The us is ranked 8th in the world chess ranking. Just 1 place ahead of the Netherlands (17 million inhabitants). I'd hardly say chess is between Russia an the US.
If team usa gets out of the group stage it will be a big upset finishing ahead if either Germany or Portugal. Playing a tough group can be an advantage ("every downside has an upside"). You can elliminate a direct opponent, in the end you'll need to be able to beat any team out there to become the champ
They gave the US a tough bracket. We've proved ourselves already. I love watching it on TV though. I got my eyes on Greece because I've visited there and love it there. I'm sure it'll be a toss up between the mainstays of Italy, Brazil, Argentina, etc. I'd love to hear from everyone else. It is interesting.
In chess it is usually us and Russia, but when it comes to one of the world's most popular sports we take a backseat. I love both. Post-