Bradley's USA Will Take Second Place in Group C at the 2010 World Cup

Contrary to popular belief, the USA’s World Cup hopes won’t live or die on the game against England.

How they got here
The United States opened its qualifying campaign with a comfortable 9-0 aggregate victory over Barbados. Trinidad and Tobago scored a 2-1 upset of Bob Bradley’s team in the first group phase but the USA won its five other games to progress to the final hexagonal group stage.

Bradley got some help from his son Michael in the opening group game against Mexico as the younger Bradley scored twice in a memorable victory. This was followed with a draw at El Salvador and a big road home win over Trinidad and Tobago. Defeat at Costa Rica however saw the United States lose control of its group destiny. A home win over Honduras temporarily righted the ship but a road defeat to Mexico put qualification temporarily in doubt. Bradley’s side showed their class however closing out the group with a home win over El Salvador followed up by success on the road to Trinidad and Tobago and at Honduras before a draw with Costa Rica guaranteed the USA topped the group.

Who to watch
Landon Donovan burst onto the scene in 2002 and his performances with LA Galaxy and most recently Everton have shown he is hitting the peak of his career entering this World Cup. A versatile player, Donovan could be deployed out wide, in an attacking midfield position or as a striker depending on what Bradley needs him to do.

The USA has a strong contingent of English Premier League (EPL) players. Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard will be joined by winger Clint Dempsey, who is in the Europa League Final with Fulham, West Ham’s Jonathan Spector, and Jozy Altidore who is on loan to Hull from Spanish side Villareal.

Defender Oguchi Onyewu is an interesting case. The defender starred in the Confederations Cup last year but has missed most of this season out with injury. Bradley faces a tough decision on whether to even include the fit again Onyewu in his squad for South Africa.

How they will perform
The USA might get a good result in the opening game against England or it might suffer a merciless beating which will be criticized back home. Either way it won’t matter, this is a team with the weapons in place to push aside Algeria and Slovenia to book a place in the second round. Those games will be decisive for the USA and Bob Bradley showed in the 2007 Gold Cup and the 2009 Confederations Cup that when it matters his teams can deliver. The USA will progress from Group C in South Africa.

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