Group B
England
Sweden
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
None of the prime contenders for the Cup are resting their hopes as much as England are resting theirs on the shoulders (or foot) of one man. Should Wayne Rooney somehow recover in time to play at least a small part in the preliminary round and then on to the knockout stages, England's chances improve dramatically. Without him, the collective style and flair of Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, and David Beckham in front of what should be a rock-solid defence marshalled by John Terry will still be a formidable lineup. This was to be England's best chance since 1966, and it can still happen.
Up front, Sweden boasts one of the best strike pairing in Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a decent bet for the Golden Boot . It's elsewhere in the lineup that the Swedes still have some major question marks about. Who will bolster a defense that has been sagging of late due to age and injury? Who will step up next to Ljungberg to provide service for the front two? There is some great individual talent in this squad, and this team could spring a surprise or two before it's all said and done, up to and including stealing the group leadership from England and avoiding a potential 2nd round matchup with the hosts.
Paraguay's youth setup has seen some success at the World Youth Cup and the Olympics (silver in 2004), and now the senior squad looks to reap the benefit of that development. Behind the leadership of players like Gamarra and their World Cup experience going back to 1998 and the emergence of younger talents like Valdez and Barreto, this is a team that seems perfectly set-up for a dark horse run. The forward play of Valdez and most importantly, Roque Santa Cruz (both of whom play their league football in the Bundesliga) will set the tone for the Paraguayans, whose lack of height may become a glaring weakness that could hurt them against the more physical European teams.
Matched up against three teams with vastly superior World Cup experience, one could be forgiven for overlooking Trinidad & Tobago as a "spoiler" in this group. Indeed, it is in this spoiler role that T&T stands the best chance of making any type of splash at all. With the links to British football--9 currently play in England, 6 in Scotland--the game with England will resemble a Premiership matchup. Dwight Yorke, with his sterling reputation and experience, will be the key in his support role between the midfield and attack. If nothing else, the fans and players from T&T will remind crowds and viewers what the joy of being at the World Cup will be like, with some Caribbean flair and
joie de vivre to spice up the sometimes environment.
Group B
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