NEW YORK — U.S. soccer players were almost giddy Friday after a favorable World Cup draw gave them hope they will reach the second round in South Africa in June.
The Americans will play England in their opener, perhaps the most-anticipated first-round match in the 32-nation tournament. After that, the U.S. faces two low-profile teams in Slovenia and Algeria.
“American fans are thinking we should advance out of the group, and I like that. I like how they’re thinking,” U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said. “We feel confident as well that this is a group we can get out of.”
After advancing to the quarterfinals in 2002, the best U.S.finish since the initial World Cup in 1930, there were high expectation for the Americans at the 2006 tournament in Germany. But they were eliminated in the first round with losses to the Czech Republic and Ghana around a tie with Italy.
The U.S. upset England 1-0 in the first round on the 1950 tournament in Brazil, still considered by many the greatest American soccer victory. The June 12 game in Rustenburg features a matchup that could pit Los Angeles Galaxy teammates David Beckham and Landon Donovan on opposite teams.
While the English are ranked ninth in the world and have stars such as Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, Algeria (28th) and Slovenia (33rd) needed to win playoffs to reach the tournament and are ranked well behind the U.S. (14th).
“It think it was a very fair group,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. “It gives us an opportunity, you know, to play well and to advance.”
Odds on the U.S. winning were lowered from 80-1 to 65-1 after the draw, with Spain remaining the favorite at 4-1 followed by five-time champion Brazil at 5-1 along with England.
2010 World Cup draw
GROUP A
France, Mexico, South Africa, Uruguay
GROUP B
Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, South Korea
GROUP C
Algeria, England, Slovenia, United States
GROUP D
Australia, Germany, Ghana, Serbia
GROUP E
Cameroon, Denmark, Japan, Netherlands
GROUP F
Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia
GROUP G
Brazil, Ivory Coast, North Korea, Portugal
GROUP H
Chile, Honduras, Spain, Switzerland
