June 11 - Day 5

GO BIG OR GO HOME!

The choice was simple; I needed to step it up a notch, because I'm headed to the biggest party in the world in just a few short days. This was breakfast at Boston's in Gilbert, Arizona at 11 am after a rough outing the night before. I'm definitely not in great form yet, but still have a few days to ready myself for what is sure to be some serious fun (is that an oxymoron?).

Late nights and late starts are more of my M.O. but it's the World Cup so it's going to be a lot of late nights and early starts. Watching the 6 am games is pretty brutal, but nothing like rearranging my entire life like I had to do four years ago. Wife's been good about making me breakfast (on time, to my liking and without talking back), but I had to get out of the house and into my element amongst the people.

The early stages have already seen their fair share of surprises and Trinidad & Tobago really threw their group for a loop with a 0-0 tie against Sweden. That's what coaches get paid to do, enter games with a plan and execute them (you listening Bruce). England didn't look capable of winning this tournament with their 1-0 performance against Paraguay and Argentina got a little bit of a scare from Drogba & Co. but held on for a much-deserved 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast.

Monday the United States face the Czech Republic in what could be one of the more interesting match-ups of the tournament. The U.S. surprised a talented Portugal squad in their opener four years ago, but the Czech Republic undoubtedly know more about the Americans now and are unlikely to take them lightly.

If Bruce Arena is smart, he'll have his team sit back and absorb pressure for the first half in hopes that the Czechs will throw more numbers forward. If he can get them to get stretched in the back, then the Americans have a chance to counterattack and sneak a goal. If Bruce comes out without a plan and thinks that he can simply play one of the best teams in the world straight up, it could be a rough outing for the Americans.

I want the U.S. to do well, but I don't think that we've had enough competition against quality European opponents to be properly prepared for this group. Landon can't hide out and hope to grab his goal late in the game; he's got to step up and get the ball often and in dangerous spots. If John O'Brien is healthy enough to play without limits, look for him to create some occasional magic. They've got to defend first and attack when it makes sense, otherwise it'll be over before it even starts.

Tomorrow: Last Minute Details