I'm bringing this up because we beat the US yesterday 6-2 (Italy, of course)
The US National Team actually has some nice talent... Evan Longoria, Andy LaRoche (played first base last night), Colby Rasmus just to mention a few, but there are many known names if you follow prospects: Bryan Anderson, Brian Bixler, Josh Outman, Jeff Karstens (well, not a prospect, but I guess you know him), Jayson Nix, Delwyn Young, Justin Ruggiano, Steven Pearce, etc... you can check out the list here. Not a bad team if you ask me.
And yet we got it! Italy has a few really interesting prospects. My friends Alex Liddi, playing for Seatte, and Alessandro Maestri, playing for the Cubs, and a few more who are going to get signed soon according to my knowledge, including last night's starter, Matteo D'Angelo. Good stuff for Italy, which was mostly made out of Italians (which is amazing for us). It's the best result in our history when you think that 2 years ago we didn't have a single Italian-born in the minor leagues and now we have two and next year we'll have at least 3 and probably 5-6.
It could be an interesting World Cup. Japan doesn't have NPB players and is really weak, but there is Cuba with all its might (and Gourriel, Pestano, Cepeda, Urrutia, Paret, Lazo, Palma, Marti, Maya, Despaigne, etc.), expect for the defector Alexis Ramirez.
Other teams also have interesting players: Jamie Romak, Travis Blackley, Philippe Aumont and Van Ostrand playing for Canada, Oeltjen and Justin Huber for Australia, Greg Halman, Adriana, Legito and Stuifbergen for the Dutch. Unfortunately our boy Jennel Hudson is not on the German roster.
But it's all nice and good. It's baseball and there are prospects playing. What more could you want in November?