www.docsports.com/world-cup/2006-world-cup-group-c.html

I don't think it matters who your source is man, people will all have their opinion.

Maybe if we replaced serbia with spain and the ivory coast with cameroon it would be the group of death...

Unfortunately during qualifying both the ivory coast and serbia proved to be better clubs than both spain and cameroon in points and in goal differential.

I think the reason most people dont recognize this as the group of death is that no one knows anything about serbia or ivory coast