Let's start off with the host. South Africa will be participating in their third World Cup in the past 12 years, failing to qualify to the 2006 tournament. However, Bafana Bafana may have the luxury of home field advantage (No host nation has never been eliminated in the first round). This will help motivate the team to perform well and seek to take control of games, especially as the reecent goal drought has them under fire. The team's undefeated streak in the past five games, including an impressive 1-1 away draw to Paraguay, has seen the team's chemistry improving.
In addition, last year's FIFA Confederation Cup gave South Africa the opportunity to get rid of its "major tournament" jitters out of the way. Although they lost the 3rd-place match to European Champions Spain, the South Africans did not enjoy a successful tournament. They walked away with only one w
in, one tie and three losses. But the home field advantage pressure might have been loosen up, although the Confederation Cup is not the same as a World Cup.My player to watch for South Africa will be Steven Pineaar, the 28-year-old midfielder who plays for Everton in the English Premier League. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has also tipped Pineaar to star in the tournament calling him a "fantastic [and] skillful player." However, I believe South Africa will become the first host nation not to qualify to the second round. They will need a victory over Mexico in the opening match, and a tie or loss will leave Bafana Bafana against the ropes the whole tournament.
Photo: Pineaar with Everton (By Paul Ellis/AFP)
Mexico will attend the tournament with great confidence after having scares of not qualifying to the tournament. Javier Aguirre is the fourth coach for Mexico in the past four years after disappointing tenures by ex-Real Madrid player Hugo Sanchez and ex-England coach Sven-Govan Eriksson left the team in fourth place in the CONCACAF. But Aguirre, who also coached Mexico in the 2002 World Cup, changed the team's fortune and attitude in the final stages of qualifying round (including a 3-0 victory in Costa Rica) and winning the CONCACAF's Gold Cup.
El Tri did not enjoy a smooth ride in the first round of the 2006 World Cup. They opened the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Iran, but failed to impress in the following matches with a 0-0 draw to Angola and 2-1 loss to Portugal. They qualified to the second round, but crashed in overtime in a 2-1 loss to Argentina in one of the most exciting games of the tournament (Argentina/Mexico highlights). Much is expected of the Mexicans, who now have 9 regulars playing in Europe, instead of just two in 2006, and must perform at a higher level.
My player to watch for Mexico will be Giovanni Dos Santos, the 20-year-old forwar
d who currently plays in Turkey. Dos Santos developed in the FC Barcelona's youth camp before joining the senior team and having a short stint for Tottenham in the English Premier League. Compared to Ronaldinho when both were at Barcelona for looks and style of play, Dos Santos lead Mexico to the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship and won the silver boot award for being the second best player of the tournament. A core of young players, including Andres Guadardo and Efrain Juarez, and veterans, as Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Rafael Marquez, will have a balanced team of experience and youth to help them advance to the second round of the tournament.Photo: Dos Santos (left) with Blanco (By Claudio Cruz/AP Photo)
Uruguay is also set to make a great run at the World Cup. Although it did not automatically qualify to the tournament (won the playoff fixture with Costa Rica), the team has been inform and boast a great attacking partnership with Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan.
Although internationally not recognized as a super power in soccer, Uruguay has won the World Cup twice, including the first tournament in 1930. However, the 2010 World Cup will be their second tournament in 16 years (Did not qualify in '94, '98 or '06). Their coach, Oscar Tabarez, has told his players to seek their team's history as a source of motivation as they are also seen as underdogs (Have not reached further than the second round since Mexico '70).
My player to watch for Uruguay is Diego Forlan. After a disappointing stint in Manchester United, scoring only 10 goals from 2002-2004, Forlan scored 54 goals for Villareal from 2004-2007 and 66 goals for Atletico Madrid from 2007-2010. He also won the Spanish league's Pichichi Trophey for top scorer in 2005 and 2009. Forlan will spearhead the attack with Suarez, who also had a great season with Ajax in Holland. I choose Uruguay to as the second team from this group to qualify to the second round.
Photo: Forlan in action with Atletico Madrid (By Paul White/AP)
France's controversial qualification and recent form has cast doubts on the team for a successful tournament. France failed to automatically qualify to the tournament and was forced to a playoff fixture with the Republic of Ireland. France won the first leg in Ireland 1-0, but in the second leg tied 1-1 after the game went into extra game. Les Bleus were losing 1-0 at the end of regulation (1-1 aggregate score), and in extra time, scored the equalizer (2-1 aggregate score) after Thierry Henry used his hand to control the ball and set up for an assist for the goal that gave them the ticket to South Africa.
France's recent form and morale has been under fire due to their head coach, Raymond Domenech. Being in the helm since 2004, his team selections and tactics have been questioned by the French media and fans, and has had public disputes with ex-players such as Ludovic Guily, Claude Makelele and David Trezeguet. Furthermore, after reaching the 2006 World Cup final, in the 2008 European tournament, France were eliminated in the group stage with only 1 point.
My player to watch for France is Frank Ribery. He will seek to lead his team to a good showing after a disappointing Euro '08 and qualification round. However, he has been under investigation after an underage prostitution scandal along with other National French teammates that has shadowed the team. Also, he has been suited by many teams to a record-breaking transfer to either Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea from Bayern Munich. Although France have the skill and experience to turn the tide at the tournament, I believe that poor coaching and lack of leadership will see the French out of the tournament in the first round.
France's controversial qualification and recent form has cast doubts on the team for a successful tournament. France failed to automatically qualify to the tournament and was forced to a playoff fixture with the Republic of Ireland. France won the first leg in Ireland 1-0, but in the second leg tied 1-1 after the game went into extra game. Les Bleus were losing 1-0 at the end of regulation (1-1 aggregate score), and in extra time, scored the equalizer (2-1 aggregate score) after Thierry Henry used his hand to control the ball and set up for an assist for the goal that gave them the ticket to South Africa.
France's recent form and morale has been under fire due to their head coach, Raymond Domenech. Being in the helm since 2004, his team selections and tactics have been questioned by the French media and fans, and has had public disputes with ex-players such as Ludovic Guily, Claude Makelele and David Trezeguet. Furthermore, after reaching the 2006 World Cup final, in the 2008 European tournament, France were eliminated in the group stage with only 1 point.
My player to watch for France is Frank Ribery. He will seek to lead his team to a good showing after a disappointing Euro '08 and qualification round. However, he has been under investigation after an underage prostitution scandal along with other National French teammates that has shadowed the team. Also, he has been suited by many teams to a record-breaking transfer to either Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea from Bayern Munich. Although France have the skill and experience to turn the tide at the tournament, I believe that poor coaching and lack of leadership will see the French out of the tournament in the first round.
Photo: Ribery with Bayern Munich (By Christophe Simon/AFP)
Group A: Mexico and Uruguay qualify to second round; South Africa and France eliminated.
Group A: Mexico and Uruguay qualify to second round; South Africa and France eliminated.
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