NOT QUITE U.S. `DEATH' AMERICANS RECEIVE BRUTAL DRAW FOR WORLD CUP.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

LEIPZIG, Germany - Italy is a three-time World Cup champion that through savvy play and superb defense contends for every title regardless of its talent.

The Czech Republic is a rising power rarely recognized as a giant - except in FIFA's rankings - although its play the past half-decade has placed it among the world's elite.

Ghana has long been among Africa's most powerful soccer nations, producing sterling results on every stage except the world's biggest.

The United States' opponents for the first round of next year's World Cup in Germany are among the most dangerous in the 32-team field. Maneuver through them to claim one of Group E's two slots in the second round, and likely awaiting is Brazil, an overwhelming favorite to capture its sixth title.

It's not the ``Group of Death'' - that would be Group C, with Argentina, the Netherlands, Serbia and Montenegro, and Ivory Coast - but it's close. The draw the Americans received Friday is brutal, although coach Bruce Arena wasn't buying such notions.

``I'm not disappointed,'' he said. ``I expected to be drawn into a difficult group. I really didn't want to play in Brazil's group, and probably not Argentina's group, and in some ways not Germany's group. For the most part those wishes were met. Hoewver, we do know it will be difficult.''

The U.S. has never beaten Italy, the Czechs nor Ghana, but it is a burgeoning power that will arrive in Germany next June with great confidence.

``Our last experience,'' at the 2002 World Cup, in which the U.S. reached the quarterfinals, ``showed us if we prepare our team and are ready to play, we can compete with any team in the World Cup.''

The United States opens against the Czech Republic on June 12 at Gelsenkirchen, plays Italy on June 17 at Kaiserslautern and finishes the first round against Ghana on June 22 at Nuremberg.

``It's a very difficult group,'' U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said. ``You have perhaps three teams that could have been top seeds.''

``It certainly looks like the toughest group,'' added defender Eddie Lewis, a former UCLA star.

Midfielder Clint Dempsey viewed the draw from the opposite perspective. ``Be careful what you ask for, but I think it could have been a lot worse,'' he said.

The Americans, with Arena in attendance, were outclassed by Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic's forerunner, and Italy in the 1990 World Cup.

``I sat in the stands in Italy and shook my head,'' he said. ``And not to disrespect the performance of our players, but it was so obvious to me at that point in time that we had a long way to go, and 16 years later we get to replay these matches. So it will be interesting to see where we are.''

The '90 team was largely college players with no real international experience. The 2006 group features several veterans of the 2002 campaign and Europe's top leagues.

The draw was far kinder to 1998 World Cup champion France, which drew Switzerland, South Korea and Togo, and to Mexico, which was overjoyed after Iran, Angola and Portugal were drawn into its group.

``This is a group that you can compete in,'' Mexico coach Ricardo Lavolpe said. It's very favorable. We can do things here.''

Three nations were drawn with former colonial masters - Trinidad and Tobago with England, Angola with Portugal and Togo with France - and the English also will have to play Sweden, a perennial championship foe and homeland of England coach Sven Goran Eriksson.

The opening match will pit Germany against Costa Rica in Munich on June 9. The final will be played in Berlin on July 9.

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

Former Westlake High and UCLA star Cobi Jones, right, and Japan's Masashi Nakayama participate in Friday's World Cup Draw in Leipzig, Germany.

Michael Probst/Associated Press

Box:

(1) WORLD CUP GROUPS

- Daily News Staff and Wire Services

(2) U.S. OPPONENTS