Group B preview

Argentina

Strengths: Argentina have a star studded line-up of exciting quality players. Messi is arguably the best footballer in the world, capable of regularly turning on sublime displays. Very creative, he provides good opportunities for others and scores plenty himself. With the likes of Higuain and Di Maria in their first eleven, and having the superb duo of Tevez and Diego Milito on the best bench in international football, they certainly have a lot of flair and potential for goals. They also boast the excellent Mascherano who can be the linchpin for their side and the experienced tough-tackling Samuel in defence. Goalkeeper Romero is a great talent and one to watch out for. Argentina have a clear idea of their World Cup starting line-up which will be of great help to them.

Weaknesses: Argentina's defence is probably their weakest aspect. They have a couple of strong names at the back in Samuel and Demichelis but it is an area that has been quite suspect in recent times, conceding a few too many goals. Maradona also made the strange decision not to pick the brilliant Zanetti who has been an amazing full-back for Inter Milan this season as well as leaving behind the outstanding defensive midfielder Cambiasso. The argument in favour of Maradona is that neither have done particularly well in the few games they played for their national side in qualifying. However Argentina may yet rue these decisions. Also, although Messi is possibly the biggest football genius since, well, Maradona, he has played a lot better for Barcelona than he has for his country.

Formation: Argentina should line up in a 4-4-2 type of arrangement. Maradona has expressed his wish that the fullbacks do not pass the halfway line which is unusual in an era where rampaging full-backs are all the rage. So it will be a fairly static backline allowing him to play just the one holding midfielder, Mascherano, who will need to cover the full width of the pitch. Veron will also be fairly deep lying looking to spray long precise passes to team-mates in more attacking positions. Gutierrez and Di Maria will be the wingers and Messi will play just off Higuain. Having resisted the temptation of producing a formation that could include all their attacking stars one would suggest the bench might be used a fair amount but with the formation tweaked rather than radically altered during games.

Manager: Diego Maradona is a former national football hero for Argentina. He has also been a controversial figure. The 1986 quarter-final against England typifies his combination of the sublime and the cheat. He equalised with the infamous 'Hand of God' goal before scoring possibly the best goal ever only 3 minutes later. In 1994 he was sent home from the World Cup in disgrace after failing a drugs test. He is both loved and loathed throughout the football world. His position as the very colourful manager of Argentina means no match they play can possibly be considered dull. He lacks managerial experience and has been accused of being both a drug and alcohol addict but he is a national icon. He has promised to run naked through Buenos Aires if Argentina win the World Cup. An unpredictable figure it is hard to gauge how well he will do as manager of Argentina at this World Cup - he could certainly surprise a few people.

Qualification: Argentina finished 4th in the South America qualifying group - the last automatic qualifying position - although they were in serious trouble at various stages throughout qualification. After a patchy 10 rounds in which Argentina had managed 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses manager Basile resigned, a few days later Maradona was named manager. In his second qualifying match as manager he oversaw an abysmal 6-1 loss to Bolivia. In general their patchy form continued scoring some wins but also some poor losses including Brazil's first win against Argentina in Argentina. But with 2 wins in their final 2 games Argentina qualified, leaving Uruguay requiring a play-off against Costa Rica.

World Cup pedigree: Argentina have an excellent World Cup pedigree. This is their 15th tournament. They have won twice (1978 and 1986) and finished second twice (1930 and 1990). They have never lost a semi-final but have been knocked out in the quarters on three occasions (1966, 1998 and 2006).

Chance of progression from Group B: 90%, probably in first place.

Greece

Strengths: Greece are a hardworking, organised unit who pay great attention to their defence. It was this outstanding defence that fired them to victory in the Euro 2004 Championships although they lost all 3 games at Euro 2008. They have one player of great goalscoring prowess: Gekas who scored ten goals in ten games during qualifying (top goalscorer in the Europe section) and who in general averages better than a goal every 2.5 games for Greece. They have an experienced squad with some of their most valuable players in their victorious 2004 side still around - such as Seitaridis, Karagounis, Katsouranis and Charisteas. They also work well together as a team.

Weaknesses: Greece lack creativity and flair and their type of game is well documented. Teams well understand that they need to break Greece down and will have practised ways to do so. Their experienced squad members are also aging and will be less effective than they were. Other veterans have retired and been replaced with youth and inexperience. Greece rely on moments of inspiration from their strikers or set pieces. They may be strong at holding onto a lead but they struggle to chase a game effectively. Aside from Gekas only four other players scored in their qualifying campaign. And 9/10 of Gekas' goals were scored against Moldova, Latvia and Luxembourg.

Formation: Greece will likely line-up 4-3-3 although this may change to 3-4-3 depending on the formation of the opposition. Rehaggel is a very tactically aware manager and will prefer 3 at the back when up against two strikers and 4 at the back when up against 3. He will employ 3 up front himself in order to keep the opposition full-backs busy.

Manager: Otto Rehhagel - one of Greece's strengths. He was at the helm when Greece won Euro 2004 and is very tactically astute.

Qualification: Greece finished 2nd behind Switzerland in a fairly easy qualifying group (Israel was the only other tough match). They then faced an aging Ukraine side in the playoffs winning 1-0 on aggregate.

World Cup pedigree: Greece have only made the World Cup finals once before - in 1994. In their Group they faced two teams they will be facing in 2010 - Argentina and Nigeria.

Chance of progression from Group B: 50%, will likely miss out.

Nigeria

Strengths: Nigeria have a solid defensive line-up. The likes of Yobo, Shittu and Etuhu will ensure they are a tough nut to crack. They also have talented attackers in the likes of Kanu, Yakubu and Martins with Odemwingie contributing from midfield. Fullback Taye Taiwo is a quick counter-attacking defender with a ferocious shot.

Weaknesses: Nigeria will really miss their best player Mikel who has been ruled out of the tournament. Mikel is an excellent player, particularly protecting the back four but also going forward. Nigeria do not have the strength of squad that they had in the mid to late nineties when they proved to be a force in world football - thus expectations will not be so high in 2010. Nigeria have received valid criticism for the slow cumbersome way they link defence and attack meaning that they are too predictable moving forward and so are easier to defend against. In other words at times they lack creativity and put the onus for providing such flair on too few shoulders. They have also been criticised for not selecting Anichebe or Ike Uche up front meaning that they instead rely on some old heads which some people fear may not cut it anymore.

Formation: No real indications have been given but 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 are the most likely formations.

Manager: Swede Lars Lagerback was handed the reigns only months ago (26 Feb 2010). He had resigned as Sweden's manager after their failure to qualify for World Cup 2010 - he had been at their helm for around a decade. Albeit hampered by only a short time in the job Lagerback brings experience and the potential for greater organisation. He also has the experience of beating Argentina as a manger - at the group stages of the 2002 World Cup (they won 2-1 and progressed to the 2nd round, Argentina were eliminated).

Qualification: This was far from easy for Nigeria. Going into the last round of games Tunisia were 2 points ahead of Nigeria. However they suffered a 1-0 loss to Mozambique and Nigeria came from behind to defeat Kenya 3-2 and pipped Tunisia in their group by 1 point. Hardly inspiring.

World Cup pedigree: Nigeria have competed in 3 previous world cups (94, 98 and 2002). In both 94 and 98 they qualified for the 2nd round and in their inaugural appearance in 94 almost made the quarters. Leading 1-0 against Italy Baggio equalised with only a couple of minutes remaining and Italy went on to win in extra-time.

Chance of progression from Group B: 60% probably in 2nd.

South Korea

Strengths: South Korea play with good pace and technique and have some good, experienced and influential players who can make a difference in South Africa. The 37 year old veteran keeper Lee Woon-Jae should get the nod and is still an excellent goalkeeper despite his advancing years. Park Ji-Sung is clearly the biggest star, plying his trade at Manchester Utd and a very good attacking threat from midfield. His work rate is undeniable and his service is spot on. Park Chu-Young of Monaco is expected to score the goals. In defence Lee Young-Pyo (33) has amassed 113 caps but it is 25 year old Oh Beom-Seok who is most important having played more qualifying games than any other defender. They defend well as a whole team, proved by conceding a meagre 4 goals from 8 games in their final qualifying group.

Weaknesses: South Korea are not a strong team in the physical sense. There is a danger of them underperforming against more physically dominant opposition and they may be vulnerable at set-pieces. They do not appear to have the individual brilliance that some teams possess. Reports suggest they will have difficulty playing at altitude, if so their game against Argentina will be interesting! It is thought that the more difficult opposititon they will face in South Africa will expose their defence to be weaker than their qualification campaign suggests.

Formation: South Korea traditionally enjoy playing a 4-4-2. Some reports suggest they will play 3-5-2 at the World Cup, I think it would be a mistake if they did.

Manager: Huh Jung-Moo. He has been manager since December 2007. He has revitalised some careers and made his team hard to beat.

Qualification: South Korea comfortably qualified for the World Cup and finished top of their final qualifying group ahead of North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

World Cup pedigree: South Korea have qualified for their 7th consecutive World Cup finals, an Asian record. They had never qualified before this. On each occasion they have been knocked out at the Group Stage, except when as hosts they finished fourth in 2002. This achievement was marred by controversy as very suspect refereeing decisions, particularly against Italy and Spain, helped them to the semi-finals.

Chance of progression from Group B: 50%, will probably miss out.

Group A preview

Group A is one of the most intriguing World Cup groups. It contains France, Mexico, South Africa and Uruguay. It is one of the few groups I can see any 2 of the 4 progressing from.

France

Strengths: France may no longer boast the so-called golden generation of Zidane, Trezeguet, Vieira, Lizarazu, Thuram and Desailly but make no bones about it - they have a quality squad of players. Evra and Gallas are very good defenders. Up front with Cisse, Govou, Gignac, Henry and Anelka there is talent all round. Midfield is their biggest strength featuring the exceptional Ribery. Toulalan is maturing into his defensive midfield role, Malouda is a classy player (quick, comfortable in possession and capable of providing a killer final ball) and Valbuena the newcomer is an exciting prospect. He is not expected to be in the starting line-up but he proved his worth scoring the winner in a recent friendly against Costa Rica. Not to mention Gourcoff, French Player of the Year.

Weaknesses: They are inexperienced and undecided in their goalkeeping department. Lloris and Mandanda played 6 games each in qualifying and they have both featured in friendlies. Both are only just into their double figures in terms of appearances for the national side. Expect Lloris of Lyon to start. Whilst France have talent up front none of them except Henry have been prolific in an international jersey. France will probably play with one main man up front. - this used to be Henry but he has been relegated to the bench with Anelka to step up. Anelka has never quite reproduced the form and brilliance for France that he has shown a number of times for his club teams. Gallas, the mainstay of the French defence, will go into the World Cup lacking in match practise and potentially not fully recovered from the injury which has blighted his season. France may miss the excellent Lassana Diarra who is missing the World Cup through illness. Whether or not one can read much into friendlies is debateable but they have drawn with Tunisia and lost to China, the kind of form a team doesn't want heading into a world cup.

Formation: France generally employed a 4-2-3-1 in qualifying which proved to be rather stale. They look to have abandoned this in favour of a 4-3-3 formation which could be conducive to flair. Anelka will lead the line with Ribery and Govou supporting him on the flanks. Toulalan should protect the defence, Malouda will provide a good link between the midfield and attack and Gourcoff will be the dead ball specialist.

Manager: Raymond Domenech - he has been regularly and justifiably criticised for how he has performed in his managerial role - also a potential weakness for the French side.

Qualification: France finished one point behind Serbia in their qualifying group and in truth it was a patchy campaign overall. They needed to overcome Ireland in the playoffs. France won the first leg 1-0 and 90 minutes of the second leg finished 1-0 to Ireland sending them to extra-time. In truth Ireland had battered France but had been unable to convert a crucial second goal. With the game heading towards penalties Henry conjured up an assist for one of the most controversial goals in history. Henry blatantly handled the ball twice with his left hand before tapping the ball with his right foot across the goal to Gallas who was on hand to stab it home. The referee did not spot the infringement, the goal stood, and the whole of Ireland have had to suck it up since then.

World Cup pedigree: This is France's 13th (out of 19) appearance at a world cup finals. They have won the World Cup on one occasion (1998), lost in the final once (2006) and finished 3rd twice (1958 and 1986). The two excellent world cups they had in 1998 and 2006 came either side of their biggest disappointment. In 2002 they exited at the group stage - finishing last in a group with Senegal, Denmark and Uruguay, without even scoring a goal.

Chance of progression from Group A: 75%, probably in 1st place.

Mexico

Strengths: Rafael Marquez is an exceptional and experienced central defender who has played many games for his club, one of the best in the world, Barcelona. He has excellent leadership skills and will be wanting to make an impression at what could be his last world cup. He is versatile as he can also play in the holding midfield role. Javier Hernandez is a very highly rated striker. He is only 22 years old but he has recently agreed to sign for Manchester United for an undisclosed fee (possibly in the region of 7-10 million pounds). He has scored 7 goals in 12 appearances for Mexico and averages just less than one in two for his club side in Mexico. Vela is agile and an attacking threat although his shooting is rather hit and miss. Giovani dos Santos is an exciting player. The squad has a nice mix of young talent and experience.

Weaknesses: Mexico will miss their biggest star Jared Borghetti, their all-time leading goalscorer. They are lacking in strikers who can convert their many chances, sometimes Vela gets in great positions with great service only to miss a great chance. Franco who plays furthest up the field is poor in comparison to players playing in similar positions for other teams. The highly capped Gerrardo Torrado in midfield is aging and not quite the player he was. The squad is a little too heavy with players based in the Mexican league which is not one of the strongest leagues in the world. Whilst they have a decent squad they only have 3 or 4 top quality players. Giovani dos Santos' angry outburst at the dropping of his brother Jonathan from the preliminary squad has the potential to destabilise.

Formation: Mexico are likely to play 3-4-3. In possession their 3 central defenders will spread wide at the back. As the attack moves up the pitch Marquez has freedom to push up leaving his other two centre-backs covering deep. They have players wide in all areas of the pitch as they look to stretch the play. In defence they have 5 men at the back as the 2 wing-backs drop into defence. Marquez can, if necessary, push further up in this situation to defend against any player 'playing in the hole'. It is a fluid formation which has the potential to create many goalscoring opportunities and it seems more dangerous than the 4-4-2 system he had inherited.

Manager: Javier Aguirre took over from Sven Goran Erikkson after the team under his tutelage had a poor start to their qualifying campaign. Without knowing much about him he appears to be doing a reasonable job.

Qualification: After a poor start Mexico ultimately qualified in second place behind the USA. For a fairly decent team like Mexico they are lucky to have an easier route to the finals than many due to their Geograpghy.

World Cup pedigree: After being disqualified from competing in qualification for the 1990 World Cup tournament for fielding over-age players in an under 20 tournament they have not only been in every tournament since, they have qualified for the 2nd round. They are bidding to be the first team to do so on five consecutive occasions. On each occasion they also fell at the 2nd round hurdle. Their best showing is reaching the quarter-finals in 1970 and 1986 (when it was held in Mexico).

Chance of progression from Group A: 60%, probably in 2nd place.

South Africa

Strengths: Being home nation is a huge strength. No home nation has failed to make the knock-out stages of the World Cup and the massive support and buzz from the home fans will inspire them to play at their highest level. They may also get a (subconscious) helping hand from the referees. In 2002 South Korea made the semi-finals in part due to some shocking decisions that went their way. Not necessarily saying it's a FIFA conspiracy but home advantage is important in many ways. Their best player is Steven Pienaar of Everton who is a quality midfield general. Other talented players include the attacking fullback Masilela of Maccabi Haifa and the skilful winger Modise of the Orlando Pirates. Striker Mphela has a good record of scoring goals for South Africa. They are also currently on a run of eleven matches unbeaten.

Weaknesses: Firstly, South Africa have very few players considered top quality by world standards. Indeed their players are a mixed bag whose names won't strike fear into the opposition. Many of their players play in the South African league and therefore lack in experience at playing top competition domestically. Benni McCarthy, South Africa's all-time leading goalscorer and the man who was expected to lead the line at the World Cup, has not been selected. It is easy to see why as he was deemed too large and unfit, backed up by him having had very little playing time for West Ham United. South Africa have not had as much international competition as the other nations by virtue of not having to qualify for the world cup. Thus some of the squad lack match practise.

Formation: I think South Africa will play with a traditional 4-4-2 formation.

Manager: Carlos Alberto Parreira is Brazilian born and has previously led 4 teams to 5 World Cups. He took Brazil to victory in 1994 and the quarter-final in 2006 and managed Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia at the 1982, 1990 and 1998 tournaments respectively. He is an experienced manager being in the business for 43 years including 11 spells as an international manager. Will his experience help South Africa? That is the burning question.

Qualification: As hosts they are the only team who didn't need to qualify.

World Cup pedigree: South Africa did not attempt to enter the first 7 tournaments. They were banned for the next 7 due to apartheid. In the last 4 they did not manage to qualify in 1994 or 2006 but made it in 1998 and 2002. On both those occasions they didn't make it through the group stages. In 2002 they were very unlucky - missing out by the narrowest of margins. They finished on equal points (4) with Paraguay and both had a goal difference of zero. The difference was Paraguay had scored and conceded 5 whilst South Africa had scored and conceded 4 times. The most beautiful moment for me of course was when Lucas Radebe, possibly my favourite ever player - true gent and Leeds legend, powered in a header in their 3-2 loss to Spain.

Chance of progression from Group A: 45%, probably miss out.

Uruguay

Strengths: Uruguay have a talented forward line. Forlan has been on great form for Athletico Madrid (for whom he averages more than a goal every two games), Suarez scores for fun for Ajax and Abreu is also prolific, currently 1 goal behind Scarone's all-time record for Uruguay. A superb front line, they will be hoping for good service! They have two good holding midfielders which gives them solidity, Gargano is particularly highly rated in this regard.

Weaknesses: A lack of creativity in midfield. They have picked 3 inexperienced keepers to take to the World Cup and who will start in the first game does not appear to have been resolved. They are an inconsistent team who are capable of victories against quality opposition and stumbling against weaker teams. In terms of general quality in their squad they do not match up to a number of teams at the World Cup.

Formation: Uruguay have experimented in qualification with 4-4-2, 4-3-3 and latterly 3-5-2. They are likely to line up 3-5-2 at the World Cup which would not be common. If they do it will be interesting to see how effective it is against 4-4-2.

Manager: Oscar Tabarez. An experienced manager who was also at the helm for the 1990 World Cup.

Qualification: Uruguay finished 5th in South America and were forced to playoff against 4th in Central America - Costa Rica. They won 1-0 in the first leg and drew 1-1 in the second.

World Cup pedigree: Uruguay have a very mixed World Cup pedigree. They won the tournament in 1930 and 1950 but did not enter in the two in between (1934 to protest against the European teams who boycotted in 1930 and 1938 to protest against the World Cup being held in France when it was supposed to alternate between South America and Europe). 1950's victory in the final against Brazil was one of the World Cup's biggest shocks. Since 1950 they have finished 4th twice (1954 and 1970), knocked out in the quarters once (1966), knocked out in the second round twice (1986 and 1990), knocked out in the first round three times (1962, 1974 and 2002) and failed to qualify six times (1958, 1978, 1982, 1994, 1998 and 2006).

Chance of progression from Group A: 55%, could miss out at a whisker.

The romance of the underdog

One of the most exciting aspects of a World Cup is the story of an underdog deservedly progressing to the latter stages of a tournament.

I have assiduously followed 5 world cups in my life thus far (the first being 1990 when I was six), 2010 will be my sixth. I would like to outline the romantic story of one team from each of these tournaments who stunned the world and etched a special place in my heart. A bit of nostalgia perhaps but this will really get me into the mood. I promise I will begin my group by group analysis in my next post ;)

1990 Cameroon, and in particular Roger Milla.

Cameroon were in Group B with Argentina, Romania and the Soviet Union. The then little known African team played in the opening game of the tournament against defending champions Argentina and shocked the world with a 1-0 win through an Omam Biyick header. It was made all the more surprising as they had had a player sent off. They finished the game with 9 men but held on for a memorable victory. They had played with strength and verve and everyone sat up and took notice.

In their second game they faced Romania and pulled off an excellent 2-1 victory. Roger Milla scored both goals and after each he celebrated with a dance around the corner post. It was coined the 'Milla wiggle' and it was a goal celebration I cherished. To this day it is probably still my favourite celebration of all time. As a six year old and for the next few years I would run around the house pretending to score goals and then running to an imaginary corner flag and wiggling my bum in celebration. I was enamoured by his celebration and the fact he was scoring important world cup goals at the age of 38, which is old for an international footballer.

Assured of a place in the second round they let their guard slip and the Soviet Union beat them in their final group game 4-0.

Next it was the second round against Colombia, a team that included another one of my favourites, the talented Carlos Valderrama and the man with the craziest hair in football. 0-0 after 90 minutes heralded extra-time and an opportunity for my man Milla to step up again with 2 goals sending Cameroon through to the quarters. This was where his goal scoring exploits at the 1990 World Cup ended: 4 goals, all of them good goals and 2 of them top-notch. He also scored one goal at the 1994 World Cup to be the oldest man (42) to score a World Cup goal. Legend.

Cameroon had hit the quarter-finals against England. This was where their fairytale ended but not without a flourish. England led 1-0 at half time but 2 goals midway through the second half (in which Roger Milla had an important hand in both) put Cameroon in front. Their ill-discipline cost them as they conceded a penalty which Lineker converted to send the game to extra-time. Again they conceded a penalty and Lineker obliged to send Cameroon home. As a 6 year old boy I was clearly delighted that England had made the semis but I was left with a warm glowing impression of Cameroon and the mercurial Roger Milla.

1994 Bulgaria, and in particular Hristo Stoichkov

Bulgaria were drawn in Group D with Nigeria, Argentina and Greece. Their first game gave no suggestions as to what was to come as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Nigeria. Their 2nd game proved they did actually have a group of quality players as they put Greece to the sword 4-0. The final match really got the heart nice and pumping however as they managed to fashion a famous 2-0 win over argentina!!

Even after these 3 games it was apparent what Stoichkov was all about. He had a massive on field temper, he was someone capable of scoring a lot of goals and had explosive acceleration, tenacity, and a penchant for taking unpredictable shots on goal. In short, he was quite a character.

The 2nd round game saw Bulgaria take the lead against Mexico thanks to a quality finish from Stoichkov. Mexico equalised from the penalty spot and there were no more goals. Bulgaria held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out.

A 2nd round win gave Bulgaria a tasty quarter-final tie with Germany. I have a vivid memory of my watching this game. I can see myself in my minds eye, absorbed, and I remember the pure delight at what happened.

Matthaeus gave Germany the lead early in the second half with a well taken penalty. On 75 minutes Bulgaria were given a free kick from around 30 yards out. Stoichkov took one of the best free kicks you will ever see for a perfect and crucial goal. 3 minutes later Letchkov scored a delightful glancing header which brought delirium to their fans. Bulgaria held on for a magical 2-1 win and a date in the semi-finals.

The semi-finals saw the end of the dream. Baggio scored twice for Italy in the first half and whilst Stoichkov pulled one back from the spot it wasn't enough. They then went on to lose 4-0 in the 3rd place playoff with Sweden but it was a memorable tournament. Even now as I flick my eyes down the Bulgarian starting eleven I well remember about half of them and how good they were. Stoichkov had the honour of sharing the golden boot with Baggio - both players scoring six in the tournament.

[Hristo Stoichkov and Roger Milla were named by Pele in his top 125 footballers of all time in 2004].

1998 Croatia, and Suker in particular

Croatia were drawn in Group H alongside Argentina, Japan and Jamaica. It was only their second appearance at a major tournament (and first at a world cup) since they had got independence from Yugoslavia. Results at the Group Stage were nothing wildly unexpected. Jamaica and Japan were both weak, Croatia managing 3-1 and 1-0 wins respectively. They were also defeated 1-0 by Argentina.

The second round saw Croatia achieve a narrow 1-0 win over Romania.

The quarter-final was where the fairytale really took flight. A comprehensive 3-0 win over Germany in a quarter-final was almost unheard of, especially from a decent but unfancied team like Croatia. Absolutely magic.

In the semi-final they lost narrowly to France. Suker had put Croatia in the lead but 2 goals from French defender Thuram was enough.

Croatia weren't finished yet though. In the third place playoff they overcame Holland 2-1 to finish 3rd. What an achievement for Croatia. Suker also got the golden boot with six goals - I was so happy every time he scored. He was such a clinical and natural goalscorer. Loved it.


2006 Senegal

You may be surprised that I haven't picked South Korea or Turkey who both made the semi-finals. The reasons for this are: I believe South Korea didn't deserve to be there - they had multiple refereeing decisions unfairly and blatantly go their way against Italy and Spain at the very least. (Being held in South Korea, at minimum the ref was influenced subconsciously). Turkey were exciting and a revelation. Hasan Sas was one of my favourite players at the tournament but a number of other of their players excited me also. They faced a few of the weaker teams on their way however, plus I'm not a fan of Turkey since Galatasaray fans killed two Leeds fans prior to a UEFA Cup game in 2000, but I'm not going to re-litigate that.

Senegal played World Cup holders France in the opening game of the tournament and shocked the world to win 1-0 evoking memories of Cameroon's opening game win against Argentina in 1990. France included players born in Senegal such as Patrick Vieira. They not only held the World Cup but also the European Championships and had players in their squad who were the top scorers in the preceding season in Serie A (Trezeguet), Premiership (Henry) and Ligue 1 (Cisse). Senegal had a team of almost unknown players - they played an excellent game and I was thrilled when Papa Bouba Diop put his name into world cup folklore by scoring the goal that won the game. They rounded their group off with a 1-1 draw against Denmark and a thrilling 3-3 draw with Uruguay.

Second round saw an entertaining match against Sweden. Operating under a golden goal system (whereby the first team to score a goal in extra-time won) Henri Camara scored a beautiful long range effort in the bottom left hand corner, after normal time had finished 1-1.

Their World Cup dream was over however in the quarter-final against Turkey. Another exciting game (it just so happened that every game Senegal played was an absolute delight of a match to my eyes) and this time the Golden Goal favoured the opposition - Ilhan Mansiz scoring the goal just minutes into extra-time.

Senegal had charmed the world and still remain only the second African team to make a World Cup quarter-final.

2010 Australia

2010 doesn't have an obvious romance choice. The only somewhat unexpected quarter-finalist was Ukraine. But they only had to finish ahead of Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in Group H. They then beat Switzerland on penalties in the following round after a dour 0-0 over 120 minutes.

My choice is Australia. Australia had their work cut out to qualify from a group containing Brazil, Croatia and Japan. Brazil are Brazil, Croatia were a strong team exuding quality all over the park and Japan had been talked up as a difficult team who could well be able to beat the Australians. They (the Aussies) had also charmed me with their qualification in a highly charged home and away playoff against Uruguay through a penalty shoot-out.

Australia, playing in their first World Cup in 32 years, opened up with an excellent 3-1 win over Japan. Japan took the lead in the first half. Cahill prodded the ball home to equalise on 84 mins. 2 or 3 mins later he scored a stunning long range effort only for Aloisi to wrap it up in the dying seconds with a fine solo effort. First goals ever for Australia at a World Cup and first win. Even as a pommie born Kiwi, damn it felt good.

This was followed by a creditable 2-0 loss to Brazil. In the last game against Croatia Aussie only needed a draw thanks to Japan's draw with Croatia. It was a full-blooded highly entertaining match with both sides throwing everything they had into the game. Srna scored a brilliant free kick in the opening minutes and Moore equalised with a penalty later in the half. In the second half Kovac regained the lead for Croatia after a mistake by goalkeeper Kalac who had strangely been picked ahead of Schwarzer due to his extra height. With just over 10 minutes to go Kewell calmly slotted home to the delight of the Aussies. This game was also famous for referee Poll failing to send Simunic off after giving him a 2nd yellow, waiting till his 3rd to give him his marching orders!

Aussie were through to the second round and a date with Italy! Australia competed well. Italy's Materazzi was given a controversial red card and then in the dying seconds of the game, locked up at 0-0, Grosso won a controversial penalty for Italy which Totti slotted home.

It was heartache for the Australians but they had proved to the world that they were a team of substance and not to be taken lightly.

Player Profile Number 8: Alexander Frei

My Group H player profile is Alexander Frei of Switzerland.

Alexander Frei, 30, of Basel is a prolific goalscorer. Throughout his career his strike rate has been roughly a goal every two games - at both domestic (for the likes of Luzern, Servette, Renais, Borussia Dortmund and Basel) and international level. For Basel and for Switzerland he has forged a good partnership with Marco Streller who is also a regular goalscorer. With the recent news that Streller has been ruled out of the World Cup due to injury the onus goes right back on Frei.

For me Frei is probably going to be the difference between Switzerland progressing to the second round or not. He is Switzerland's all time record goalscorer (40 from 73 games) and has 5 goals in qualifying. He is a poacher with excellent anticipation and timing. He can go missing for long periods of a game but then come up trumps with a goal.

For Switzerland's hopes Frei must be on top form at the World Cup if he is to make an impression on the biggest stage of them all.

Player Profile Number 7: Didier Zokora

My player profile for Group G is Didier Zokora of the Ivory Coast (C'ote d'Ivoire).

The lesser known Didier of the Ivory Coast pack, Zokora is crucial to the Ivory Coast's World Cup chances. He is a defensive central midfield player who also loves to get forward. He is powerful, tough in the tackle and with the propensity for the Ivory Coast to want to attack his defensive attributes in the middle of the park will be key. Sometimes he likes to get forward just a little too often which can leave the team exposed - hopefully Sven Goran Erikkson has impressed on him that he must not neglect his defensive duties, particularly when you have to combat the attacking thrusts of Brazil and Portugal.

Zokora makes good runs on the ball and is a useful passer of the ball, albeit his precision over longer distances is inconsistent. He is one half of his integral partnership with Yaya Toure whose game is built more around quick incisive passing and getting the ball to players in threatening areas of the park.

Zokora is the Ivory Coast's most capped player (80) and has played a considerable number of games at Racing Genk, Saint-Etienne and Tottenham Hotspurs. He is currently plying his trade at Sevilla. At 29 he is at an excellent age to dominate in the middle of the park but please don't encourage him to shoot...check out his goalscoring record if you don't believe me!

Hopefully Didier will help his side navigate the murky waters of Group G.

Player Profile Number 6: Tommy Smith

Tommy Smith of NZ is the player I profile from Group F.

Tommy Smith is a product of the Ipswich Town academy. At the tender age of 20 he has already suffered two horrific injuries - the first a broken ankle, the second to his hand. This has meant opportunities for him to impress in the Ipswich Town first team have been limited. He has played 16 league games for Ipswich Town of the Championship,15 on loan for Stevenage Borough of the Conference and 8 on loan for Brentford of League 1.

Thus the English born Smith (like many of the NZ team) has had an inauspicious start as a professional footballer. However this defender can boast being a member of the England U17 and U18 squad. He is allowed to play for NZ thanks to FIFA recently overturning the rule that said if you play for one country's age group side they are also the only international team you can play for. Having spent a number of years living in NZ as a youngster Smith had dual nationality and elected to play for the All Whites once they had qualified for South Africa.

I have only had the pleasure of watching him in one and a half games of football: first as a substitute in the friendly against Australia and then starting in New Zealand's historic victory over Serbia. Against Australia he was employed in the left wing-back role and was very composed both in defence and attack. Against Serbia, ranked 15th in the world, he played on the left side in a central defensive three and barely put a foot wrong.

He appears to be a young man who has a big future. He is a very likely starter in the New Zealand defence. NZ will have to be at its top defensively if it is to have any chance of positive results at the World Cup and so Tommy Smith shapes up as a crucial player. I have the sneaking suspicion he will equip himself very well.

Player Profile Number 5: Arjen Robben

Arjen Robben of the Netherlands is my player profile from Group E.

Every single game I have watched Robben play I have been impressed. He always appears to have such time on the ball. He is an exciting player and a very adept winger. He creates opportunities for his team mates and has scored many very high quality goals. In a team that has so many good players Robben continually stands out for me and if the Netherlands are to win their first ever world cup they will need this man at the top of his game.

Whether it be for Groningen, PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or the Netherlands Robben never fails to excite. This season particularly he is in excellent goalscoring form. He also won the title of footballer of the year in Germany on 25 May 2010. My only criticism of him is that he appears to be a bit of a diver. I can't imagine the World Cup featuring no simulation for Robben, and when it does occur, it will be interesting to see if it wins his side freekicks or if he will get booked.

Player Profile Number 4: Sulley Muntari

Sulley Muntari of Ghana is my player profile for Group D.

If Ghana are going to qualify from Group D they will need Sulley Muntari to be on fire. Reeling from the absence of Michael Essien Muntari will have to do the work of about 1.5 men.

Muntari is a strong ball winning midfielder currently plying his trade at Inter Milan. He also has the ability to bomb forward and create goal scoring opportunities for the strikers, occasionally popping up with one himself. He has always been immensely talented but has suffered from ill-discipline. He gets far too many red cards. He needs to make sure that at the World Cup he channels his aggression into a positive focus. I will back him to do so.

Getting past a midfield wall of Essien and Muntari is incredibly difficult. Now with Essien gone Muntari will really have his work cut out. Whether he manages to step up to the mark could easily be the difference between qualification or not.

Player Profile Number 3 Aaron Lennon

Aaron Lennon of England is my Group C Player Profile.

Aaron Lennon is a player I have followed very closely since he was 16 years old and broke into Leeds Utd's first team squad, in the Premier League. He moved to Tottenham Hotspurs in 2005 due to Leeds financial difficulties (for a shockingly low 1 million pounds) and because they were playing in the Championship and not the Premier League. For 3 seasons in a row Lennon was nominated as the PFA young player of the year but on each occasion was beaten to the title - by Wayne Rooney, Christiano Ronaldo and Ashley Young respectively.

Right from the age of 16 it was apparent to me that he was something special and would one day in the not so distant future play for England. He has blistering pace, close ball control and the ability to beat players. He can pass quickly, move into dangerous positions at pace, whip in a good cross and finish adeptly. Lennon has been injured for much of this season but is coming back to full fitness. He is probably vying with Walcott for a starting role on the right wing, and I for one would pick him. Lennon is of higher quality and is more consistent than Walcott but it's a nice selection dilemma for England to have.

I am hoping for big things from this young man at the 2010 World Cup

Let's Shock The World: World Cup podcast

My friend Hayden Henderson and I are doing a regular podcast for the World Cup. We recorded our first one about half a day before the All Whites played Serbia. We talk about New Zealand's side and our chances at World Cup 2010, we preview Groups A, B, C and D and we both pick a dark horse.

The All Whites magnificent and monumental victory over Serbia just proves we do have the potential to shock the world. And just goes to prove our fallibility as well particularly given some of Hayden's comments.

You can find the link here. Enjoy! You can also subscribe through iTunes.

Let me know what you think.

Player Profile Number 2: Angel di Maria

Angel di Maria of Argentina is a player I've never seen play. Up until recently I had barely even heard of him. What then makes me qualified to write about him? Nothing. But by putting something together based on reading from a number of different sources I can inform both myself and you about him. Why have I chosen to profile him? Because from the reading I have done, and the youtube clips I have watched, I get the feeling that he could do something very special at the World Cup.

Angel di Maria is 22 and is a left winger for Portugese champions Benfica. He has exceptional dribbling skills, pace, creativity, picks a good pass and has a venomous shot.

Angel has only played 8 games for the national side but has played for them at the Under 20 World Cup and the Under 23 Olympics, with starring roles for both. He has played 82 league games for Benfica (scoring ten goals) and is rumoured to be a target of big clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United. This last season has been his best ever in terms of goals to games ratio - scoring about one every 4 games.

Should he be given opportunities to impress at World Cup 2010 I am convinced that he will do so.

Player Profile Number 1: Rafael Marquez

I am going to profile one player from each group who I believe will make a big impact on that group or indeed on the World Cup in general. I am not going to choose the likes of Messi, Rooney, Ronaldo etc - they will be someone who is perhaps less celebrated worldwide but crucial nevertheless.

My player for Group A is Rafael Marquez of Mexico.

To me it feels like Marquez has been around forever, yet he is only 31. I watched him closely at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and I have watched him play a number of times for Barcelona who he joined from Monaco in 2003 for 5 million euros (what a bargain!). He is my favourite Mexican player, a team for whom I have a soft spot that I cannot explain.

Marquez is generally a centre-back. I say generally because whilst that is his best and usual position he offers a versatility that means he has also filled in quite successfully at right-back and defensive midfield. At centre-back he reads the game so well and is calm, composed and self-assured on the tackle and distributes the ball intelligently. He has an excellent cross-field ball and is strong in the air.

He is also Mexican captain and has been for many years. He is a true leader that leads by example and he marshalls his troops very well. He has made a total of 327 appearances in the league for Atlas, Monaco and Barcelona, 57 in European competitions and has 88 international caps.

Despite being a defender Marquez has contributed important goals for whoever he has played. He is more prolific at international level for whom he has ten. Don't be surprised if he adds another during the World Cup.

Marquez is mature, utterly dependable and an all round excellent player who is even capable of the spectacular. One doesn't become a mainstay for a mesmerising team like Barcelona without being a quality player. A brilliant centre-half and a consummate professional. Good luck for the World Cup Rafa.

Big names NOT playing at the 2010 World Cup

There are a number of big name/star players who have not been selected for World Cup 2010 squads. There are also a number who will be missing through injury and there are others who are under an injury cloud. I will try to provide a list below. No doubt I will miss a number so feel free to add players in the comments section. It can be quite subjective as to whom one considers a star player or not. Especially as for some of the weaker nations their star player(s) may be also-rans in relation to players from the traditional power house nations.

We must also consider that some of the star names we bemoan the managers for omitting are over the hill, are not what they were four years ago, and are still twinkling in our minds eye as the amazing player they used to be. Some of the surprise inclusions, or should I say the new players we haven’t heard of, will dazzle us all at the World Cup. I am excited to find out who and how!

Not selected

Brazil
Ronaldinho (AC Milan)
Pato (AC Milan)
Adriano (Flamengo)

Ronaldinho has barely featured for Brazil over the last year so I and many others had predicted he wouldn’t make the World Cup squad. It was still a shock nevertheless to have it confirmed. Ronaldinho is synonymous throughout the world (including for those who know nothing about football) with breathtaking skill and has been on good form for AC Milan. He is also one of the stars of the brilliant new Nike ad. His inclusion could be considered by some as a Nike fail.

Pato is 20 years old, an immense player for AC Milan and has somehow been overlooked. This is a shocking decision.

Argentina
Zanetti (Inter Milan)
Cambiasso (Inter Milan)
(Gabriel) Milito (Barcelona)
.
The omissions of Zanetti and Cambiasso are criminal. What was Maradona thinking? Zanetti has been in brilliant form for Inter Milan and Cambiasso is the only player I’ve seen contain Messi. I repeat, criminal.
.
Italy
Totti (Roma)
Del Pierro (Juventus)
Toni (Roma, on loan from Bayern Munich)
Grosso (Juventus)

Manager Lippi seems intent on bringing through new prospects and as a result these four players on the wrong side of 30 miss out. Totti hasn’t played for his country since the last World Cup but after making himself available many had expected him to be picked. The only one of the four I am really surprised about is Grosso. He is the youngest of the four at 32 (and this is normally young for an Italian defender!) and seemed to still have a lot to offer. He did come the closest as he was picked in the preliminary 30 man squad but Lippi has deigned to cull him since then.
.
France
Vieira (Man City)
Nasri (Arsenal)
Benzema (Real Madrid)

Surprised with Nasri who is a talent I would have expected Domenech to want at his disposal. I am sure Benzema’s absence is in part because of his inability to hold down a place at Real Madrid.

Holland
Van Nistelrooy (Hamburg)

Was surprised at this but he is certainly past his prime.

Portugal
Moutinho (Sporting)

Uruguay
Rodriguez (Porto)

Injuries

Charlie Davis - USA (Sochaux) – serious car crash in October 2009
Beckham - England (AC Milan)
Michael Ballack – Germany (Chelsea)
Rene Adler – Germany (Bayer Leverkusen)
Diarra – France (Real Madrid)
Cabanas – Paraguay (Club America)

Michael Ballack is a massive blow to Germany. He is the main cog in the German machine. It’s all very well for people to say that Schweinsteiger should step up but they play a different type of game. His direct replacement in the team is to be Sami Khedira: he has big shoes to fill.

Rene Adler is hardly a superstar but he is the first choice goalkeeper for Germany so he deserves to be included in this list. Germany will have to employ their 2nd choice goalkeeper who will be hoping the fans won’t be making Oliver Kahn comparisons.

You have to feel sorry for David Beckham – a model professional and a man who is still one of the best exponents of the precision pass from one side of the field to another. He was very unlikely to have been a starter but his experience and quality of the bench may have been useful. He will be in South Africa with the team, probably in a mentoring capacity.

Diarra has an odd problem. He developed stomach pains during altitude training and is ‘indefinitely’ out due to a genetic red blood cell disorder.

Cabanas is Paraguay’s star striker. In January of this year he was shot in the head at a nightclub. He has recovered very well since but is not able to play football yet.

Under an injury cloud

Spain
Torres (Liverpool)
Fabregas (Arsenal)
Iniesta (Barcelona)

3 of the best players in the world all under an injury cloud but expected to recover in time for the tournament. For Spain’s sake you have to hope it won’t affect their preparations too badly.

Other Countries
Essien – Ghana (Chelsea)
Kewell – Australia (Galatasaray)
Sorenson – Denmark (Stoke)
Skrtel – Slovakia (Liverpool)

Kewell seems like he’s always injured. Neither has he been the same player since his wonderful displays for Leeds United in the early 2000’s. But he’s the most naturally talented player in the Australian squad.

Skrtel’s been out of action for Liverpool for 3 months and hoping to be fit in time.

There are also some excellent players who can’t play at the World Cup because their country failed to qualify. The player that I will most miss, from a country which did not qualify, is Arshavin of Russia. He is a superb midfielder I love to watch play.

As the World Cup nears there will be other stars who pick up injuries, and again when it starts unhelpful injuries and suspensions are a given.

No doubt I have missed a very many fine individuals out from these lists. Please do inform me of who they might be and anything you might disagree with.

The England Selection Debate - who will stay behind?

As an avid follower of English club and international football since my earliest days as a football fan this is probably the team on which I can speak with most authority. Obviously my authority has nothing on Capello’s but it doesn’t stop me from airing my views. That, after all, is the purpose of a blog.

England are one of the few countries not to have named their final 23. They have named a 30 man preliminary squad that needs to cut 7. I will explore who these might or should be.

First of all: a reminder of the 30 man squad – 3 goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 12 midfielders and 5 strikers

Goalkeepers
James - Portsmouth
Hart – Man City (on loan at Birmingham)
Green – West Ham
.
Defenders
(Ashley) Cole – Chelsea
Carragher – Liverpool
Ferdinand – Man Utd
Terry – Chelsea
Dawson – Spurs
(Glen) Johnson – Liverpool
Upson – West Ham
King – Spurs
Warnock – Villa
Baines – Everton

Midfielders
(Adam) Johnson – Man City
Milner – Villa
Gerrard – Liverpool
Carrick – Man Utd
Huddlestone – Spurs
(Joe) Cole – Chelsea
Lennon – Spurs
Parker – West Ham
Barry – Villa
Lampard – Chelsea
Wright-Phillips – Man City
Walcott-Arsenal

Strikers

Defoe – Spurs

Rooney- Man Utd

Heskey – Villa

Crouch – Spurs

Bent – Sunderland

The 3 goalkeepers are certain.

Out of the 10 defenders Capello is likely to select 8. In my mind this means Warnock misses out (he is in straight competition with Baines for the second choice left-back slot). The other to miss out will surely be a centre-back as there are six who can play there. The unlucky man is between King, Dawson, Upson and Carragher.

King has had chronic knee problems but is experienced and of high quality. Upson was always considered one of the best young defenders in England but has not been on form in recent years and was involved in West Ham Utd’s relegation scrap. Dawson has come into the reckoning of recent times and was part of a strong Spurs back line that finished 4th in the Premier League. Carragher has been encouraged out of retirement. Purely on central defence he is the weakest but he offers back-up to the first choice right-back Johnson and is a versatile player. Upson misses out for me but I would not be too concerned if it was Dawson that missed out instead.

Out of the 12 midfielders 8 are likely to go to South Africa. Milner, Gerrard, Lampard, Barry (fitness permitting) and Lennon are surely all obvious choices. Walcott is not far behind for me; he is inconsistent but can quickly change a game. I am also of the opinion that Johnson and Cole should both be part of the squad thus leaving Huddlestone, Carrick, Parker and Wright-Phillips behind.

I am convinced at least one of Johnson/Cole will miss out though because the problem with picking both is that it leaves England light on central midfielders. To compound this Capello may decide to use Gerrard as a striker playing just behind Rooney and Barry may not be fully fit. This would leave Lampard and Milner (who has been converted very successfully into a central midfield player this season, although the holding type role he may be asked to play doesn’t come naturally to him). We must also remember that Ledley King is capable of playing the holding midfield role and that Joe Cole can play both on the wing and in an attacking midfield type role.

Why do I want Cole and Johnson? Cole is a very gifted player technically. He might only be a squad member rather than a first team regular at Chelsea, but his skill level is high, one only has to look at the perfect technique he employed for that perfect volley he scored against Sweden at the last world cup. He is not a traditional winger but can play effectively in that type of role and is quite versatile.

Johnson has only just come onto people’s radar recently. I have known of him for about four years now. Initially he was one of those players I had only vaguely heard of after seeing him come on as a substitute for Middlesbrough in the Premiership on the odd occasion. Only a few months after I had heard of him he joined my beloved Leeds United on a one month loan in October 2006 (he did OK for Leeds in his four games for us, nothing flash). Thus at this point I researched him more fully and have followed his career fairly closely since then.

Johnson had another loan spell at Watford in 2007 and from all accounts put in some excellent performances prompting Middlesbrough to recall him. In 2008-09 he played 32 games, half as a substitute as he was behind Downing in the pecking order. In 2009-10, following relegation, he played the first half of the season for Middlesbrough in the Championship before Man City bought him in the January transfer window for 10 million pounds following yet more stellar performances. He has played a decent amount of times for Man City since then, putting in a number of man of the match performances. He is a really exciting prospect and it would mean a lot to his development to go to the World Cup. And were he to play a role from the substitutes bench I would back him to produce something special

Wright-Phillips’ star has fallen, he is no longer seen as one of England’s great hopes. One has to imagine that being bought by Chelsea a few years back, as Man City’s star player (a couple of years before they became rich), and becoming merely a bit part in their squad has stunted his growth as a player. Also, Chelsea do not have the reputation for nurturing their players so it is little surprise. (Have Chelsea done Wright-Phillips out of two World Cup squads then?). Still a good player but not quite good enough for the squad methinks.

The other 3 midfielders I have suggested to miss out are the central trio of Carrick, Parker and Huddlestone. All very decent players but not quite the standard of the players I have picked.

I think however that Capello will choose one of Cole and Johnson and give the other spot to Carrick, my preferred choice out of the three players in the previous paragraph. Johnson may indeed be the unlucky one. If this is what Capello decides then so be it. Another option would be to take one less defender (Dawson) to accommodate the extra midfielder. Could be a good idea but may leave England light on central defenders.

Out of the 5 strikers my choice to miss out is Bent. Second only to Rooney in the Premiership charts he may be but he has never replicated this for England and I don’t see why this will change. I have far more confidence in Defoe to do the business. Heskey I do not rate as a goalscorer but if he plays alongside Rooney there’s no doubt he can help the balance of the team by holding up play, laying balls off and generally making a good partnership. Crouch has very skilfull feet for such a tall man and has a great scoring record for England.

Which 7 would you leave behind? Which 7 will Capello leave behind? Your thoughts please.
.

In the near future I will discuss my England starting 11. I have some very clear views on that topic.

Why I love the World Cup

The 2010 Football World Cup is rapidly approaching and I am amped. I spend hours a day poring over articles about every aspect of the tournament and I re-live previous tournaments through any means possible. I watch all of the TV that is even vaguely related to the tournament: “Official World Cup Preview”, “Destination South Africa”, “The Greatest of Our Time”, “World Football Rivalries” and anything else I can get my hands on. I own books that detail every single game played at every World Cup since it started. I plan to watch every minute of the World Cup. I did it in 2006 and 2002 and watched every second that my parents allowed me to in 1990, 1994 and 1998. And I have seen many hours of archived footage of all the other tournaments. Basically I am obsessed. This blog post will explore why the World Cup is so important to me and the rest of the football mad planet.

First and foremost, the Football World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet. Whilst I love the club team Leeds United more than any other sporting team there ever was or ever will be (by a long long way) the Football World Cup as a tournament dwarfs anything and everything. It is a month of a smorgasbord of football. 64 mouth-watering games with 32 teams (countries) battling it out for the right to call themselves world champions.

Qualification for the Football World Cup is arduous. The same countries do not appear in every tournament as qualification is so intense and difficult for many teams. Each World Cup there are big football nations that miss out on the competition such as Netherlands in 02. The 2010 version does not feature Croatia, Russia and Czech Republic for example.

The vast majority of the countries that get to appear at the Football World Cup are football mad. They are nations obsessed with success at the tournament. For some it is because of their proud histories: think England, Italy, France, Germany etc. For others it is in part because of the poverty of their populace: think African countries among others. In hard times football is something that can bind the whole country together. Wannabe footballers from the age of 4 upwards spend hours playing football on the streets emulating their heroes and dreaming of becoming a hero for the next generation. The country comes to a standstill when their nation plays and the whole nation breathe collective sighs of relief; celebrate with joyous ecstasy or bond in devastating despair. The countries footballers carry the hopes and dreams of their nation. And whilst to a non-football fan this seems silly, there is a perfect sense to it all.

One of the beautiful things about football is the intense rivalries. Matches between England and Germany, Spain and Portugal, England and Argentina, Germany and the Netherlands, to name but a few, are more than about football. They are moulded from the battlefields of war. They also develop from (perceived) injustices and bad luck suffered on the football pitch.

Would England v Germany have quite the same bite without (for example)

- the 2 world wars

- the controversial Hurst goal in the 66 World Cup Final (for which debate rages to this day as to whether the ball crossed the line),

- England’s semi-final penalty shoot-out losses in 1990 and 1996

No it would not.

Would England Argentina have quite the same bite without

- the Falklands War

- Ramsey’s description of the Argentinean players as ‘animals’ in the 1966 quarter-final after being so incensed by their dirty play

- the Maradona ‘Hand-of-God’ in 86,

- the Beckham sending off and penalty shoot-out loss in 1998,

- the Beckham penalty goal in 2002 (was it an Owen dive?)?

Again, no it would not.

Football history is littered with these kinds of rivalries. In the 2006 World Cup Angola found themselves in the same group as Portugal – the country from which they gained their independence in 1975. (They lost 1-0). In 2002 the opening game of the World Cup was Senegal France. Senegal gained its independence from France in 1960 and one of France’s best ever footballers, who happened to be playing in that match was Patrick Vieira – a man born in Senegal. Senegal stunned the football world with a beautiful 1-0 victory. That match epitomised in many ways the beauty of both football and the World Cup in general.

The 2010 Football World Cup will be a month long carnival no doubt featuring

- many of the world’s best footballers (who by virtue of this are also celebrities)
- brilliant games
- spectacular goals
- scrappy, lucky goals,
- sublime skill
- controversial decisions
- one or two minnows who surprise the world and make the quarter-finals
- massive games between footballing powerhouses
- unlucky, unjustified and justified suspensions from some of the bigger games
- the drama of at least one penalty shoot-out
- tears
- ecstasy
- despair
- laughter
- the odd bit of hooliganism
- injuries
- diving
- frustrations
- MUCH MUCH MORE.

What can you expect from this blog as we countdown to (and during) the tournament? I will be profiling each team, each group. I will be discussing team and squad selections, pointing out some of the interesting ironies, analysing the games, perhaps making the odd prediction or two and a lot more.

Join me on this journey. Comment, discuss, and argue over the beautiful game on the biggest stage of them all.

The return of William Fussey the blogger for 2010 World Cup!

Yes I'm back to provide fresh insights on the biggest sporting event in the world. During the last World Cup I would have written around 100,000 words lol, who knows what this tournament will bring :D

Stay tuned.

Follow me on Twitter @sirdonrevie

World Cup 2010 Qualifying coming down to the wire...

World Cup Qualifying is coming down to the wire. So it is probably time I looked at who has made it, the remaining permutations, who might miss out, what excitement we still have in front of us…and all of that kind of thing.

Let’s start with the important part: The All Whites. On Sunday 4.30am (NZ time) the All Whites will be facing Bahrain away in the first leg of two. The overall winner will make the World Cup. I am massively passionate in my support for getting the All Whites there and will be absolutely gutted if we miss out. It will just be out of this world if we can have 1982 all over again.

How have we got to this stage? Briefly, thanks to FIFA the All Whites have had two pieces of good fortune in our qualifying quest. The first was the decision to let Australia compete in the Asian Confederation. This allowed the All Whites a free run to win Oceania. Compare this to qualifying for 2006 when Australia won and then made the World Cup in an exciting two leg qualifier at the expense of Uruguay. The second was that the winner of Oceania would face the 5th placed Asian team rather than the 5th placed South American team. It was always going to be easier to face the likes of Bahrain or Saudi Arabia than someone like Venezuela or god forbid, Argentina.

But now we have to make the most of it. We have a good squad as far as Kiwi sides go (pretty useless compared with most sides but still). Nelsen is fantastic. A quality composed centre-back and a leader of men. It is a great boost to have him available. And without going into the rest of the team, we are in better shape than usual. Bahrain will be a very difficult proposition; it will be a fascinating and tense tussle.

OK, so let’s look at the rest of the qualifying.

Asia:

Starting with 43 teams, and going through a convoluted qualifying process, we now have the four automatic qualifiers: Japan, Australia, South Korea and North Korea. North Korea is a surprise, qualifying for the first time since 1966 and politically speaking it is fascinating that both North and South Korea have qualified. All 43 teams were seeded before qualifying and North Korea were seeded only 9th. Iran were given 3rd and missed out. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain advanced to the play-off to find the 5th team (and thus the one to face NZ) and Bahrain won on away goals. Asia is a weak zone. Australia, South Korea and Japan have some quality (with reference to the world stage), the rest really do not.

Africa:

Starting with 53 teams the final stage consists of 20 teams – 5 groups of 4. The winner of each group will go to the World Cup. As I write only one team has qualified: Ghana, who gave a very good account of themselves at World Cup 2006. The Ivory Coast has to all intents and purposes qualified being 6 points ahead of 2nd place in their group, 2 games remaining, and a 15 goal superior goal difference.

Group C will either be Algeria or Egypt. Two games remain, Algeria is 3 points ahead of Egypt and the last game of the round robin sees them head to head. Should they both win their penultimate games (Algeria home to Rwanda and Egypt away to Zambia) it is likely Egypt will need to win by a few goals over Algeria in the final game to sneak past their superior goal difference. Algeria has previously only made the World Cup Finals in 82 and 86.

The remaining two groups, A and B are tightly fought and could go down to the wire. Group A has Cameroon (7), Gabon (6), Togo (5) and Morocco (3) with 7, 6, 5 and 3. One would think Cameroon has the inside running but it is mathematically possible for any of the teams to win the group, and Togo (who featured in World Cup 2006) with Emmanuel Adebayor can never be written off.

Group B features heavyweights Tunisia and Nigeria alongside Mozambique and Kenya. Were Tunisia to qualify it would be their fourth consecutive World Cup. And with 8 points over Nigeria’s 6 they are currently in pole position, particularly as neither of their last two clashes is against each other. For myself, I love a World Cup to feature Nigeria and Cameroon so I’ll still be rooting for the Super Eagles. An interesting fact about African qualifying is that even though South Africa qualifies automatically by virtue of them being the host, they still compete in the qualifying tournament. Their results however do not count towards World Cup qualification but instead count towards qualifications for the African Cup of Nations (for all the other African teams it counts towards both).

North, Central America and Caribbean

Starting with 35 teams the final stage consists of a league of 6 teams with the top 3 qualifying and the 4th getting a playoff match with the 5th placed South American side. All 6 teams have two games left, none have technically qualified. The standings are very tight: USA (16), Mexico (15), Honduras (13) and Costa Rica (12). I’m confident the USA and Mexico will make it comfortably and Honduras and Costa Rica will have quite a battle to get the third automatic qualifying spot. Both teams have the USA left to play along with El Salvador for Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago for Costa Rica.

South America

South America has ten teams which play in a league. The top 4 automatically qualify and the 5th has a qualifying match with the 4th placed team from the North, Central America and Caribbean zone. As I write two teams have already qualified: Brazil and Paraguay. With two games to go another 6 teams are still in the hunt for the last 2 automatic spots, and also for 5th place and a likely victory over the 4th placed team from the North, Central America and Caribbean zone. These are Chile (27), Ecuador (23), Argentina (22), Uruguay (21), Venezuela (21) and Colombia (20). This group is incredibly exciting; I wish we had TV coverage of some of the games coming up! As you can see there is only 3 points currently between the 5 teams in 4th to 8th.

Chile should make it easily, Argentina have the advantage of (on paper) the easiest game of the 6 in the next round against Peru and so have a good chance to make 4th or 5th. Venezuela have to play both of the top 2 Brazil and Paraguay which is tough but as both these teams have qualified, may even help them. There are two particularly massive and fascinating games coming up: Ecuador v Uruguay in the next round of matches and Uruguay v Argentina in the final one. There are so many permutations in this group it is so exciting and so hard to analyse. I would love Maradona to fuck up and hence have Argentina miss out!

Europe

Europe has 53 teams consisting of 8 groups of 6 and one group of 5. The 9 group winners qualify. The 8 best runner-ups are then paired into 4 two leg qualifiers to find the final 4 European qualifiers. Currently only 3 teams: Spain, England and the Netherlands, have officially qualified. All teams have a maximum of two games remaining for them to play in their group.

Group 1 has Denmark (18), Sweden (15), Portugal (13) and Hungary (13) – all with 2 games left – competing for top spot (and 2nd). The next set of games sees Denmark v Sweden and Portugal v Hungary; both will be huge games. It would be nice to see Portugal miss out. Would also be nice to see Hungary get through for the first time in ages but I do also like Denmark and Sweden. I certainly see Sweden as the only real threat to Denmark’s top position as should they beat Denmark to pull level with them, they only have Albania to dispose of in the final round. They would then require Denmark not to beat Hungary due to Denmark’s significantly superior goal difference.

Group 2 has Switzerland (17), Greece (14), Latvia (14) and Israel (12) – all with 2 games left – competing for top spot (and 2nd). Switzerland is in a good position to win the group with their next game being against Moldova. Greece v Latvia will be a titanic battle and could settle 2nd place.

Group 3 has Slovakia with a clear advantage to take 1st place and only Slovenia (5 points behind with 2 games to go) who could thwart it. The fight for second place is intense with Slovenia (14), Northern Island (14), Czech Republic (12) and Poland (11) in competition. Northern Island is at a disadvantage with only one game to go compared with the others 2, and a tough one away at Czech Republic at that. Slovenia has the advantage of having their last game against perennial easy beats San Marino.

Group 4 is quite simply a fight between Germany and Russia as to who will take 1st place and automatic qualification, and who will take 2nd and the lottery of a qualifier. Germany is one point ahead of Russia and victory over Russia in the next game will make the final round of matches redundant. But a Russian win (and they are at home) would put Russia in a dominant position.

Group 5 – Spain has already qualified, and hasn’t dropped a point. Bosnia-Herzegovina is in 2nd and only Turkey can overtake them, and they are 4 points behind with two games to go. Bosnia-Herzegovina can take 2nd with victory away at Estonia in the next game but should they fail to do so and Turkey win away at Belgium they will be highly nervous, especially as their final match is against Spain.

Group 6 – England has already qualified, also with maximum points from their 8 games. 2nd spot is between Croatia and Ukraine. Croatia is two points ahead of Ukraine but only have one game remaining compared with Ukraine’s two. Ukraine’s next match at home against England could be the key especially as both Ukraine and Croatia have their final match away against a minnow. I hope Croatia get through.

Group 7 has Serbia (19), France (15), Austria (11) alongside Lithuania and Romania both on 9 who harbour only mathematical delusions of being able to qualify. With 2 games left it is likely Serbia will finish 1st and France 2nd although looking at the upcoming fixtures it is more likely for France to catch Serbia than Austria to catch France.

Group 8 has Italy (20), Republic of Ireland (16) and Bulgaria (11) with 2 games remaining. Hence it is possible but highly unlikely that Republic of Ireland will catch Italy and Bulgaria will catch Republic of Ireland. Even were Republic of Ireland to beat Italy in their next game, Italy’s final game is a straightforward one against Cyprus. Bulgaria has by far the easiest last two games and may have a chance if Republic of Ireland lose against Italy and then slip up against Montenegro.

Group 9 has already finished. The Netherlands won with maximum points and Norway took second over Scotland on goal difference. They will probably be the 2nd placed team to miss out on the qualifiers though as they only amassed 10 points from this group.

My biggest hope in European qualifying is for Republic of Ireland to make the World Cup!

The whole thing is incredibly exciting.

Come on you All Whites!!

SPAIN - Champions!!!!

Quarter-finals

Portugal 2-3 Germany
Croatia 1-1 Turkey, Turkey win on penalties
Netherlands 1-3 Russia (after extra-time)
Spain 0-0 Italy (Spain win on penalties)

Notable points:

Croatia Turkey was a tour de force with Croatia taking the lead in the 119th minute (1 minute remaining of extra-time) and Turkey somehow managing an equaliser in the dying seconds. Croatia were unlucky in this game. Russia's victory over the Netherlands was massive, particularly after Holland had thrashed some big names in the group stages

Semi-finals

Germany 3-2 Turkey
Russia 0-3 Spain

Germany-Turkey involved two teams I detest! But what an exciting game it was, and Turkey were unlucky after such a spirited and quality performance. Spain were dominant, an interesting final loomed.

Final

Germany 0-1 Spain

Spain were champions and deserved champions. A mercurial football country who always promised so much and delivered so little finally had a trophy. Fantastic stuff :)