Group C is comprised of: England, United States, Slovenia, and Algeria. England is the favorite, and the folks are giving the U.S. the second place in the group.
England is tipped by many experts as being serious contenders to the cup. I am not an expert, nor do I believe this is the case. First, England lacks a consistent goalkeeper. Robert Green seems to be the choice for starting keeper, though David James has been given the number 1 jersey. Rio Ferdinand sustained an injury to his knee just last Friday, and although not a huge setback, I think in the long run it will cause a few problems for England's defense. Wayne Rooney is not at a 100% yet, I don't think. Rooney will probably be knocked around a bit by defenders testing to see whether his ankle will hold. He isn't England's only threat up front though, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch will see a considerable amount of action as well. England's squad does not have the talent or luster to win the World Cup.
The United States will face off against England this Saturday, after winning two of their last three friendlies. They defeated Turkey 2-1 after first conceding a goal, and they defeated Australia 3-1. This is the U.S.'s 6th-straight World Cup appearance, though their last appearance was full of disappointment, coming away with one point in a draw with the eventual World Cup champion, Italy. The United States has a young, new roster with 15 of the 23 players in their first World Cup. Tim Howard has made the goalkeeper spot his in the last four years, and Marcus Hahnemann has played well when he has filled in for Howard. The United States will have to fill in some gaps in their defensive line, which is their weak point. Oguchi Onyewu's presence solidifies the defense, though he is not yet at the level he was before his injury. Clarence Goodman and Jay Demerit played as central defenders in the U.S'. last game against Australia, though Carlos Bocanegra makes a better defensive partner with Onyewu. The midfield has talent, but needs to make their presence felt more. Michael Bradley is one of the most consistent players. Landon Donovan, nicknamed Captain America, is supposed to be the backbone of the U.S. attack, and of the team in general. But he is heavily criticized for disappearing during important matches and not contributing. Offensively, there is a lot of young talent. Hopefully Jozy Altidore will be ready for the first game against England, an Edson Buddle would be the best choice to accompany Altidore from the start, and Herculez Gomez as the sub.
Slovenia and Algeria round out the group. Slovenia has a good chance of advancing should either England or the U.S. falter, while Algeria is pegged as the bottom place finisher of the group.
Predictions for individual games:
England 1, United States 3
Algeria 0, Slovenia 2
Slovenia 0, United States 2
Algeria 0, England 3
Slovenia 1, England 2
United States 3, Algeria 0
United States .... 9 Pts.
England .......... 6 Pts.
Slovenia ......... 3 Pts.
Algeria .......... 0 Pts.
These are my predictions, as Jeremy's differ slightly, in that he has the U.S. and England tying in the group opener, 1-1.
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