World Cup Preview

I love the World Cup!

Here's a little bit of the preview we ran Friday...

Who will win?
Germany — home field advantage looms large on this stage. I look for them to ride the fervor of their fans past Brazil in a thrilling final.

Golden Boot winner?
I’ll go with Portugal’s Pauleta. He lit up UEFA qualifying with 11 goals and he’s been solid in club play too.

How will the U.S. fare?
Group E is a nightmare, but I like our chances against the Czech Republic and Ghana. Two wins there and a split with Italy would likely be enough to win the group, setting up a good draw and a deep run in the rest of the tournament.

Dark horse team?
For some reason, I think the Netherlands might surprise some people. Ruud van Nistelroy is one of the world’s best strikers, and if the Dutch make it out of group play, they could make a serious run.

Underachiever?
Somebody please explain to me how the Czech Republic became the No. 2 team in the world? I really think they’ll be lucky to finish third in Group E behind the U.S. and Italy.

Toughest group?
Group E is pretty tough, but I’ll go with Brian and take Group C. You could really take Argentina, the Netherlands, Serbia and Montenegro, and the Ivory Coast and pull them out of a hat to guess how they might finish.

Easiest group?
Group D looks a little thin. Sure Portugal and Mexico are big-name teams, but both have their flaws. As far as Iran and Angola go, well, they’re not exactly ready for primetime.