1) Argentina
With Messi, Higuain, Tevez, Milito, and Aguero making up the potential list of forwards no team in all of the World Cup has so much talent on the top half of the football pitch. The one question that remains is whether or not Maradona will find a way to interrupt the offensive flow with some bizarre management decisions? The defense is a bit shaky as well, but in Group B no one is close to the Hand of God squad. Just like no one is close to Messi when it comes to Best Player in the World.
2) Nigeria
When it comes to African squads Nigeria is probably considered the fourth best, but this World Cup in South Africa the Nigerian squad will likely do the best of any team playing from the continent besides Cameroon. Their Group B draw is better than the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and even Cameroon’s and the squad might be good enough to make it past the second round. Greece will be a test, but I like the Nigerian’s to win simply because of their ability to break games open at any moment.
3) Greece
The Greeks were the 2004 Euro Champions and that sure came as a surprise to the rest of the world, but this summer I’d be shocked to see them out of the first round. On second thought, shocked is a bit too bold and they are one of the better #3 teams playing in the event this summer, but I certainly don’t expect a repeat of 2004. They are one of the more underrated squads playing this summer and they should earn somewhere around 4 points, but Greece will not be the sleeper that many, including ginger beard himself Alexi Lalas, hope that they will.
4) South Korea
2002 was just about as good as it gets for any Asian zone qualifier as South Korea nearly won the entire tournament in their homeland before bowing out in the semifinal. This squad offers few of the same faces, but one critical one is still around in Man U midfielder Park Ji-Sung. They simply don’t have the talent to hang with a fairly solid group and South Korea will be lucky to earn more than 2 total points. In fact they will likely earn zero to one total.
