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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.

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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.

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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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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.

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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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The USA is the favorite for runner in this group. The Stars and Stripes have qualified for every World Cup finals since 1990, but their results have been erratic playing well in 1994 and 2002 and imploding during their 1990, 1998, and 2006 appearances. New head coach Bob Bradley has replaced Bruce Arena after his dismal in 2006. The 52-year old has coached at the collegiate level as well as nine seasons in the MLS, managing the Chicago Fire, Metro Stars, and Chivas USA. This year’s squad is a blend of youth and experience, and will once again be led by speedy midfielder Landon Donovan, of the Los Angeles Galaxy. The 28-year old attacker has put on some of his best performances wearing a USA jersey, and there is little doubt that Donovan will once again be one of his team’s leading men in South Africa this summer. He will get some much-needed help from an impressive supporting cast with the likes of Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey, all of whom are currently plying their trade on European soil. The U.S. reached the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals by qualifying in first place in their Group.

The group’s sleeper will be one of six African nations playing on native soil. The Algerians stunned the futbol community when it knocked out African champions Egypt in qualifying to make its first appearance in the FIFA final in 24 years. The Desert Foxes have made it to the finals just two previous times with their greatest moment coming in Spain 1982. Algeria are under the watchful eye of coach Rabah Saadane, who will face a difficult task of getting his side out of the group stage against the likes of England and the United States. The 64-yer old took over the helm of the national side on four separate occasions, with his current stint beginning in 2007. He will have at his disposal French born midfielder Karim Zian. The 27-year old will be the center of Les Fennecs attack. The squad is led by captain Yazid Mansouri, who will be heavily relied upon as the central playmaker, and striker Karim Matmour. The Desert Foxes put on a show during their thrilling qualifying run that ended with an exciting playoff, eliminating archrival Egypt in Sudan.

Slovenia took the football world by surprise by defeating Guus Hiddink’s Russian squad to make its second appearance in a FIFA World Cup final.  Now former Slovenian player turned coach, Matjaz Kek will be responsible for maintaining the side’s forward charge to South Africa. He was promoted to the position of senior coach In January 2007 after initially taking charge of the national U-15 and U-16 teams. Since his inception he has designed one of the stingiest defenses in Europe. Although the squad has no real household names, the side’s success has been built on collective strength, but that’s not to say the team is without international talent. The most well known player is leading goal scorer, Milivoje Novakovic of Cologne fame. The star striker scored five times, during the teams qualifying campaign. Captain Robert Koren anchors the midfield along Inter Milan midfielder Rene Krhin. Slovenia’s run through the playoffs was somewhat of a Cinderella story as they eliminated Poland, the Czech Republic and finally, Russia in the European playoffs.

After an impressive campaign through their UEFA qualifying group, getting past the group stage will not be enough, as the Three Lions will be looking to end their title drought. Their opening match against the US will be their biggest test. Should they fall to Bradley’s group, must wins against Slovenia and Algeria will be required. The USA cannot get caught up in the hype of playing England in their first game, but a win of any proportion could be a huge momentum shifter within the group.  Despite the outcome with England, they should be able to notch wins over Algeria and Slovenia. The Algerians tough qualifying campaign forged them into a battle hardened squad and they will need to use that toughness to grab a win over Slovenia and a draw with the U.S. Finally, the Slovaks are yet to win a match in a major international tournament, but have beaten the likes of Russia and Poland. With that, there will be much confidence to advance, but they will most likely succumb, with loses to the USA and England.

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Loaded with all the right weapons, Nigeria has a solid chance of advancing to the round of 16 in its first appearance back in the tournament since 2002. With the World Cup on African soil, the Super Eagles will be expected to give a solid performance with the help of the home crowd’s support. They will be under the watchful eye of Swedish boss Lars Lagerback. The 61-year old has plenty of World Cup experience and will have at his disposal a squad packed with both young and experienced talent. Peter Utaka will lead Nigeria’s highflying attack along with striker Obafemi Martins and set up man — midfielder Jon Mikel Obi. Skipper Joseph Yobo will center the backline, holding back the opposition’s attack. After opening their qualifying run with two draws, the Nigerians were facing elimination, but snuck into the finals on a one-goal difference.

The Koreans are he most powerful team in Asia, while being the group’s biggest long shot. South Korea had been riding an undefeated streak of 27 matches until losing to Serbia and Zambia in a pair of friendlies and then to China in the 2010 East Asian Championships. The Taeguk Warriors enters this year’s campaign with its seventh straight appearance in the finals, including a semifinals appearance in the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup. They are lead by head coach Huh Jung-Moo. His task will be lessened with the help of Manchester United winger; skipper Park Ji-Sung who has played a key role in Korea Republic’s two previous FIFA World Cup appearances. Sung will get help from a number of other European stars, including 2009 Young Asian Footballer of the Year — forward, Park Chu-Young, as well rising stars like Bolton’s Lee Chung-Yong and FC Seoul forward Lee Seung-Ryu, all of who will give fits to opposing defenses. Korea’s ride to the finals was a bit rough as they barley managed top their group after two scoreless draws against their nemesis North Korea.

The group’s sleeper stunned the futbol world by winning the UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal, but then followed up by missing the 2006 World Cup. Now Greece will once again get the chance to prove they have what it takes to compete on the word stage. The Galanoleyki’s are under the direction of Greek futbol legend –German boss Otto Rehhagel. “King Otto” will have no shortage of experience when his squad hits the pitch in South Africa. Among them is veteran defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos, as well as former Inter Milan and Benfica midfielder Karagounis. The two will be aided by playmakers Angelos Charisteas, Georgios Samaras, Vasilis Torosidis and Theofanis Gekas. Greece’s World Cup qualifying campaign started with the side outscoring their opponents eight to none and ended after winning their playoff series 1-0 on aggregate against the Ukraine, Greece was awarded one of the final UEFA World Cup spots, earning their place in the World Cup finals for only the second time in its history.

So who will be the victors of an interesting Group B?

The Argentineans are always a threat, but given the way the squad eeked out a qualifying spot, nothing is ever for certain. What we do know is this team certainly has the talent, and if the leadership does its job, are sure to be the winner of the group. The Super Eagles are the wild card and will need some combination of a win and a draw against Greece and South Korea. I expect the Nigerians to be one of the two teams moving on from this group. The Greeks have mastered the art of the 1-0, defensive game, and with their counter attacking style they will be tough to beat. But without superior talent, they will fall to Argentina and Nigeria. Lastly, there are the Koreans, who must win against Nigeria or Argentina if they want even the slightest chance of advancing.

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The Bafana Bafana will not only be carrying the burden of hosting the first World Cup on African soil, but will feel the pressure to qualify for the round of 16, as no host nation has ever failed to advance past the opening round. The South Africans will have their work cut out for them as they have failed to make it beyond the group stages in both of their previous FIFA World Cup appearances. Newly appointed boss, Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira, will be at the helm as he searches to regain the respect he has lost after coaching Brazil to a World Cup victory in 1994. Much of the side’s success will depend on the efforts both captain Aaron Mokoena, and talented midfield maestro Steven Pienaar of Everton. The team will also rely heavily on the unsung heroics of a versatile, hard working and resilient back Siboniso Gaxa, as well as Tsepho Masilela, a winger who strikes fear into opponents with his rampaging forays down the left-hand side.

Mexico has reached a pinnacle of 14 World Cup finals appearance–the most in CONCACAF history, but have yet to hoist any hardware. For starters, Los Tricolores will be happy to get their fifth trip to the second round. New hope surrounds Atletico Madrid boss Javier Aguirre to get that job done.  El Vasco, as he is known, has put together a side comprising of bright young talents and established superstars. Mexico completed the six-team qualification group in the CONCACAF Zone finishing in second place, winning five, drawing one and losing just the one. The side’s most impressive performance came in the Gold Cup final almost one year ago when, after a scoreless deadlock with the USA at half time, rallied for five in the second half, hammering the Americans 5-0. They are led by 36-year old veteran center midfielder, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who is surrounded by a host of promising youngsters such as Guillermo Ochoa, Efrain Juarez, Andres Guardado, Arsenal’s Carlos Vela and Tottenham striker Giovani dos Santos. Along with skipper Rafael Marquez, this squad should lift Mexico beyond the Round of 16, where they have been knocked out at the last four FIFA World Cup finals.

Uruguay is the group’s dark horse. La Celeste is a mere shadow of the their former selves as a world football super power, after having made just two appearances in the last five FIFA World Cup finals and failing to advance beyond the last 16 since the 1970 tournament in Mexico. Desperate for a better showing, the Uruguayans have entrusted 62-year old boss Oscar Tabarez, to get the job done. He will certainly have the resources to advance the side beyond the group phase and into the knockout rounds for the first time in two decades. La Celeste finished fifth in the ten-team qualifying group, collecting 24 points and scoring 28 goals, the third highest behind Brazil and Chile. The squad is a blend of youth as well as veteran standouts and is led by Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan. Forlan won the Pichichi award for top scorer in La Liga last season, as well the European Golden Shoe. He will be paired with forward Luis Suarez from Ajax Amsterdam fame as the two look to provide some offense punch up top. The backline will be solid and is anchored by captain — central defender Diego Lugano, who likes to combine his defensive duties with often-profitable forays into the opposing penalty box.

Lastly, the group’s favorite to finish first, is France.  Les Bleus have appeared in 12 final tournaments, but have only won once on home soil in 1998.  Keeping true to their style of stingy defense, the French did not score a lot of goals in qualifying, but netted just enough to finish in second place, one point behind Serbia in Group 7.  Head coach Raymond Domenech should have no problem guiding his squad through the group stage. He will have an excellent squad at his disposal with the likes of captain Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, and Real Madrid youngster Karim Benzema. They will be aided by an able bunch with the likes of Bordeaux’s Yoann Gourcuff, left winger Florent Malouda of Chelsea fame, and controversial Franck Ribery of Bayern, who’s arguably the most talented of all France’s attacking options.

This will be an exciting group to watch. France will have to play smart in their first match against Uruguay securing an early win, and then must follow with at least a draw with the Mexicans. If they can pull that combination off, their final match South Africa won’t carry much weight, at least from them. Meanwhile, La Celeste probably has the group’s most fearsome lineup of strikers, but will not only need a solid outing against France, but wins against South Africa and Mexico if they want to advance. El Tri will be the pivotal squad in this group, having the talent to advance from the group stage and the ability to down the South Africans and Uruguay. They will need to start with a win over South Africa, who will have a very tough time of advancing out of this group. But there is a first time for everything and there can be no greater motivation than representing their country in a FIFA World Cup on home soil. The one intangible advantage is that they will have the support of the home crowd.

Bayern Munich +195
Inter Milan +135
Draw +220

FC Bayern Munchen and FC Internazionale Milano will do battle for club football’s biggest prize in the UEFA Champions League final to be played on May 22 at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid, Spain.

This will be the first final to ever be played on a Saturday.

Bayren and Inter have met five previous times with the most recent encounter coming in the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League group stage, where Inter’s Patrick Vieira’s equalizer in added-time ended the match in a draw.

The Bayern side is seeking its fifth European crown while Inter is hoping to hoist a trophy for the first time in 45 years. That hope will get some much–needed help from Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who after wining Seri A crown last Sunday and the coppa Italia title a week later in Olimpico, Roma, now has his sights set on completing a unique treble by winning the Champions League on Saturday. Bayern is also heading to Madrid looking for a treble after winning the Bundesliga crown and Germany cup a week ago. Winning the treble is a historical event, only five teams have done it so far, and if Bayern or Inter win it, they would be the first team of their country to win the treble.

It won’ be easy as Sneijder and company will face a resilient Bayern side that have already eliminated two other Italian hopefuls-Juventus and ACF Fiorentina. Bayren’s UEFA Champions League campaign got off to a slow start but steadily gained momentum. Louis van Gaal’s side improved throughout the knockout stages eliminating Juventus and Fiorentina, but also the likes of powerhouse Manchester United as well as Olympique Lyonnais.

Much like their opponents, the road to the finals started out a bit bumpy for Inter, drawing the first three matches. After squeaking out of the group stage however, the side toppled EPL champions Chelsea and then put on an impressive display of their own dethroning defending champions FC Barcelona in the semi-finals.

This year’s match up also carries with it some personal history between Bayren coach Louis and Inter’s José Mourinho–the latter having worked as assistant to Van Gaal at Barcelona between 1997 and 2000. Both men are past winners of the competition and each will join the exclusive club of coaches who have guided more than one team to European Champion Clubs’ Cup success if victorious in the Spanish capital.

Bayern has plenty of offense but their defense and midfield isn’t the strongest, leaving them vulnerable to Inter’s up front pairing of Samuel Eto and Diego Milito. Inter is also well organized at the back, and at times impenetrable, making Bayern’s job that much harder as they will be without winger Franck Ribery who is serving a three-game ban. The France international was shown a straight red card for fouling Lyon’s Lisandro Lopez in Munich last month. Bayern will hope that former-Chelsea Dutch winger Arjen Robben, can step into the role and help steer the side as he did on the latter stages of the tournament.

As usual in a finals game, the tempo will start slowly as each side waits for its opponent to attack. An early goal could easily decide the outcome. With a better defense and a more potent attack, I expect Inter to win this game in regulation time, 2-1.

• If Chelsea loses, and Manchester United beats Stoke City at Old Trafford, United are champions
• If Chelsea draws, and Manchester United beats Stoke City at Old Trafford, United are champions
• If Chelsea loses, and Manchester United draws, Chelsea wins the title (I don’t think they’re going to lose 9-0, which is what it would take to overturn the goal difference)
• If they both lose, win or draw, the title is Chelsea’s

Chelsea vs. Wigan will be live on Fox Soccer Channel while Manchester United vs. Stoke City will be on Fox Soccer Plus. Both matches should produce its own brand of excitement as both teams are poised to hoist the EPL Trophy at the end of the day on Sunday.

Here I take a look at a few of this weekend’s matches, giving you insight on making your EPL soccer wager a winner.

Chelsea vs. Wigan Athletic

A victory over Wigan at home would give Chelsea their fourth top-flight crown and keep them on course for the first league and FA Cup double in their history. There mission is simple — win and collect the silverware. But no match is ever easy and Wigan proved that by ending Arsenal’s title challenge three weeks ago. A win for the Latics would keep them from ending the campaign with their lowest points tally since promotion to the Premier League as well as securing a first league double over Chelsea. The odds are against them as they have lost their last five away matches while Chelsea have won 16 of 18 league games at Stamford Bridge this season, scoring 60 goals. Since losing to City, the Blues have won four successive home league games, scoring 19 goals. That kind of goal production will not bode well for Wigan keeper Vladimir Stojkovic who has conceded 12 goals in six appearances. I expect a dominating win from Chelsea as they lift the cup on their home pitch.

Manchester United vs. Stoke City

The reigning champions title hopes rely mainly in the hands of Chelsea. However, the Red Devils do need a victory over Stoke even if their rivals were to succumb to a surprise defeat to Wigan. United’s three Premier League titles have been won on the last day of the season so a dramatic finish could be in the works. Stoke’s season has been another of steady improvement. The Potters could finish as high as ninth if results go their way on Sunday. Along with Portsmouth, the Potters have scored fewer Premier League away goals than any other team this season, while United have the best defensive record in the division, conceding 28 goals in 37 matches. I expect United to put the pressure on Chelsea as they win this one 2-0.

Arsenal vs. Fulham

Arsenal has never lost at home to Fulham, and needs a win at Emirates this Sunday to solidify its hold on third place.  Fulham will certainly be looking past this fixture to the Europa League final in Hamburg on May 12. The Gunners have only won one of their last six league games and picked up a solitary point from the last 12 available. However, they are on a six-match unbeaten run at home, winning five and keeping a clean sheet in the last three. I expect Arsenal to pick up three points; enough to hang on to a third place finish over Tottenham.

Burnley vs. Tottenham Hotspur

The Hotspur enter Sunday’s match after a solid win over Manchester City that sealed fourth spot and a place in the Champions League. But they are still eying third and a win over an already relegated Burnely side coupled with an Arsenal loss could seal the deal for an automatic entry into the Champions League group stage. I expect a win for Tottenham, but falling short by an Arsenal victory over Fulham.

West Ham United vs. Manchester City

West Ham could rise three spots with the right results while City could fall to sixth if they lose on Sunday. I’m not sure either side cares that much one way or the other. Manchester City has won only two of their nine Premier League trips to Upton Park. Their last win away to the Hammers was on the opening day of the 2007-08 season. West Ham has won only one of their last seven league games against City, a 1-0 home victory last season. Expect West Ham to make things interesting as they squeak out a narrow 1-0 victory at home.

Aston Villa vs. Blackburn Rovers

Villa is assured of Europa League football next season, but they can climb as high as fifth for the first time in 13 years if they win and Manchester City lose. Aston Villa beat Blackburn at home in both domestic cups this year. Villa is unbeaten in their last seven home games against Blackburn, winning six of them – including in both domestic cups earlier this year. I expect the Villans to finish the season with a strong outing against the Rovers taking three final points.

Hull City vs. Liverpool

Europa League football may be of little solace for Liverpool as its wraps up its season finishing outside the top five for the first time since 1999. The Tigers’ two-year stay in the top flight ends on Mother’s Day. Hull has never beaten Liverpool. The teams have met 15 times and the Reds have won 12, with three draws. I expect that trend to continue through this weekend.

Everton vs. Portsmouth

Another team with its mind on other silverware plays out the season this weekend as Portsmouth visits Everton. The FA Cup final is all that’s left this season for relegated Pompey, and while Everton can’t finish any higher than eighth. The Toffees are unbeaten in 10 matches since losing 2-1 at Tottenham in February. The side pulled together after beginning the year with string of injuries, leaving one to wonder if Everton could have made a run at this year’s top four. Everton wins.

Bolton Wanderers vs. Birmingham

A little pride and a place or two on the table is on the line as Birmingham visits the Trotters. The scorer of the first goal in this fixture has won 10 of the 11 Premier League meetings between these two sides. Birmingham remain on course for their highest finish in 51 years and require a point to record their best-ever points tally in the Premier League. They will do it with a win over Bolton on Sunday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Sunderland

Two teams in the bottom half of the table cap the season as the Black Cats visit the Wolverhamprton. The Wolves are looking for a first win in seven as they have drawn their last three at Molineux. The Black Cats have won just twice away all season, and I don’t expect that to change as the Wolves edge them out in a 1-0 victory and now start preparing for a second successive season in English football’s top-flight for the first time in almost 30 years.

Matt Martz is a sportswriter for the Bakersfield Californian located in Central California. “ Football (soccer) is a game in which a handful of fit men run around for one and a half hours watched by millions of people who could really use the exercise.”