Quotes from MLS Players and Coaches with National Team experience:
Frankie Hejduk - Columbus Crew defender / midfielder, member of the U.S. National team, veteran of the 1998 and 2002 World Cup for the United States
"I definitely think we got one of the harder groups. Ghana is a solid team and the Czech Republic is a solid European team. And Italy speaks for itself. But we are a power to be reckoned with and we just have to keep doing what we do best. We are a hard working team and we have to stick with that. We need to stay healthy and the coaches will have us prepared. It's the World Cup and anything can happen."
Pablo Mastroeni - Colorado Rapids midfielder, member of U.S. National Team, veteran of the 2002 World Cup for the United States
On the U.S. group:
"In every World Cup you're going to play great teams sooner or later and playing these difficult teams early gets you prepared for the later stages. We had a similar situation in 2002 when we were placed with tough teams early: Korea - the host, Portugal - one of the top teams from Europe, and Poland - another tough European opponent. But looking back, playing those teams prepared us to face a tough Mexico team in the second round and then Germany. So if you can survive the group play you are ready for the second round."
On the U.S. approach to the games:
"We have one of the best coaches in U.S. soccer history and he'll have us ready to play. As players, if we keep an open mind, we'll be ready to approach whatever is thrown at us. In facing Italy, Ghana, and the Czech Republic, our team will prepare for three teams with three different styles of play."
Brian Ching - San Jose Earthquakes forward, and member of the U.S. National Team
On the U.S. group:
"It is a tough group. However, there are never any easy games in the World Cup, so we knew that we would need to play our best to advance. We have a long time to prepare between now and when the World Cup starts, so I think the team will be prepared when the time comes."
On Italy and the Czech Republic:
"Italy and the Czech Republic are great teams. I have seen them play quite a bit and we know that they have a lot of great players who play on big teams around the world. They will be difficult opponents, but I think that we can compete with both of them. We will probably be the underdogs, but that is ok with us. We will just go out there and try to get some results and advance."
Jimmy Conrad - Kansas City Wizards defender, member of the U.S. National Team
"I think everyone is pretty well aware of what Italy and the Czech Republic have and the players they have, and Ghana might be overlooked a little bit in the whole process. I think that Ghana is going to be a tough game as well. With any of the draws we would have had, you have to get a good result in the first game. The last World Cup showed that if you get a good result in the first game, that sets the tone for group play and the rest of the tournament."
"If you want to do well in the World Cup, you are going to have to beat good teams, and here every team is a good team. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best."
Chris Albright - Los Angeles Galaxy defender, member of the U.S. National Team
On the group:
"This is a group where athleticism will be crucial. Czech Republic is one of the best teams in the world. Italy is a soccer superpower that is always difficult to compete against. Ghana will try to use their speed to run us all over the field."
On what the USA must do to advance:
"You have to go in to every game trying to win it. Remember that we beat Portugal last time and it was the result that propelled to all the success the rest of the way."
Chris Armas - Chicago Fire midfielder, member of the U.S. National team
On the USA's draw:
"You hope for a good draw, but what is a good draw? All the teams there are good, but when it becomes a reality it looks pretty intimidating no matter what. The last time, did we have a good draw?
"We faced Poland, the host nation (South Korea) and Portugal. Now that it's a reality and you can put some faces to it, it seems like a tough group, there's no two ways about it. I think all the groups are pretty competitive, but our group does look tough. You have two powerhouses in Italy and the Czech Republic and then Ghana, who beat a lot of good teams out of Africa to get to Germany. When you're looking for a minimum one, and possibly two wins, our work is cut out for us, but that was going to be the case no matter what. The U.S. team has been there now and knows what it takes to some degree. With some hard work maybe the ball will go our way again."
On whether the USA's Group E is this tournament's "Group of Death":
"I don't think any team in that group thinks it has it easy. I think we've gained some respect. We played Italy over there and played them tough before the last World Cup, and I think we gained some respect that way. Whether anyone looks at our group as a 'Group of Death,' I don't think it matters. But if everyone's thinking the team that they can be beat is the USA, that they'll be the easy one ... we all know that they'll have a dogfight on their hands. There are no givens in this group. They should all be close games, as they always are, and it's going to take a special run like it did the last time to get through it. "
On his experience versus Italy in 2002:
"It's certainly going to be a different game from both sides, but we were at a good point with our team for that game. We had a strong line-up and were confident on our end. But the atmosphere wasn't intimidating. The Italian fans took to us and appreciated us because we put out a good product that day. But it was a friendly in their eyes. Maybe we put more into it, I'm not quite sure, but at the end of the day it was 1-0. When you play well against an Italy or an AC Milan like [the Fire] did this summer, it's not quite a true reality because they are friendlies, but you see that you can play on that level."
Tony Meola - MetroStars goalkeeper, veteran of 1990, 1994, 2002 World Cups for the United States
"It's a tough group, but no group in World Cup play is easy. We should feel confident that there are teams in the group that we can beat."
Greg Vanney - FC Dallas defender, member of the U.S. National Team
"I think that it's a group that we can definitely advance from, I really do. I think that the key game will be the Czech Republic game to start. Ghana is a good team but they are also a team that we can take care of. However, we've always had a difficult time with European teams on European soil so I think that the Czech game will be the crucial one. Italy is a team against who you are always going to be in the game, and always have a chance, but in a tournament like the World Cup they have so much experience that they're going to be difficult to beat. I'm not saying that we can't, I'm just saying that it'll be difficult.
"The Czech Republic game will be the pivotal game also because it sets a tone. You know if you win that game, than you know what your results need to be in the other two against Italy and Ghana.
"It's a tough group, Czech Republic is a good team, everybody knows that Italy is a good team, and all of the African teams I think are a lot stronger than most people give them credit for, so no matter what, it is going to be a tough group.
"I think that the big focus for our team will have to be on ourselves and believe that what we did in the last World Cup can be duplicated. From there we just need to be confident and just go out and play. All things considered, our team is good enough to win on any given day against any team in the world and we just have to believe in that.
"The team that we have to learn the most about will be Ghana. I played with (Chelsea and Ghana midfielder) Michael Essien at Bastia (French Ligue 1) before he went to Lyon and then Chelsea, so I know about him and that he is a great player and that he is a competitive and I'm assuming that the rest of their squad will be just as competitive and a little bit unpredictable. We are really going to have to sit down and learn a lot about them. The Italian and Czech team, you see those guys all the time in Europe and know how they play, but Ghana is the team that is the real question mark and that we're going to have to learn the most about."
Juan Francisco Palencia - Chivas USA midfielder, member of Mexico National team, veteran of 1998 and 2002 World Cup for Mexico
On Mexico's group:
"I don't know much about Iran or Angola, but Portugal I know very well and they have a very good brand of soccer, but at this moment when we're six months away from the World Cup any opinion we may have is just a mere speculation, because you never know what shape these teams are in or their players at the start of the tournament. That's why it's very difficult to start making predictions."
On debuting against Iran instead of a European team:
"I think that every team in the World Cup did what they had to do to qualify, there are no easy teams.
"I think Mexico has to take their group very serious. These teams may not look difficult on paper and are probably not internationally known, but they can all end up being complicated."
On United States' group:
"It looks very difficult written on paper, but we have yet to see how each team prepares themselves from here to the World Cup."
Steve Nicol - Head Coach of the New England Revolution; veteran of the 1986 and 1990 World Cup for Scotland:
"That's a tough group. There are a few "groups of death", but that's the Group of Death. That's just a real tough one. The U.S. is going need to use the whole squad. Most teams are going to look to use 13 or 14 guys, but when you have two or three games like that you have to use your whole squad ... Brazil's got to be happy."
Bob Gansler - Head Coach of the Kansas City Wizards, and Head Coach of the 1990 U.S. World Cup Team:
On the group the U.S. was drawn into:
"All these groups are difficult. In the World Cup, every team is capable of anything. The key is the first game against the Czech Republic. It's not only the points but the performance. The last time around we had Portugal who was coming off a tremendous European Cup experience and qualifying run and our guys did quite well. I know they will be prepared and will show themselves well. To get into the second round again, that should be their aim and needs to be their aim. If anything our team should be better then last time because of the experience the players have gained as individuals and MLS has continued to contribute to their development. Tough, yes, but we will be alright."
Steve Sampson - Head Coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy , and Head Coach of the 1998 U.S. World Cup team:
On the group:
"The United States' group can certainly be considered one of, if not the toughest group in the World Cup. However, they (the U.S.) have shown that they can compete with anyone in the world and have a chance."
On the opponents:
"I feel as though the Czech Republic is one of the best teams in Europe and possibly the world. Their best players play for the finest clubs in Europe and they should be considered the favorites in the group. On paper, they and Italy are the favorites to take it, but I like the Czechs."
On what the USA must do to advance:
"It is very important for the USA to get at least a point in their first game and build their confidence from there. The USA has never done well taking a defensive posture going in. They must enter this time around with the same mentality as they did in 2002 - with great confidence and not overly respecting their opponents."
Dave Sarachan - Head Coach of the Chicago Fire, Assistant Coach for the U.S. in 2002 World Cup
On the USA's World Cup draw:
"Of all the groups, I think the group we've been put in with Italy, the Czech Republic and Ghana is arguably as difficult a group as there is. Drawing upon my experience with the national team back in 2002, I wouldn't have called that one the 'Group of Death,' but the initial reaction of everyone when we were grouped with Portugal, South Korea and Poland was that it was a very difficult group, and we certainly surprised a lot of people. I'd say the same thing here. On the surface, out of all the groups it could be the most difficult group. But knowing our team and our experience, it doesn't mean we can't survive that group."
On any experience he has had against the USA's group opponents:
"We played Italy, in Italy, in a friendly during the lead-up to the World Cup in 2002 and it was a very good game, I believe we lost 1-0. We came away with a good amount of confidence from that game as we built into the 2002 Cup. I also did some scouting of Italy when they played Mexico in Japan when I was on the U.S. Soccer staff. We never feared Italy, but they obviously have a tremendous history in international and World Cup play. I've had the chance to see Ghana's youth teams, with all the success they've had over the years, but never their senior team."
On getting out of group play:
"The approach, and I'm sure Bruce [Arena] will be quoted on this later, would probably be the same mentality as we had in 2002, in that the first game is very important. We need to get points against the Czech Republic in the opening game, whether it's one or three. If you were asking me which team I'd prefer to play first on a wish list, that's a hard one. I'd have to go back through the years to make sure, but I think Italy has been fairly slow starters in World Cup play. But all in all, whoever you open up with, you need to get points."
Bob Bradley, Head Coach of Chivas USA, former Assistant Coach for the U.S. National Team
On United States' opening game against Czech Republic:
"The Czech Republic is a very good team. I think that Group E is probably this World Cup's Group of Death, because all four teams are very strong."
On the rest of the United States' opponents:
"Every team in this group is very strong and the competition in this group will be the most difficult."
On giving advise to his friend Bruce Arena:
"I think that Bruce already knows that these are good teams and that the United States must prepare very well."
Comments on Mexico's group:
"It's a very good opportunity for Mexico. I think they will do very good in this group and will place themselves in a good position."
