USA know they've been dealt a tough hand in this group.

 

Outright odds: 250/1

To win group: 14/1

To qualify: 10/3

 

Full squad: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nurnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City), Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson, Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).

Manager: Jurgen Klinsmann

World Cup record: Semi-finals (1930), Quarter-finals (2002), Last 16 (1994, 2010)

How they qualified (most recent first): Topped the six-team group in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, finishing four points clear of Costa Rica after winning seven of the 10 games. In the previous round, the USA had won a group comprised of Jamaica, Guatemala and Antigua & Barbuda.

v Panama (away) 3-2 (HT 0-1) Orozco 64, Zusi 90+1, Johannsson 90+2

v Jamaica (home) 2-0 (HT 0-0) Zusi 77, Altidore 80

v Mexico (home) 2-0 (HT 0-0) R Johnson 49 Donovan 78

v Costa Rica (away) 1-3 (HT 1-2) Dempsey 43p

v Honduras (home) 1-0 (HT 0-0) Altidore 74

v Panama (home) 2-0 (HT 1-0) Altidore 36, E Johnson 53

v Jamaica (away) 2-1 (HT 0-1) Altidore 30, Evans 90+2

v Mexico (away) 0-0 (HT 0-0)

v Costa Rica (home) 1-0 (HT 1-0) Dempsey 16

v Honduras (away) 1-2 (HT 1-1) Dempsey 36

v Guatemala (home) 3-1 (HT 3-1) Bocanegra 10, Dempsey 18, 36

v Antigua & Barbuda (away) 2-1 (HT 1-1) E Johnson 20, 90

v Jamaica (home) 1-0 (HT 0-0) Gomez 55

v Jamaica (away) 1-2 (HT 1-1) Dempsey 1

v Guatemala (away) 1-1 (HT 1-0) Dempsey 39

v Antigua & Barbuda (home) 3-1 (HT 2-0) Bocanegra 8, Dempsey 44p, Gomez 72

Goalscorers: Clint Dempsey, a face familiar to Premier League followers, topped the USA scoring charts in qualifying, scoring seven times, although five of those came in the weaker, earlier stage. Jozy Altidore, who struggled at Sunderland this season, bagged four in the last seven. It is also worth noting that on three occasions, the US scored winning goals in the 90th minute or later.

Half-time/full-time: USA won 11 games in qualifying in total but in only four of those games did they lead at the break. Those four examples all came on home soil where USA had a perfect qualifying record - eight wins from eight games. Twice they came from behind at the interval to win - both times in away games.

Clean sheets: Seven were kept in 16 matches but only one of those came outside the US. Six clean sheets were kept in the final qualifying stage (from 10 games), while that defensive strength also resulted in six of those 10 games having under 2.5 goals. Across the whole qualifying campaign the over/under split was level at 8-8.

Win to nil: Six of 11 wins were to nil, although significantly in the tougher group stage, five of seven victories came via this method. All five of those were at home, meaning the USA did not concede on home soil in that final qualifying group.

Cards: There were no red cards in USA's 16 qualifiers but 44 yellows - an average of 2.75 per match. 24 of those went to American players, 20 to the opposition. The maximum USA picked up in any one game was four (six combined). The majority of games (10) produced two yellows or fewer.

Other competitive internationals (most recent first): USA used their strong home record to maximum effect in last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup. As hosts, they won the continental championship, beating Panama in the final.

v Panama (home) 1-0 (HT 0-0) Shea 69

v Honduras (home) 3-1 (HT 2-0) E Johnson 11, Donovan 27, 53

v El Salvador (home) 5-1 (HT 2-1) Goodson 21, Corona 29, E Johnson 60, Donovan 78, Diskerud 83

v Costa Rica (home) 1-0 (HT 0-0) Shea 82

v Cuba (home) 4-1 (HT 1-1) Donovan 45+2p, Corona 57, Wondolowski 66, 85

v Belize (home) 6-1 (HT 3-1) Wondolowski 12, 37, 41, Holden 58, Orozco 72, Donovan 76p

Build-up (most recent first): USA have been packing in the friendlies in a bid to prepare for the World Cup with mixed results. Arguably their best win was over fellow qualifiers South Korea, while the US felt they should have beaten Mexico when they blew a two-goal lead. Losses to Ukraine and Austria do not bode well for their meetings with Euro powerhouses Germany and Portugal in Brazil though.

v Turkey (home) 2-1 (HT 1-0) F Johnson 26, Dempsey 52

v Azerbaijan (home) 2-0 (HT 0-0) Diskerud 75, Johannsson 81

v Mexico (home) 2-2 (HT 2-0) Bradley 15, Wondolowski 28

v Ukraine (neutral) 0-2 (HT 0-1)

v South Korea (home) 2-0 (HT 1-0) Wondolowski 4, 60

v Austria (away) 0-1 (HT 0-1) v Scotland (away) 0-0 (HT 0-0)

 

Team verdict: USA know they've been dealt a tough hand in this group.

It is widely regarded that this side is not as strong as the one which reached the knockout stages in 2010 or the quarter-finals in 2002. Long-time national team star Landon Donovan has been axed after age caught up with him and new heroes are required.

It's hard to see too many being made in Brazil though. Not only because of the level of opposition but also because the draw means the USA will play all three group games in the sweltering conditions of the north.

This won't suit Klinsmann's pressing, pacy style of game, while the decision to set up camp in the south looks a bizarre one - more than 10,000 air miles will have been collected by the end of the group stage.

With that in mind, the team top scorer market could offer some value.

Former Fulham and Spurs man Clint Dempsey is set to lead the line and also takes penalties now so it's no surprise to see him favourite. However, five of his seven goals in qualifying came in the weaker first group stage whereas market rival Jozy Altidore bagged four in the harder section which followed. He arrives in Brazil off a poor Premier League campaign with Sunderland though.

It's not difficult to see Klinsmann's men struggling to find the net, especially given the level of opposition, and a big-priced outsider looks worth a play and Michael Bradley fits the ball.

He's now playing in a more advanced 'number 10' role, one which allows him to get forward and get shots away.

Bradley, who once had a loan spell at Aston Villa, is 12/1 and in a market in which one goal may be enough for a place he looks worthy of support.

In general terms, with no home advantage to fall back on - something they used to full effect in qualifying and last season's Gold Cup, the USA will struggle to get much change from this campaign.