World Cup Draw 2014 Teams, Groups: United States Featured in Group G, Also Known As Group of Death
The 2014 World Cup will feature the United States of America in Group G - or the 'Group of Death' - along with Germany, Ghana, and Portugal.
The Americans are making the trip to the World Cup for the seventh straight time and the squad will open up with a June 16 matchup in Natal.
Group A consists of Brazil, Mexico, and Cameroon; Group B features Chile, Spain, Australia, and the Netherlands. Colombia, Japan, Greece, and Ivory Coast will combine to make up Group C. Italy, Costa Rica, and England are in Group D while Honduras, Ecuador, and France will create Group E. Argentina, Nigera, Iran, and Bosnia-Herzegovina are in Group F, which leads up to the previously mentioned Group of Death, Group G.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque gave his thoughts on the groups, mentioning that mental preparation throughout will be key.
"I said this morning that we would get Holland in the first game, and look what happened," Bosque said, according to ESPN. "What fortune! It is up to us to be very good from the first day. The Dutch will demand the best from us. From there, it could all depend on us and our mental preparation."
Jürgen Klinsmann, who coaches the Americans, pointed out the difficult competition ahead.
"I kind of had in my stomach that we were going to get Germany," Klinsmann said. "Obviously it's one of the most difficult groups in the whole draw, having Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo and then Ghana, who has a history with the United States. It couldn't get any more difficult or any bigger."
According to ESPN, the draw started with a tribute to South African freedom fighter, anti-Apartheid activist, and former President, Nelson Mandela, who passed away on Thursday. There was also a moment of silence for Mandela, who was 95 years old.