Group H preview

Chile

Strengths: Chile love to attack and do so very well. They attack in numbers and are not a team who sit back. They also put lots of pressure on the opposing players making their attack sometimes seem a form of defence. They have an excellent striker in Huazo who was top scorer in the South American qualifiers. Sanchez is a winger with a lot of promise and M Fernandez is the key in the midfield - he was Best South American Player in 2006.

Weaknesses: With so much attacking prowess it is almost inevitable that their weakest area is their defence - they can put themselves under pressure too readily and find it difficult dealing with the aerial demands, particularly as they are a team prominently short in stature. Suazo suffered an injury on May 30th in a game against Israel, he is struggling to be fit. Chile will need their talisman at World Cup 2010.

Formation: 3-1-3-3. An exciting and clever system.

Manager: Marcelo Bielsa - his second stint at international management, he also managed Argentina from 1998 - 2004. He has been with Chile since 2007. He is a real football personality, a real tactical innovator and has some crazy coaching methods!

Qualification: Chile finished second in the South American qualifying section - only one point behind Brazil and ahead of Paraguay on goal difference. It was a comfortable qualification.

World Cup pedigree: This is Chile's eighth world cup. They have only twice made it past the Group stages finishing 3rd place in 1962 (when it was held in Chile) and to the second round in 1998 - the year of yet another of my World Cup favourite players Marcelo Salas. 2010 will be their first World Cup since then.

Chance of progression from Group H: 65%, probably in second place.

Honduras

Strengths: Honduras play well, within their limitations. They have a strong defence, a powerful midfield and are good on the counter-attack. They conceded the least number of goals in qualifying. 37 year old Pavon is the highest scorer in Honduran history and he and David Suazo will be expected to be the ones to provide the goals. Wilson Palacios, who plays for Tottenham Hotspurs in the Premier League, is the most well known.

Weaknesses: Honduras lack experience of competitive international football which is a disadvantage. Wilson Palacios also recently suffered a problem with his shin that threatened his tournament but it now appears he should be fit for the first game. Honduras playmaker Julio De Leon has been ruled out of the tournament with an injury with just hours to go until the first match. During the whole qualification phase, goalkeeper Noel Valladares was criticised because of his constant mistakes. It would be interesting to know if the Honduran political situation affects the team psychologically.

Formation: Will either employ the defensive 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2

Manager: Reinaldo Rueda has been manager of Honduras since 2006 and was previously manager of Colombia from 2004-2006

Qualification: Honduras finished in the third and final automatic qualification spot in North/Central America, ahead of Costa Rica on goal difference!

World Cup pedigree: This will be Honduras' second World Cup, their first appearance was in 1982 when they famously drew against Spain in Spain. They also drew with Northern Ireland but lost to Yugoslavia. They didn't make it to the 2nd stage.

Chance of progression from Group H: 25%, should surely miss out.

Spain

Strengths: Spain are the favourites for World Cup 2010 and it is not hard to see why. They have lethal finishers like Torres and Villa up front and probably the best midfield in the tournament with the likes of Xavi, Busquets and Iniesta. It is so good that the brilliant Fabregas is not first choice (and it is also likely Torres will be on the bench). Casillas is a top quality goalkeeper and they even have a quality defence with Puyol, Pique etc. They also have a massive strength in depth.

Weaknesses: A number of their players have injury concerns, including Iniesta - but all are still likely to play. They may also be suffering from fatigue from a gruelling Spanish/English domestic season (20 of their squad play in Spain, 3 in England). Out of all four areas on the pitch defence is their weakest, but that of course is relative.

Formation: Probably a 4-2-3-1.

Manager: Vincent del Bosque is in his first stint in international management which start post Euro 2008 (which Spain won) - he has experience in domestic football with the likes of Real Madrid and Besiktas.

Qualification: Spain finished top of their qualifying group recording a perfect 10/10 wins.

World Cup pedigree: This is Spain's 13th World Cup and their 9th in a row. Shockingly their best ever result was fourth in 1950 and have been knocked out in the quarters four times (1934, 1986, 1994 and 2002)

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

Switzerland

Strengths: Switzerland are an excellent defensive side. They have an organised and disciplined game. Senderos will be influential at centre-back and Frei is the main man for goals - at international level he scores more often than one every two games. Barnetta is only 25 but he is the third most capped in the squad and is definitely a talented midfielder.

Weaknesses: They are a limited team - they have a few key players, an effective and cohesive will, but lack the spark, firepower and imagination to be sure of winning games. Frei is carrying an injury and should at least miss the first game. He is crucial to Swiss chances so this could play a large influence on their fortunes.

Formation: Almost certainly will be 4-4-2

Manager: Ottmar Hitzfeld. He has managed Bayern Munich for a number of years previously but this is his first stint at international management. He is considered a great tactician.

Qualification: Switzerland finished top of their qualifying group, 1 point ahead of Greece.

World Cup pedigree: This is Switzerland's 9th World Cup - their best showing is the quarter-finals of 1934, 1938 and 1954. Since 1966 this is only the 3rd World Cup for which they have qualified.

Chance of progression from Group H: 55%, probably miss out.

Group G preview

Group G features 3 very strong teams one would expect to see in a second round. Only two of them will make it. And then you have North Korea.

Brazil

Strengths: Brazil, as usual, bring a quality squad to the World Cup. Kaka is one of the best midfielders in the world and is complemented by the likes of Elano. Fabiano is a prolific goalscorer with a goal roughly every 1.5 games for his national side. They also have the talented goalscorer Nilmar in the squad and can afford not to pick Neymar who is 18 and scoring for fun for his club side Santos in Brazil. They also have a player I consider the best goalkeeper in the world in Cesar. This time Brazil also have an excellent defensive as well. They specialise in set pieces and lightning fast counter-attacks.

Weaknesses: It is hard to see many weaknesses in a Brazil starting eleven. Perhaps they will miss Ronaldinho who was not selected. Leaving out Pato verged on the criminal. But despite these high profile omissions they still have a top squad. Brazil do not have however a player up front who is practically guaranteed to deliver the goods in a World Cup as Ronaldo always was. Despite the overall quality - if I was to pick a best eleven from players at the World Cup few Brazilian players would feature - indicating that in most positions there are possibly better players for other countries. Brazil may find it hard to break down teams that sit back and defend due to their style of play.

Formation: Brazil actually have quite a fluid formation and can change a lot within the game depending on factors such as who is in possession etc. They will likely have 4 at the back and a lone striker in Fabiano up front. The midfield 5 change around quite a lot (and thus so does the formation).

Manager: Dunga is an excellent manager. He used to play for Brazil as a defensive midfielder and won the World Cup in 1994. This is his first international assignment.

Qualification: Brazil won the South American section including their first every victory over Argentina in Argentina. It was a comfortable qualification although they only finished 1 point ahead of both Chile and Paraguay.

World Cup pedigree: Brazil have, without doubt, the best World Cup pedigree of any nation. They are the only country to play in every single World Cup. They have won it 5 times (more than any other country) - 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. They were second twice (1950 and 1998), third twice (1938 and 1978) and fourth once (1974).

Chance of progression from Group G: 85% - would have been higher if Portugal and Ivory Coast weren't also in the group.

Ivory Coast (C'ote D'ivoire)

Strengths: Ivory Coast have a team full of talent. Drogba is possibly the best striker in the world. Yaya Toure and Zakoro are two superb central midfielders. They also have the likes of Kalou, Dindane, Kone, Keita, Kolo Toure and Eboue in their squad. It is a very exciting team with a lot of firepower, flair and brilliance.

Weaknesses: Didier Drogba fractured his shoulder in a very recent friendly (about ten days ago) and there were worries that he wouldn't be fit for the tournament. Whilst it now seems likely he will feature it is not certain whether he will be ready for the crucial first game against Portugal. Even if he is there will be question marks as to whether his body can handle it. If anything their weakness comes at the back. There have also been reported bustups in the squad at this year's African Nations Cup. They will need to avoid any arguments to keep the required unity for this team to do well.

Formation: Should be a 4-3-3. Three physically imposing midfielders, a lone striker and two pacy wingers (and full-backs) meant the formation almost picks itself. Providing Sven avoids the temptation to go 4-4-2.

Manager: Sven Goran Erikkson has had many domestic and international managerial appointments throughout his career and has been very successful. For example he has league and cup doubles in Sweden, Portugal and Italy. He is most famous domestically for his stint at Lazio. He also managed England at Euro 2004 and World Cups 2002 and 2006. Sven's England were knocked out of World Cup 2002 by Brazil and Euro 2004 and  World Cup 2006 by Portugal so it is a quirk of fate that he should be drawn with these two countries again. He should add some structure to the flair of the Ivory Coast's game.

Qualification: Ivory Coast comfortably qualified from their group.

World Cup pedigree: Ivory Coast have only had one previous World Cup appearance in 2006. They didn't make it through the group stage after being drawn in the Group of Death with Holland, Argentina and Serbia and Montenegro. They will be hoping to go at least one better this time.

Chance of progression from Group G: 60%. Would really love them to qualify, will be a real dogfight with Portugal.

North Korea (Korea DPR)

Strengths: North Korea defend doggedly, harry in numbers and can be very hard to break down. They play to this strength and are very happy to stay back. They only conceded 7 in 16 games in qualifying. They also have a player called Jong Tae-Se who is nicknamed the Rooney of North Korea/Asia for his brilliant shooting ability. He has scored some stunning goals in his time.

Weaknesses: North Korea do not play width very well, they find goals hard to come by and have a lack of international experience in general. They find it difficult to cope with the aerial threat that teams can possess.

Formation: I have read that this will be a very defensive form of a 3-3-2-2

Manager: Kim Jong-Hun.

Qualification: North Korea finished second in their final Asia qualifying group thereby gaining automatic qualification. They finished ahead of Saudi Arabia on goal difference (and 4 points behind South Korea) so it was a very tense qualifying battle.

World Cup pedigree: North Korea have only qualified for one previous World Cup - 1966. They had a famous upset 1-0 win over Italy in the group stages. They also led Portugal 3-0 in the Quarter-finals but ended up losing 5-3.

Chance of progression from Group G: 0.5% - they should finish last.

Portugal

Strengths: Portugal have some incredibly exciting talent in their squad. Christiano Ronaldo is rated by some as the best player of his generation. He mesmerises defences with his dribbling skills and is a clinical finisher. But Portugal also have the superb Deco in midfield and the reliable and experienced trio of Ferreira, Carvalho and Costa available to play in defence. Nani and Simao are also very skilful wingers. They have a settled defence that doesn't concede many.

Weaknesses: In terms of out-and-out strikers Portugal are lacking. They instead rely on the wingers/midfield/supporting strikersto fire the goals. Liedson will quite possibly start in the lone striker role but he has never particularly impressed in terms of being able to trouble the goal. They also lack tempo in central midfield. Nani is also injured. Initial reports said he was out of the tournament but reports have just emerged saying he might be back miraculously quickly.

Formation: Should be a 4-3-2-1.

Manager: Carlos Queiroz - ex Manchester Utd assistant manager who has managed the Portugal team since 2008.

Qualification: Portugal only managed to finish 2nd in their qualifying group (behind Denmark) and only secured that in the very last game (enabling them to finish ahead of Sweden). They then needed to navigate a tricky playoff with Bosnia, which they achieved.

World Cup pedigree: This is Portugal's fifth World Cup only. They finished third in 1966 and fourth in 2006 but didn't get past the first round on their two other appearances in 1986 and 2002.

Chance of progression from Group G: 60%, in a dogfight with Ivory Coast, might just miss out.

Group F preview

Italy

Strengths: Italy are, as always, strong at the back with quality going forward. With famous highly skilled players like Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Gattusso, Pirlo, De Rossi and Gilardino Italy are always capable of winning football matches, regardless of who they play. Pirlo in particular has always been a wonderfully  creative player with an ability to make precise searching long field passes. He is their key playmaker. Italy are historically an excellent defending team - history provides us with Nesta and Maldini to prove this point. On paper it is still defence which is where their best capabilities lie. This probably stems from Seria A being a traditionally strong defensive league. Cannavaro is their leader from the back but their top defender is probably Chiellini, who at 25 should serve Italy well for many years to come. Buffon of course is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Weaknesses: There are fairly valid criticisms that Italy are an aging squad with a number on decline rather than at the peak of their powers. They lack a world class striker up front. While Gilardino, Iaquinta and Di Natale are good players they do not quite have the qualities of the best strikers in the world. Gilardino has the best strike rate of their strikers. Pirlo, who is potentially key, is struggling with an injury which may rule him out of some of the early games of the tournament.

Formation: It appears Lippi is still pondering whether to employ a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. He certainly tried both in their last friendly against the Guateng All Stars.

Manager: Marcelo Lippi has won many titles in his 25 year managerial career and has a fantastic reputation. To his name, domestically, he has five Serie A titles, four Italian Supercup, one Champions League, one UEFA Supercup and one Intercontinental Cup. He also won the World Cup in 2006 and was reappointed in 2008 after Donadoni led Italy to a poor Euro 2008 campaign.

Qualification: Italy won their European qualifying group with the minimum of fuss.

World Cup pedigree: Italy are the second most successful national side with 4 World Cup titles (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006). They have competed in every tournament except two, finished second twice (1970 and 1994), third once (1990) and fourth once (1978)

Chance of progression from Group F: 80%, could manage first place.

New Zealand

Strengths: New Zealand's strengths lie in central defence and attack. Ryan Nelsen is the key player and plays at the highest level of them domestically, playing for Blackburn Rovers week in and week out. He is the inspirational captain. Fellow centre-backs Tommy Smith and Winston Reid are young and have barely played internationally but they are also very talented. Smith is at Ipswich Town and Reid plays in the Danish premier league. They are composed on the ball and look a real talent. Up front Fallon is strong in the air and physically dominant, Smeltz has scored a number of goals for clubs in the Australian A League and Killen is useful. The Kiwis are also a committed bunch with a close team spirit who can play better than the sum of their parts.

Weaknesses: New Zealand are weakest in midfield. Elliott and Brown are a reasonable centre-mid pairing but in general the midfield gives the ball away too easily and lacks creativity. Brown is also under an injury cloud after surgery on a fractured upper arm. Bertos can be an exciting winger but in the position he plays in the All Whites chosen formation he spends too much time defending to show off much attacking prowess. Defending down the flanks is a definite weakness for the All Whites. Also, the players I have outlined as their strengths are a relative strength - when comparing like with like with the vast majority of the teams at the World Cup they would be seen unfavourably.

Formation: Should be a 3-4-3/5-4-1. In other words NZ play 3 centre-backs, 2 wing-backs, 2 central midfielders and 3 strikers. As is the nature of a wing-back the wing-backs are fullbacks on defence and wingers on attack. In defence 2 of the strikers will usually drop back to midfield to help out.

Manager: Ricki Herbert - former NZ international who played at the 1982 World Cup. He combines his international management with domestic management for Wellington Phoenix who play in the Australian A League.

Qualification: NZ won Oceania comfortably before facing Bahrain in a playoff for SouthAfrica. The Kiwis held Bahrain to a 0-0 draw in Bahrain and then fashioned out a magnificent 1-0 home victory at Wellington's Westpac Trust Stadium. I went to that game and it was one of the nights of my life.

World Cup pedigree: NZ have only had one previous World Cup appearance, in 1982 in which they lost all 3 games, scoring twice and conceding 12.

Chance of progression from Group F: 20%, could easily finish last but I'm going to be positive and predict third place!


Paraguay

Strengths: Paraguay play an exciting brand of football - they can be lethal on the counter-attack. They are well equipped defensively having only conceded 16 goals from 18 qualifying games. Their key players will be the brave predatory Valdez up front and the creative hard working Riveros in midfield. And of course Roque Santa Cruz who with 69 caps, 21 goals and experience in the Premier League could be crucial to the cause.

Weaknesses: Paraguay will really miss Cabanas who was their top scorer in qualifying. An excellent goalscorer, he was shot in the head in January and whilst recovering nicely is not fit to take part in the World Cup. Paraguay tend not to enjoy possession play and so will be vulnerable to teams who pass well.

Formation: Probably a 4-4-2 although they may switch to a 4-3-3 if it suits.

Manager: Argentinian Gerardo Martino. He had about 8 years experience of coaching Paraguayan clubs domestically before being appointed international manager.

Qualification: Paraguay finished 3rd in South America - one point behind Brazil and on equal points (with an inferior goal difference) with Chile.

World Cup pedigree: This is Paraguay's eighth world cup. They have reached the second round on three occasions (1986, 1998 and 2002) but have never progressed further.

Chance of progression from Group F: 65%, probably in 2nd place but should give Italy a run for their money for top spot.

Slovakia

Strengths: Slovakia have a strong defence led by the imposing and very good player (particularly in the air), Martin Skrtel. Hamsik is a technically gifted midfielder who has earnt rave reviews at Napoli. Sestak is an exciting player in the forward line. Their biggest strength is defence although they scored a lot of goals in qualifying. All of their players play outside Slovakia for reasonable European sides.

Weaknesses: They only have a limited number of star quality players who, if they were injured, would leave a big hole in the side. Skrtel has just managed to battle back from injury to be fit. They also lack creative guile at times in the midfield although the likes of Stoch, Hamsik and Weiss will play with good skill and pace. Slovakia also lack a prolific goalscorer and will hope for goals throughout the team.

Formation: Probably 4-4-2.

Manager: Vladimir Weiss - on his first international assignment.

Qualification: Finished top of a group also containing Slovenia, Czech Republic and Poland.

World Cup pedigree: Slovakia was a part of Czechoslovakia from 1918 until 1992. The Czech national team qualified for eight World Cups finishing second on two occasions (1934 and 1962). The last World Cup that Czechoslovakia participated in was Italia '90. The team progressed to the quarter-finals and lost to eventual champions Germany 1-0. From the 17 national team players, eight were Slovakian. Slovakia turned into an independent Republic in 1993. This is their first World Cup participation as an independent nation.

Chance of progression from Group F: 50%, may miss out.

Group C opening games

England 1-1 USA

Capello decided on the following lne-up:

                 Green
Johnson King Terry Cole
Lennon Gerrard Lampard Milner
        Heskey Rooney

England had a brilliant start with a goal for Gerrard after less than ten minutes. Kudos goes to Heskey for a perfectly weighted pass and to Gerrard for a clinical finish.

Milner played poorly down the left hand side, fouling Cherundolo on a number of occasions which eventually resulted in a booking. He didn't get a chance to show his attacking wares and Capello replaced him with Wright Phillips after only half an hour. Milner had apparently been suffering with a stomach bug/virus all week so it is no wonder he was far from his best. Wright Phillips was very poor himself for the rest of the match, I think Joe Cole would have been far the better replacement, particularly as Wright Phillips is actually a right winger by trade.

The equalising goal came 5 minutes before half-time and what a terrible, shocking blunder from Green it was. Dempsey hit a tame shot straight at the keeper and Green somehow contrived to spill the ball into his own net After so much debate over who the goalkeeper should be and Capello's final choice managed to do this. 'Calamity James' hadn't been picked but 'Calamity Green' (could that catch on?) had turned up. It is odd that Capello considers Hart as too inexperienced when Green has only had ten caps himself. Hart is an excellent and confident goalkeeper, he should be in the team. Should Capello replace Green for the next game (and subsequently), and I think he might, he will probably opt for veteran James.

The England tabloids as expected have had a field day. The News of the World: "Rob still too Green for England". The Sunday Times: "One disastrous spill the Yanks won't complain about". Sunday Mirror: "God save the Green". One thing I can't believe is that some people have blamed it mostly on the Jabulani ball. This is preposterous, one only has to watch the incident to realise this...surely?

The second half produced no goals although there was plenty of industry from both sides. Green partly redeemed himself after a good save from Donovan (who had used his pace to easily get past Carragher - a player who had equipped himself OK as replacement centre-back but who in my opinion was the wrong choice as replacement). Lampard tried a number of hopeful long-range shots and Rooney was strangely quiet. Lennon had a decent game except for the fact he failed to beat the first man with the vast majority of his crosses. Heskey played well but he not surprisingly fluffed both a one-on-one and a header. Heskey hasn't scored since February and is hardly a goalscorer despite being a striker. He is there because he forms a good partnership with Rooney. Gerrard was probably England's man of the match.

The USA worked hard throughout. Onyewu was superb in the centre of defence. He composedly dealt with everything England threw at them. The rest of the team were also decent but fashioned very few real chances for their weak forward line to have a go at. Dempsey and Donavon are the best attacking players for the USA but they operate from midfield. How Altidore who scored 1 goal for Hull City all season can be expected to provide the goals is beyond me. The USA did in general prevent too many chances for England.

Slovenia 1-0 Algeria

This was a match whose main features were a red card and a soft goal as it generally lived up to its billing as one of the least exciting contests of the World Cup. Having said that both sides played some engaging football at times.

Overall Algeria probably had the better chances. They had a great headed chance when Halliche headed just wide. Both teams had dipping long distance strikes expertly tipped over by the respective goalkeepers. Yet both teams gave away possession too easily and were generally sloppy. Passes went astray fairly often and touches were often too heavy. Handanovic almost handed Algeria a goal on a plate before managing to recover, thanks to one of those heavy touches to which I refer.

Algeria imploded with just under 20 minutes to go when substitute Ghezzal was sent off for a second yellow card. The first was deserved as was the second - a blatant handball. Not long after, Koren received the ball 20 yards from goal and had a reasonable effort to the left of Chaouchi's goal...the ball sneaked into the back of the net as Chaouchi flapped ungainly at it. He seemed to approach the save in an odd way - instead of diving horizontally to tap it round the corner he approached it head (and arm on) which perhaps contributed to the mistake.

Slovenia held on for their first ever victory at a World Cup as they moved to the top of Group C.

[I'd just like to also point out that Algeria's manager Rabah Sadaane has stated he will quit after the World Cup because of the attitude of some of the players. He left their captain Mansouri on the bench for the game, which on the surface seems an odd decision, but could be something to do with this. This nonsense is likely to have a negative effect on Algeria's World Cup].

Group B opening games

South Korea 2-0 Greece

South Korea were dominant throughout the match and very worthy of their victory. Greece's reputation for being built on a solid defence was in tatters after the game as it was two very poor errors that handed South Korea both goals. Lee Jung-Soo was not picked up when the ball was crossed in for the first goal. For the second Vyntra inexplicably gave the ball away when receiving a routine pass from Seitaridis, Park Ji-Sung profited going off a nice run before finishing adroitly.

It could have all been so different had Torosidis not failed to convert a fantastic opportunity from six yards in the early minutes. But apart from that Greece had little in the way of goalscoring opportunities, save for 3 or 4 during a sustained 5 minutes of pressure midway through the second half. Top goalscorer in European qualifying Gekas was off his game but in fairness he just didn't get the service from a midfield lacking in imagination. In truth Greece were fairly abject throughout the field and will need massive improvement if they are to have any chance of doing anything other than make up the numbers in Group B.

But let this not take away from a quality performance from South Korea who kept possession well, defended well and played with an air of class. They played a very good game and easily deserved their 2 goal victory.

Argentina 1-0 Nigeria

In terms of quality football being played this has been the best of the first five games. Messi was top quality and was only foiled by some spectacular goalkeeping from Vincent Enyeama. Veron was off-colour with some of his passing and the Argentinian defence looked a bit suspect, a better strikeforce than Nigeria's would likely have made them pay. Their defence lacks pace with the likes of Samuel and Demichelis so it was an area that could have been exploited.

It was funny that with all Argentina's attacking quality the goal came from the head of defender Heinze. Argentina started with four highly attack minded players and ended up with five (when Maxi Rodriguez came on). This left Mascherano doing a helluva lot of work in defensive midfield. And with Gutierrez, normally a right winger, playing at right-back attack was concentrated down the right, leaving Di Maria fairly anonymous at times.

Nigeria played a 4-4-2 formation when a 4-3-3 would have been better. Particularly as Obasi likes to get forward. They performed better when the classic winger Odemwingie came on as he was able to exploit Gutierrez down that flank. The introduction of Martins also meant there was more pace available. Nigeria had a few reasonable chances but were unable to profit from them, continuing their general weakness of being goal shy. It was also exceptionally poor marking that enabled Heinze to ghost in completely unmarked for his goal.

There was this comment I enjoyed from another website which I happen to agree with: "Diego’s idea of throwing square pegs into circular holes simply because they’re carved of a higher quality wood will not work against good sides".

The England Eleven

OK so it's less than 2 hours until kickoff in England's first game which is against the USA. What team would I like to see England pick and what team do I think they will pick?

Let's start with the goalkeeper.

Reports a few days ago suggested that James had a minor knee problem and may miss the first game. Then there have been reports in recent hours that England players want James to play because of his experience and because he is so vocal. The goalkeeper debate is one that almost everyone seems to want to have their say - because the choice is not clear-cut.

James is 39, has had a nickname of  'Calamity James' due to some shockers he has had throughout his career. However he is very athletic and experienced and has the inside running. Green and Hart are both quality stoppers but lack the experience that James offers. I would pick Hart. From the games I have watched Hart is simply the best keeper of the three, he has the confidence and pulls off amazing saves quite regularly. I am not worried by his inexperience, he would play with no fear and he would I am sure play very well throughout the tournament. I believe James will get the nod though.

In defence I would pick Johnson, King, Terry and Cole. Cole is obvious as first choice left-back as is Terry for centre-back. Debate centres over Terry's partner. Most (and I am in this camp) think it has to be King. Johnson is a true right-back who attacks down the flank, his weakness is in his defending. I think almost everyone would pick him but Carragher remains an option. Perhaps against the best opposition choosing Carragher is not the silliest idea as he should provide greater stability at the back. I think Capello would agree with my choice of Johnson, King, Terry, Cole.

In midfield I would pick Lennon on the right as he offers so much quality. I would have Lampard and Barry in the middle as Barry is very good in the holding position. (Lampard picks himself). Barry may not quite be ready for the first game however. If Barry is not fit I would have Milner in the middle and Joe Cole on the left. If Barry is fit I would have Milner on the left. Up front I would have Rooney and Gerrard (in the slightly deeper attacking position). I think Milner has to be in the team because he offers so much but I think Capello will leave him on the bench. I think Gerrard should play the attacking role or the central midfield role but I do not think he should play on the left as he is wasted there and Milner/Cole are better options than him in that position  I would not mind Gerrard and Lampard in the middle with Rooney playing in a front two alongside any of Crouch, Defoe or Heskey, especially if Barry is not fit.

My ideal team, with all fit, is

                   Hart

Johnson, King, Terry, Cole

Lennon, Lampard, Barry, Milner

          Gerrard Rooney

I think Capello's is either the same (although swapping Milner for Cole) or having Gerrard on the left with Heskey to partner Rooney.

Whatever happens it's gonna be interesting.

Group A opening games

My plan is not to provide a match report of each game but instead to provide a few comments/observations/talking points etc.

South Africa 1-1 Mexico

I found this quite an exciting open game as I expected. In the first 40 minutes Mexico were dominant but just couldn't score despite their many opportunities to do so. They had elected to start with Franco and Vela and not Hernandez which was a decision I disagreed with. They will probably continue with this starting lineup but I am just worried if they do that the pattern of Mexico being profligate in front of goal will continue. They seem to need a lot of chances in order to convert. The last 5 minutes of the first half saw a couple of excellent chances for South Africa with which they should have done better.

The opening goal of the tournament, in the second half, was a great way to get World Cup 2010 underway. It was a superb piledriver of a shot from Tshabalala of South Africa after the Mexican defence had been split open. South Africa had the better chances in the second half but Mexico got a deserved equaliser. Both defences looked vulnerable and Mexico gave South Africa far too many open spaces to work with. I wonder whether they should revert Marquez back into central defence rather than the holding midfield role.

The last ten minutes of the match was end-to-end stuff as neither team could fashion out a winner, which made for a good spectacle.

France 0-0 Uruguay.

This was a fascinating game. The big news before kick off was that the quality Uruguayan midfielder Gargano was not in the team and also that France were starting with Diaby ahead of Malouda. Henry, as expected, was on the bench.

The French did the most attacking and Uruguay were often sat in defence. Having said that, France fashioned limited clearcut opportunities and didn't really test out Muslera in the Uruguay goal. The best chance of the match fell to Uruguay, Forlan was unmarked about six yards out and stabbed the ball wide. Can't criticise Forlan too heavily though, he was Uruguay's best performer and the only one who looked dangerous. Suarez was very disappointing.

For France Diaby was my man of the match. He frequently glided past a number of challenges as if they weren't there, passed neatly and always looked threatening. (Ultimately then Domenech was vindicated for choosing Diaby ahead of Malouda although the word on the street is that Domenech and Malouda had a falling out).

I would like to know what happened in regard to the red card. I have no argument with Lodeiro's second yellow card - it was a clear yellow. But I don't know what he did to get his first yellow. It was the only yellow card of the game I had no idea what had happened for the player to receive one. Play was developing and it just flashed on the screen that Lodeiro had been given a yellow and I wondered at the time...why. I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, I just don't know. And I want to know.

Excellent backs to the wall stuff from Uruguay when they went down to ten men. I hope captain Lugano does not live to regret his silly yellow card for arguing with the ref (over what seemed like a soft free kick awarded to France in the dying seconds). He needs to be careful in the next game - he doesn't want to be suspended for their 3rd game against Mexico.

Group E preview

Cameroon

Strengths: Samuel Eto'o is one of the best strikers in the world. He has a strike rate of a little worse than one every two games and has consistently scored a lot of goals for big European sides such as Barcelona (where he was particularly prolific) and Inter Milan. His likely strike partner Webo is also talented, and has scored important goals for his country. Alex Song is a quality midfielder for Arsenal and takes on a more creative role for Cameroon than he does for his club side. Providing Cameroon are organised and keep good shape they do have good defenders including Spurs duo Assou-Ekotto and Bassong.

Weaknesses: One criticism often (with a degree of validity) levelled at Cameroon is that they are a one man team. It is certainly true that Eto'o's performances are crucial to the side - when he is in great form they are much more likely to win. There is also an element of petulance about Eto'o that may not be good for morale. Cameroon legend Roger Milla criticised Eto'o for not playing as well for Cameroon as he does in domestic football - Eto'o responded with a tantrum, threatening to walk out on the team. If he does play worse for Cameroon it is probably because he doesn't get the quality of service that he did say at Barcelona. Cameroon have often appeared disorganised in defence and the quality of some of their personnel is questionable. Their form in the friendlies has also been patchy.

Formation: It is very hard to pin down what their formation is likely to be at the World Cup. It may even change depending on the opposition. My pick is a 4-4-2 with the midfield 4 in a diamond but I could be completely wrong. In the recent friendly against Serbia they played 3-4-3 which resulted in goals and shaky defence (hence a 4-3 loss).

Manager: Former French international Paul Le Guen. As a manager he has been hit and miss. He led Lyon to 3 consecutive Ligue 1 titles and the Champions League quarterfinals in 2004. He has struggled for consistency with Rangers and PSV however. He took over in July 2009 when Cameroon were in grave danger of missing out on World Cup 2010 and turned things around to achieve qualification.

Qualification: In their final qualifying group Cameroon qualified comfortably in the end - 4 points ahead of Gabon. It was a lot tighter than the final points table suggested - a shocking start necessitated a change of manager in order to bring about a change of fortunes.

World Cup pedigree: Cameroon first qualified for the World Cup in 1982. They battled well to 3 draws (against Italy, Peru and Poland) which was not enough to qualify for the next round. The only other tournaments they have played in are the four consecutive world cup finals of 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002. The only time they have progressed beyond the first round was in 1990 when they shocked and charmed the world reaching the quarter-finals defeating Argentina, Romania and Columbia on the way. (Check out an earlier blog post for more on their efforts in 1990 and the wonders of the legend Roger Mila).

Chance of progression from Group E: 50%, might just miss out.

Denmark

Strengths: There has been precious little about Denmark's chances at the 2010 World Cup. I feel they have been somewhat glossed over when this is possibly Denmark's best squad ever to come to a World Cup and is the very same Denmark who finished top of their qualifying group that included both Portugal and Sweden. I'm not even saying I'm very confident of them making the next round but I do think commentators haven't done them justice. Denmark has a strong defence which builds from the back. Agger and Kjaer are a strong centre-back pairing and both are composed on the ball. Christian Eriksen is 18 and the youngest player at the 2010 World Cup. He is rated as the next Laudrup (after the Danish legends Brian and Michael Laudrup) and this link explains why. He has only played 3 times for Denmark, I hope he gets an opportunity to show why Martin Jol rates him so highly. Tomasson is a quality and prolific goalscorer although it appears that Bendtner if fit may lead the line ahead of rather than alongside him. Tomasson and Rommedahl are both in the twilight of their careers but still exude quality.

Weaknesses: Denmark are struggling with a few injuries. Players have missed recently friendlies and are all battling to be fit for their opener with the Netherlands. These players include Kahlenberg, Kjaer, Tomasson, Sorenson and Bendtner. Denmark lacks strength in depth in a number of positions. They also have a number of solid personnel who will work hard and are technically good players but few of these players can be considered top class individuals who can change a game in an instant. In other words most of their players are what I would classify as second tier players. Also their form in the friendlies hasn't been particularly inspiring.

Formation: I believe Denmark have been contemplating whether to go with a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-2-1. Ultimately I think they may go with the former.

Manager: Morten Olsen has been manager of the Danish side for ten years. He also played approximately 19 years for the national team. He has a lot of experience and should have a steady and calming influence on his players as he will no doubt have seen it all!

Qualification: Denmark finished first in their qualifying group - ahead of both Portugal and Sweden. They beat Sweden home and away and ended up winning their group comfortably.

World Cup pedigree: Denmark have only competed in 3 World Cups: 1986, 1998 and 2002. On each occasion they got past through the group stage and in 1998 even made the quarterfinals.

Chance of progression from Group E: 60%, will probably finish second.

Japan

Strengths: Japan's greatest quality is in their ability to keep possession. They move it around, playing neat and tidy possession football almost as well as the top teams. They also boast a strong central defensive partnership of Marcus Tulio and Yuji Nakazawa. Honda is Japan's most exciting player. A creative midfielder playing at CSKA Moscow Japan will look to him to create plenty of goalscoring opportunities. Nakamura is another threat from midfield - with 24 goals in 95 games he is clearly dangerous in the attacking third. Both Honda and Nakamura are renowned for their free kick prowess. Japan have a lot of experience in their national squad - seven of them have over 70 international caps, 2 over 100.

Weaknesses: Japan's greatest weakness is in attack as they clearly lack players likely to penetrate the best defences. Their biggest hope in this area is Shinji Okazaki who scored 15 in his first 20 appearances although he only managed 1 in his next 8. Okazaki is supposed to have excellent composure and creativity. All the rest of Japan's strikers have a poor strike-rate and will have to take their game to another level if they are to profit in South Africa. They have lost their last three friendlies and have only scored 1 goal in their last 5 games. Clearly they find it difficult to translate possession into goals. Also 19 out of their 23 man squad play domestically in Japan which is a league not well known for it's strength. Time will tell how good the J League is.

Formation: Likely to be 4-1-4-1. If so expect Okazaki to get too isolated upfront. Nakamura may also have to settle for a place on the bench.

Manager: Takeshi Okada is in his second spell as Japan's manager and also played in the national side for 5 years in the 80's.

Qualification: Japan finished in the second automatic qualifying spot in their qualification (behind Australia) and only lost one game in their group (winning 4 and drawing 3).

World Cup pedigree: Japan made their first World Cup in 1998 and have qualified ever since. In 1998 and 2006 they didn't make it through the group stage - in 1998 they lost all 3 games by one goal and in 2006 they picked up a solitary point thanks to a 0-0 draw with Croatia. In 2002 (when they co-hosted the World Cup with South Korea) they made it through to the second round where they lost to eventual 3rd place finishers Turkey.

Chance of progression from Group E: 40%, won't disgrace themselves but probably won't progress.

Netherlands

Strengths: The Netherlands have a team packed with attacking flair and talent. Names like Robben, van Persie, van der Waart and Sneijder are all capable of putting any international side to the sword. The Dutch play beautiful, thrilling, fluid, exciting and majestic attacking football of the highest order. At least, that is what they are capable of. The Netherlands are certainly capable of winning the World Cup but we do seem to say that every time.

Weaknesses: The Netherlands have a slightly suspect defence. The individuals that make up their back 4 are probably the weakest individuals in the team. The key for them is making sure they are cohesive. This at least can paper over the cracks. Robben is under an injury cloud after suffering an injury in a recent friendly, he is expected to be fit at least by the second game. Others like van Persie have had an injury plagued season they will be hoping to put behind them.

Formation: The Netherlands are likely to play a 4-2-3-1/4-2-1-3 formation. There is speculation that they will attempt to play their fab 4 (Robben, van Persie, Sneijder and van der Waart) together which is a sight rarely seen. However Kuyt may have something to say about that. A more limited footballer he provides more defensive qualities and can still pop up with goals. The Dutch are likely to play 2 holding midfielders in van Bommel and de Jong which will allow the fullbacks a bit more freedom to link up with the attack.

Manager: Bert van Marjwik has been involved in management in some capacity for around 18 years. He won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord in 2002 and this is his first foray into international management (which started in 2008). It's a reasonable CV but to be honest it's not great. Let's hope for the Dutch sake he comes up trumps!

Qualification: The Netherlands finished first in their fairly straight forward qualifying group, winning every game.

World Cup pedigree: The Netherlands are playing in their ninth world cup. In 1934 and 1938 they didn't make it past the group stage. They were then in the footballing wilderness for 36 years, not qualifying for another tournament until 1974. Then in both 1974 and 1978 the Netherlands reached the final only to lose to Germany and Argentina respectively. It remains a travesty that they did not win either as they played their brand of spectacular 'total football'. I would quite happily have them right these wrongs in 2010 and win the whole thing. In their other four world cups the Netherlands reached the second round twice, the quarters once and 4th place in 1998.

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

Group D preview

Group D is a fascinating group. Possibly fights with Group G for the title of 'Group of Death', all games should be tightly fought contests.

Australia

Strengths: Australia have a decent side with many having plenty of European experience. Cahill is the key man as he provides bite and skill in the attacking midfield, as well as the crucial knack of being in the right place at the right time to score goals. He was instrumental in their opening 3-1 win against Japan in 2006 (when they were 1-0 down with 7 mins to go) and will hope to be the same again. Schwarzer is an excellent goalkeeper despite his advancing years. So much so, Arsenal have tried a temporary solution to their goalkeeping problems by signing him. Kewell is constantly injured and not the player he was 8 or 9 years ago but he does have an element of class that, providing he is and stays fit, could come in handy. Australia work very hard together as a team and put a lot of effort into their defence. As Sports illustrated noted: "The Socceroos probably deserve better than to be hailed for their never-say-die attitude, but it remains their standout attribute". They also have some good talent on the fringes - players like Hollman and Valeri.

Weaknesses: Australia have the second oldest squad in the tournament. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the experience factor could be vital. However considering the fact their golden team of four years ago has only changed a little bit means that they are certainly no surprise factor and it might also mean they aren't as spritely as they once were. Cahill is suffering from a neck problem he picked up in a friendly and is doing his damndest to be fit for their opening game against Germany. Australia is lightweight on attack - Kennedy will not scare anyone, they may have to rely on the midfield popping up with a few. Whilst Australia are strong on defence if you look at the defenders individually none of them are particularly highly rated, Lucas Neill probably being the pick of them.

Formation: Likely to be a 4-2-3-1 with two holding midfielders allowing wingers to support the striker. Cahill will be the cog in behind the striker

Manager: Pim Verbeek was assistant to Guus Hiddink for South Korea at the 2002 World Cup and to Dick Advocaat for the 2006 World Cup. Apart from a brief spell as manager of South Korea after this he has little experience as an international manager. He is quite conservative in his approach, probably a major reason for sticking with the old guard and not taking a punt on the likes of Tommy Oar.

Qualification: Unlike a number of previous tournaments Australia did not play in the Oceania confederation - they played in the Asian zone. In many previous cups they have been undone after winning Oceania and then losing to the fifth placed South American team. The top two teams in both of the final two qualifying groups would gain automatic qualification - Australia did it at a breeze, finishing first with 6 wins and 2 draws.

World Cup pedigree: This will be Australia's third world cup. In 1974 they went home after 1 draw and 2 wins, in 2006 they famously qualified for the second round ahead of European powerhouse Croatia, only to be beaten with the last kick of the game against Italy - a controversial penalty won by Grosso and converted by Totti.

Chance of progression from Group D: 45%, expect them to put up a good fight and not miss out by much.

Germany

Strengths: Germany are one of the major players in every tournament. They are taking their youngest squad to a World Cup in 76 years with an average age of just under 25. Whilst this is partially forced upon them due to injury take nothing away from these young guns. There is considerable talent within the squad and they will expect to shine at the tournament. I think they might just make people sit up and take notice. Despite this they will still have the experienced Bastian Schweinsteiger, striker Miroslav Klose and defenders Arne Friedrich and Per Mertesacker to call upon. Schweinsteiger is a fantastic attacking midfield player and will need to really step up to the mark in the absence of Ballack. Their midfield stocks have the potential to be frightfully exciting with a lot of positive things said about Khedira, Ozil, Kroos and Marin. They also boast in Klose and Podolski, two players with great scoring records for their national team (around 1 goal every 2 games). Their defensive line-up also appears strong. Interestingly only one player in their squad plays outside of Germany - Boateng at Man City.

Weaknesses: Germany have been dealt a few blows with injury. Their talismanic captain and goalscoring midfielder Ballack was ruled out of the tournament and they have suffered the blows of an injury to first choice goalkeeper Adler and the suicide of Robert Enke who was another contender. It feels strange writing it (with their history of goalkeeping excellence) but Germany have worries in goal. Whilst Klose and Podolski have an excellent record up front, neither have been in very good form in the Bundesliga this season. Kuranyi who was, wasn't selected, although that may be because of his stormy relationship with manager Joachim Low.

Formation: Germany may opt for a 4-2-3-1 with 2 holding midfielders, 2 wingers and 1 in the hole behind Klose.

Qualification: Germany finished top of their qualifying group, 4 points ahead of Russia. The other 4 teams (Finland, Wales, Azerbaijan and Liechenstein) were not much cop.

World Cup pedigree: There have only been two tournaments in which they did not compete: 1930 (withdrew) and 1950 (banned). They have been champions three times (1954, 1974 and 1990), runners-up four times (1966, 1982, 1986 and 2002) and third on three occasions (1934, 1970 and 2006).

Chance of progression from Group D: 75%, probably in first place.

Ghana

Strengths: Ghana have a relatively strong squad, their most powerful part being their midfield which, despite the absence of Essien, still boasts the very useful Muntari and Appiah. They will rely on Gyan for goals - he has a good strike rate and is their most experienced at international level. They also have experience in defence with both Paintsil and Mensah boasting over 50 caps. They are physically strong and aren't likely to concede many goals given their defensive personnel.  

Weaknesses: The absence of Essien is massive. He is excellent defensively in protecting the back four and also packs a ferocious shot. He makes football look simple. As the cog that energises the whole team he will be sorely missed. Ghana are also relatively lacking in goalscorers up front. Gyan has the excellent strike rate of 1 in every 2 games and Amoah manages 1 every 3 but it is not a squad whose attackers strike fear into their opposition. They lack creativity in midfield which might mean a lack of goalscoring opportunities. They are an aggressive side which could lead to bookings and suspensions.

Formation: - Likely to be 4-5-1 with Gyan playing lone striker. Probably only one of the 5 in midfield will be on the wing with the other four defensively minded. Appiah will be pushed further forward than he does for his club side. It is possible that they will play Asamoah ahead of Boateng so that Ghana have two wingers on the pitch - but this is not expected to happen.

Manager: Milovan Rajevac. Never managed an international side before he is relatively inexperienced. However he is highly rated. He is Serbian which could provide extra motivation for when Ghana play Serbia. (Incidentally Kevin-Prince Boateng is in the Ghanaian squad and could face his brother Jerome who is in the German squad. If this happens it will be the first time brothers play against each other in the World Cup's history.

Qualification: Ghana qualified fairly comfortably in the final group stage of qualification - finishing 3 points ahead of Benin. They only just made it into that final stage however: 2 teams from each group of 4 were to go through to the last stage and they, Gabon and Libya all finished on 12 points - Ghana and Gabon getting through on goal difference.

World Cup pedigree: This is Ghana's second World Cup Finals - in 2006 they did well to reach the second round, finishing second in their group - behind Italy and ahead of Czech Republic and the USA.

Chance of progression from Group D: 50%, may miss out at a whisker.

Serbia

Strengths: Serbia are rightfully considered one of the dark horses of the tournament. They have some of the best players in the world. In Vidic and Ivanovic (two players who start week in week out at Manchester United and Chelsea respectively) in defence they have two exceptional defenders. Throw in the fantastic defensive midfielder Stankovic and Serbia will be very hard to beat.

Weaknesses: Zigic (who at 6 foot 7 dwarfs Peter Crouch!) and Pantelic are highly rated up front but in comparison to the rest of their team would probably be considered weak links. Pantelic has been on fire for Ajax but at international level only scores at a rate of around 1 in 5, Zigic is much better with 1 in 3. Some of their lesser known names are not renowned individually but they do work well as a unit.

Formation: Likely to be 4-4-2 but with exciting wingers in Krasic and Jovanovic joining the attack whenever they can no doubt they will look like a 4-2-4 at times.

Manager: Radomir Antic has been manager for around two years. It's his first foray into international management but he has about 20 years experience as manager of a variety of top, mainly spanish clubs such as Real Madrid, Athletico Madrid and Barcelona.

Qualification: Serbia topped their qualifying group which included France

World Cup pedigree: Up until 2003 Serbia have always competed as part of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia competed in 9 out of 17 tournaments - their highest position was fourth in 1930 and 1962, and they were knocked out in the quarters on three occasions (1954, 1958 and 1990). In 2006 they competed as Serbia and Montenegro and in 2010 they are simply Serbia. In the last World Cup they were also highly rated but had the misfortune to be paired with Holland, Argentina and Ivory Coast and lost all 3 games.

Chance of progression from Group D: 60%, probably in second place but don't be surprised if they top the group. [Their 1-0 friendly loss to the All Whites, whilst magnificent for New Zealand, was probably just an aberration].

Group C Preview

Algeria

Strengths: Algeria, so some degree, are an unknown quantity at World Cup 2010. Many commentators suggest that they know less about them than most other teams. Most of their players do however ply their trade in Europe - generally lower ranked teams in the top tier or higher ranked teams in the second tier. Their undoubted star is Ziani. At age 27 he has amassed 55 caps for Algeria and has played for many French clubs, although he is now at Wolfsburg in Germany. A creative midfielder, his role is essential if Algeria are to create enough goalscoring opportunities.

Weaknesses: Since 2003 Algeria have only won two away games. Whilst the World Cup is a neutral venue this may affect them psychologically. Algeria have a weak strikeforce. None of them will strike fear into the hearts of their opposition. The best is Saifi, but at 35 is certainly past his prime. Their squad is not blessed with talent - they will work hard and defend doggedly but are not expected to shine.

Formation: likely to be 4-4-2

Manager: Rabah Saadane, an Algerian stalwart, is in his 5th spell in charge of the national side over almost 30 years.

Qualification: Algeria finished level on everything with Egypt in their final qualifying group. They both had 4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, scored 9 goals, conceded 4. This resulted in an unprecedented playoff between Algeria and Egypt to be played in a neutral venue: Sudan. Yahia scored the only goal of the game as Algeria conjured up a 1-0 victory that plunged their country into ecstasy.

World Cup pedigree: Algeria have only reached the World Cup finals on two occasions: 1982 and 1986. Both times they failed to progress from the first round. In 1982 they had a famous 2-1 victory over West Germany and almost qualified for the second round. They reason they didn't was farcical. In the last game between Germany and Austria, a 1-0 or 2-0 win to Germany would be enough for both teams to progress, any other scoreline would see Algeria through. Germany took the lead on 10 minutes and for the remaining 80 minutes both teams simply went through the motions. Algeria would love to progress from Group C and face Germany in the 2nd round - to try exact some revenge!

Chance of progression from Group C: 30%, will probably finish last.

England

Strengths: England's biggest strength is Wayne Rooney. If you didn't know that you've probably been hiding under a rock these past few years. A truism it may be but there is absolutely no denying that he is England's key player at World Cup 2010. England have quality all over the park. The likes of Gerrard and Lampard are excellent creative goalscoring midfielders, they have high quality wingers with the likes of Lennon and Wright-Phillips and versatility from players like Milner (who can play anywhere in midfield) and Carragher who has come out of retirement to help the cause. Cole is a top drawer left back and there is genuine strength in depth in a number of areas of the park.

Weaknesses: England do not have a settled first eleven. There is debate over the goalkeeper (James, Green or Hart?), over whether Heskey should continue partnering Rooney up front as he did in the qualifiers or if Gerrard should play behind Rooney. There is debate over the wingers and there is debate over the central defence, particularly now Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of the World Cup. There are injuries as well: Barry has been battling back from his injury and probably won't be ready for the first game and Ledley King has hardly played a game all season. Right-back is the weakest spot because although Johnson is good at marauding down his flank his defence can be quite suspect. They are also in average form - scrambling to a 2-1 victory over Japan (courtesy of two own goals) being a striking example.

Formation: 4-4-2 if Heskey plays, closer to a 4-4-1-1 if Gerrard supports Rooney.

Manager: Fabio Capello. After a quality playing career in Italy that spanned around 18 years Fabio got into high-level management 11 years later. He has been with top clubs over his 19 years or so as a manager and England is his first international assignment.

Qualification: England comfortably topped their European qualifying group ahead of the likes of Ukraine and Croatia.with 9 wins and 1 draw from 10 games.

World Cup pedigree: This is England's 13th World Cup. They were Champions in 1966 and finished 4th in 1990. They have also been knocked out at the quarters on six occasions.

Chance of progression from Group C: 80%, probably in 1st. There is a reason David Beckham had a massive grin on his face when this group was drawn!

Slovenia

Strengths: Slovenia play a game of collective football which is effective. They have one of the best defences in Europe having only conceded four goals in their ten group matches in qualification. Their best attacking threat is Novakovic who scores goals and is a lethal dead ball specialist. Their captain and lynchpin Robert Koren is their creative playmaker who should provide opportunities for goals. Handanovic is also a talented goalkeeper.

Weaknesses: If we disregard Slovenia's result against the weakest European nation, San Marino, Slovenia barely managed a goal per game. They do not have any real household names - they have a number of solid if unspectacular performers throughout the european leagues.

Formation: Likely to be 4-4-2.

Manager: Matjaz Kez managed his local side Maribor for around six years (2000-2006), followed by the Slovenian U15 and U16 side for about a year. He has been manager of the Slovenian international side since 2007

Qualification: For a country of only 2 million people (and a national football stadium with only 12,435 seats!) Slovenia did exceedingly well to qualify ahead of the much fancied Czech Republic and Poland. They finished 2nd in their qualifying group (behind Slovakia) and had to overcome the mighty Russian side (managed by the brilliant Guus Hiddink) in a playoff. Two goals behind in the first leg this looked unlikely until they pulled a crucial away goal back towards the end of the match. This meant a 1-0 win would suffice in the 2nd leg, and a 1-0 win they achieved. With Dedic scoring at the end of the first half they defended famously to ensure progression.

World Cup pedigree: Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. It is Yugoslavia from whom they derive their footballing tradition. Slovenia first entered qualification for the 1998 tournament but have only made the 2002 World Cup finals. They lost all 3 games scoring 2 goals and conceding 7. They will hope to do much better this time around!

Chance of progression from Group C: 50%, I'm picking an upset though and reckon Slovenia will make the 2nd round (in 2nd place).

USA

Strengths: In Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan the USA have two attacking midfielders who are highly experienced, highly skilled, very creative and at just about the perfect age to be in their prime. Whilst I have been heard to say that Donovan is over-rated (he has been) that has been due to a lack of consistency on his part. At the World Cup we're talking of just a few games and it would be just like Donovan to be really up for those occasions. They have an athletic and very useful goalkeeper in Tim Howard and a tall, imposing and dominant centre-back in Oguchi Onyewu. They have shown recently that they have what it takes to progress to the depths of a tournament having lost 3-2 to Brazil in the final of the Confederations Cup (after being 2-0 up at half-time). Admittedly the Confederations Cup is a tournament barely worth being interested in but they did defeat Spain in the semi-finals, ending their 35 match unbeaten run.

Weaknesses: The USA lack true goalscorers up front. Altidore is the most highly rated but is fairly average from what I've seen of him. Watch him prove me wrong, he did top score with six in qualifying. Edson Buddle appears to have potential but at 29 still has less than a handful of international caps to show for it. Dempsey and Onyewu have been out with injury for long periods of time this season and some of their other European based players have found it hard to get game-time. Beyond their star names the USA have a fairly middling team who I don't think will quite handle the slick, pacy passing of the Slovenians.

Formation: Likely to be a traditional 4-4-2.

Manager: Bob Bradley. He has previously managed MLS sides and has been national manager since after the 2006 World Cup.

Qualification: The USA topped their final qualification group by 1 point ahead of Mexico. It was a relatively easy progression in what is a weak CONCACAF section.

World Cup pedigree: This is the USA's 9th World Cup and their 6th in succession. Their best finish was 3rd in 1930 and their second best effort was being knocked out in the quarters of the 2002 World Cup. In this game they lost to Germany 1-0 in a game which the USA dominated. Kahn made a number of great saves and Ballack scored the crucial goal. Frings also handled the ball on his own line which should have resulted in a penalty, but the Germans held on.

Chance of progression from Group C: 60%, but I reckon they'll miss out to Slovenia.

World Cup podcast

Just a reminder about our World Cup podcast. We recorded our 2nd one a few days ago - discussing the All Whites and the rest of the tournament. Listen to the 1st one too if you haven't already. The link to the podcasts is on the right and you can also subscribe through iTunes.