Local fans show support for Team USA

When Team USA opens World Cup play tonight against Ghana in Natal, Brazil, fans from the North Shore will be watching, and hoping.?The key game, and everyone says it, is the first game,” Lynn English High School girls soccer coach Ed McNeil said. “If they lose to Ghana, they?re in trouble. (They need) at least a tie. The other two teams are better than Ghana.”McNeil was referring to Germany and Portugal, who are in Group G with Ghana and the US … the so-called “Group of Death.”?It?s the worst group,” he said. “I looked at all the pairings. It?s a tough, tough group.”Taso Nikolakopoulos, owner of John?s Roast Beef and a soccer player and coach himself, expressed similar concerns about Group G.?The favorite is Germany, and Portugal has the best player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo,” Nikolakopoulos said. “Ghana beat us four years ago (in the Cup) and most of their players are in the Premier League.” Nikolakopoulos called the Premier League “number one in the world.”Sounds like a challenge for the Americans … and coach Jurgen Klinsmann changed things up when he left Landon Donovan, the all-time leading scorer in US history, off the Cup roster.?I?m surprised Klinsmann did not play Donovan as one of the 23, 11 players and three subs,” McNeil said. “He?s the number one name in US soccer, ever. He?s still at a high level. (Klinsmann?s) in for a lot of second-guessing if we don?t score a lot of goals.”St. Mary?s High School boys soccer coach Mike D?Agostino noted that his three-year-old son is named Landon.?He?s sort of named after (Landon Donovan),” D?Agostino said. “He?s a very good player. He?s a playmaker and goal-scorer. It?s tough. He had issues at practices. I thought it was a coaching decision.”Locals said that Team USA does have some standout players who made the cut, including forward Clint Dempsey, midfielder Michael Bradley and goalie Tim Howard.?I love the goalie, Howard,” McNeil said. “He?s great. He played four years ago. Michael Bradley, I think, is probably the best player in the midfield. His father was the coach and they fired him. It might be better for him not to be coached by his dad.”The current coach, Klinsmann, is a former player himself.?Klinsmann was one of my favorites from Germany,” Nikolakopoulos said. “He?s a legend, very bold, very fast-paced. He constructed this team to play like America, fast, up and down the field.”Team USA plays Ghana at 6 p.m., but it might not be the first game locals watch today.?I?m one-quarter Portuguese, and I?m looking forward to the (Portugal-Germany) game (at noon),” McNeil said.He has discussed the Cup with Saugus High girls coach Chris Coviello and former St. Mary?s boys coach Al Jackson. The current Spartans coach, D?Agostino, has talked about the Cup with his captains, Patrick Morin-Plante, Noah Camelo, Cristian Chavez and Zach Stueve.Tonight, the discussions will end for a while as the game begins.?Ghana is good,” McNeil said. “They knocked (the US) out before. I hope we win every game. It will be difficult.”