Group F preview

Italy
Ah, the Italians. Winners on four occasions and current champions. Now back under the tutelage of Marcello Lippi after the moribund spell of former Milan midfielder Roberto Donadoni, the Azzurri are very much a side in transition as a generation of superstars creaks towards retirement. Those coming through are a mixed bag, but the dominant force of Serie A of recent years, Internazionale, provide few bodies.

Qualifying proved relatively routine - undefeated in ten games including two draws with an Irish side who also finished unbeaten but missed out due to a cheating Frenchman, and they should progress from their group here without struggle but also without setting too many pulses racing.

An experienced starting eleven with a smattering of newbie talent - left-back Criscito and midfielders Marchisio and Montelivio, but surprisingly not Candreva or Rossi, both left out, will mean they're as tough to beat as ever. Expect a 4-2-3-1 with one lumbering forward.

Paraguay
Almost certainly the only squad at the finals missing a key player due to him being shot in the face, Paraguay are well capable of providing a shock or two. A hard-working and organised unit, they're surprisingly unreliant on their two biggest names - oft-injured Manchester City forward Roque Santa Cruz, and 38-goal Oscar Cardozo of Benfica.

Stubborn at the back and well-drilled, La Albirroja will make use of the counter attack and full-backs who know when to push on. Finished above Argentina and Uruguay in qualifying and their current side is widely considered to be their strongest to date. Should get through to meet Spain in the second round to equal their best ever World Cup performance.

New Zealand
Expected to be the whipping boys of the group, the All Whites will be desperate to pick up their first Finals point after losing all three games heavily during their only other appearance, Spain '82. The biggest winners from Australia's continent switch, Ricki Herbert's side had to only see off giants such as Vanuata and Fiji before edging Bahrain in a play-off.

Ryan Nelsen is the standout name in their squad, and now captain of Blackburn Rovers. A canny signing by former boss Mark Hughes, he's now played almost two-hundred times for the Ewood Park side. Left-back Tommy Smith has recently been on loan at Brentford from Ipswich Town, Simon Elliott had an injury-hit couple of years at Fulham, Leo Bertos has turned out for Barnsley (where Jeremy Christie also started out) and Rochdale amongst others, Michael McGlinchey came through the ranks at Celtic, Dave Mulligan spent several years roaming around League One, Shane Smeltz enjoyed a prolific 05/06 campaign in the Isthmian League with AFC Wimbleson, goalkeeper Mark Paston has been at Bradford and Walsall, backup James Bannatyne had one season at Yeading, and strikers Chris Wood, Rory Fallon and Chris Killen are at West Brom, Plymouth and Middlesbrough, respectively. Centre-half Winston Reid - five seasons with FC Midtjylland, and fellow defender Ivan Vicelich - a similar spell at Roda JC, represent their only other real experience in major leagues.

I'm not entirely sure what to expect from the Kiwis. Their coach is said to be a bit of a tinkerman, but Reid and Nelsen should provide a solid base at the back, and he generally finds a way of including all three of his main strikers. They won't beat Italy, and almost certainly won't qualify from the group, but picking up a point against Slovakia or Paraguay would be a historic achievement in itself.

Slovakia
It's perhaps surprising that the Slovaks have rarely featured amongst those sides predicted to be dark horses of this tournament. Vlad Weiss Snr's side stormed their qualifying group, finishing ahead of an admittedly-ageing Czech Republic as well as Poland and Slovenia, picking up maximum points in both Prague and Chorzow.

Though still somewhat of a rough diamond and completely untested at this level, the coach has brought through a new generation of exciting players, led by Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik. Miroslav Stoch and Vladimir Weiss Jnr, of Chelsea and Manchester City but both yet to really make the breakthrough, will also provide trickery from the flanks. Martin Skrtel is another familiar name, marshalling a back line that's generally solid. Strikers Sestak and Vittek are wily customers but not generally prolific.

A potentially troublesome side whose hopes will quite probably depend on them taking maximum points from their opening game. Do that and they've an outside chance of making the last eight. Fail to do so and they might just miss out.

Prediction
The Italians to bore their way into the second round. Paraguay to edge an up-and-coming but naive Slovakia for second place.

Leo Torricelli

Day 3 - Ozil shines, Serbia mug off tipsters

With the entire English public waking up with sore heads it was pretty inevitable that the following day would serve us some uneventful fayre topped off with out greatest rivals turning on the style in what's easily been the performance of the tournament so far. Our group rivals walked around for a bit before Slovenia won it late, some numbnut for the hotly-tipped Serbs completely lost his head, and in Durban a star was born...

Algeria 0 Slovenia 1
Not the greatest game of football, but Slovenia will take confidence from their first win at a major tournament. Robert Koren’s tame shot was allowed in by Chaouchi in the Algerian goal after 79 minutes, with Algeria already down to ten men following the sending off of substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal. There wasn’t much else to report. Slovenia are likely to also need something from their next game against the USA to have a chance of qualifying. (MM)

Thought I'd give it a go. I mean, South Korea - Greece had been decent enough, hadn't it? Terrible idea, especially with a hangover. (DK)

My vow to watch every minute of every game sadly fell by the wayside here as two awful sides played awfully and i decided to have a shower instead and make a fry-up. I do quite like Robert Koren, though. England should see off either of these sets of mugs. (HU)

Serbia 0 Ghana 1
Serbia, my nod for surprise package of the tournament, did me proud by being pretty awful against Ghana, though they could still have nicked even after going down to ten men – Milos Krasic firing a great chance straight at Kingson in the Ghanian goal.

Ghana were industrious and energetic as you would expect but it took an 83rd minute penalty following a daft handball by Kuzmanovic to win it. Asamoah Gyan, their number 3-wearing striker, scored with ease. This loss leaves Serbia needing something against Germany on Friday with confidence low. (MM)

So Serbia conspire to make me look like a rambling dickhead (moreso). Ghana looked strong but for my money Serbia should have beaten them. They had the best chances but were just less than the sum of their parts. Would still be in the running if not for a ridiculous handball.

Can't help but think it might be hard for them to get out of the group now, especially as Ghana ought to shoe a Cahill-less Australia all over the place. You can keep that fiver, bet365. (DK)

Quite a nice moment seeing Ghana earn Africa's first victory of their maiden World Cup. As with many, i feel a bit of manlove towards the Serbians, though, and was very disappointed. I actually think Ghana are the best footballing side of Africa, even moreso than Ivory Coast. Tagoe, particularly played very well, and Boateng, too, whilst the likes of Krasic did very little. I think they'll have enough to get through now.

As for Serbia, well. I sincerely hope the rest of their squad drag Kuzmanovic from his bed in the dead of the night and beat him within an inch of a cold with some soggy slippers. What a prick! (HU)

Germany 4 Australia 0
Germany flew out of the traps with the best performance so far – it could have been seven or eight. Australia, set up in ultra-defensive mode, looked very average and Tim Cahill’s loss for possibly the next two games (after a red card early in the second half) could end any realistic chances they had of progression.

Germany’s football was good to watch – quick, incisive passing with Mezut Ozil at the heart of most of their first half moves. Podolski and Klose still look very dangerous at international level despite their troubles in the Bundesliga, both scoring first half goals.

A win against Serbia on Friday ensure the German’s qualification to the second round. (MM)

Now this is what I'm talking about. The World Cup had been mostly trading off its reputation over the weekend, but there has finally been a game to recommend it. Ozil looked great and it's always nice to see the Aussies get beaten heavily. (DK)

Wow. Honestly, wow. Mesut Ozil looked like Georgi Kinkladze in his pomp. Well, to be honest he looked more like Clint Dempsey with big hoody eyelids, but he ripped the Aussies to bits and looked every inch a superstar. I like Muller, as well. He's no artist but very dangerous.

What can you say about the Germans that doesn't get wheeled out during every single tournament. How can their 'average' strikers knock in a goal every other game and ours be Emile Heskey? On paper only Philipp Lahm would be sure of a place in our side, yet they'd absolutely fucking tank us on this form. Hopefully Serbia will ruin them. (HU)

Humberto Ulazo, Matt Morrison, Daniel Kelly

Group E preview

Heading into this 2010 FIFA World Cup, many a person believed upon first glance that Group E would be one of the more easier groups to predict in terms of who will advance and who would not. However, if one takes a more detailed look at the four teams participating in this group they will find that such initial notions are not surefire bets. Obviously the Netherlands are the class team of the group, but other than that there are three teams all capable of squeaking into that second qualifying spot...

Netherlands
When I think of the Netherlands football-wise, I only think of one thing and one thing only; Fun. Fun, good-natured fans known for being some of the best in all of world football, and a fun, forward-thinking football team to match. Yet as we have seen time after time over the years, said 'fun' does not translate into titles, whether it in the European Champions or in the World Cup. Most notably in the last European Championships where they dismantled France and Italy respectively, only to falter rather lifelessly in the quarter final stage to Russia. This time around, the Dutch obviously hope for a different result. With players such as Ibrahim Afellay, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Eljiero Elia, and Robin Van Persie, the end result might be a different one.

The one issue for the Dutch is the health of arguably their best player in Arjen Robben, who suffered a hamstring injury in their last warm-up game against Hungary. He will not play in the Oranje’s first game against Denmark and even if he does come back against Japan, it is not certain that he will be at 100%.

Cameroon
For the most part, this is the strongest Cameroon side that has shown up to a World Cup in recent memory. Yet Les Lions Indomptables still boast a fairly decent squad capable of making some noise in this tournament. Obviously the big name here is Samuel Eto’o, and the likes of Rigobert Song and Geremi will provide valuable experience, yet a decent core of younger players including Song, Enoh, Bassong, even Assou-Ekotto sure up a team lead by Frenchmen Paul Le Guen. Whether this squad can squeak out of this group remains to be seen, but they most certainly have a shot.

Denmark
The Danish, even by their own admission, do not really have a team flowing with star players, but what the lack in firepower they make up for in experience and good chemistry. All of this starts with the coach Morten Olsen. In this day and age a football manager does not last at a post very often so to see Olsen last ten years as Danish national team manager is a commendable achievement, especially when you consider that Denmark missed the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2008. A slightly surprising qualifying group winner, finishing ahead of Portugal (who sneaked into the World Cup via the playoffs) and Sweden (who did not qualify).

The Danish are a tight, compact, disciplined squad that does not give up anything easily so expect the likes of the Japan and Cameroon to have a bit of a difficult time breaking them down. Their main problem might prove to be a lack of attacking punch.

Japan
Rounding out Group E is Japan. Japan’s manager, Takeshi Okada, bravely proclaimed a final four finish for the Blue Samurai. I can assure you (in a rare moment of non-objectivity) that this will most likely not happen. They did not set the world alight during qualifying and to add to their misery have never won a World Cup match off Asian soil. So honestly, do not expect too much from Japan at all. Only four of their squad ply their trade outside of their homeland. Of those, midfielder Keisuke Honda, who performed admirably against England recently, might be the one worth keeping an eye on.

Prediction
Despite the temporary loss of Arjen Robben, I still have the Netherlands advancing out of this group as winners. As for who will join them, I've a feeling Denmark will edge Cameroon. They should prove disciplined and organised enough to earn themselves a place in the last sixteen, though are unlikely to go much further than that.

Kofi Appiah Biney

the World Cup away from the field

Football isn’t just consigned to a pitch. Indeed, some of the most important and indeed most humorous moments happen off it. Just ask Kim Jong-hun, (though I doubt he will find the funny side) coach of the North Korean national team, who nominated striker Kim Myong-wun as his side’s third goalkeeper. Unfortunately for both Kims, FIFA have ruled that his selection as goalkeeper means he can only take to the field as a goalkeeper. If he plays, I hope for his sake someone tells him to catch crosses, not nod them in.

Although we may snort in our Starbucks like capitalist pig-dogs at this kind of ineptitude, off-field drama has proven par for the course at the World Cup. They range from the plain daft to events of great seriousness; sometimes, they are even a mix of both. Here are a few...

Diana Ross (USA, 1994)
The United States: glitz, glamour and, er, Alabama. Emerging from the Cold War victorious, our friends in the West had the chance to put on an event that could eclipse all previous tournaments. They had it all: a solid infrastructure, world-renowned stadiums and a market of potential ‘soccer’ fans just waiting to be tapped.

The opening ceremony was going swimmingly, providing the mix of spectacle and razzmatazz that is so uniquely American. To top it all off, on comes Diana Ross dressed in a red shell suit and flanked by Colgate mascots either side. The plan was simple: wave at adoring crowd, sport toothy grin amid the whoopin’ and a-hollerin’ fans, kick oversized ball into net, collapse net, cue cheers. Instead, taking leave of the script, Ross decides to perform a heartfelt tribute to a history of England penalty woes.

(Ok, so this was technically ‘on-field’…gimme a break).

John Aldridge (USA 1994)
After the high of beating Italy 1-0 in their opening match, the Republic of Ireland were brought crashing back down to earth in their next game as they trailed Mexico 2-0 with time running out. Manager Jack Charlton, seeing his team’s dire position, decided to chuck on veteran John Aldridge.

That was his plan, anyway. The officials however, had other ideas. Whether it was a miscommunication or a delay in paperwork, the officials would not let Aldridge on to the field, despite the player he was replacing having come off. Aldridge, in his trademark native Cork accent, let out a barrage of four-word missives at the presumably terrified sideline officials. Jack Charlton then got involved. Nearly six minutes afterwards, Aldridge was eventually allowed on to the field.

Although both he and Charlton were punished for their x-rated tirades - broadcast around the world -Aldridge had the last laugh; he scored the consolation goal against Mexico which proved to be a decider in sending his team through to the second round on goal difference.
Ronaldo (France, 1998)
What went from being a spot of teamsheet hokey-cokey to one of football’s biggest conspiracy theories, the mystery surrounding Ronaldo during the day of the 1998 World Cup Final would have given Holmes a headache. The stand-out player of the tournament, the Brazilian wonderkid was expected to upstage the hosts in the final with his lightning speed and lethal finishing.

However, when the lineups were submitted, his name was the one that stood out more than usual; he was listed on the bench. As the media ran around like headless chickens trying to understand what had happened, another teamsheet was circulated with Ronaldo’s name this time in the starting line up. On receiving it, Gary Lineker labelled the confusion as the biggest practical joke in World Cup history.

Yet there was hardly anything jokey about it. Brazil and Ronaldo in particular put in a dismal performance as France ran out 3-0 winners. After the game, rumours circled about Ronaldo being injured, and that he had been forced to play on by his sponsors. In fact, on the morning of the final, Roberto Carlos had woken up to discover his roommate Ronaldo having a seizure. The team was shell shocked, and with serious concerns about their star striker’s wellbeing, this no doubt went someway to explain Brazil’s below par display that evening.

Ernst Jean Joseph (West Germany, 1974)
Haiti had done well just to get to the World Cup finals, and in their first match put up a hell of a fight, taking a one-nil lead before eventually going down 3-1 to a world class Italian side. Sadly for Haitian defender Ernst Jean Joseph, this was as good as it would get; after the game, he became the first player at a World Cup to fail a dope test. If this wasn’t bad enough for Joseph, whose native country was under the terrifying regime of Papa Doc Duvalier at the time, the Haitian team officials responded to his positive test by holding him in the training camp and beating the shit out of him.

The terrified Joseph phoned two neutral officials who tried to intervene on his behalf: both were reprimanded for doing so. In the end, Joseph was flown home to face the consequences, whilst his teammates went on to lose 7-0 to Poland and 4-1 to Argentina in the remaining group games.

Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane (Japan and South Korea, 2002)
In the build up to the 2002 World Cup, the contrasting stances of Roy Keane, the FAI and manager Mick McCarthy combined to create a turd so large that a chance encounter with a passing fan was almost inevitable.

For Keane, the build-up to the World Cup had been less than adequate; the relaxed atmosphere of the training camp, the team having to fly economy class, and the fact that the expectations of the Irish officials and team did not match his own (he reportedly told Alex Ferguson he was going to the World Cup to win it), did nothing to dispel his concerns. As the media got wind of a brewing feud, Keane did an interview with the Irish Times, in which he publicly aired his concerns about the management, the FAI and revealed his threat to quit the team.

McCarthy confronted Keane with regard to the article, with one question on his mind: wtf? Keane’s response was, and still is, legendary: "Mick, you're a liar … you're a fucking wanker. I didn't rate you as a player, I don't rate you as a manager, and I don't rate you as a person. You're a fucking wanker and you can stick your World Cup up your arse. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your bollocks."

Unsurprisingly, McCarthy sent Keane home on the next plane from Saipan. Ireland went on to make the last sixteen, going out to Spain on penalties. Meanwhile, Keane walked his dog. A lot.

Argentina (Argentina, 1978)
As tournaments go, this one was a good as any other, with the home national Argentina beating Holland 3-1 in an enthralling final that went to extra time. However, outside the stadium walls, dark secrets were being kept from prying international eyes.

Argentina had been chosen to host the 1978 World Cup ten years earlier. Two years before the tournament, the country was taken over by Jorge Videla’s military dictatorship known as the ‘National Reorganisation Process’, casting a regime of fear, suppression and bloodlust onto the country. As the regime got into full swing, the World Cup provided the ultimate opportunity for its legitimisation.

And how it needed it in the face of its crimes. The year prior to the Finals, the government stated that over 5,000 more people had joined the ever growing ranks of ‘the disappeared’ – the phrase used to describe political opponents and non-patriots that had either been banished to concentration camps, or worse, their death. Over 30,000 would perish in what became known as the ‘Dirty War’, a campaign of state sponsored violence against anti-government people.

Although the camps and atrocities were masked by those in power during the World Cup spotlight, The success of the tournament and the Argentine team has been seen to be a key factor in legitimising these processes. As human rights activist Mabel Gutierrez put it; “it was a cup made to wash the face of the murderers…in front of the world.”

On occasion, the hellish world hidden from international scrutiny would intertwine with the Argentina peddled by its leaders. Less than a mile away from River Plate’s stadium was the Naval Mechanics School, a torture centre during the regime where around 5,000 ‘disappeared’ were believed to have been held. On match days, the captives could hear the roar of the crowds cheering on their teams, offering a hollow respite from the screams of torture victims at the camp.

On the night of Argentina’s World Cup victory, several inmates were taken by their captors in a car to join the celebrating masses in the centre of Buenos Aires. Yet as former inmate Graciela Daleo recalls, public celebration contrasted painfully with what her and her fellow prisoners had endured. The team's victory only ensured she would have to endure it for some time still: "I stood up on the seat and looked at that multitude. That was another moment of terrible solitude. I was crying. I was certain that if I began to shout that I was a 'disappeared,' then no one would even notice."

Argentina may have won the World Cup in 1978, but its people lost a whole lot more.

Sean Lightbown

Group D preview

Although the Ivory Coast’s ability to get drawn in an absolute sod of a group for the second finals running may have seen Group D lose out in the battle to claim the traditional ‘group of death’ mantle, it wouldn’t be too contentious to say that the Germany/Serbia/Ghana/Australia match-up may just prove to be the most hard and bitterly fought in this summer’s tournament.

The draw was very kind to some of the world’s more established powers (Argentina and Spain may as well have been left out of the draw for the groups and fast-tracked to the second round) and it’s only really down to France’s recent poor form that Group A doesn’t look like it has a clear-cut winner. It’s the strengths, rather than the weaknesses (which isn’t to say there aren’t any), of the sides involved that make Group D such an interesting prospect. Below are my summaries of each side and some predictions for your post-World Cup ridiculing pleasure …

Germany
No Englishman needs much of an introduction to Germany. Although they lack the superstar names of yesteryear, the Germans remain strong competitors, losing the final of Euro 2008 and having flown through their qualification group unbeaten.

While the cliché that Germany will be efficient and machine-like rather than creative and inspired may be true (the only real flair player in the German 23 is Werder Bremen youngster Mesut Ozil), the heart of the team are likely to be buoyed by club successes over the last year. Phillip Lahm, scorer of the opening goal at the last World Cup, has stepped in to the captain vacancy following an injury to the talismanic Michael Ballack and a superb season with German double winners Bayern Munich.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, a reported target for Chelsea, was also pivotal to Bayern’s success and enjoyed the best spell of his career since moving to a more central midfield position and while neither Miroslav Klose or Mario Gomez had vintage seasons at the Allianz Arena, both should be full of confidence going into Germany’s opening group game against Australia. Questions will be asked of Germany’s defence given the loss of first choice keeper Rene Adler in the build-up to the tournament but they’re pedigree should at very least see them through.

Serbia
Although some of Serbia’s squad have previous experience of the World Cup in a disappointing showing as Serbia & Montenegro in 2006, South Africa will be the first time the country fields a side as an independent country. The Balkan region has produced many fantastic players over the last two decades and many football pundits have pondered on just how successful the young Yugoslavia side of the early 1990s could have been if the state had remained unified, but since Croatia’s run to third place in 1998, teams from the region have largely failed to make a big impact on the world stage.

With a team full of players plying their trade at the highest level in European football, that looks set to change. Premier League fans will already be familiar with Chelsea right-back Branislav Ivanovic, Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, Wolverhampton Wanderer’s Nenad Millijas and will soon be getting to know the team’s attacking partnership, the 6’7” new Birmingham striker Nikola Zigic and Liverpool signing Milan Jovanovic. Serbian players have also been making their mark elsewhere on the continent, most notably Borussia Dortmund’s Neven Subotic and CSKA Moscow’s Milos Krasic.

Like Germany, Serbia may find themselves looking quite weak in the goalkeeping department, with Wigan’s Vladimir Stojkovic hardly cutting a commanding figure. Nonetheless, their defensive record during qualifying was exceptional and it certainly won’t be easy to beat them.

Ghana
African teams have a slightly more circuitous route to the finals than their European counterparts, but Ghana managed to make it through both of CAF’s group stages, the first of which ended with a surprising three-way tie. Ghana pulled away as clear winners in their second group, and as this one was made up of CAF’s stronger performers it could bode well for their ability to cope with stronger sides in South Africa.

The Black Stars may well see playing in Africa and at an altitude many of their players will have a great deal of experience of as a distinct advantage over their group opponents, but it is fair to say they aren’t in as strong a position as they were during the last World Cup. Star player Michael Essien will be absent through injury, while other big-hitters in the side, such as Kevin Prince Boateng, were not in the best of form during the close season.

That said, there is enough to the Ghana side for them to not be roll-overs and they could spring a surprise on Germany or Serbia if taken too lightly. Sulley Muntari may have been reduced to a peripheral figure at Inter Milan in recent months, but anyone to have featured for the treble-winning European champions must have quality and Stephen Appiah has a wealth of experience to call on when the going gets tough.

Australia
Australia is a nation very used to having things its own way when it comes to sport but success in the world of football continues to elude them. There’s no doubt that the Australian national team has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, nor that the country has produced some very good players. The best example is Tim Cahill, who continues to terrorise defences in the Premier League, proving incredibly potent from set-pieces despite his relatively diminutive height. Former Leeds attacker Harry Kewell has struggled with injuries throughout most of his career but is still capable of lighting up the Turkish Super League at Galatasaray, and his club team-mate Lucas Neil has won many admirers, if not for his loyalty or integrity then for his tough-tackling displays in defence.

The Socceroos cruised through their qualification campaign, albeit against very poor opposition, but their recent performances in friendly games have drawn criticism from their own manager Pim Verbeek. Sporting confidence is seemingly an inherent part of the Australian psyche and could provide them with a mental advantage over their opponents but it seems unlikely they’ll make much of an impression this time round.

Prediction:

A tough one to call, although I’d imagine most people would have Germany down as Group D winners. But with their strikers somewhat misfiring over the domestic season and Serbia’s defence looking rock solid, I struggle to see them beating the Serbs to first place, who I’d expect to earn solid 1-0 wins against Ghana and Australia at least, and wouldn’t be surprised to see them take a point from the Germans.

Ghana aren't a bad side at all but I can’t see them making it through here. It’s unfortunate as there are a few other groups that, other than the seed, lack quality and will see sides lesser than Ghana make it through the next stage, but that’s football. Given that Australia are twelve places above Ghana in the FIFA rankings, it may seem unwise to plump for them to finish bottom of the group. However, I see them really struggling for goals as Tim Cahill is likely to find is aerial ability curtailed by the physicality of all of their Group D opponents. It could turn out I’m laughably wrong and the Aussies end up giving England a scare in the second round, but I’m going to say they'll finish bottom here.

Daniel Kelly

Day 2 - Rob Green is pants, South Koreans impress

When England's first round opposition were announced, most people, at least those i know, agreed that the draw had been favourable. Many of those same people watched just about enough football to be aware that America are no longer a complete set of ponies. Seven points good going then, or so we said before our opening game. A draw with the toughest of the three sides shouldn't be viewed as a complete disaster then, eh? Hmmm.

Earlier on that day, an extremely excitable South Korea easily whipped a lifeless Greece. The Argies, who many people predicted to struggle, took three points more convincingly than the scoreline suggests against a Nigeria side who admittedly did defend well at times. Rusty former United left-back Gabriel Heinze brilliant diving header settled it.

South Korea 2 Greece 0
South Korea were deserved winners against a dire Greece side. A great goal from Park Ji-Sung sealed it early in the second half. South Korea will hope to progress now while the Greeks need to beat Nigeria on Thursday to have any hope. (MM)

Probably the second best game so far, despite Greece being pretty shocking. The Koreans might find themselves getting mullered if they're that forward-thinking against Argentina but on this evidence would deserve a place in the second round. (DK)

Impressed with the Koreans here. Greece, well, nothing about them whatsoever. Embarrassing to think their anti-football won them the Euros. Korea/Nigeria should decide who follows Argentina through, but even shouldn't they make it, they're proving themselves to be an improving, up and coming, not to mention exciting footballing nation. Right-back Cha Du-Ri did very well. (BA)

Argentina 1 Nigeria 0
A funny game this. Argentina took an early lead as one Nigerian defender was clearly thinking about anything other than defending a corner, letting Gabriel Heinze in to score a good header.

Messi looked good and was unfortunate not to score due to some great saves from Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama (expect to see him at Bolton next season). Higuain did not have his shooting boots on and Tevez worked hard with little end product.

Nigeria could have snatched something towards the end as the Argentinian defence (with left winger Gutierrez at right back) looked far from impenetrable. There should be more to come from Argentina. (MM)

Fairly disappointing game given the first ten minutes promised so much. Enyeama put several others in his profession to shame by proving it is possible to make saves with the World Cup ball. (DK)

After dropping probably his best midfielder, allegedly picking a squad player based on a dream, and telling half the world to suck his balls, it shouldn't have surprised is at all to see an average Championship left-winger playing at right-back. The Argies looks good in spells against a physical side. They'll be over the moon with a 1-0 win in their opener, as would anyone. They'll improve, though. (BA)

England 1 USA 1
An interesting match that confirmed a lot of pre-match worries for England fans, mainly between the sticks. An early goal is not always a good thing for England as they so often retreat into their shell. Ball retention does not seem to have improved too much but the USA were held at arm’s length until Green’s clanger.

A draw was probably a fair result and brings English expectations back down where they belong. USA would hope to progress especially after seeing what Slovenia and Algeria had to offer.

Capello will welcome fit again Gareth Barry back into the side but has a very big decision to make as to whether Green retains the no.1 shirt. (MM)

Either it was too boring or I was too drunk for me to remember much about it. Not as bad a result as some have suggested though. (DK)

Not bothered so much about the result but the performance. We have to be careful to not completely destroy Rob Green, but it was a bad error and Fabio has a tough call to make on whether he can risk that happening again.

America are a good side, but i think Capello just got his tactics wrong. After two years of not playing Lampard and Gerrard together, culminating in a very successful qualifying campaign, why tinker with it? If we had absolutely no other options to replace Gareth Barry then why not take Scott Parker? Where was Joe Cole? Does it make sense to play someone who's been on their sickbed for three days?

Not a disaster, but we now know we can't slip up. (BA)

Daniel Kelly, Barry Adams, Matt Morrisson

Day 1 - All square in Group A

So the big day finally arrived and the ITV commentators virtually arrived in their trousers talking about how much of an event it was for the continent of Africa. Once Sepp Blatter has taken all the plaudits we actually got down the important stuff. A Mexican side who troubled England at Wembley in the lead-up to this tournament looked sharper than the hosts, especially early on, but a superb goal by a winger whose name i can't spell gave Bafana Bafana real hope of an opening day victory. Part-time Barca defender Rafa Marquez levelled late on, and though the better football came from the South Americans, a draw was probably about right. The second game involved France. Less said the better.

South Africa 1 Mexico 1
Mexico were the better side but showed, as they did against England, a lack of firepower - having seen Guillermo Franco play first hand, I can confirm that he is not the most dynamic of strikers. South Africa were spurred on by the occasion and Tshabalala’s opening goal was a beauty. Couldn’t have been any further in the top corner if it tried.

Some schoolboy defending allowed Rafael Marquez to equalise. A point is not a bad result for South Africa and they will not be frightened to have a go at Uruguay and France. (MM)

A decent start to the tournament. The first half was fairly light on action but things were a fair bit more lively after the break. South Africa's goal was brilliant to watch and the way they celebrated it was exactly the sort of thing even the least sentimental cynic secretly wants to see at a World Cup. (DK)

Mexico are a strange beast. Very impressed with them but they're ineffective infront of goal and should have seen this game off. Giovani looked like a world beater, which just shows how weird competitions like this can me. There's a lot to like about the Mexicans - they move very well, the full-backs are adventurous, they're slick and easy on the eye. South Africa aren't all that, but similarly lack a centre-forward. Neither will get past the second round at best, but interesting to watch for very different reasons. Salcido's quite a tidy player. (JS)

Uruguay 0 France 0
Dullsville. France looked very poor with a real lack of invention. Ribery was off the boil, Anelka played as has done for Chelsea since Christmas and the less said about Sidney Govou the better. Must improve. Uruguay’s lack of attacking intent was a little surprising as Suarez and Forlan could have caused the French back four more problems than they did. Not even Nicolas Lodeiro’s sending off 16 minutes after coming on as a substitute could liven things up and only ensured the final ten minutes were completed without further ado. (MM)

Pretty turgid, dull affair that I could have done without watching. Diaby is that special kind of awful player whose complete awfulness is sharpened by the fact he can be a very capable footballer. He'd spend five minutes dictating play and then the next fifteen flopping about like a seal in a France kit. And Henry appealing for a penalty almost resulted in me headbutting my TV. (DK)

Typical of most of the opening games, both sides were more interested in not losing than trying to take all three points. France remain limp in attack, and the inclusion of Govou is simply outstanding - the boy's a retard. Toulalan did okay, but he was the only one as they struggled to break down a tough Uruguay side, despite the best efforts of calamity captain Diego Lugano. Without Godin to hold his hand France, despite being dire, could have snook it. (JS)

Matt Morrison, Daniel Kelly, John Singh

Group C preview

If we've learned anything from our not so great national side's qualifying campaign it's that we're quite good at playing really badly against really bad sides but very rarely slipping up. Given that the group we topped almost untouched contained Croatia; a side who were the purists favourites until a few sleeps ago, and the Ukraine, we might well be quite optimistic. Algeria and Slovenia are ranked 30th and 25th in the latest rankings, respectively.

USA
The second greatest nation on earth, and brilliant at any sport which they either invented or can baffle folk with maths about. Soccer's taking off there, so they've been telling us for nigh on two generations. Even the signing of the most famous footballer on the planet has just about made ripples over the pond, but at least it gives them something to talk about beyond beating us in the fifties.

Tim Howard is, on his day, as reliable a goalkeeper as there is in the best league in the world. Since moving from Manchester's second club he's proven solid at Everton and has earned the respect of those who saw him as a bit of a caricature early on due to his 'comedy' disorder. Behind him are two stoppers talented in their own right - Marcus Hahnemann grasped his place back at Wolves and impressed, whereas Brad Guzan, though appearances have been limited, possesses great reflexes, and will, in time, dislodge another US veteran, Brad Friedel.

America's weak point remains their defence. There's a chance they could field a back four solely compromising of unspectacular players who've all plied their trade in England - Jonathan Spector, Jay De Merit, Carlos Bocanegra and 'Gooch' Onyewu, the latter doubtful after an injury-hit season at Milan. All uncultured, all clumsy, all capable of looking like Norman Wisdom on ice. Any top side should find them out.

Coach Bob Bradley will stick to a tried and tested 4-4-2, with son Michael and fellow German-basee Ricardo Clark providing the steel in midfield and two more-familiar names running the flanks. Clint Dempsey is actually brilliant, i mean ACTUALLY BRILLIANT, for Fulham at least, those in the States don't quite get the manlove we afford him, what chumps we are.

On the opposite wing will be Landon Donovan, who caught the imagination of our domestic league during a splendid loan spell at Everton during which he looked like a taller, whiter, faster, more tricky and disciplined Shaun Wright-Phillips. Both of these fellas can make their full-back look like a numpty and will prove the USA's main weapon - quick, direct counter-attacking. Both chase second balls, both are dangerous around the area, and the pair are exactly the sort who could become never forgotten World Cup heroes.

Something about Edson Buddle.

Algeria
Les Fennecs have only ever qualified for two World Cups, exiting in the first round on both occasions. In 1982 they famously beat West Germany before bowing out on goal difference despite winning another of their three group games. Four years later, the real Zidane, Djamel, bagged their only goal in Mexico in a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland, levelling after Norman Whiteside had opened the scoring.

Being North African, expect lots of angry eyes, effing and jeffing and the odd underhand tactic. Still high after beating rivals (and better side) Egypt in a violent play-off, third place would probably be something of a moral victory. Majid Bougherra and Yazid Mansouri will prove their main backbone, with Ziani providing the flair if he can be arsed. Hassan Yebda's no donkey and could present a goal threat, but comedy goalkeeping and a powderpuff front two will mean they'll trouble few, and a fairly inactive calender mightn't help.

Championship Manager enthusiasts will chuckle at spotting one Mourad Meghni in the squad. The ninetieth of eight-hundred 'next Zidannes' is still a bit shit. Hameur Bouazza and one-time Man City trialist Djamal Abdoun (exactly!) will also be hanging around pretending to look busy.

Slovenia
Now Zahovic-free, Matjaz Kekz' (seriously, that's his name) side are another who will be hoping South Africa sees them through the group stage for the first ever time after impressively beating Russia over two legs in a play-off. Unlucky during a friendly at Wembley last autumn, they are, as you might expect, solid, if somewhat static in attack and error-prone in defence, but with a suave and relatively cultured midfield engine room.

Robert Koren, surprisingly released by West Brom this summer, is capable of asking probing questions. Andraz Kirm, waspish from the left, won't let his full-back settle, Valter Birsa, currently at Auxerre, is a good crosser of the ball, and Rene Khrin of Inter Milan, though unlikely to start, is tipped to go on to be one of the very best central midfielders in Europe.

Sadly, for them at least, another former Baggie and his central defensive colleague will prove their undoing. Bostjan Cesar, now at Grenoble, is more Davro than Moore, and Marko Suler is equally prone to a blooper, although his club side Gent ended the Juliper Pro League with its second best defensive record.

England
I'm English, but i fucking despise our national football team, i must admit. That is until this last month, where a combination of alcohol, recreational drugs and a couple of weeks off work have gotten me genuinely excited.

With England, the problem has rarely, not in my lifetime at least, been a lack of players, or even below-par managers, but more a team and nation of losers with no belief or testicular fortitude. Though the performances in the warm-up games have been pretty poor, Italy proved last time round that playing pretty isn't at all necessary, and under Capello we seem to be getting the basics right.

I won't go as far as suggesting England can win the World Cup, but there's only one squad obviously better than ours, in my opinion, and providing there are no outrageously bad refs, we don't pick up any more injuries, get our bit of luck, and can avoid penalties as much as possible, then we should be able to reach the last four for the first time in twenty years.

See, the problem with England is that we're always looking for an excuse. In the run-up to this tournament pretty much everything that has gone wrong, barring Wayne Rooney's late injury, has. Our most vital cog - Gareth Barry, is struggling to be fit whilst possible replacements fluff their lines. Our two genuinely world-class players - Rooney and Ashley Cole, have both had injuries and are quite probably not 100%. Aaron Lennon, Glen Johnson and David James have all had knocks, too, Rio's out, John Terry's a giant cunt, we've no established 'keeper, no clue who should partner Wayne in attack, and our secret weapon is sat twiddling his thumbs round his mam and dad's gaff somewhere near Sunderland.

I'd like to think that England will be professional enough to dispose of the two moribund sides in this group. I have a feeling me might underestimate America, and key areas of concern will particularly be Glen Johnson defending his right-back position, and any replacement for Barry rising above themselves to manage the completely unscientific job of guarding their defence and passing the ball accurately to a footballer.

Prediction:
England to pick up maximum points from their final two games after a disappointing and possibly embarrassing opening result against America. The Yanks to follow them after Lord Mayor's Show draws against the 'other two'.

Tommy Pardoe

Group B preview

Group B is a strange beast. On the face of it Argentina are the clear favourites to qualify comfortably with any one of South Korea, Nigeria and Greece having a legitimate claim to grab second spot. The South Americans have a stable of attackers that are more talented than that of any other side in the tournament boasting four of the top goalscorers in European football last season in Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Diego Milito and pick of the bunch Carlos Tevez – all that before considering two of the game’s hottest young properties in Sergio Aguero and Angel di Maria, as well as one of the best midfield anchor men around in Javier Mascherano.

However, as you begin to delve a little deeper you will find one or two furrowed brows around. Coach Diego Maradona has picked just one recognised full back in his squad, found no place for Champions League winners Esteban Cambiasso or Javier Zanetti and will be relying on 35-year-old Juan Sebastien Veron to provide the ammunition for the wealth of attacking arsenal from the middle of the park. The traditional goalkeeping problem also continues to afflict them with the three 'keepers in the squad having just over a dozen caps between them.

What then of their opponents? The Asian challenge will be led by South Korea, who earned favour going out of the group stages in Germany. Skippered by Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung and with the impressive Lee Chung-Yong of Bolton lighting up the midfield, there is no questioning the Koreans’ technical ability or energy. The suspicion remains however that they remain lightweight and will struggle against the physically stronger Greeks and Nigerians and it is difficult to see where the goals are going to come from – Middlesbrough fans will attest that the inclusion of Lee Dong-Gook in your side guarantees you almost anything except goals.

The Nigerians go into every tournament, be it the African Cup of Nations or World Cup promising much, yet delivering little and to be honest, that doesn’t look like changing this time around. Gone are the heady days of Okocha, Oliseh, Ikpeba and co treating us to thrilling 3-2 wins over Spain and are now replaced by an inconsistent side led by the potentially explosive Yakubu/Martins/Obinna strikeforce. Much will depend on how they perform and whether they’re able to score the goals needed to ensure qualification. They could well be having to feed off scraps with their best midfielder, Jon-Obi Mikel, missing, so it will be important for their full-backs, particularly Marseille’s Taye Taiwo, to play their part by getting forward and providing the frontmen with a decent supply line to feed upon.

All of which brings us to Euro 2004 champions Greece, who remain to date the only side in World Cup Finals history not to have scored a goal following their embarrassing performance in 1994. The squad is largely made up of players from the Greek league, with a smattering of players plying their trade abroad. With the respected and ancient Otto Rehnhagel still at the helm, Greece are expected to be well organised and very difficult to break down. Hero of their triumph in Portugal Angelos Charisteas remains a goal threat and is ably supported by former Portsmouth loan striker Theo Gekas, whilst Giorgios Karagounis provides the creativity from midfield. Another former Pompey man, Kostas Chalkias is likely to start in goal behind that well-drilled defence that will feature Sotirios Kyrgiakos. Their best chance of qualification will come from remaining tight defensively and looking to pinch a goal on the break or from a set piece.

Prediction:
I would expect Argentina, even a potentially rudderless one under Maradona’s confused leadership to qualify for the knockout stages with relative ease. If South Korea can beat Greece in their first game then I would back them to join the South Americans in the second round. If they don’t then I think they’ll find it difficult.

Each candidate to join Argentina have their merits and their weaknesses. From a purists point of view, I hope the Koreans can qualify, yet there is no doubt that the tournament as a whole would benefit from a sizable African representation in the next round should Nigeria qualify. Whether or not a Greek qualification would be a good thing is entirely down to whether you share Charles Hughes’ view of football. Personally, it’s not for me.

John Rogers

Tournament predictions...

A few regular contributors give us their tips (mainly submitted before the big kick-off) for the competition...

Winner
If Spain or Brazil play to their capabilities then they should both make the final, but those two aside i don't think there are any standout teams at all. England, France, Italy and Portugal are all vulnerable, and Argentina impossible to predict. Perhaps Holland or Germany could be strong, but i really can't see past the big two. (WC)

Brazil. (JR)

Brazil. (TG)

Two teams who've never won the World Cup before will content the final. The match between Spain and the Netherlands will determine the first European team to ever win the Wold Cup outside of Europe. Spain will ultimately triumph. (PH)

Being the boring sort that I am, favourites Spain are my pick to lift the trophy on July 11th. Their strength in depth around all corners of the field and their ability to unlock even the tightest defences like master jewel thieves means that it is very hard to make any other prediction. (SL)

Brazil. Can't look past them. More defensively sound than Spain, with still enough attacking talent to break apart most nations. The only problem could be Dunga cracking under the pressure. (MH)

Last Four
Brazil, Spain, one of Argentina or Germany, plus, assuming they get through the group, England. I think we'd have enough to get through the second round and quarters, assuming we avoid the Germans. (WC)

Brazil, Spain, Germany, Serbia. (JR)

Brazil, Spain, England, Germany. (TG)

The losing semi-finalists will be England (who'll beat Germany and Mexico but lose to the Netherlands) and Argentina (who'll beat South Africa and Ghana but lose to Spain). (PH)

Runners up for me will be Brazil, with England and Serbia left to battle for third place as losing semi-finalists. (SL)

Brazil, England, Spain and Korea. (MH)

I cannot lie: I was expecting relatively little excitement from Germany. After their performance against Australia, they proved themselves as an exciting prospect, and interestingly the first nation to throw down the gauntlet by playing with unrestricted, impressive attacking aplomb. For me, considering their potentially tame knockout path, I see them making at least the semi-finals. I predict they will be joined by Argentina, Spain and Brazil. (EG)

Dark Horses
Paraguay or Korea. Neither have any hope of winning it, of course, but i think they'll progress from their groups. Also wouldn't be surprised to see at least one African side in the last eight. (WC)

Serbia, Ivory Coast. (JR)

Serbia may be a surprise choice, but a decent draw and emerging talent mean the Balkan nation can repeat the feats of Croatia in '98. Much of this will depend on them winning the group, however, and the group game versus Germany in Port Elizabeth on July 18 could be the acid test to determine whether Serbia can cut it against the establishment of world football. (SL)

Serbia seem to be the neutrals favourites for a surprise shot at success. (MH)

Surprise Flops
Portugal. France, Italy and England could all potentially balls up their chances. France are particularly terrible. (WC)

Italy, Portugal. (JR)

Argentina. (TG)

Brazil will go out at the quarter final. France will be the big name (but not altogether surprising) first round casualties whilst widely tipped 'shocks' Serbia, the Ivory Coast and the US will all fail to have the predicted impact and crash out at the group stage. Perhaps more of a surprise would be the Ivory Coast being the only African team not to make Round Two. (PH)

Spain. It's been a very, very long season for them, and they seem like a couple of injuries from breaking down completely. They ghosted through Euro 2008 very well, but this could be a step too far. (MH)

I think Italy and France will flop, which will bring rapturous delight to many. (EG)

Players of the Tournament
Hardly a leftfield answer but it'd be nice if the world's best footballer had a storming tournament. Higuain, too, Sneijder, or pretty much anyone in the Spain or Brazil squad. (WC)

Iniesta. (JR)

Khedira, Lucio, David Villa. (TG)

In the few clips shown on TV, Lionel Messi has looked at his imperious best in training. However, more so than gawping at the talents of the most gifted player of a generation, I expect we will be more inclined to stand and applaud the measured play of the Spanish engine room; Xavi and Iniesta. If they fire on all cylinders, which one suspects they will, Torres and Villa will have a field day; the Barca-bound man being my pick for top scorer in the tournament.

The World Cup can also prove a springboard for emerging talents, and there is no shortage in South Africa this summer. At 29, Chile’s Humberto Suarez may not exactly be a spring chicken, but if he can replicate his recent international form on the biggest stage of them all, I’d expect the inbox of his current club, Monterrey, will be bursting with offers for the powerful striker. (SL)

The sturdiness of the Brazilian defence will surprise those neutrals expecting free flowing, clichéd samba style attacking nouse. Fullback Maicon, and centre-back Lucio, in particular, should shine from the back. (EG)

Top Scorer
Can't look past David Villa. He's the best finisher in world football by some distance. Some shit German will probably bang in about nine, but someone like Robinho might be a good bet. (WC)

Luis Fabiano. (JR)

David Villa. (TG)

Wouldn't be surprised if Ronaldo scored about ten goals in the tournament before Portugal's inevitable quarter final exit. He is due some goals, and was in lovely form for Real Madrid last season. It's time he proved himself to be one of the greatest of all time, and not just a fantastic player in this generation. (MH)

Despite the Brazilian emphasis on defence, Luis Fabiano has a respectable possibility of winning the Golden Boot, and should rival such players as the agile David Villa, the ever-reliable Miroslav Klose and the fragile Robin Van Persie. (EG)

Big Money Movers
Angel di Maria will move to one of the world's best clubs for a fee in excess of £25m. I'm not entirely convinced about him, and certainly couldn't see him coping well in England. More likely he'll move to Spain, i'd imagine. James Milner will probably do very little but still go for daft money. Mesut Ozil is quite a tidy player and will almost certainly leave Bremen if not this summer then next. Krasic sounds like he's already on his way to Juve. (WC)

Angel di Maria, Andres Guadardo, Luis Suarez. (JR)

When Fabregas finally completes his drawn-out ‘dream’ move to the team that often causes the ITV commentary team to faint from a constant superlative monsoon, Mesut Özil could, and should, shift Wenger’s attention away from Barcelona Under 11 games. (EG)

England Heroes & Villians/predictions
Someone, probably one of our most likeable players, will be unlucky enough to become this tournament's whipping boy. Expect James Milner to receive a vital red card, Gareth Barry to miss a penalty against the Germans, or Peter Crouch to put an absolutely unmissable chance inches wide of the post in injury time.

As for our overall chances, well, you'd expect seven points from the group. Reaching the last four would be an achievement but we might as well take the trophy. Too much about the side is wrong for us to be serious contenders, though - there's no shape, we don't keep the ball well, we're comfortably the most unbalanced of the big sides, key players aren't fit, and questions ('keeper, who should partner Rooney, the midfield, etc) haven't been answered. (WC)

Heroes - Joe Hart, Aaron Lennon. Likely villain - whoever inevitably misses the vital penalty against the Argies - hopefully John Terry. As for how we'll do, well, a second round loss against the Serbs after cruising the group stages. (JR)

Hero - Stevie Gerrard. Villain - well, I can imagine John Terry cocking things up. (TG)

He may have had an indifferent season and he may be without a club but if gets his chance Joe Cole may prove to be England's key player. Rooney aside, he remains the player most likely to add magic and spontaneity to an efficient but unspectacular side. Gareth Barry will be the other key player as, with Carrick out of form, Hargreaves injured and Parker not in the squad, he's the only holding midfielder England have and we desperately need him.

England's biggest weakness will be if King remains injured and England persist with a Terry/Carragher combination at the back as the lack of pace will be exposed by better teams. On the other hand Glen Johnson will prove the doubters wrong, at least for seven games until next season when his defensive frailties appear once again. (PH)

Beckham, 1998; Seaman, 2002; Rooney, 2006; England teams of recent World Cups seem incapable of lasting the tournament without providing the baying media with a pantomime villain, and this year will undoubtedly be no exception. Putting our destined penalty woes aside, the biggest potential for treachery come between the sticks; with uncertainty still surrounding the number one jersey less than a day before kick-off, it wouldn’t surprise me to see James, Green or Hart drop a clanger at a crucial time. Up front, the attention on Rooney’s temperament in recent days has meant his attitude in games will be scrutinised beyond belief. As such, the wise heads of Heskey, Gerrard and Lampard around him will need to keep the Red Devil’s mouth on a tight leash.

Of course, this could be way off. James (or whoever) could become a penalty hero, Rooney might bag a hat-trick against France in the quarter-finals, and pigs might also soar over Pretoria. The biggest surprise however could actually come from Rooney’s potential strike partner, Peter Crouch. He may not be as gifted as those around him, but Crouch has seemingly developed a knack, an essential striker’s instinct, which could prove vital in the latter stages of the competition. Either as a starter or a sub, the sheer presence of The Big Man is enough to confuse defenders, as they try to work out how a man the height of Table Mountain can fail to head a ball cleanly 9 times out of 10. Whatever the hero, whatever the villain, England should have enough to struggle through to the semi finals. (SL)

Half of me is humming 'Three Lions' every thirty seconds, and the other half is looking at a slow squad, relying on Rooney. Can we win it? Sure we can, but so can 31 other nations. The most important player could be Aaron Lennon, as our only true speedster who has a chance of starting a game, it's important he links up well with Glen Johnson, as the right hand side could prove to be a blessing, but equally it could be a disaster. (MH)

Like Paul Robinson and Scott Carson before him, there is a morbid suspicion that Rob Green’s England career will be stalled after his unfortunate yet senseless howler against the USA. Though Green has already become the villain of the English tabloid press, you do feel like another scapegoat will be made, despite the frenzied efforts to blame the ball. If it again falls to the imperious penalty-shout out to confirm England’s exit, James Milner appears like the mild-mannered, likeable man to take the flak. My money would be on John Terry to kick someone hard for no reason at all and enjoy an early bath.

A quarter-final defeat in extra-time to an impressive team that Everyone With Car Window Flags thinks we should definitely beat by at least four goals, followed by much xenophobia in the press and the World Cup lifespan of many of the current squad to end with another disappointment. Much like Tim Henman at Wimbledon, the fact that the ability cannot rival the elite will be glossed over and the unwarranted grandeur will continue to be perpetrated for Euro 2012. (EG)

Winston Chaudry, Paul Hawkins, Martin Hines, Sean Lightbown, John Rogers, Tom Garrard, Eddie Golby.

Group A preview

Group A appears to be the most intriguing and open group of them all. France are the favourites to win it, an understandable view given their stature in the world game and the only team in the group to be World Champions since dried egg powder stopped being a staple in British kitchen cupboards. And it seems at first glance that with the talent they’re blessed with they should walk the group; the bovine-faced Franck Ribery, two top-class left-backs in Patrice Evra and Gael Clichy, and perhaps the finest young keeper in the world in Hugo Lloris, previously featured on this blog in this article by Ben Jarni. Yet they face three tricky opponents in Mexico, Uruguay and South Africa. The former have an exciting mix of old stagers and young talent, Uruguay are strong in the final third of the pitch, while South Africa, despite having left out Benni McCarthy, have home advantage in front of their vuvuzuela-wielding faithful. And weren’t France supposed to progress with ease in 2002?

France
The 1998 World Champions have seen their powers dwindle over the last decade, with the exception of the knockout stages of the 2006 World Cup, where a team invigorated by the return of Zidane and Thuram from retirement ended up a penalty shootout away from glory. Barring that, they've slipped out of the elite of world football and there looks to be little evidence of another run to the final this time around. Les Bleus stumbled through qualifying, losing in Austria and drawing twice against Romania to finish second in their group behind Serbia, before squeezing through in the playoffs with that handball.

Their chances are further diminished by the form this season of some of their key players, with Thierry Henry's appearances being restricted at Barcelona and Yoann Gourcuff's form having dipped in conjunction with his club side Bordeaux. Furthermore, France's results in their warm-up games have been poor. None of their three opponents in these fixtures will be at the finals, so a come-from-behind win against Costa Rica, a draw against Tunisia and a 1-0 defeat to China hardly bodes well.

So what causes for optimism are there for France? The impressive form of Florent Malouda is one reason to be cheerful, yet his best performances for Chelsea this season came on the left of a three man attack, a system that Raymond Domenech has only implemented since the forced absence of Diarra. Another to have performed well this season has been Mathieu Valbuena, who was instrumental in helping Olympique Marseilles win Ligue 1. Despite his winning goal against Costa Rica, he'll have to force Nicolas Anelka out of position on the right.

France will arrive at the finals with a formation untried in competitive games and with a team struggling for form, and with impressive players in an increasingly competitive domestic league such as Michael Ciani and Yohan Courbaye left behind. Don't expect miracles, but do expect them to escape the group.

Mexico
Mexico's qualifying campaign didn't start well under Sven, but the return of former coach Javier Aguirre and the emergence of young stars such as Andres Guardado, Javi Hernandez and Carlos Vela has left the piñata smashers quietly confident ahead of their fourteenth trip to the finals. This confidence has been augmented by winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer, beating the USA 5-0 in the final. And it's not just the kids who give Mexico hope of making it to the last eight; Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Guillermo Franco add strength and experience up top, while the PSV defensive pairing of Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Salcido, and of course oft-injured Barca centre back Rafael Marquez add quality at the back.

Coach Javier Aguirre has taken Mexico to the quarter-finals before, in 2002, and as Atletico Madrid boss guided them into the Champions League in 2008. Aguirre took over after the sacking of Eriksson in the wake of a 3-1 defeat to Honduras, and proved to be the catalyst for a steady upturn in form that saw them qualify with comparative ease. Recent form has been good too, with wins over Italy and dark horses Chile. Mexico were unlucky to lose 3-1 against England (they managed 23 shots and 66% of possession) but defensive frailties showed in a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands, with diagonal balls from the flanks bamboozling a second choice centre back pairing.

Mexico's formation is also somewhat of a novelty, with Salcido and Aguilar playing as wing-backs (a position rather forgotten in English football in recent years), with Marquez stepping up into midfield. This could well be Mexico's finest chance in the tournament, but struggles against pace and height at the back and a lack of a world-class finisher may halt them against the big boys.

Uruguay
Uruguay might have won two of the first four World Cups, but success since then has been limited, understandably for a country of just four million inhabitants. They haven't made the last sixteen since 1990, and blew a chance to make it to that stage in 2002 when Diego Forlan missed a simple late header in a scintillating 3-3 draw against Senegal. Forlan is one of the few survivors of that Uruguayan vintage to take part this time, and he will partner Ajax hotshot Luis Suarez in a formidable forward line. Suarez comes into the tournament in breathtaking form, having scored 49 goals in 48 games for Ajax, 35 of them in a 34 game Eredivisie season. If one of them comes to harm, coach Oscar Tabarez can draw on the oft-travelled and oft-sent off striker Sebastian Abreu, nicknamed El Loco.

Uruguay aren't too shabby at the back either, with goalie Fernando Muslera having helped to keep Lazio in Serie A. However, there seems to be no place for Juventus defender Martin Caceres in Uruguay's starting eleven, with injury and his inability to fit into Tabarez's 3-5-2 formation keeping him out of the side.

La Celeste somewhat stumbled through qualification, finishing fifth in the South American group before defeating Costa Rica over two legs. Yet Tabarez's conversion to 3-5-2 has seen them enter the 'dark horses' category with impressive friendly wins, 3-1 away in Switzerland and a 4-1 win over Israel in Montevideo. While a 3-5-2 formation brings with it certain downfalls such as difficulty defending against a team with quick full-backs, these weaknesses shouldn't be exposed in the group stage. The unknown variable in the Uruguayan equation is young playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro of Ajax. His vision, passing and finishing ability excite and if Tabarez picks him then he could well be the catalyst for a goal rush that puts Uruguay into the knockout stages.

South Africa
When I picked South Africa out of the bag in the work sweepstake, I can't say I was too impressed. A team with little star quality was further diminished when striker Benni McCarthy was left out of the final squad due to fitness concerns and adding to the gloom, the only notch on their build-up bedpost prior to recent weeks was in claiming the scalp of Madagascar.

While it's difficult to see the Bafana Bafana as anything other than the weakest team in Group A, there are grounds to suggest they won't be humiliated at this summer's tournament. In coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, they have a World Cup winner, and his return as boss has corresponded with an upturn in form in their build-up games, most recently beating Denmark 1-0.

In defence they boast the tough Aaron Mokoena and alongside him Matthew Booth could provide a towering presence. Tough as the local diamonds at the back, but lower down the Mohs scale is Fulham midfielder Kagiso Dikgacoi, whose most notable contribution this season was slapping Scott Parker. Further forward on the right in Parreira's 4-2-3-1 is the creative and physical Steven Pienaar, who in the absence of McCarthy will be South Africa's star player.

So can the Saffers be the surprise package in Group A? Only 7 players playing abroad in a 23 man squad suggests not, but they will have home advantage and conspiracy theorists may suggest FIFA could give them a leg-up like that received by South Korea in 2002. While no host country has ever failed to qualify from the group stage, there's certainly a first time for everything.

Prediction:
France to win the group, followed by Uruguay. Mexico and South Africa to miss out on the last 16.

Tom Garrard

Exploring the burnout myth

Another day and another World Cup star has had to pull out of the tournament through injury. Nani is the latest to join Rio Ferdinand on the sidelines, with Michael Ballack, Jon Obi-Mikel, Michael Essien and possibly Didier Drogba also missing. What do these six players have in common? Of course, they all play in the Premier League – all of which brings about the question, do we play too much football in this country?

At first glance it would appear so. England is the only top European nation where elite level clubs are obliged to enter two domestic cup competitions. If Manchester United had got to the final of the Champions League, the League Cup and the FA Cup, they would have played a minimum of 63 matches. This figure doesn’t take into account a potential appearance Community Shield or FA Cup replays, nor international appearances.

If you look a bit deeper however, the reality is a little different. In these heady days of clubs having twenty-plus international stars in their squad, it is very rare for a top level player to play that many matches in a season. Many sit out the League Cup, are afforded a place on the bench for the visit of Burnley, Hull and Pompey in the league, won’t be needed in the early rounds of the FA Cup at the Sixfields Stadium or Vale Park. Then, consider the early exits suffered by the big boys in the Champions League and FA Cup (Chelsea excepted in the latter case) this season and the myth slowly unravels.

Let us then consider the number of matches played by the Champions of the clubs in Germany, Spain, Italy and England this season. Perhaps surprisingly, considering they won their domestic double and contested the Champions League Final, Bayern Munich played the least matches this term (53), two less than Inter Milan. Chelsea played 56 and Barcelona 57. So Chelsea, with four leading players either missing the tournament or doubtful, cannot claim to have either played the most matches in Europe this season, nor have they played significantly more games than their contemporaries.

Taking each player in isolation, it’s interesting to note the two that played the most games this season (Drogba and Ballack) have both suffered impact injuries – a broken arm and ankle damage sustained in a bad tackle. Michael Essien has missed the best part of 2010 anyway, Rio Ferdinand has suffered all sorts of fitness issues and having only played 21 matches this season, can hardly blame wear and tear or burn out for his knee injury, neither can Nani or Mikel who both made less than 35 appearances for their clubs.

It seems clear to me that burnout is not an issue here, and I wish people would stop suggesting it is. Long gone are the days of a club winning a title using just fourteen players in a season (take a bow Ron Saunders and Aston Villa), long gone are the winter pitches without a blade of grass on them. Players are looked after, prepared and conditioned better than ever before, the demands on them are no greater than they were of the chain-smoking pint-quaffing legends of yesteryear, all of which leads one to the conclusion that injuries can and will strike at any time. That’s what happens in Sport. We went through the same thing four years ago with Wayne Rooney’s metatarsal, four years before that with Beckham’s metatarsal, and you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll be talking about injuries on the eve of the 2014 tournament when perhaps all the afflicted will be playing in Italy or Spain.

It’s a shame that Ballack will be missing from Germany’s engine room, I love watching him play for them – he’s their heartbeat. It’s a tragedy that we won’t be seeing Michael Essien dominating the Ghana midfield. I think England are going to miss Rio’s quality at the back more than people imagine. I want Drogba to be fit – despite being a massive flap he’s one of the best target-men around, if not the best at the moment. It was going to be really interesting to see if Nani could translate his improved club form for Manchester United to the international stage. Mikel I can take or leave. It’s not going to detract from the tournament overall though. If anything it’s going to add to the intrigue - to see players we know nothing about possibly step up to the plate and make a name for themselves.

In conclusion - shit happens. It’s not English Football’s fault.

John Rogers