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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Back once again for Sunday's late game which see's the German side look to have another good World Cup campaign,  but Australia stand in their way and have enough quality to get the win. I do write these live and spell check when I have a chance, but you may have to excuse some of my spelling and punctuation today as I appear to be suffering from a hangover, after a Saturday night I can barely remember. I certainly don't remember England's goal, as thanks to ITV half the country missed it. As ever, comments are welcome and you can follow me on twitter @clusks. Have to get that plug in there:

- The media in England today are all focusing on Rob Green, instead of considering that we got a point against our hardest group opponent, disgraceful really but the sad thing is that loads of people in England buy into this. I've also seen a lot of people criticize Emile Heskey, despite the fact he was a goal threat unlike the anonymous Rooney and got us an assist. But of course - he's just a donkey isn't he? He didn't score therefore a rubbish performance! I'm hoping that Rob Green isn't the scapegoat for England if they go out the World Cup.

- ITV have Edgar Davids, Kevin Keegan and Patrick Viera in the studio. Edgar Davids has the world’s biggest glasses on, he looks a bit like Harry Potter, or if anyone has seen The Wire, he looks like that guy that comes along called Brother something (if anyone can tell me his name please do so!). I didn't know this, but John Travolta has been hanging about with the Australia team - nobody is quite sure why, but he has a terrible touch of the ball. I'd keep it on the hush Australia.

- Just seen Marcel Desailly's celebration to Ghana's goal - he just started shouting out about things like chickens and goats, he was loving it though. North Korea are a bizarre team, on the first day ITV showed them training in a local gym with regular people in at the same time, and now we've seen them perform some strange training routine where they all stand in a line while one performs a diving header on the floor through everybody's legs. Then one player got hit in the lower region. I can't wait to see them play, did you know Kim Jong Il has refused for the tournament to be broadcast in North Korea unless the team win the cup. What a shame, someone might tell them that they've won before they've seen it.

- Key man: Well ITV have done very little actual analysis of the game, but that won't stop me as the national anthems are belted out (I love Germany's!). Klose is a danger man, but I’ve took a shine to Ozil this season and he looks like a great player in this youthful Germany squad. Tim Cahill starts as a centre forward and it will be interesting to see how that works, as he loves to score from deep as opposed to playing up top.

- Germany...? I don't see many German's out there. This will suit Australia, they're used to playing a load of South African's in the England cricket team. Australia are massive outsiders here at 6/1, I'm surprised they're that long but it as an old squad against a team that always plays well at World Cup's.

Kick Off!

2 Mins: Australia decided to have a go from the kick off to show that they won't park the bus and they're here to play!

3 Mins: Panic in the German defence from an Australia corner. It's headed towards goal and cleared out only to Tim Cahill whose shot is blocked by Lahm, Garcia then has a chance which he should have done better with. It's not 6/1 anymore!

7 Mins: Australia try to play too fast and in the end Klose get's a good chance but his shot is poor and straight at Mark Schwarzer, Muller put's the ball back in but Podolski's shot is deflected for a corner.

8 Mins: GOAL! PODOLSKI! The Germans are here! Muller is onside as he breaks away just inside the box. He pulls the ball back, which is behind Klose, from the left side of the screen Podolski runs in and blasts the ball which is too hot to handle for Schwarzer. Oh how great it must be to be a German football fan...

12 Mins: Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think that's the first time we've seen a yellow card for diving in this World Cup as Ozil tries to show he's a true German by tumbling to the floor looking for the free kick.

17 Mins: Germany are looking by far the most impressive team in the World Cup so far. They're spreading the play well and Podolski just put in a cross that was caught by Schwarzer, but there were around three players waiting for the ball. Take notice - Germany could be playing England or the USA...

19 Mins: A decent chance for Australia. A cross in to Culina is a difficult header due to pressure from Lahm, and it goes over, but Australia still pose a threat here. Ah, there’s former Newcastle United defender Craig Moore. I know this guy - stick all your money on Germany now.

20 Mins: Another half chance for Australia, as Emerton slides the ball through to Garcia, whose first touch is poor so he decides to just have a crack at it anyway and it's gone high and wide. After their early chance, Australia haven't offered much else in terms of making the Germans panic.

23 Mins: Muller has made himself familiar towards the end of this season and he's in my books one of the top three young players in the world right now. He loves to get out onto the wings and on this occasion, after receiving the ball from a quick free kick, he attempted to drill it across the goal and nobody could reach it. They look so dangerous every time they get forward.

25 Mins: Ozil is tearing Australia apart here, he plays a beautiful ball into Podolski who passes across goal - Klose is free in the area and hit's his shot first time but it's poor. A real chance for the Germans to double their lead.

27 Mins: GOAL! KLOSE! If he's not careful he's going to break Ronaldo's scoring record! Lahm play's in a cross from about half way in the Australian half, and there is panic at the back for Australia, as a lack of communication between defender and keeper see's Schwarzer come for a ball he was never  going to get near and an easy goal for Klose. Germany might end up like their bitter rivals the Netherlands - play amazing and then slip up at the vital moment. Although that's hardly the German way. 2-0.

31 Mins: All too easy for Germany again. Klose plays a delicate ball into Ozil who is onside, and a bad first touch see's Ozil attempt to dink the ball past Schwarzer, but Lucas Neil is able to clear the ball for a corner before his side find themselves in a real mess.

35 Mins: Well Australia get the ball forward, but Wilkshire's ball goes behind Tim Cahill who has struggled in this game. Not much is working for them at the moment and the German's might as well be laughing while they play.

38 Mins: ITV commentator has just said "Muller has made Wilkshire look like a mug".

39 Mins: Ozil again plays a great ball into Lahm on the right wing, but it's a somewhat powerful cross that is met by the head of Klose, who can only put it over. Looks like I got my key man prediction spot on, which is surprising considering I’ve not won one bet I’ve put on this World Cup.

41 Mins: Again and again. This time it's Podolski who passes to Ozil, and the midfielder attempts to round Schwarzer but his first touch is too heavy and goes out of play. The only nation at the World Cup so far that have nothing to worry about.

- As an Englishman this is the first time I can really remember seeing an Australian sports team really struggle. This is a weird feeling.

46 Min: Just the one added minute here, I don't know what the Australian manager can say at half time. He must be mortified at this. I'd definitely be giving the hairdryer treatment to a lot of those players.

Half Time!

- Nothing. Absolutely nothing I can say to that. Apart from Germany are amazing. Craig Moore is a top trending topic on twitter @fakebenbuckley jokes "Craig Moore lacks the testicular fortitude to play for Australia". Harsh, but I won't deny I laughed. Also I’ve just seen Brescia and Torino are playing in Italy right now - what's all that about?

- Speaking of Italy, I can't wait to watch them tomorrow, Cannavaro's still got it, and has recently moved to a Qatari club, saying it was a "dream come true". Of course, we all dream of hailing the mighty Qatar leagues some day. Maybe he meant it's a dream come true to earn a truck load of money. Also, Lippi broke my heart a bit by not calling up my preferred Italy squad. No Totti - no party!

- Also I’m wondering if I’m the only person in England, but I’m getting sick of seeing James Corden's face in everything football related. We get it - you like football.

Second Half Kick Off!

45 Mins: No surprise to see Australia make a change to suggest they're going to attack. Brett Holman is on for Grella and Australia make a promising start to the second half.

48 Mins: A penalty claim which got a big shout from the Australians, the ball hit's Mertesacker's hand although it's a tough one to call. Some would of given it, some wouldn't and on this occasion it's not a penalty.

51 Mins: Breaking news! Australia threaten the Germany goal! Brett Holman, the substitute has a decent shot that see's Neuer scramble across his goal, but it's gone wide. Still, it's been all Australia in the start to this second half; the German's are having an extended half time break.

54 Mins: Lovely play from Lahm, Podolski and Muller. They link up well and Lahm plays a pass which is stepped over, but Muller gets his shot wrong and it goes over the bar.

- I was watching the Serbia V Ghana game earlier and the Serbia manager looks like someone but I can't quite get the name. I thought it was like a Serbian Steve Bruce, but my brother dismissed it. It will plague me until I get it, any suggestions are welcome.

56 Mins: SENT OFF! CAHILL! The ref has got it wrong. A bad tackle sure, but a red card was a little harsh on the Everton player. Is this the first time ever in the World Cup all three games in one day have had a sending off? Four already for the tournament, the officials want us all to get along nicely it would appear. That's pretty much killed the game off, the rest of this blog is going to be a grind...

59 Mins: It depends how attacking Germany want to stay now, as Klose has another shot which is saved by Schwarzer.

60 Mins: Another Klose shot, another Schwarzer save, he gets the ball back and attempts to play in Khedira who claims for a penalty as he misses the ball. Big shout, not sure though. What a wonderful German name - Khedira.

61 Mins: Podolski shot - Schwarzer save. I might just keep updating like this from now on with this shot a minute policy.

- Please follow the very funny @sportsoffensive who has this to say on the matter of the sending off, "Well done ref. Looking like a Latin American dance instructor clearly wasn't getting you enough attention".

- With no more Cahill is this the end for the Aussies? Ghana will be favourites to go through with the Germans now.

66 Mins: It was Higuain yesterday, its Klose today. Another chance missed by the big man, as he and Podolski link up well , but he can't quite get the ball out from under his feet as he attempts to hit it first time and it goes wide. Klose could be coming off to be rested here.

68 Mins: GOAL! MULLER! The young man has his first World Cup goal, and he's deserved it, he's been brilliant. Very composed as he dummies Chipperfield who's sliding tackling is in vein and then hit's a shot past Schwarzer where the ball hits the post before nestling into the back of the net. All three of the front men for Germany have a goal, and Klose is coming off for another born and bred German - Cacau.

70 Mins: Khedira had a chance to play in the fresh Cacau but then decided to blast the ball to no one and it's cleared nervously by Australia.

71 Mins: GOAL! CACAU! Australia are in ruins here, and the Germans are running through them at will. Ozil is onside and he has an easy pass to play in Cacau to make it 4-0. You can have them in the next round if you like America! Please?

- What do you have to do to qualify to be German? I have some adidas shoes with Franz Beckenbauer's face on them - can I have a call up please Mr. Low?

74 Mins: Another change, Ozil is rested after a fantastic game and replaced by Mario Gomez. I'm sure Florentino Perez is watching at home in Madrid, digging around his cupboards for some spare change that can snap up Ozil.

79 Mins: I'll admit it. I'm losing track of this game, but in my defence it's really died down now.

80 Mins: Wilkshire has a shot and is still putting in the effort, but it must be a terrible feeling being one of those Australian players out there right now. I feel mostly sorry for John Travolta right now, he must be in some state at the moment - don't worry John there’s still two more games to play!

84 Mins: I apologise as I didn't even know this guy was on the pitch now, but Rukavytsya has had a decent effort, yet there's not enough power on it to really trouble Neuer who will be keeping his clean sheet bonus as things stand.

- Back to the Serbia manager, I also thought he had shades of Jay Leno about him, but that may have been a bit off the mark. Maybe he is Steve Bruce and Jay Leno's love child.

88 Min: Mesut Ozil has been named man of the match. No surprise there, my mate has just texted me saying he's a good shout for player of the tournament.

92 Mins: Australia are throwing bodies forward from the corners they are getting, trying to get a consolation goal. Another yellow card for diving, this time it's Cacau. Another terrible dive and the ref has got it right.

Full Time!

- Well, Germany have reminded the rest of the world that they're in South Africa as well, and a team that wasn't as fancied as previous generations all of a sudden finds itself the envy of every other country at the tournament. As for Australia, that has to be a massive blow to a country whose first a second sports are rugby and cricket, not sure what this will do to people watching the World Cup over there, and without Tim Cahill it's an uphill struggle. Ghana, Serbia and Australia will be fighting it out for the second qualifying spot here, and I’m pretty sure the bookies are being hounded by people wanting to put bets on the German team. Thanks for reading!

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The Football Association was once again rocked by scandal when Lord Treisman, chairman of both the FA and England's 2018 World Cup bid, was forced to resign after the Mail On Sunday published excerpts from a conversation in which Treisman accused Spain and Russia of conspiring to bribe officials in South Africa.

The comments came from a secretly-recorded conversation between Treisman and Mellissa Jacobs, a former aid and romantic partner. Treisman speculated that Russia would assist Spain in bribing the referees to favor the Spanish side during the World Cup. In exchange, Spain, a long shot to hold the 2018 World Cup, would withdraw their bid and switch allegiances to Russia, England's main competition.

"There's some evidence that the Spanish football authorities are trying to identify the referees...and pay them," Triesman allegedly said. "My assumption is that the Latin Americans, although they've not said so, will vote for Spain. And if Spain drop out, because Spain are looking for help from the Russians to help bribe the referees in the World Cup, their votes may then switch to Russia."

The FA allegedly tried to get an injunction against the Mail on Sunday in an attempt to stop the story from being printed but withdrew the injunction after a 90-minute legal battle. "After fully discussing and considering the alleged comments with Lord Triesman, The FA Board accepted his resignation as FA Chairman and Chairman of the World Cup Bid Board with immediate effect," said a statement released by the FA Sunday morning.

The scandal comes just days after David Beckham delivered England's 1,752-page bid book to FIFA outlining their bid for the 2018 tournament.

The turmoil in the FA over recent years and the embarrassment over the inability for the FA to keep Wembley, the marquee football stadium in England, match fit has seriously damaged the country's bid. So what does that mean for the other countries involved in the bidding process? It has been all but confirmed by FIFA that the 2018 tournament will be held in Europe with four countries in the running. England and Russia are the front runners while joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands are considered dark horses. Russia has come on to the international stage by successfully hosting a Champion's League final in 2008 and serious backing from their government bolsters their legitimacy . Working against Russia is the lack of a strong domestic league and the sheer size of the country would make it difficult for teams to travel from venue to venue.

If England fails the country that would receive the biggest boost to their bid would be the USA. FIFA has not awarded consecutive World Cup's to countries that share a common language since the 70's. With football growing exponentially outside of the traditional hubs South America and Europe it seems unlikely FIFA will grant two-straight cups to countries who are so culturally similar. But the USA offers a bid that warrants no additional stadiums or upgrades to infrastructure. USA 94 set attendance records despite the country having no professional league and a national team that was eliminated in the second round.

Australia's bid has lost a lot of its momentum with the revelation three new stadiums would need to be built and stark opposition from other Australian sports leagues. After the constant worries during the buildup in South Africa over stadium completion and viability of infrastructure FIFA will be wary of any countries with a lot of work still to do before the tournament starts.

Qatar, once considered an extreme long shot, is now one of the front runners due to public backing by FIFA President Phil Blatter. "The Arabic world deserves a World Cup," said Blatter on a recent trip to the Middle East. Qatar's main stumbling block is the extreme heat during the summer months. The average temperature is over 40°C (104°F) during June and July. Bid officals have revealed technology that would be outfitted to their stadiums that can lower the temperature by 20°C to make the heat bearable for players and fans. Qatar, with a population of only 1.3 million, would be by far the smallest nation to host a FIFA World Cup but has the wealth and resources to handle the massive influx of people.

Japan and South Korea submitted separate bids for 2022 despite being co-hosts in 2002. It would be a massive surprise if either of the Asian nations received the tournament because of how recently they hosted the tournament. Japan's bid relied on the additional stadiums that would be built as part of Tokyo's 2016 Olympic bid. With Tokyo failing to secure the Olympic games it is unlikely the Japanese government would give the Japanese bid the financial backing it needs to sway FIFA voters. South Korea is in a similar position with not enough stadiums and not enough money to build new ones.

Even if England weathers this public relation hailstorm and secures the 2018 bid the USA would still be considered a front runner in the race for 2022 due to the emergence of the sport and the immense potential for financial gain for FIFA. But Blatter's constant desire to use the World Cup as a way to introduce the sport to areas of the globe that have no embraces football fully yet gives hope to countries like Qatar and Australia. FIFA's decision on the location for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup's will be revealed this December.

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Who do you think will advance from Group D in the 2010 World Cup? It's definitely a difficult group featuring one of the best teams in Africa, Ghana, as well as the gritty determinism of Serbia, the machine-like Germany and the underdogs Australia. Cast your vote who you think will advance from the group, and click the comments link below to share your feedback.

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How about the message sent by the people of Sevilla during the Spain-England friendly.  Thanks to Reuters for this great photo, the message says, "In Sevilla, we aren't racists, we are artists."  So now Ladies & Gentlemen, the artistry continues with another World Cup Buzz Top 5 for you.  After this past week of international friendlies and World Cup qualifiers you know we had to bring Edition #4 of the  Top 5.  Here they are the Top 5 Things Learned From This Last FIFA Date:

#1: Australia Is The New Power In Asia

The Socceroos have been flexing their muscle from Down Under since their move to the Asian Football Confederation in 2006.  Adelaide United made the '08 Asian Champions League final and now the national team is playing the best ball in Asia.  They have taken 7 of a possible 9 points on the road so far in WCQ while going undefeated atop Group 1.  Bad news for their opponents, 3 of their next 4 WCQ matches are in Australia.  Most of their national team players work in Europe with England's Premier League employing the majority of them.  The Socceroos are becoming the dominant nation in Asia.

#2: South America is BALLIN!

South American national teams stood out during this last FIFA Date.  Only 1 CONMEBOL side lost, Peru. They lost to the best team in South America right now, Paraguay.  Chile beat South Africa 2-0, Colombia beat Haiti 2-0, Venezuela took down Guatemala 2-1, and Uruguay beat Libya in a thriller 3-2.  The big displays of strength came from The CONMEBOL Powers: Brazil & Argentina.  Brazil breezed past Italy 2-0 on a neutral site and Argentina cruised by France on the road 2-0.  CONMEBOL sides played against nations from CONCACAF, Europe, and Africa and were undefeated. The only South American team to lose, lost to another South American side.  Further affirmation that South America is the cradle of talent and the toughest region in World Cup Qualifying.

#3: The Soca Warriors Blew It

Trinidad & Tobago carries the banner of Caribbean football into the final stage of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and they blew a huge opportunity to start the hexagonal stage on top of the standings.  The Soca Warriors were up 2-0 on the road vs. El Salvador when they gave up 2 goals in the last 10 minutes to earn one point instead of the desired 3 points.  Vista Hermosa midfielder Osael Romero was the hero for Los Cuscatlecos and snatched a point from the jaws of defeat.  The Soca Warriors blew a golden opportunity to take a 3 points on the road.  3 points on the road in World Cup Qualifying is massive, thankfully it was only the 1st match of the hexagonal.

#4: Maradona May Know What He's Doing

It might be too early to tell but "El Pibe De Oro" is turning Argentina's form around to the positive side.  He's been in charge for 2 friendlies and both have been wins:  1-0 versus Scotland and 2-0 versus France.  The true test of his managerial ability will come next month during CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying but Los Albicelestes have played with more life and passion.  The inclusion of Newcastle midfielder Jonas Gutierrez in the starting XI has been important in their improved play.  Its too early to say he is a great coach but so far its seems like he knows what he's doing.

#5: Dunga Is Still On The Hot Seat

Let's keep it real, the job security in being the coach of the Brazilian National Team is always fragile.  Despite Brazil's 2-0 victory over Italy, Dunga seat has gotten hotter.  Why?  Thanks to Chelsea.  As it has been well publicized, Chelsea just fired Luiz Felipe Scolari after a disappointing few months at the London club.  His free agent status puts more pressure on Dunga because the coach of Brazil's last World Cup triumph is available.  For Dunga's sake, Scolari finds a job real soon.  If Brazil's form dips during World Cup qualifying, Dunga's seat is going to be boiling and the call for Scolari will be loud and the CBF (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol) might hear it and make the change.

Its another Top 5 for you here on World Cup Buzz. Don't forget to check out our sister sites, to get the best opinions and insight on "The Beautiful Game."

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Over the past few weeks, numerous nations have bid for the rights to host the 2018 & 2002 FIFA World Cup. Since the 2018 World Cup is closer most of the news about host nation bids concerns the 2018 tournament. With 2010 in South Africa and 2014 in Brazil,  nations from UEFA, CONCACAF, Asia can bid for the 2018 tournament so the decision on the host nation for 2022 tournament will be impacted by the winning bidder for the 2018 tournament.

Officially, there have been 6 confirmed bids with a bid from CONCACAF nations coming soon. Those nations interested in hosting the '18 & '22 tournaments have until February 2nd to submit an official bid. In Part I, we will look at 4 of the official bids and give an outlook on their chances of winning the right to host The Great Tournament.

AUSTRALIA

The Land Down Under has successfully hosted 2 Olympic Games, 1956 Melbourne & 2000 Sydney as well as 2 FIFA U-20s World Cups in 1993 & 1981 and 2003 Rugby World Cup. Aussies are not strangers to hosting big events and with the Australian A-League in full effect, the stadiums should be up to FIFA standards with infrastructure being a non issue.

Outlook: FIFA President, Sepp Blatter recently suggested that Australia concentrate on 2022 because the 2010 & 2014 World Cups would be in the Southern Hemisphere so Australia might be the front runner in 2022.

BELGIUM & NETHERLANDS
 &
The bid of Belgium & Netherlands is one of the two joint bids submitted to FIFA. The two main entities of the Benelux countries may be too small to host the World Cup. Right now, between Belgium & The Netherlands there aren't 12 stadiums with a minimum capacity of 40,000 and 1 stadium of a capacity of 80,000 as per FIFA standards for hosting a World Cup, although Belgian officials have plans to upgrade stadiums to meet the requirements.

Outlook: A miracle if they get '18 or '22. Especially with a European joint bid like Spain & Portugal out there.

ENGLAND

The hosts & winners of the 1966 World Cup have the passion to pull off a great World Cup.  Stadiums won't be a problem especially since the Stanley Park project for Liverpool will probably be complete by then.  If there is a problem in securing England's bid it may internal politics between the hierarchy of the FA & the hierarchy of the Premier League. They will have to grill whatever beef they have and come together to win over the 24 member FIFA Executive Committee.

Outlook: Easily a serious candidate, Spain/Portugal bid is their biggest competition.

PORTUGAL & SPAIN
 &
The Iberian peninsula threw their marbles in the circle with a joint bid for the 2018 World Cup.  The Japan/Korea World Cup of 2002 proved that dual hosts can work.  Spain & Portugal have 8 of UEFA's 5-star stadiums (3 in Portgual, 5 in Spain). Spain hosted the 1982 World Cup and Portugal hosted the Euro 2004.  Talk is that Latin American members of FIFA's Executive Committee would vote for Spain/Portugal because of the cultural & language similarities.

Outlook: Shocked if they don't get 2018 Tournament. Everything is set up well for a smooth tournament.

Part II is coming to analyze the last two known official bids and a couple of expected bids from CONCACAF that will make FIFA's decision much tougher. 

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