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Argentina,
Netherlands clash in Group C while
Portugal and Mexico stand out in Group
B. The names read like a virtual who's
who of international soccer stardom.
Van Nistelrooy. Figo. Drogba.Crespo.
For fans of the beautiful game, however,
this quartet represents much more
than a constellation of soccer stars.
The foursome will be heart and center
of Groups C and D this summer in Germany
- the two groups which many pundits
expect to be the most tightly contested.. |
Are the Oranje and
the Albicelestes on a crash course for Group
C supremacy? Can Portugal maintain the form
which saw them make the 2004 European Championship
final match? We take a look at these storylines
and more as BodogNation continues it's four-part
series in previewing the 2006 FIFA World
Cup.
World
Cup: Group C Schedule:
Argentina vs. Ivory
Coast: June 10 (3 p.m.):: Serbia & Montenegro
vs. Netherlands: June 11 (9 a.m.)
Argentina vs. Serbia
& Montenegro: June 16 (9 a.m.)::Netherlands
vs. Ivory Coast: June 16 (Noon)
Netherlands vs. Argentina:
June 21 (3 p.m.)::Ivory Coast vs. Serbia
& Montenegro: June 21 (3 p.m.)
"Group C,
considered by many to be the competition's
Group of Death"
- Sportinglife.com
Pedigree (Argentina
and the Netherlands have six World Cup final
appearances between them), obscurity (the
Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire are making
their first FIFA World Cup appearance) and
celebrity (renowned Dutch/Manchester United
striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy) promise to
garner great attention for Group C in Germany.
Argentina heads into
the tournament looking to rekindle World
Cup glory, which has been dormant since
the nation last hoisted the FIFA World Cup
trophy in 1986. A versatile squad, the Argentines
finished second to Brazil in South American
zone qualifying. They are led by a pair
of strikers - Chelsea frontman Hernan Crespo
(15/1, World Cup top scorer) and FC Barcelona
phenom Lionel Messi (36/1 top scorer) -
who will be looking to make amends for the
Albicelestes poor performance in 2002, when
they crashed out of Japan/Korea in the opening
round.
The Netherlands return
to the site of their most famous footballing
feat - in 1974, the Johan Cruyff-led "Clockwork
Orange" flew through the tournament,
only to lose to the host Germans in the
final. Led by manager Marco van Basten,
the current Dutch squad went undefeated
during the qualifying round (10 wins, two
draws) and seems intent on re-establishing
itself on the international scene after
failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
A bevvy of international stars - van Nistelrooy
(15/1 top scorer), Edwin van der Saar, Philip
Cocu and Arjen Robben (110/1 top scorer)
- should help the Oranje re-join the ranks
of the elite.
World Cup Germany
2006: Group C Odds
* Argentina - 10/11
* Netherlands - 6/5
* Serbia & Montenegro - 15/2
* Ivory Coast - 8/1
Much intrigue will
surround the World Cup debutants from the
Ivory Coast. Aside from Chelsea's do-everything
striker Didier Drogba (51/1 top scorer),
Les Éléphants are a mostly
unknown squad. In fact, their largest accomplishment
prior to World Cup qualification was winning
the African Nations Cup in 1992. The team
does have an ace up its sleeve in the form
of coach Henri Michel. The French manager
has extensive international experience and
has led three different nations (France,
Cameroon and Tunisia) to the World Cup.
Serbia & Montenegro
will enter Germany as one of the surprise
outfits of European qualification. The side
went undefeated in a group that featured
Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Belgium,
recording six wins and four draws. Led by
Athletico Madrid striker Mateja Kezman (55/1
top scorer), Serbia & Montenegro will
be looking to establish its new identity
in Germany this summer. The last time the
team qualified for the World Cup (France
'98), it played under the banner of Yugoslavia.
World Cup: Group
D Schedule
Mexico vs. Iran: June
11 (Noon)::Angola vs. Portugal: June 11
(3 p.m.)
Mexico vs. Angola:
June 16 (3 p.m.)::Portugal vs. Iran: June
17 (9 a.m.)
Portugal vs. Mexico:
June 21 (10 a.m.)::Iran
vs. Angola: June 21 (10 a.m.)
"With three
capable teams vying for two open spots Group
D could be one of the most interesting to
watch."
- Worldcupblog.org
While all eyes will
be on Portugal and its roster of international
stars, the remaining Group D teams are competitive
enough to keep the Selecção
das Quinas from running away with the top
spot.
Portugal's lack of
success on the international scene has been
well documented. The Iberian nation has
failed to make it past the first round of
the World Cup since 1966. But after a runner-up
finish at the 2004 European Championships
and an impressive WC qualifying run (Portugal
finished seven points clear of second-place
Slovakia, scoring more goals than any other
team in Europe), the Portuguese look to
be in fine form. The team will be paced
by strikers Cristiano Ronaldo (75/1 top
scorer) and Pauleta (27/1 top scorer), whose
11 goals in qualifying put him at the top
of the continental scorers’ chart.
Mexico is a regular
feature at the World Cup. The class of the
CONCACAF region, El Tri have qualified for
12 World Cups but have yet to make it past
the quarterfinal round. The team is paced
by Bolton Wanderers frontrunner Jared Borgetti
(53/1 top scorer), the first Mexican international
to suit up in the English Premier League.
This is a veteran squad with extensive international
experience; Mexico recently took part in
the 2005 Confederations Cup, where it defeated
eventual champion Brazil 1-0 before losing
to Argentina in the semifinals.
World Cup Germany
2006: Group D Odds
* Portugal - 5/7
* Mexico - 13/10
* Angola - 13/1
* Iran - 12/1
The three-time Asian
champions, Iran were bitterly disappointed
in failing to qualify for Japan/Korea four
years ago. Qualifying for Germany this time
around has alleviated that pain. Getting
past the group stage for the first time
in history could erase the memory altogether.
Veteran striker Ali Daei seems to be in
prime form - his nine-goal effort made him
the top scorer in Asian qualifying. He'll
be joined by Bayern Munich midfielder and
reigning Asian Football Confederation Player
of the Year Ali Karimi, as the two look
to take Team Melli into uncharted waters.
Can Angola continue
its Cinderella ride? The Palancas Negras
will make their World Cup debut in Germany
this summer after a stunning performance
in African zone qualifying, where they finished
ahead of regional powers Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
Coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves took the core
of his past Angolan under-20 teams and morphed
them into a pacey, passionate squad led
by star striker Fabrice Akwa, who netted
a historic winning goal vs. Nigeria in qualifying.
More World Cup Soccer
Previews - * Michael
Ballack Leads Germany in Group A
Getting out of the
group stage will be a tall order, however.
Angola's starting goalkeeper doesn’t
even play for a club team and the majority
of players toil in lower-division obscurity.
PHOTO: Netherlands
striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who also stars
for Manchester United, is pumped to battle
in the World Cup (Getty Images photo).
Bodog.com
- World Cup Soccer Betting
Thrown
down on who will be the Golden Boot winner
at the 2006 FIFA World Cup!
Bet
on all this years World
Cup Soccer Matchups today at
the Bodog Sportsbook!
Posted
by Dave Thursday
