Soccer night in Philadelphia: Your official guide to USA-Ghana, where the third time's the charm

This is my lame attempt to bring Jozy Altidore to the Union after the World Cup.

Today is not the day to linger at work after 5:00.

In fact, it's really not the day to be at work after lunch.

Actually, just leave now. You'll thank me later.

It's a World Cup matchday for the United States, with kickoff against Ghana slated for 6 p.m. on ESPN. Get home to your couch, get to the nearest bar, or see if someone at the Comcast Center will put the game on that huge screen in the lobby.

Alexi Lalas and the famed "denim" American kit from the 1994 World Cup.

You just might see more than a few people around town Monday wearing red, white and blue. You might even see someone wearing this thing (at right). Don't question it. Just let it happen.

You see, if you're at all new to this US Soccer thing (and it's totally cool if you are), you might not be aware of just how much US fans hate Ghana. But know this: the Black Stars* have spoiled the American dream in the last two World Cups

(*Newbie Note: If you hear someone refer to Ghana as the Black Stars, don't go to Twitter and shout "RACIST!" That's their actual nickname, thanks to the black star in the center of their flag.)

In 2010, the Americans lost to Ghana in extra time, 2-1, in the Round of 16.

In 2006, Ghana also beat the U.S. 2-1, in the last game of group play.

Combine that revenge factor with the widely held belief that this is the "absolute must-win match" of the group for the Americans, and the pressure is on right from the start.

I won't pretend to be able to see past my red-white-and-blue tinted glasses (or my building nervousness), so if tactical analysis is your thing, with predicted lineups, key matchups and thoughts on how to attack the Ghanian defense, I'll direct you to the awesome guys over at The Shin Guardian (also a really great Twitter follow if you're not on that train already).

Natal, Brazil (tweet from @PhilSoc8)

If you're looking to get amped up and get your America on, a few great Twitter follows for today would be @StarsStripesFC, @AmericanOutlaws and @AOPhillyChapter. Also, be sure to toss a follow to Union fan and regular 700 Level reader @PhilSoc8, who is in Natal and even tweeted this photo (at left) Sunday morning just to make the rest of us jealous.

Oh, according to NBC Sports, there could be as many as 20,000 American fans in the stadium for tonight's match. 20,000 American fans.

(But yeah, commenters, no one in this country cares about soccer).

The last few months have been tumultuous for the U.S., ever since the draw in December landed them in the "Group of Death" with Ghana, Portugal and Germany.

Just some of the concerns:

Should Jurgen Klinsmann have left Landon Donovan home? Should he really have so many inexperienced guys on the roster? Can some combination of Geoff Cameron, Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez hold down the center of defense? Can Jozy Altidore actually score? Will the pitch in Natal be under water? Where should Michael Bradley play in the formation? Will Clint Dempsey play like the player he's been this year in Seattle, or the one who disappeared last year for Tottenham? Will the Americans melt in their "Bomb Pop"-style uniforms? Is Klinsmann really just plotting for 2018 already?

Finally, after months of posturing, we'll know the answers to some of these questions before we go to bed Monday night.

Let's just hope Monday's result gives us reason to be this excited for the game against Portugal on Sunday.

Steve's Prediction:

Altidore (twice) and Dempsey score, as the Americans post an emphatic victory as the wild, high-scoring World Cup of 2014 continues. USA 3, Ghana 1.

The other two teams in the group play at noon today, as Germany faces Portugal. If you want a rooting interest, you might want to pull for the Germans. A good scenario for the Americans would be for Germany to beat Portugal, beat Ghana and then rest starters against the U.S., allowing the Americans to finish second in the group.

And if you needed to be amped up a bit more, just play one of these on loop all day.

[nbcsports_video src=//www.youtube.com/embed/vwpTj_Z9v-c width=620 height=465]

[nbcsports_video src=//www.youtube.com/embed/gyWVia7hzGs width=620 height=349]