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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is the easiest guide ever to write, and there can be few better to pen it. Why?
I was the idiot once, so follow me.
The international game of the soccer is, although becoming easier to comprehend and view in America, still a difficult one to follow. Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, League Cup..that’s just England. Want to follow Italy, the 2006 World Cup winner? Well, they’ve got not one player residing in England. It’s a lot to follow.
There’s two ways to view the World Cup as a non-fanatic. One, it’s the ultimate window into the world’s most popular sport. There’s not a greater embodiment of soccer’s skill and excitement than the event, a gathering of (a majority of) the globe’s greatest talent vying for an exclusive prize. Ask many supporters of the game in this country how they came to follow the sport, and the World Cup will be a frequent answer. It is the pinnacle.
The other way? Enjoy, root for the USA, and come back next time. Part of the greatness about the World Cup is the vast unknown. Do you believe that anyone knew a speck about Senegal in 2002, when they made the quarterfinals after never qualifying before (or since)? If you don’t know anyone beyond the names Messi or Ronaldo, here’s a chance to be wowed and discover some of the greatest athletes on the planet.
Chances are you know a few nutty soccer fans, and they just might even be your friends. With just two days before the World Cup begins, here’s an easy guide to this year’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Short History: The first World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay, with just 13 teams in the finals. It also marked the best finish ever by the United States (a loss in the semi-finals). Since then, it’s been held every four years, with the exception of the 1942 and 1946 cycles due to World War II. In 1982, the tournament hiked from 16 to 24 teams, and then to 32 in 1998, one cycle after the U.S. hosted. Just eight nations have hoisted the Jules Rimet/FIFA World Cup Trophy, including a record five times by this year’s host, Brazil.
Speaking of Brazil, no team from outside South America has won the tournament in the four times that it has taken place on the continent. The last time was 1978, when Argentina captured its first victory. That trend has proved similar on European soil, where all but just one non-Euro team won out of 10 tournaments.
How Far We’ve Come: That finish in 1930 is a bit deceiving. Afterward, save for 1950, the U.S. would fail to qualify again for a long, long time – until 1990, when this happened.
In 1994, soccer was forever boosted domestically in the States by hosting the World Cup, which brought about the birth of Major League Soccer. We beat Colombia — a match with long long-lasting consequences — and made it out of the group stage, eliminated by eventual champion Brazil. In 2002, another step was taken forward. The U.S. took second place in its group, including a win over Portugal (ranked fifth in the world at the time), and then scoring a massive win over rivals Mexico in the Round of 16.
After making it into the knockout rounds again in 2010 following a set-back in 2006, the U.S. Soccer Federation moved on from manager Bob Bradley, and brought in current coach Jurgen Klinsmann in 2011 for the current cycle. Klinsmann, an all-time great striker, won the World Cup as a player for West Germany in 1990, and managed Germany to a third-place finish in 2006.
Since taking over, Klinsmann has led the team to its longest winning streak ever (12 wins), managed as the nation captured the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup (CONCACAF includes nations from the North America, Central America and the Caribbean), and helped lead the squad to the top spot in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for 2014.
Where We Stand: Meant to be more of a measuring stick than anything, the U.S. currently sits 13th in the FIFA World Rankings. On talent, the country probably ranks somewhere between 15-20.
Landon Donovan, the leading goalscorer in the nation’s history (also second in appearances), is gone, a casualty of Klinsmann’s final cuts to 23 men that will be eligible to play in Brazil.
Still present from past World Cups is goalkeeper Tim Howard, one of the best in the world, still honing his craft at Premier League side Everton. There’s also Clint Dempsey, an attacking midfielder, now the captain and the next-highest scorer (36 goals) in U.S. history after Donovan. Also, Michael Bradley (former coach Bob’s son), who came back to MLS, like Dempsey, after Toronto FC made an offer the 26-year-old couldn’t refuse.
Up front, Jozy Altidore returns as the primary option to lead the attack for the Stars and Stripes. Despite a massive drought for English top-flight club Sunderland this year in his second stint back in the Premier League, Altidore tortured nations for his national side in 2013, and capped off preparation for Brazil with a brace (two goals scored in a match) in a win over Nigeria last Saturday. He’ll start at the top of the formation, either alone in a 4-2-3-1, or likely with Dempsey if Klinsmann alters his tactics.
Three other Americans to know:
Matt Besler, center back (Sporting Kansas City): Some will point out that the back line of the U.S. is inexperienced, but it comes with a caveat. Besler joins DeMarcus Beasley (fifth-most caps in U.S. history) and Geoff Cameron, who’s started nearly every match with Premier League side Stoke City the past two years and had plenty of time at the national level. Still, Besler, the 2012 MLS Defender of the Year, has proven to be the best defender for the U.S. the past couple years.
Julian Green, midfielder/winger (Bayern Munich): Maybe we forgot to mention, but Klinsmann has managed to use his influence, mostly due to his heritage and stature in Germany, to secure the eligibility of players who multi-national talents. The biggest and brightest is Green, who just turned 19 last week. Despite appearing just twice in a short period of time recently for the USMNT, his talent and upside appears to be immense, and he possesses lots of speed and dribbling skills with both feet, something Klinsmann doesn’t have a full arsenal of and could be deployed as secret weapon.
Mix Diskerud, midfielder (Rosenberg): One might choose to go with pacier forward Aron Johannsson here, but Diskerud is flashy and creative. Like Green, he likely won’t start in the midfield, but he’ll almost certainly be a substitute used to spark the creativity at the top of the midfield. If Bradley starts in a more advanced position in the middle, Diskerud can allow him to slide back and create some fireworks for himself or his teammates.
The Format: There’s plenty of details on qualifying elsewhere, but the gist is that four CONCACAF nations — Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and the U.S. — will be among the 32 nations in this year’s field in Brazil. Those teams are split into eight groups of four teams, with the top two finishers from each (goal differential is the first tie-breaker after points) advancing. If you win your group, you play a second-place finisher in the Round of 16, and visa versa, so finishing on top in group play is a massive boost to hopes of advancing further.
Each team plays the other teams within its group just once, so each match is pivotal. The U.S. begins its quest against Ghana (June 16), the nation that’s been responsible for our demise the past two tournaments, then faces Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal (June 22) and finally, Germany (June 26). The final will be held on July 13 in Rio de Janeiro at the Maracanã Stadium.
The Favorites:
Brazil: Let’s start with the obvious. The host team, automatically entered into the field, would be among the best bets on neutral ground, but has the best chance of any South American nation due to the circumstances. Almost assured to win its group that includes Mexico, anything less than the semi-finals would be a massive disappointment for a nation that has spent countless (seriously) dollars on the event. Since winning the Confederations Cup in June 2013, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s squad has won all but one match, putting down a who’s who of nations in its wake. As the incredibly talented forward Neymar (FC Barcelona) goes, Brazil likely goes, too.
Spain: Winners at 2010’s event held in South Africa, the talk is that Spain’s central defense is older and breakable, much like the rest of the squad. Never mind that they’ve still got one of the world’s best goalkeepers in Iker Casillas, and had an unfathomable cupboard of talent everywhere else but striker…until recently, when Diego Costa, who could’ve played for Brazil, instead picked La Roja. He’ll be a pivotal factor in a group that includes Netherlands and sleeper pick Chile. Don’t write off this veteran group.
Germany: Joachim Low’s squad has some injury and performance issues as the tournament approaches, Germany’s talent is not for debate. A last-minute injury to wunderkind forward Marco Reus hurts, but striker Miroslav Klose (think Germany’s Donovan) returns for one last Cup, and like Spain, they’re stacked with attacking midfielders. They’ve made it to the semi-finals in the last three competitions, and it’ll be shocking if they’re not there again.
Argentina: If there’s another South American team that’ll raise the cup, surely attack-heavy Argentinians are the next-best guess. It’s simple: Lionel Messi. Although its defense isn’t as strong as the teams above and goalkeeping might not be a strong suit, they’ve also got arguably the best striker in the Premier League, Sergio Aguero, Real Madrid’s pacy Angel Di Maria, and Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain, another top-tier talent. At the very least, they’ll be one of the most exciting teams to watch.
The Sexy Underdog Pick: Belgium. If you’re planning on taking long odds for any team, the Belgians, who missed qualifying in 2006 and 2010, are a trendy pick with its “Golden Generation” of players growing up and producing heavily for massive clubs. They dismantled the U.S. 4-2 in a friendly match in May 2013, and the two sides could meet again in the Round of 16 if both sides emerge from group play. Its best player, winger Eden Hazard, won the PFA Young Footballer of the Year Award in 2014, one formerly given to names like David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
It all starts Thursday, when the hosts Brazil open against Croatia (4 p.m. ET). All games will be aired on the ESPN networks.
This article was originally featured on Press Row Sports.
