US team arrive at high-security World Cup base

Members of the US national soccer team arrive at Hamburg airport for the FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Germany from 09 June to 09 July 2006. The US will play its first game vs the Czech Republic 12 June 2006.

The US team arrived in Germany to take up their heavily guarded World Cup headquarters just one week before the tournament begins.

The US delegation, led by coach Bruce Arena and captain Claudio Reyna, arrived at the Fuehlsbuttel airport after a seven-hour flight from Newark.

They were serenaded by a choir singing "We are the Champions" before boarding a bus to take them to the Park Hyatt hotel in the centre of the city.

Unlike many of the 32 nations, who are based in hotels tucked deep in the countryside, the United States have opted for a city centre location just as they did at the 2002 World Cup where they were based in the South Korean capital Seoul.

Security will be tight due to the possibility of attacks from Islamic extremists.

The team was to have its first workout later in the day at the Norderstedt training base of the SV Hamburg Bundesliga club.

The US team's preparations have included a defeat to Morocco and victories over Venezuela and Latvia.

The US exceeded expectations at the 2002 tournament by reaching the quarter-finals where they were eliminated by eventual finalists Germany.

They will play the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana in a tough-looking first-round Group E.

The World Cup kicks off next Friday in Munich with the final in Berlin on July 9.