In this year’s third Major tournament, the best golfers in the world return to the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrew’s Links in Fife, Scotland for the 150^th anniversary of the Open Championship. The first round is scheduled to get underway on Thursday, July 15^th with the final of four rounds scheduled for Sunday, July 18^th.

Last year at Turnberry, Tom Watson almost turned back time in what would have been an historic victory for the ages, but it was not meant to be as he lost a four hole playoff to Stewart Cink. This year there is once again a star studded field of the best golfers in the world as they attempt to add their name to the Claret Jug either again or for the first time with a victory this week.

The following is a preview of some of the favorites to win this week along with their current odds as listed on Bodog.com

Tiger Woods       5/1

Woods is a three time Open Champion; in 2000, 2005, and 2006. He won the tournament by eight strokes when it was last played at St. Andrews back in 2000. After a strong performance at the U.S. Open last month at Pebble Beach, Wood’s game appears to be getting back to the point where he is once again a serious threat to win the minute he steps on the first tee.

Phil Mickelson    16/1

Mickelson has won four Majors in his career including a win at Augusta earlier this year, but a win in the Open is still on his to do list providing some serious motivation to cross it off the list this week. A fourth place finish at Pebble Beach is also a sign that his game is ready to get the job done.

Rory McIlroy       16/1

The Northern Ireland native will certainly be a crowd favorite this week, but he has been slowly developing the game to be a serious contender as well. The old Course suits his style of play and he should feel right at home if weather becomes a factor this week.

Ernie Els              18/1

As the No. 1 ranked player on the money list, Els is primed for a break out win this week as he is easily playing his best golf over the past few years of his career. He finished third last month in the U.S. Open and has two PGA tour victories earlier in the season to his credit.

Lee Westwood           18/1

Many thought that this year’s U.S. Open would be the perfect stage for Westwood’s first win in a Major, but after a disappointing 16^th place finish, the English native will now turn his attention to winning the Open in his own backyard.

Padraig Harrington     20/1

Harrington’s game has struggled a bit as of late, but on a course like St. Andrews you can never count the Dublin native out of contention. He finished 22^nd in the U.S. Open but followed that up with a fifth place finish in the Traveler’s Championship a week later.

Graeme McDowell      25/1

The surprise winner of this year’s U.S. Open will try and make it two Majors in a row when he tees it up on the Old Course this week. It would be a huge stretch to bet on him to win this week playing in such a strong field, but what were the odds on him before he teed it up at Pebble Beach to win there?

In what is easily the most diverse group of professional golfers assembled for a Major, you have to think that someone else not on Bodog.com’s current list of players with individual odds is destined to come up with a big performance this week and steal the show.

My Pick- The Field    (10/1)

Spain

Before NCAA football betting futures, an opening 1-0 loss to Switzerland in the opening round is now a distant memory for the raging fans in Madrid. Spain has not lost or drawn since, with five straight wins including the last three in the elimination stages, where the pressure is undoubtedly the strongest. What is even more impressive than the fact that Captain Carlos Puyol’s side has beaten Portugal, Paraguay, and Germany to get Soccer City Stadium is that they have not allowed even a single goal through those three matches. In the same manner as champions of past tournaments, Spain has gotten better with every sports betting contest, and should that trend continue, the last stop is hoisting the World Cup for the first time.

Netherlands

A 5-2 goal margin in a clean sweep over Japan, Denmark, and Cameroon in the group stage was simply a warning of things to come for opponents facing the Netherlands in 2010. Though their only win by more than one goal came against Denmark 2-0, the Dutch had little trouble knocking off both Slovakia and Uruguay as book ends to their upset 2-1 win over Brazil in the quarterfinals. The Netherlands can score from nearly anywhere, but that was something the world already knew. The question remains, are they strong enough to stop Spain?

Matchup

While the Netherlands have been absolutely dominant offensively in this soccer betting tournament, so were the Germans before running in to the Spanish wall. Puyol’s side is not only deep up front with one of the top attacks in the tournament, they also have one of the most solid back ends with a world-class goalkeeper in Iker Casillas. Germany had scored eight goals combined in two elimination round matches against England and Argentina, but couldn’t even get on the score sheet against Spain. Whether the Netherlands can succeed where the Germans failed is yet to be seen, but it cannot be overstated how strong Spain has been in their three elimination round matches.

World Cup Betting Pick: Spain

Brazil Portugal Betting – Friday, 10:00 AM ET

The Brazilians are +115 favorites in this World Cup contest, and they’ve won 12 and drawn two of their 18 meetings with Portugal, who have three Brazilian-born players in their squad.  The Portuguese are coming off a 7-0 hiding of North Korea to essentially book their place in the next round, so this match is for first place, but we’re aiming on both teams going down a gear to avoid injuries for the next round, so take a draw.

Ivory Coast North Korea Betting – Friday, 10:00 AM ET

Les Elephants are a huge -300 favorite over the North Koreans, but they’re going to have win by at least 10 goals, while Portugal must lose, so it’s not likely that the Ivorians will make it to the World Cup knockout stage betting point of the tournament.  This is the first time that these two countries have met in international play, and the North Koreans will be aiming to avoid another embarrassing result.  Go with the Ivory Coast here.

Honduras Switzerland Betting – Friday, 2:30 PM ET

The Swiss are a -200 soccer betting favorite here, and they have much more at stake than Honduras, who need a four-goal win and a Spain loss.  The Swiss are tied with Chile on three points, and they’ll be going for as many goals as possible as this group could be decided on goal difference.  These two have never met before, but the stakes are as high as they could be for the Swiss, and they’re going to respond with a win here.

Spain Chile Betting – Friday, 2:30 PM ET

Spain is a -220 favorite in this contest, and a win would put them back in the driver’s seat, although they are certainly left to rue their opening-match loss to the Swiss.  Chile needs only a draw to make it through as they sit in first place with six points, but they can’t afford to sit back and absorb pressure from the Spanish, who were devastating against Honduras, particularly striker David Villa.  The new Barcelona signing may actually be lucky to be in this match as he was caught slapping a Honduras player, but he won’t receive any punishment.  Spain has won six and drawn one of their seven meetings with the Chileans, and we’re going to see what Chile is made of now: can they compete with a team many were calling the pre-World Cup favorites?  Take Spain for a sports betting win here.

In 2009 Serena Williams won the Women’s Singles Final and Roger Federer won the Men’s Singles Final. For Williams it was her third Wimbledon Title and for Federer it was his sixth. Here is a look at the current odds to win it all for the top players in this year’s field.

Men’s Odds

Roger Federer 13-8

Federer has dominated this tournament over the past seven years capturing six titles in that time frame. This year he has already won the Australian Open but was knocked out of the French Open in the quarterfinals. As such an overwhelming odds-on-favorite it would be hard to bet against him in this one.

Rafael Nadal 9-4

Nadal won this tournament in 2008, breaking Federer’s five year winning streak. Realistically he is probably the only other competitor in the field that has a chance to do it again. After getting bounced out of the Australian Open in the quarterfinals he came back to win the French Open, a tournament he has dominated with five wins in the past six years.

Andy Murray 9-1

Murray is currently ranked fourth in the world in men’s singles and is coming off a loss in the fourth round of the French Open. He was runner up in the Australian Open earlier in the year. He has the skill to possibly make it all the way to the Finals, but it is doubtful he could pull off an upset to get the win should Federer advance as well.

Andy Roddick 9-1

Roddick comes into this tournament ranked seventh in the men’s singles rankings. He made it all the way to the quarterfinals in the Australian Open but was knocked out of the French Open in the third round. He does have three runner ups at Wimbledon including last year, but would have to get by Federer in most likely the semifinals to make it that far again.

Women’s Odds

Serena Williams 9-4

Serena is back to defend her title, coming in this year as the No.1 ranked women’s singles player in the world. She has already won the Australian Open earlier this year, but lost in the quarterfinals of the French Open. She is understandably the odds-on-favorite at Wimbledon, but certainly not unbeatable.

Venus Williams 10-3

Venus has won this event five times with the latest title coming in 2008. She was runner up last year, losing to her sister. Currently ranked second in world in women’s singles, she presents the biggest challenge to Serena as they will both most likely advance to the finals.

Kim Clijsters 6-1

Clijsters comes into this tournament as the eight ranked women’s singles player in the world, but has attracted the attention of the odds makers who currently have her instilled as the third favorite. I am not sure her current game is where it needs to be to pull off an upset, but she remains a player to watch in this one.

Justine Henne 7-1

While Henne has won four French Opens and one Australian Open her best finish in seven tries at Wimbledon is runner up in 2001 and 2006. She is currently ranked 16^th in the world in women’s singles but did come in second in the Australian Open earlier this year. If she can quickly put it all together, she still remains a threat to be a factor in this one.

Tiger Woods    5-2

With the all the off and on course trouble that Tiger has had over the past seven months it is hard to believe that his game and head are where they need to be to win this week. Since returning from his self imposed hiatus from golf due to problems in his personal life he has yet to contend in the handful of tournaments he has played. You cannot discount the fact that he is still arguably the best player in the game, but given the severe playing conditions of a U.S. Open anything less than perfect will not be good enough this week.

Phil Mickelson    7-1

The U.S. Open is the one Major that has been within Mickelson’s grasp numerous times but one he has yet to win. With five previous second place finishes dating back to 1999, it has to be the one tournament that has tormented him the most. It is also the one tournament he wants to win the most making the motivation factor extremely high this week. Adding to the drama, with a win earlier in the year in the Masters, a win this week keeps his dream of a Grand Slam alive. As far as a straight out bet on one player, Mickelson would be my pick.

Ernie Els     12-1

The 40 year old Els from South Africa is a two time U.S. Open Champion; 1994 at Oakmont and 1997 at Congressional. While it has been awhile since he has captured a Major, he still has the game to win this week. He is probably playing his best golf in the past few years as he already has two wins to his credit this season. In March he won both the World Golf Championships and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. A few weeks ago he tied for third in the Valero Texas Open. If he is in contention come Sunday, he still has what it takes to seal the deal.

Lee Westwood      15-1

Westwood’s best finish in a U.S. Open was third in 2008 at Torrey Pines. He comes into this tournament playing at a high level having won the St. Jude Classic in a playoff just last week. Earlier this year he finished second to Mickelson in the Masters and was tied for fourth in the Players Championship in early May. He is certainly capable of winning this week as I expect to see his name somewhere near the top of the leader board all weekend long.

The Field      2-1

The field will most likely be the strongest play this week. Given the ridiculously difficult course conditions that the USGA presents in an U.S. Open format it is hard to predict whose game will be up to the task this week. Also given this year’s venue, weather is always a factor that needs to be accounted for. Last year Lucas Glover came out of nowhere to claim his first Major with players like Ricky Barnes and David Duval tying for second. You have to believe that come late Sunday afternoon the odds favor some other young (or old) gun to grab their first one as well.

Click Here to Bet on the 2010 World Cup

There will be much expectation put on 1962 World Cup hosts Chile, who qualified for the eighth final with ease, and are back in the World Cup for the first time since France 1998. The Chileans boast a new generation of players who have emerged and are ready to emulate their predecessors in South Africa this summer. They are led by Argentinean coach Marcelo Bielsa, also known as El Loco for his unique approach to the game. El Loco’s only World Cup experience came by way of a first-round exit of Argentina at the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002. Now the former Argentina de Rosario defender will use his tactical genius, along with a determined squad to make a deep run in South Africa this June. The Chileans have one of the youngest squad in the tournament with an average age of around 23. One fresh face to look out for is Udinese striker Alexis Sanchez. Chile’s attack is also fueled by the midfield creativity of Sporting Lisbon’s Matias Fernandez and Al Ain’s Jorge Valdivia, as well as Sanchez’s strike partner Humberto Suazo, who lead the squad with 10 goals during their qualifying campaign. La Roja finished a best ever second, just one point behind perennial powerhouse Brazil in South American qualifying.

Switzerland is making its ninth FIFA World Cup finals appearance and their second in a row. The Swiss hasn’t finished better than a round of 16 finish since the 1950’s. The current team is hoping to recapture the side’s glory days with a trip to the finals in 2010. German boss Ottmar Hitzfeld will be the one in charge. The former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich boss took the national helm after Switzerland’s disappointing showing at UEFA EURO 2008. “Der General” as he is known, brings a wealth of knowledge and resolve to the Swiss squad. The squad is a blend of youth and experience, combining talented younger players such as Eren Derdiyok, Tranquillo Barnetta and keeper Diego Benaglio with seasoned campaigners like Basel star striker and Switzerland’s all-time leading scorer Alexander Frei and Blaise N’Kufo. Frei, the national team captain, finished the qualifying campaign with five goals. He will no doubt rely on the Leverkusen duo of Barnetta and Derdiyok to supply him with steady service up top, while Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos –on loan to Everton –will be called upon to stop the opposition’s attack. Switzerland’s qualifying run started disastrously, but must have been the perfect wakeup call as the team rebounded with six victories and two draws to clinch top spot in European Group 2, and a draw to South Africa.

After qualifying for just its second ever World Cup tournament, Hondurans are already ecstatic and to make it out of the group and deeper into the tournament despite the odds is on every national’s mind. After taking the job in early 2007, boss Reinaldo Rueda’ has retooled Honduran football into a formidable force. The 42-year-old Colombian strategist has built a side that is run on an aggressive attack as well as a solid backline. Honduras is not to be underestimated and boast a number of exports from Central America playing for European teams. Los Catrachos is led by 36-year-old forward Carlos Pavon, who led the team in qualifying with seven goals. He will be aided by Genoa striker David Suazo, Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios, Amado Guevara, Maynor Figueroa and Julio Leon of Italy’s Torino. Honduras overcame a devastating home defeat against the Americans in qualifying by winning the team’s final match against El Salvador, and then sweating as Costa Rica held a 2-1 lead in added time against the U.S. Jonathan Bornstein’s headed goal in the final seconds forced Cost Rica into a playoff with Uruguay, while Hondurans celebrated their automatic qualification thanks to the draw.

It’s most likely that Spain has will make quick work of the group round and will advance out of the semifinals where their run will come to an abrupt end against the Brazilians. Chile could be the one team in this group to steal first from the Spaniards, but that means beating them and I just don’t see that happening. The Swiss’ World Cup bid will begin with a match against tournament favorites, Spain. If they can beat the Spaniards, it could be a huge momentum shifter that could catapult the squad deep into the tourney. I expect that Switzerland will more than likely be one of two teams playing for second place in the group, with a must win over Chile being the deciding factor for advancement to the Round of 16. Lastly, the Hondurans will certainly not look out of place against any team in their group, but will face formidable obstacles in the form of Spain, Chile and Switzerland to reach the second round.

Click Here to Bet on the 2010 World Cup

Click Here to Bet on the 2010 World Cup

After making it to the finals at UEFA EURO 2004 and then reaching the semifinals against France at Germany 2006, Portugal have qualified for its fifth World Cup appearance. Selecao das Quinas has put on many displays of fantastic football, but are yet to win a major tournament. The side is led by Mozambican-born Carlos Queiroz, who has served as an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, as well as a short stint as head coach of Real Madrid. He first coached Selecao das Quinas from 1991 to 1993, but after a disappointing period during which he failed to lead them to either EURO 1992 or the 1994 FIFA World Cup, he was sacked. Now he will get his chance to win back the hearts and minds of the Portuguese fans with a magical run to this year’s finals. He will have plenty of weapons starting with Real Madrid star–skipper Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2008 FIFA World Player, who is hated by rival fans and loved at home, will no doubt rise to the occasion at South Africa 2010. He will be aided by midfield stars Deco, Simao and Pepe, along with defensive talisman Ricardo Carvalho, and Paulo Ferreira of Chelsea Fame. With one win from their first five group qualifying matches the side found themselves in early jeopardy of missing out on the 2010 finals, but turned things around scoring eight goals without reply in their last four group qualifiers to earn a playoff with the dangerous Bosnians. Portugal made short work of the Balkan nation winning both at home and away to clinch a comfortable 2-0 aggregate victory over both legs and easily finished second overall to Denmark in group play of European qualifying.

The group battle will come down to two sides, someone and the Ivory Coast. Côte d’Ivoire appears plenty capable of a deep run, and may have the best chance for an African team to win the World Cup. But they sure didn’t get a lot of luck in the draw, being drawn into the ‘Group of Death’ alongside Brazil and Portugal. Then the luck seemed to shift in their favor, facing a Portugal side that appears to be struggling a bit heading into this year’s competition in their first match. But that luck ran out again when striker Didier Drogba, went down with a broken arm during a collision with defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka in a friendly against Japan just one week before the start of the tournament. The injury may have broken the back of the continent’s best chance of winning the tournament, let alone getting out of the group stage. But even with the tough draw, the injuries and some coaching turmoil, the squad is still one not to be overlooked.
Current head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was given the helm just months before the start of this year’s finals, and he has done an excellent job getting the squad into top form. The side has a pile of world-class international talent throughout the starting XI. Chelsea’s Salomon Kalou, who will need to slip into the injured Drogba’s starting role, has received plenty of criticism but is still a potent striker. Other European stars include midfielder Yaya Toure of Arsenal and Sevilla’s Didier Zokora. They have more than 120 caps between them, and should be able to make up for their missing mate. The Côte d’Ivoire cruised through qualifying without losing a single match, and will know have a shot at proving they can win at the highest level of football.

North Korea is making its first World Cup appearance since making it to the last eight back in 1966. The squad did not return the international stage until 1999 and failed to qualify for the 2006 tournament. After spending nearly 30 years off the world stage, the Fightin’ IL’s have seen a recent rival, coming close to qualifying for Germany 2006 before successfully navigating the road to South Africa. While coach Kim Jong-Hun enjoyed great success during the qualifying rounds, he must have been disappointed to see his team drawn into the same group as Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast. The 53-year old guided the side back to the world stage and will now be expected to take his squad to the pinnacle of world football. Given his squad largely consists of domestic-based players lacking in international experience, he will have to rely on a strong defensive approach to keep the team within striking distance of low scoring matches. The side’s most notable international is Jong Tae-Se, a striker plying his trade in Japan. Aiding him will be 27-year-old captain Hong Yong-Jo from Russia’s FC Rostov fame. The two will form a solid attacking force for the Fightin’ IL’s. Rounding out the notables are Korean-based midfielder Mun In-Guk who makes the team tick, while keeper Ri Myong-Guk’s safe hands and agility can be relied upon between the sticks. Korea DPR seemingly came from nowhere to storm into the Asian Zone’s final round of qualifying, where they defied sizeable odds to take one of the continent’s four automatic spots at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

As always the Brazilians will be one of the overall favorites, living up to the common quip about football –”The English invented it, the Brazilians perfected it.” The Samba Kings are a remarkable 20-1-3 in Cup play. They should easily walk away with top honors in the group with Portugal being their stiffest competition The Portuguese will have to use all of their experience and expertise to get out of a difficult Group G, with their opening match with Ivory Coast being the most critical. They should have enough to get by North Korea, but will most likely fall to Brazil. Many have seemingly jumped off the Ivory Coast bandwagon after the loss of star striker Didier Drogba, but what fans don’t seem to remember is that the Elephants have more weapons in their arsenal with which to obtain wins. With Portugal’s roster looking a bit shaky, the Ivory Coast definitely still have an outside chance of reaching the knockout stage. Finally, the only thing North Koreans’ can hope for — is doing better than South Korea.

Click Here to Bet on the 2010 World Cup

Click Here to Bet on the 2010 World Cup

Paraguay will be another favorite to make it out of the group stage.  La Albirroja are making their eighth FIFA World Cup finals appearance and their fourth in a row after a brilliant qualifying campaign. They will now set their sights on shaking the disappointment of a first round exit in 2006. The side is under the watchful eye of Argentinean boss Gerardo Martino. El Tata is a big fan of attacking football, and brings a new look to the squads’ traditional defensive style. While some questioned his ability to guide the side to excellence, critics were silenced as the squad cruised its way through a tough qualifying group. It will remain to be seen just what effect the loss their best player, striker Salvador Cabanas, will be, after being shot in the head back in January in a Mexico City bar. Losing your best player to tragedy can plunge a team into despair or give cause to rise from the ashes. It is yet to be determined which course La Albirroja will travel. One thing is for certain; they do have a deep enough squad to get them in the knockout rounds. Players like Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz will lead the offensive punch along with Oscar Cardozo and Nelson Haedo Valdez, all of whom scored 11 goals between them during the squads qualifying campaign. Paraguay allowed just 16 goals in 18 World Cup qualification matches finishing a very respectable third in South American qualifying behind Brazil and Chile.

It already seems like a small victory as Slovakia qualified for their first ever World Cup finals and expectations should be moderate for the Group F sleeper. Don’t count this resilient bunch out just yet. They side is a remnant of the former Czechoslovakia, a nation who participated in eight finals overall, including a pair of finals appearances in 1934 and 1962. They also advanced as far as the last eight in 1990, and now look to climb to the top of World Stage once again. Boss Vladimir Weiss was handed the duties of head coach in June 2008, and since has formed a very tight, collective unit that knows what it takes to grind out results. Weiss led the Artmedia Bratislava into the UEFA Champions League group phase in 2005/06, so he knows what it takes to compete at a higher level of competition. Although most outside of Slovakia wouldn’t recognize most of the names on the roster, outside of Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, the Slovaks do have plenty of star-like players. One is Italy’s, Marek Hamsik, who is a constant threat to score and can wreck havoc on many opposing defenses. There is also striker Stanislav Sestak who plays for German Bundesliga 2 VfL Bochum. The youngster finished top scorer for Slovakia with six strikes in qualifying. The Slovaks put on an impressive display and finished first in a tough qualifying group that included the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia and Northern Ireland.

If the All Blacks are New Zealand’s epitome of success, than the All Whites have to be the exact opposite. Unfortunately for the Kiwis, football is not their strong spot. The All Whites are making just their second appearance in the World Cup and their first in 28 years. New Zealand also has played in three Confederation Cups, scoring just three goals in nine matches. They have never won either a Confederations Cup match or a World Cup final match. Boss Ricki Herbert who was one of the first Kiwis to play in England, has turned the All Whites into a solid unit after assuming the reins of the national team in 2005, and has a smattering of other Kiwis plying their trades internationally to help him try to change that. The side is led by Blackburn central defender, skipper and former D.C. United star Ryan Nelsen, who took charge of the Kiwis’ playoff series against Bahrain, leading the team to two shutouts and a win over the Asians to reach the tournament this summer. At the other end of the pitch, the Kiwis have a number of key attacking options including Shane Smeltz, the Oceania Player of the Year and Australian A-League top-scorer, Middlesbrough striker Chris Killen, FC Tampa Bay Rowdie midfielder Jeremy Christie, and 18-year old West Bromwich Albion F.C striker Chris Wood. New Zealand took full advantage of Australia’s exodus from the Oceania region comfortably winning their group.

Italy should make quick work of New Zealand and Slovakia with their biggest challenge coming by way of their bout with Paraguay. Paraguay should earn wins against New Zealand and Slovakia and will rely on their talented strikers to move on past the group stage, but the Round of 16 will likely be where their road ends. Slovakia is a solid team and will be battling Paraguay for second place in this group, but it would be the surprise of the tournament if they advance. The Slovaks should get the win against New Zealand and have an outside shot at advancing if they are able to break through the defense of Paraguay. Finally, the Kiwis are the biggest long shot at grabbing the World Cup title, and are worst odds of any World Cup squad. The side has never won a World Cup match and it doesn’t appear that will change this summer.

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Click Here to Bet on the 2010 World Cup

Second in the group that is likely to advance is Denmark. After missing out on both the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and UEFA EURO 2008, the Danes have returned to the World Cup after a six-year drought. Danish national Morten Olsen has piloted the Danes to one of their three World Cup appearances in 2002 FIFA World Cup as well UEFA EURO 2004, but has yet to get the side past the round of 16. The Danes, who are known for their stingy defense, are led by Liverpool defender Daniel Agger and Simon Kjaar. The two formed a brilliant relationship during qualification and worked together well. Keeper Thomas Sorenson, who played with Denmark in the 2002 World Cup, will once again be between the pipes. Denmark’s offense will be led by a trio of international midfielders, Daniel Jensen (Bremen), Christan Poulsen (Juventus) and Dennis Rommedahl (Ajax), along with national captain, striker Jon Dahl Tomasson. The side was a shocker to qualify for the World Cup beating Portugal, who was ranked 5^th in the world, and Sweden to advance out of their group with just one defeat in ten matches. The Danes finished their Cinderella campaign with an overall record of 6-3-1, making them a serious threat to advance.

One team that most will tend to overlook will be Cameroon. Having appeared in more World Cups than any other African nation, the Indomitable Lions will look to duplicate their miracle run to the quarterfinals in 1990 after not managing to advance past the group stage in three finals appearances since then. New boss Paul Le Guen of Lyon fame, who took over for the fired German veteran Otto Pfister after a poor start early in qualifying, immediately began making radical changes that paid dividends–like stripping long-time captain Rigobert Song of the armband and giving it to three-time African player of the year Samuel Eto’o. The 45-year-old coach is best known for his staunch attitude, and leading French club Olympique Lion to the Ligue I title three times in succession. He will have the tools to get the job done starting with Inter Milan world-class striker Samuel Eto’o. The dynamic forward scored a total of nine goals in 11 qualifiers alone, and will be a likely candidate for the tournaments Golden Boot Award. Cameroon looked like they were about to miss their second straight World Cup after beginning their qualifying campaign with just a draw from their first two matches, but then completed an impressive turnaround recording four straight victories to ensure safe passage to South Africa.

Lastly, the groups most unknown factor Japan, will make their fourth consecutive World Cup appearance and will hunting for an elusive semifinals appearance after their failure to get out of the second round in Germany 2006. The Samurai Blue has one of the strongest squads in Asian Football and are winners of three of the last five editions of the AFC Asian Cup. Boss, Takeshi Okada, is considered to be one of the finest Japanese coaches in Asia. The 53-year-old led the Samurai Blue to their first FIFA World Cup appearance at France in 1998. Japan will play their first World Cup finals without former Italian Serie A and English Premier League midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata, who led Japan in each of the national side’s games at France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006 before hanging up his boots at the ripe age of just 29. His replacement will be former Celtic playmaker and free kick maestro Shunsuke Nakamura. The squad is rounded out with another European-based performer, 23-year old midfielder Keisuke Honda. Japan head to South Africa after a dominating display in Asian Zone qualifying, but we all know that solid results in Asia won’t necessarily translate to World Cup success.

On paper, the Netherlands appears to have all the necessary ingredients necessary to make a deep run this time around. The will need to work out of the group stage if they are going to make any noise, something they should do quite handily with wins over Japan and Cameroon. If the Danes beat Japan and at least draw with the Netherlands they may be able to squeak by Cameroon. Meanwhile, the Indomitable Lions will go as far as striker Samuel Eto’o can take them. As for the Samurai Blue, they will need no less than stellar performances from the entire squad as well as wins over Cameroon and Denmark. A draw in any match will most likely indicate an early departure.

Click Here to Bet on the 2010 World Cup

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Ghana is defiantly this group’s sleeper. After reaching its first World Cup finals as the only African side to get out of the group stage at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the Black Star was the first to qualify for South Africa 2010 in their second straight World Cup appearance. Winners of four CAF African Cup of Nations titles, Ghana will no doubt be anxious to solidify themselves as the best squad of the continent, by bringing home a World Cup title. After taking over the reigns in 2008, Serbian boss, Milovan Rajevac will try to repeat the success he enjoyed with the Red Star Belgrade as well as perennial Serbian squad FK Borac, who he led to their first-ever European tournament qualification. Even though you may not recognize many of the Black Star players, they do have a field of solid international stars starting with Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari and captain Stephen Appiah of Bologna. The duo will form a formidable engine room capable of creating opportunities for the side’s offensive firepower, while the England-based duo of John Mensah and John Paintsil anchor the backline in front of Wigan Athletic’s Richard Kingson between the pipes. The Black Stars made quick work of the first half of qualifying, but after being unbeaten in their first four matches, broke even with clubs Gabon and Libya and only earned the right to the World Cup via goal differential over the two teams.

Serbia come into it’s first ever World Cup as a fully independent nation. The side who was previously Yugoslavia until 2003, and then as the Serbia and Montenegro national football team until 2006, participated at nine FIFA World Cups between 1930 and 2002, and finished runners-up at the UEFA European Championship twice. The Beli Orlovi competed in their first independent international match on August 16 2006, winning 3-1 away to Czech Republic. They will now build on that experience and look to once again become a formidable and feared side.  The White Eagles are led by 61-year old, Radi Antic. Antic brings a wealth of coaching experience having spent time coaching Zaragoza, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and giants — FC Barcelona.  He has blended a fine squad of experienced veterans with talented youth. Much of Serbia’s success has been their suffocating defense, anchored by scrappy defender Nemanja Vidic. The Manchester United center back will be aided by Chelsea fullback Branislav Ivanovic and captain — Inter midfielder Dejan Stankovic, all who are players capable of being table setters in the big games. The striking force will be led by duo Milan Jovanovic and Marko Pantelic at the point. The Beli Orlovi finished in first place in the European Group 7 for the first time in team history, finishing ahead of the heavy favorite France. This is defiantly a squad that has what it takes to advance deep into the tourney.

Australia’s recent move from the Oceanic Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation paid off with an easy qualification run to the 2010 World Cup. The Socceroos will now appear on the world stage for the second time with its second consecutive qualification. The team is under the direction of head coach Pim Verbeek who took over the helm at the end of 2007. Verbeek has assembled a top-notch squad with a solid defense as well as a stinging forward attack. They are led by Everton midfielder Tim Cahill, who has become the centerpiece of the Australian strike force. He will be supported by Blackburn’s Brett Emerton, and Galatasaray’s Harry Kewell on the opposite flank. Blackburn mate Vince Grella and national Jason Culina will hold down the centerfield as central defender Lucas Neill and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who claimed a national record as the team maintained a clean sheet for seven consecutive FIFA World Cup qualifiers, demonstrate the Australians suffocating defense that conceded just four goals including a record run of seven matches, en route to South Africa. The Socceroos went unbeaten in eight matches in the final stage, finishing five points clear of second place. The lads from down under will be no cakewalk.

Despite a banged up squad the Germans are the odds on sixth overall to win the title in this year’s final, and is definitely one of two sides to make it out of the group D stage. They should breeze passed Australia and post a win over Ghana who is considered one of the few host continent squads that have a respectable chance of surviving to the second round of the tournament. Even after an impressive qualifying run, it is unlikely Serbia will advance from the group stage, but they could be fun to watch with winger Milan Jovanovic supplying the crosses for Europe’s tallest player Nikola Zigic. The Australians should not be underestimated, but will also have to be at their very best to come through a difficult Group D. It will be a battle behind Germany, with Serbia, Ghana and Australia all having a very good chance for the final transfer spot.

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