World Cup 2006 Groups: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H

Group E Team Profiles: Italy | Ghana | USA | Czech Republic

Group E

 Italy
 Ghana
 United States
 Czech Republic

Group E Matches

Match # Date & Time Group Teams Result Venue
10 Mon 12th Jun 18:00 E  USA  CZE 0 - 3 Gelsenkirchen
9 Mon 12th Jun 21:00 E  ITA  GHA 2 - 0 Hanover
26 Sat 17th Jun 18:00 E  CZE  GHA 0 - 2 Cologne
25 Sat 17th Jun 21:00 E  ITA  USA 1 - 1 Kaiserslautern
41 Thu 22nd Jun 16:00 E  CZE  ITA 0 - 2 Hamburg
42 Thu 22nd Jun 16:00 E  GHA  USA 2 - 1 Nuremberg

Match times shown are local times for Germany (CEST/GMT+0200). Click on match date/time to view match statistics.

Along with Group C, World Cup 2006's Group E is another tough one for the teams involved, with three of the four teams ranked in the top 12 of the FIFA World Rankings. Not the draw World Cup newcomers Ghana would have wanted, but it's where they find themselves. However, Ghana are no push-overs and in an otherwise tight group they shouldn't be underestimated.

Three times World Cup winners Italy are the seeded team in Group C and no strangers to the knockout rounds of the World Cup - they've reach at least the second round at every World Cup finals since 1974. Even so, Italy will need to be at their best and avoid any slip ups in this tricky group to book their place in the next round.

Not always recognised as a major footballing nation, the USA will be out to prove that their top ten FIFA World Ranking and quarter final appearance in World Cup 2002 were no flukes. This is their fifth consecutive World Cup finals appearance, and they have perhaps never before been as strong as the current squad. Bruce Arena has built a team that mixes experience with young talent and plays very well together.

As FIFA's highest ranked European team, it seems surprising that this is Czech Republic's first World Cup finals, excluding those played as pre-reformation Czechoslovakia that is. Despite having to qualify via a play-off match, the Czechs are a strong team and have a good chance of making it to the second round.