After several years of qualifying tournaments within the six FIFA continental zones, Germany will host 32 nations in their quest for the 2006 World Cup title from June 9 to July 9. Held every four years, this tournament is one of the most widely viewed sporting events in the world. This eighteenth tournament is sure to bring some surprises between first time qualifying teams and the consistent top teams.
The eight groups, each consisting of four teams, were selected back in December wheneight teams were seeded at the draw and assigned a group. The rest were drawn at random.
Several nations are making their World Cup debut this summer. For instance, Trinidad and Tobago will be the smallest nation in the tournament this year. They placed fourth out of six in the CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football). Placed in Group B, they are up for a challenge against England and Sweden. Trinidad and Tobago’s players are unaccustomed to the World Cup stage, and winning one game will be a great achievement for the newcomers.
Serbia and Montenegro, another first-time qualifier, have had no World Cup experience since the breakup of Yugoslavia. Defensively they are hard to break, and the team itself is well organized. In Group C, they will be facing top teams Argentina and Mexico.
Also in Group C, the Ivory Coast will be competing after eight attempts.
The three other African nations competing for the first time will be Angola, Ghana and Togo. With a group of young and talented members the teams will hopefully have a good showing at competition.
Some nations that we should be looking at for strong competition against the power countries include Ecuador, Croatia and Costa Rica. Ecuador has a lot of potential, as seen during qualifying rounds when they managed to beat both Brazil and Argentina at home. Although they lack European experience, their play has improved by switching from short passing through the middle to striking from the sides.
Croatia has one of the best defenses in the world. This will be their third consecutive World Cup and they qualified easily at the top of European Group 8. Placed in Group F alongside Brazil, they will surely be able to prove their worth on the field against the five-time winners.
Costa Rica came very close to falling to Cuba in the first round qualifier due to the away goals rule. Luckily, they made it into the final 32 teams. The team had been struggling early until coach Alexandre Guimaraes, known to be an excellent tactician, was re-appointed and turned things around. Costa Rica may have only played in the World Cup twice, but they have scores of championships under their belt. If the team manages to tighten up defensively, they are bound to make a good show.
As usual, everyone will be waiting to see how the top countries will perform this time around. World Cup champion favorite Brazil hopes to win their sixth title. Brazil has appeared in every World Cup and has a long list of titles attached to their name. With a team comprised of players with unparalleled skill, they hope to take it all. However, teams like the Czech Republic, Argentina, the Netherlands and Portugal could easily dash the Brazilian’s hopes come the final round.
The Czech team scored more goals than any other in the European qualifiers. The also have numerous talented players. Argentina is a two-time World Cup winner and has appeared in 13 of the tournaments. They can also boast Copa America winners 14 times and the Pan American Cup six times.
The Netherlands have never won the grand prize in the World Cup. They have appeared in two finals, semi-finals and quarter finals. The team as a whole is an excellent unit who want to demonstrate their skill on the field.
Hoping to emulate the 1966 team which debuted at the World Cup and managed to win into the semi-finals, Portugal wants to make just as strong a showing. After being undefeated in their qualifying group, they have earned bragging rights and want to display their solid defense and excellent players on the field this summer.
As the days count down, fans throughout the world will be eagerly preparing to cheer on their team in competition that should be full of surprises and excellent game play.