Who would have expected Germany to score the best goal of the 2010 World Cup so far? Plus, they scored it in such a way that it looked like a goal reminiscent of a Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi highlight reel. But this time, it was Bastian Schweinsteiger who dribbled past four Argentina players and crossed the ball into the box for German defender Arne Friedrich to score an incredible goal.

An incredible goal from an incredible performance by Germany. It's no wonder that the German team is now favorites to win the 2010 World Cup.

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Today's match-up between Germany and Argentina isn't simply a World Cup soccer match. It's also part of the Diego Maradona "show," where we get a chance to watch this magnetic character to see what he'll do next either on or off the field.

Watching Argentina, I get a sense that both the players and coaching staff are incredibly proud of their country and are on a mission that is far greater than winning for their club. They seem like very patriotic and focused individuals who are all working to achieve the same goal, victory.

The same can be said of Germany, who always looked so focused and know exactly what they need to do to win a game.

The challenge is that only one team will win today and only one will lose in this game. Which one it will be is a tough call to make.

Before, during and after today's game between Argentina and Germany, feel free to share your opinions and observations in the comments section below with soccer fans from around the World Cup. Enjoy the game. Let's hope it's a classic.

If you live in the South Florida area, I'll be watching the game at Wowies Sports Grill today in Boca Raton (7036 W. Palmetto Park Road). During the game today, we'll be giving away one Jabulani ball courtesy of Adidas. I look forward to seeing you there if you can make it.

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England’s short stay in South Africa came to an embarrassing end yesterday afternoon. They did not have to endure the heartache of an exit via penalties, but they did get their inevitable controversial moment to hide behind, a moment that will no doubt be used to try and deflect the fact that England have been ten levels below substandard since topping their qualifying group back in October. Whether Lampard’s goal was given or not is irrelevant, England were completely out-thought, out-played and simply out-classed by a young inexperienced German side.

“That goal” has reignited the clamour for the use of technology. Video replays are needed in Football to clear up marginal - matter of fact decisions - such as did the ball cross the line, however only two people out of the millions watching failed to see the ball bounce behind the line in Bloemfontein. If the technology was in place yesterday no referee with more than half a functioning eye would’ve needed to refer to the video referee. It is one of the most horrendous errors I have seen made and hope that Jorge Larrionda and his stooges are sent home just as swiftly as the England squad have been.

The Mexicans also fell victim to comedy officiating in Johannesburg, Carlos Tevez was so far offside for the Argentines first goal he was in a different time zone. If that was level to the linesman I’d love to see him put up a shelf. Extra salt was poured in the wounds when the goal was replayed on the big screen. All in all it was a day for the officials to forget, which they seem to be able to do with relative ease – apparently there are plus sides for not having a soul.

There were also reports of a fault with the fourth official’s board during the England Germany encounter, on 71 minutes with England needing three goals Emile Heskeys’ number was inadvertently flashed up forcing a bemused Jermaine Defoe off the field. That just capped another forgettable display in England’s wretched history of forgettable displays.

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The group stages have concluded and now we can all look forward to good old fashioned knockout Football. What this World Cup has provided us so far has been, well, a bit baffling really, it has provided little in the way of genuine thrills and excitement but a huge amount of intrigue. It has been engrossing and most importantly it has provided some genuine surprises.

Group A was the setting for the demise of the French, no heart, no passion, no cohesion, spats, rows and fallouts equalled one point for Les Bleus and a shameful early flight home. Henry should’vedone the world a favour and kept his hand by his side. Uruguay and Mexico qualified from the group with relative ease, both sides have shown through some assured displays that they are more than capable of having a successful run in this World Cup. It was such a disappointment not to see the South Africans get through, maybe naivety, nerves and a little bit of expectation got the better of them, particularly against the Uruguayans, yet their performances either side of that game were impressive and it was a shame not to see the host nation progress. The South African squad, unlike the French, can hold their heads high.

Argentina somewhat strolled through Group B, winning all three games, as impressive as that looks on paper there do appear to be a few cracks in the Argentinean side, particularly at the back. As yet you couldn’t really put them down as nailed on finalists. South Korea qualified as runners up, they are a well organised outfit and create plenty of openings going forward, they make for a tricky opposition. Elsewhere in Group B Greece were Greece and Nigeria were bitterly disappointing, their campaign will only be remembered for Yakubu’s astonishing miss against the Koreans.

The USA claimed top spot in Group C with virtually the last kick of the group, securing a berth in arguably the easier side of the draw. It was no less than the Americans deserved, particularly after clawing their way back from two nil down in their previous match to claim a vital point. England finished runners up, after being vilified for their part in two drab draws they secured qualification with a One nil victory over Slovenia, England may live to regret not converting more of their chances, they now face a tricky route through the knockouts. Far from being spectacular Algeria and Slovenia ensured that qualification for the US and England was not as comfortable as many imagined it would be.

The ever efficient Germans got their World Cup off to a flying start, breezing past an awful Australian side in a four nil rout. That German efficiency went missing in game two when they fell to a one nil defeat at the hands of Serbia. Group D   like most groups was wide open going into the final round of matches. A one goal victory against the Ghanaians clinched top spot for Joachim Low’s men. Ghana finished second, salvaging some pride for what has been a poor World Cup for the African nations. To be fair there wasn’t much between the three sides that finished below the Germans, the Australians were vastly improved after their first display and the Serbs looked well organised and difficult to beat. It was Ghana’s win in their first game which proved how crucial it is to get points on the board as early as possible.

The Dutch waltzed to 9 points in Group E without even having to get out of second gear. Japan finished a thoroughly deserving second. Denmark and Cameroon were quite frankly awful in what was possibly the dullest group of the tournament. The Indomitable Lions, for me, have been the let down of 2010 so far.

Group F was home to the shock of the Tournament, Italy not only failed to qualify but finished bottom of their group. On the back of two lacklustre draws no one expected the Italians to fall short again in their last match. You have to credit the Slovakians for playing with such belief, it has to be the game of the tournament so far, and in contrast to the French, despite their shocking start the Italians fought all the way in their final game and very nearly pulled off a great escape in the dying seconds. Special mention must go to New Zealand, to finish undefeated in a group containing the Azzurri, Paraguay and Slovakia is some achievement for the All Whites and it is a shame three sides could not progress from Group F because no one would begrudge them 90 more minutes of World Cup Football.

Brazil finished top of the pile in Group G with Portugal qualifying as runners up. The Ivory Coast were another African disappointment and the North Koreans went from terrific to terrible in three games. Brazil look strong, their two defensive midfielders play a priceless role and have so far been fantastic, if their more creative colleagues hit form then the boys from Brazil will be the team to beat.

In the final group Chile continued to wave the South American flag proudly. They played with the freedom and expression expected from Group favourites Spain. The Spanish did not buck the trend of struggling European sides, leaving qualification to the last game after a less than convincing start, but they did manage to turn things around and claim top spot. Switzerland were their normal no nonsense selves, set up not to lose and not to be pleasing on the eye. I would like to say the Hondurans did more than just make up the numbers, sadly I can’t.

As the World Cup heads into stage two a lot of teams will try to forget their struggles in the group stages. This is the business end of the tournament and it’s game one as far as they are concerned, if you slip up now you don’t get another chance to set things right. There is still no real favourite, results wise it has been one of the most unpredictable World Cups so far, one thing we know is that every side is beatable. The form book was thrown out of the window during the group stages, and there’s no indication that will change in the knockouts.

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The girls from Wowies dressed up in body paint and bikinis this past weekend to celebrate the debut of the 2010 World Cup.

The girls, all of whom are bartenders at Wowies Sports Grill in Boca Raton, Florida, dressed in the colors of some of the top teams in the tournament including Argentina, Germany, Mexico, USA and Serbia. Plus, the party continued with two Brazilian Carnival dancers who were backed by a Brazilian drum band.

To see any of the Wowies girls as well as 54 live World Cup games, visit Wowies at 7036 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33433. More information at http://www.worldcupbuzz.com/wowies The sports bar opens at 9:30am each day during the World Cup.

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So they almost didn't make it, but in the end won the last two games to make sure they would be part of the World Cup party. It all came down to the final match to get through though. They had to win in Montevideo for the first time in 33 years to make sure they finished 4th in the South American group. Argentina scrambling to finish 4th? Behind those giants of South American football Chile and Paraguay.

Maradona used 102 different players in his first 14 months and the players who didn't make the squad are probably the biggest surprises of any of the finalised 23 man squads in the competition. No Cambiasso and Zanetti, both imperious for Internazionale this season. No Coloccini or Milito in central defence and no place for Real Madrid's midfield tyro Gago. Surely 5 excellent players, but deemed surplus to requirements for Maradona in South Africa.

So, the manager cuts 5 players which most people would imagine should be in the Argentinian squad and a relationship with Juan Roman Riquelme that is non-existent at best. A qualifying campaign that almost ended in disaster, a tactical mess that sees the manager play 4 centre backs in defence and an inability to get Lionel Messi to replicate his domestic form. So why do they worry me so. I've got this nagging feeling that everything is going to click in to place come June 11th.

All common sense points to Argentina continuing the widely chaotic form into the World Cup. I doubt Maradona will change from his rigid 4-4-2 formation to let Messi play as he is used to in Barcelona's 4-3-3 style, but then again, should Maradona build Argentina around Messi, or alternatively should the Worlds best player be able to adapt to a change in style?

So why do I feel that they could be genuine challengers? What is it that troubles me so? I thought they'd go all the way in 2006, but they fell apart against Germany and limped out of the competition. I'll be honest, I have a secret admiration for Argentina, I do. I know, as an Englishman, it should be part of my patriotic make up that I should despise them, but I can't. Maradona, handball aside, is still one of my favourite players ever. I boo Brazil and cheer on one of my countries fiercest footballing rivals.If England don't win it, I want Argentina to do so. No really.

Yet even through rose tinted spectacles, I still think they were very,very fortunate to get here. Any team who loses a qualifying game 6-1 away from home, is flying by the seat of their pants in regards to being a challenger for the title. Tactically, it doesn't work, some of the players who haven't been chosen make me scratch my head and the worlds best player struggles in the system, but still they nag away at me.

They're in a group that could hold a few surprises, with the effective if dull Greeks, the unfancied Nigerians and the passionate South Koreans. It is a group that could cause them problems, but still I think they'll have too much to not get through. It's the one group that I'll be keeping a keen eye on, purely to see if Argentina can finally make this tactical disaster a beautiful spectacle.

Please leave me your comments and you can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/paulbestall

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No World Cup 2010 For These Lot

What do George Best, Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona, George Weah and Alfredo Di Stefano all have in common? They were all world class players in their prime but never got the chance to show people their talents on the biggest stage of them all - the World Cup. The fact that there are only so many qualifying places ultimately means that certain players will miss out on the great tournament and it could be argued that the international stage is where the greats truly become legends of the game (you don't seem them looping goals from Pele's Santos days or Maradonna's Napoli stint). So in 2010, who are the talented that will be watching the tournament from home wishing that their fellow national compatriots were as brilliant as they were?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic:

The big Swede has often been criticized for failing to perform in the big games and his first season at Barcelona has left many questioning the player’s credentials. But Zlatan has his fans, and it’s clear that Barcelona would not spend the ridiculous amount of money (and swapping the world class Samuel Eto'o) if they didn't think that Ibra was good enough, and rumours that he will return to Turin giants Juventus may be nothing short of fantasy. Whether Sweden’s problems lie with Zlatan is up for debate however, as the player who has never been a stranger to international goal droughts may not be realising his full potential for his country; something often claimed when the player is donning the famous Barcelona shirt.

Petr Cech:

I often feel sorry for Cech, because due to his status as one of the top goalkeepers in the world, his mistakes are often over analysed and amplified by the media. Never the less, he has been a solid goalkeeper for both club and country, and despite being blamed (and blaming himself) for Czech Republic's exit to Turkey in Euro 2008, he will no doubt remain his nation’s number one until he decides to hang up the gloves. What is even more remarkable is the fact that Cech is still only 27 years of age, so hopefully for Petr his absence from this particular World Cup will be a one off. The Czech Republic is still regrouping after the majority of a golden generation retired, the likes of Berger, Koller and of course Nedved have all now gone and this has made it difficult for the nation to be the force they once were.

Luka Modric:

Did anyone else see Modric's goal on the final day of the Premiership for Tottenham against Burnley? It was truly spectacular and Modric has developed well this season, so much that you can barely open up a British newspaper without seeing his name linked with one of Europe's elite. But Croatia had a difficult group and fell short of both Ukraine and England and failed to recreate the domination over the English they displayed in the Euro 2008 qualifying. Modric was injured for Croatia's crunch game against England at Wembley, and this led to acquisitions that this was intentional by the Premier League in order to aid England's chances. Modric is the heart of the Croatia team, and despite a lack of height, he can still pull his own weight on a football pitch and isn't afraid of anyone.

Mirko Vucinic:

It's strange how international footballs youngest nation, Montenegro, can hold such an amazing player, but Vucinic has been in fine form this season and indeed the past several. Chelsea fans will remember Mirko well, after he smashed home two goals against them in the 2008-09 Champions League and now that Roma are looking like a much more dominating outfit, Vucinic is playing with a lot more confidence and has been a big part of Roma's title and cup push. Vucinic is Montenegro's record goal scorer with 8 goals (seriously) and would appear to be the spearhead of the team, yet the rest of the team is considerably weaker, thus diminishing Vucinic's chances of ever being seen on the world stage and I fear that he may never get the recognition that he truly deserves.

Shay Given:

Arguably the Premiership's top goalkeeper, and arguably he should be looking forward to the tournament this summer if it wasn't for THAT goal. Many people in England often joke that they wish that Given was English, the same way they wished Giggs would have chose to play of England to solve their never ending left midfield headache. He made his name at Newcastle United, and people often believed that he managed to save the Toon Army points much like Schmeichel used to for Man Utd. He's kept up this form for Man City and is still regarded as one of the top players in the league. He was selected in the team of the decade by many Premiership fans and no can doubt his credentials. But that one goal from France ruined Irish dreams and denied many fans across the world a chance to see Given making world class saves, it also led to a number of Irish people bizarrely destroying their Henry hoovers in protest.

Emmanuel Adebayor:

I love Adebayor, I think most people that aren't a fan of Arsenal (or probably Man Utd) love Adebayor as he is the funniest man in football at the moment. Does anyone else feel that when he scored that famous goal against Arsenal, he ran down the pitch like a horse? There’s also this little gem of a story I’ve pointed out in previous articles and there is a wealth of videos on YouTube of Adebayor dancing, whether it be in car parks or to half time music. Luckily, the BBC has moved quickly to sign Adebayor up as an analyst for British football fans, meaning one of the top strikers in the Premiership will be involved in this year’s World Cup. Thank god for the BBC!

Andrei Arshavin:

A player that was never really noticed until later in his career, he almost joined his boyhood heroes of Barcelona before going to Arsenal where has has since impressed and become an important part of their team. But despite the depth and strength Russia had this year, they failed to qualify and were knocking out in the play-offs by a plucky Slovenia side. In four years time Arshavin will be 32 and a chance to see him in the 2010 World Cup would have seen him in his prime and many would have considered Russia to be a dangerous proposition. Russia are probably the best nation not to go to this Summer's World Cup and it's such a shame that we won't see the likes of Arshavin, Akinfeev and Pavyluchenko strutting their stuff on the pitch.

Any One Of A Number Of Argentineans:

It would be easy to point out a number of players from qualified teams who may not be going, but Argentina is a different case. Watching Argentina's qualification quest was entertaining, if not a bit bizarre. But just look at their Wikipedia page for current squad and recent call-ups - that is ridiculous. Albeit Maradonna wanted to try something new against Haiti and play a bunch of players who ply their trade in the national league, but Palermo and Ortega were world class about a decade ago, not today. Then he seems determined to play an ageing Juan Sebastian Veron in midfield for every game when he has the likes of Cambiasso, Gago, Banega and Gonzalez, while Jonas Guierrez is guaranteed to start every game, no matter what position he has to play (he's so far played in the middle, on the right, on the left and in both full-back positions at some point for his country). There is Kun Aguero, Hugain, Lopez, Lavezzi, Tevez and Milito available to him and it appears that Martin Palermo is assured a place and Hernan Crespo is coming under serious consideration, presumably for the great bench warming skills he has obtained since his return to Parma. I wonder how far he has managed to dwindle down the 90 men under consideration and the recent 4-0 hammering of Haiti will only cause more confusion. It'll be a laugh for the rest of the world though!

Are there any other players that you would like to see at this World Cup that will be sitting at home because they didn't qualify (or are a world class Argentinean in their prime)? Let us know!

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What is on paper a strong team could end up being a weak one when tested by a tricky opponent. How the players gel and work together, how effective the coach is in bringing the best out of players, the strength of the defensive line and often the rise of  a relative unknown to help carry the team can all influence who ends up winning. Other factors which must be considered include the lack of key injuries and having some luck in order for a team to advance far in this highly anticipated tournament.

Luck does not necessarily imply winning the whole tournament due to fortunate circumstances but as often the case some tough teams get eliminated on a particular nation's side of the draw which can pave the way for that specific country to advance further in the tournament. Other lucky incidents can come in the shape of referee calls such as penalties given,  a red-card missed or overlooked, the woodwork coming to the rescue on more than one occasion or even scoring against the run of play.

In 2006 Italy was not expected to win but with a strong defensive unit, a great goalkeeper, a clever coach, some luck and the team working together as one cohesive unit the Azzurri were able to triumph in Berlin. If the World Cup started today, then Brazil would be one of the main picks because of the talented players who can change the course of a match in a single move or a split-second. The Brazilians have talent all over the pitch.

Other contenders would include Argentina largely due to the presence of one of the most gifted players of his generation who happens to be Lionel Messi. He is simply a genius and while he does not perform as well with the national team, Messi can still turnaround matches with one creative move. The main reason the Argentines have not been performing up to their potential is a result of having Diego  Maradona as the national team coach. Maradona was a great player but he is simply out of depth in terms of managing a talented country and his  inexperience shows whenever his players step on the pitch. He is an incapable coach who must rely on Messi to change games by himself if Argentina has any chance of advancing through the tournament. Maradona ought to surround Messi with the right players because it is a shame to see such a  talent go to waste on the international stage.

It could be argued Messi is even a better player at this stage of his career than Maradona was. Again the stress is on comparing the two talented players at the same age and period of their career. At 22-years-old Messi has accomplished more than Maradona and if he can lead Argentina to a World Cup triumph then few can doubt Messi has the better record as a player and whether he is the more talented of the two legends.

Another dangerous team would be England because of Manager Fabio Capello and what he brings to the table.  Capello is a great and highly skilled Manager when it comes to motivating players, creating harmony, suppressing egos, building team spirit and exploiting weaknesses in other teams. The main issue at this point is the injury crisis which has affected the national team in recent weeks. Ashley Cole and David Beckham will miss out unless left-back Cole makes a late comeback while others such as Rio Ferdinand have spent most of the season injured or recovering from an injury.

One other factor which could cause distraction is the behaviour of certain players with John Terry on top of the list of players being carefully followed due to his much-publicised affair. The media is now trying to keep an eye on his actions and any simple mistake made by Terry will be aggressively covered by the British Press.  To their advantage the English have Wayne Rooney to rely on and at this stage of the season the striker can do no wrong as he continues to score at a torrid pace.

The Spanairds cannot be underestimated because by winning Euro 2008 they showed they deserve to be respected. The Spaniards have Fernando Torres and David Villa as well as Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas and David Silva. Those are all talented and experienced players. In addition, who can forget the midfield duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta who often pull the strings for the might Barcelona? Barca does depend on Messi but he is surrounded by great players and some of them hail from Spain as evidened by a few of the names mentioned above.

The Azzurri have the smallest chance from amongst the favourites because of the struggles faced by Juventus this season, the aging of the team and the fact three key players are no longer as effective: Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo. Gattuso is actually spending considerable time on the Milan bench while Cannavaro has been one of the weak links in Juve's defensive line this season. Only Giorgio Chiellini is to be given credit in the Juve and Azzurri back-line.

Anything can happen though and World Champions usually do not give up easily. The onus will be on having a healthy Gianluigi Buffon who is as good as anyone in goal when healthy enough but once again Cannavaro is too old and slow to compete over a month even if Marcello Lippi says it is only four weeks and not a season. This is a shocking excuse from a coach of Lippi's stature who is now resorting to various forms of alibis to justify his choices. This shows the extent of the pressure on his shoulders and this could easily backfire as Lippi was one of the main architects of the Azzurri triumph in Germany 2006.

Finally, France cannot and will not win when one considers the national team is coached by someone like Raymond Domenech who is still clinging to the job despite his obvious ineptitude. As for the Germans, they are rarely the type of team which is flashy but they tend to play solid football during the World Cup as shown in the 2002 and 2006 editions. Their strength is in the group and the effort, hard-work and commitment displayed by the players who often rely on their physical prowess and methodical approach to win matches. Perhaps waiting till end of May will give a better idea as to the teams which can be considered as the clear favourites but at this stage it would be a surprise if any other team can be regarded as a serious contender.

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Who will advance from Group B of the 2010 World Cup? Will it be Greece, Argentina, Nigeria or South Korea? Cast your vote above and share your feedback in the comments section below.

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Now that Argentina has qualified to the World Cup ensuring the presence of star player Lionel Messi, barring any injury or outlandish suspension,  how does one evaluate the comments made by FIFA President Sepp Blatter? Prior to the decisive qualifiers which yielded  Argentina's qualification to South Africa as well as Portugal's opportunity to do so through a  two-legged playoff clash with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Blatter declared that the World Cup will not be affected if Messi or Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo were missing.

Obviously, some will attribute Blatter's remarks as a way to minimise the adverse effects the World Cup tournament might have suffered had any star players missed on South Africa. On current form, Messi is probably one of the world's best players if not the best and he is listed as a nominee for the title of world footballer of the year by French magazine France Football which hands out the Ballon d'Or. Also on that list is current holder Cristiano Ronaldo who joined Real Madrid for a record fee. With Messi's presence in South Africa 2010 now guaranteed, will the tournament need Ronaldo to be a successful one in terms of TV viewership, sponsorship and overall appeal or will his potential absence be overcome by Argentine Messi's qualification?

The World Cup is by far the most prominent football trophy and is considered the top attraction for fans worldwide so it would have been unlikely that Messi's or Ronaldo's absence could drastically affect the event. The very talented and much-maligned French team of 1994 missed on the World Cup and yet the tournament was not doomed. The World Cup itself serves as a stepping-stone and centre stage for emerging and unknown talents with the likes of Italy's Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci and Russia's Oleg Salenko claiming the scoring crown  in 1990 and 1994 respectively yet failing to shine afterwards. Thus, the tournament is a distinct feature from club football and most of the club and international football matches which took place prior to the event are set aside and considered meaningless. It can be argued that missing Ronaldo and Messi would have been damaging, yet Blatter might have a point this time when he claims that the World Cup would not have been hindered by their absence.

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