World Cup gameday: USA vs. Slovenia

1. Start the way you finished » Apart from deciding not to show up until after giving up an opening goal, the United States got better against England as the match progressed, and belief gets as much credit for the 1-1 draw as Robert Green’s howler. Like in any major tournament, the team that gets better as it progresses is the one that will play the longest. The Americans need a win and should get it. Why? They are favorites against tiny Slovenia. But they’ll need to act like it because the European underdogs have taken down major opponents before, and they will seize on any hint of insecurity.

2. Own the midfield and keep the ball when going forward » One almost universally expected change in the U.S. lineup is the swap of midfielder Ricardo Clark for a more possession-oriented player like José Torres, who complements Michael Bradley and can set the tone with his vision and distribution. With the Americans likely to dictate the tempo more, a forward such as Edson Buddle who can hold the ball and link with his attackers also would serve better than a repeat use of Robbie Findley, whose speed is his best and sometimes only attribute.

3. Expect dogged and hopefully disciplined defense » Goalkeeping will take center stage, with U.S. netminder Tim Howard coming off a rib injury and Slovenia relying on Samir Handanovic to provide star power and leadership from the net. Big saves early could inject one team or the other with just the right dose of confidence to prevail. Also, two starting U.S. defenders — Jay DeMerit and Steve Cherundolo — picked up yellow cards against England, meaning — more so than their back line counterparts — they’ll need to be wary that a yellow against Slovenia would cost them a chance to play against Algeria.

STATE OF THE TEAMS

United States
The Group C-opening draw against England combined with Slovenia’s win over Algeria has ratcheted up the pressure. A U.S. win will give it the best chance of advancement, but a loss would all but signal an early flight home from South Africa.

Slovenia
Robert Koren’s fortunate goal was all Slovenia needed against Algeria, but sustaining bend-but-don’t-break for another 90 minutes won’t be easy. When was the last time a U.S. World Cup opponent was the one persuading the public that it intended to play for a victory?

The Washington Examiner predicts …
The midfield tone will be different from the outset for the United States, but Slovenia’s counterattacks will keep American fans on edge. Still, thanks to Edson Buddle, the United States will leap to the top of Group C and the cusp of the knockout rounds.

United States 2, Slovenia 1

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