We are mere hours away from the moment we have been waiting for ever since Fabio Grosso nailed home the deciding penalty and Italy lifted the cup four years ago. But now its time for me to hammer out the rest of my picks for the finest sporting event in the galaxy.
Group E
1. Netherlands
2. Denmark
3. Cameroon
4. Japan
I think the Netherlands might be the most overlooked side in this whole tournament. A quick scan at the Oranje's 23-man roster reveals a plethora of offensive talent. Robin Van Persie is fully fit and recovered from injury and Wesley Sneijder is coming off an impressive treble campaign at Inter. And perhaps there is no hotter goal scorer on the planet right now than Arjen Robben. Of course, Robben is as fragile as my emotions after watching the "Married Life" montage from Up (did I just admit that over the internet?). The big question about ol' Arjen is not whether he will return from injury, but whether he will simply get hurt again. But it seems as if Holland is being overlooked, and with good reason, for the fact the man who has been their rock in goal for the past 15 years, Edwin Van Der Sar, is gone. There already were some questions with the backline, but the addition of Maarten Stekelenburg (26 caps for the dutch) is the big reason why many are doubtful that the Netherlands will lift their first Jules Rimet Trophy.
Speaking of overlooked teams, Morten Olsen's Danish Dynamite made thorough work of what was easily the most difficult qualifying group in the UEFA zone. A mix of veterans and youngsters has Denmark confident of its 2010 chances. Cameroon probably cannot share the same confidence as the Danes. With its superstar Samuel Eto'o threatening to leave the team on the eve of the tournament, the Indomitable Lions are a side in turmoil. As for Japan, it all rides on Keisuke Honda, but this Group E draw has done the Samurai Blue no favors.
Player to watch - Nicklas Bendtner, F, Denmark
Bendtner should be brimming with confidence following his fine season at Arsenal. Paired with veteran Jon Dahl Tomasson as the Danish strikeforce, it will be interesting to see how Bendtner will fare in a group where goals will be aplenty.
Group F
1. Italy
2. Paraguay
3. Slovakia
4. New Zealand
Italy really lucked out with what is easily the worst group in the tournament. Andrea Pirlo's recent calf injury might be an perilous omen for the defending champions; this team isn't getting any younger and it will look to its defense more than ever to rely on getting deep in the tournament. You can never count out Italy as long as Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon are in the starting XI.
Even with the loss of key striker Salvador Cabanas, Paraguay is a team that usually fare quite well in the group stages of this tournament. Slovakia has a solid midfield but not enough offensive or defensive firepower to do much. And for those who love the relegation battles in the Premiership every year, you have the race between New Zealand and North Korea for who will have the worst goal differential. Luckily, for the All Whites, their group is much kinder.
Player to watch - Ryan Nelsen, CB, New Zealand
Just making it this far is a huge accomplishment for the Kiwis, who some are saying are one of the worst teams ever to make it to the World Cup Finals. But at this stage, merely garnering a point would be cause for celebration in Wellington. If New Zealand is able to conjure up at least a draw, it'll be in large part Ryan Nelsen, the Blackburn centre back who is the heart of the Kiwi D.
Group G1. Brazil
2. Ivory Coast
3. Portugal
4. North Korea
Native Brazilians have been bemoaning the lack of Joga Bonito in this version of A Selecao. The blame has mainly shifted to head man Dunga, but you can't argue with results; Brazil finished atop the CONMEBOL qualifying standings by a comfortable margin and even though it had a scare from the U.S., Brazil took home last year's Confederations Cup title. Even though some regard this as the "Group of Death", Brazil's second string would still easily win this group.
The hope of a nation are on the shoulders (or the forearm, perhaps?) of Didier Drogba. But Ivorians shouldn't forget that they still have the likes of Salomon Kalou, Emmanuel Eboue, and the Toure brothers. But if Drogba can't make it back (I think he will), it will be to Gervinho to pick up the slack up top.
Portugal is such a frustrating side. How does a team have this many quality players yet produce so few goals? It seems like at this point Portugal is gliding by on reputation alone.
There isn't too much to say for North Korea. I am half-kidding when I say that I hope that the players don't feel too hard the wrath of Kim Jong-Il when they return home after an 0-3 campaign where they give up possibly 10+ goals.
Player to watch - Cristiano Ronaldo, F, Portugal
It was as little as 12 months ago when the argument over who was the best player in the world was debatable. But after his four goal performance against Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals and two head-to-head victories along with a La Liga title, its clear that Messi is the man. One of the overlooked questions in this tournament is how the man who once ruled the soccer world will respond. After a disappointing Euro 2008 and UEFA qualifying turn, Cristiano Ronaldo's international reputation is in tatters. This World Cup will prove once and for all whether his name truly belongs with greats or whether he was just another flash in the pan.
Group H1. Spain
2. Chile
3. Switzerland
4. Honduras
There is not much else to be said about Spain that hasn't already been written. This team is absolutely loaded and has roster that is as talented, if not more so, than Brazil. The questions about the mental makeup of the squad that has always dogged La Furia Roja was answered two years ago when they got the monkey off their back and finally won a freakin' tournament. The only issue that remains is what happens when Spain gets punched in the mouth first. They seemed absolutely stunned when the U.S. struck first in the Confed Cup semis (mind you, Spain's only loss in the last four years) and Sergio Ramos clearly was not focused on the goal that sealed the Yanks victory. But Espana has everything you could ask for in a team that can win it all. To me, they are the clear favorites.
Lead by Brian Billick's doppelganger in manager Marcelo Bielsa, Chile stormed through CONMEBOL qualifying. This is a really fun team to watch if you enjoy strong offensive tactics. Spain should be wary. Switzerland hasn't shown much to think that they will make it out of the group stage. Honduras is here simply by the grace of Jonathan Bornstein and without their main man Carlo Costly (a late scratch from the All-Name team), the Hondurans should take advantage of all of the sightseeing opportunities as their sojourn to South Africa will be a short one.
Player to watch - Humberto Suazo, F, Chile
I happened to catch the Chile-Brazil qualifying match when I was in South America last summer and really enjoyed watching Suazo do his thing. This guy was all over the field and it came to no surprise to me later when I found out his goal scoring rate for La Roja (18 goals in 42 appearances). He scored 6 goals in 17 appearances while on loan to Real Zaragoza, proving that he can score at a frequent rate in one of the world's toughest leagues as well.
Round of 16
France over South Korea
USA over Serbia
Netherlands over Brazil
Brazil over Chile
Argentina over Mexico
England over Germany
Denmark over Italy
Spain over Ivory Coast
Quarterfinals
USA over France
Netherlands over Brazil
England over Argentina
Spain over Denmark
Semifinals
Netherlands over USA
Spain over England
Final
Spain over Netherlands
I realize that I made some bold predictions that will most likely come back to haunt me, but keep in mind that the World Cup is hardly ever all chalk. That being said, enjoy the games and be sure to come back to Ambitious Effort for all of your World Cup Coverage needs, and perhaps even a live blog or two.
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