World Cup 2010: DaMarcus Beasley And Clint Dempsey Embrace USA Underdog Tag

The British-based pair concentrating on second round.

The only other time the United States has faced England in the World Cup, news agencies in Britain thought the USA's 1-0 win was a misprint and changed it to a tidy 0-10 triumph for the Three Lions. The USA has come a far ways since 1950, but will still enter the 2010 World Cup as vast underdogs to England.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, according to the American players.

"We like being underdogs, we don't mind it," Rangers midfielder DaMarcus Beasley told the media in South Africa. "It's just part of the history and how the media portrays us and we're fine with that role."

On many occasions the United States performs better when underestimated. An unfancied side in 2002, which featured Beasley, made it to the quarterfinal round of the World Cup. However, four years later and under increased expectations, the team crumbled in the group stages.

Just last summer the team rode its underdog tag through to the final of the Confederations Cup, out of the group stages at the expense of Italy and past Spain in the semifinal.

So naturally Beasley isn't hyping the USA's chances.

"It's going to take a lot for us to get out of the group, but I think we've got as good a chance as anybody else," the 28-year-old said.

After the highly-publicized match between England and its former Colonies on June 12, the United States will face Algeria and Slovenia in Group C. In those matches, the USA finds itself slight favorites.

Outside expectations mean little to Clint Dempsey. The Fulham midfielder remains solely focused on the matches themselves, not the peripheral hype surrounding the games.

"It doesn’t matter what anybody thinks of us, it matters what inside the group thinks of themselves," Dempsey said. "If you have belief, that's contagious. You can't live life in fear, you have to go out and take advantage of your opportunities to do something special. I think the guys here have that mentality and we have to make sure that we show it in these games."