The 1st Game: Mexico-South Africa Preview

It's almost here! Two days away!

First game of the 2010 World Cup?

Mexico vs. the host country South Africa!

A preview by Yahoo Sports by Nicolino Di Benedetto ...

Hosting the World Cup already has South Africa feeling proud, but translating those emotions into results on the field might be a problem.

Considered one of the worst teams to host the tournament, South Africa will try to avoid becoming the first home team to lose an opener when it faces Mexico in Johannesburg on Friday.

FIFA was determined to bring the World Cup to Africa for the first time, and South Africa was awarded the event with six years to prepare.

"We knew from that moment that South Africa would never be the same," President Jacob Zuma said. "It is clear that millions of our people have waited for years and look upon this tournament with hope, pride and a sense of belonging.

"Bringing the World Cup to South Africa is to trust South Africa, to trust Africa and to say, 'You are strong and you can do it.'"

Doubts over the country's ability to put on the World Cup have waned heading into the opener, but now the questions are about the team. South Africa is ranked 83rd by FIFA - the lowest for any host.

Host nations have never lost an opener and have reached at least the second round of each World Cup, with six winning it. Over the last three tournaments, the hosts have gone 10-0-2 in the group stage.

Reaching the second round would be a first for South Africa, which didn't qualify in 2006 after going 1-2-3 in the two previous World Cups.

The task of advancing at home is even tougher with Group A also consisting of former winners France and Uruguay. Bafana Bafana has won one of eight meetings with its group rivals - a 2-1 victory over Mexico in 2005.

"The mission of our boys is to make this country proud," said coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who guided Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title. "And the goal, the goal is to go as far as we can in the World Cup. That's it.

"Once the ball moves, anything can happen. Everyone knows our group is a tough one. But we are ready."

Katlego Mphela might be Bafana Bafana's best hope for creating goals. The forward has 15 goals in 31 games for South Africa with the last 11 coming on home soil, including two in a 3-2 loss to Spain in last summer's Confederations Cup.

Mexico's lineup is unsettled with coach Javier Aguirre deciding if veteran Guillermo Franco or rising star Javier Hernandez will start at forward. Goalkeepers Guillermo Ochoa and Oscar Perez are also waiting to find out who will start.

"These are decisions for the coach," Ochoa said. "One never knows who is going to play. You don't know until the lineups come out that day."

Hernandez scored three goals in Mexico's last three friendlies, while Franco has been hampered by a foot injury.

Mexico, ranked 17th, was eliminated in the round of 16 in the last four World Cups.

4 Days To Go: The 5 Best Games of the First Round

4 days left and the 2010 World Cup gets underway!

There's SO much news on the internet, magazines, newspapers, television, etc.
I'm but a lowly blogger trying to carve his niche in the big, bad soccer media world.

Having said that, I'm BEYOND excited for the Cup, even if I can't make it to South Africa.
I'm making lemonade out of lemons, looking forward to enjoying the Cup in New York City!

So what are the 5 biggest matches of the first round?

1 - USA vs. England (June 12, 2:30pm)

Call this the teacher vs. the student, if you wish. It's the colonial power against the formerly subjugated. The football powerhouse against the budding superstars.

USA-England has all the drama of a Spanish soap opera.

Most prognosticators give USA little chance against the magic of Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

Having said that, USA's not as bad as many pundits think. They're scrappy, they're quick and with Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley, they have pace and vision.

Expect a tough one before the USA succumbs to the English brawn and power.

2 - South Africa vs. Mexico (June 11, 10 a.m.)

Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg will be rocking for the opening match of the 2010 Cup. South Africa's not a strong team, but Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has provided the squad with much needed structure.

Mexico is consistently one of the quickest, most offensive sides in the world, so this should be a show stopper and a fancy way to open the Cup.

3 - Argentina vs. Nigeria (June 12, 10 a.m.)

The unstable Diego Maradona guides the likes of world player of the year Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain into a match against one of Africa's powerhouses. Who knows what'll happen here?

Expect a raucous atmosphere. It's one of Africa's best hopes of advancing out of the first round against a perennial power, coached by the greatest player of all time.

Must See TV, anyone?

4 - Brazil vs. Portugal (June 25, 10 a.m)

Brazil is the co-favorite to win it all. Portugal boasts the world's most expensive player in Cristiano Ronaldo and a fast, loose style.

Both teams will be looking to finish first in the group, as the second-place side settles into a likely match with co-favorite Spain. So expect a knockout, drag-out fight by these two Portuguese-speaking nations

5 - Ghana vs. Germany (June 23, 2:30 p.m)

Who will feel the injury bug the most: Ghana, who is missing Michael Essien? Or Germany, who is missing Michael Ballack?

The Ghanaians will be hard pressed against the efficient Germans, but their freewheeling style may cause fits of anxiety for the former World Champions.

The pro-African crowd may play a part in this.


All in all, five games that will entertain and excite. What do you think?

World Cup Qualifiers Are Coming Up!

The Road to South Africa and the 2010 World Cup resumes this weekend and next week with a full slate of qualifiers. The football aficionado has a veritable smorgasbord of matches to choose from.

Here, a link list to World Cup news from around the football world with my fresh analysis ...

First, have you seen Spain's new kit? I like the classic red jersey myself. But I fancy the new ones. Still, what's up with the war paint on their cheeks?

Next Wednesday, legendary Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni, now the coach of the Republic of Ireland, takes on Italy in a vital qualifier.

Many believe Trapattoni's prime motivation for taking the Ireland job last May was to try and outsmart the national team he failed to inspire to glory during his stint in charge between 2000 and 2004, so now comes his ultimate test as he prepares to do battle with compatriots who will become his enemies for one night as least.

Can the 70-year old do it? I hate to bet against him, but Italy are the World Champions ... can't knock success.

France have struggled in World Cup qualifiers. They take on Lithuania this Saturday and many see it as a chance for redemption for Les Bleus.

Over on FIFA's official website, Barcelona defender and Mexico international Rafa Marquez offers his assessment of Mexico's chances for Cup qualification under Swedish coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Goal.com tells us about some of the most shocking results in World Cup qualifying history.

Who can forget Brazil's shock loss to Chile nine years ago?

Chile 3-0 Brazil (15 August 2000, Santiago, Chile) Qualification for World Cup Japan & South Korea 2002

Five-time World Cup winners Brazil are the only nation to have taken part in every single World Cup competition since its inception in 1930, but they have never come closer to elimination from the South American section than en route to Asia in 2002.

Ronaldo was recuperating from his horrific knee injury suffered when playing for Internazionale and sat out the entire campaign, and how his nation missed his goals. Brazil’s results stumbled from bad to worse, but in Chile they were completely and utterly outclassed by the dynamic strike-force of Ivan Zamarano and Marcelo Salas.

Both forwards along with Estay got on the score-sheet amid some alarming Brazilian defending to leave the Samba stars teetering on the brink of a premature exit. However, Rivaldo rallied his side to a 3-0 win in their final match against Venezuela to guide his nation to the finals, albeit through the back door.

And the rest, as they say, is history; Ronaldo returned, emerged with the Golden Boot after scoring eight goals and Brazil were victorious once more.

Speaking of Brazil, will Kaka be fit to play in Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Ecuador? Doctors say he's 50-50. I'd rather have 50% of Kaka than most everyone in the world!

Finally, South Africa's decision to ban the Dalai Lama from a peace conference in the country speaks badly about the advancement of democracy in the 2010 World Cup host country, according to this blog post ...

What do you all think?