Jurgen Klinsmann, eight years ago, was looking to make history with his country by leading them to their first FIFA World Cup title since 1990. On Thursday, in Recife, Klinsmann will still be looking to make history, but not by leading his country of birth to the title, rather by being at the helm of USA, who will look to scupper Germany's plans of not just topping Group G, but possibly making it through to the last 16.
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The Group F game is set for a 1 pm local time (9.30 pm IST, 5 pm BST, 12 pm ET) start with live coverage on Sony Six in India. The match can also be watched via live streaming online HERE in India. US viewers can watch the big game on ESPN and ABC while you can also live stream the action HERE. Catch the game in the UK on ITV and BBC with the live streaming option HERE or HERE. Viewers in Argentina and South America can catch the action HERE. Australia viewers click HERE to watch the game online, while Africa viewers can live stream it HERE.
Klinsmann's USA take on Germany in a match which will decide how Group G finishes, with both teams quite well placed to make it to the second round. If the match at the Arena Pernambuco finishes in a draw, then both Germany and USA will move into the next round, with the former qualifying as group winners. A draw will also mean the end of the road for Portugal and Ghana, two teams that will slug it out with each other in the hope one of Germany and USA lose.
"We are by no means the underdog here at this tournament but we know this is the biggest hurdle that we have to take and we are looking forward to it," said Klinsmann, who played in three World Cups for Germany.
"If we give everything we have and go that extra mile with positive determination, we will get a result. We are very capable of beating Germany, and we know that, without being too over confident or positive.
"This World Cup is full of surprises and we want to be one of those surprises."
Germany is now coached by Joachim Low, who was Klinsmann's assistant at the 2006 World Cup. A close friendship still exists between the two, but Klinsmann knows all of those feelings will need to be put aside come Thursday.
"We are very close friends," Klinsmann said on Wednesday. "We think alike and come from the same region and we have always been in contact. But coming into this World Cup everyone is doing the best he can do, so we leave the phone calls and text messages for a few days to get the job done.
"Hopefully when this World Cup is over we will get back on the phone and talk about it... It is more than a working relationship, it is a very close friendship, and I have a lot of admiration for what he has done."
Germany began their World Cup on a resounding note, thumping Portugal 4-0 before a spirited Ghana side held them to a 2-2 draw. USA also started their World Cup campaign with a win, 2-1 over Ghana, before another 2-2 draw, this time against Portugal, kept Group G right in the balance.
Both Portugal and Ghana, who need one of the other two teams to win their game to stay alive, will be worried about the fact that Germany and US might settle for a draw, knowing full well they will qualify with a point each. However, Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil insisted those thoughts were not even remotely in their minds heading into this intriguing clash.
"I believe that as a player, we never play for a draw," Ozil said. "We play 90 minutes not to score a goal? No. Our purpose out on the pitch is to do our utmost to win. We want to be first in the group, and that's why we're going to win."
Portugal and Ghana will certainly hope they put that into practice.
Expected lineups: USA: Howard; Johnson, Cameron, Besler, Beasley; Beckerman, Jones; Bedoya, Bradley, Zusi; Dempsey.
Germany: Neuer; Boateng, Mertesacker, Hummels, Howedes; Lahm; Khedira, Kroos; Ozil, Muller, Gotze.
Prediction: 2-1 to Germany
