Pre-Game Ritual
United States vs. Ghana: Your Gameday Checklist
American Soccer Now has been preparing for today since the moment we launched, in October 2012. We're ready. Are you? Go through the checklist below will to make sure you're prepared for Ghana.
1. The Ghana Page
If you click on just one link today, make sure it's this one. Our Ghana channel provides one-stop shopping for all things Black Stars—player profiles, videos, and links; an introduction to the team's tactical approach to the game; a bit about the coach, James Kwesi Appiah; and a scroll of ASN stories tracking the team.
2. ASN's Tactical Preview
Blake Thomsen knows Ghana as well as anyone, and his fantastic tactical preview will give you a clear sense of what to expect when the opening whistle blows. It's detailed, it's concise, it's what you need today.3. The Sounding Board
ASN prides itself on being the most interactive soccer Website on the planet, and the ASN Matrix is one reason why. Go here for a quick visual representation of U.S. fans' feelings about Group G, and then participate in our dialogue by sharing your point of view.
4. Hear What Clint Had to Say
The 2014 World Cup will be Clint Dempsey's third, and possibly his last. It means a lot to him. Find out what he said about this tournament.5. Is Revenge Driving the U.S.?
Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan thinks so. Jurgen Klinsmann and the U.S. national team aren't so sure. Read the piece here.6. The Starting XI
You can passively consume content or you can curate and create your own—what's it going to be? If you just want to read and look, great, we're all over that. But we invite you to be part of the conversation rather than just listen in. ASN's patented Starting XI tool lets you predict and/or choose a formation and drag and drop your preferred players into it. Tell Jurgen Klinsmann what to do today. Or tell your friends what you hope Klinsmann does. It's pretty addictive stuff—try it.7. Brush Up on the Yanks
Many ASN users know as much or more about the United States national team as we do. But for those that might fall just short of that, the ASN 100 is the perfect destination for you. This extremely interactive—and constantly updated—page ranks the top 100 American players and provides 13 different filters to let you sort and manipulate the interactive lists. It's a great way to burn an hour or five—especially on a day like today.
8. The Players Are People Too, You Know
And that's why we developed the ASN Questionnaire, a 16-question pre-loaded interview that scores of U.S. players have filled out. Who is Kyle Beckerman's soccer hero? WHo is Matt Besler's best friend in the game? Who are the toughest opponents Geoff Cameron has lined up against? You're practically guaranteed to learn at least a few new things about each and every U.S. player.
