USA vs. ALGERIA: Final Chances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup

The United States goes head to head with Algeria this Wednesday, June 23, in their final group play matchup of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Turn on ESPN from DISH Network (10:00 am ET) to see if the U.S. can pick up a win at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, and guarantee their advancement to the first round of this year's exciting World Cup!

Team Lineups

Expect to see a variation of the following players from each team on Wednesday:

Bob Bradley, the U.S. Men's National Team coach, said of Algeria: "[They] are a team that has a way of getting a lot of numbers behind the ball, but they are still talented going forward with some of the skill and physical abilities of key individuals." He stressed that Algeria's draw with England proves that Algeria is an organized team. He also commented on the United State's disallowed goal against Slovenia, saying the team has "moved forward" and that there is a solid "possibility that we can still win our group."

Rabah Saadane, head coach of the Algerian squad, said his team is happy just to be at the World Cup for the first time in 24 years, and looks at their qualification as a chance "for the country to put itself back on the map."

So Far, So-So

The USA enters the match against Algeria with two draws, after tying both England (1-1) and Slovenia (2-2). The game against Slovenia was especially intense, as the United States came from behind, with Michael Bradley scoring their tying goal at the 82 minute mark. A win against Algeria is essential in guaranteeing the U.S. Team's survival in this year's World Cup.

Algeria, who carries a loss against Slovenia and a surprising draw against group favorite England, has only 1 point coming into their match against the USA. Their only hope of advancing is by securing a victory over the United States and praying for a loss by England.

A Limited Competitive History

The 2010 FIFA World Cup on DISH Network marks the first time the U.S. will ever face Algeria. The United States has significantly more experience in the Cup than does Algeria, as they are making their ninth overall appearance compared to Algeria's third overall appearance. Algeria qualified for the World Cup in both 1982 and 1986, but the United States' more recent play time (with six consecutive appearances) should be a huge deciding factor in the final outcome of this match.

Final Chances

The United States and Algeria are part of Group C alongside England and Slovenia. After two matches each, Slovenia leads all teams from Group C with four points. Both the United States and England have two points; Algeria remains at the rear of the group with one point.

In support of these numbers, the United States is probable for the victory over Algeria. They've scored 3 goals in their previous two matches as opposed to Algeria's 0. The United State's current FIFA World Ranking is 14th, a vast improvement over Algeria's ranking at 28th. Either way, both the United States and Algeria need a victory to continue forward in the tournament, and clearly, there can only be one winner of the match!