Groups A-D

If you heard my insightful and informative appearance on "The Munk and Mick Show" last night (www.thesoccershow.com), you know what my breakdown is for the first 4 groups. What? you weren't listening? Shame on you. Guess I'll have to break it down here, but not as thoroughly as I did last night. As much as I love to chat, being on the radio for a full hour even had me reaching for words at the end. Hats off to the guys for pulling off a solid 2 hour preview show!

So, let's start at the beginning:

Group A:
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador

This entire group depends on the health of Michael Ballack, Germany's only true world-class field player (they have 2 world-class 'keepers in Lehman and Kahn). If Ballack plays in the opener against Costa Rica on Friday, then the battle will be for 2nd place among the other 3. If Ballack sits, I truly feel Costa Rica can get a result, thereby blowing the group wide-open. The heavy favorites to advance are Germany and Poland, as they'll be bringing a large contingent of supporters across the border to their next door neighbor. Still, Costa Rica has some skilled attacking players in Wanchope up top and Fonseca and Centeno in the midfield. Poland has a great work ethic and hard-nosed players, much like Ecuador, but nobody on either roster really strikes the fear of God in the opposition. If you saw the goal Poland's 'keeper gave up the other day against Colombia, there's cause for concern. I think Ecuador would do well do to get a point out of this group, as they're the weakest of the South American contingent this time around. The thinking here is that Costa Rica gets a draw with Germany on Friday, which will help them capture 2nd place, while Germany will find a way to win the group.

1st place - Germany
2nd place - Costa Rica

Group B
Sweden
England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago

This is the best team England has fielded since they won it all in 1966 (40 years ago!!!), even without the injured Wayne Rooney. Strikers Michael Owen and Peter Crouch might not be the most consistent duo in the field of 32, but with arguably the best midfield group behind them (Carragher, Beckham, Lampard, and Gerrard, with Hargreaves off the bench), Crouch should feast on good service throughout the tournament. The defense, when healthy, is among the best, although goalkeeping might be a bit of concern. Sweden's "Big 3" of Larsson, Ljungberg, and Ibrahimovic will determine how far this team will go. They could fall flat in the first round, or make a serious run to the semifinals. I think they want to make up for their disappointing showing in 2002, and are primed to be a solid team this time around. Paraguay has a couple of scary players, like the now healthy Rogue Santa Cruz, but they've lost their talented and all-time goals leader in Jose Cordoza. Although he was 35, he would have brought some poise and leadership to a team which may struggle to find an identity. Although they've made it to the knockout stages the past 2 Cups, they'll find themselves going home after 3 games this time around. As for Trinidad and Tobago, you won't see another team's fans partying harder after a loss, which the Soca Warriors will probably do in all 3 games. They've got a couple of players in Dwight Yorke and Stern John who could make things interesting, but they just don't have the horses to compete at this level for 90 minutes a game.

1st place - England
2nd place - Sweden

Group C
Argentina
Netherlands
Ivory Coast
Serbia and Montenegro

Despite what most analysts say, I still think Group E, with 4 legitimate teams fighting for 2 spots, is tougher than this group, which boasts 3 class teams and 1 probable whipping boy. Argentina is desperate to erase the humiliation of 2002, where they were widely considered the favorites but bowed out meekly in the first round. Gabriel Heinze is healthy and ready to anchor the defense, while youngsters Leo Messi, Juan Riquelme, Carlos Tevez, and Javier Saviloa will team up with veteran Hernan Crespo to try and replicate the offensive magic of the '78 and '86 championship squads. Historic underacheivers the Netherlands brings a young and eclectic group of players to the tournament. Does 'keeper Ed Van der Sar have the ability to make the huge save when the defense around him falters? Will the Dutch be able to avoid the mental mistakes that have plagued them in previous Cups? Will Ruud van Nistelrooy step up and be the man? I predict the answer to all 3 questions is a resounding "yes!" Ivory Coast is probably the most dangerous first game opponent when you look at it as an "underdog/favorite" game. Argentina needs to be poised because the game could easily be a track meet, with a potential 4-3 or 3-2 scoreline. Drogba is a ferocious player up top and will be a handful for defenders throughout the tournament, even with the tight marking sure to be geared towards him. Arsenal defenders Toure and Eboue have enough "big game" experience not to be intimidated on the World stage, and this should be one of the more entertaining sides to watch. Serbia and Montenegro had it tough going into the tournament, and the loss of top striker Mirko Vucinic to injury was a blow they won't be able to overcome. However, the defense gave up the fewest goals during the finals of qualifying, and if they can keep the games close, might be able to pull out a point or 2.

1st place - Netherlands
2nd place - Argentina

Group D
Portugal
Mexico
Iran
Angola

On paper, Mexico and Portugal are the obvious favorites, but that's why they play the games. However, after the first 2 games for each team are played, Mexico and Portugal will spend matchday 3 determining which of them will win the group. Like Argentina and France in 2002, Portugal will look to avenge their dismal showing and make a run deep in the tournament. Luis Figo would like nothing more than to hoist the trophy in his (probable) final World Cup, and he'll have plenty of help with the amazing but unpredictable Cristiano Ronaldo on the flank and strikers Pauleta and Boa Morte up top. Mexico brings their best side to the tournament since they hosted in 1986. Arguably playing the best soccer of anybody in the first round of 2002, they were bounced hard by their bitter rivals from the United States in the round of 16. Borgetti is the main offensive weapon for El Tri, and he should have plenty of opportunities in the first 2 games against Iran and Angola. After that, when defenses get tougher, Franco or Fonseca will have to be on their game. The midfield is a bit of a question mark, as there is no clear cut "#10" to guide the attack. Someone will have to step up. The defense is led by the rock solid Rafael Marquez, a key component in Barcelona's run to the Champions League Title and arguably the best defender in CONCACAF. 37 year-old Claudio Suarez might not see much playing time, but his leadership and guidance will be important for a team that has looked lost at times in previous Cups. Iran has a chance to pull off a shocker in the opening game against Mexico, but it won't happen. Ali Daei is the team's best and most experienced player, but at age 37, will he be able to go 90 minutes in each game? The rest of the team has virtually no experience on the World's biggest stage (save for Mahdavikia), and they might not find much vocal support in the country either. They should still finish 3rd, ahead of Cup virgin Angola. The "Black Antelopes" are clearly near the bottom of the 32-team field, but could surprise Iran in the battle for 3rd. They only have a couple of players who play top flight club soccer, which means they'll probably be overwhelmed in the first 2 games against Portugal and Mexico. Still, just getting to this tournament is an accomplishment, considering they were in a qualifying group with traditional African power Nigeria. Hopefully, this is just the first step in the team's progress over the next several years. One last note about this group; how confident am I in my predictions for this group? If you look at my lineup for my World Cup Fantasy team, I have Pauleta and Borgetti as 2 of my 3 strikers.

Tomorrow, I'll preview groups E-H, and then give my predictions for the knockout rounds.

And as for the image, it's a scene that will probably be all too familiar in Germany over the next 5 weeks.