Bruce Arena’s USA team come into this World Cup without the element of surprise. Their results went beyond expectation in the World Cup Finals 2002, where the ‘Stars & Stripes’ managed to reach the quarter-finals, but there will be no surprise this time around as every team will be prepared to face the USA at Germany 2006.

Arena's USA qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup with three matches still to play in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying.

Even with a loss late in the campaign to fellow qualifiers Costa Rica, the USA still finished top of the CONCACAF Zone ahead of local rival’s Mexico for the first time in their history.

The USA could still produce a surprise, but having been drawn in Group E with Italy, the Czech Republic and newcomer’s Ghana, coach Bruce Arena has a far tougher challenge.

Many don't look at the USA's consistent top 10 FIFA ranking as an accurate predictor of the true ability of the team, but Arena has a squad that will be full of European-based players, who are hardworking and full of attacking options.

Led by captain Claudio Reyna, who plays for Manchester City, along with Landon Donovan, and Fulham’s Brian McBride, who are all veteran’s of the USA’s 2002 campaign, Arena’s side also have the talents of PSV winger DaMarcus Beasley, teenage sensation Freddy Adu, along with New England Revolution’s Taylor Twellman.

Twellman has been on top-form lately, having scored four goals and with two assists in his last two matches for the U.S. and recording the USA’s ninth-ever hat trick in the 5-0 victory over a depleted Norway in their World Cup warm-up friendly in March 2006.

Midfielder Landon Donovan led the USA in scoring during qualifying, and set up as many goals as he scored. He will be joined in midfield by Reading’s Bobby Convey, who has been on stunning form for his club this season.

Kansas City Wizards striker Josh Wolff is the only player in the squad to start all four of the USA’s friendly matches in 2006 and looks a certainty in the squad for Germany.

The USA’s veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who plays for Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach, has a spectacular record for his national team, with an amazing 44 clean-sheets in his 89 career matches.

In front of Keller, the U.S. defence looks to have a largely European flavour as well, with 2002 World Cup veterans Gregg Berhalter and Steve Cherundolo, who both play their team football in Germany, along with Fulham FC’s Carlos Bocanegra, and Oguchi Onyewu from Belgian side Standard de Liege - all with plenty of experience.

Many don't expect the USA to progress from their group, but then again no one expected them to do it in 2002. It will still, however, be a massive task to get past the other talent in their group to get into the knockout stages.

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USA Match Fixtures in the World Cup 2006 Finals

12-Jun-06	USA v Czech Republic	18:00 BST
17-Jun-06	Italy v USA	21:00 BST
22-Jun-06	Ghana v USA	16:00 BST

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Historic Facts

First International appearance: USA 0 - 1 Canada (Newark, USA; November 28, 1885) (Unofficial)
First International appearance: Sweden 2 - 3 USA (Stockholm, Sweden; August 20, 1916)

Largest win: USA 8 - 1 Cayman Islands (Mission Viejo, USA; November 14, 1993)

Worst defeat: USA 0 - 10 England (New York City, USA; May 27, 1964)

World Cup Finals Appearances: 1934, 1950, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002

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USA Match Results - CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers

Date	Match	Result
12-Oct-2005	USA - Panama	2:0 (0:0)
08-Oct-2005	Costa Rica - USA	3:0 (1:0)
07-Sep-2005	Guatemala - USA	0:0
03-Sep-2005	USA - Mexico	2:0 (0:0)
17-Aug-2005	USA - Trinidad and Tobago	1:0 (1:0)
08-Jun-2005	Panama - USA	0:3 (0:3)
04-Jun-2005	USA - Costa Rica	3:0 (1:0)
30-Mar-2005	USA - Guatemala	2:0 (1:0)
27-Mar-2005	Mexico - USA	2:1 (2:0)
09-Feb-2005	Trinidad and Tobago - USA	1:2 (0:1)

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