World Cup 2014: TV schedule, online streaming, and more

The 2014 World Cup will be broadcast live in the United States, with all 64 matches airing on either ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC.  The entire world will start tuning in later this afternoon, when Brazil and Croatia get the tournament underway in Sao Paulo.  The world champion will be crowned on July 13 in Rio de Janeiro.

Every game can be streamed online on either WatchESPN or WatchABC. 

Today's lone match kicks off at 3:30pm Eastern Time (All times from here on will be Eastern).  Starting tomorrow, games will be played at 11:30am, 2:30pm, and 5:30pm every day until we reach the final set of group play matches. Then, in order to make sure no team receives an advantage of already knowing if they have qualified for the knockout stage, or if they are going home, the four teams from each group will play in two concurrent matches.  Those days, there will be no 5:30pm games.

Group of Death

Every World Cup has at least one Group of Death, the one four-team group that means at least one good team is going home early, with just the group winner and second-place team advancing to the Round of 16.  In this edition of the tournament, it is Group G, which, of course, happens to include the Unite States.  Joining Team USA in the group are Germany, Portugal, and Ghana.  To put it another way, Germany is the third-favorite to win the Cup this year, behind only Brazil and Argentina, while Portugal is 12th, the United States is 17th and Ghana is 23rd.  The top three teams in the group could all advance if they were separated, but instead, they will battle with each other to try to make it out.  Add in Ghana, who has knocked the US out of the last two World Cups and simply seems to have Team USA's number, and this could be a tough road for the Americans.

US Men's National Team Schedule

 If you just want to know the Team USA schedule, we've pulled out their three matches right here.  All three contests will be on ESPN, starting on June 16 when they face Ghana at 5:30pm in Natal.  On June 22, they will face Portugal, again at 5:30pm, in Manaus' Amazonia Arena, inside the Amazon Rainforest.  Their final group stage game, and possibly the determining factor in making out of the "Group of Death" will be against Germany on June 26 at 11:30am in Recife.

Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann

The German star is now the head coach of Team USA, making that Germany game on June 26 even more interesting.  Klinsmann won the 1990 World Cup as a member of the West German team and then won the 1996 UEFA European Championship as a member of the German squad.  He retired from his playing days with 231 senior division club goals spread across some of the top level teams around the world, as well as three goals in eight games with the West Germany Under-21 team, eight goals in 14 games with the West German Olympic Team, nine goals in 28 matches with the West Germany national team, and 38 goals in 80 contests with the unified German national team.

In 2004, he took over as the manager for Team Germany, directing them to a third-place finish in the 2006 World Cup.  He then coached Bayern Munich from 2008-2009, before a clash betewen management and the coach led to his release from the team.  He was named the head coach of Team USA in 2011, winning the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup and then qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.

Group Stage Match Schedule and Announcers

Thursday, June 12

3:30 p.m. - Brazil vs. Croatia, ESPN. Announcers: Ian Darke, Steve McManaman

Friday, June 13

11:30 a.m. - Mexico vs. Cameroon,  ESPN2. Announcers: Fernando Palomo, Alejandro Moreno
2:30 p.m. - Spain vs. Netherlands, ESPN. Announcers: Jon Champion, Stewart Robson
5:30 p.m. - Chile vs. Australia, ESPN2. Announcers: Daniel Mann, Kasey Keller

Saturday, June 14

11:30 a.m. - Colombia vs. Greece, ABC. Announcers: Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman
2:30 p.m. - Uruguay vs. Costa Rica, ABC. Announcers: Champion, Robson
5:30 p.m. - England vs. Italy, ESPN. Announcers: Darke, McManaman
8:30 p.m. - Ivory Coast vs. Japan, ESPN. Announcers: Derek Rae, Efan Ekoku

Sunday, June 15

11:30 a.m. - Switzerland vs. Ecuador, ABC. Announcers: Healey, Moreno
2:30 p.m. - France vs. Honduras, ABC. Announcers: Mann, Keller
5:30 p.m. - Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, ESPN. Announcers: Rae, Roberto Martinez

Monday, June 16

11:30 a.m. - Germany vs. Portugal, ESPN. Announcers: Champion, Robson
2:30 p.m. - Iran vs. Nigeria, ESPN. Announcers: Rae, Ekoku
5:30 p.m. - Ghana vs. United States, ESPN. Announcers: Darke, Twellman

Tuesday, June 17

11:30 a.m. - Belgium vs. Algeria, ESPN. Announcers: Healey, Ekoku
2:30 p.m. - Brazil vs. Mexico, ESPN. Announcers: Palomo, Moreno
5:30 p.m. - Russia vs. South Korea, ESPN. Announcers: Mann, Keller

Wednesday, June 18

11:30 a.m. - Australia vs. Netherlands, ESPN. Announcers: Champion, Robson
2:30 p.m. - Spain vs. Chile, ESPN. Announcers: Darke, McManaman
5:30 p.m. - Cameroon vs. Croatia, ESPN. Announcers: Rae, Keller

Thursday, June 19

11:30 a.m. - Colombia vs. Ivory Coast, ESPN. Announcers: Healey, Moreno
2:30 p.m. - Uruguay vs. England, ESPN. Announcers: Darke, McManaman
5:30 p.m. - Japan vs. Greece, ESPN. Announcers: Mann, Ekoku

Friday, June 20
(Announcers from June 20 on still to be determined)

11:30 a.m. - Italy vs. Costa Rica, ESPN
2:30 p.m. - Switzerland vs. France, ESPN
5:30 p.m. - Honduras vs. Ecuador, ESPN

Saturday, June 21

11:30 a.m. - Argentina vs. Iran, ESPN
2:30 p.m. - Germany vs. Ghana, ESPN
5:30 p.m. - Nigeria vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, ESPN

Sunday, June 22

11:30 a.m. - Belgium vs. Russia, ABC
2:30 p.m. - South Korea vs. Algeria, ABC
5:30 p.m. - United States vs. Portugal, ESPN

Monday, June 23

11:30 a.m. - Netherlands vs. Chile, ESPN
11:30 a.m. - Australia vs. Spain, ESPN2
3:30 p.m. - Croatia vs. Mexico, ESPN
3:30 p.m. - Cameroon vs. Brazil, ESPN2

Tuesday, June 24

11:30 a.m. - Italy vs. Uruguay, ESPN
11:30 a.m. - Costa Rica vs. England, ESPN2
3:30 p.m. - Japan vs. Colombia, ESPN
3:30 p.m. - Greece vs. Ivory Coast, ESPN2

Wednesday, June 25

11:30 a.m. - Nigeria vs. Argentina, ESPN
11:30 a.m. - Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran, ESPN2
3:30 p.m. - Ecuador vs. France, ESPN
3:30 p.m. - Honduras vs. Switzerland, ESPN2

Thursday, June 26

11:30 a.m. - United States vs. Germany, ESPN
11:30 a.m. - Portugal vs. Ghana, ESPN2
3:30 p.m. - South Korea vs. Belgium, ESPN
3:30 p.m. - Algeria vs. Russia, ESPN2

Knockout Stage Match Schedule

Obviously, teams are still to be determined.  To read this, the winner of Group A will be 1A and second place will be 2A.  Group B winner is 1B, and so on.

Saturday, June 28

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16, 1A vs. 2B, ABC
3:30 p.m. - Round of 16, 1C vs. 2D, ABC

Sunday, June 29

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16, 1B vs. 2A, ESPN
3:30 p.m. - Round of 16, 1D vs. 2C, ESPN

Monday, June 30

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16, 1E vs. 2F, ESPN
3:30 p.m. - Round of 16, 1G vs. 2H, ESPN

Tuesday, July 1

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16, 1F vs. 2E, ESPN
3:30 p.m. - Round of 16, 1H vs. 2G, ESPN

Friday, July 4

11:30 a.m. - Quarterfinals, ESPN2
3:30 p.m. - Quarterfinals, ESPN

Saturday, July 5

11:30 a.m. - Quarterfinals, ESPN2
3:30 p.m. - Quarterfinals, ESPN

Tuesday, July 8

3:30 p.m. - Semifinals, ESPN

Wednesday, July 9

3:30 p.m. - Semifinals, ESPN

Saturday, July 12

3:30 p.m. - Third-place match, ESPN

Sunday, July 13

2:30 p.m. - Final, ABC