Is Portugal in trouble for their match against US?

Could Portugal's star Cristiano Ronaldo be out for the rest of the World Cup? There are reports that the FIFA Ballon d'Or winner's lingering knee injury could risk serious damage if he continues playing in the tournament.

What does this mean for the U.S.?

Not having to put all of your focus on the best player in the world would be a huge advantage for the Yanks. Portugal would lose a dynamic threat and the Americans wouldn't have to worry about using one player to spy on Ronaldo the entire game.

Portugal in trouble?

To make matters worse, the Portuguese will miss the anchor of their defense, Pepe, due to a red card in their first match against Germany - a red card equals a one match suspension.

Also, Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao and striker Hugo Almeida are out for the the rest of the group stage. Both picked up muscle injuries and are going to be difficult to replace.

Sunday's match

The Americans next game is against Portugal - this Sunday, June 22 at 6 p.m. on ESPN.