along with Algeria and Slovenia in Group C. Top two qualify for next round, where they would meet whoever qualifies from Group D (Germany. Australia, Serbia, Ivory Coast)

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde's Lady Bracknell: To have the USA and England in the same Group may be regarded as a misfortune. To have them in the same group with Algeria and Slovenia looks like carelessness.

The conspiracy theorists could have a field day with this one but to me it looks more like divine justice. The two countries which dragged the western world into an unjust war in Iraq now have to compete with each other, a tiny nation in Eastern Europe and muslim nation in North Africa.

If we are both eliminated by these two - and it could happen - not a few would see it as poetic justice for the Iraq War and EU bias against eastern europeans.

My bet is that the USA and England advance. But I would not bet the farm on it.

I suggest we all keep an eye on Stage 2

All the pundits here are saying "easy draw for England" which is just tempting fate. I saw Slovenia in a friendly v England a while back and they didnt look much but Algeria have some quality players and their van Bastenesque winner v Egypt to qualify was certainly out of the top drawer.

Good draw and I wish I could go to the WORLD CUP in 2010!

Well WSU, if you've got an extra $7,000 hangin around go for it.

Roundtrip to Johannesburg is about $3,150. Tix for England/USA is $590 a piece Slovenia/USA is $239 and Algeria/USA are $289 each.

Wonder if scalping will increase those ticket prices for games, and whether that's prohibited.

Edit to add:

It's getting a bit spooky to see how everyone is making nice about the upcoming opener between England and the USA.

If the officiating is bad though the gloves may come off for the following games.

I am supporting Group C in this fifa

Hey, it's the finals... anyone can advance - no group is easy peasy. Yes, everyone knows England will advance. I hope the ENG v. USA match is great and we earn some respect from English fans. Of course, as an American, I hope we win and they make a movie about it in 50 years! Slovenia beat Russia to advance and Algeria beat Egypt - so it's no cakewalk for the US. I'm just really glad we played well in the confederations cup and got some great expeerience on South African soil. And if history is any indication, the US will do well this time. In '90 we bombed, '94 we advanced, '98 bombed, '02 advanced, '06 bombed - so it's time to advance again!!!!

I don't have that type of money laying around haha...I will get it a go in 2014 haha...

USA vs England

It's already sold out!! god stuff!!!

Tearful David Beckham sees World Cup dream dashed by Milan injury
David Beckham ruptures achilles tendon

David Beckham's hopes of extending his England career into a fourth World Cup finals are in tatters after the veteran midfielder ruptured an achilles tendon in Milan's 1-0 Serie A victory over Chievo last night, an injury that will rule him out for the season and could curtail his illustrious 18-year career.

The 34-year-old pulled up in the centre circle under no pressure from an opposing player with two minutes of the match remaining in San Siro and, after hopping from the pitch in obvious pain on his healthy right leg, collapsed on the sidelines. He was treated for about five minutes on the touchline before eventually being carried from the arena face down on a stretcher in tears, mouthing, "It's broken, it's broken" to those on the home bench while members of the Rossoneri's backroom staff attempted to comfort him.

I'm so ready for the World Cup. I can't wait for it to start. It will be interesting to see how the USA does. I think we can do well in our group.

An interesting sidebar to that is that it may give Becks time to concentrate on other things. One of which is possibly seeking ownership of an MLS team. That could inspire an interesting reaction from fans; especially English football fans who have generally panned USA ownership of english teams. Even the more printable commentaries are pretty nasty.

I, and I suspect most other USA football fans (who I'll define as those of us who love the international game), would welcome a Beckham ownership. If for no other reason than it would bring some solidity to the future of the pro game here. And it would be nice to have an owner with humble origins who remembers those origins. Maybe he would try to keep ticket prices in the range of the common folk since he does not personally need the money.

But USA soccer fans (those more interested in it as another way to earn money) may be disappointed at the notion of keeping prices low and commercializism secondary to game quality.

If Beckham does become an MLS owner we will have the best friend of gays in the game at or near it's head.

Assuming they both stay healthy, Ghanaian-German half-brothers Hamsburg defender Jérôme Boateng and older brother (by 2 years) Portsmouth (soon-to-be Manchester City?) attacking midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng could be playing against each other in Johannesburg's Soccer City in June when Germany (Jérôme) and Ghana (Kevin) may meet. Their contrasting personalities have generated some interest in the match in both Ghana and Germany, as well as England where the more colorful badboy Kevin-Prince ("Prince" is his football-player father's first name which Kevin has adopted) generates headlines just for having his flight delayed by that Icelandic volcano with the unpronouceable name Eyjafjallajokull. But if you're keeping track Jérôme's the adorable sexy one (just listening to him speaking German in that sexy baritone makes the words meaningless) and Kevin is the hip-hopper who likes rap about anal sex (with women - to each his own ) and is best-known for a shopping spree that included buying three expensive cars in one day when he was depressed.

Anyhow-

The Ghanaian Prince




Shy German Jérôme

The action will be starting up next month and I can't go. GO TEAM USA!!!

What do you guys think about the 30 man roster? I know a lot of people are angry about Davis being left off the roster.

I saw a Coca-Cola bottle shaped like a soccer ball in the store today. The World Cup is happening soon.

World Cup theme song by Somali-Canadian K'Naan (a modified version of his song Wavin' Flag, which was also used as a Haiti relief fundraising song in Canada).

The loss of Davies is especially bad because he and Altidore seemed to have established a tagteam up front whenever they played together.

But Davies French team wouldn't release him to play for USA even if Coach Bradley had thought he was ready to play under the high stress of the Cup., though he has been practicing with Sochaux and may make his first appearance before the Cup.

I think Souchaux is just protecting its investment.

With Howard, Cherundolo and Gooch and the rest our defense should be up to snuff with anyone. Even DeMerit may be in the mix after eye surgery (ironically by a world-reknown British doctor who half-jokes that he may have to go into hiding if DeMerit helps us beat the Brits in Group C).

Offense is always touch and go for the USA. I'd like to see Clint Dempsey get a hot foot, or at least for him and Donovan to have the kind of rapport that Altidore and Davies had.

We are going to need a little offensive magic from the forwards, and maybe the midfielders.

Nike's 3-minute commercial Write the Future, featuring the likes of Wayne Rooney and Christiano Ronaldo (and cameos by Homer Simpson and Kobe Bryant).

23-man roster announced

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England).

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Bolton, England), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico).

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla, Mexico).

England announces its squad:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

Defenders: Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Forwards: Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

==========

Brazil:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham), Doni (AS Roma).

Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Michel Bastos (Lyon), Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Lucio (Inter Milan), Juan (AS Roma), Luisao (Benfica), Thiago Silva (AC Milan).

Midfielders: Elano (Galatasaray), Kaka (Real Madrid), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Ramires (Benfica), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Kleberson (Flamengo), Julio Baptista (AS Roma).

Forwards: Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Nilmar (Villarreal), Robinho (Santos), Grafite (Wolfsburg)

==========

Meanwhile, Ronaldinho, left off the 23-man roster, gets a kiss from a male fan in Chicago.

Group C is shaping up to be a doozy of a finish.

But I think that contested call by the Malian ref may have done more to get the interest of the casual soccer fans in the USA than actually being in a comfortable lead in the Group.

Nothing stirs sports fans like a "Woe is me" situation to make them feel like underdogs.