Team USA Prepares to Face Germany
BERMAN: We are counseling down the hours here. Fewer than 25 to be exact now until the World Cup match of the century. The U.S. takes on Germany right after @THIS HOUR tomorrow.</s>PEREIRA: We are the pre-show right? The U.S. men taking on second ranked and uber talented Germany in an epic battle. The U.S. men's soccer team and their German coach are holding a news conference in Brazil, @THISHOUR, to let the world know they are ready. Let's get straight to Fred Pleitgan. He is in Brazil where the battle will be played.. We'll get to your allegiance, first, because Fred we know you are a German. We will talk to you about that in a second. But first, we want to talk about some of this brouhaha that has been brewing, if you will, about this one player in Uruguay who is accused of biting an Italian player in the middle of the game. It's sending shock waves here. How about there in Brazil?</s>FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN COMMENTATOR: Oh, it's absolutely sending shock waves here as well. It's something that seemed quite bizarre while the game was happening. It seemed as though it was two players who were just, sot of, getting at it in the penalty area. The all of a sudden, the Italian player was saying, wait this guy just bit me. This is Luis Suarez who is a player for the Uruguayan team. The Italian player, afterwards, was showing that wound that he had. Now what's going on is that FIFA, the governing world football body, has launched an investigation into all of this. There appears to be some sort of video evidence and we'll wait and see. Apparently this player Suarez has a history of doing this. He's been banned twice before for several games for biting other players. It is a bizarre incident making headlines in Brazil and, of course, also in Europe as well. It is quite bizarre.</s>BERMAN: Can you imagine having a long record, as a player, of biting other players? That being in your biography. This guy, who is one of the top five players in the world, may not play another game at this World Cup. It is simply crazy.</s>PEREIRA: It is bananas.</s>BERMAN: I want to talk now about the big game tomorrow, Fred, and I'm not sure where your allegiances are. They should be with the United States of America, really the most hopeful, and inspiring team playing in the World Cup, certainly tomorrow. But they have this big game against Germany. Jurgen Klinsmann played for Germany, he coached Germany. A lot of people thinking, you know both teams, all they need is a draw, maybe there will be a little gentlemen's agreement there.</s>PLEITGEN: Well first of all John, I want to make clear that I'm rooting for Germany, but I want both teams to go through so I can have the best of both worlds. I love America, I love Germany, my allegiance is in the middle. I'll be wearing the German jersey tomorrow. As far as Jurgen Klinsmann is concerned, yes, there is that talk of possible collusion, of them possibly having a phone call. After all this is sort of the master taking on the apprentice because, Joachim Loew the German coach, was actually the assistant under Jurgen Klinsmann. Both coaches have said it's nonsense, it is not going to happen. There are some German and American players who came out and said, listen, every time you try to do something like this, it usually backfires. So we're just not going to do it. It seems as though it's something that is sort of in the air and both teams have something to play for. The Americans want to prove they can beat the best teams in the world and go through. The Germans want to prove they are better than what they showed in the last game against Ghana, cause there was some criticism against the Germans there, as well it was a 2 to 2 draw and they really want to wrap things up in this group. So I do expect it is going to be a fast game, it is going to be a tough game. But one thing I will agree with John on it is very good to have the U.S. in the World Cup and it will be very good to have the U.S. advance because a lot of football power houses and a lot of fans here in Brazil are saying this is one of most exciting teams in the tournament right now.</s>PEREIRA: Should we do a friendly wager between Fred and John? Thought fellas, yes, no, are you in?</s>BERMAN: If we win, I want one of your cities. Give us Munich. If we win, we get Munich; if you win I will send you a hat. Sound like a fair deal.</s>PLEITGEN: Oh, yeah. But a CNN hat, and "EARLY START" hat.</s>BERMAN: I love how he says, without humor or irony, I'm actually rooting for Germany, like, make no mistake about it. I want the Germans to win.</s>PEREIRA: He didn't bring up the fact, there's a lot of German American players or the U.S. team too. They are infiltrating, I am just saying.</s>BERMAN: They chose to play for the United States of America. Tells you something.</s>PEREIRA: Ahead @THIS HOUR, Iraqi prime minister rejecting U.S. calls for an emergency unity government, but he still wants U.S. help in pushing back those rebels as they advance and march toward Baghdad. How exactly should Washington react?