What bettors need to know: USA vs. England
By ASHTON GREWAL
Odds: England -200, United States +500, Draw +275. Over/under: 2.5
The most anticipated match in group play kicks off Saturday at Royal Bafokeng Stadium. The United States looks to showcase their quality with a win over the heavily-favored Brits.
Wayne’s world
Center forward Wayne Rooney is England’s best offensive weapon and considered by most to be among the five best footballers on the planet. But he also has a well-earned reputation for having a quick temper.
He was sent off for stomping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho’s bits and pieces during England’s loss to Portugal in the 2006 World Cup and he’s been shown a few red cards while playing for Manchester United in the English Premier League.
England know their opponents will be looking agitate Rooney at every chance.
“He’s going to be a target, but I don’t think that will worry him,” former England captain Alain Shearer told UK based newspaper the Telegraph. “He’s going to be singled out for abuse by opposition defenders, but I believe he can keep a lid on his emotions.”
Oh, and did we mention that he was caught cursing out an official during a World Cup warm up earlier this week?
“Rooney insulted me,” match official Jeff Selogilwe told London paper the Metro. “He said ‘f*** you’. He must learn to control his temper. He could get sent off in the World Cup, especially if he uses this kind of language.”
Giant killers
England’s roster includes some of the biggest stars in today’s game while the United States’ players aren’t ones you’ll find on the back of many cereal boxes.
Still the Brits are perennial underachievers at the World Cup and didn’t even qualify for Euro 2008. The Americans, on the other hand, upset Spain, who were FIFA’s top-ranked country, at the Confederations Cup last summer.
“The Confederations Cup was last year,” U.S.A. central defender Oguchi Onyewu told reporters. “This Saturday is the World Cup and it is a completely different monster. It is a different entity. But the experience we picked up can only help us going into this tournament.”
Injuries and other notes of interest
Both sides enter Saturday’s match with a number of injuries that could be problematic.
For the Yanks, Onyewu and striker Jozy Altidore are the chief concerns. Onyewu didn’t play much at all this season because of an injury he suffered in a U.S. qualifier match.
“I’m up to facing England,” the AC Milan international told reporters. “I feel fine and ready to start the tournament. I’m physically fit. I’ve done all the [workouts] with the team. There is no issue of me playing a full 90 [minutes].”
United States coach Bill Bradley confirmed that Altidore, who tweaked his ankle a week ago, is fit and will start against England.
It’s still not entirely clear who’ll play next to Michael Bradley in center midfield. Ricardo Clark is the favorite but he hasn’t been in top form in his last two matches.
The Three Lions' notable injury comes at the backend where team captain Rio Ferdinand was lost for the tournament. Ledley King appears to be Ferdinand’s replacement and central defender John Terry seems comfortable with the switch.
“[King] really is a Rolls Royce of a player and I still could not tell you if he is right or left-footed,” Terry told the Press Association. “He has great feet and is a joy to play alongside.”
King and Terry will be counted on to support a more skilled than physical English midfield.
Don’t forget…
The match on Saturday should be entertaining and each team will be looking for the win but it’s important to remember that it isn’t a must-win game for either team.
England and the United States are considered the two best teams in Group C and are both expected to advance to the knockout stage. A loss for either team would hurt but it wouldn’t be a crippling blow. Both sides could settle for a draw if the score is tied late in the second half.
More history
The U.S. went 0-2-1 in their three group matches in the 2006 World Cup, but their draw came against the eventual champions Italy. The Americans scored just two goals in those three matches and did not advance past the group stage.
England won their group in 2006 before losing on penalties to Portugal in the quarterfinals. They scored six goals in their four games and allowed just two.
In friendly action this year, the U.S. lost to Netherlands (2-1) in March and got doubled up (4-2) by the Czech Republic at the end of May. They followed that up with 2-1 and 3-1 wins over Turkey and Australia this month.
The Three Lions won 3-1 against Egypt in March and had the same result against Mexico on May 24. Their last international friendly was an unimpressive 2-1 win over Japan on May 30.