ASSOCIATED PRESSLandon Donovan is the all-time scoring leader for the United States

This year’s United States team has a lot of international experience. Seven members on the team play in England. In all, nineteen play in foreign professional leagues.

Jozy Altidore has been called the United States’ biggest goal-scoring threat. But he may be slowed by an ankle injury. He is joined by three players appearing in their third World Cup. Among them is Landon Donovan. He holds the scoring and assist record for the national team.

Besides England, the United States faces Slovenia and Algeria in group play.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: Six African teams will be playing in the World cup. They are South Africa, Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Cameroon is the highest ranked team and has been the most successful. In nineteen ninety the Indomitable Lions, as they are called, defeated defending champion Argentina and reached the quarterfinals.

But possibly the biggest story of this year’s World Cup is the history of the nation holding the huge event. South Africa is a nation of forty-nine million people and Africa’s biggest economy. But it also has struggled with racial division, poverty and high rates of HIV/AIDS infection.

Danny Jordaan is the head of the South African Organizing Committee. He is also a former football player. And he is an activist who fought the policy of racial separation, called apartheid. It existed in South Africa until the early nineteen nineties. He says hosting the World Cup will help unite the nation.