The United States is out for blood. With their opening round victory over Ghana 2-1, team USA was finally able to shake the proverbial monkey off their back. After consecutive elimination defeats to Ghana in both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, the victory last Monday was a milestone moment for the United States. But they are not done yet.
United States Coach Jurgen Klinsmann wants to prove to all that the U.S. is every bit as good as Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar and the top teams in the world.
"We want to make it our game, we are ready for that, we have been preparing for that a long time. We are not worried about any players, we respect them of course, as we always do, but we are ready." said Klinsmann.
Easier said than done I’m afraid as team USA is heavy underdogs when they meet Portugal on the pitch on Sunday evening in Manaus. Portugal is the 4th ranked team in the world and has the honor of having the current Balloon d’or winner in Cristiano Ronaldo on their team. Portugal is heavy favorites and poses an offensive threat that topples in comparison to Ghana. So how exactly can the United States win this match? Simple, luck.
“It’s better to be lucky than good” is how the age old adage goes and in the case of the United States they are both lucky AND good. Team USA has gotten a little bit of luck on their side coming into Sunday. Firstly, the Portuguese confidence will be at an all-time low coming off a 4-0 bloodbath at the hands of Germany. Not only did Portugal lose the match, but they lost their star defensemen, Pepe as well. Pepe headbutted Germany’s Thomas Mueller, early in the match and was immediately handed down a red card and was suspended for Portugal’s next three games. Mueller retaliated by promptly scoring a hat trick against the10-man Portugal squad. To make matters worse, Portugal’s second best defenseman, Fabio Coentrao suffered an injury that will end his World Cup.
The only saving grace for Seleçâ das Quinas is that the one man they cannot do without, Ronaldo will be fit and ready to play. Yet his health has been in question lately and he was seen in training the past two days wearing a knee brace.
Yes, it’s true that the United States has their fair share of injuries too with star striker Jozy Altidore out and Matt Besler playing hurt, but it’s not comparable to what Portugal faces. Without Pepe and Coentro, Portugal will be forced to start two second string defenders. Klinsmann being the tactical mind that he is knows this and will test those subs by forcing the issue early and putting them under heavy offensive pressure. Portugal’s coach Paul Bento will then have to counter said pressure by coming up with a more offensive minded approach of his own to try and allow his new back line time to rest and recover. That means the game will all come down to the middle of the pitch where possession is the key. This is where the U.S. has a chance to shine. Lead in the middle by bright young star, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley and Kyle Beckerman, the U.S. should be able to hold possession and execute passes to forwards Clint Dempsey and Aron Johannsson.
Portugal is also formidable in the middle as they are lead by Joao Moutinho and Raul Meireles whose sole job it will be to get the ball to Ronaldo on the left where he is at his best. The key matchup will be Cristiano Ronaldo on the left side of the pitch and Fabian Johnson who has the misfortunate responsibility of stopping Ronaldo. If Ronaldo runs around again like a chicken with his head cut off the way he did against Germany, the United States win, if the midfielders and Johnson give him time and space, Portugal will take the match.
The last bit of luck for the United States occurred when Germany and Ghana surprisingly resulted in a 2-2 draw on Saturday. The draw result has opened the door for the United States to do the impossible: survive the “group of death.” Win and they’re in. The equation is that simple. Therefore both teams will be playing with much needed desperation. If the game is tied late however, the United States will be happy to come out of the jungle with a draw.
The heat and humidity will be a key factor in this one, hopefully in favor of the United States who is familiar with playing in humid conditions like South America, Central America and Florida. A lot of European teams have struggled in the heat in Brazil so far, most notably England, Italy and Spain.
My Prediction: Once again my mind tells me Ronaldo will rebound and defeat the U.S., but alas, my heart tells me that the Americans can once again pull off a shocker. 2-1 USA
Betting odds courtesy of Bovada.lv:
USA: +1 (-185) // +280 Moneyline
Portugal: -1 (+155) // -125 Moneyline
Draw +315
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