US Mens Soccer Team hopes of a repeat World Cup upset

Image Courtesy: Punters Realm

When the draw for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa was held in Cape Town in December, the football fates decreed that the United States would face the tough task of taking on England (along with Slovenia and Algeria, who were also drawn into Group C) in the initial group stages of the competition.

US – English World Cup rivalry goes back sixty years, to the 1950 World Cup Finals in Brazil when the US pulled off arguably the biggest upset in World Cup history, defeating the then giants of the game England 1-0, thanks to a goal from Joe Gaetjens. The result were seen as an impossibility in England, with many newspapers reporting the 1-0 score as a misprint and stating that England had won 10-0 or 10-1 instead.

Since then the rivals have never since met in a World Cup finals competition and few critics were giving the U.S much of a chance of a repeat success this summer when the draw was made. Indeed more than a few online punters were putting their stakes and betting bonuses on England winning Group C at a canter.

At the time England, under their Italian manager Fabio Capello, had qualified with ease from their section in Europe, winning nine of their ten games and only losing the final game in the Ukraine, when their qualification was assured. They are considered as third favourites with many bookmakers to win the Jules Rimet trophy, behind Spain and Brazil and boast a squad filled with some of European football’s biggest stars, which would have included L.A Galaxy’s David Beckham until injury ruled him out of the finals.

However, in the past couple of months, all has not been well in the England camp.

Firstly there are injuries to key players. As stated previously, David Beckham has been ruled out of the finals with an Achilles tendon injury but more worrying for England are the problems suffered by influential left back Ashley Cole, who is yet to return to the Chelsea first team from an ankle injury, current captain Rio Ferdinand, who has had a chronic back problem all season long and has now injured his groin ruling him out for Manchester United for the foreseeable future and worst of all talismanic striker Wayne Rooney, one of the best strikers in world soccer, is currently suffering with knee and ankle complaints which have seen him miss several Manchester United games of late. Young wingers Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon, both seemingly a crucial part of Capello’s plans, have struggled with injuries this season and Lennon is yet to play a game in 2010 for his club Tottenham.
 

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