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Whatever the draw, Brazil is the favorite to win
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-05 09:34 Marco van Basten, one of the all-time great strikers and now the Dutch coach,
has freshened up a tired Netherlands lineup with newcomers. Manchester United's
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Bayern Munich's Roy Makaay, Barcelona's Mark van Bommel,
Chelsea's Arjen Robben and Arsenal's Robin van Persie are a few of the new
faces.
Portugal, Sweden, Spain and the Czech Republic will be among Europe's other
leading contenders, although the Spaniards and Czechs had to qualify through the
playoffs.
With up to 14 European-based stars to add to his Major League Soccer players,
U.S. coach Arena believes he has the depth to at least match the quarterfinal
appearance from three years ago. The Americans lost to eventual runner-up
Germany 1-0.
South Korea, one of four Asian qualifiers, will struggle to emulate its 2002
performance when it reached the semifinals at home, and the other 2002 host,
Japan, will do well to reach the last 16 again.
Various African teams have excelled in recent World Cups, with Cameroon and
Senegal reaching the quarterfinals. Four of the five qualifiers this time _
Angola, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo _ make their debuts.
Australia has made it to the World Cup for the first time since 1974.
Although it flopped badly in the Confederations Cup and doesn't have much of a
World Cup pedigree, it has several stars from the English Premier League.
All of them are chasing the mighty Brazilians.
Seedings always the key to the World Cup draw
The euphoria felt by the last few teams to qualify for the World Cup, such as
Trinidad and Tobago, Australia and Angola, is tempered by the reality of a draw
that could pit them in the first round against Brazil, Germany or Argentina.
The resignation of soccer's lesser lights is matched by the anxiety of the
sport's second- and third-tier teams, whose ability to prove their worthiness
can be enhanced or devastated depending on where they're placed.
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