So the World Cup is now a week old, every team has played at least once. It is now becoming clear whether your team was a sound bet or as dodgy as a Northern Rock balance sheet.

There have already been a few surprises, and those following a minnow may have had a nice surprise. Also those struggling can cling to a few strands of hope as no team has been eliminated thus far.

If like me you have a team you know little about in the office sweepstake, or you have just not bothered with the World Cup so far, I have created a quick summary to get you up to speed.

How is your team doing?

Algeria – A poor start against Slovenia and elimination beckons, unless they pull of a surprise against England. Should Algeria qualify and you live in England you may be forced to change your name, address and seek alternative employment.

Argentina – In Messi you should trust, Argentina recorded one of the most crushing one nil victories you will ever see, in the first game and eventually ran out comfortable winners agains South Korea.  Blue and white fireworks will surely illuminate this tournament sooner rather than later.

Australia – Hammered by Germany and unlikely to progress, the players should start booking their plane tickets home.

Brazil – Although they made heavy work of the North Koreans, I would still be happy to have backed Brazil in this tournament. The quality is there for all to see.

Cameroon - Having lost their opening game, there is a lot left to do if Cameroon are to qualify, hope is not yet lost but I would not back my sweepstake team.

Chile – An opening game victory, playing attacking football, what more can you ask for?

Denmark – Lost to Holland but not out of it yet, Nicklas Bentdner and others will need to be at the top of their game for the next two games though.

England – If you don’t know how they are doing, just google ‘Robert Green’ and all will become clear.

France – Started with a draw and this side looks weary, improvement needed from a side that looks devoid of ideas.

Germany – Emphatic win against Australia, people are already taking notice of the Germans in this tournament.

Ghana – Flying the flag for Africa with an opening game win, this side will receive a lot of coverage in a tournament desperate for African success.

Greece – Poor and uninspired, if they cannot improve they will soon be back to the economic turmoil of their homeland.

Holland – Won their first game, should progress from their group with ease.

Honduras – Lost to Chile, things are already looking bleak for one of the teams no one really knows/expects anything from in this tournament.

Italy – Had a poor first game which was the ultimate defence vs. defence battle that somehow produced two goals.  After 2006 you should resist the urge to rule out these ageing slow starters.

Ivory Coast – After a battling draw against Portugal, Sven’s men need a big win against North Korea, or a miracle against Brazil to progress.

Japan – Secured victory in their opening game, they will be hoping to build on this as expectations back home grow.

Mexico – Only a draw to start the tournament off, massive improvements will be needed in order to prove they can make a mark on this tournament.

New Zealand – The point they got in their opening game was hailed as a miracle for New Zealand, read into that what you like given the opposition was Slovakia.

Nigeria – Massacred in a 1-0 defeat to Argentina, they will be ok if their goalkeeper keeps up the form he showed in that game.

North Korea – Fantastic start, strong favourites to win the tournament, well back home at least. In all seriousness the Koreans showed real passion against Brazil and even got a consolation goal. Unlikely to progress but their compact style may harm the chances of one of the other ‘top’ sides in the group.

Paraguay – Secured a great result against the holders, but may need to play with more attacking intent to progress.

Portugal – Things just don’t seem right in the Portugal camp, a draw in the opening game is ok, however much more is needed.  Only so much can be done as a one man team.

Serbia – Having lost their opening game, the Serbians look to be limping out of the tournament; however there is talent in this side. This will need to shine through if they are to reach the second round.

Slovakia – Having failed to beat the worst team in the competition in their first game, I think the Slovakians are finished in the tournament before it has really begun.

Slovenia – Top of England’s group with a win, Slovenia have a real chance to upset the apple cart and qualify ahead of the USA or England in group C.

South Africa – Full of heart and with their nation behind them, it looks like this will not be enough to help Bafana Bafana progress. Two gutsy displays have not made up for a lack of discernable talent, only a win against France and a miracle will see them through to the next stage.

South Korea – After winning their first game in an impressive fashion, the Koreans will dream of a repeat of 2002 or even better. Combining a strong work ethic with touches of flair. Despite  losing to Argentina, this team has the potential to have a stellar World Cup.

Spain – The favourites lost their opening match to Switzerland, potentially setting up a second round tie with Brazil. Still not out of the running, their Rolls Royce midfield engine needs to start ticking over, and fast.

Switzerland – After beating Spain this team must feel on top of the world, the second round may be their target, but they have certainly already made their mark on the competition.

United States – Brilliant result if not performance against England, confidence must be at an all time high. Slovenia must not be underestimated though and Friday’s game will be key to their campaign.

Uruguay – Almost through to the next round, they looked good against France and South Africa. Manchester United fans may not recognise the Diego Forlan of this World Cup compared to his days in England as he fires Uruguay forwards in the competition.

So this is where we stand after one week, in the next few days the group pictures will become a lot clearer and we may start to lose teams.

If you have backed Brazil or Germany you should be very happy with your investment, those following Slovenia, Switzerland, Chile or Uruguay may have been pleasantly surprised by last weeks games.

As we move forwards every team still technically in with a shout, each team is now  just 6 games from immortality.

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Ladies and gentlemen, take a second and place the back of your hand on your forehead to check to see if you have a fever. I have a gut feeling you may be suffering from World Cup Fever. But if you’re feeling 100% healthy, perhaps it’s time to check your paid time off balance to see if you have time available to skip work on Friday.

After all, Friday marks a must-see double act of USA versus Slovenia at 10am ET followed by England against Algeria (2:30pm ET).

For those of us who live in the United States and who work office hours, the two games are played during work hours. But these are two games that you definitely should not miss live. Wherever you live in the world, be sure to get out of the house or office and watch the game with soccer fans at your local pubs, sports bar or other venues that are showing the games. It’s time to wear your nation’s colors with pride and to get behind your country. A win for the United States is just as important as a win for England. If both nations can get wins on Friday, this will significantly increase their chances of both teams going through to the next round. It won’t be easy for either team, but they need your support. Go to your local watering hole and cheer for the red, white and blue.

What are your plans for Friday? Do you plan on calling in sick, taking the day off work, watching it from your desk or do you have another plan in store?

Walking up and down the streets of New York before the most highly anticipated U.S. soccer match in history, one could have mistaken this city for London, Berlin or Rio de Janeiro. Thousands of people clad in football jerseys, and not the variety of Manning, Brady, or Peterson, but those of Donovan, Altidore and Dempsey. If just for one day, the country stood still for the world’s game, and it was a truly fantastic site to behold.

Having been in Europe for the 2006 World Cup, it was my first taste of just how much this game means to the rest of the world. Every car and storefront fitted with unbridled nationalism. And not a jingoistic nationalism, but a peaceful nationalism that only the world’s very best sporting tournament can conjure.

Like so many others that follow the European game, and having witnessed the previous Cup amongst true fans of the game, I was weary of following the tournament here in the States, if only because I felt most would treat it as a passing interest, and not the end-all, be-all that the event represents for serious fans. I wanted to be around the electricity of Munich and Amsterdam, Liverpool and London. Little did I know I had to go no further than five blocks to get just what I craved.

New York, of course, is the country’s most diverse and cosmopolitan of cities. Here, there are literally hundreds of nationalities represented and languages spoken. I knew there would be an energy come World Cup time, but I got much more than expected.

Since Friday’s opener, everywhere you turn you cannot avoid people sporting their favorite players’ jerseys or national scarves. From the obvious Messi and Rooney jerseys, to the more obscure Appiah and Forlan shirts, soccer fever has truly taken hold of this town.

We encountered no less than 10 pubs in the East Village turn down prospective patrons because they had exceeded capacity. Granted, this was primarily for the US-England encounter, but it was still a site to behold in this country. There are street fairs popping up in the city for the Cup, a makeshift soccer “stadium” showing all 64 matches in SoHo, and literally every single business with a liquor license and access to at least one TV is opening its doors from 7 a.m. everyday for the group stage.

But the most exciting aspect of all of this was the masses’ reaction for the big one: USA-England. Fearful of ex-pat Englishmen outnumbering Americans on the streets and in the bars, it was a terrific surprise to see literally tens of thousands of people donning their American regalia. It doesn’t take much for Americans to sport their pride, we are a truly patriotic nation, a great sports nation as well. On Saturday though, everyone was a US soccer fan.

People I have known for years that know nothing of football were talking formations, starting lineups and tactics. Certainly playing the English helped invoke exuberant pride and a nationwide longing to beat the British. Always healthy allies, it easy for the media to spin this match into a must-see. It is an interesting relationship between the two countries, almost one of older-brother, younger-brother. We may respect and admire our friendship with the British, but we certainly would never want to lose to them at anything.

Rather than be amongst English supporters at countless pubs in the city, my group chose an American sports bar, with about 95% Americans there on the day. And atmosphere was not lacking. It was truly an amazing moment when the Star-Spangled Banner began, and the whole bar erupted in song in a glorious show of patriotism. There was an energy in the bar I had not felt since London and England’s clash with Portugal in the 2006 quarterfinals. It was electric.

When Steven Gerrard neatly tucked the ball underneath Tim Howard to put the Brits up 1-0, the crowd fell silent. But not for long. At any chance, chants of USA filled the bar and by the time Clint Dempsey’s speculative shot squirmed underneath the hapless Robert Green’s arms, the crowd just about tore the roof off the place.

The historic rivalry of the two countries contributed significantly to the overall viewership, being billed as US soccer’s biggest game ever. Whether that kind of passion can be invoked while playing the likes of Slovenia or Algeria remains to be seen, but a trip to the last-16 against Germany could see the reaction go above and beyond that of Saturday.

I am under no illusion that because of the awesome displays of patriotism and footballing enthusiasm over the weekend that the US will emerge as a true soccer nation. We have our sports that dominate the mainstream, and that is the way it should be. American football, baseball, and basketball are who we are, they are our sports and ingrained in our culture.

But, without a doubt, Saturday was one of the greatest sports-watching days of my life. And it had nothing to do with any of the aforementioned sports. If just for one day, it truly felt special to watch the US become a soccer nation. I’ll never forget it.

Leave your thoughts on the game and your experience viewing the match in the US below.

Does Fox Soccer Channel have a time machine where they’re able to go into the future to find out the results of games, and then report back to present day to reveal the scores? Maybe not, but currently running on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus is an advertisement promoting Fox Soccer’s new mobile app where they show USA losing to England.

Thanks to EPL Talk reader Eric Dolegowski who took a screenshot from the ad, we can now see that Fox Soccer Channel thinks the US men’s national squad will qualify for the round of 16, but will lose against England (see above picture).

The TV schedule for the 2010 World Cup has been released for viewers in the United States, and the most highly anticipated match of the opening round featuring England against the United States of America will be televised live on ABC on Saturday, June 12 beginning at 2pm ET.

In England’s second game of the tournament, the match against Algeria will be shown live on ESPN2 on Friday, June 16 with coverage beginning at 2pm ET. England’s last game of the opening round, against Slovenia, will be televised on Wednesday, June 23. Coverage that day begins at 9:30am ET.

All games will be televised in HD and will feature pre-game, half-time and post-game analysis. Plus, ESPN has announced that they will show the complete national anthems for both teams before each game.

All 64 games will be televised live. The breakdown of the games will be as follows: ESPN will show 44 games. ABC will show 10, while ESPN2 will show 10. The World Cup final will be broadcast live on Sunday, July 11th at 1:30pm ET on ABC.

In addition to the television coverage, all of the games shown on ESPN and ESPN2 will also be shown live on ESPN360.com. That means that the England against United States game, and all others on ABC, will not be available via ESPN360. However, all 64 tournament games will be available on archive for the remainder of 2010.

Lastly, ESPN Classic will re-air all 64 World Cup matches. Each matchday, between 6pm and midnight ET, the network will present all matches played earlier that day. Plus, ESPN and ESPN2 will air the best match of the day on select nights throughout the tournament.

I think you’ll agree with me that ESPN is, so far, making all the right moves and is planning on making this the best possible World Cup experience ever. Plus, to me, showing the national anthems of both teams is a big deal and it’s something that wasn’t shown in many previous World Cup tournaments. Or, if it was shown, the United States national anthem was shown live and as soon as it was the turn of the opponent’s national anthem, the networks involved often broke for a commercial.

For the complete TV schedule of all World Cup games, visit our sister site World Cup Buzz.

Martin Tyler, the world’s number one football commentator, was on ESPN last week with Bob Ley to provide his reaction and analysis to the draw that will see England play the United States in the 2010 World Cup. In addition to Tyler’s analysis of that match, he also discusses the other groups and how he sees the other countries fairing in the tournament.

Hat tip: The Offside Rules.

No matter which way you look at England’s opening game of the 2010 World Cup against the United States, the biggest winner will be the Premier League. Sure, the headlines will be focused on the World Cup but after the tournament is over, the long-term winner of the increased interest in this game will be the Premier League.

Each World Cup massive amounts of soccer fans are “born” around the world as they find themselves falling in love with the beautiful game. And with the June 12th game between England and the United States being center stage on a Saturday during an ideal time (2:30pm ET and 7:30pm GMT), the TV ratings for the game in both countries and around the world will be absolutely massive.

There are so many storylines surrounding this game, but here are a few more reasons why I believe the Premier League will be the biggest benefactor from this game:

1. Over the next seven months, expect to see the American footballers who play in the Premier League placed under a microscope as pundits, commentators and football supporters will keep a closer eye than usual on Americans such as Tim Howard, Jonathan Spector, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore and others.
2. England and the United States have a love-hate relationship from both sides of the pond, so Americans will want nothing more than to beat the English, and vice-versa. This special relationship transcends soccer fans and is understood by most mainstream Americans who don’t follow the sport. However, expect to see an incredible number of sports fans tuning in to watch this game to see if the United States can defeat their former warlords. And for these new fans, expect them to be introduced for the first time not only to several skillful American players but to incredible footballers such as Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. When the World Cup is over, these new soccer fans may be more likely to follow the Premier League than Major League Soccer because of the accessibility of the EPL on US TV and the greater number of games shown on the box.
3. The match between England and the United States is going to shine the media spotlight on the rivalry and may, if the reporters do their job correctly, reveal how many Americans are massive followers of the Premier League. That in itself would be an interesting story for mainstream reporters to tell and will provide the Premier League with even more free publicity.
4. Some of you may not like this, but expect the England against United States match to renew the interest in the 39th Game. We’ll get to see how many Americans will turn out at sports bars across the entire country to watch this game. By seeing how many people are in love with the beautiful game as well as admirers of the English team (but supporting the United States), this will show how much interest there is and how bringing English club teams to Americans shores for a meaningful league game will be so appealing.

What are your thoughts on the above points? Click the comments link below and share your feedback.

In the weeks leading up to the biggest match of the new decade, there’ll be plenty of psychological mind games played out in the press between the players and coaching staff of both England and the United States. But those mind games will be nothing compared to some of the warfare played out in the minds of soccer fans in the United States.

For a country which has been served a diet of English soccer on US television for 20 years or more, many of us have a better knowledge about the English game than we do for our own country, the United States. This includes not only the top flight league soccer where many of us know far more about the Premier League than Major League Soccer, but for some of us that also includes a better knowledge of the England national team than the men who play in red, white and blue for the United States.

The mind games that will play out for us between now and June 12, 2010, will be who will we want to win, the United States or England?

Think I’m crazy? I’m sure the majority of you will know exactly which team you’ll support. But the question is more complicated for Americans who are anglophiles. And for the millions of ex-pats who now call America their home.

For me, it’s a incredibly tough decision. I’m Welsh, but all of my relatives on my father’s side of the family are English. So since moving to the United States in 1984, I’ve always supported the British contingent of countries who played during the World Cup. Wales have never qualified in my lifetime, so I would always support Scotland and England (1986 and 1990 World Cup), England (1990, 1998, 2002 and 2006) and Northern Ireland (1986 and 1990). And in 1994, since there were no British teams competing, I supported the Republic Of Ireland.

At the same time, I’ve always supported the United States since I moved here in 1984 and especially during the 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cup.

But until this time, I’ve never been forced to choose between two countries. By June 12, I’ll have to support one or the other. Or maybe not, since that no matter which team wins, I’ll be happy.

My story is not unlike millions of other Americans who live in the United States who will be forced to side with one team or another. Complicating the matter are the Americans that are anglophiles who feel more of an affinity toward England than their home country, the United States.

It’s not only a mind game based on where you were born and where you live. It’s also a matter of taste, soccer-wise that is. Deep down, I want the United States to beat England so we can put soccer on the map not only in this country but around the world. But many soccer fans in the United States have been turned off by repeated failures and lack of imagination on the field thanks to coaches such as Steve Sampson and Bob Bradley.

Being a supporter of the United States men’s national team is an experience that features many highs and many lows. From game to game, it’s hard to predict which United States team will show up. The one that looks like world beaters, or the one that only manages a narrow win against countries such as Cuba and Haiti.

So when June 12, 2010 rolls around and you’re standing there with a beer in hand and your heart is pounding a mile a minute, which country will you be supporting and why? Click the comments link below and share your opinion.

England and the United States in the same World Cup group is a draw that is made of dreams for me. Not purely because I’m an American citizen and a British citizen, but because it’ll shut a lot of people up. Whether that’s the egotistical English journalists that feel that a game against the United States will be a pushover for England. Or whether it’s the American soccer fans who claim that England aren’t the heavyweights they once were and that the USA could beat them.

I’m not saying either one is correct, but the match-up between England and the United States will hopefully put an end to a lot of those debates.

Ladies and gentlemen, mark your calendars for Saturday, June 12 when England plays the United States at 2:30pm ET. This for me and millions around the world will be a huge match.

My initial reaction to the draw for Group C for England is that their group opponents are beatable. Other than the United States, the other teams are Algeria and Slovenia. Neither will be easy, but there’s no reason England and the United States should not progress past this round.

What’s your reaction to England and the USA’s group? And what about the other groups? Post your feedback now by clicking the comments link below.

The Damned United will be making its cinematic debut in the United States on a limited release this September 25, 2009 in New York City and Los Angeles.

And now Sony Pictures has officially launched the movie trailer for the film. It’s quite a bit different than the UK version. The US version focuses more on the dynamic of Brian Clough’s battle to unseat Don Revie from the power of being the best and most successful manager in English football at that time.

Sony Pictures has also launched a website to coincide with the upcoming launch of the film in the United States at http://www.sonyclassics.com/thedamnedunited/ The number of features is extremely limited right now, but I’m sure more information will be added in the next few weeks.