The groups were drawn yesterday in South Africa for next year’s World Cup Finals, the nineteenth World Cup. FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke and South African actress Charlize Theron drew the teams out and placed hosts South Africa in a group with 1998 World Cup Winners France, 1930 & 1950 World Cup Winners Uruguay and Mexico. The opening match will be between South Africa and Mexico on June 11th 2010.
Group A
France
Mexico
South Africa
Uruguay
This will be hosts South Africa’s third World Cup finals (qualified in 1998 and 2002). In both tournaments the South African’s have failed to get past the group stages – having only ever beaten Slovenia in 2002. France have played the hosts before in the World Cup Finals in their first match in 1998 – with the French winning the match 3-0, with a young Thierry Henry getting on the score sheet. The 1998 winners have not faced Mexico since 1966, which finished in a 1-1 draw. Both Mexico and France’s first game ever in the World Cup was against one another in 1930. Lastly, Uruguay have a rich World Cup pedigree, winning the tournament in 1930 and 1950 – both against the odds. Uruguay have played France twice in the World Cup finals – with the most recent match in 2002, where the game finished 0-0.
WCS prediction to qualify: (1st) France (2nd) South Africa
Group B
Argentina
Greece
Nigeria
South Korea
Arguably the greatest player to grace the World Cup, the Diego Maradona road show returns to the World Cup finals for the first time since a 2-1 victory against, ironically, the same opponents they face in their opening fixture, Nigeria. Greece were also in the same group in 1994, losing all three of their matches and failing to even notch a single goal. This will be the Greeks second finals and they will be hoping for a much better showing than they demonstrated in the United States fifteen years ago. South Korea are veterans of the tournament compared to both Nigeria and Greece, having first qualified for the tournament in Switzerland back in 1954. Their first match was a 9-0 defeat against favourites and Puskas inspired Hungary. Since then the Korean’s have improved immensely since then and this will be their sixth consecutive World Cup appearance – having qualified every time since 1986, something that both England and the Netherlands can’t claim to have done.
WCS prediction to qualify: (1st) Argentina (2nd) Greece
Group C
Algeria
England
Slovenia
USA
Jack Warner once claimed that ‘nobody in Europe likes England’ and with the supposedly ‘weaker’ group – England could well get under the skin of some other nations. Fabio Capello has done wonders since taking charge from Steve Mclaren in the early part of 2008, winning all World Cup Qualifying matches except for the final game against Ukraine, when England’s automatic qualification was already assured. England famously lost to the USA in Brazil back in 1950 – a result that sent shock waves throughout the country that brought football to the world. The American’s won the match 1-0 and England lost their final group game to Spain and were sent on their way. Slovenia qualify for their second World Cup finals, having previously lost all three group games in 2002 whilst Algeria are back in the finals after a twenty four year absence. The Algerian’s qualified by beating Egypt in a two legged playoff. Algeria’s most famous World Cup moment occurred in their first match against West Germany – beating the (then) two times winners 2-1.
WCS prediction to qualify: (1st) England (2nd) USA
Group D
Australia
Germany
Ghana
Serbia
Three times World Cup winners Germany will fancy their chances against a three teams that have limited World Cup experience. Australia have qualified twice for the finals in 1974 and 2006 whilst both Serbia and Ghana qualified for the first time in 2006. Australia faced both East Germany and West Germany in 1974, losing both and exiting the finals. It took thirty two years for the Australian’s to see another World Cup game – which resulted in a 3-1 victory over Japan. Ghana reached the last sixteen in 2006 before going down 3-0 to a Ronaldo led (the Brazilian became the top goal scorer at the World Cup finals ahead of Gerd Muller). Serbia will want to forget their 2006 campaign losing all three games, conceding ten and in the process getting hammered 6-0 by the Dutch. Expect the experienced Germans to battle through, with the other three fighting it out for second place.
WCS prediction to qualify: (1st) Germany (2nd) Australia
Group E
Cameroon
Denmark
Japan
Netherlands
The Netherlands experienced a flawless qualifying campaign, winning every single match in the process on the way to South Africa. The Dutch have never won the tournament but have reached the finals twice and along with Brazil and Hungary have captured the imagination of football fans across the globe with their attacking, flamboyant possession football. All four teams have never met in World Cup Finals history but the Dutch are firm favourites to qualify and World Cup Statistics are backing Cameroon to go through alongside them. Cameroon famously captured the hearts of the football public having narrowly losing out to England in the 1990 quarter finals after taking the lead twice. Roger Miller’s hips swivel and dance are everlasting memories of Italia 90.
WCS prediction to qualify: (1st) Nertherlands (2nd) Cameroon
Group F
Italy
New Zealand
Paraguay
Slovakia
Four times and current World Champions Italy will be confident they can overcome a relatively easy group consisting of massive outsiders New Zealand. The New Zealander’s should thank their Australian neighbours for pulling out of Oceania qualifying group to participate in the Asian qualifying round – thus leaving the passage open. New Zealand’s only previous appearance in the finals was back in 1986 – where they lost all three games but did go one better than Greece and score two goals against Scotland. Italy and Paraguay have met before – over fifty years ago when the tournament was hosed in Brazil. On that day Italy ran out 2-0 winners. The World Cup also welcome Slovakia who will be competing for the first time in their history. Italy come second only to Brazil in terms of tournaments won – back to back trophies in 1934 and 1938, 1982 and the last tournament in Germany. Pub quizzes usually cite the 1938 Italian World Cup team as keeping the trophy for the longest period – after War broke out in 1939 – meaning that the tournament took a twelve year break.
WCS prediction to qualify: (1st) Italy (2nd) Paraguay
Group G
Brazil
Ivory Coast
North Korea
Portugal
Brazil remain the only nation to have qualified for every World Cup Finals since 1930. Their five final victories make the Brazilian’s the unprecedented kings of the World Cup, but the kings have been drawn in this tournaments so called ‘Group of Death’. Along with North Korea, the Brazilian’s are joined by Portugal and Ivory Coast – who are arguably the strongest African nation in the tournament, whilst Portugal – who did scrape through via the playoffs – have performed well in previous International tournaments over the past decade. There is no doubting the quality of the Portuguese team, however Carlos Queiroz has failed to get the best out of Ronaldo and co so far. Brazil and Portugal have met before in the 1966 World Cup when a Eusebio led Portugal won 3-1, after the Brazilian’s had lost Pele to injury. In the same tournament came, quite possibly, the biggest World Cup upset when North Korea beat the Italians 1-0. Italy were met with a barrage of abuse when they returned home after the embarrassing defeat. North Korea lost 5-3 in the next round to, ironically, Portugal. The Korean’s had led amazing 3-0, before Eusebio scored four goals and the Portuguese ran out 5-3 winners. Brazil will be firm favourites to win the group, but it will be interesting to see what formation Dunga sets up, with the former Brazilian captain favouring a more conservative, rigid European approach rather than an open attacking game.
WCS prediction to qualify: (1st) Brazil (2nd) Portugal
Group H
Chile
Honduras
Spain
Switzerland
European Champions and World Cup favourites Spain were drawn out last and will be confident of qualification – with or without key striker Fernando Torres. Torres has suffered a number of injuries since the start of the 2009/10 campaign in England and it has been suggested he could struggle to be fit for the finals come June. However, there is plenty of time for the Spaniard to regain fitness to partner Valencia forward David Villa. Spain have never won the World Cup and after their impressive display at Euro 2008, the Spanish public will be hoping this is about to change. They have faced all three team before – beating 2-0 Chile (back in 1950), beating Switzerland 2-1 and 3-0 in 1966 and 1994 respectively and drawing 1-1 with Honduras in 1982, when the tournament was hosted in Spain. Honduras will be competing for the first time in twenty eight years, having beaten El Salvador on the final day of qualifying.
WCS prediction to qualify: (1st) Spain (2nd) Chile
