Who are the teams you want to bet on in the World Cup bracket...

What are the U.S. chances?

I think the U.S. can beat Ghana. Think there will be some people taking advantage of Live streaming football
for that one? We might be a favorite in that game though it will be critical to our success to think of ourselves as underdogs. Then we’d be in the semi-finals with a very winnable game vs. South Korea or Uruguay. Uruguay is one of my favorite teams this year and are legitimate dark horses to win it. South Korea has been a bit of a thorn in the side for those youth teams I referenced and like us are part of a new guard of soccer nations (even if the Euros don't want to admit it). However, Uruguay's style despite their superiority means we'll be in the game if we can just keep them off the score sheet (tough task).

We won’t have many opportunities but our fitness might open up some late chances in a tight game. I think our finishing can only improve. Dempsey was awful unlucky today. Either team is beatable... and that would mean the semi-finals of the World Cup (uncharted territory unless you count the first world cup in 1930). From there who knows, but stay by your phone in case you want to do a littlemobile betting.

Who’s Who?

Before the tournament I compared the United States to Butler (the national finalist college basketball team) and I stick to that comparison. Hopefully, we'll get the same result or better. To review Kentucky last year is Brazil. Memphis two years ago is Spain (neither has won the big one) but both come in loaded with talent and the weight of the world on their shoulders. Ghana is an up and coming program, kind of like a Gonzaga in that their conference or rather continent is viewed with skepticism but nobody wants to play them in a do or die format.

We managed to avoid Germany who is a bit like North Carolina. Until the two titles this decade Carolina would win one every once in a while but even if they didn’t they’d get deep in the tournament. Both teams are systems, disclipined, and featured great athletes who are willing to devote themselves to the team concept. See Franz Beckbenbauer marauding and scoring goals as a defensive player (creating a new position as the first Libero or Sweeper) or Michael Jordan playing a role and bowing to older players James Worthy and Sam Perkins. You don’t want to play either team in a knockout format and thankfully we won’t until the finals if we get there.

England is a crotchedy old program that was in the spotlight once but has been a long time getting back. They continue to be decent but have never recaptured the glory of their win in the 60s. They are the embodiment of heartbreaking bridesmaids. They always advance but never quite get it done.

They are a hard team to pair but Cincinnatie or in state rival Ohio State both won in the 60s and have been good but not title worthy since. Perhaps, neither team embodies the spirit of their sport like football is with England. Maybe since they invented football, they should be paired with Kansas who’s team founder invented basketball James Naismith. Kansas has a few too many titles for that to work though.

Italy is a bit like UCLA in general. They’ve had success long ago and then spotty success since then. So much of their team is about looking in the rear view mirror. Perhaps, they don’t have the legends of the game that UCLA had but they’d argue their dominance defensively mirrors that of Jabar or Walton offensively. I’m afraid this year that they are too much like the more recent versions of UCLA. They just don’t have the players at their peak.

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