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GROUP A
South Africa
Not only is South Africa carrying the weight of hosting the
first World Cup on African soil, but the Bafana Bafana will also be
under pressure to qualify for the second round in a tough Group A
as no host nation has ever failed to advance past the first round.
While the qualification process was averted due to hosting the
tournament, South Africa gained a vital amount of experience by
reaching the semifinals of the 2009 Confederations Cup, also hosted
in the country last summer. Led by Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto
Parreira (in his second stint with the Bafana, his World Cup
winning experience in 1994 is expected to propel South Africa to
new heights, but much will depend on the efforts of star player
Steven Pienaar of Everton fame.
Uruguay
Two-time World Cup winners Uruguay are far removed from
their best years as a world footballing power, but La Celeste have
big plans in 2010 after having defeated Costa Rica in a two-match
playoff during the final stage of the qualification process.
National team manager Oscar Tabarez has some serious star power at
his disposal in the form of Atletico Madrid’s Diego Forlan
and Ajax star Luis Suarez, but will also need to see the best out
of captain Diego Lugano if Uruguay has any designs on advancing
past the group stage. The inaugural World Cup winners from 1930
qualified for their 11th World Cup finals appearance this summer,
but haven’t advanced beyond the last 16 since the 1970
tournament in Mexico.
France
The most controversial participant at the 2010 World Cup,
France qualified at Ireland’s expense through the now
infamous Thierry Henry handball during their two-match playoff in
November. The 1998 World Cup winners boast a who’s who of
star players like Franck Ribery, Florent Malouda, Patrick Vieira
and Yoann Gourcuff from the best leagues in Europe, however Les
Bleus struggled mightily in qualifying, resulting in numerous calls
for the resignation of manager Raymond Domenech. However, the
French FA stuck with the astrology-driven coach through the
difficulties in the run-up to the World Cup and were rewarded with
the team’s record fourth-straight appearance.
Mexico
Los Tricolores reached an impressive 14th World Cup finals
appearance (the most in CONCACAF history) by finishing second in
the qualifying hexagonal behind the United States. Swedish coach
Sven Goran Eriksson was supposed to be the man to lead Mexico to
South Africa, but a number of poor results and a precarious early
qualifying position led the federation to release him and bring
back the steadying influence of Javier Aguirre. At 36-years old,
Cuauhtemoc Blanco is still the talisman pulling the strings in the
center of midfield for El Tri, but this time around he’s
surrounded by a host of promising youngsters such as
Arsenal’s Carlos Vela and Tottenham striker Giovani dos
Santos (currently on loan to Galatasaray). Despite being a World
Cup regular thoughout the years, Mexico has never advanced past the
quarterfinal stage in any tournament, and both of those
performances were on home soil in 1970 and 1986.
GROUP B
Argentina
No doubt the most controversial and famous coach in the 2010
edition of the World Cup, the two-time winners Argentina are led by
the man who scored the most famous goal in World Cup history in
1986 – Diego Maradona. Suspended for two months by FIFA after
a media tirade following the Albiceleste’s qualification in
Uruguay, Maradona is hoping for a smoother ride in South Africa
after a rough road to reach the tournament this summer in the
CONMEBOL region where the Argentines finished in fourth place. Led
by FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and some of the best
talents on the planet, the Argentines are always a threat to win
the whole thing, but they will find themselves with some pretty
stiff opposition in Group B, and no one can tell just what
distractions Maradona will offer up during the finals.
Nigeria
The Super Eagles were Africa’s greatest World Cup
threat in the 1990’s, however this is the team’s first
appearance back in the tournament since 2002. With the World Cup on
African soil, Nigeria is expected to give a solid account of
themselves this summer with the crowds firmly behind them. While
names like Jay-Jay Okocha and Sunday Oliseh bring back memories of
Nigeria’s golden age, new youngsters such as Obafemi Martins
and Jon Mikel Obi are more than ready to carry the torch for their
famous predecessors. Coach Shaibu Amodu had to survive a rough
qualifying stage after the Super Eagles opened with a scoreless
draw against Mozambique that gave the early advantage to Tunisia,
however Nigeria righted the ship just in time to qualify for its
fourth World Cup finals.
South Korea
The South Koreans provided a sensation in 2002 when under
legendary Dutch coach Guus Hiddink they progressed all the way to
the semifinals on home soil before bowing out to Germany. Hiddink
is no longer in charge of the Asian Tigers, but new coach Huh
Jung-Moo did what was necessary to lead his team to its seventh
straight appearance at the World Cup. Manchester United winger Park
Ji-Sung is the man expected to lead the team back to former glory,
but a number of other stars plying their trade in leagues across
Europe will make the job much easier for the talented midfielder.
The first Asian team to represent the continent back in 1954, South
Korea will be a dangerous side from the start, especially with a
World Cup not being played on European ground.
Greece
Long live King Otto! German coach Otto Rehhagel is already a
legend in Greece after having led the team to a stunning Euro 2004
victory in Portugal, but his magic continued during World Cup
qualifying as the Greeks emerged from a difficult group in second
place and found themselves in a playoff with Ukraine for one of the
final UEFA World Cup spots. After winning the playoff series 1-0 on
aggregate against their Eastern European foes, Greece cemented its
place in the World Cup finals for only the second time in its
history. It was back in 1994 that Greece reached its first-ever
World Cup in the USA, but finished the tournament in last place.
The Greeks will be on the march to improve their overall World Cup
record in South Africa, and with steady players like Angelos
Charisteas, Georgios Samaras and Theofanis Gekas, it might be
unwise to bet heavily against them.
GROUP C
England
After its failure to qualify for the 2008 European
Championship, England was in need of a serious overhaul at the top
level and found exactly what it was looking for in the form of new
manager Fabio Capello. The Italian master transformed the Three
Lions during their qualification for 2010 into a formidable side
that went unbeaten until the World Cup had already been secured.
Along the way, England put on a clinic against group rivals Croatia
in Zagreb with a 4-1 victory. Leading the way for England in South
Africa will be talented, hard-working striker Wayne Rooney, playing
in front of a squad boasting players such as Steven Gerrard, Frank
Lampard, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. With only one World Cup
title in its history and no major trophy since that one in 1966,
the Three Lions are looking to end their title drought and Capello
might just be the man to deliver the success so many England fans
are craving.
United States
After a 40-year absence since its last World Cup in 1950,
the USA has now qualified for every World Cup finals since 1990
– six on the trot. Coach Bob Bradley took over for Bruce
Arena after a dismal 2006 tournament and ledthe team to an
impressive final appearance against Brazil in the 2009
Confederations Cup while simultaneously earning first place in the
CONCACAF qualifying region. The Americans will be heavily reliant
on their star midfielder Landon Donovan, especially with a number
of key injuries piling up ahead of the tournament to players like
Oguchi Onyewu, Charlie Davies and now Fulham attacker Clint
Dempsey. The U.S. has been a yo-yo team since the 1990 World Cup,
playing respectably at one tournament (1994, 2002) and floundering
the next (1990, 1998, 2006), so if numbers are anything to go by
(along with a tournament not in Europe and a modest group), the
Yanks should be considered a threat to reach the second round.
Algeria
In what was certainly one of the most thrilling qualifying
series for the 2010 World Cup, the Desert Foxes of Algeria reached
their first World Cup since 1986 after a remarkable playoff
tie-breaker match against Egypt in Sudan. Coach Rabah Saadane faces
a daunting challenge in Group C against the likes of England and
the United States, but can rely on the experience of Algeria
defender Antar Yahia and talented Rangers midfielder Madjid
Bougherra to keep his team in any match. Algeria made history in
1982 by beating powerhouse Germany in the group stage, but the
North Africans will have to create a new kind of magic if they hope
to replace that legendary result with one of equal or higher
relevance in 2010.
Slovenia
Surprise entrants in 2002, the small former Yugoslavian
nation once again provided a shock by defeating Guus
Hiddink’s Russia in a hotly contested November playoff. If
that wasn’t enough, they also finished second in their group
behind Slovakia but ahead of World Cup regulars Poland and the
Czech Republic. While head coach Matjaz Kek has formed one of the
stingiest defenses in Europe, he also can call upon the attacking
threats of Milivoje Novakovic and captain Robert Koren to light up
the scoreboard. The odds are long to go far for the nation of only
two million people, but it would be foolish to count the Slovenians
out of any match after the tense battles they overcame to reach
South Africa this summer.
GROUP D
Germany
With probably the most consistent pedigree on the planet
behind only Brazil, Germany has once again reached the World Cup
with an eye on lifting its fourth trophy since the ‘Miracle
of Berne’ – its first-ever world title in 1954. Germany
hosted a brilliant World Cup in 2006 and was disappointed not to at
least reach the final after losing to the eventual champions Italy
in the semifinals, but head coach Joachim Loew has given himself
every opportunity for success by grooming an efficient, yet
explosive side that on its day can be the very best in the world.
Longtime captain Michael Ballack of Chelsea will once again lead
Die Mannschaft in South Africa, aided by superstars like Miroslav
Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm. The Germans, having
reached a record seven World Cup final matches, will look to make
it eight in July and if it comes down to a shootout, never doubt
the three-time World Cup winners – in four penalty shootouts
in World Cup history, they’ve never lost one.
Australia
The Socceroos had gone 32 long years since reaching the last
World Cup in Germany in 2006, but they returned with aplomb as they
reached the knockout stage and fell to a late Francesco Totti
winner against Italy. Leading the way was famous Dutchman Guus
Hiddink, once again getting the most out of a team that probably
had little business in the second round. Australia, taking the
plunge and moving into the Asian qualifying region, made short work
of its opposition and easily qualified for South Africa, becoming
one of the first nations to book its ticket to this summer’s
tournament. Now under the watchful eye of head coach Pim Verbeek,
star playerslike Everton’s Tim Cahill and the Blackburn duo
of Brett Emerton and Vince Grella will no longer be underestimated
at the World Cup finals, so they’ll have to be at their very
best to come through a difficult Group D.
Ghana
Ghana reached its first-ever World Cup finals in 2006 and
had a magical run as the only team from Africa to move on to the
second round before falling to Brazil. One of Africa’s most
successful teams within the continent, success on the world stage
is only now becoming more of an expectation than mere hope,
especially with a team led by Chelsea superstar Michael Essien. The
Black Stars cruised through qualifying in the African region and
firmly believe that with a World Cup on African soil they can
progress out of the group stage and make some noise in the knockout
round. Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac has a multitude of stars at
his disposal, including Inter Milan’s Sulley Muntari and and
captain Stephen Appiah of Bologna, so reaching the second round
would be no great shock for this team, but the opposition will be
stiff in what many feel is the tournament’s second Group of
Death.
Serbia
First, it was Yugoslavia, then it became Serbia and
Montenegro. Now fully independent, Serbia comes into its first-ever
World Cup as a new nation, but can rely on that wealth of
experience to once again strike fear into the opposition. Serbian
success in qualifying was heavily reliant on a staunch defense
anchored by one of the best in the world – Manchester
United’s Nemanja Vidic. The rock-solid center back is
complemented by Inter midfielder Dejan Stankovic and Milan
Jovanovic at the point of attack. Head coach Radomir Antic knows a
daunting task in Group D lies before him, but the new Beli Orlovi
(White Eagles) will be keen to make a solid first impression
against Ghana in their first group match in Pretoria.
GROUP E
The Netherlands
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride … two-time
World Cup runners-up Holland return to the finals as one of the
perennial favorites on paper to win the entire tournament, but
internal strife once again threatens to derail the team before a
ball is ever kicked in anger. Few teams can match Die Oranje in
terms of overall skill, but the mental fatigue and pressure in
World Cups always seems to get the best of the Dutch when it
matters most. But Bert van Marwijk’ current charges will
certainly try to rewrite recent history with a successful outing in
2010, and should that happen, no one should be surprised. The Dutch
were flawless in qualifying and easily punched their ticket to
South Africa behind the remarkable skills of winger Arjen Robben
and the steady influence of midfielders Rafael van der Vaart and
Wesley Sneijder. Up top, Arsenal hitman Robin van Persie and
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt provide all sorts of problems for any
opposing defense.
Denmark
Few believed Denmark had a serious chance to reach the World
Cup when the qualifying groups were announced three years ago, but
the Danes brushed aside Sweden, Portugal and Hungary in fine style
to earn an automatic berth in South Africa. Longtime coach Morten
Olsen brings the team back to the World Cup for the fourth time in
its history, their last visit a 2002 round of sixteen exit against
England. The 1992 European champions are led in attack by Feyenoord
striker Jon Dahl Tomasson and Gunners ace Nicklas Bendtner, while
the back line is steadily anchored by Liverpool stopper Daniel
Agger.
Cameroon
Having appeared in more World Cups than any other African
nation, it was quite a shock not to see Cameroon in Germany back in
2006. The Indomitable Lions are back however, and will certainly
reflect on their incredible run to the quarterfinals in 1990 as
inspiration to once again lead the way for the continent. Coach
Paul Le Guen of Lyon fame took over the team after a poor start
early in qualifying and immediately the move started paying
dividends. Four straight victories ensured safe passage to South
Africa and no player was more essential to the cause than Inter
Milan striker Samuel Eto’o. The dynamic forward scored nine
goals in qualifying alone, but was ably accompanied by world stars
such as Geremi, Jean Makoun and Arsenal’s Alexandre Song.
With an impressive amount of firepower at his disposal, Le Guen
will certainly never get a better opportunity to lead Cameroon one
step further than its amazing run 20 years ago.
Japan
Their fourth straight World Cup appearance, Japan comes to
South Africa after a dominating display in Asian qualifying which
saw them easily book their place in this summer’s tournament.
Head coach Takeshi Okada will know however that solid results in
Asia won’t necessarily translate to World Cup success. The
Samurai Blue are led by midfield free kick maestro Shunsuke
Nakamura, but the talented Espanyol man will no longer be able to
rely on former teammate and center stalwart Hidetoshi Nakata after
his international retirement. While the Japanese fared well on home
soil back in 2002 after reaching the round of 16, their last World
Cup performance left a lot to be desired, so the current squad will
be fighting to give a much better account of itself this time
around in South Africa. The odds however, are stacked against them.
GROUP F
Italy
The reigning World Cup champions rarely get it done in
flashy style, instead relying on an impregnable defense and
clinical finishing at just the right moment, but Marcelo
Lippi’s men have a point to prove in defense of their 2006
title in Germany. They’ve been called a bit ‘long in
the tooth’ over the years when anything went just slightly
pear shaped, but as usual, the Azzurri came through qualifying with
little fuss in a group that included unlucky Ireland and Bulgaria.
Bidding to tie Brazil for the most World Cup titles this summer
with five, motivation will be the least of Lippi’s problems.
Instead, he’ll have to worry about bringing back grizzled
veterans like Francesco Totti and Luca Toni at the expense of young
stars like Giueseppe Rossi and Sebastian Giovinco. With
Lippi’s incredible resume in world football, he’ll most
likely get the balance just right. At the very least he can be
certain to see the best out of his world class goalkeeper Gianluigi
Buffon.
Paraguay
Few things can make the World Cup seem insignificant, but
Paraguayan fans’ hearts are for the moment strictly focused
on Salvador Cabanas, the Club America striker who was recently shot
in the head in Mexico and is fighting for his life each and every
day. The burly hitman was the perfect foil to Manchester City star
Roque Santa Cruz, but now head coach Gerardo Martino will have to
make due without him in South Africa. He’ll expect big things
out of Dortmund midfielder Nelson Valdez to help stabilize a team
that has now qualified for four straight World Cup finals. The
Paraguayans were disappointed after a first round exit in 2006, but
after a brilliant qualifying campaign in South America which saw La
Albirroja finish third behind only Brazil and Chile, the team will
certainly have designs on getting farther this time around,
especially with Cabanas constantly in their thoughts.
New Zealand
A member of the 1982 World Cup squad, New Zealand coach
Ricki Herbert took full advantage of Australia’s exodus from
the Oceania region in leading the Kiwis to their second-ever
appearance in the finals. Blackburn skipper and former D.C. United
star Ryan Nelsen took charge of the Kiwis’ playoff series
against Bahrain, leading the team to two shutouts and a 1-0
aggregate win over the Asians to reach the tournament this summer.
New Zealand natives have jumped on the bandwagon and the rugby-mad
nation is fully behind the All-Whites, however anything more than a
pedestrian first round exit will undoubtedly be the surprise of the
tournament.
Slovakia
Long in the shadow of its talented neighbors the Czech
Republic, Slovakia emerged as this summer’s powerful
representative from the former Czechoslovakia, a nation with a
terrific World Cup pedigree including a finals appearance in 1934
and a quarterfinal exit in 1990. The Slovaks impressively finished
first in a qualifying group that included those same Czechs, fellow
qualifiers Slovenia and Poland, a feat made even more stunning due
to the fact that the team hardly boasts any major star players
outside of Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel. But head coach
Vladimir Weiss has formed a tight, collective unit which knows what
it takes to grind out results. And while not the biggest star in
Italy, Napoli hitman Marek Hamsik is a constant threat to score and
can cause many headaches for any center back.
GROUP G
Brazil
No team goes into a World Cup with more expectations than
Brazil, and the 2010 edition of the tournament will be no
different. Having won a record five titles, the Selecao is once
again poised for a deep run in South Africa, especially after
having already experienced success on the same grounds last summer
by winning the Confederations Cup final against the U.S. Brazil is
stacked at every position, boasting a wealth of talent that no
country in the world dare attempt to rival. In fact, finding
playing time for all those stars is most likely the greatest issue
for head coach and 1994 World Cup winner Dunga, but it’s a
problem most coaches would love to have. Leading the vaunted Samba
attack will be Real Madrid superstar Kaka, while deadly attackers
such as Luis Fabiano and Robinho are certain to run riot against
their foes throughout the tournament. Providing steady hands in
between the pipes should Brazil’s tireless defense shut off
for a second will be Inter Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar. It’s
the trophy or bust once again for the Brazilians … and really
it’s impossible to imagine it any other way.
Ivory Coast
No African team looked a safer bet to do big things in South
Africa than the Ivory Coast, but the Elephants must have felt
slightly undone when drawn into the ‘Group of Death’
alongside Brazil and Portugal. However, with the fans firmly in
their corner, Didier Drogba and his team will have every chance to
still advance and make some noise. And why wouldn’t they with
a squad featuring the likes of Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Didier Zokora
, Yaya Toure and the England-based pair of Emmanuel Eboue and Kolo
Toure? Regardless the draw, head coach Vahid Halilhodzic can be
certain that the other teams in the group are just as worried about
his team as he is of theirs. Ironically, the Elephants were also
drawn into the ‘Group of Death’ in 2006 with match-ups
against Argentina, Holland and Serbia-Montenegro. The team failed
to reach the second round after finishing in third, but valuable
lessons were learned which could make the difference towards a
better showing this summer.
Portugal
Its ‘Golden Generation’ now long gone, Portugal
is still finding a way to get the job done, and ironically, it has
little to do with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Goalless during
qualifying and then injured at the finish line, the world’s
most expensive transfer did little on paper to help the
Selecção das Quinas qualify for South Africa. Instead,
the club relied on midfield stars Deco and Simao Sabrosa, along
with defensive talisman Ricardo Carvalho, to carry them through a
difficult qualifying process which almost saw the Portuguese miss
out on the 2010 finals. A dismal start put the team in early
jeopardy, but coach Carlos Queiroz turned things around to earn a
playoff with the dangerous Bosnians. With Ronaldo watching from the
sidelines, Portugal made short work of the Balkan nation over both
legs and easily qualified for its fifth World Cup appearance. But
while the Portuguese did excellent in 2006 by reaching the
semifinals against France, the lack of a consistent forward could
make repeating the feat quite difficult.
North Korea
After 40 years in the football wilderness, North Korea
stormed back into the international spotlight for the first time
since their miraculous run in 1966. Back then in England, the
Asians ousted a stunned Italy in the group stage and took a 3-0
lead against Portugal in the quarterfinals, only to watch World Cup
legend Eusebio score four goals and lead the Portuguese back to a
5-3 victory. Few North Korean players ply their trade outside of
its borders, but a handful are making names for themselves in other
markets. The most notable player on the squad is Jong Tae-Se, a
striker plying his trade in Japan, but the true master in the
middle is home-based Mun In-Guk. While coach Kim Jong-Hun enjoyed
great success during the qualifying rounds, he must have been
disappointed to see his team drawn into the same group as Brazil,
Portugal and the Ivory Coast. Dreams of 1966 are sure to dance in
the players’ heads, but a repeat against this opposition is
highly improbable.
Group H
Spain
The Spaniards finally broke their tournament jinx by
fashionably winning Euro 2008 and claiming their first major trophy
in 40 years. And while the squad could be pardoned for relaxing a
while after finally overcoming that hurdle, head coach Vicente del
Bosque only pushed the team to greater heights, including an
astounding 35 match unbeaten streak which came to an end against
the U.S. in the Confederations Cup semifinal. La Furia charged
through qualifying like a bull in a china shop, scoring a perfect
ten wins in ten matches and setting the standard for resilience,
creativity and resolve. The team is perfectly balanced from
goalpost to goalpost, with Iker Casillas between the sticks, Sergio
Ramos and Carles Puyol in defense, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Xabi
Alonso in the middle, and El Nino Fernando Torres providing the
deadly finishing. And while World Cup success has always eluded the
team (its best-ever finish a fourth place in 1950), this current
crop of players, loaded with experience, youth and the majority in
their primes, has a massive chance to repeat France’s feat in
1998 and 2000 of simultaneously holding the European and World Cup
titles.
Chile
The 1962 World Cup hosts returned in grand style with a
surprisingly efficient road to qualification that ended in a
best-ever second place (behind Brazil) finish in the CONMEBOL
region. Argentinean coach Marcelo Bielsa brought his magic with him
as La Roja qualified for their first World Cup since 1998. The
famous forward tandem of Marcelo Salas and Ivan Zamorano is now
long gone, so a new generation of attacking players has grabbed the
baton and is leaving scores of befuddled goalkeepers lying helpless
in its wake. Humberto Suazo relies on Gerd Mueller-esque instincts
to always pop up at the right time in front of goal, while Matias
Fernandez and Alexis Sanchez provide a youthful burst that’s
caught fire at just the right time. The Chileans finished in third
place when they hosted the tournament, and while such lofty heights
are unlikely to be repeated, Bielsa’s tactical genius, along
with a hungry and skilled young squad, would make it no surprise at
all to see the South Americans in the second round.
Honduras
When it comes to top European exports from Central America,
no team can compare to Honduras. With stars like David Suazo,
Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa all playing at the highest
levels each week, Los Catrachos aren’t in South Africa to
simply make up the numbers. Coach Reinaldo Rueda overcame a
devastating home defeat against the Americans in qualifying by
winning the team’s final match against El Salvador, and then
sweating as Costa Rica held a 2-1 lead in added time against the
U.S. at RFK stadium. Jonathan Bornstein’s headed goal in the
final seconds broke hearts in Costa Rica as they were forced into a
playoff with Uruguay, while Hondurans celebrated their automatic
qualification thanks to the draw. Their first World Cup since their
only other involvement in 1982, seven qualifying goal scorer Carlos
Pavon and his team will certainly not look out of place against any
team in their group, but face formidable obstacles in the form of
Spain, Chile and Switzerland to reach the second round.
Switzerland
The Swiss got the qualifying wake-up call they needed when
they suffered an early and highly embarrassing loss to Luxembourg,
ultimately reeling off a series of consecutive victories and
securing their place in South Africa this summer. One of only two
men to win the Champions League with two different clubs, manager
Ottmar Hitzfeld brings a wealth of knowledge and quiet resolve to
the Swiss squad, characteristics mimicked by his star striker and
Switzerland’s all-time leading scorer Alexander Frei. The
Basel ace will no doubt rely on the Leverkusen duo of Tranquillo
Barnetta and Eren Derdiyok to supply him with steady service up
top, while Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos (on loan to Everton)
will be called upon to stop players like Fernando Torres, Humberto
Suazo and David Suazo. The Swiss were quarterfinal regulars in the
1930’s and 50’s, but the team hasn’t done better
than a round of 16 finish (2006) since then. However, Hitzfeld was
no doubt pleased in December when the groups were drawn and will
certainly believe that a place in the knockout round is in the
cards.
