World Cup Draw: What You Need to Know

Friday's World Cup draw made soccer fans around the globe go gaga over groupings, marquee match-ups and potential showdowns. The World Cup draw even turned the regular folk among us into sports fans — at least for a few hours. The field is now set, with eight groups of four teams apiece playing a round-robin schedule beginning June 12 to determine the 16-team elimination field that culminates in the July 13 final match.
Stateside, the day's biggest news was the U.S. national team landing in the World Cup's dreaded "Group of Death," as the toughest foursome in each World Cup is known. The Americans are grouped with soccer superpower Germany, Ronaldo-led Portugal and tough African side Ghana, which eliminated the U.S. from the past two World Cups. On top of that, the U.S. schedule includes nearly 9,000 miles of travel to reach stadiums scattered about Brazil, and the team plays one match in Manaus, a sweltering city in the heart of the Amazon.