The 2010 FIFA World Cup begins on Friday when tournament host South Africa takes on Mexico. While this event excites even the average fan because of its magnitude, the Elon soccer players and coaches are drooling in anticipation of the start of the Cup. Senior goalkeeper Clint Irwin took a break from summer training to give those novice soccer fans all the information they need to know before the first kick. Grab a snack, settle in and read below for some great content, as well as a few digs on our England-born men’s soccer coach! 

Let’s Play Football!

Four years on and its time for another World Cup.  By now, the point of this being the first World Cup on African soil has probably been driven into the ground.  However, for competitive reasons, this throws a huge wrench into World Cup predictions.  European countries tend to fare better in tournaments played in Europe.  The Asian nations do better in Asia. And for Brazil, they always do well.  No one knows if this World Cup will provide a geographic advantage for Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and South Africa.  Coach Powell is undoubtedly wringing his hands over England’s prospects while new assistant Coach Little has placed his faith in the nation of ABE (Anybody but England) as Scotland failed to qualify for its sixth straight major tournament.

Before I get to the previews of the strongest teams in each group, I must touch on one of the most important games in American soccer history.  England against the United States will take place on Saturday, June 12 and the anticipation is unbelievable.  I feel that I can speak for the team and say how sick we are of hearing Coach Powell talk about how great England is (When was the last time you won anything? Oh, that’s right, 1966).  They invented the game, they have the best players, they invented English (the language), blah blah blah.  I’ve got news: This here is America.  As any political science major will tell you, the “Special Relationship” ends on the pitch.  We beat them in 1776, we beat them in 1950 and we will beat them in 2010.  While this game is important for sheer bragging rights, it probably will not define either team’s final destiny during the group stage, so we have to keep the chest pounding in perspective.  But so what, if the United States beats England yet doesn’t advance out of the group, I might go as far as to say that that would be a success.  On to the preview.

First, in Group A, I believe the strongest team is Mexico.  Mexico edges the hosts South Africa as well as France and Uruguay.  “El Tri” as they are known, possess some serious firepower up front with the likes of Giovani Dos Santos, Carlos Vela and Javier “El Chicharito” Hernandez.  Each of these players is under the age of 23 and provides invention in the final third.  In the back, the Mexicans are led by Gerrardo Torrado who sits in front of the defense and patrols.  Captain and central defender Rafael Marquez has returned to fitness just in time.  Probably the most accomplished Mexican player ever (and probably the best master of the cheap shot), Marquez has significant experience in major tournaments.  Manager Javier Aguirre has the team playing at its best in awhile and if the warm-up matches are any indication, the Mexicans could go far.  Add the fact that the French team, 2006 finalists, is in complete disarray, the Mexicans look even better.

In Group B, the Argentines possess the most strength.  Compared to the likes of Nigeria, Greece and South Korea, Argentina is head and shoulders above the rest. For Argentina, it’s all about the best player in the world at this moment, Lionel Messi.  The Barcelona FC winger is unstoppable with the ball at his feet.  Standing at 5’7, he scores a ton of goals as well. If Messi can display the form that has won him plaudits at Barcelona, Argentina will go very far.  Look for Carlos Tevez and Diego Milito to supplement him in attack.  Captain Javier Mascherano (also plays for Liverpool FC) holds down the midfield with unmatched work rate and tackling ability.  The one weakness Argentina has is ironically their manager Maradona.  His managerial record has been less than stellar and off the field incidents have caused many to question his judgment.  With the talent he has at hand, his job is simply to not screw it up.

Group C includes the United States, Algeria, Slovenia and, in my view, the strongest team of the group, England.  I know, I know, I just slammed England two paragraphs earlier.  The fact remains though, that if England’s group is “fairly straightforward” (one of Coach Powell’s favorite phrases used to describe training exercises that are anything but).  England possesses one of the top five players in the world in forward Wayne Rooney.  He needs to be in top form if England is to progress.  If he can form a scoring partnership with stand-in captain and midfielder Steven Gerrard (my favorite player for my favorite club, Liverpool FC) then England will be in good stead. Also, England has one of the top managers in the world in Fabio Capello.  The Italian is a master tactician, motivator and put simply, he’s a winner.  As we know though, coaches can make a difference but ultimately players must perform on the pitch.  Key injuries to captain and stalwart center back Rio Ferdinand as well as defensive midfielder Gareth Barry have left the squad with some gaps to plug.  Barry may be fit for the second group game, but Ferdinand has been ruled out of the tournament.  Further, England’s lack of a top class goalkeeper is worrying.  David ‘Calamity’ James and Robert Green would not even make the United States’ goalkeeper list (probably the American’s only on-field advantage against England is in the goalkeeper category).  When you’re a goalkeeper and your nickname is “Calamity,” it’s probably not a good sign.  Otherwise, England possesses as many big game players as any other nation.  Unfortunately they carry the immense pressure of a nation who believes that since they invented the game, they deserve to win every year and should. 

Group D, in which some have called the Group of Death-lite, is a relative toss up for the strongest team.  Ghana, Germany, Serbia and Australia can all call on strong squads.  However, I believe that Serbia is the best out of this bunch.  While Germany is always there or close, the squad this year lacks the quiet confidence of past Deutsche teams.  Add the loss of talismanic captain Michael Ballack and the team looks slightly rudderless.  I feel that Serbia is the class of this Group.  The country has slowly built a squad with players who play their trade in the best clubs in Europe.  Nemanja Vidic, Branislav Ivanovic and Neven Subotic (who holds American citizenship, yet turned down the US National Team) anchor a stingy backline.  Nikola Zigic, a 6’7” forward, partners with the dangerous Marko Pantelic in attack.  Look for Serbia to match the physicality of the other teams in the group.

Group E is also a tough group that has flown under the radar.  Denmark, Cameroon, Netherlands and Japan have all made appearances past the group stage.  The Dutch are no doubt the best team in this group and a dark horse to win the tournament.  The talent that the Oranje can display is scary.  Robin Van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and, if he’s fit, Arjen Robben form an attacking trifecta that can cause serious problems for any defense.  Sprinkle in Dirk Kuyt’s (Liverpool FC) graft and industriousness and the Dutch look the part.  In midfield, Mark Van Bommel and Nigel De Jong form a destructive partnership in front of the back four.  Johnny Heitinga holds down the back line which could be the only perceived weakness for the Dutch.  Bert Van Marwijk will manage the Oranje and look for more “Total Football” from the squad.

One of the less exciting groups in my opinion, Group F provides few storylines.  Italy, New Zealand, Slovakia and Paraguay do not really excite the football senses.  One interesting fact though, New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen played for Coach Powell at Greensboro College.  World Cup connections right in our backyard. Anyways, the strongest team in this group is Italy (“Get it to the Italians!” Sorry, had to put a Kicking and Screaming reference in there for the boys).  Italy boasts the oldest, most boring squad in the tournament.  You would think with names like Fabio Grosso, Mauro Camoranesi, Fabio Cannavaro, that the play would be as flowing as their namesakes.  Definitely not the case with this lot.  The Italians have perfected survive and advance into a science called catenacio. Basically, score a dubious goal through diving/foul play and then sit behind the ball and defend, maybe counterattack a couple times, and wait out a 1-0 win.  Effective yes, entertaining no.  A few Italian players who catch the eye are the goalkeeper Gianliugi Buffon, one of the best in the world. Midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo faces injury doubts but when fit is one of the best in the world at keeping possession.  Daniele De Rossi is the midfield enforcer with a fierce long range shot.  Marcelo Lippi is a top manager who could coax the Italians to another triumph.  Don’t discount the defending champions.

Group G is the expert’s pick as the ominous “Group of Death.”  Three out of the four teams could do some real damage in the tournament.  Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast are each strong teams.  Add the North Koreans who are just as secretive as their homeland and this group should be very entertaining.  The Brazil-Portugal match-up will be a colonizer/colonized match-up.  The strongest team in this group is (Someone please hold the limb while I go out on it real quick. Ok thanks) Brazil.  This explanation is perfect for Coach Powell’s use of  “fairly straightforward” because, unlike training exercises where we chest the ball up to our head then heel the ball perfectly into the path of another teammate, it’s easy.  Brazil normally makes at least the semifinals.  Since I’ve been alive, their record looks like this: 1994, champions, 1998, finalists, 2002, champions, 2006, quarterfinals. They traditionally play some of the most sumptuous football on the planet.  This year though, their manager Dunga, who captained Brazil in 1994, has installed a disciplined, counter-attacking approach that has won him few fans in his home country accustomed to seeing the swashbuckling joga bonito associated with most Brazilian teams.  However, Dunga’s results speak for themselves. Brazil topped the notoriously tough South American World Cup qualifying and came from a 2-0 deficit to beat the United States in the Confederations Cup last summer.  Brazil boasts the two best right backs in the world in Maicon and Dani Alves.  Maicon appears to be the first choice but look for Alves to be an option on the left or at right midfield.  Gilberto exerts a calming influence in the center of the park.  The key man for Brazil is playmaker Kaka.  After a mediocre season at Real Madrid, the devout midfield linkman must be scoring and creating goals for Brazil to advance. 

Finally, Group H serves up a middle of the road group in Chile, Honduras, Spain and Switzerland.  Honduras could be the darlings of the tournament.  With the political turmoil of the past two years, the passionate support for the country’s team has not waned.  It’s impossible though to overlook the Euro 2008 Champions, Spain.  For the purists, Spain plays the best football out of any team in the world.  The ball is nearly always on the floor and the passing and movement is something to behold.  They pass it short, they pass it long, they pass it in between.  Some say that their strategy is to pass the other team to death.  Whatever it is, it works.  I could watch Spain play all day long and never get tired of it.  It’s hard to pick key players from the squad when nearly every player is world class.  I personally like watching midfielder Xabi Alonso play (former Liverpool FC player and the namesake of my dog).  His range of passing is breathtaking.  Fernando Torres (Liverpool FC) and David Villa are the key frontmen for Spain and are two of the top forwards in the world.  They rely on the creative forces of Xavi and Iniesta, the midfield lynchpins of Barcelona FC.  These two seem to ghost around the pitch finding little pockets to weave their magic, almost never misplacing a pass.  Their manager once remarked that he remembered once when Xavi lost the ball.  It was in 1997 (For all the non-Greg Maders out there, that’s 13 years ago).  Cesc Fabregas who stars for the English Premier League’s Arsenal FC, could also impact the game as a super substitute. In defense, Spain also boasts one of the top goalkeepers in the world in Iker Casillas.  Before their loss to the United States in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup, Spain had gone 35 games undefeated including a 15-game win streak.  For their manager Vicente Del Bosque, his job is to not change a good thing.  Spain will be my team, besides the United States, to support.  I love the way they play and if they win, it will be good for the game. 

Hopefully the tournament will serve up some high drama and a few shocks along the way.  It’s all to play for as they say and I can’t wait to see who will lift the Jules Rimet trophy in Johannesburg on July 11!