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.

In football attacking players often get most of the praise when their team is achieving results while players in other positions are often overlooked. Defenders are typically ignored when accolades and awards are given out, yet it would be wrong to underestimate the contribution and influence of key defensive players such as Italy’s Paolo Maldini or France’s Lilian Thuram, just to name a couple of outstanding talents.

At the moment, the pool of skilled and astute defenders is perhaps shrinking but there are still a number of remarkable centre-backs and full-backs. Below is a list of some of the famous defenders who are likely headed to South Africa 2010 unless there is a major surprise such as injury or suspension:

- Brazil’s Maicon Douglas:  The right-back is a nightmare for opposition players with his speed and skills. He is perhaps more famous for his marauding runs than his defensive abilities but that should not take away from his solid defensive contribution. He often retrieves the ball and starts his team’s next attack.

- England’s John Terry: The heart beat of a Chelsea side which won a number of league and cup titles since 2000. The centre-back is quite influential in the locker room and on the pitch. He is England’s best defender and captains both club and national team. Terry often puts his body on the line and is quite strong on the ball and in the air.

- Spain’s Carles Puyol: The captain of a talented Barcelona team and one who can play both as a centre-back or full-back. He has won the Champions League twice already as well as Euro 2008 with Spain. His presence in the back-line guarantees a resolute, experienced and assured presence which puts his fellow defenders and the goalkeeper at ease. He will be key to Spain’s fortunes considering the other defenders are not up to his level.

- Serbia’s Nemanja Vidic: Perhaps Manchester United’s best defender and the  main reason behind the team’s solid defensive displays last season. United went on a record run of 14 consecutive games while keeping a clean sheet and Vidic deserves a decent chunk of the credit for that remarkable achievement. He has won three consecutive Premier League titles as well as the Champions League once. He will be crucial for Serbia’s hopes in advancing beyond the group stage in South Africa.

- Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini: Some may consider him as a surprise inclusion but those who have watched him play for Juventus and Italy know that this player can stop the best opposition players. Chiellini was an absolute colossus for Italy during Euro 2008 and was probably one of the very few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing tournament for the Azzurri. He was able to contain Spain’s lethal duo David Villa and Fernando Torres preventing both from getting on the score sheet during 120 minutes. He started as a left-back before being moved to centre-back position by former Bianconeri coach Claudio Ranieri. Italy will rely on his rock-solid and aggressive approach as captain Fabio Cannavaro continues his decline with age.

Obviously there are other defenders to consider but those remain some of the solid names expected to perform well during next summer’s World Cup. The likely exclusion of Alessandro Nesta due to his international retirement means he will not be included in this discussion. Nesta has been performing admirably for Milan this season after returning from a long-term injury. Defenders from both France and Portugal have been excluded because both countries are not assured of a spot next summer in South Africa.