Twistity Sports Exclusive: US SEEKS ALTITUDE WITHOUT ALTIDORE

 
The USA’s Sunday World Cup match with Portugal features a classic ‘good news, bad news’ slant.

The good news? Pending the result of Germany’s match with Ghana on Saturday, the USA could be looking at a successful escape from Group G (the group of death) with just a draw against injury-battered Portugal.

The bad news? The team must do it without striker Jozy Altidore, whose hamstring strain will not allow him to play in this match. That doesn’t augur well for a side that had serious problems on the attack in its 2-1 win against Ghana.

Let’s stick with good news, though. This appears to a World Cup where upsets are the norm, and the USA advancing to the knockout round would be considered, if not stunning, a pleasant aberration.

Spain, the defending champion, is already out. Its playing style and veteran roster were hailed coming in and pelted with abuse on its way out after two losses. Too old and slow, the pundits say. Costa Rica’s 3-1 takedown of Uruguay was big. Chile’s defeat of Spain was not expected (nor was the Netherlands’ earlier beating of Spain, nor was the Netherlands’ subsequent loss to Australia).

Upsets make a fascinating event more interesting. In a sport where the USA is not a big favorite and is generally an underdog, fans get a unique opportunity to be pulling against the favorite (Germany, in Group G) and for a nation powerful in many ways but not so much in soccer.

Other than Altidore, there aren’t many household names. Not even in their households. The coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, tossed Landon Donovan from the roster and Donovan was the most recognizable of the lot, with Altidore a close second. They can build their own legacy, though, as underdogs on a huge stage in a global event.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .