2014 WORLD CUP SOCCER

GHANA

vs. UNITED STATES

Line:
Ghana +150, United States +170, Tie +205
Over/Under: 2.5 Goals (Over +140, Under -169)

The United States begins its quest for its first-ever World Cup on Monday as the Americans are tabbed as slight underdogs to Ghana in their Group G opener.

Here is the BetDSI Sportsbook team preview for Ghana:

Here is the BetDSI Sportsbook team preview for United States:

Ghana prevailed in extra time when these two teams collided in the Round-of-16 at the last World Cup, yet the galling events that transpired six days on from that triumph appear to have caused lasting damage.

The Black Stars, who were popular with neutrals in South Africa as they sought to become Africa’s first ever world champions, had a would-be extra-time winner in the quarter-final against Uruguay illegally handballed off the line by Luis Suarez. They missed the ensuring penalty and then lost a penalty shootout immediately afterwards.Since then, a team that looked like its continent’s finest haven’t managed to prove it, finishing fourth in successive African Cup of Nations compared to third and second in the two before World Cup 2010. Though they were better in qualifying, Egypt were the best side that they faced, and the Pharaohs haven’t attended a World Cup since 1990.

USA by contrast unquestionably have improved, not only winning last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, but claiming victory in all six games and scoring 20 goals along the way. They dominated the Hexagonal phase of World Cup qualifying too, topping it by a four-point margin. In former Germany boss Jurgen Klinsmann, they have a coach who reached the final four of this tournament as a tactician in 2006 and won it as a player in 1990. On both occasions, his roster opened with a win and four goals. The first part at the very least is a viable target for the Stars and Stripes. In what should be a toss-up game, go for the bigger payout and wager on UNITED STATES to prevail.