World Cup 2014 11am Bulletin: Group of death-proof USA not ready to perish

Jurgen Klinsmann's USA are capable of conquering Belgium

Portugal and Ghana have paid the price of US success; could Belgium become their latest victims?

USA are no strangers to the World Cup's knockout phase, mingling with the international glitterati at three of the last five editions and even reaching the quarter-finals in 2002.

However, what they have achieved at this World Cup - surviving the anointed "group of death" at Portugal and Ghana's expense - has captured the imagination of the nation, with Barack Obama watching them on his flight, Joe Biden attending games and thousands of fans travelling to Brazil.

While it is true that they completed their passage in underwhelming fashion, clinging onto second after a 0-1 loss to Germany with four points, the joint-lowest tally of any round-of-16 team alongside Greece, Nigeria and Algeria, the numbers don't do them justice.

They outperformed Portugal just to have two points shaved off their tally when Silvestre Varela headed in a 95th-minute equaliser and could easily have drawn with Germany, passing up several late opportunities for a leveller.

Like so many of this tournament's successes - Mexico (awful qualification), France (Franck Ribery injury and Samir Nasri controversy), Netherlands (tactical conundrums and midfield concerns) - they arrived under a bit of a cloud following Landon Donovan's omission, only for it to quickly subside.

Having hung with Germany and Portugal, Jurgen Klinsmann and his well-drilled side have no reason to fear their round-of-16 opponents Belgium, who are in the unusual position of not really impressing despite winning all three matches in un-taxing Group H.

The Stars and Stripes have far more experience of knockout-stage combat because they get that far at most World Cups, every CONCACAF Gold Cup and at the 2009 Confederations Cup, whereas Belgium last sampled that environment with a different generation of players at World Cup 2002.

It leads this writer to believe that USA are great value at 2.915/8 to stride on to the quarter-finals, though if you disagree, you can find odds of 1.51/2 on Belgium.

The other round-of-16 tie confirmed on the final day of group fixtures was Germany v Algeria, with Germany overwhelming 1.121/8 favourites to qualify and Algeria 8.88/1 to avenge their 1982 robbery.

Recommended Bet: Back USA to qualify against Belgium @ 2.915/8