Group C analysis

In Group C, we will have one of the most anticipated matches in the World Cup since the lottery was announced back in December, England versus the United States. Both teams are favorites to take the group, but can face some difficulty from Algeria and Slovenia who won't go without a fight.

First, let's look at one of the favorites to win the tournament, England. After failing to qualify to the European Championship in 2008, they did a 180-turn in their qualification round to the World Cup with Italian head coach Fabio Capello. They finished with a 9-0-1 record, scored 36 goals and received 6, and won Croatia twice (4-1, 5-1) who were the culprits that had eliminated the English from attending Euro '08. Capello has changed their football mentality with solid defense and a more creative attacking style.

The Three Lions are running on a 44-year run since their last World Cup championship when they hosted the tournament in 1966. They are credited as the creators of the game and arguably have the best football league in the world (English Premier League); however, they have failed to get past the quarterfinals round since 1990 (Failed to qualify to the '94 World Cup, lost to Argentina in round of 16 in '98, lost to Brazil and Portugal in quarterfinals in the '02 and '06 quarterfinals, respectively). But this can be the year they can end their poor run in the tournament with great coaching and a mix of experienced players, like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand, and young talent, like Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon and Adam Johnson.

My player to watch for England is Wayne Rooney. A personal favorite of mine, he first broke out to the football world in 2004 in the European championship when he scored 4 goals, and then transferred to Manchester United. Now Rooney, after a strong season at his club team where he scored a personal record of 34 goals, is ready to lead the attack for the Three Lions. I chose them to win the group.

Photo: Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney(L) and Rio Ferdinand training for England (By Darren Staples/Reuters)

The next team is the United States. After a disappointing World Cup in 2006, the U.S. is set to have a great tournament. The team and players have made strong progress since '06, winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold cup, qualifying in first place in the CONCACAF and making their first final in a FIFA tournament last year in the Confederations Cup (They lost 3-2 to Brazil).

However, they will face England in their first game. This match will be crucial (have never qualified to the second round of the World Cup when losing their first match) and will set the tone for the rest of the tournament. They will most likely play as how they did against Spain last year (won the game 2-0 in the Confederation Cup semifinals) and will hold strong in the back and look for counter-attack offense. They will have to depend on a strong striker since Charlie Davies will miss the tournament (suffered a car accident last year), and will probably count on 20-year-old Jozy Altidore to spearhead the attack. It will be interesting to see the Americans try to pull an upset a la 1950.

My player to watch for this tournament is Clint Dempsey. The 27-year-old forward is coming off a great season for Fulham in the English Premier League, and is a tough, versatile player who can create great opportunities when attacking from the wings. Although all eyes will be on Landon Donovan as the leader of the team, Dempsey will be ready to prove his worth as one of the best to have played for the Bars and Stripes. I chose the U.S. to finish second in Group C.

Photo: Clint Dempsey(R) in action with Fulham (By Ian Kington/AFP)

If any one knows anything about bringing an upset, it's Algeria. The African team delivered won of the greatest upsets in the history of the World Cup in 1982 when they defeated West Germany 2-1 in their first tournament appearance (West Germany later went on to lose the final against Italy). But once a rising and dominant power house in Africa (Continent champions in '90, second place in '80 and two third place in '84/'88) and having consecutive World Cup qualifications in the 1980s (Spain '82 and Mexico '86), Les Fennecs have failed to make another tournament appearance until 2010.

Algeria finished with an exact 4-1-1 record as Egypt in the qualification round to the World Cup, and had to face each other in a tiebreaker playoff fixture. Algeria won the tie breaker and qualified to the tournament; however, they have failed to maintain their form and have been inconsistent in recent months (Egypt took revenge earlier this year when they beat Algeria 4-0 in the African Cup semifinals). A recent 3-0 loss to Serbia has also prompted concern for the African team. If they want to progress to a second round appearance, they will have to defeat Slovenia in their opening match and hold strong against England and the U.S. in the following matches, respectively.

My player to watch for Les Fennecs is Karim Ziani. The 27-year-old Paris native has great ball conduction and attacking mentality. He transferred to German Bundesliga club Wolfsburg last summer from French Ligue 1 for 7 million euros. His participation in the European Champions League will bring experience to the Algerian midfield, and can lead the counter attack against England and the U.S. However, I believe they will fail to advance to the second round of the tournament.

Photo: Karim Ziani in action for Algeria at the African Cup (By Rafael Marchante/Reuters)

Now let's look at the final team of the group, Slovenia. Since the downfall of Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia played their first official match the following year. They are the smallest nation in regards to area (7,872 sq. miles!) and are one of the youngest nations (18 years since formation!) in the World Cup. However, they are one of the world's fastest growing soccer squads (Ranked 23 in the world by FIFA since April 2010) as they prepare to participate in their third major tournament (Have only played in the '00 European Championship and '02 World Cup).

In reaching their second World Cup appearance, they finished in second place with the best defense (4 goals against) in their qualification group. Then, they won heavily-favored Russia in a playoff tie to reach the tournament. However, they will have to rely on their defense in order to obtain positive results against the English and American offenses they will face. In addition, their core squad consists of young players like Bojan Jokic and Valter Birsa who must be ready to play quick, fast-paced football.

My player to watch for Slovenia is Robert Koren. The 27-year-old was recently released by his English club team West Bromwich Albion, but his experience in the Premier League will be essential when he clashes with the Three Lions midfield. He is a consistent playmaker, and has recently stated that Slovenia should not be looked over in the group stage. Their young team and ambitions will give them a great run in the World Cup; however, I see them falling short and finishing 3rd in the group.

Photo: Robert Koren(Center) and his Slovenian teammates (By AP Photo)