Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Chris Sharpe is in the midst of excitement in the USA, as the national team prepares for the World Cup which kicks off in just a few days time.
The Australian native has vested interest in both Team USA and the Socceroos at South Africa 2010 and tribalfootball.com caught up with him to get his views of the upcoming events.
Chris Sharpe wrote - 'Well it has been a very interesting week in the lead-up to the opening of the World Cup; Ferdinand, Drogba and many more important players ruled out, the very sad news from the Australian camp, (On this note I would personally like to send Brad Jones and his family my deepest wishes for their little boy).
'From the USA the biggest part of the week in lead up to the World Cup was the game between USA and Australia. It was a huge week here in the Colorado Rapids dressing room, as there was plenty of banter flying around between myself and the lads. By about 10am Saturday morning my phone would not stop ringing, the lads winding me up over the score!
'Watching the game, it almost looked as though both teams where just erring on the side of caution with the World Cup less than a week away. Not wanting to over-extend and risk anything! I thought the USA started off the better of the two teams, with Edson Buddle, MLS' current leading scorer, grabbing two goals. It was good to see Tim Cahill grab one as well.
'Second half though, Australia started to settle down and play some good football, having, what I thought was the better of the game for extended periods. My ex-team mate at the Rapids, Herculez Gomez grabbed the third for the USA to make it 3-1.
'I don't think either side was at full strength, still looking at a few players. I think you will see both teams have quite different starting line-ups come the USA v England game Saturday and Australia v Germany on Sunday.
'The footballing community here in the USA is a buzz right now, with the start of the WC campaign on Saturday morning against one of, if not the biggest footballing nation, England.
'My prediction for the game England 3 - USA 1.
'For me personally, Sunday is the big day, and the game that I think will decide the top place finish in the group.
'I have a lot of good friends in the Australian national team this time round and I am looking forward very much to watching them play.
'My prediction for the game Australia 2 - Germany 1.
'On that note, just a quick update here from Colorado. We have now had three wins in the last three games, with our next game tomorrow night away at Chicago Fire. We are sitting in third place right now, still with two games in hand.
'After our game against Chicago, the MLS is on a two-week World Cup break, and our next game is away at Houston Dynamo on the 26th of June.
'We have a very good, very balanced squad this year, and we feel anything less than bringing our first piece of silverware back to Dicks Sporting Goods park this year will be very disappointing!
'There has been a lot of hype around the training ground about the World Ccup, as we have so many international players; Australia, French, Scottish, Irish, Jamaican, Japanese, Columbian, American and English Coaches!!!'
