Apologies for the lack of daily updates, I’ve been a bit busy over the last few days, so here are my thoughts on what I have seen over the first two phases of the group stages.
Group A
The Germans late win against Poland was what they deserved, and with Michael Ballack fit they have a strong chance of winning the group today, Ecuador have impressed me throughout the tournament, much to my surprise, and if they avoid defeat to the Germans will win the group. Poland have looked as good as last world cup (i.e.: dreadful), and Costa Rica who played well against Germany should probably have done better against Ecuador.

Group B
England, although not appearing to play in top gear, have done enough to reach the second round, with 80 minutes of rubbish, and followed by one well taken, and one superb goal against Trinidad, the Swedes, who England play today have looked poor going forward, and were lucky to have taken all 3 points against Paraguay. That said, Paraguay have offered very little in attack, and they are, IMO, quite deservedly out of the tournament, and if Sweden avoid defeat against England, Trinidad will be following Paraguay. This is a pity really, although they have played ultra-defensively in their first two games, at times they have caused defences to sweat, and seeing players from Wrexham and Luton compete against some of the worlds most expensive players is always good to see.

Group C
This group has rightly lived up to its Group of Death naming, with the Netherlands and Argentina already through, despite Ivory Coast looking the best of all the African nations. Argentina have looked by far the best of all the teams so far, their 6-0 crushing of Serbia & Montenegro was the best performance of the tournament by any team, and their second goal, a series of 24 passes followed by a clinical finish by Cambiasso, could possibly be called the greatest team goal ever, eclipsing Brazils 4th goal in 1970. The Netherlands have looked competent in their two victories and could still go all the way, although some of their defending has been dodgy at times, while both pointless teams, Serbia & Montenegro and Ivory Coast have shown glimpses of why they qualified, although S&M also showed the typical dirty play traits of a typical Yugoslav team.

Group D
This group has lived up to my “ZZZZ” opinion of it with Portugal misfiring on their way to 6 points, and Mexico struggling too. Angola have put a good fight up in both games, deservedly earning a point against Mexico, and they could sneak into second spot with a win over Iran and Mexico losing to Portugal, whilst Iran haven’t really done much, all in all, a dull group.

Group E
This has the potential to be the best group of the tournament thanks to the Czechs losing miserably to Ghana, and Italy struggling against the USA, with a win for any side giving them the chance to progress (although it depends on results for the USA). I have to confess, I didn’t see the Czech Ghana match, but what I have heard is that Ghana should have scored plenty, and the Czechs were poor, I did see the USA vs Italy, and the Italians just couldn’t score to take all the points and secure their progression to the next round. The last matches, Czechs vs Italy and Ghana vs USA should have been simple with both the Czechs and Italy through, now both matches could be the most important ones ever for 3 of the teams, and a vital match for the Italians.

Group F
Brazil are another side not firing on all cylinders yet, but they are through so anything can happen now, the Australians have looked good in both their two games, whilst Japan and Croatia have looked decidedly poor, but both teams still have a chance to progress (although that’s unlikely for Japan as they have to play Brazil). The Croatia vs Australia match will be interesting, as 3 of the Croatian players were born in Australia, and 7 of the Australian players were born in Croatia, so their could be some fireworks there.

Group G
This is another exciting group, with the possibility that France will go home after the group stages again, although if they win by 2 clear goals they will progress, albeit in second place with a probable match against Spain. South Korea have looked pretty good, grabbing a somewhat deserved point against the French (France should have sealed the match earlier, but just looked like they couldn’t be bothered), while Togo are on their way home, which is a pity as they have at times looked good. The Swiss looked confident against Togo, and were unlucky against France, so they could beat Korea and go through as group winners, which would be very interesting.

Group H
After their 4-0 drubbing by Spain, the Ukraine inflicted the same scoreline on a very poor Saudi side, whilst Spain qualified for the next stages with a win against Tunisia, although they were 1-0 down until into the 2nd half. Ukraine have a chance to join them with a win against Tunisia, whilst the Saudis have to hope they can beat Spain to stand any chance of progressing. Overall, a good group with plenty of goals (4 in every game so far) with Spain looking very good going forward and they could go quite far in the tournament.

In summary, the best teams I have seen so far in the tournament are:

1. Argentina
2. Spain
3. The Netherlands
4. Italy
5. Brazil
6. Portugal
7. England

With all except Italy through so far there could be some very interesting knockout matches.

Day 6 sees the conclusion of the first round of group matches, and the start of the second round, with Germany playing Poland. Here are my thoughts on the days action.

Spain vs Ukraine (Match Report)
Spain thrashed Ukraine and they looked like one of the best sides to play so far, just behind the Czechs, any side which can afford to put Raul on the bench has to be good offensively. The Ukraine, although the score would suggest otherwise, were not too shabby, although I think the reliance on Shevchenko could prove their downfall. The second goal was the start of their bad luck, with the ball taking a wicked deflection off the wall and leaving keeper Shovkovsky no chance, and when Vaschuk was sent off for an apparent foul Torres in the area, which I am yet to work out the Ukraine were left the impossible task of overcoming a 3-0 deficit with 10 men. The best moment however was Spain’s 4th, with Puyol showing some fantastic skill to play Torres through, and a deadly finish from the Atletico gave Spain a slightly flattering 4-0 result.

Tunisia vs Saudi Arabia (Match Report)
With Ukraine losing to Spain, the winner of this fixture would have a great position to take 2nd place in the group, however poor defending by both teams led to a 2-2 stalemate. Tunisia started the brightest, dominating the first half, and deservedly taking the lead, however the second half was a completely different matter, with Saudi Arabia stealing a march on the Tunisians. Sami Al-Jabers goal, to make it 2-1 with less than 6 minutes to go looked to have sealed all 3 points for the Saudis, however in the 92nd minute Bolton’s Radhi Jaidi (who is a centre back) was pushed forward and he grabbed a vital equaliser for the Tunisians. Overall I think both sides showed they are unlikely to win the title, but a good result against the Ukraine and either side could sneak through into second place.

Germany vs Poland (Match Report)
Another poor showing from the Germans, but thanks to Oliver Neuville they take all 3 points, virtually guaranteeing them a spot in the second round, and pretty much dumping the Poles out in the group stages again. The Germans again looked poor up front, with Podolski wasting a great chance in the last minute of the first half, and Klose also coming close with a header, but he appeared to be put off by Boruc. Jens Lehmann was never troubled, with “magic” Zurawski looking anything but magic, and the Poles seemed to be hoping to sneak a draw and try and creep into the next round, a great disappointment for a team which had qualified so well for the tournament.

My brother has written some of his thoughts on the first round of games over on his site, so head on over to his blog now .

The final group to preview is that of Group H, containing Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia & Saudi Arabia.

Spain
Spain are the World Cups underachievers, they have been to the last 8 world cups now and the furthest point they have reached has been the quarter finals, and again this year they have a strong squad mixing experienced players like Raul and Puyol with younger players like Fabregas and Torres. They have an impressive array of attackers this year, with Raul, Torres, Garcia & Reyes, but defensively I am not too sure as they appear to lack a strong centre back like Hierro or Helguera. My Prediction: Group Winners.

Ukraine
This is the first world cup for the former russian state, and if ever there was a side in the tournament relying on one player it is the Ukraine and Chelsea bound Andriy Shevchenko. Aside from Shevchenko, only Voronin, the Leverkusen striker plays outside of the Ukraine/Russia, so they have a relatively uknown squad, however Spurs fans will remember the torrid time that Sergei Rebrov had. That said, they have a relatively easy group in my opinion, and they should be able to beat both Tunisia & Saudi Arabia. My Prediction: Group Runners Up.

Tunisia
This is the third World Cup in a row that Tunisia have played in, and after winning the African Nations Cup two years ago, they have a relatively strong squad. European fans will recognise several of the players, such as Trabelsi the Ajax defender & Radhi Jaidi from Bolton, whilst several of the squad ply their trade in France. Managed by Roger Lemerre, who helped France to the Euro 2000 title, but failed with them 4 years ago in Japan & South Korea, they are not going to be as easy a pushover as first appears. My Prediction: 3rd Place.

Saudi Arabia
The Saudi’s, in their 4th World Cup in a row, will mainly be hoping not to receive as large a thumping as last world cup when Germany put 8 past them. Their main threat is from Sami Al-Jaber who is a legend at home, and has played in the last 4 World Cups. Their entire squad plays in the Saudi league, so they have a very insular squad, and I don’t expect much from them. My Prediction: 4th Place.

Group G features 1998 champions France, along with Switzerland, South Korea and Togo, here are my predictions for the group:

France
After a disastrous last World Cup, the french will be hoping that they can at least score this time, however after a tough time in qualifying the scored only 14 goals in their 10 matches. They will be hoping Thierry Henry can take his club form into the tournament, and after losing Cisse to a dreadful injury will also be hoping that Wiltord and Trezeguet provide some too. Defensively they are relatively weak however, as any side with Jean-Alain Boumsong would do, and they will be relying on the experienced head of Lillian Thuram to provide strength at the back. In midfield they still have Zidane after his return to international duty midway through qualifying, and with Vieira and Makelele they have a strong midfield. My Prediction: Group Winners.

Switzerland
After a violent match in Turkey, Switzerland qualified for the World Cup and with them being in the same qualifying group as France they will be well accustomed to their Gallic neighbours style of football. Their main players are AC Milans Johann Vogel in midfield, Rennes Alexander Frei upfront, and Arsenal revelation Philippe Senderos, whom they will be relying heavily on this tournament. My Prediction: 3rd Place.

South Korea
Since the last world cup, several Koreans have joined the ranks of english football, and fans will be familiar with Park Ji-Sung of Man United, and Lee Young-Pyo of spurs, some will also recognise Wolves midfielder Seol Ki-Hyeon who has made quite an impression over the last year. Although I don’t expect them to go as far as last time when they reached the semi finals, I expect them to at least reach the knockout phase. My Prediction: Group Runners Up.

Togo
This is the first World Cup for Togo (or the Sparrowhawks as they are known), and I can’t see them getting any further than the group stages, with a large France based contingent they will be well accustomed to european football however. The biggest problem now though will be organising themselves after their manager resigned due to constant bickering over financial payments for the players, and they will have to hope that Arsenal’s Adebayor does better than for Arsenal, where IMO he hasn’t been particularly sparkling. My Prediction: 4th Place.

Group F features most peoples favourites for the trophy Brazil, along with Croatia, Australia and Japan, with Brazil virtual certs to take the group, the 2nd place spot is wide open. Here are my predictions for this group:

Brazil
Brazil are most peoples tip to take the trophy home again next month, and looking at their squad (the attacking part anyway), and it’s hard to argue against their status as favourites. With Ronaldo, Robinho, Kaka and Ronaldinho they have probably the best attack in the tournament, however defensively they may struggle, but we said that last world cup, and look what happened . My Prediction: Group Winners.

Croatia
Pipping Sweden to the top of their qualifying group was impressive for the croats, especially after failing at the group stages 4 years ago. Their main attacking threat will come from Rangers’ Dado Prso, and with the Kovac brothers helping out defensively they have a chance of taking second place in the group, along with both Japan and Australia. My Prediction: Group Runners Up.

Australia
In only their second world cup, the Australians will be hoping to make a better impression than then they were last in Germany for the tournament. With the majority of their squad playing their football on European soil, and with players like Kewell and Emerton they have a good quality side. Defensively they may struggle however, as they generally have to cater with the quality strikeforces of Guam and Samoa. My Prediction: 4th Place.

Japan
This is Japans third world cup in a row, and they will be looking to continue with the progress shown in the last world cup, where they lost in the second round to eventual 3rd place finishers Turkey. Although most of their squad play in their native J-league, english fans will recognise Bolton’s Hidetoshi Nakata, and WBA’s Junichi Inamoto in midfield, Celtic’s Nakamura is also one of their bigger named players. My Prediction: 3rd Place.

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.

Group D is, in my opinion, going to be the dullest group in the tournament, consisting of Mexico, Iran, Angola & Portugal, here are my predictions for this group.

Mexico
Mexico are World Cup regulars, which isn’t surprising looking at some of the teams they qualify with, they have yet however, to progress any further than the first knockout stage. With a large amount of their squad playing their football at home in Mexico, the main players are their captain, and champions league winner, Barcelona’s Rafael Marquez and Bolton striker, Jared Borghetti. My Prediction: Group Runners Up.

Iran
Iran qualified comfortably for the tournament, in second place behind Japan, and although I think they are unlikely to reach the knockout stages, they do have 4 players who play their trade in Germany, and with Ali Daei they could scalp someone. Again though, they have a largely insular squad, and with Mexico and Portugal in the group, I expect them to struggle. My Prediction: 3rd Place.

Angola
Pipping Nigeria in qualifying is no easy task, however as World Cup debutants, Angola are inexperienced against major foreign opposition and this will just be an experience for the squad, and I expect them to struggle. My Prediction: 4th Place.

Portugal
Portugal comfortably qualified for the tournament, scoring 35 goals in 12 matches, with Pauleta the PSG striker the top scorer across all European qualifying groups. In pre-tournament friendlies Portugal went 14 games unbeaten, and I expect them to reach 17 by the end of the group stage. They will however be hoping for a better performance than 4 years ago, where an old and overhyped squad failed miserably against the USA and Korea. Their key players are Pauleta and Man United’s Christiano Ronaldo, however he has had disciplinary problems of late. My Prediction: Group Winners.

Nearly every World Cup has a “Group of Death”, in ‘02 it was England, Argentina, Sweden & Nigeria, and this time again Argentina fall into it, along with the Ivory Coast, Serbia & Montenegro and the Netherlands. Here are my predictions for the group of death.

Argentina
After a disastrous last world cup, Argentina will be looking to reach the knockout stages in Germany, and with many bookies placing them among the favourites to win, the pressure is on them again. Yet again they have a star studded squad, with 18 year old Barcelona front man Lionel Messi the main attraction, along with Juan Roman Riquelme the Villareal star. Man United’s Gabriel Heinze, back from injury, will be looking to start in a high quality defence containing Sorin and Ayala. My Prediction: Group Winners.

Ivory Coast
The Elephants, as the Ivory Coast are affectionately known, are competing in their first ever world cup, and with a squad containing a large amount of European based players, they could produce a few shocks. Their main player is Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, who has an impressive international scoring record, scoring 21 goals in 31 games, with Lens forward Dindane providing support and the Arsenal defensive pairing of Emmanuel Eboué and Kolo Touré providing strong defensive cover. Although I can’t see them reaching the knockout stages, like Senegal and Cameroon in the past, they are an unknown quantity. My Prediction: 4th Place.

Serbia & Montenegro
Although this is officially Serbia & Montenegro’s first official appearance at the world cup, their former parent country, Yugoslavia, appeared at the 1990 world cup, and several before then, and former players include Sinisa Mihailovic and Dejan Savicevic. They are another unknown quantity, but with former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman, and former Aston Villa striker Savo Milosevic upfront, both of whom have impressive international scoring records (the same cannot be said about their premiership records), they could score a few goals, especially after pipping Spain to the automatic spot in qualifying. My Prediction: 3rd Place.

Netherlands
The Netherlands had a very impressive time in qualifying, in a tough group containing the Czech Republic and Romania, they won 10 games, and drew the other 2, scoring 27 and conceding only 3 goals. Although Ruud Van Nistelrooy has been struggling of late club wise, his international record speaks for itself, scoring 26 goals in 50 games, and with Dirk Kuyt, one of Europe’s hottest properties of late, and Arsenals ever improving Robin van Persie they have a quality strike force. Defensively they are relatively in-experienced however, with aside from Van Bronkhorst and Van der Sar, none of the defense having over 20 caps, and 4 players in single figures. They will be hoping that their midfield, containing Cocu, Van Bommel and Robben will keep the pressure off the defence. My Prediction: Group Runners Up.

The next group I shall preview will be England’s group, Group B, in group order:

England
Although Englands chances of winning the overall tournament depend on the fitness of Wayne Rooney, getting out of this group shouldn’t require the Man United striker. Playing Sweden last also helps as we should have qualified for the knockout stages before this game. Defensively, England are strong, with Paul Robinson in goal, and John Terry and Rio Ferdinand at the back, they have arguably one of the best defences in the tournament, the midfield is also strong, with Beckham, Gerrard and Lampard playing, however, upfront is where England may struggle (mainly due to Svens selection policy). With Owen struggling from his injury vs spurs in the season, and Rooney out, Crouch is likely to start, and the only backup available will be the tournaments youngest player, Theo Walcott. My Prediction: Group Winners.

Paraguay
Paraguays main threat is Bayern Munich’s Roque Santa Cruz, with extrovert goalkeeper Chilavert having retired from football. Having qualified in 4th place in the CONMEBOL qualification zone, they will be looking to try and take a european scalp home with them. My Prediction: 3rd Place.

Trinidad & Tobago
World Cup debutants T&T will just be hoping not to embarrass themselves, with a large contingent of UK based players, many fans will recognise the names, especially the captain, perma-smiling Dwight Yorke. As the smallest team ever to compete in the World Cup, they have little or no expectations, so an upset against one of the European teams in the group could happen, although I think it’s unlikely. My Prediction: 4th Place.

Sweden
Sweden will be hoping not to be beaten by another world cup debutante after losing to Senegal 4 years earlier. They have an impressive strike duo (at club level anyway), with Ibrahimovic and Larsson, however in recent friendlies the squad have not been impressive, with the BBC reporting them looking toothless upfront in a recent match against Finland. My Prediction: Group Runners Up.