So, we’re more than halfway through the first round of matches with five of the eight groups (A thru E) in the books and here’s a quick take on the matches thus far.

Group A:  South Africa kept the streak alive of host nations not losing their opening match.  A 1-1 draw with Mexico was a fair result, but I think both sides had their chances to win and grab all 3 points, especially Mexico.  With the 0-0 tie between Uruguay and France, the group is still wide open and a win by any team in the next match-day will be huge for moving on to the next round.  Speaking of Uruguay/France…Uruguay was happy to defend for 90 minutes, but I look for them to go after South Africa in their next game to grab three points.  France looked disorganized and played like 11 individuals rather than a team.  They could be primed for the taking and a loss to Mexico could send Les Bleus in a tailspin.

Group B:  South Korea defeating Greece wasn’t that big of an upset if you looked at just the score.  But after watching the game, the Greeks were totally outclassed and outplayed.  Korea did their job and pounced on them and gained three big points in the process.  Argentina jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead over Nigeria, but it should have been more.  Not too worried, though.  I still think Lionel Messi will break through and score a 2 or 3 goals in the next two group games.

Group C:  Say what you will about the goalkeeping gaffe by England, but sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.  The 1-1 draw was a good result for the U.S, but as I’ve stated, the big match is this Friday when the Americans take on Slovenia.  A loss to Slovenia and this tie against the English means nothing.  A draw and all is not lost, but things will be more difficult and advancing to the next round will not be solely in the American’s hands as they will need help, unless Algeria can pull off an upset on Friday.

Group D:  Two big “wows” stick out.  First: Germany was a machine against Australia.  Granted, the Aussies went down to 10 men, but the pin-point passing and quality finishing was a joy to watch.  Second: Ghana’s win over Serbia was big.  The penalty was unlucky, but fair.  Though, I really expected more out of Serbia.  They were hyped, by me and many others, as a “darkhorse” for the World Cup and their performance was not up to expectations.  They still could move on, but they will need a result against Germany on Friday to get back into the hunt.

Group E:  The Netherlands 2-0 win over Denmark was expected, but the Dutch were lucky to grab the 3 points.  The own-goal by Denmark was cruel, but, just like the Americans, luck is better than skill at times, especially in a World Cup.  The Dutch still haven’t lost an opening match in a World Cup since 1938.  Japan pulled off a bit of an upset in their 1-0 defeat of Cameroon.  The pressure is on both Cameroon and Denmark as both teams square off on Saturday and will go for the win, which should make for a very entertaining match.

One thing I’ve noticed is all wins have been by shut-outs.  The three matches in which both teams have scored(if you include Group F’s Italy/Paraguay match today) have ended up in 1-1 draws.  I expect things to open up a bit more in the 2^nd set of games in all groups, as teams play very conservatively in their openers, but tend to open up their attack as the tournament progresses.  Though, we still have the openers for Groups G and H, and the other match in Group F, in the next few days before we move on to the groups’ second set of games.  Until then…

Continuing SRM’s preview of the Eight World Cup Groups in 8 days, here’s a look at Group H:

The squads: Switzerland, Honduras, Chile, Spain

Match Schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):

16 June: Honduras vs. Chile – 7:30 AM

16 June: Switzerland vs. Spain – 10:00 AM

21 June: Chile vs. Switzerland – 10:00 AM

21 June: Honduras vs. Spain – 2:30 PM

25 June: Chile vs. Spain – 2:30 PM

25 June: Honduras vs. Switzerland – 2:30 PM

Spain is the clear cut favorite in Group H, but don’t count out Chile. All of the pressure to not only take the group title, but advance to the final, is on Spain and the big question is how they will handle all of this. Any slip-up will open the door for Chile and it’s quite possible if Brazil in Group G or Spain in Group H falter and one of them finish in 2^nd place, you could see a round of 16 match-up of Brazil vs. Spain – which is also looming on the minds of the players of both squads.

Spain is on a roll entering the World Cup. EURO 2008 champs and having won every world cup qualifier, Spain is playing as a cohesive unit, placing team success above individual honors. Spain will attack and possess the ball, forcing the opponent to chase. With such a strong midfield, it will be difficult for opponents to break them down.

Chile is back in the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Chile is one of the dark-horse teams picked by many of the odds-makers. Chile has a talented group of players, but they are also young and somewhat inexperienced. They have been unable to play many matches recently and the question is: Are they ready? With many players applying their trade on European clubs, Chile should advance out of the group. Unfortunately, though, a second round match-up against Brazil appears to be on the horizon.

Switzerland is one of the youngest teams in the World Cup and are building for the future and looking to gain experience. They struggled in World Cup qualifying, losing to Luxembourg at home, 2-1, but were able to beat out Greece as the top team in the group and make their way to South Africa.

Honduras is a team whose play can be magical and inspiring and they could pull off an upset and make things interesting. Though, one mistake can send the team into a tailspin they will never get out of. Honduras will need 3 quality matches to get out of this group and more than likely they do not have the discipline to hold it together for three matches.

Players to watch:

Honduras: Carlos Pavon – Forward – plays for Real Espana in Honduras. Pavon, along with Amado Guevara (Midfield, Motagua, Honduras) are the veteran leaders of the team and will need three strong performances for a successful World Cup.

Chile: Humberto Suazo – Forward – plays for CSKA Moscow in Russia. When Suazo is on his game, he is a scoring machine. If Suazo can get on a roll, Chile can make things interesting.

Switzerland: Alexander Frei – Forward – plays for FC Basel in Switzerland. Frei is the veteran leader of the Swiss team. The all time leading scorer in Swiss history, Frei will be looked upon once again to lead the attack. Also keep an eye on Blaise Nkufo, the other Forward, who plays for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer.

Spain: Fernando Torres – Forward – plays for Liverpool in England. Spain is loaded and who do you really focus on? Torres suffered an injury with Liverpool at the end of the club season and has Torres fully recovered to really make an impact?

Prediction: Spain is the team to beat and unless they have a major break-down, they should move on winning all three matches. Chile opens the group against the weakest team and things get more difficult as the tournament progresses. The final game against Spain should be for the group title. Switzerland should take third and will be looking to gain experience for their younger players. Honduras, after opening with Chile, gets Spain in their 2^nd match and things could get ugly very quickly in the Honduras camp.

Continuing SRM’s preview of the Eight World Cup Groups in 8 days, here’s a look at Group G:

The squads: North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Brazil

Match Schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):

15 June: Ivory Coast vs. Portugal – 10:00 AM

15 June: Brazil vs. North Korea – 2:30 PM

20 June: Brazil vs. Ivory Coast – 2:30 PM

21 June: North Korea vs. Portugal – 7:30 AM

25 June: North Korea vs. Ivory Coast – 10:00 AM

25 June: Portugal vs. Brazil – 10:00 AM

Group G was labeled early on as the “Group of Death” and with the exception of North Korea, one team from this group will be eliminated from the World Cup far too early. Group D, as stated in their preview, is a “tougher” group from top to bottom, but Group G will come down to three teams, and upon closer look, it really will come down to two: Portugal and Ivory Coast.

Brazil is not only one of two teams expected to win the World Cup (Spain being the other) but they should move out of this group with a win and two ties, at worst. More than likely, it’ll be 2 wins and a draw or even 3 wins. Other than the North Korea match, don’t expect Brazil to light up the scoreboard. Unlike in years past when they had world class strikers who could score almost at will, the 2010 edition is more balanced, especially in the midfield and defensive ends. Brazil is Brazil and they will dazzle the crowd with their usual play, but they are content to sit on a lead rather than go for the knockout blow.

Second place in this group could be decided on the first match-day when Portugal takes on Ivory Coast. Both teams are aging and each side has had high expectations, but never really produced when it matters. Though, Portugal has had some runs in recent Euros (2004 when they hosted) and in the ’06 World Cup, but many predicted Portugal as a dark-horse and they never really shocked anyone. One of these two will move on, while the other will have to face the shoulda-woulda-coulda scenario when it’s all over – which is too bad. If either of these teams were in a different group, they would surely be on the list of teams to advance.

North Korea earned their way to the World Cup playing defensive soccer and countered when necessary. With these three powerhouse, star-studded teams in their group, will the North Koreans be in awe when they step on the pitch, or have they been so secluded and isolated they really don’t know who any of the players on these teams are? The last time North Korea was in a World Cup was in 1966, when they stunned Italy, 1-0, and advanced out of the group. They even had a 3-0 halftime lead on Portugal, only to give up 5 and lose, 5-3. Don’t expect any miracles this time.

Players to watch:

North Korea: Jong Tae-Se – Forward – plays for Kawasaki Frontale in Japan. Labeled as the “Wayne Rooney” of Asian soccer, Jong will be the man the North Koreans will look for to score as he is clearly the team’s best player. Note: Jong holds citizenship for both North and South Korea and was born and raised in Japan.

Ivory Coast: Didier Drogba – Forward – plays for Chelsea in England. Drogba suffered a broken arm a few days ago, but has returned to the team and is ready to go. This could be Drogba’s “last hurrah” on the International stage and he would like to make it one to remember.

Brazil: Kaka – Midfielder – plays for Real Madrid in Spain. The former “Footballer of the Year” should lead the attack through the midfield. Kaka has led his club team to great success, but he has never been able to carry that over to the National team. His legacy could rest on his performance at this World Cup.

Portugal: Christiano Ronaldo – plays for Real Madrid in Spain. Ronaldo suffered through a lot of injuries during qualification and during his club season and would like nothing better than to lead Portugal to the final.

Prediction: As stated before, Brazil should move on in first place. Second place will come down to Ivory Coast and Portugal. Both are hungry and 2010 could be the last run on the international stage for many of their players. My heart wants to go with Ivory Coast, but I think Portugal has a bit more talent and could get by on goal differential if they draw in their opening match.

Continuing SRM’s preview of the Eight World Cup Groups in 8 days, here’s a look at Group F:

The squads: Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia, Italy

Match Schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):

14 June: Italy vs. Paraguay – 2:30 PM

15 June: New Zealand vs. Slovakia – 7:30 AM

20 June: Slovakia vs. Paraguay – 7:30 AM

20 June: Italy vs. New Zealand – 10:00 AM

24 June: Slovakia vs. Italy – 10:00 AM

24 June: Paraguay vs. New Zealand – 10:00 AM

On paper, Group F appears to be an easy group for the Italian team. However, don’t count out Paraguay or Slovakia too quickly. Sure, the Italians are loaded and the favorites to win the group, but the Azzurri tend to have slow starts and an opening match loss, or tie to Paraguay could make for some interesting matches down the stretch. Also, the defending champs are struggling as of late with some poor performances, though this could truly be due to the fact that they are “scrimmages” and the results mean nothing. No matter what happens in their opener, Italy will find its way to the second round and are one of the favorites to claim the title and become the first nation to win back-to-back titles since Brazil won the 1958 and 1962 titles. One other note: Italy is the only other nation to win back-to-back titles, way back before World War II in 1934 and 1938.

New Zealand makes only their second ever appearance in the World Cup finals, the last time taking place in Spain in 1982. New Zealand is happy to be in South Africa and, quite honestly, hoping to gain at least a point in any of their three matches. Expect the “All Whites” to be under pressure and dig-in defensively for most of their matches.

Paraguay is in their 4^th straight World Cup Finals and has been a solid team to contend with every time. After missing out on the 2^nd round in Germany in ’06, Paraguay is looking to get back to the knock-out stages and advance. Though, they will have to do this without their leading scorer, Salvador Cabanas, who was shot in the head outside a bar in Mexico in January (he plays club ball in Mexico). Cabanas is making a marvelous recovery and is hoping to get back on the pitch soon, but not the World Cup. Could this tragedy inspire Paraguay to go above and beyond? Time will tell.

Slovakia is making their debut in the World Cup Finals and is looking to make a splash on the World Stage. Most of their players are not top-flight players on big name clubs, but they will attack and go after teams, which should produce some exciting soccer, but will it be enough to pull off an upset and advance out of the group?

Players to Watch:

New Zealand: Shane Smeltz – Forward – plays for Gold Coast United in Australia. Ryan Nelson (Midfielder, Blackburn Rovers, England) is the captain and field general, but Smeltz led the All Whites in scoring during qualifying and a not only will Smeltz be playing for pride, but playing to catch the attention of a European club and a big money move.

Paraguay: Justo Villar – Goalkeeper – plays for Valladolid in Spain. Villar is a “brick wall” between the pipes on the goal-line. The defenders have the confidence to take a risk knowing he’s back there. However, they will not want to expose Villar too much or it could be an early exit.

Slovakia: Marik Hamsik – Midfielder – plays for Napoli in Italy. At only 22, Hamsik is already one of the leaders of the Slovak team. The offense will go through him as he looks to spread the field and create chances with his passing abilities, though, don’t be surprised if he looks to score too.

Italy: Gianluigi Buffon – Goalkeeper – plays for Juventus in Italy. The Azzuri are another team to watch and it’s hard to narrow down just one player. Lacking a true striker to put the ball in the net, any of the Italian Forwards or Midfielders could have a break-out performance, or Italy could get goals from multiple players, which isn’t all that bad in the long run. For Italy to truly have a chance to repeat their title, Buffon will have to have a stellar performance in net, specifically in the knock-out rounds.

Prediction: Now matter how Italy starts, with a win, loss or draw, they’ll get to the second round. Paraguay should join the Italians. Slovakia will take third, but could only lose out on goal differential. New Zealand will play with pride and are hoping not to finish as the overall 32^nd team in the tournament.

Continuing SRM’s preview of the Eight World Cup Groups in 8 days, here’s a look at Group E:

The squads: Cameroon, Japan, Denmark, Netherlands

Match Schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):

14 June: Denmark vs. Netherlands – 7:30 AM

14 June: Japan vs. Cameroon – 10:00 AM

19 June: Netherlands vs. Japan – 7:30 AM

19 June: Cameroon vs. Denmark – 2:30 PM

24 June: Denmark vs. Japan – 2:30 PM

24 June: Netherlands vs. Cameroon – 2:30 PM

If you’re looking for a variety of styles of play in this summer’s World Cup look no further than Group E.  Group E features one of the favorites to get to at least the quarter-finals in the Netherlands, but Cameroon and Denmark could also pull off an upset or two and find themselves knocking on the door of the semi-finals.

The Dutch are the clear favorites to win the group and are a solid team from the strikers up front, through the midfield to the backline and the goalkeeper.  The big question is: are there too many individual playmakers on this team looking for self-glory over team success?  If the Dutch can get the Team Chemistry together, they should make a deep run in South Africa.

Cameroon is hoping to regain some of their past glory on African soil this summer.  After struggling through qualification, the Indomitable Lions are back on the world stage after missing out of Germany ’06.  Getting more and more players involved will be the key to Cameroon making a run.

Japan is one of the Kings of Asia, but on the big stage, they falter either under the pressure or lack of talent – they have never won a world cup match on foreign soil.  This tough group, along with a lack of a scoring threat, will have Japan on their heels and struggling for points.

Denmark is heading to South Africa with one of their better teams in some time.  The good news for the Danes is they get the Dutch in their first match and have plenty of time to prepare for their toughest opponent in the group.  If the Danes can grab a point, they should be on their way to the next round, unless they slip against Cameroon.

Players to watch:

Japan: Yasuhito Endo – Midfielder – plays for Gamba Osaka in Japan.  Endo is the playmaker in the midfield and will be the go-to guy to lead the attack.  Endo must have three strong matches creating chances if Japan is going to challenge for a spot in the next round.

Cameroon:  Samuel Eto’o – Forward – plays for Inter Milan in Italy.  When Eto’o played in Cameroon’s World Cup qualifiers, the team was 7-0-0.  The results were completely the opposite when he didn’t play.  Eto’o will be the target man and if you can shut down Eto’o, you can stop Cameroon.

Denmark: Christian Poulsen – Midfielder – plays for Juventus in Italy.  Poulsen plays a holding, or defensive midfielder and will be the one to shut down the opponent’s attacks.  He can frustrate the opponents and take them off their game, and can also sneak up and score a critical goal when least expected.

Netherlands: Joris Mathijsen – Defender – plays for HSV in Germany.  Like so many of the other “elite” teams in the World Cup, it’s tough to narrow down a single Dutch player.  Strong up front and in the midfield, Mathijsen is the “weakest link” of the defense.  If Mathijsen can hold his own, the Dutch should move out of the group with relative ease.

Prediction:  Netherlands are the favorite and should win all 3 matches, though the Danes could steal a point in the first match.  Either way, the Dutch will take first in the group.  Second place will come down to the match between Denmark and Cameroon.  The winner should seal the deal to the second round.  Though, if the Danes can grab a point against the Dutch, then even a draw against Cameroon should send Denmark through.  Japan will struggle, but will play with a lot of heart and passion making their opponents earn everything.  Final order of finish: Netherlands, Denmark, Cameroon and Japan.

Continuing SRM’s preview of the Eight World Cup Groups in 8 days, here’s a look at Group D:

The squads: Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana

Match Schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):

13 June:  Serbia vs. Ghana – 10:00 AM

13 June: Germany vs. Australia – 2:30 PM

18 June: Germany vs. Serbia – 7:30 AM

19 June: Ghana vs. Australia – 10:00 AM

23 June: Germany vs. Ghana – 2:30 PM

23 June: Serbia vs. Australia – 2:30 PM

Most media outlets are claiming Group G to be the proverbial “Group of Death,” but even though Group G contains Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast, they also have North Korea.  From top to bottom no group is more balanced than Group D.  There are no “easy” teams and each point will be well earned.  Germany is the target team everyone else will be gunning for, after all, just looking at the past two World Cups the Germans have taken 2^nd in 2002 and 3^rd when they hosted in 2006 and anything less than the semi-finals will be considered a failure for the German machine.  The dark horse of the group, and the World Cup itself, is Serbia.  They are well organized and have the capability to get to the quarter-finals and beyond, if they can stay healthy.

Ghana should be inspired by playing on African soil, but are at a crossroads. A surprise 2^nd round appearance by the Black Stars in 2006, their core group of players are 4 years older and they will need to rely heavily upon the newcomers who joined the squad, many for the first time on the senior team.  A delicate balance between youth and experience must be maintained for Ghana to move on.

Australia is the team most difficult to analyze.  The Socceroos were the first team to qualify out of the Asian Federation, having made the move from Oceania prior to 2010 qualifying.  However, in recent friendlies, they hardly ever get their full national team together, so it’s tough to judge how well they will do.

Overall, as mentioned, from top to bottom Group D is the most competitive group in the World Cup.  Don’t expect any margin of victories by 3 or 4 goals, unless someone has a monumental collapse.  I anticipate the winner of the group collecting only 5 points from a win and two draws.  I expect a few draws in this group and some very competitive, edge of your seat soccer to be played.

Players to watch:

Serbia: Dejan Stankovic – Midfielder – plays for Inter Milan in Italy.  Stankovic had an incredible club season and hopes to carry that momentum to the World Cup.  He is the team’s captain and at 31-years of age, this will most likely be his final World Cup.  He claimed the “treble” with his club team (League Title, Cup Title and Champions’ League Crown) and would like to cap it all off with a deep run into the World Cup.

Germany: Mesut Ozil – Midfielder – plays for Werder Bremen in Germany.  Lukas Podolski (Cologne, Germany) and Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich, Germany) were the strike force duo of the ’06 World Cup.  Both are on the squad, but both have lost that “magic touch” that guided them thru Germany, 2006, which leaves us with Ozil.  Like Podolski in ’06 (who was 20), Ozil is only 21-years old and should provide the spark along the right side of the midfield.  Will he score as often as Klose and Podolski did?  Who knows, but a big World Cup out of Ozil will only help the German cause.

Ghana: Asamoah Gyan – Forward – plays for Rennes in France.  The team’s leading scorer will be looked upon heavily to provide the scoring punch if the Black Stars are to advance out of this tough group.

Australia: Mark Schwarzer – Goalkeeper – plays for Fulham in England.  Schwarzer was one of the main reasons Australia advanced out of their group in ’06 and will be the one who can steal a game and help Australia move on again in 2010.  He had 7 shutouts in 8 qualifiers and is one of the better penalty kick stoppers in the World Cup.  If Schwarzer can shutout the Germans in the Socceroos first match, the door to the second round is open.

Prediction:  Even though there are some questions with Germany, including who will be the number one keeper, I expect the Germans to claim top spot, but it won’t be easy.  Serbia gets to the second round on goal differential tied with Australia on points while Ghana takes their core group of youngsters and build for 2014.

Continuing SRM’s preview of the Eight World Cup Groups in 8 days, here’s a look at Group C:

The squads: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia

Match Schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):

12 June: England vs. United States – 2:30 PM

13 June: Slovenia vs. Algeria – 7:30 AM

18 June: United States vs. Slovenia – 10:00 AM

18 June: England vs. Algeria – 2:30 PM

23 June: United States vs. Algeria – 10:00 AM

23 June: England vs. Slovenia – 10:00 AM

All eyes on both sides of the English speaking pond will be on the opening match when Group C kicks off – England vs. USA.  These two sides have met only once in a World Cup Finals and that was back in Brazil in 1950 when a group of part-timers from America defeated the heavily favored English side, 1-0.  A U.S. win this time around will be an upset, but not as monumental as in 1950.  As much hype, hoopla and media attention there is on this match, especially in the U.S, a loss for either side in this match will not be devastating to either side’s chances of advancing out of this group.  England is the clear-cut favorite to win all three matches in what the British press calls a very easy group for the Three Lions.  The Americans, for the first time in their history, are favored to advance out of the group as well in second place.  This is something this team, or any other for that matter, has ever experienced – actually being favored to move on in a World Cup.  Will the U.S. team play to their potential and advance, or will the team collapse under the pressure?

Slovenia brings a young, defensive squad to South Africa, but should not be taken lightly.  Slovenia has the ability to pack it in and catch you off the counter, or go right at you, score and then pack it in.  However, if Slovenia gives up an early goal, they will definitely be out of their comfort zone and things could open up.  Slovenia should win their opener which means their second match against the United States could be for “all the marbles” and second place in the group, if all goes to plan in the other matches.

Algeria brings a very unique squad to the World Cup.  Under FIFA’s new law, several players of Algerian decent have switched their nationalities from French to Algerian and the big question is, will the veteran Algerian players accept these newcomers or will there be turmoil and dissent in the locker room between them?  Algeria should play defensively like the Slovenians and look to counter.  Algeria, lately, has been an “up and down” team and can they put together three solid efforts and pull off a monumental upset and advance?

Players to watch:

Algeria: Abdelkader Ghezzal – Forward – plays for Siena in Italy.  The lone striker in Algeria’s 4-5-1 formation will need to get involved as much as possible.  In this formation, the lone striker could get lost up front and Ghezzal will have to work to extra hard to get open and get others involved if Algeria is to threaten the opposing teams’ goal.

Slovenia: Samir Handanovic – Goalkeeper – plays for Udinese in Italy.  Keep an eye on Forwards Zlatko Dedic (Bochum, Germany) and Milivoje Novakovic (Cologne, Germany) but the key for Slovenia will be the play of their keeper, Handanovic.  At only 25-years of age, he still has a long international career ahead of him, but he’ll be tested and his level of play could be the deciding factor whether or not Slovenia pulls off an upset and sneaks into the second round.

England: Frank Lampard – Midfielder – plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League.  The entire starting 11 (and some bench players) are “ones to watch,” but the play of Lampard at the end of the EPL season made a huge difference in Chelsea knocking off Manchester United for the EPL Title.  Will this level of play carry over and can Lampard “carry” England deep into the tournament?

United States:  Michael Bradley – Midfielder – plays for Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany.  Just like England, it’s tough to narrow down just one player to pay attention to.  How will Oguchi Onyewu play after the injury?  Can Tim Howard solidify the goal like Brad Friedel back in 2002 and get the team to the quarter’s or beyond?  Which forward will stand out – Altidore, Buddle or Gomez?  Finally, you can’t ignore Landon Donovan, the field general for the American team.  It finally came down to two players, Jose Torres and Bradley.  Torres will be a factor, but he’s not likely to start every match and Bradley is, so it’s Bradley.  Not only does he have the added pressure of being the coach’s son, but he’s still only 22 and this World Cup could be his break-out performance on the world stage.  He’s already a solid player for his German club, but a strong World Cup will not only increase the United State’s chances of advancing, but could “lighten the load” on others and give them the room to be creative and score.

Prediction:  England will take top spot in the group.  The United States, for once, should live up to the hype and claim the second spot, followed by Slovenia, then Algeria.

Continuing SRM’s preview of the Eight World Cup Groups in 8 days, here’s a look at Group B:

The squads: Korea Republic, Greece, Nigeria, Argentina

Match Schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):

12 June: Korea vs. Greece – 7:30 AM

12 June: Nigeria vs. Argentina – 10:00 AM

17 June: Argentina vs. Korea – 7:30 AM

17 June: Nigeria vs. Greece – 10:00 AM

22 June: Korea vs. Nigeria – 2:30 PM

22 June: Argentina vs. Greece – 2:30 PM

Group B, on paper, is not one of the “must-see” groups to watch. Argentina is the clear-cut favorite to win the group and advance. Nigeria should take second with Korea and Greece playing for pride and a respectable 3^rd in the group. However, it is the World Cup and anything can happen. Yes, Argentina is the clear cut favorite, but they have been known to have slow starts and an opening match loss to Nigeria could swing the door wide open for top spot in the group.

Nigeria has the comfort of playing on African soil, but they are not out to “woo” any new fans with their style of play. Nigeria will play conservative soccer and look to counter when the opportunity arises.

Greece could be the dark horse of the group. No one expected the Greeks to advance out of their group at Euro 2004, let alone win the whole thing! The same lack of expectations could work to their advantage, but just like the Super Eagles of Nigeria, they Greeks will play conservative, counter-attacking soccer and go after a 1-0 win (or 0-0 tie) rather than try to light up the scoreboard with an offensive onslaught.

Korea Republic will have to play three solid games to advance. They will almost certainly have to win their opener if they really want to control their own destiny, considering their 2^nd match of the group is against Argentina. An opening loss for Korea (or even a draw) and things could be very difficult before the World Cup has really started, especially if Argentina drops their opener and are desperate for points.

Players to watch:

Argentina: Lionel Messi – Forward – plays for Barcelona in Spain. There are so many players from Argentina’s team to pick as a “player-to-watch” but Messi is the one to pay attention to. Messi is faced with a lot of pressure and it will be interesting to see how the 22-year old handles it – he’ll turn 23 on June 24^th.

Nigeria: Kalu Uche – Midfielder – plays for Almeria in Spain. The pressure will be on the Nigerian forwards of Obefemi Martins and Ayegbeni Yakubu to score the goals, but if Uche can find the same scoring touch he had during his club season, Nigeria should move on with ease.

Greece: Vasilis Torosidis – Defender – plays for Olympiakos in Greece. With goalkeeping being the major question mark on the Greek squad, the key will be the defenders and if they are able to limit the shots at their own goal, but also cause the other team to take low percentage ones as well.

Korea Republic: Lee Chung-Yong – Midfielder – plays for Bolton Wanderers in England. Lee is only 21-years old and a rising star on the Korean National Team. Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung is the most famous Korean player, but a break-out performance by Lee and Korea could be the surprise of the group

Prediction: An upset on June 12^th could open the door for Korea or Greece, but this group should go “according to plan” with Argentina taking the top spot and Nigeria advancing as well. Korea claims 3^rd followed by Greece.

Here we are, just over a week away from the start of the World Cup and the excitement is building with each passing day. With that, it’s time to preview each of the 8 groups over the next 8 straight days, with a final prediction the day before the opening match day – next Friday, June 11^th.

Here’s a look at Group A. The squads: Uruguay, Mexico, France, South Africa

Match Schedule (all times Eastern Daylight):

11 June: South Africa vs. Mexico – 10:00 AM

11 June: Uruguay vs. France – 2:30 PM

16 June: South Africa vs. Uruguay – 2:30 PM

16 June: France vs. Mexico – 2:30 PM

22 June: South Africa vs. France – 10:00 AM

22 June: Mexico vs. Uruguay – 10:00 AM

Prior to the draw for the groups, most thought whoever was placed into Group A would have an easy time as South Africa were seeded as the host nation, and were the weakest of the 8 seeds. However, after the draw, Group A is one of the tougher groups competing at the World Cup and could be one of the more entertaining groups to follow.

South Africa is playing well as of late, and as the host, they will have the entire nation supporting them throughout the tournament – not only in the stadiums, but in the streets, on local TV, just about everywhere you look, the South African Flag will be waving proudly amongst the boisterous fans – not to mention the vuvuzela! Since the group stages were introduced in 1950, the host nation has always advanced to the next round and South Africa does not want to go down in history as the first host to fail to advance. The Bafana Bafana are hoping as host, some “magic” will be created, like with Korea in 2002, and carry them along to the semi-finals. But all that’s wishful thinking and first up are three tough group matches.

Mexico, Uruguay and France all have the potential to stake their claim as group winners and one slip up, especially in the opening matches, could be devastating and create a very difficult uphill climb. Uruguay has been playing solid soccer in recent friendlies, France has been sporadic , but are hoping to pull things together in the next few friendlies before the Cup. Mexico has been playing a lot of matches in the past few weeks and could fatigue be a factor when the Cup begins?

Players to watch:

South Africa: Steven Pienaar – Midfielder – plays for Everton in the English Premier League and South Africa’s offense will go through him. If Pienaar gets shut down, it could be 3 and out for the Bafana Bafana.

Mexico: Rafael Marquez – Midfielder – plays for Barcelona in Spain. This is his 3^rd (and most likely last) World Cup and will be the veteran leader on an otherwise young team.

France: Hugo Lloris – Goalkeeper – plays for Lyon in France. He’s only 23 but has already proven himself as a world class goalkeeper. If he gets hot, France could go deep into the tournament.

Uruguay: Luis Suarez – Forward – plays for Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Suarez will be the “go-to” guy up front. Not only will he look to score, but is happy do dish out the assist as well and for that he will be looking for his other strike partner, Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid, Spain).

Prediction: This one, as mentioned, is tough to call and any slip-up on opening day could be the beginning of the end. This group could have a lot of ties and could come down to goals scored and goal differential. The order (but don’t bet on it!): Uruguay, France, South Africa, Mexico.

The 23 man roster for the United States Men’s National Soccer Team was announced earlier today and there were only a couple of surprises.For the most part, about 85-90% of the roster has been known for some time now.  But there were a few “fringe” players who were fighting for the final 2 or 3 spots.  Here’s the roster going to South Africa:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England).

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Bolton, England), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico).

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla, Mexico).

For me, the inclusion of Robbie Findley was the biggest surprise and Hercules Gomez has basically come out of nowhere to claim a spot.  The forward spots were the major question mark (along with who will play left back) heading in to the team’s training camp which began earlier this month.  Also, Gomez’ recent play down in Mexico caught the eye of Coach Bob Bradley and the job he did last night most likely sealed the deal (more on last night’s game in a bit).  Findlay and Gomez most likely took the spots of Eddie Johnson and Brian Ching.  I’m glad Johnson was kept off – he has (or had) flashes of brilliance, but was never consistent.  You just never knew if he was going to show up that night or not.  Ching, on the other hand, I’m a little disappointed about.  I thought he would be on and Findley would be out, but Ching and Coach Bradley have had their differences and Ching’s hamstring injury from late last year more than likely were major factors to him being kept off.

One guy I’m glad is on the team is Jose Torres (and Gomez too).  Forget the start he got down in Costa Rica in qualifying, everyone had a horrible game that night, Torres has a calming effect and can make the pin-point pass when needed.  He’s a solid player who should have a fine World Cup.

As for last night’s game, oh boy.  If you haven’t heard it was a 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic in Connecticut in a very sloppy game by the Americans.  Now the score really doesn’t matter, in fact, a bunch of guys who played last night pretty much played themselves OFF the team.  But I do have a few concerns.  I am not happy with our left back situation.  Bornstein made the team, but had a poor night and Heath Pearce who came on at halftime was worse – thus Bornstein made it and Pearce didn’t.  Central Defender Oguchi Onyewu played his first match since suffering a torn patella tendon back in October and looked very rusty.  But what can you say having not played in such a long time?  He looked a little unsure about the really pushing the knee.  Hopefully, it was just “first game jitters” so to speak and things will work out, but if his mind is truly unsure about his knee, the U.S. backline could be in trouble in South Africa.  The depth of the defense is a concern.  Edu moved from Central Midfield to the backline and was clearly out of his element – even though he plays club ball in the back, he was unable to adjust during the match for some reason.

The play of the midfield was solid and the real question mark is finding the right combination that will really click together in just over two weeks.

As far as the Forwards, who will pair up with Altidore?  Last night Gomez did what he’s been doing for Puebla, entering the game as a second half sub and scoring a goal.  I think Bob Bradley won’t want to change this and keep him as an option.  So it could be between Findley and Buddle.  My guess is it will be Buddle based on age, but who knows?

More will be known this Saturday as the U.S. hosts Turkey in Philadelphia at 2:00 PM Eastern on ESPN.  The following day, the team will board a plane and head to South Africa for the World Cup.  One more warm-up match awaits them on Saturday, June 5^th, as they take on Australia, then it’s the match we’ve all been waiting for: U.S. vs. England on Saturday, June 12^th, at 2:00 PMEastern on ABC.