The World Cup might be months away, but it is never too early to start breaking down the many matchups presented by one of the world's most prestigious sporting events.
The World Cup draw has already taken place, and now is as good a time as any to figure out which of the eight groups will be the toughest to emerge from. Fans of soccer in the United States may have been hoping this is the year they announce their arrival as a major player in the world's game, but unfortunately for the Americans they might have gotten the most difficult draw of all.
The United States was placed in Group G, a talent packed group of four that includes Ghana along with perennial powers Portugal and Germany. The U.S. captain, Clint Dempsey, is not worried about the challenging slate.
think we have the quality, if we play our best ball, to get out of the group," Dempsey said. "You can't think about, 'Am I the favorite? Am I the underdog? What's it going to be like playing in the heat? What's it going to be like with the travel?' Those are factors that come into it, but at the end of the day both teams have to deal with it."
American fans have to love the confidence, but Germany didn't lose a single match in group C of the World Cup qualifiers, while Portugal features Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the world. Ghana has knocked the United States out of the last two World Cups.
Jozy Altidore isn't running from these teams though. Instead, he said the U.S. team has chosen to embrace the opportunity to test themselves against the best the world has to offer.
"It's definitely one of the tougher groups, if not the toughest, but at the same time, this is what the World Cup's all about. You go there to play against the best," Altidore said.
| Match | Date - Time | Venue | Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12/06 17:00 | Sao Paulo | Brazil | - | Croatia | ||
| 2 | 13/06 13:00 | Natal | Mexico | - | Cameroon | ||
| 17 | 17/06 16:00 | Fortaleza | Brazil | - | Mexico | ||
| 18 | 18/06 18:00 | Manaus | Cameroon | - | Croatia | ||
| 33 | 23/06 17:00 | Brasilia | Cameroon | - | Brazil | ||
| 34 | 23/06 17:00 | Recife | Croatia | - | Mexico |
| Match | Date - Time | Venue | Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 13/06 16:00 | Salvador | Spain | - | Netherlands | ||
| 4 | 13/06 18:00 | Cuiaba | Chile | - | Australia | ||
| 19 | 18/06 16:00 | Rio De Janeiro | Spain | - | Chile | ||
| 20 | 18/06 13:00 | Porto Alegre | Australia | - | Netherlands | ||
| 35 | 23/06 13:00 | Curitiba | Australia | - | Spain | ||
| 36 | 23/06 13:00 | Sao Paulo | Netherlands | - | Chile |
| Match | Date - Time | Venue | Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 14/06 13:00 | Belo Horizonte | Colombia | - | Greece | ||
| 6 | 14/06 22:00 | Recife | Côte d'Ivoire | - | Japan | ||
| 21 | 19/06 13:00 | Brasilia | Colombia | - | Côte d'Ivoire | ||
| 22 | 19/06 19:00 | Natal | Japan | - | Greece | ||
| 37 | 24/06 16:00 | Cuiaba | Japan | - | Colombia | ||
| 38 | 24/06 17:00 | Fortaleza | Greece | - | Côte d'Ivoire |
| Match | Date - Time | Venue | Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 14/06 16:00 | Fortaleza | Uruguay | - | Costa Rica | ||
| 8 | 14/06 18:00 | Manaus | England | - | Italy | ||
| 23 | 19/06 16:00 | Sao Paulo | Uruguay | - | England | ||
| 24 | 20/06 13:00 | Recife | Italy | - | Costa Rica | ||
| 39 | 24/06 13:00 | Natal | Italy | - | Uruguay | ||
| 40 | 24/06 13:00 | Belo Horizonte | Costa Rica | - | England |
| Match | Date - Time | Venue | Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 15/06 13:00 | Brasilia | Switzerland | - | Ecuador | ||
| 10 | 15/06 16:00 | Porto Alegre | France | - | Honduras | ||
| 25 | 20/06 16:00 | Salvador | Switzerland | - | France | ||
| 26 | 20/06 19:00 | Curitiba | Honduras | - | Ecuador | ||
| 41 | 25/06 16:00 | Manaus | Honduras | - | Switzerland | ||
| 42 | 25/06 17:00 | Rio De Janeiro | Ecuador | - | France |
| Match | Date - Time | Venue | Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 15/06 19:00 | Rio De Janeiro | Argentina | - | Bosnia-Herzegovina | ||
| 12 | 16/06 16:00 | Curitiba | Iran | - | Nigeria | ||
| 27 | 21/06 13:00 | Belo Horizonte | Argentina | - | Iran | ||
| 28 | 21/06 18:00 | Cuiaba | Nigeria | - | Bosnia-Herzegovina | ||
| 43 | 25/06 13:00 | Porto Alegre | Nigeria | - | Argentina | ||
| 44 | 25/06 13:00 | Salvador | Bosnia-Herzegovina | - | Iran |
| Match | Date - Time | Venue | Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 16/06 13:00 | Salvador | Germany | - | Portugal | ||
| 14 | 16/06 19:00 | Natal | Ghana | - | USA | ||
| 29 | 21/06 16:00 | Fortaleza | Germany | - | Ghana | ||
| 30 | 22/06 18:00 | Manaus | USA | - | Portugal | ||
| 45 | 26/06 13:00 | Recife | USA | - | Germany | ||
| 46 | 26/06 13:00 | Brasilia | Portugal | - | Ghana |
| Match | Date - Time | Venue | Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 17/06 13:00 | Belo Horizonte | Belgium | - | Algeria | ||
| 16 | 17/06 18:00 | Cuiaba | Russia | - | Korea Republic | ||
| 31 | 22/06 13:00 | Rio De Janeiro | Belgium | - | Russia | ||
| 32 | 22/06 16:00 | Porto Alegre | Korea Republic | - | Algeria | ||
| 47 | 26/06 17:00 | Sao Paulo | Korea Republic | - | Belgium | ||
| 48 | 26/06 17:00 | Curitiba | Algeria | - | Russia |
Full World Cup 2014 group stage TV schedule: Courtesy Of Mirror.co.uk
12 June
Brazil v Croatia 9pm ITV
13 June
Mexico v Cameroon 5pm ITV
Spain v Netherlands 8pm BBC
Chile v Australia 11pm ITV
14 June
Columbia v Greece 5pm BBC
Uruguay v Costa Rica 8pm ITV
England v Italy 11pm BBC
Ivory Coast v Japan 2am ITV
15 June
Switzerland v Ecuador 5pm ITV
France v Honduras 8pm BBC
Argentina v Bosnia 11pm BBC
16 June
Germany v Portugal 5pm ITV
Iran v Nigeria 8pm BBC
Ghana v USA 11pm BBC
17 June
Brazil v Mexico 8pm BBC
Belgium v Algeria 5pm ITV
Russia v South Korea 11pm BBC
18 June
Cameroon v Croatia 11pm ITV
Australia v Holland 5pm ITV
Spain v Chile 8pm BBC
19 June
Columbia v Ivory Coast 5pm BBC
Japan v Greece 11pm BBC
England v Uruguay 8pm ITV
20 June
France v Switzerland 8pm ITV
Italy v Costa Rica 5pm BBC
Honduras v Ecuador 11pm ITV
21 June
Germany v Ghana 8pm BBC
Argentina v Iran 5pm ITV
Nigeria v Bosnia 11pm BBC
22 June
Belgium v Russia 5pm BBC
USA v Portugal 11pm BBC
South Korea v Algeria 8pm ITV
23 June
Cameroon v Brazil 9pm ITV
Croatia v Mexico 9pm ITV
Australia v Spain 5pm ITV
Holland v Chile 5pm ITV
24 June
Japan v Columbia 9pm BBC
Greece v Ivory Coast 9pm BBC
England v Costa Rica 5pm ITV
25 June
Ecuador v France 9pm BBC
Honduras v Switzerland 9pm BBC
Nigeria v Argentina 5pm ITV
Bosnia v Iran 5pm ITV
26 June
South Korea v Belgium 9pm ITV
Algeria v Russia 9pm ITV
USA V Germany 5pm BBC
Portugal v Ghana 5pm BBC
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