Specs' case for the defence

West Ham United defender Jonathan Spector insists the United States will be ready for England come their FIFA World Cup Group C meeting in Rustenburg on 12 June.

The Americans have come under scrutiny in some quarters in recent months following a series of unconvincing displays in warm-up friendlies.

Bob Bradley's squad have been beaten by Honduras, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic and failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the five matches they have contested since the turn of the year, leading to criticism.

However, Spector, who did not play against Honduras or the Czechs, said he and his fellow defenders would be working hard to put things right before their meeting with England.

"We'll be working in training as a unit. We'll be watching video of the games to see where we went wrong, whether it be positionally or individually," said Spector, speaking from the US team base at the rural Irene Country Lodge in South Africa.

"Diagrams, things like that, all are extremely helpful, but I think it takes a little bit of time just to get used to playing with one another again.

"We all come from different systems with our club teams and fortunately, you know, we've laid the groundwork in the past for working together, but it does take a little bit of time just to get adjusted and become kind of in synch with each other.

"It's not really a concern of ours. I know we're going to get there. but as I said, it will take a little bit of time."

Spector has been handed the No2 shirt for this summer's World Cup, with his major rival for the right-back berth, Steve Cherundolo, being allocated the No6.