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Before we begin, let's win some prizes from Aggieland Outfitters.
We're giving away Dynamo tix & a Patriotic Package from AO if #USA advances! RT &text "BTHOGermany" to 99000 to enter pic.twitter.com/XJrXDKvTIT
— Aggieland Outfitters (@AggieOutfitters) June 24, 2014
Greetings, football fans! No, not that football. The round ball football that we call soccer. The group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup is coming to an end, and the final 2 days bring plenty of drama. Teams are fighting for the right to move on into the Round of 16, so the stakes are certainly high. The USA has to bounce back from a last-minute heartbreaker in a 2-2 draw against Portugal, and the opponent - Germany - could not be more challenging. The USA needs just a draw to move on, but can they earn one? Let's chat.
Wednesday
The Teams
Nigeria| FIFA Ranking: 44; Goal Differential: +1
Argentina| FIFA Ranking: 5; Goal Differential: +2
The Game
11 AM (Central) Kickoff | ESPN/ESPN3.com
Arena Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Announcers - Derek Rae, Efan Ekoku
Advancement Scenarios
Nigeria - Win OR draw OR Iran loss/draw OR Iran win + goal differential
Argentina - Clinched advancement; win/draw clinches 1st in group
The Teams
Bosnia & Herzegovina| FIFA Ranking: 21; Goal Differential: -2
Iran| FIFA Ranking: 43; Goal Differential: -1
The Game
11 AM (Central) Kickoff | ESPN2/ESPN3.com
Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil
Announcers - Daniel Mann, Craig Burley
Advancement Scenarios
Bosnia & Herzegovina - Eliminated
Iran - Win AND Nigeria loss + goal differential
The Teams
Honduras| FIFA Ranking: 33; Goal Differential: -4
Switzerland| FIFA Ranking: 6; Goal Differential: -2
The Game
3 PM (Central) Kickoff | ESPN/ESPN3.com
Arena Amazonia, Manaus, Brazil
Announcers - Fernando Palomo, Kasey Keller
Advancement Scenarios
Honduras - Win AND Ecuador loss + goal differential
Switzerland - Win AND Ecuador loss/draw OR draw AND Ecuador loss OR loss/draw AND Ecuador loss/draw + goal differential
The Teams
Ecuador| FIFA Ranking: 26; Goal Differential: 0
France| FIFA Ranking: 17; Goal Differential: 6
The Game
3 PM (Central) Kickoff | ESPN/ESPN3.com
Estadio de Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Announcers - Adrian Healey, Alejandro Moreno
Advancement Scenarios
Ecuador - Win/draw AND Switzerland loss OR draw/loss AND Switzerland draw/loss + goal differential
France - Clinched advancement; win/draw clinches 1st in group
Thursday
The Teams
Portugal| FIFA Ranking: 4; Goal Differential: -4
Ghana| FIFA Ranking: 37; Goal Differential: -1
The Game
11 AM (Central) Kickoff | ESPN2/ESPN3.com
Estadio Nacional, Brasilia, Brazil
Announcers - Jon Champion, Stewart Robson
Advancement Scenarios
Portugal - Win AND US/GER loss + goal differential
Ghana - Win AND US/GER loss + goal differential
The Teams
United States of America| FIFA Ranking: 13; Goal Differential: 1
Germany| FIFA Ranking: 2; Goal Differential: 4
The Game
11 AM (Central) Kickoff | ESPN/ESPN3.com
Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
Announcers - Ian Darke, Taylor Twellman
Advancement Scenarios
USA - win/draw OR loss AND GHA/POR draw OR loss + goal differential
Germany - win/draw OR loss AND GHA/POR draw OR loss + goal differential
The Teams
South Korea| FIFA Ranking: 57; Goal Differential: -2
Belgium| FIFA Ranking: 11; Goal Differential: -1
The Game
3 PM (Central) Kickoff | ESPN/ESPN3.com
Arena de Sao Paolo, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Announcers - Adrian Healey, Alejandro Moreno
Advancement Scenarios
South Korea - Win AND Algeria loss + goal differential
Belgium - Clinched advancement; win/draw clinches 1st in group
The Teams
Algeria| FIFA Ranking: 22; Goal Differential: 1
Russia| FIFA Ranking: 19; Goal Differential: 2
The Game
3 PM (Central) Kickoff | ESPN2/ESPN3.com
Arena de Baixada, Curitiba, Brazil
Announcers - Derek Rae, Efan Ekoku
Advancement Scenarios
Algeria - Win OR draw AND South Korea loss/draw OR draw + goal differential
Russia - Win
Helpful links
Complete US National Team World Cup Preview