Respect Will Be Biggest Win of All ; United States Not Expected to Challenge Spain

Summary

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The World FIFA rankings are an oft-debated algorithm involving 207 countries, holding no perks for the top teams other than mathematical prestige. Think of it as a BCS without bowl games: a flawed system that tries to gauge the level of competition across too many confederations.

But in the case of No. 1 Spain, the calculator got it right. With their Euro2008 title and record 15-game winning streak, the Spaniards have dominated the soccer landscape since the last World Cup. They are the overwhelming favorite today in the Confederations Cup semifinal against the No. 14 Americans, who many consider a harmless speed bump en route to a dream final between Spain and Brazil.

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Respect Will Be Biggest Win of All ; United States Not Expected to Challenge Spain

Of course, the U.S. has played the nightmare before, most recently on Sunday when it thrashed Egypt and eliminated ...

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