England's opponents 1: USA

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England play USA on Saturday June 12 at 8.30pm in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg. But what do we know about Fabio Capello's opposition? In a sentence: Experienced and balanced but overly reliant on the often flaky Donovan and Dempsey, they wouldn't be the worst team to face in the knockouts. 

World Cup appearances: Eight

Best performance: Third place in 1930

FIFA world ranking November 2009: 14

How they qualified: Having eased through the first qualifying phase, Bradley's side got the final stage off to a perfect start with a 2-0 home win over closest rivals Mexico. Although the Mexicans gained revenge at the Azteca Stadium, winning 2-1, United States finished top of the six-team group largely thanks to a 3-2 win in Honduras.

Coach: Bob Bradley. After coaching three MLS teams and the US under-23s, Bradley was given the job when Bruce Arena left after the 2006 World Cup. Guided the side to victory in the 2007 Concacaf Gold Cup and they were runners-up at the 2009 Confederations Cup where the team pulled off a major upset by beating Spain in the semi-finals.

Key players:

Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy, forward, 27) Long considered the leading American player, Donovan failed to spark in the 2006 finals and has a habit of fading in big games, a reputation he will want to put to bed in South Africa. Often used on the flank, he can provide the creative influence. His form will be vital to US fortunes.

Clint Dempsey (Fulham, forward, 26) Can play on either flank or as a central striker, bringing grit and aggression to the side – but also displayed a lack of consistency during qualification. Excelled at the Confederations Cup.

Tim Howard (Everton, goalkeeper, 30) While several members of the US squad play in England and other leading European leagues, few are as established as Howard. He marshalls the defence and is not afraid to raise his voice.

Prospects: Confidence was high after the Confederations Cup but injuries to key defender Oguchi Onyewu and car-crash victim Charlie Davies have weakened the side. Bradley needs all his key men on top form to make an impact in South Africa.

NEWS: England's venues 1 - Rustenburg

NEWS: Capello reaction to draw
NEWS: Donovan relishing Beckham showdown

Gary Parkinson

Gary Parkinson is a freelance writer, editor, trainer, muso, singer, actor and coach. He spent 14 years at FourFourTwo as the Global Digital Editor and continues to regularly contribute to the magazine and website, including major features on Euro 96, Subbuteo, Robert Maxwell and the inside story of Liverpool's 1990 title win. He is also a Bolton Wanderers fan.