Countdown to South Africa: Group A

Maroon News
Countdown to South Africa: Group A

By By Michael LeClair and Jaime Heilbron
Sports Editor and Assistant Sports Editor
|Published: Friday, February 12, 2010

On May 14, 2004, FIFA made a move unprecedented in international sports, awarding the World Cup to Africa for the first time. Since then, South Africa has been at the center of numerous controversies, ranging from construction strikes to accusations of corruption among South African politicans. But still, the country has shown resolve in preparing for the tournament, and the opening match is now just four months away, when all the world’s eyes will soon turn to Africa.

While this tournament will be especially loaded with political and cultural implications, one thing must not be lost – the best athletes in the Beautiful Game will be on showcase for a solid month, for all the world to admire.
To prepare you for the footballing side of the World Cup, the Maroon-News will be previewing all eight World Cup groups over the semester, culminating in our final predictions at the end of April. To start, we take a look at Group A, containing host country South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay and France.

South Africa

As hosts, South Africa qualified automatically for the World Cup, and for the Bafana Bafana, that’s a very good thing. Despite automatic qualification, South Africa took part in African (CAF) World Cup Qualifying, as it doubled as the qualification tournament for the 2010 African Cup of Nations. They put in an awful performance, failing to advance through any stage of qualifying, coming second in their group. The low point was most certainly a 1-0 away loss to Sierra Leone, currently ranked 138th in the FIFA World Rankings. Since then, South Africa has been underwhelming, to say the least, scoring just one goal in their final seven matches of 2009. That goal came against Madagascar, ranked 158th in the world.

Given their atrocious form over the past few months, one could pretty safely assume that South Africa will bomb out of the World Cup in dramatic fashion, and be the first World Cup host not to progress out of the group stages. What cannot be underrated, however, are the benefits South Africa will enjoy as a result of home field advantage. In the 2009 Confederations Cup, also hosted in South Africa, the side beat New Zealand and tied Iraq to reach the semifinals, finishing the tournament with a 3-2 extra time loss to world number one Spain. The constant drone of the vuvuzela threw their opponents off of their game, leading to complaints from coaches and players from almost all of the participating nations. The vuvuzela will again be at center-stage this summer, and has the ability to propel South Africa to victory over anyone.

Helping South Africa in their quest to avoid infamy is manager Carlos Alberto Parreira, who has already led teams in five different World Cups, guiding Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title. Parreira, however, was not at the helm for South Africa during the Confederations Cup, having left the post to tend to his family during that summer, so South Africa’s solid performance in the tournament cannot be attributed to him.

On the field, South Africa is captained by Portsmouth defender Aaron Mokoena who, with 99 caps, is the country’s all-time leader in international appearances. He is the anchor of the Bafana Bafana backline, and a poor performance from Mokoena will doom his side, given the potentially explosive attacks of Mexico and France.

West Ham striker Benni McCarthy, as South Africa’s all-time leading goalscorer, leads the South African attack, and is directly behind Mokoena in international caps, with 83. McCarthy’s club form, however, has been roundly criticized, as he has only netted one goal in league play this season.

Player to watch: Goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez. In order for South Africa to succeed in the World Cup, they will need a stellar performance from their keeper. Like other less talented sides in the World Cup, the South African defense will be frequently broached, and opponents will run up the score if Fernandez doesn’t perform
beyond usual expectations.

France

No team in the World Cup has been placed under more scrutiny than Les Bleus. After making the final in 2006, France has suffered a drastic drop in form that many attribute, correctly, to the retirement of Zinedine Zidane. Others criticize the management style of Raymond Domenech, who has been known to use astrology to assist him in selecting his teams. Many French fans feared that World Cup qualification was in danger, and rightly so. It was only after defeating the Republic of Ireland in a UEFA World Cup qualifying playoff, courtesy of an egregious Thierry Henry handball, that France booked their place in South Africa.

This controversial qualification led to calls from football federations across the globe to exclude France from the tournament in South Africa. Ireland filed a formal complaint to FIFA, arguing for either a replay, replacing France in the World Cup, or being included as a special 33rd entrant. In the end, however, FIFA sided with the French and the officials who patrolled the divisive Ireland – France match, allowing France to participate in the World Cup. Stakes were obviously high in this controversy, as appearing in the tournament is worth $8 million, at a minimum, for the nations involved.

France has yet to play a match since their strenuous qualifying campaign ended, but their performance in qualifying has muted the enthusiasm and optimism of the fans in Paris. Despite a relatively weak qualifying group, with minnows like the Faroe Islands and Lithuania, France had a run of seven matches where they failed to score more than one goal. In this run, they barely scraped out a 1-0 win in the Faroes, drew Romania at home, 1-1 and fell to Nigeria in a friendly at home, 1-0. France will not be tested much heading into South Africa, as their only scheduled friendly against a world top 25 team is against Spain on March 3. Other opponents include Costa Rica, who failed to make it out of a weak CONCACAF, Tunisia and China.

Player to watch: I hate to be cliché, but there is no other choice than Thierry Henry. The Barcelona forward will almost certainly be the target of derision from fans in South Africa, and has a lot to prove. If his rumored post-World Cup move to Red Bull New York of Major League Soccer comes to fruition, this will be Henry’s last appearance on a big stage. He will be desperate to prove his worth to France, and cement his legacy as the greatest French player of all time. In South Africa, as Henry goes, so will France.

Uruguay

In order to advance to the 2010 World Cup, the Celeste had to go through CONMEBOL qualification, which consists of a round robin against the other nine teams, and is considered one of the toughest qualifying campaigns in the world. Throughout qualification, Uruguay had mixed results. The team won four matches at home, tied three and earned two wins and three draws on the road, giving them a 6-6-6 record and a total of 24 points, good for fifth in the confederation. Their most important mtches were the three ties at home - 2-2 vs. Chile, 0-0 vs. Ecuador, 1-1 vs. Venezuela, and two devastating defeats on Uruguayan soil at the hands of Brazil, 4-0, and Argentina, 1-0.

If the Celeste had earned wins in each of the three ties and at least a tie against their Argentine neighbors, their qualification would have had a much different feel, since Uruguay would have earned a top four finish and a direct ticket to South Africa. Since the fifth place team is mandated to play a round robin playoff against the fourth place team from CONCACAF, it took them longer than they hoped to secure the berth. Uruguay’s rival in the playoff ended up being Costa Rica, whom Uruguay defeated with an aggregate score of 2-1, earning a victory at the notorious Estadio Saprissa in Costa Rica. While the Uruguayan team did well to defeat Costa Rica to advance, they should have taken care of business at home. The team should also have obtained a victory on the road at Peru, instead falling 1-0 to the worst team in South America.

Uruguay is in select company, as the team is only one of five nations to have won multiple World Cups. Their first was won at home in 1930 in the inaugural World Cup tournament. The second followed 20 years later in Brazil, on a day that will forever live in infamy for the hosts, but in glory for the Uruguayans in a match known through the entire world as the “Maracanazo.”

While Uruguay has participated in a total of 11 World Cups, it has been a while since they were in anyway relevant. In its last participation in 2002, Uruguay finished in the 26th position out of 32 teams and in last place in their group. Their group was composed of then-defending champion France, surprise team Senegal and Denmark. The South Americans fell against Denmark in their first game 2-1, then proceeded to a scoreless tie with France. In their final game against Senegal, needing a win to advance, they played to a 3-3 tie, despite falling behind 3-0 in the first half. Needless to say, Uruguay will enter the 2010 tournament carrying a chip on its shoulder, looking to provide their long-suffering fans with a taste of the glory obtained by the 1930 and 1950 teams.
Player to watch: Atlético Madrid’s forward Diego Forlan.

Mexico

Mexico kicked off their campaign for South Africa in simple fashion, dispatching Central American minnows Belize, 9-0 on aggregate. In the following round, Mexico participated in a four-team round robin group along with Honduras, Jamaica and Canada. In the next stage, Mexico barely advanced, sending the nation into panic, moving to the final “Hexagonal” only on goal differential over Jamaica.

In the final round, the Mexicans, historically known as the colossus of the CONCACAF, took the second automatic bid for the World Cup, finishing one point behind the United States. Halfway through the round, however, the team was in a tough spot. Heading into the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Mexicans sat in fourth place, at the time destined to take on the fifth place team from South America. Mexico then began its resurgence in the tournament, beating the host United States for the first time in ten years on American soil by a surprising score of 5-0, though the Americans were starting B-squad, at best. They then proceeded to dominate in the second leg of the final qualification round to advance to South Africa. The Mexicans went perfect at home, winning all five games, which proved to be crucial, as they only won one road game, tied one and lost the other three.

Mexico has hosted the World Cup twice in its history, and is the only country from the Americas to hold that honor. The Mexican national team’s best performances have both been when they hosted the Cup in 1970 and 1986, respectively. On both occasions, they reached the quarterfinals. In 1986, they were eliminated by the tournament runner-up, West Germany, going out on penalty kicks. This tournament could arguably be considered Mexico’s best performance to date, since they did not lose a single game in regulation.

Mexico’s last tournament appearance was in 2006. Mexico served as the top seed of a group they shared with Portugal, Angola and Iran. The Mexicans advanced in second place behind Portugal with five points. They defeated Iran in the first game, tied Angola in the second one and fell to Portugal in the third. In the Round of 16, Mexico played Argentina, to whom they lost a heartbreaker, 2-1, in extra time. The Mexicans’ goal in this World Cup will be to make their first semifinal appearance, hoping to finally be respected and considered among the elite football teams in the world.

Player to watch: Galatasaray’s Giovani dos Santos.

Contact Michael LeClair at mleclair@colgate.edu and Jaime Heilbron at jheilbron@colgate.edu

Maroon News

Countdown to South Africa: Group B

Nigeria has the potential to explode at the World Cup this summer.

By Michael LeClair and Jaime Heilbron

Sports Editor and Assistant Sports Editor

|

Published: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Updated: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Group B presents an odd collection of teams, all laden with expectations and history. In Argentina and Nigeria, the group boasts two fallen giants, Argentina having lost their perch atop the South American food chain, and Nigeria no longer among the dominant African sides. South Korea is an Asian giant who has only been able to transfer their success to the global game once, and Greece, despite their illustrious name and Euro 2004 title, are making just their second appearance in a World Cup. Group B is one of the more wide open groups in this edition of the World Cup, and will certainly provide some
interesting football for the world.

Argentina

The Argentine national football team had a tougher road to South Africa than anyone would have thought, and it should not have been that difficult. In CONMEBOL qualifying, Argentina finished fourth, the last automatic bid out of South America. Going into the last two matches of the qualifying round, Argentina sat in fifth place. Those two matches proved to be crucial. In the first of the two, Le Albiceleste defeated last-place Peru, 2-1. In the second, they faced Uruguay in what ended up being a battle for the last automatic bid, in which Argentina prevailed, 1-0.

Even though Argentina advanced to the World Cup, they did so without playing well. This aspect of their qualification is worrisome not only to them, but fans and media too. Manager Diego Maradona has been facing critics since his tenure began. An embarrassing 3-1 defeat in Rosario at the hands of archrival Brazil on September was preceded in April by a humiliating 6-1 massacre in La Paz against Bolivia, their worst performance in over a decade. In the months prior to securing the tournament berth, the media speculated on the possibility of Maradona being let go. Since they advanced, Maradona’s job has been secured until next summer comes around, something that could prove damaging for the Argentines, as Maradona’s apparent incompetence continues to grow with every press conference.

Argentina won the 1978 and 1986 World Cups, the first at home and the second in Mexico. The Argentines also advanced to the final in Italy 1990. Since then, however, they have taken the role of an important player in the early rounds before finding creative ways to be eliminated from contention. In 2002, Argentina entered the tournament as the undisputed favorite, following an impeccable campaign throughout qualifying, but disappointed an entire nation by failing to advance past the group stage. In their defense, that group was the one labeled as the “Group of Death. Four years later, Le Albiceleste landed in Germany seeking vengeance and was dangerous throughout the group stage, taking care of a pesky Ivory Coast and destroying Serbia & Montenegro before drawing with the Netherlands to take first place in the group. In the Round of 16, Argentina defeated Mexico in extra time after partaking in one of the best contests of the tournament. In the quarterfinals, the host Germans defeated Argentina in penalty kicks after drawing 1-1 in regulation. For this upcoming World Cup, Argentina will still arrive considered as one of the favorites, but that is mostly out of respect for their history. The team is indebted to its fan base after two decades of failure in the tournament.

Player to watch: F.C. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is considered one of the world’s premier football players. His country lauds him as Maradona’s heir. Messi, however, has failed to perform to his level of expectation with the Argentine national team. Messi will be the force driving his team throughout the World Cup. Critics claim that he is a great player for Barca because of his teammates, and not because of his own abilities. Messi will have the chance to prove them all wrong in South Africa if he leads his country to its third world title. Argentina’s fortunes lie, therefore, with Messi’s performance in Africa.

Greece

World Cup qualifying was essentially a formality for Greece, coming out of a group with Switzerland, Luxembourg, Israel, Latvia and Moldova. The Achaeans finished second in the group, one point behind leader Switzerland. In the UEFA Playoff Round, Greece faced Ukraine in a two-leg playoff for a spot in South Africa. After a scoreless draw at home, the Greeks took care of business in Donetsk, earning an impressive 1-0 victory to book passage to the World Cup. While Greece’s road to South Africa sounds and looks easy, it should have been even easier. In their qualifying group, they failed to take care of Switzerland, losing both home and away. One department in which Greece will have to improve if they want to be successful this coming summer is scoring. Of the 21 goals they scored in 12 qualifying matches, one player, Theofanis Gekas, scored ten. Every team in this group knows how to play defense, and if they know that all they need to do to beat the Greeks is neutralize one player, they will do it and thus earn three easy points. For that reason, the Hellenics will have to spread their scoring.

Greece’s lone World Cup appearance was 16 years ago in USA 1994. On that occasion, the Greeks were paired up with Argentina and Nigeria, coincidentally two of their opponents this time around. The Hellenics, of whom great things were expected by their people, put forth one of the most embarrassing World Cup performances in the tournament’s history. They lost their World Cup debut, 4-0, to Argentina, then got obliterated by Bulgaria by the same score and in the final game lost to Nigeria, 2-0. Greece exited the tournament as quickly as it entered, failing to score a single goal. In order to be successful in South Africa, the Greeks will have to stop salivating over their 2004 European Championship and concentrate on the task at hand, which will be anything but easy.

Player to watch: The forementioned Theofanis Gekas is a no-brainer for this moniker. The Hertha Berlin striker has 20 goals in 45 appearances for the Greeks, and his ten goals in qualifying led UEFA. He has also lead the Greek and German leagues in scoring several times. An entire country will be relying on him to score Greece’s first goal ever in a World Cup.

Nigeria

The Super Eagles have the ability to shock the world in South Africa. After a silver medal in the Beijing Olympics and a third-place finish in the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola, Nigeria boasts a young and powerful side who will carry them throughout the World Cup.

Nigeria’s squad for the African Cup of Nations was composed entirely of European-based players, of whom only six play outside of the top five European leagues. The only over-30 player on that roster, forward and captain Nwankwo Kanu, provides a level of experience almost unprecedented in the international game, having represented Nigeria on the senior level since 1994. His club resume is equally impressive, as he has suited up for Ajax, Arsenal, Inter Milan, and others throughout the years. Though not the most prolific goalscorer, Kanu can always be relied on for steady leadership in times of trouble. In the center of midfield, Chelsea star John Obi Mikel will provide a destructive defensive presence, also capable of springing forward and unleashing a 35-yard screamer at the goal with even the slightest amount of space.

As this is the first African World Cup, many experts have commented on the potential of African sides to explode and make deeper runs than ever before. With a young and motivated side, Nigeria is most certainly capable of being one of these teams. Many of these same experts are prematurely writing off Nigeria’s chances in South Africa, and they will be embarrassed come mid-July.

Most interesting about Nigeria are the rumors about their new manager. With the Nigeria Football Federation deeming a third-place finish in Angola unsuitable, they let decorated manager Shaibu Amodu go. In his place, they have been linked with former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and current Russia coach Guus Hiddink, either of whom would be more than capable of carrying Nigeria deep into
the tournament.

Player to watch: Striker Obafemi Martins. The former Newcastle man is electric both on and off the ball. He has the moves and strength to beat any defender in the world. Against Greece, a match that will likely determine advancement from the group, and where space will be at a premium, Martins will need to shine for Nigeria to have
a chance.

Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea brings an interesting team and history to South Africa. They are a dominant side in Asian qualifiers, having qualified for seven consecutive World Cups and five consecutive Asian Cups. When it comes time for the big tournament, however, they always fail. With the exception of the 2002 World Cup, which they co-hosted with Japan, the Taeguk Warriors have won just one World Cup match, having drawn five and lost 11. Even in Asia, where they make qualifying for tournaments a breeze, they have not won an Asian Cup since 1960.

On the field, despite their history, South Korea is capable of springing an upset on anyone. In 2002, wins over Portugal, Italy and Spain propelled the side all the way to the semifinals. A 2006 draw against France nearly cast the eventual runners-up from the tournament.

For the Koreans, the question in South Africa has to be: Where do the goals come from? Despite having four field players with over 80 caps, only one has 20+ goals, striker Lee Dong-Gook, who has scored just two goals for Korea since the last World Cup.

The Koreans bring an incredibly high level of international experience to South Africa. In defender Lee Young-Pyo, who earns his paycheck in Saudi Arabia for Al-Hilal, the Koreans boast a player with 110 international caps and an excess of club experience in the best European leagues. Seol Ki-Hyeon, formerly of Reading and Fulham fame, is one of a few players who give South Korea quite possibly the most experienced midfield heading into South Africa 2010. With 36 year-old goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae between the posts, there will be no worries about World Cup jitters at the back of the Korean team.

Player to watch: Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung. Park never runs out of energy, sprinting into 50-50 challenges well into stoppage time. As South Korea’s captain, his energy and leadership will spark the team in every game, and is critical for them to get out of the group stages.

Countdown to South Africa: Group D

http://www.maroon-news.com/

Countdown to South Africa: Group D
Germany captain Michael Ballack is a rock in the center of the German midfield.

By Michael LeClair and Jaime Heilbron

Sports Editor and Assistant Sports Editor
|

Published: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Updated: Thursday, February 25, 2010
ballack

In every World Cup, analysts and players alike try desperately to label one specific group the “Group of Death.” Initially, this label went to Group G, containing Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast, but upon further review, Group D was put into this category. With Australia, Germany, Ghana and Serbia, the group presents four sides capable, on any given day, of knocking off the top sides in the world. In the World Cup , the unexpected is to be expected, and nowhere will this be a more accurate sentiment than in Group D.

Australia

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OYE OYE OYE! The Socceroos are making their second consecutive appearance at the World Cup, their first as representatives of Asia. Afte r decades of Oceanic domination, the Aussies moved to the Asian Football Confederation, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2007 Asian Cup and cruising to qualification for this World Cup.

Australia is managed by Dutchman Pim Verbeek, whose teams are known for their slow tempo and over-reliance on crosses in the offensive third. In short, if you want to watch entertaining football, look elsewhere. Though their style is dull at best (for English Premier League fans, think Stoke City), it is effective, as results have shown.

The Australians find themselves in a position similar to that of the United States in the early part of the 2000s. Their nation has a very young domestic league, the A-League, and their best talent plies their trade abroad. Players like Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill are products of the old generation of Australian soccer, but there a re a number of quality, young players making their way through the domestic ranks, as their roster for the Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia shows. Best among the youth is American-born striker Bruce Djite. The 6-foot tall Djite has the ability to play a key role in Verbeek’s cross-heavy offense if he makes the final cut for South Africa.

Player to watch: Everton midfielder Tim Cahill. With an offense that functions so prominently on the wings, it is necessary to have good defense in the center of midfield to prevent counter-attacks, and Cahill will be crucial here. Failure to play good defense and maintain some possession will condemn the Australians to an early exit. Good play from Cahill and his midfield partners could propel the Aussies further than you might think.

Germany

Germany comes into South Africa as one of the tournament favorites, and rightly so. Under the watchful eye of Joachim Löw, Germany finished second in Euro 2008, and then dominated their World Cup Qualifying group, going undefeated. Their best performance: a 1-0 win over Russia in Moscow, the Russians’ first com petitive home loss since 1998.

Die Mannschaft have a rich World Cup tradition, as West Germany claimed the title three times, most recently in 1990. They have been in every World Cup since 1934, with the exception of 1950, when German international teams were banned from competition in the aftermath of World War II. Runners-up in 2002 and third place finishers as the hosts in 2006, Germany has a pedigree, both historically and contemporarily, that few can claim to equal.

Captain Michael Ballack, one of the few Germans who play outside the Bundesliga, is the anchor of the team. His passion and performance in the clutch give Germany a significant leg up on their opponent. American fans may remember his goal in the 200 2 World Cup quarterfinals that sent the United States packing. They may also remember his theatrics in the 2009 UEFA Champions League semi-final, where he and Didier Drogba seemed intent on murdering the referee. Regardless, Ballack is the core of Germany, both in spirit and play, and they will no doubt be relying on a top-class performance in the legend’s final World Cup.

Player to watch: Midfielder B astian Schweinsteiger. The Bayern Munich man, once the toast of football, has fallen off the radar in recent years, even falling out of Löw’s starting XI for a time. If his performance reaches the height of his ability, Germany will run circles around their opposition, all the way to the final. times. An entire country will be relying on him to score Greece’s first goal ever in a World Cup.

Ghana

Out of all the African teams, Ghana had arguably the toughest qualification to this summer’s World Cup. Ghana advanced from their qualifying group after winning a tie-breaker over Gabon and Libya, who finished with the same amount of points, advancing on goal differential. At home, Ghana went undefeated, and picked up one away victory from three matches. Ghana’s eleven goals, however, against four by the opposition, were enough to catapult them to their second straight tournament appearance.

Ghana’s only World Cup appearance was in 2006 and was highly su ccessful, especially for a first-timer. The Black Stars, who have been praised by their speed, footwork and developing technique, were placed in the Group of Death with eventual champion Italy, the Czech Republic and the United States. Ghana lost its first game against Italy 2-0, then proceeded to upset the Czechs 2-0, before upending the U.S. to advance to the Round of 16. In the second round, the Black Stars fell to defending
champion Brazil, 3-0.

Player to watch: Manuel Agogo is the c urrent goal-scoring leader of Ghana, leading all current players with fourteen goals. Agogo’s performance in the competition will be critical to the African team’s chances of advancing to the single elimination round.

Serbia

The Serbian national football team finished first in Group 7 of UEFA World Cup Qualification. Serbia finished ahead of France, favorites to win the group. The Serbs posted a 7-2-1 record, with both of their losses coming on the road; the tie a home result against France. In their other four home games, Serbia obtained important shutout victories over Au stria, the Faroe Islands, Lithuania and Romania. A great reason for the Serbs’ success, however, was their ability to win away from home. Serbia won a total of three games on the road, defeating Austria, Romania and the Faroe Islands. With a total of 22 points, the Serbs qualified to South Africa directly, to the surprise of many.

Serbia probably gets the record for the most participations under different names. In 1998, they played as Yugoslavia. Eight years later in Germany, they were Serbia & Montenegro. This time around they will be Serbia, but who knows what it will be next time? The Serbs have participated in a total of eleven World Cups, ten as Yugoslavia. Their most successful participations have been fourth place finishes in 1930 and 1962.

The 2006 World Cup was an embarrassment for Serbia. The Serbs were placed in an incredibly difficult group with the Netherlands, Argentina and Ivory Coast. In their first match, Serbia lost a heartbreaker against the Netherlands 1-0. In their second game, they were humiliated by the Argentines, 6-0, and in the third one, playing only for pride, they fell to Ivory Coast 3-2, despite leading 2-0 at one point.

Player to watch: Valencia C.F. Nikola Žigić leads current Serbian players in goals scored with 16. He is currently on a loan to Racing de Santander and has scored 13 goals in 19 games. Žigić’s continued success will be crucial to his team’s hopes of second round participation.

World Cup Preview

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World Cup Preview

Group Stage Capsules

By Paul Sulzer

Assistant Sports Editor

|

Published: Thursday, May 6, 2010

Updated: Thursday, May 6, 2010

Group A Breakdown: This might be the most balanced group in the World Cup. None of the teams are dominant, but all are capable of stringing together three solid performances to advance. Mexico is undefeated in its past 15 games. Ever since Javier Aguirre replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson as manager, El Tri has been the most consistent team in North America. Uruguay quietly qualified for the World Cup by winning a playoff with Costa Rica. Los Charruas have one of the most underrated attacking duos in Forlan and Luis Suarez. Although France is historically one of the leading countries in soccer, don’t expect much out of Les Bleus in this World Cup. Their weak central defense could be exposed against both Mexico and Uruguay. And South Africa might become the first host country to fail to advance. Very few South African players play in top flight European leagues. Still, don’t underestimate the importance of playing on home soil.

Group B Breakdown: Argentina spearheads one of the weakest groups in the World Cup. The Albiceleste have arguably the most talented team in the world, but former star-turned-manager Diego Maradona hasn’t found the right mix of players to maximize that talent. Nigeria has a history of showing up for big tournaments, advancing out of the group stage twice in its three appearances and finishing in third place at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year. John Mikel Obi leads a young, dynamic team that could shock more well-known opponents. The Greeks have never won a game in an international tournament, except for 2004, when they won the European Championship. Their thin midfield could be worn out by Argentina and Nigeria. South Korea has a veteran team that finished in fourth place in the 2002 World Cup. The Koreans lack firepower beyond Manchester United star Park Ji-Sung, so they will have difficulty scoring enough to advance.

Group C Breakdown: England fans think every year is their year, but this might be the year that they’re actually right. The Three Lions have the best striker in the world in Wayne Rooney and a midfield that can compete with anyone. They could be undone, though, by question marks at keeper and on defense, where John Terry is still trying to regain the trust of his teammates after cheating with the wife of fellow national teamer Wayne Bridge. The United States has cooled down after its shocking trip to the Confederations Cup final last summer. Without Charlie Davies, the team lacks the speed to wear out opposing defenses. Look for head coach Bob Bradley to slot winger Clint Dempsey at forward in Davies’ place, since the Fulham man has a nose for the goal. Slovenia will try to slow the other teams down with stingy defense and a methodical attack. Algeria is playing in its first World Cup in 24 years and will be happy with a single win or tie.

Group D Breakdown: This group is the most difficult to predict, since each team looked so good in qualifying. Serbia has the best defense, anchored by Nemanja Vidic and former American youth international Neven Subotic. Ghana’s midfield can control the tempo of the game, so long as Chelsea star Michael Essien is healthy. Even if Essien misses the World Cup due to his injured knee, Ghana can still turn to Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah for composure in the middle third of the pitch. Germany, which has a string of seven straight quarterfinal appearances, consistently does well in the tournament. Strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, though, have been in terrible form lately, so Germany could struggle to crack a difficult defense like Serbia’s. Australia dominated regional qualifying and was impressive in the last World Cup, but the team lacks depth beyond midfielder Tim Cahill and goaltender Mark Schwarzer. Although this is not the strongest group in terms of offense, the weak Australian defense could be exposed.

Group E Breakdown: Holland qualified in style, outscoring its opponents 17-2 in eight games. The Dutch play a beautiful brand of soccer usually only seen from Latin teams like Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. Their defense leaves a lot to be desired, but if other teams can’t get possession of the ball, what difference does it make? Denmark has qualified for the Cup three times before and survived the group stage each time. Nicklas Bendtner, the 22-year-old Arsenal phenom, will have to do most of the scoring on an otherwise grizzly frontline. Cameroon became the first African team to reach the quarterfinals in 1990, but success has been fleeting since then. The Indomitable Lions have failed to survive the group stage in any of their other four tournament appearances. Unless another scorer besides Samuel Eto’o emerges to keep defenses honest, opponents will key on the Inter striker and it will be another early exit for Cameroon. Japan has been wholly unimpressive in 2010, struggling to draws with Venezuela and China and losing convincingly to South Korea and Serbia.

Group F Breakdown: For better or worse, the Italian team has changed very little since winning the World Cup in 2006. The cast of characters is largely the same – just four years older. Head coach Marcello Lippi will have to rest the bigger names in the group stage to keep them fresh for the knockout rounds, so an opportunistic team like Slovakia could capitalize. Paraguay is flying under the radar, despite an impressive qualifying campaign in which La Albirroja was just a point behind Brazil for the group lead. Manchester City’s Roque Santa Cruz is the go-to man for goals, although his playing time has been limited on a deep team this year. Slovakia is an inconsistent team capable of pulling off an upset or two but unlikely to make a run. They went 4-1-1 in their final six qualifiers, but just 1-5-1 in their last seven friendlies. New Zealand is happy to be here. In their last World Cup appearance, the All Whites were pummeled 12-2 and lost all three games.

Group G Breakdown: Here it is: the group of death. Brazil and Portugal are slotted first and third, respectively, in the latest FIFA rankings. The Elephants of the Ivory Coast are no slouches, either. This is the second straight time they’ve been placed in the most difficult group (they played Argentina, the Netherlands, and Serbia and Montenegro last time), so they definitely have something to prove on their home continent. Poor North Korea will be lucky to manage a goal against three of the best teams in the world. The Samba Kings of Brazil have an embarrassment of riches, as always, so expect them to outperform last tournament’s quarterfinal disappointment. Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani will effectively spread out the defense for some easy scoring. Brazil and Portugal are the picks because of the Ivory Coast’s sketchy form lately, which includes a quarterfinal exit in the African Cup of Nations and a bizarre 2-0 loss to South Korea in March.

Group H Breakdown: Spain has staked a pretty strong claim to the title of best team in the world with its play over the past two years, so it’s safe to say that the other three teams are competing for one spot to advance out of the group. Chile comes into the tournament hot, owning an 8-1-2 record over the past 11 games with four wins over World Cup teams. La Roja loves experimenting with different formations, so expect them to field lineups with just three defenders on occasion to catch the opposition off guard. The Swiss team suffers from a dearth of scoring with striker Alexander Frei hurt, so look for them to play a more defensive style in an effort to advance. Honduras is the wildcard in this group. Since they’re only here because Jonathan Bornstein scored a fluke goal with seconds remaining to tie Costa Rica in the final regional qualifying match, Los Catrachos are playing with house money.

For more coverage of the World Cup, including bracket predictions and the biggest storylines, pick up the May 6 edition of The Heights or open the PDF version on the Web site.