Group E is another tough group, containing Italy, Ghana, the USA and Czech Republic, with two teams from the top 10 in the world rankings, and 3 inside the top 20 (granted the ranking system sucks) it should be an interesting group.
Italy
The Italians will be hoping for a better world cup than in 2002, when they lost to a golden goal against South Korea, they are however in a tough group. Defensively they should always be strong, and this year with Buffon, Nesta & Cannavaro, they have one of the best defenses in the tournament. Up front, they have the impressive Luca Toni, who was top scorer in this seasons Serie A, and a re-energised Filipo Inzaghi, along with Del Piero, and with Totti providing support from the midfield, they have a world class strike force. However, I can see the Czech’s pipping them to the top spot. My Prediction: Group Runners Up.
Ghana
This is the first world cup for The Black Stars as Ghana are known, and I cannot see them progressing from such a group, they may be able to snatch a win against the USA, but I doubt it. With Essien and Apiah they have a strong midfield, however I think they may be lightweight upfront. My Prediction: 4th Place.
USA
This is the USAs 5th world cup in a row, however I can’t see them reaching the quarter finals as they did 4 years ago. An experienced side, they have quality goalkeepers in Keller, Howard and the increasingly impressive Hahnemann, however I don’t think the rest of their defense is particularly brilliant. Upfront they have Brian McBride, who is the only USA player ever to have scored in two world cups, but aside from him they do not have many goal threats. My Prediction: 3rd Place.
Czech Republic
Finishing behind the Netherlands in qualifying meant the Czechs had to beat Norway in a playoff, however two 1-0 victories secured their place at what officially is their first ever world cup, impressive for a side ranked 2nd in the world. With Petr Cech in goal, they have one of the worlds best goalkeepers, and upfront Koller and Baros have fantastic international scoring records. In midfield they have Smicer, Poborsky and Rosicky, oh, and someone called Nedved, a quality midfield in anyones books. My Prediction: Group Winners.