World Cup squad

World Cup appearances: 11
Best World Cup: Fourth Place; 1930 & 1962
FIFA World Ranking: 16
Manager: Radomir Antic
Captain: Dejan Stankovic

Serbia Team Profile

The Serbians used to be one of thee feared footballing nations when the World Cup was first introduced to the scene, earning a respectable fourth place finish in the very first World Cup back in 1930 before a successful run of attempts during the 50′s, finishing as Quarter-Finalists in 1954 & 1958 before falling at the Semi-Final stage once again in 1962, once again finishing as the fourth best side in the finals. However, they haven’t since been anywhere near as prolific and since the 60′s Serbia have only qualified for four finals, five if you include their successful campaign to reach South Africa this year, when they were previously know as Yugoslavia.

Serbia’s most recent appearance in a World Cup was that of 2006 when the Serbian’s couldn’t manage a single point during their three group games, finishing bottom of what proved out to be a very tough group of Holland, Argentina & Ivory Coast. However, it was against Argentina where Serbia got the most limelight, all of it unwanted though, when Serbia crashed to their highest International defeat after a 6-0 mauling at the hands of the Argentine’s. That humiliating defeat also featured the goal of the tournament as Argentina toyed with Serbia with inch perfect passes before Cambiasso slammed home his driven shot. They then went on to lose their last group game 3-2 with the then new boys, Ivory Coast.

Nickname: Belo Orlovi (White Eagles)

Serbia Key Players

Dejan Stankovic

We’ll be honest enough to say that not too many of the Serbian full-timers ring any bells but Stankovic has caught out eye on more than one occasion during his time at Italian giants, Inter Milan. The playmaker has a tonne of experience, winning experience at that, and has won no less than 14 honours during his six year spell at the club. However, while he plays a more offensive role for Inter Milan, Stankovic tends to play the anchorman for his country due to Serbia’s lack of quality in the midfield. He does, however, have one lethal shot on him and you’ll often see clips of Stankovic scoring 30 yard+ efforts. The Serbia captain has great on-the-ball vision and can pick out an inch perfect pass. He is Serbia’s main source of creativity and attack builder but he’s not getting any younger at 31 years-of-age.

Nemanja Vidic

This guy has come on leaps and bounds since joining English club, Manchester United, back in 2006. His tough, physical style of defending has earned him plaudits from across the European continent and will have plenty of admirers back home in England. Vidic is extremely strong in the air, a great tackler of the ball but, more importantly, has this unique ability to instantaneously read the play. Considering Serbia will spend most of their games on the back foot, the form of Vidic in South Africa will be crucial in how Serbia fare this summer in terms of keeping some of the bigger nations out. Moreover, Vidic is a real goal threat from set-plays and has scored all of his nine Manchester United goals from set-pieces.

Strengths

The Serb’s aren’t a side we’ve watched all too often but the basic make-up of their team looks very solid. Their centre-back pairing of Vidic (Man Utd) & Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), whom both have plenty of first-class experience, is a big asset for Serbian manager, Radomir Antic, while Stankovic & Milias look a decent midfield pairing, especially when going forward. We feel their biggest danger factor will be from set-pieces as they pack a punch in the height department, with the likes of Vidic, Ivanovic & Nikola Zigic all climbing above most defenders in terms of natural height. Their main striker is Valencia forward Zigic, of whom is a big aerial specialist for club and country.

Weaknesses

Serbia do look a little too one dimensional, with height their only real asset. They do have a number of players who do pose some form of danger when going forward but they do and will rely heavily on set-pieces we feel, especially against the nations which get the ball down and play proper, on the floor, football. They are fortunate in that their centre-backs are world class but that’s as good as it gets in our eyes and they’ll need their defence to be in top form throughout the tournament if they are to surpass their previous ever best performance of fourth place.

Serbia Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: European
Group: 1
Position: 1st
Win-Draw-Lose: 7-1-2
Goals Scored: 22
Goals Conceded: 8

Serbia finished qualification as Group 7 winners, fending off the challenges from France & Austria. In all fairness, their group was an easy one on paper but they performed brilliantly to finisher higher than the 1998 winners of the World Cup, France. They lost just two qualifiers along the way, whilst managing a decent +14 goal difference – 5 more than France, a team touted as having more chance this summer then the Serb’s. However, this may also be because Serbia didn’t beat France during qualifying, losing 2-1 in Paris & only managing a 1-1 draw on their own soil.

Milan Jovanovic, a Standard Liege player who is attracting plenty of interest from some of Europe’s top clubs, was Serbia’s more prolific goalscorer during qualifying, scoring 5 goals.

World Cup Potential: 3/5

Serbia are a very solid outfit and do have plenty of class in defence. This alone should stand them in good stead and make them a tough opponent to beat. However, the doubts are over whether the Serbian forwards, who haven’t exactly excelled in recent years, can score enough goals on the biggest stage. The World Cup is a pressured environment and we don’t think the Serb’s will be used to this type of expectation and demand. Still, they do have the potential to be an ‘awkward’ side and they have every chance of causing some sort of an upset.

Serbia World Cup Betting Odds

Serbia to win the World Cup: 225/1 bWin

Before the World Cup the odds on Serbia were 80/1 

Official Serbia World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Vladimir Stojkovic (Wigan Athletic)

Bojan Isailovic (Zaglebie Lubin)

Andjelko Djuricic (Uniao Leiria)

Defenders

Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)

Antonio Rukavina (1860 Munich)

Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)

Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund)

Aleksandar Lukovic (Udinese)

Ivan Obradovic (Real Zaragoza)

Aleksandar Kolarov (Lazio Roma)

Midfielders

Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan)

Nenad Milijas (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Milos Krasic (CSKA Moscow)

Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liege)

Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev)

Zdravko Kuzmanovic (VfB Stuttgart )

Zoran Tosic (Cologne)

Gojko Kacar (Hertha BSC Berlin )

Radosav Petrovic (Partizan Belgrade)

Strikers

Nikola Zigic (Valencia )

Marko Pantelic (Ajax Amstedam)

Danko Lazovic (Zenit St. Petersburg)

Dragan Mrdja (Vojvodina Novi Sad)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Serbia Fixtures – Group D

World Cup 2010 Group D - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Manager: Carlos Queiroz
Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo
FIFA World Ranking: 3
World Cup appearances: 5
Best World Cup: Third Place; 1966

Portugal Team Profile

The Portuguese have been one of the frontrunners in recent competitions over the past decade or so but only just about made it through to this summers show-piece after a dreadful qualifying campaign which seen them come within a point of not making the finals. Portugal, despite boasting some very talented individuals, none more so than one Cristiano Ronaldo, struggled throughout and only made it through to the play-off’s after a strong finish to the campaign which seen them win their remaining three qualifiers. However, even then they still had a lot of work to do as they were drawn against a tricky Bosnia & Herzegovina. Portugal did eventually book their spot in the finals with a 2-0 aggregate win, winning 1-0 in both legs, but they still weren’t convincing.

Portugal’s far from flawless qualifying campaign has led to Bookies pricing the Portuguese up as one of the outsiders and are currently available at around the 30/1 mark. They look a dream outside bet if truth be told as, at the end of the day, Carlos Queiroz does have the former World Player of the Year at his beckon call in Ronaldo. However, they will need their star player and captain to shine in South Africa if they want to better their previous effort in a World Cup when they finished the 2006 finals in Fourth Place.

We must also mention that this will be their third successive appearance in a World Cup after previously managing just one appearance in an almost baron 28 year spell.

Portugal Key Players

Cristiano Ronaldo

Sometimes known as the ‘whiner’ during his time in the English Premier League, but now referred to as one of the greats of the modern era, Cristiano Ronaldo will carry the hopes of nation into South Africa as he looks to carry one of the weakest Portugal squads for some time to World Cup glory in South Africa 2010.

Ronaldo, who last summer was bought for staggering £80Mil from Manchester United, is know the most expensive player in the world and to have ever lived, and doesn’t he just know it. His ego is about the size of his lavish price tag, which is rumoured to be around the Billion mark, and it’s sometimes his ego which gets him into trouble. For all Ronaldo’s silky skills and superior technical ability, he does have a temper and has been known to lash out when matters on the pitch aren’t going his way. Considering this Portugal side can frustrate even the calmest of players, Ronaldo could become hot under the collar in South Africa if he’s left to carry the slack.

Nevertheless a great player, and a prolific goalscorer. He hasn’t always carried his club form into his international games but he’s still an immensely talented player, one which every opponent will fear. Ronaldo will be the main creator and main goal taker in South Africa, aiming to take the phrase ‘Captain Fantastic’ to a whole new level.

Liedson

The guy is 32 years-old and yet he is the likely choice for Queiroz up front as Portugal’s attacking options are extremely limited. The Sporting Lisbon front man is more than equipped to play the solitary role up front but has only recently been introduced into the Portugal side and has but a few caps to his name. However, the age factor shouldn’t be too much of an issue as Portugal are renowned for their veteran strikers, with Pauleta & Nuno Gomes just two of their more recent 30+ strikers that have led the line for them in recent World Cups. The pressure on him to score Portugal’s goals will be enormous as Portugal did struggle for regular goals during qualifying and often had to rely on their Midfielders chipping in.

Strengths

Their strength is undoubtedly their biggest asset – Cristiano Ronaldo. The man has the potential and sometimes the audacity to win any game single handily, and with Portugal not at their strongest, especially in attack, he may well have to carry this Portugal side to success in South Africa. However, Ronaldo has struggled with a few injuries during the course of the season and that will be a concern ahead of the finals in what will be some tough and gruelling encounters for Portugal. If Ronaldo is fit then Portugal will be a threat against any nation. If he isn’t, however, then Portugal simply aren’t the same side.

Weaknesses

The big concern all around Portugal is their lack of fire-power and this factor was certainly evident during qualifying, as a usually potent and exciting Portugal lost their spark. To be fair their group wasn’t the easiest, consisting of Sweden, Hungary and Denmark, but even so, Portugal would have fancied their chances of making South Africa fairly comfortably but that was far from the case as they scraped through qualifying by the skin of their teeth, needing a play-off with Bosnia to seal their berth.

The reason as to why Portugal struggled? Well, everyone pinned the blame on the forward and the lack of talent coming through the Portuguese ranks. It got so bad that Carlos Queiroz had to seek inspiration from a player who had never even been capped for his country before, Sporting Lisbon’s Liedson. However, we mustn’t forget to mention that Liedson is Brazilian born and had to wait six years for a Portugal citizenship, but Liedson had always expressed a desire to play for Portugal and he repaid the faith with some big goals scoring 3 times in the 7 qualifiers he played. Liedson is set to be the oldest forward in the Portugal camp, although he could very well end up as the only recognised forward as well, as looking back down the ranks only Hugo Almeida stands out and even then he’s not proven his worth for Portugal, so scary times for the Portuguese in front of goal, so much so that the burden looks likely to fall upon Mr. Portugal once again, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: European
Group: 1
Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 5-4-1
Goals Scored: 17
Goals Conceded: 5

Despite boasting a tidy defensive record during qualification, Portugal lacked that cutting edge in the final and it nearly came back to haunt them. They started poorly but a strong finish enabled them to grab hold of a lifeline in the form of a two-legged play-off with Bosnia. The Portuguese kept their hopes alive of winning their first ever World Cup by beating Bosnia 2-0 on aggregate.

World Cup Potential: 3/5

Portugal head into South Africa with one of the weakest teams they’ve ever produced, so fans back home will have been frustrated to see their side drawn in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside the Ivory Coast and Brazil. However, while their squad may not be the strongest, they still have one of the World’s best players in Cristiano Ronaldo and an ons-song Ronaldo will be a match for any team.

The Portuguese, because of the difficulty of their group, are a big price to South’s Africa show-piece, and while we don’t see them going all the way, simply because we reckon they will find one too good at some stage, they remain a stunningly attractive EW proposition. The gamble, of course, is whether they bypass a tough group. If they do, their price will plummet so it could be a gamble well worthwhile, as one their day Portugal can be a match for anyone so long as Ronaldo is fully fit and on top of his game.

Portugal World Cup Betting Odds:

Portugal to win the World Cup: 30/1 Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on Portugal were 28/1 

Official Portugal World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Eduardo (Sporting Braga)

Daniel Fernandes (Iraklis Saloniki)

Beto (Porto)

Defenders

Miguel (Valencia)

Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea)

Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea)

Bruno Alves (Porto)

Rolando (Porto)

Ricardo Costa (Lille)

Duda (Malaga)

Fabio Coentrão (Benfica Lisbon)

Pepe (Real Madrid)

Midfielders

Pedro Mendes (Sporting Lisbon)

Danny (Zenit St. Petersburg)

Tiago (Atletico Madrid)

Deco (Chelsea)

Raul Meireles (Porto)

Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon)

Amorim (SL Benfica)

Strikers

Simão Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid)

Liedson (Sporting Lisbon)

Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Portugal Fixtures – Group G

29/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Portugal – Spain: 0-1

World Cup 2010 Group G - Table

 World Cup Fixtures and Results

Manager: Gerado Martino
Captain: Denis Caniza
FIFA World Ranking: 23
World Cup appearances: 7
Best World Cup: Round 2; 1986, 1998 & 2002

Paraguay Team Profile

The Paraguayans head into South Africa in high spirits after recording their best ever performance in qualifying, finishing third in the South American zone, just a point shy of Brazil who, of course, finished as South American’s best nation once again. However, the sheer fact that Paraguay were in close proximity to Brazil the entire length of qualifying, even leading the way at one stage. Earlier victories over Brazil and Argentina will enable the entire Paraguay team to take plenty of heart in the fact that on their day they can beat the world’s best teams. The only real question is; can they bring the goods when the pressure is really on, when millions upon millions are watching their every move?

This will be Paraguay’s eighth time out in the finals of a World Cup, their fourth in succession proving in itself that Paraguay are an ever improving nation, growing more and more consistent with each year. The have, however, never made it past the Round of 16 stage of any previous World Cup they’ve entered into while they fell at just the group stage in Germany 2006. After claiming the scalps of both Brazil and Argentina during qualifying, they’ll be right to fancy their chances of an improved bid at the fourth time of asking.

Nickname: Guaranies

Paraguay Key Players

We were devastated to hear that one of Paraguay’s best players, Salvador Cabanas, was nearly murdered and required surgery to save his life. He won’t play any part in South Africa but any progression Paraguay make will surely be dedicated to Cabanas.

In a campaign where Paraguay remained solid throughout, we’ve actually pinpointed their forwards as their key players in South Africa, with a host of well-known forwards originating from Paraguay and looking to do their country proud in the summer.

The first of them despite not featuring for Paraguay during qualifying, is Roque Santa Cruz, who after several successful spells in the Premiership is a must on the Paraguay team sheet. Roque has scored 20 goals in 66 caps for his country and, providing he’s fit in the summer, will be eager to bolster his scoring credentials in South Africa.

Followed closely behind the Man City forward is two players who deputised admirably in the wake of Cabanas tragic accident and Santa Cruz’s host of injuries, Nelson Valdez and Oscar Cardozo. The pair play their football abroad, with Valdez playing for German side Borussia Dortmund and Cardozo enjoying a very good season with Portuguese giants Benfica. The two players are remarkably strong and know how to find the goal. Granted they don’t have the most prolific of goalscoring records for their country, but these two are genuinely quality players and will be a big threat for Paraguay in the final third of the pitch.

Strengths

Paraguay are a very solid unit. They have players strong in physical stature and they aren’t afraid to hustle. Their organisation whenever they didn’t have possession of the ball was outstanding during their qualifying games, as they get men behind the ball at all times and close the opposing player in possession down almost immediately. They do work very hard throughout and they could be a tough side to break down.

Weaknesses

The lack of depth within the Paraguay set up is a big concern especially now that Salvador Cabanas won’t play a part in the finals and Roque Santa Cruz’s persistent injuries are holding him back from making any real impact. Nelson Valdez and Oscar Cardozo are more than worthy replacements, but were one of those to receive a knock in South Africa, Paraguay would be left wafer thing in the striking department. However, if they can somehow keep their players fit, they could go far, or at least further than they’ve gone before – Round of 16.

Paraguay Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: South American
Position: 3rd
Win-Draw-Lose: 10-3-5
Goals Scored: 24
Goals Conceded: 16

Paraguay were mighty impressive during qualifying and earned many plaudits for their hard work, endeavour and sensational results over some of South American’s giants; beating both Brazil (2-0) & Argentina (1-0) in Paraguay. They also enjoyed a stint at the top of the South American table before stepping off the gas when they neared the finish line as qualification looked assured.

World Cup Potential: 3/5

Paraguay aren’t a bad little nation these days, with players now making a name for themselves all across Europe, with some even winning some silverware with some of Europe’s biggest clubs. However, their record at finals isn’t great – never reached the quarter-finals and exiting at the group stage in 2006. Injuries have also kept their star man out of action throughout qualifying, although the fact they coped remarkably well without Roque Santa Cruz leading the line bodes very well for their chances. They have already beaten both Argentina and Brazil on route to the finals, and if they can keep Santa Cruz in good shape during the course of the tournament, chances are they could very well record a personal best in South Africa with at least a quarter-final finish.

Paraguay World Cup Betting Odds

Paraguay to win the World Cup (Outright): 50/1 Expekt

Before the World Cup the odds on Paraguay were 80/1 

Official Paraguay World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Aldo Bobadilla (Independiente de Medellín)
Justo Villar  (Valladolid)
Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteño)

Defenders

Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo)
Antolín Alcáraz (Bruges)
Darío Verón (Pumas)
Claudio Morel (Boca Juniors)
Julio Cáceres (Atlético Mineiro)
Paulo da Silva (Sunderland)
Carlos Bonet (Olimpia)
Denis Caniza (León)

Midfielders

Néstor Ezequiel Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors)
Jonathan Santana (Wolfsburg)
Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul)
Edgar Barreto (Atalanta)
Victor Cáceres (Libertad)
Enrique Vera (Liga Deportiva)

Strikers

Óscar Cardozo (Benfica)
Edgar Benítez (Pachuca)
Nelson Valdez (Borussia Dortmund)
Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund)
Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad)
Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Paraguay Fixtures – Group F

29/06 – 15.00 – Round of the last 16: Paraguay – Japan: 5-3 pen.

03/07 – 19.30 – Quarter Finals: Paraguay – Spain

World Cup 2010 Group F - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

 Manager: Kim Jong-Hun
Captain: Hong Yong-Jo
FIFA Ranking: 105
World Cup appearances: 1 – 1966
Best World Cup: Quarter-Finals – 1966 

North Korea Team Profile

North Korea were the surprise package during qualifying as they defied the odds to snatch one of the four available automatic qualification spots to book their rightful place in South Africa where they’ll take to the field for just their second World Cup. The last time North Korea were involved in such a prestigious and global football spectacle was way back in 1966, a year when England won the World Cup on English soil and the North Koreans surpassed everyone’s expectations by finishing as a losing quarter-finalists. They surely won’t record a personal best in South Africa as times have dramatically changed since their glory days of 66, but the Koreans will nevertheless make the most of this glorious opportunity, while their reward for all their hard work during qualifying was to be dropped slap bang in the middle of South Africa’s version of the ‘Group of Death’.

North Korea, if they were truly honest with each other, won’t make any real inroads considering the standard of football around Europe and South America these days, so the dream would have been to land a group which consisted of at least one of the world’s biggest footballing forces. They got that in Brazil, but as typical as their surprise inclusion in South Africa was, North Korea were then handed their second dream game as Portugal were drawn in the same group as themselves, as well as an interesting match up with the Ivory Coast from South Africa. The Koreans will get a taster of just about everything in South Africa, making their qualification well worthwhile despite the likelihood of some big defeats in South Africa when they finally land. 

Nickname: Chollima

North Korea Key Players

The majority of the North Korea team are based in Asia, plying their trade in either the North Korean league of the Japanese J-League. With this, means the squad aren’t instantly recognisable, while none actually ring any bells if truth be told. But that will be seen as a double edged sword in that while the assumption maybe that North Korea’s players aren’t perhaps good enough to play in Europe, the fact we don’t know an awful lot about them makes them a little bit dangerous due to their unknown quantity feel about them.

Hong Yong-Jo looks to be the leading player in the North Korea camp, while he’s one of just a handful in the squad which has European experience through playing in Russia with FC Rostov. Yong-Jo is one of the more matured players in the Korea squad at 27 years-old, while his experience in Russia, aided by his 11 goals in 38 international appearances has led to Yong-Jo receiving the captains armband for his country.  

Jong Tong-Se or ‘The People’s Rooney’ as the natives like to call him, is one of the more exciting players in the North Korea team, with his ambition and forward aggression complimented by some natural pace. Jong is a player which can make things happen, he doesn’t sit around waiting for the ball to come to him, the Kawasaki Frontale forward isn’t afraid to come deep and collect the ball from the half-way line, while at the same time he has this fearless attitude when it comes to charging into the heart of the opponents defence. The same can be said about some of his ‘audacious’ attempts from distance, willing to have a pop at goal.

We’ve seen Jong Tong-Se in action on a few occasions and every time we’ve been impressed with small Korean. From a nation where no-one really expects them to pull up trees in South Africa, to have a player with so much talent was quite startling. Believe me when I say this, Jong Tong-Se is player to keep an eye out for in South Africa.

Strengths

Undoubtedly North Korea’s strength is their defending. The coach, Kim Jong-Hun, is clearly a wise man as throughout qualifying he kept faith with Korea’s solid set up, defending with large numbers but in an organised and well disciplined fashion They are a tough team to break down as they work hard and vigourously as a defensive unit to reduce the time and space the opponent has to enjoy on the ball when they approach Korea’s penalty area. Jong-Hun knows full well that were he to play attacking football, even against those nations back home in Asia who are superior in technical ability, his players would be on the receiving end of a mauling. The aim in South Africa will be more of the same; defend in numbers, with discipline and with army like organisation in a bid to perhaps sneak a hard-fought 0-0 draw.

Weaknesses

The lack of well know players, the fact Korea don’t seem to have a striker in their midst to score the necessary amount of goals in South Africa needed to spring a surprise, there is plenty to be concerned about with North Korea. The fact only a select few ply their trade over in Europe is a massive concern as give half the chance, every one of the North Korean players would jump at the opportunity to play in Europe, which basically means they aren’t good enough.

North Korea Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Asia
Group: 2
Position: 1st
Win-Draw-Lose: 4-4-0
Goals Scored: 12
Goals Conceded: 4 

World Cup Potential: 1/5

While few will even give North Korea a mention in their games in South Africa, the coach and the players will arrive in high spirits feeling confident that they can spring a few surprise. The aim will be not to fold or roll over in a Group most teams would be scared senseless about playing in.

The Koreans are a team full of home-grown players, with the majority of the team based in Asia. While this remains an apparent flaw in that very few have had the chance nor are good enough to play in some of Europe’s biggest leagues, it should lead to a closer group of players, a more united front from the Koreans as they set out to raise a few eyebrows in South Africa. We, though, if we’re brutally honest, can only see the Koreans leaving Africa with nothing to show for their hard work during qualifying, but then again just to be in their second World Cup in South Africa is an achievement in itself, while an expected ’0′ points from their tough looking group will only slightly taint what will be a memorable few weeks for North Korea and it’s fans back home nonetheless

North Korea World Cup Betting Odds

North Korea to win the World Cup:         2500 – Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on North Korea were 200/1 

Official North Korea World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Myong-Guk Ri (Pyongyang City)
Myong-Gil Kim (Amrokgang)
 

Defenders

Jong-Hyok Cha (Amrokgang)
Yun-Nam Ji (April 25)
Song Chol Nam (April 25)
Nam-Chol Pak (Amrokgang)
Chol-Jin Pak (Amrokgang)
Jun-Il Ri (Sobaeksu)
Kwang-Chon Ri
Kwang-Hyok Ri (April 25)
 

Midfielders

Yong-Hak An (Omiya Ardija)
Kyong-Il Kim (Rimyongsu)
Yong-Jun Kim (Pyongyang City)
In-Guk Mun (April 25)
Nam-Chol Pak (Amrokgang)
Chol-Myong Ri (Pyongyang City)
Sung Hyok Pak (Sobaeksu)
 

Strikers

Chol-Hyok An (Rimyongsu)
Kum-Chol Choe (April 25)
Tae Se Jong (= Chong Tese) (Kawasaki Frontale)
Yong-Jo Hong (FK Rostow)
Kum-Il Kim (April 25)
Myong-Won Kim (Pyongyang)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 North Korea Fixtures – Group G

World Cup 2010 Group G - Table

 World Cup Fixtures and Results

Nigeria

Manager: Lars Lagerback
Captain: Joseph Yobo
FIFA World Ranking: 20
World Cup Appearances: 3
Best World Cup: Round of 16; 1994 & 1998

Nigeria Team Profile

Nicknamed the Super Eagles, Nigeria will arrive in South Africa as the second best rated African team if the FIFA Rankings are anything to go by, one ranking position off Cameroon in 19. The Nigerians will be feeling pretty good about their chances as well, as after scraping through qualifying by the skin of their teeth, they will feel the footballing Gods are looking down upon them. Tunisia’s 1-0 defeat in the final qualifier paved the way for Nigeria to book their place in the finals, and with their previous best being just a Round of 16 appearance, so long as Nigeria bypass Group B, the locals back home will be satisfied with their efforts.

With the fact Nigeria tend to disappoint whenever the make the finals of a World Cup, you can’t really go too far wrong in terms of pleasing the adoring fans back home in Nigeria. So long as Nigeria don’t finish bottom of their group, they shouldn’t go home too disgraced, although in a competitive group, their remains a good opportunity for Nigeria to bypass the group stage of the competition for just the third time. They key games will be between the Super Eagles and South Korea, and then with Greece. Win both of those and fans back home will enter into party mode.

Nickname: Super Eagles

Nigeria Key Players

Tonnes of physical strength and an abundance of pace in the wide areas are what Nigeria are all about. Their defence is built like fort Knox in terms of stature; Joseph Yobo, Taiwo and Danny Shittu can do more than hold their own at the back for the Nigerians, while the pace of Odemwingie from the wide area will be complimented by a player with even more blistering pace, Obafemi Martins. Any long balls over the top and Martins is likely to catch onto them way before any defender can, but Nigeria aren’t really about ‘long balls. They will attack down the wings, using the pace of Martin and Odemwingie to supply the crosses for the strong and robust centre-forwards, which will either by Everton’s Yakubu or Anichebe, or Portsmouth’s veteran goal-getter, Kanu.

Strengths

An abundance of pace and strength are what Nigeria have to offer but what they boast in physical stature they lack in technical ability and tactical know-how. They will show plenty of endeavour and enthusiasm on the pitch but that won’t equate into a successful run I’m afraid. However, they can counter-attack at a rate of knots and will pose a threat on the break. This is especially so as the vast majority of their big talent is up front, with Martins, Obinna, Obasi & Yakubu all capable of chipping in with a few goals, it’s just about the service and the regularity of it.

Weaknesses

A huge negative for us was the appointment of Lars Lagerback at such late notice. Granted he’s an experienced coach, manager of the Swedish national side for no less than eight years, but the Swede has only been in charge of the Nigeria national team for a couple of months, three in fact, and will have less time than many of the other 31 managers to stamp his mark and feel on the Nigerian team, to ensure the tactics, formations and individual needs are sorted and up to scratch.

Another worry is Nigeria’s tendency to disappoint in World Cup’s, and while they do have every chance of staying competitive in Group B, an early slip up and it could be curtains for the Nigerians, who finished bottom of their group in their previous World Cup appearance back in Korea/Japan in 2002.

Nigeria Qualification for the World Cup

Nigeria scraped through African qualifying by the skin of their teeth, securing their spot in the finals by a narrow one point margin. However, it’s worth pointing out that they didn’t lose a single game during qualifying, avoiding defeat in all six of their qualifiers. They also owe a great deal to Mozambique of whom did the dirty work for Nigeria by beating Tunisia in the final set of qualifiers. The 1-0 defeat of Tunisia paved the way for Nigeria to finish qualifying top of the group after a thrilling 3-2 victory in Kenya. Like we said, Nigeria scraped through to South Africa and owe a lot of it to luck and good fortune.

World Cup Potential: 2/5

We think it’s safe to say that Nigeria won’t be winning the summers showcase event but they could be a decent punt to progress from their group at the expense of South Korea & Greece. Like most African nations the Nigerians are a strong side in physical stature, but they are also a agile bunch who can get around the field at some pace. However, their lack of world class quality is a huge negative and they’ll do well to qualify for Round 2, which would be seen as a worthy achievement back home.

The bookies, though haven’t completely disregarded Nigeria in the outright market, although their quote of 100/1 with most firms does mean very few think they have serious claims for the crown itself. It’s not as if they don’t have players with experience, with many in the Nigerian squad plying their trade all across Europe, but classy individuals are few and far between and we think every victory, if any, will be celebrated just as emphatically as if they won the tournament itself by the natives back home… but winning the World Cup is out of the question.

Nigeria World Cup Betting Odds

Nigeria to win the World Cup (Outright Odds): 500/1 PaddyPower

Before the World Cup the odds on Nigeria were 100/1

Official Nigeria World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv)

Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei Yehuda/Israel)

Austin Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva/Israel)

Defenders

Taye Taiwo (Olympique Marseille)

Elderson Echiejile (Stade Rennes)

Chidi Odiah (CSKA Moscow)

Joseph Yobo (Everton)

Daniel Shittu (Bolton Wanderers)

Ayodele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam)

Rabiu Afolabi (Red Bull Salzburg)

Midfielders

Kalu Uche (UD Almeria)

Dickson Etuhu (Fulham)

Sani Kaita (Alanija)

Haruna Lukman (AS Monaco)

Atanda Yussuf (Dynamo Kiev)

Brown, Ideye (FC Sochaux)

Strikers

Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton)

Chinedu Obasi (1899 Hoffenheim)

Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth)

John Utaka (Portsmouth)

Obafemi Martins (VfL Wolfsburg)

Obinna Nsofor (FMalaga)

Peter Odemwingie (Lokomotive Moscow)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Nigeria Fixtures – Group B

World Cup 2010 Group B - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Manager: Ricki Herbert
Captain: Ryan Nelsen
FIFA World Ranking: 82
World Cup Appearances: 1
Best World Cup: Round 1 – 1982

New Zealand Team Profile

We think it’s safe to say that New Zealand won’t be winning South Africa’s show-piece event, but what New Zealand will bring to the fort is that fresh feeling, the feeling you get when you know a nation is privileged just to be involved and with this being just the country’s second appearance in a World Cup, with their last coming back in 1982 – the Kiwi’s will certainly appreciate the fabulous opportunity they’ve been handed.

Under the management of Ricki Herbert, the Kiwi’s remained a solid little outfit during Oceania qualification, cruising through their sector with an almost immaculate record of 5 wins and 1 loss. Last year though, New Zealand got their first real taste of what it’s like to play against some of the World’s best nations when they participated in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, a competition they earned many admirers in after some valiant and industrious displays. They were, unfortunately, thumped 5-0 by the then World No.1 Spain in a game which will have brought about some valuable experience playing against some world-class individuals, but the 0-0 draw they earned against Iraq ensured the Kiwi’s didn’t leave the tournament empty handed, while it gave the nation hope that perhaps New Zealand could attain their first ever point in a World Cup.

The one thing their qualification has done is boost the popularity of the sport back home in a country which before New Zealand had qualified, couldn’t care less about football or soccer in what was a Rugby mad nation. They still are rugby mad, but their progression into just their second World Cup has brought about a heap more followers back home, while their crucial World Cup play-off against Bahrain brought about the biggest turn out for a football game in New Zealand, which is a big indication in itself that New Zealand’s hard work is already beginning to show signs of priceless rewards. We hope, and remain pretty confident, that New Zealand will have a large number of fans back home cheering them on in South Africa, but even if they don’t, we’re certain they’ll attract the support from all those underdog fans out there as the Kiwi’s seek out a shock somewhere down the line.

Nickname: The Kiwi’s

New Zealand Key Players

Ryan Nelsen

The Kiwi’s captain is also the captain for Blackburn Rovers (England) and will be the player everyone looks up to in this New Zealand squad. He has bags of experience at the highest level and is a rock at the back for both club & country. He has 38 international caps to his name along with six international goals, which is a creditable tally for a defender who only raids forward for set-plays. He is agile in the air, quick at reading plays and a great tackler. He will need to lead by example at the back for New Zealand as their defence will come under plenty of scrutiny. 

Strengths

It’s hard to really say without seeing too much of them but they are a nation who like to attack and they could cause country’s a few problems at the back. They gave Italy, a team in their group at the world cup, several scares last year when the pair met in an international friendly. The Italian’s were victorious in the end, winning 4-3, but only after they came from behind on more than one occasions to overhaul a confident looking New Zealand side that day. They also shown plenty of attacking intent in the 2009 Confederations Cup  in which they bombed forward at every opportunity, although they did concede a fair few for their troubles. Still, we would have to say their attacking play is their strongest asset , while their enthusiasm for the game will increase their neutral following, we’re sure.

Weaknesses

There are several reasons why New Zealand won’t be winning 2010′s main event, the first being their lack of experience on this type of stage, the biggest in international football, while the second is their lightweight defence.

Their shining light is Blackburn Rovers’ Ryan Nelsen, who has picked up plenty of first-class knowledge and know-how from his many years in the English Premiership. However, Nelson’s knowledge of the game won’t be enough to carry what is a vulnerable, exposed and extremely weak New Zealand through the tournament without conceding it’s fair share of goals. The scary thing is, New Zealand don’t even like to defence. They’re an ambitious bunch who love to give it a good go. With this attitude, although remarkably admirable, they’ll get punished quite severely if they’re not careful.

New Zealand Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Oceania

Position: 1st

Win-Draw-Lose: 5-0-1

Goals Scored: 14

Goals Conceded: 5

The Kiwi’s secured qualification via a two-legged play-off with Bahrain, winning 1-0 on aggregate through a Rory Fallon header in the away leg. 

World Cup Potential: 1/5

We won’t be mean and put a ’0′ but this is a fair assessment on how little we rate New Zealand’s chances at the forthcoming African World Cup. Their squad is far too weak to even be competing at this level and they will find out in no time at all that they are punching well above their weight. However, this a special and rare occasion for their followers back home, and while they won’t travel to South Africa aiming to win the tournament outright,they will nevertheless saviour the moment and enjoy the unqiue atmosphere that you get at a World Cup. We wish them all the best but they are one of a select few in this summers finals that we can safely say WON’T be winning the competition outright.

New Zealand World Cup Betting Odds

New Zealand to win the World Cup: 1500 – Expekt

Before the World Cup the odds on New Zealand were 3000/1 

Official New Zealand World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

James Bannatyne (Team Wellington)

Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory)

Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix)

Defenders

Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls)

Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix)

Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers)

Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland)

Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix)

Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town)

Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City)

David Mulligan

Midfielders

Andy Barron (Team Wellington)

Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix)

Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets)

Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix)

Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay Rowdies)

Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United)

Simon Elliott

Michael McGlinchey (Central Coast Mariners)

Strikers

Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle)

Chris Killen (Middlesbrough)

Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast)

Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 New Zealand Fixtures – Group F

World Cup 2010 Group F - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

 Manager: Javier Aguirre
Captain: Rafael Marquez
FIFA World Ranking: 17
World Cup appearances: 13
Best World Cup: Quarter-Finals; 1970 & 1986

Mexico Betting Article

Mexico Team Profile

Mexico, from the North America zone of qualifying, finished second in the CONCACAF qualifying sector after a strong finish to qualifying ensured Mexico would make the cut and go to their fifth World Cup in succession – what would be their fourteenth overall once they touchdown in South Africa. However, it has been turbulent times for a nation which has always been thereabouts in the FIFA Rankings – Currently ranked 17th – with several managers coming and going since their previous World Cup in 2006, but the Mexican’s appear to have the natural born leader they were so desperate for in Javier Aguirre, who has steadied the Mexican ship to guide them to another World Cup after early signs were that Mexico might not even make the cut after a sloppy start to qualifying.

Javier Aguirre really has been a revelation for Mexico, changing the entire complexity of the team which had been massively under performing for several years before his arrival at the helm. He’s found the right blend of players which works for him and Mexico, with a mixture of both experience and youthful exuberance working in qualifying while it has the locals back home all excited about the prospect of a big campaign in South Africa. The objective for Aguirre will be to guide El Tri further than they’ve ever been before in a World Cup and that’s past the Round of 16 stage of the tournaments. Mexico have fallen at that same Round of 16 stage in the previous four tournaments, and fans back home simply cannot take another last-sixteen heartache in South Africa.

Nickname: El Tri

Strengths

A right mixture of combative and inspirational knowledge from some of their more experienced internationals and some of their younger stars, has worked wonders for Javier Aguirre, who masterminded Cuauhtemoc Blanco’s decision to come out of retirement in a bid to save Mexico’s faltering qualifying bid. It was a decision which paid huge dividends as Blanco’s emergence back into the Mexico fold sparked a Mexican revival, while the young stars in the Mexico set up; Dos Santos, Carlos Vela and Andres Guardado have all slowly but surely found their footing.

What you have to consider is Mexico was a team drained of any self belief and confidence, they were on their knees before Aguirre pleaded with Blanco, a Mexican legend, to come out of retirement in a bid not only to save their faltering campaign, but to also provide the new generation of stars with the inspiration needed to kick-start their prosperous futures. Mexico finished qualification with plenty of winning momentum, which leads us to believe that Mexico are well on their way to recovery and that they’ll head to South Africa with plenty of positive and optimistic momentum. 

However, in terms of positives on the field, Mexico’s passing game is second to none. They are quick, slick and damn effective at getting forward at pace and in numbers. Aguirre has got this Mexico team playing some crisp football, very pleasing on the eye, and with some tricky customers within their ranks, players like Guardado, Dos Santos and Vela, Mexico will cause even the most well-drilled defences plenty of problems.

Weaknesses

The sheer fact Mexico are seemingly cursed whenever they get to the Round of 16 stage is a big worry for start – Exiting at the last-sixteen stage in their previous four World Cup’s, but this Mexico team, despite enjoying a strong finish to qualifying, were a team who had to endure several low points during qualifying and often took a while to fully recover and bounce back. They are a team which need a lot of confidence and momentum before their games, and definitely require a lot of love and caring attention from their manager. A bad start to the tournament and it could be curtains for Mexico, as they do tend to be a team which dwell on their mistakes.

Also, we would have to say Mexico are arguably the most wasteful team we know in terms of doing all the hard work in creating cracking openings only yo fluff their lines on multiple occasions. Clincal is a word best used to describe Mexico and if El Tri are to make some serious inroads at South Africa; Franco, Hernandez, Vela, Dos Santos and Blanco will all need to find some inner confidence, and more importantly the goal.

Mexico Qualification for the World Cup

Mexico didn’t get off to the best of starts in their bid to qualify for South Africa, 2010. They started qualifying with back-to-back defeats following defeats away at USA & Honduras, and by the mid-way stage of proceedings, Mexico were in a precarious position after losing four of their opening five qualifiers. However, they finished qualifying strongly, beating Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Costa Rica & Honduras in a four match winning streak which evidentially sent them to South Africa before they played out a 2-2 draw with Trinidad & Tobago in their final qualifiers.

It was a poor start, drastic actually, from Mexico but they finished the campaign strongly with four consecutive wins, a run which didn’t just salvage their qualifying campaign, it sent them up to second in the CONCAFAF qualifying zone table and through to South Africa 2010. The poor start to proceedings was, however, a bag indication that this Mexico team still isn’t at the level needed to really challenge some of the world’s best teams. Moreover, were they to get off to a similarly bad start in South Africa, there could be no coming back.

World Cup Potential: 3/5

The Mexicans have always been a tricky nation to follow in previous World Cup’s. They seem to boast a deceiving FIFA World Ranking most of the time, often leading to El Tri massively underachieving. However, Mexico are one of those nations which are capable of springing a surprise, defeating a big name when everyone turns up and performs. The problem is, Mexico generally disappoint in the crunch games, while the squad Aguirre will be taking to South Africa is arguably the weakest, or at least unproven, that Mexico have had in the finals for quite some time.

Mexico are currently ranked 17th in the world, and that’s generous. El Tri were woeful and utterly helpless at times during qualifying, while some of their big names, their future stars, haven’t performed to the standards expected by the eccentric Mexico fans. There’s every chance Mexico could edge their way through Group A, but the knock-out stage is where Javier Aguirre and Mexico will find one too strong.

Mexico World Cup Betting Odds

Mexico to win the World Cup: 40/1 bWin

Before the World Cup the odds on Argentina were 100/1

Official Mexico World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Luis Ernesto Michel (Deportivo Guadalajara)

Óscar Pérez (Jaguares de Chiapas)

Guillermo Ochoa (CF América)

Defenders

Rafael Marquez (Barcelona)

Ricardo Osorio (VfB Stuttgart)

Francisco Javier Rodriguez (PSV Eindhoven)

Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven)

Jorge Torres (Atlas Guadalajara)

Efraín Juárez (UNAM Pumas)

Jonny Magallón (Deportivo Guadalajara)

Paul Aguilar (CF Pachuca)

Héctor Moreno (AZ Alkmaar)

Midfielders

Israel Castro (UNAM Pumas)

Andrés Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna)

Alberto Medina (Deportivo Guadalajara)

Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul)

Pablo Barrera (UNAM Pumas)

Adolfo Bautista (Deportivo Guadalajara)

Guillermo Franco (West Ham United)

Strikers

Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz)

Carlos Vela (Arsenal)

Giovani dos Santos (Galatasaray)

Javier Hernandez (Deportivo Guadalajara)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Mexico Fixtures – Group A

27/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Mexico – Argentina: 1-3

World Cup 2010 Group A - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Manager: Takeshi Okada
Captain: Yuji Nakazawa
FIFA Ranking: 45
World Cup appearances: 3 – 1998, 2002, 2006
Best World Cup: Last Sixteen – 2002

Japan Team Profile

Japan have been a force to be reckoned with in Asia over the past decade of so. They’ve won three AFC Asian Cup’s with their most recent success coming in 2004. However, age is catching up with some of their more recognised players and the Japanese squad will be somewhat of an unknown quantity with a mix of youth and experience in the squad.

Japan came through qualification fairly comfortably in the end although manager Takeshi Okada will be disappointed with the number of draws his side had to endure on home soil. All three of their draws in qualification came in Japan but that will be seen as a minor technicality now that they’ve qualified for the world cup in South Africa, while playing on opposition soil might actually play into their hands if their qualifying record is anything to go by. Three of their four victory’s in qualification came away from home so the pressure of entertaining the large number of home supporters won’t be a burden in South Africa.

Manager

Takeshi Okada is a former Japan international himself so it was only natural for him that he would one day take over the reigns on the international front. He played 24 times for his country scoring just the one goal between 1980-1985. This will be Okada’s second stint as Japan manager after leading them to the 1998 World Cup in France where they finished bottom of group H without a single point to their name.

Takeshi Okada‘s second appointment as manager came via a bit of misfortune as former manager Ivica Osim suffered a stroke which led to those in charge having to find a suitable replacement. That replacement was indeed Takeshi Okada and after taking over in December 2007, he has led Japan to their fourth World Cup.

Japan Key Players

The key player for Japan will be former Glasgow Rangers ace, now Espanyol star, Shunsuke Nakamura. He has bags of European experience from his time with Rangers, enjoying several seasons in the Champions League and pitting his wits against some of Europe’s finest. Unlike most in the Japan squad, Nakamura will know exactly what to expect from some of their opponents in South Africa thanks to some valuable Champions League ties.

Keisuke Honda, who in 2009 signed for Russian giants CSKA Moscow, is another player with talent, a star in the making if you’re to believe the hype. Again, we seen a lot of Honda during last seasons Champions League campaign, of which Honda played a big role in getting CSKA into the quarter-finals against all odds. In fairness, though, he didn’t really do it for us, although he’s energetic and ambitious so it’s easy to see why the Japanese expect big things from him.

A player we know nothing at all about, but looks an integral part of the Japanese set up, is Yuri Nakazawa, a player with 102 international caps to his name and a player who participated in both the 2002 and 2006 World Cup for Japan. It goes without saying that his experience in the heart of the Japan defence will aid them well over the summer in what will be testing surroundings for Japan.

Japan Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Asia
Group: 1
Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 4-3-1
Goals Scored: 11
Goals Conceded: 6

World Cup Potential: 1/5

The Japanese have never really had a team to be reckoned with, at least not outside of the Asian continent. In Asia though, Japan have the been the leading player, winning three of the previous five editions of the Asian Championships, but have seemingly failed to produce the standard needed against teams from all across the globe. Their squad isn’t really recognisable to us, with many applying their trade over in Japan in a J league which is steadily growing in terms of global following and the fan base back home in Japan. However, we seen quite a bit of them during qualifying and they were nothing special. What was extremely concerning was their lack of physical strength, so they may struggle to hold their own in South Africa against some physically tough and well equipped nations.

Japan World Cup Betting Odds

Japan to win the World Cup:         250/1 – Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on Japan were 400/1 

Official Japan World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus)

Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale)

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata)

Defenders

Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Nagoya Grampus)

Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata)

Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers)

Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo)

Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo)

Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers)

Midfielders

Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Junichi Inamoto (Kawasaki Frontale)

Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka)

Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale)

Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble)

Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds)

Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg)

Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow)

Strikers

Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus)

Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe)

Kisho Yano (Albirex Niigata)

Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse)

Takayuki Morimoto (Catania)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Japan Fixtures – Group E

29/06 – 15.00 – Round of the last 16: Japan – Paraguay: 3-5 pen.

World Cup 2010 Group E - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results