The storyline heading into the World Cup this summer for the US national team is that they are going to have a brutal battle to get out of their group.

With the likes of Ghana, Portugal, and Germany in Group G, it looks like the Americans will have an uphill climb to advance to the knockout stages.

But Bayern Munich executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes the US will emerge from the group with the Germans.

The former Bayern and West German striker spoke to KICKTV's Jimmy Conrad while the channel was on a recent tour of Bayern Munich (watch the video above), and when asked about the prospects for the US in Brazil, he was optimistic at their chances.

"Two teams I'm seeing as favorites to qualify for the next round are Germany, and maybe this will surprise you, the States," Rummenigge said.

In part, he's high on the US because of their coach.

"I believe they have an interesting team and I know Jurgen Klinsmann, who is totally motivated," he said.

Rummenigge and Klinsmann never played competitively together in their careers, but the pair worked together at Bayern when Klinsmann managed the team in 2008-09.