The sporting event many consider to be the greatest in the world begins Friday, June 11, when host nation South Africa faces Mexico. Certainly, no other event elicits the kind of passion and worldwide attention the Worl Cup does. I suppose you could make a case for the Olympics, but that is not the event it once was. This World Cup had been considered by many to be a watershed moment in the nistory of the African continent, and some have hoped that an African nation could seriously contend for the championship. Will it happen? Injuries have rendered an African champion unlikely. In fact, injuries have hit just about every favorite. Who is left?
Group A
South Africa
Mexico
Uruguay
France
South Africa: Host nations generally exceed expectations at the World Cup. South Korea advanced to the semifinals in 2002, the USA adavanced out of the group stage in 1994. France won the cup on home soil in 1998, but that could not be considered an upset. Will South Africa match those exploits? Not likely. They just don't have much talent. Everton's Steven Pienaar is their best player, but won't have much help when looking for goals. Could they pull out a miracle and advance? Anything's possible, but not likely.
Mexico: Always a strong squad, Mexico is a near lock to advance & possibly win the group. The team is loaded with young talent-Carlos Vela, Andres Guardado, & Giovanni Dos Santos all star in Europe, & forward Javier Hernandez signed with Manchester United in April. With Guillermo Ochoa in goal & Rafael Marquez, Carlos Salcido, & Ricardo Osorio in defense, this is a balanced team who could go far.
Uruguay: Uruguay is not a typical South American team. They are more physical and play with less flair. That's not to say they lack flair-striker Diego Forlan won the Eurpean Golden Boot (top goal scorer) in the 2008-09 season. He'll get help from fellow striker Sebastian Abreu & winger Luis Suarez. Nicolas Lodeiro has been an important addition to the midfield, helping to defeat Costa Rica in the CONCACAF-CONMEBOL 2010 World Cup Play-Off. Urguay will have a real chance to advance from this group.
France: One of the powerhouses of world football, France is always a threat to win any competition they enter. They qualified under controversial circumstances, with Thierry Henry clearly handling the ball before scoring a goal against Ireland. France has as much talent as anyone-Franck Ribery, Yoann Gorcuff, Nicolas Anelka, William Gallas, etc. But they are held back by their manager, Raymond Domenech. For some reason, he left Karim Benzema & Samir Nasri off the squad, but included Djibril Cisse. I know the former 2 did not have great seasons for their clubs, but they offer far more than Cisse in my opinion. That said, I expect France to advance.
Results: Mexico 1st, France 2nd
Group B
Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece
Argentina: Another team of superstars. Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Diego Milito. And, of course, arguably the greatest player in the world, Lionel Messi. They also have a manager who may be crazy, Diego Maradona. I do wonder about losing Cambiasso & Riquelme from the midfield, but they have more than enough talent to win a fairly weak group.
Nigeria: The Super Eagles play a more defensive style now, one that is not popular with their fans. They suffered an injury blow today, as it was announced that midfielder John Obi Mikel will miss the tournament. They still have talent: Nwankwo Kanu, John Utaka, & Obafemi Martins up front, Joseph Yobo in midfield. They could advance as runenrs up.
South Korea: Most of the team that made the miraculous run to the 2002 semi finals are gone, with the exceptions of goalie Lee Woon-Jae & midfielder Park Ji-Sung. They have young but talented attackers in Lee Chung-Yong & Park Chu-Young. But they have never matched that 2002 performance, & I don't think they will this year.
Greece: Greece plays a suffocating, defensive style no one likes, and it works. The shocked the world by winning the 2004 European Championship. They don't have any stars, & they won't score many goals. But they will frustrate opponents & fans alike, & they may just advance.
Results: Argentina 1st, Greece 2nd
Group C
England
USA
Algeria
Slovenia
England: Hopes are high for the English. They are loaded with talent & finally have a world class manager to guide it, Italian Fabio Capello. And they think they are in one of the easiest groups in the tournament. Wayne Rooney can score from anywhere, and Steven Gerrard & Frank Lampard are lethal in midfield. They have had an injury blow-defender & captain Rio Ferdinand will miss the tounament thanks to an injury suffered in training. The weakness is in goal, where none of the options inspire confidence. Still, England should win the group, and maybe the tournament.
USA: If we're ever going to make a run in one of these tournaments, this could be the year. Landon Donovan is coming off a strong performance for Everton of the EPL, Tim Howard is one of the best goalies in the world, & Clint Dempsey & Jozy Altidore may actually be able to score a few goals. The midfield will be defensive-minded, & they may need to be if the back line doen't shape up. Personally, I hope there's a place for Jose Torres in midfield. I think the USA advances.
Algeria: The Desert Foxes will miss goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi for the first 2 group games & defender Nadir Belhadj for the opener due to red cards received during the African Cup of Nations. And they'll miss midfielder Mourad Meghni due to injury. In other words, their chances are not good.
Slovenia: Another defensive minded team, they do have talent to be wary of. Goalie Samir Handanovic, midfielders Robert Koren & Valter Birsa, striker Milijove Novakovic, & Inter Milan's Rene Khrin on the bench. England & the USA should not overlook this team-they defeated Russia to qualify for the World Cup.
Results: England 1st, USA 2nd
Group D
Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana
Germany: Germany last failed to reach the knockout stage in 1938, but this may be the year that streak ends. They have been hit with numerous injuries and tragedy. In November, starting goalie Robert Enke committed suicide. His successor, Rene Adler, was ruled out of the tournament in May with a rib injury. Midfielder Simon Rolfes will miss the tournament with a knee injury. Captain michael Ballack is out with an ankle injury. That said, there is plenty of talent remaining. Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Marko Marin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Piotr Trochowski, Mario Gomez, Miroslav Klose. They should advance yet again.
Australia: They have a strong keeper in Mark Schwarzer & a strong defense, but their problem will be scoring goals. They'll rely on Tim Cahill & Harry Kewell. Cahill has shown an ability to score important goals @ Everton, while Kewell could get hurt getting off the bus. They'll have difficulty advancing.
Serbia: Serbia is healthy, experienced, & deep. Nemanja Vidic & Neven Subotic anchor the defense, Dejan Stankovic is strong in midfield, & Nikola Zigic is a handful up front. The weakness could be in goal, but they should be able to advance.
Ghana: Ghana would have had a great chance to advance, but then midfield star Michael Essien was ruled out with a knee injury. This is likely a loss that cannot be overcome. There is talent: Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari, & Kevin-Prince Boateng in midfield, Dominic Adiyiah up front. But this is a tough group, & without Essien, I don't see them advancing.
Results: Germany 1st, Serbia 2nd
Group E
Netherlands
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon
Netherlands: Another team loaded with talent, & they play a beautiful style. Mark van Bommel, Nigel de Jong, Wesley Sneijder, & Rafael van der Vaart in midfield, Robin van Persie & Arjen Robben up front. But Robben left a game today with an injury, & his status in unkown. Losing him would be a major blow, & goalkeeper could be a weak spot, but they still advance.
Denmark: Don't sleep on the Danes-they beat Portugal & Sweeden in qualifying. Jon Dahl Tomasson & Nicklas Bendtner can score and Jakob Poulsen & Christian Poulsen (no relation) will stabilize the midfield. Daniel Agger & Simon Kjaer do the same for the defense. They will contend, and they could advance.
Japan: Japan's chances of advancing are not good. Shunsuke Nakamura will have to have the month of his life if they are to advance, and I just don't see it happening. They'll perform admirably & be difficult to beat, but I doubt they will advance.
Cameroon: The Indomitable Lions could carry the banner for the African continent. Samuel Eto'o is a giften striker, Carlos Kameni is strong in goal, the defense is solid with Sébastien Bassong, Benoît Assou-Ekotto, & Stephane Mbia, & the midfield is led by Alexandre Song. If this is the year of the African breakthrough, Cameroon could be the team to do it.
Results: Netherlands 1st, Cameroon 2nd
Group F
Italy
Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia
Italy: The defending champions, and when expectations are low, they over perform, which means they could repeat. They have arguably the best manager in the world in Marcello Lippi, & they are once again loaded with talent. Goalie Gianluigi Buffon is one of the best, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, & Giorgio Chiellini will anchor a strong defense. Gennaro Gattuso & Daniele De Rossi will lead the midfield, & they always seem able to get that goal when needed. They'll advance comfortably.
Paraguay: Mentally & physically tough, they've dedicated the tournament to forward Salvador Cabanas, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head in January. They'll rely on Roque Santa Cruz, an overrated forward who is frequently injured. Yeah, I'm not a fan. Paraguay will fight for 2nd.
New Zealand: One of the biggest underdogs in the tournament, and to be honest, their chances of advancing are slim. Only defender Ryan Nielsen plays in a top European league. If they did advance, it would be a miracle.
Slovakia: Making their World Cup debut, the team is lead by midfielders Marek Hamsik, Miroslav Stoch, & Vladimir Weiss Jr. They beat a strong Czech Republic team in qualifying, and they play an attacking style. They'll be fun to watch.
Results: Italy 1st, Slovakia 2nd
Group G
Brazil
Portugal
Ivory Coast
North Korea
Brazil: The royalty of world football, the Brazillians are always the odds-on favorites to win any tournamnet they enter. Look @ the roster & you'll see why: Maicon, Daniel Alves, Luisão, & Gilberto in defense; Kaka in midfield; & Robinho & Luis Fabiano up front. Manager Dunga has them playing a different style these days, & with solid Julio Caesar in goal, they will be extremely difficult to beat.
Portugal: They have the talent, but they've underachieved recently. They had a poor qualifying campaign, needed to go to the play off to do so. But they have arguably the best player in the world in Cristiano Ronaldo, & he has plenty of support in Deco, Nani, & Simao. I'm not sold, but if they play up to their potential they'll be difficult to beat.
Ivory Coast: This is the African team with the highest expectations, and one look @ the roster shows why: Didier Drogba & Salomon Kalou up front, Didier Zakora in midfield, & a back line of Emmanuel Eboue & brothers Yaya & Kolo Toure. But Drogba was injured yesterday, suffering a broken arm. He told his teammates he was out, but he'll undergo emergency surgery to see if he can play. The teams hopes rest with Drogba-if he plays, they could go far. If he doesn't, they probably don't advance out of the group.
North Korea: Enjoy the vacation guys.
Results: Brazil 1st, Portugal 2nd.
Group H
Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
Chile
Spain: The reigning European champions are loaded. Fernando Torres, David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Carlos Puyol, Gerard Pique, Iker Casillas. It's an all star team, & they should cruise through this group. They will be very difficult for even the most talented teams to beat.
Switzerland: They have an outstanding coach in Ottmar Hitzfeld, a talented scorers in Alexander Frei, & solid midfielders in Gökhan Inler, Valon Behrami, & Tranquillo Barnetta. This is a solid, not great team, but this is not that difficult of a group, so they could advance.
Honduras: Kind of lucky to be making their 1st world cup appearance since 1982. Their best player is Wilson Palacios. They play a fun style & could steal a win, but it is very difficult to see them advancing.
Chile: This team loves to go forward, & with good reason. They are strong in attack with Humberto Suazo, Mark Gonzales, Alexis Sanchez, & Matias Fernandez. Of course, they can also concede a lot of goals. But they don't play Spain until the final game of group play, which helps their chances of advancing.
Results: Spain 1st, Chile 2nd
Winner: I have Spain beating Brazil in the final. The Spanish team is just too strong, and I think winning the 2008 Euro Championship has given them the mental strength the previously lacked.
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