This is one of the most bizarre World Cup videos you’re likely to see for quite some time. It features Denmark’s Nicklas Bendtner being forced by a referee to color his socks during the game against Japan.

FIFA rules declare that players are not supposed to wear tape that isn’t the same color as their socks. So when the ref noticed that Bendtner was wearing white tape on top of red socks, the Arsenal striker had to borrow a magic marker to color the tape.

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.

This is yet another group in which the race for second place is far more fascinating than the race for first. The Netherlands (SPI rank 5) is the unquestioned favorite after a thoroughly dominating qualifying campaign. Denmark (SPI rank 20) is looking to reclaim some of the glory from their 1992 European Championship. Japan (SPI rank 42) is feeling the weight of promise after manager Takeshi Okada promised a semifinal run to the home supporters. And Camerron (SPI rank 25) is dealing with pressure of their own as they must try to live up to their potential in the first African World Cup.

The Netherlands has been a country on the cusp of glory for decades now. Utilizing their patented brand of “total football” the Oranje made it to the finals of the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, losing to the host nation both times. But as the years have progressed “total football” has been adopted and molded for each top team and no longer serves as an advantage for Holland. But the arrogance of perceived tactical superiority still permeates the country.  An undefeated qualifying campaign and the top form of star players Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie and Wesley Sneijder gives their orange-clad supporters much to hope for. There is also the concern of reported locker-room animosity. That has yet to show on the field but it’s a lot easier to get along during a 4-0 thrashing of Macedonia than a tension-filled quarterfinal matchup with one of the world’s top teams. Despite some concerns the Netherlands should top Group E with relative ease. The real question is how the team, who has enough talent to get back to yet another final, will come together in times of adversity deep in the tournament.

The Danes were one of the surprise teams during UEFA qualifying by topping a difficult group including Portugal and Sweden, conceding only five goals along the way. Success for Denmark is reliant on the strength of their back line. If they fall behind early Denmark is not a team built to play from behind. They would much rather get a 1-0 lead and protect it, hoping to extend their league only after their opponents have over committed to the attack. The two most potent offenses in Group E, Holland and Cameroon, are temperamental and easy to frustrate. A scoreless first half will fit perfectly into Denmark’s game plan. This team might not be exciting to watch but will prove very dangerous.

Japan is the lowest-ranked team in the group and will have to overcome a few glaring shortcomings if they are to get out of the group. First off, a semifinal birth for the Japaneese would be the biggest World Cup surprise in history for good reason. The talent just simply is not there. Both in qualifying and in the World Cup the Blue Samurais have been dominant at home but struggled away from Japan. They have not garnered a single point in a World Cup off home soil. There are also concerns about Japan’s mental capacity to handle the pressure of the World Cup. A 2-0 defeat against South Korea and two own goals against England shows a lack of team cohesion and an inability to perform under pressure. Japan is a team headed in the right direction in the international game. The J-League is gaining popularity and producing a few quality players but consistent success for Japan is a few World Cup cycles away and a realistic shot at the semifinals is very far down the road.

Cameroon has been trying to to replicate the success of 1990′s team, who shocked the world by advancing to the quarterfinals. Samuel Eto’o and Alex Song, who start for Inter Milan and Arsenal respectively, provide the Indomitable Lions with one of the most feared attacks on the planet. This will be a welcome change for a Cameroon side who averaged less than a goal a game in all of their World Cup matches since 1990. But where offense emerged defense has evaporated. The back line gave up six goals in a disappointing African Cup of Nations against teams with much weaker offenses than the Netherlands. Also, Samuel Eto’o's threat to skip the World Cup over criticism from former Cameroonian standout Roger Milla came across as petulant. Home-continent advantage can only go so far and Cameroon’s offense won’t be able to counteract their woeful defense or lack of leadership.

Prediction: The Netherlands should get out of the group fairly easily but don’t be surprised if Denmark can work a draw against the European giants. If they can do that Denmark will make it to the knockout rounds because of the disarray of Cameroon and lack of talent for Japan.

Game to Watch: Cameroon vs. The Netherlands, June 24. If nothing else this match will probably provide the most goals of any game of the group. It’ll be the match-up with the most recognizable players and it’s the last game for both teams. The Dutch will be looking to sew-up first place and Cameroon will be desperate for a victory in order to advance.

Kicking off the World Cup Buzz podcast’s two months of coverage, the Talk network welcomes back Andy Brassell, one of the media’s leading experts on professional football in Western Europe. Andy joined me late last week to talk about the nations from his coverage area who will be competing in South Africa as well as offer a pick for this summer’s finals.

We will be back with another expert on tomorrow’s podcast, but until then, please enjoy Andy Brassell’s views on some of the European nations we’ll start seeing coming June 11.

Author’s Note: You never hear Andy plug it, but Andy has a rather good book in print All or Nothing: A Season in the Life of the Champions League which he didn’t mention during our interview, but given how gracious Andy is to not only this show much to so many others, I wanted to relay my recommendation.

Who will advance from Group E of the 2010 World Cup? This group may be harder than it looks like with the unpredictable Cameroon, the industrious Japan, as well as Netherlands and Denmark. This group could create quite a few surprises. Cast your vote and click the comments link below to share your opinions.

Portugal will most likely be missing Cristiano Ronaldo when it hosts Bosnia-Herzegovina on 11/14/09 as it looks to build some momentum prior to the return leg in Bosnia on the 18th of November. Unfortunately for the Portuguese the latest report claims Ronaldo will be out for about a month which means he will not feature in both matches for the national team.

It is hard to determine the extent of the damage that Portugal will suffer as a result of his absence yet his performances during the qualifiers have been mediocre at best by his standards. Regardless of previous displays, missing out on the current world player of the year is definitely not an encouraging sign, in particular when the opponent is a dangerous Bosnian side full of offensive menace. While Bosnia’s defense remains susceptible, which would have meant more chances for Ronaldo to shine, the country’s attack features some lethal forwards in the shape of Edin Dzeko (pictured above right), Vedad Ibisevic, and Zvjezdan Misimovic. The Bosnian national team registered 25 goals in the group stage, trailing only England, Spain and Germany in the goals scored by any national team in European qualifiers. It would be wrong to assume the Bosnian team is limited to a potent attack although the defense has leaked 13 goals during the campaign. The Bosnians also have the advantage of playing the return leg on home soil.

On the other hand and despite the likely absence of Ronaldo, Portugal will still have its plethora of stars with Chelsea’s Deco, Manchester United’s Nani and of course defenders Pepe (Real Madrid), Jose Bosingwa & Ricardo Carvalho (both Chelsea), Atletico de Madrid’s Simao Sabrosa. The Portuguese side might have sneaked into the play-offs after a stuttering start, yet the fixture list featured a single defeat and revealed a water-tight defense which conceded a mere give goals in a group which also included Denmark and Sweden. It will be an interesting tussle between Portugal’s stingy defense and Bosnia’s elusive attack force. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to underestimate the set of skills that defines Portugal’s creative players such as Deco. One factor that may serve in Bosnia’s favour is the experience of the shrewd coach Miroslav Blazevic who led Croatia to the semi-finals in France 1998 when the French eliminated the Croatians on route to the World Cup triumph.

With Ronaldo missing, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the Portuguese players react and whether they will work hard together in order to offset his absence. On the other side, a hungry opponent in the shape of the Bosnian players will try to feed off the frenzy that has been created by the advancement to this stage of the qualifiers. Let the fireworks begin in what should be a cracking game between two sides more than capable of scoring on their day.

Fox Soccer Channel has announced its TV schedule for the 2010 World Cup Qualifying matches, scheduled this September. The matches that will be shown in the United States are:

• Hungary v Denmark, Saturday, September 6, 1:30pm ET
• Ukraine v Belarus, Saturday, September 6, 4pm ET (tape delayed)
• Russia v Wales, Wednesday, September 10, 11am ET
• Macedonia v Holland, Wednesday, September 10, 2:30pm ET
• Slovenia v Slovakia, Wednesday, September 10, 5pm ET (tape delayed)