Today's pummeling of the U.S. national side at the hands of the Czech Republic -- ranked number two in the world -- in the opening round of Group E World Cup play doesn't bode well; not for the American future in this tournament nor for the Cup's ability to spur growth of soccer as a sport here.

Jan Koller scored with a header in the fifth minute and Tomas Rosicky added two more goals -- one nine minutes before the break and one midway through the second half -- to shut down the U.S. team, 3-0, Monday in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Of course, the U.S. can still make it through to the next round, but must beat Italy and Ghana to do so and must win convincingly. If they don't, critics will only have more fuel for the argument that the American's top 5 world ranking is a sham. And hopes that a successful run by the team will bolster soccer's popularity in America will be dashed.

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