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After the 1998 World Cup, the US was once again looked at as inferior when compared to the likes of giants like Brazil, Italy, France, and England. The US finished 31 st out of 32 teams and didn’t play well in any of the games. The mood going into the 2002 World Cup was more optimistic, but it was still tough to guess how the team would fare. In the opener in Korea, the Americans shocked Portugal 3-2, and then followed it up with a 1-1 draw to Korea. Although they lost their final pool game, they still advanced to the knockout rounds, a dream only a few weeks prior. They beat Mexico 2-0 before falling to the mighty Germans. The tournament served as a notice to the rest of the world that the Americans were coming around, and they were no longer the whipping boy they had been for so long.
In the latter half of 2004, the US team will begin qualifying for the 2006 World Cup being held in Germany. In only a matter of years, the Americans are now looked at as the favorites in the CONCACAF group (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football). Three teams will qualify from the group, and a fourth could pass through a knock out round to get to Germany, but the players are confident they’ll be among the three on their way to Germany in 2006.
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