On Friday morning, FIFA drew the matchups for group play in the 2014 World Cup. Here are the groups:
Group A - Brazil, Cameroon, Mexico, Croatia
Group B - Spain, Chile, Australia, Netherlands
Group C - Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Greece
Group D - Uruguay, Italy, Costa Rica, England
Group E - Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras, France
Group F - Argentina, Nigeria, Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Group G - Germany, Ghana, U.S.A., Portugal
Group H - Belgium, Algeria, South Korea, Russia
A closer look at Group A and Group B:
A closer look at Group C and Group D:
A closer look at Group E and Group F:
A closer look at Group G and Group H:
ESPN's Soccer Power Index Rankings for Group G: Germany (4), Portugal (16), United States (17), Ghana (24), making this the "Group of Death," and certainly making team U.S.A. an underdog.
Brazil will face Croatia in the opening match of the World Cup on June 12, and the United States' first game will be against Ghana on June 16. They will play Portugal on June 22 and Germany on June 26. In total, USA will have to travel nearly 9000 miles over the course of the Cup. Yay!