The United States was drawn into the "Group of Death" in the 2014 World Cup, which is know for its a grueling travel schedule and its fierce competitors.
Portugal, USA, Ghana and Germany's soccer teams were all picked for Group G. The teams are expected to travel a total of 8,466 miles for their games. To put it into perspective, Group H (Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic) only have to travel 3800 miles during their World Cup journey. (Check out the ridiculous travel schedule map here)
"When the U.S. team heads to Brazil next summer they'll square off in the opening round robin with two traditional powerhouses-Germany and Portugal-and an African team, Ghana, that has proved to be something of a bogeyman for the U.S. men's team. I imagine the early reaction in all three of those nations as they saw their team's draw went something like this: 'Well, at least we have the Americans,'" a Slate.com blogger wrote.
For US, Syrio Forel's words: “There is only one god and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: “Not today.”
— roger bennett (@rogbennett) December 6, 2013
The travel schedule may seem like cake compared to their competition. According to Slate.com, Germany is currently ranked second in FIFA's world rankings with Portugal not too far behind at no. 5. Though USA outranks Ghana by ten spots, the West African team has eliminated them in the past World Cups.
USA will face Ghana in on June 16, a game they cannot lose or they'll be out before the World Cup truly begins. Even ESPN's "soccer gent" Roger Bennett believes a win for the USA is a long-shot.
"Brightside for US Team: Their players will be able to swap jerseys with some world superstars after the games," Bennett wrote on his Twitter account.
Only two teams from each of the 8 pools will advance to the next round, leaving 16 teams to compete for one of the biggest honors in sports. Click here to view the official Group match-ups for the 2014 World Cup.
