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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Greed And A Lack Of Passion

I'm starting this blog in the 68th minute of Ivory Coast's game against Brazil and they are 3-0 down and Sven has just made his second substitute, but unfortunately it is a like-for-like sub and isn't exactly a response you should be giving when you're losing 3-0 , and even then it wasn't an instant response. When England first head hunted Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2001, he was one of the top club managers in the world and Lazio fans shed tears as he walked out of the club for the last time, begging him to stay. Before his England appointment, he was successful at almost every club he had been at, even managing to win the UEFA cup with Goteborg, and you only need to look at how many Swedish club sides have won a European trophy to let you know that it is one difficult task. So England had their man, a manager who seemed to just understand the game and knew how to be successful, but I don't need to tell you that it didn't exactly work out.

In 2002, England had a great tournament and if you ignore those people that blame David Seaman for our exit, the majority were very proud of their nation despite a quarter final exit, and it seemed like we had players who still had time to grow and a manager that could deliver that success. In Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006, the Portuguese beat us, twice, and England fans were forced to watch on as an indecisive Sven waited patiently without throwing caution to the wind, much to a nation's frustration. Beyond that, he then was snapped up by an ambitious Man City side, but his reign ended with a 8-1 loss to Middlesbrough on the final day of the season, many believing Sven had lost the plot, playing a shaky defence that involved Elano at right back.

But no need to fear for Sven's future, he got another great job, as Mexico gave him the chance to take their side onto greatness. Sven lasted 13 games as Mexico manager, and even had the nerve to discuss the Portsmouth manager position less than a year after taking the post. Then it got even stranger, as rumours circulated that Sven would be part of a takeover for the oldest professional football club in the world, Notts County. Everyone laughed, but by the end of the day a deal was done, and Sven found a new home. God knows what happened from there, as no one was sure who the real owners were and Sven claimed he was conned and needed to put his hand in his pocket to save face. Sven had to write off a massive pay off from the club, but still got a decent two months wages for a club ridden with debt. But once again, Sven didn't need to fear, as he had another shot at the World Cup, with the Ivory Coast, but by this time, many people across Europe felt Sven had lost his winning mentality, but as I write this, he sits on the Ivory Coast bench.

In their opening game, one of Africa's great hopes for the cup were poor against Portugal, but to be fair, the majority of other teams looked cautious as well. But in this match against Brazil, which has just ended 3-1, Ivory Coast look poor. They are a decent side, and when Kaka was sent off, in the 89th minute or so, they actually showed a little bit of urgency, the same urgency that should have come from the manager when Brazil went 3-0 up. I know you could argue that it is Brazil, but Ivory Coast should not be ripped to pieces like I've seen in this game. And the problem is obvious - Sven is only motivated by money, and this is because of his time in England. Sven loves the attention he receives and it seems he can't resist the chance to get a massive pay cheque, but at the same time he doesn't seem to actually care about how he performs in his job any more. He seemed to enjoy the lifestyle more when he was England manager, and beyond that it appears as if he doesn't actually put any thought into the job in hand.

Man City were a good side, but by the end of his reign he was playing players in any position and they were torn to shreds by various sides. Mexico are one of the top teams in North America but Sven struggled to help them qualify for a World Cup and it would have been a crime (as we see by Mexico's attacking pace in this World Cup) to have failed in the qualifying with that side. And I don't even want to go into the Notts County fiasco, it was an absolute disgrace what he did there and now the club has been left with a huge amount of debt, just so him and a few of his buddies could get a massive pay out. I just can't understand why anyone would take a risk on him, he clearly isn't bothered about success too much and the Ivory Coast are now in danger of going out of the World Cup despite being, arguably, the strongest African nation in the competition. Sven doesn't have a passion for football anymore and he isn't even a very good mercenary. I wouldn't be surprised if he became manager of a team in Qatar after this World Cup is over, and I feel sorry for Ivory Coast fans, because I know England fans had to sit through his lack of care for our national side. The biggest shame is what I pointed out before - Sven was once one of the best managers in Europe, but instead he is an example of how money can corrupt a person.

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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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I know many websites (in England atleast) give live commentary updates, which leads people to almost break the refresh button on their computer, but I thought that considering I have been massively excited for this moment for the past year at least, i'd give it a go and let you know updates from the game and what i'm thinking as I'm watching the opening of the World Cup in South Africa. I'll be watching from England on ITV1, so bear with me as their coverage is ususally terrible anyway. As ever, you can follow me on twitter @Clusks and i'd love to hear your comments below, which I will try to incorporate into this write up:

-The opening ceremony saw a dung beetle getting a good first touch on the ball, and then people recoiling from R Kelly hoping they don't get any stray fluids in their face (may be over elaborating). There was also an Algerian singer who's name I didn't catch, but all the lyrics to his song involved either a 'de' or a 'do'.

- ITV have Lucas Radabe and Francois Pienaar to interview before the game. No surprise to see they've got onto the subject of how football/soccer can unite the nation. Oh, and they've got onto the subject of the 1995 rugby World Cup which i'm sure Pienaar never gets asked about any more.

- Well almost thirty minutes to kick off and ITV have informed us that they'll finally be doing some analysis of the football that's actually being played today, which is a treat. Also on another note, for some reason in England we are being spammed with adverts about BBQs, one advert was promoting a CD entitled '101 BBQ songs'. I never get an urge to eat  flame grilled burger when listening to particular songs.

- Just seen South Africa dance their way onto the pitch for their warm up, they look really fired up, but Booth looks some what out of place. I've got a 15 game accumulator on and I put Mexico to win this game, but I watched Invicitus last night and now i'm concerned

- Key men: Everyone expects a lot of Pienaar in this team, but Modise is a pretty big player for Bafana Bafana and could really make a big statement to world football at this tournament. As for Mexico, I expect there to be a lot of buzz around Salcido once this tournament is over, reminds me a lot of Zhirkov and Anyukov when they stormed Euro 2008 from Russia's full back positions. Also, if Vela can find his finishing touch he could be a force to be reckoned with and wouldn't just know him as "that guy who becomes the world's greatest footballer on the football manager game".

- Sepp Blatter comes out and gets a big cheer when he name drops Mandela. The World Cup is in full force here, and vuvuzelas are echoing everywhere. Here come the national anthems - Mexico have a great one!

- They're both doing their huddles in the same half of the pitch as Mexico moved over there, and South Africa's involved everybody patting Pienaar on the head. Here's the kick off, you'll never be more excited over a South Africa V Mexico fixture!

Kick Off!

2 Mins: South Africa barely have a touch of the ball and the South Africa goal keeper Khune is forced to parry a shot which falls to Gio dos Santos, but his shot at an open net is deflected. The resulting corner also looks dangerous and Mexico show no nerves at all.

6 Mins: Gio Dos Santos is looking great here, lively and vibrant, the South African players are reacting after he’s already made his move! I think any other country would be bored of blowing those vuvuzelas by now - but the locals haven't stopped.

12 Mins: It's gone to becoming quite cagey as many expected, although South Africa are struggling to put two passes together while Mexico still look very confident, even if their goalkeeper Perez is a bit of a live wire. No surprise to see the ITV commentators have mentioned Sven due to his relationship with Mexico.

15 Mins: Thwala makes a good tackle to give away a corner, but from the resulting corner Franco has a header that is off target, his reaction suggesting that he could have done better. A free kick a few seconds’ later means South Africa finally have a bit of possession - only took them fifteen minutes! A good passing movement results in a free kick for Bafana Bafana, even though it was blatantly a dive. If they score we can get the rumour mill regarding host nation favouritism going again. But Pienaar get's nowhere near troubling the keeper - goal kick.

19 Mins: A harsh yellow card for a handball against Juarez and South Africa have a good position from the free kick. At first goalkeeper Perez was standing a mile off his line to which I was screaming at him to get back on for the sake of my accumulator, but luckily South Africa didn't take it quickly. It's a poor free kick and Mexico break with two men on the counter attack, and Gio Dos Santos again has an attempt at goal that threatens but ultimately goes wide!

23 Mins: He may have a name that sounds like you're speaking in tongues, but Tshabalala isn't afraid to run and get a few crosses in. A passing move across the park see's Mphela on the edge of the 16-yard box on South Africa's right hand side, and he attempts to drill a cross in, which Oscar Perez initially spills but then recovers. He looks like good entertainment for the neutral Perez, I love the sort of goalkeeper that loves to punch stuff instead of catching it.

28 Mins: Gio Dos Santos again runs through about three yellow shirts and all they can do is hack him down. A yellow card for Dikgacoi and Marquez (?) lines up the free kick. No surprise to see the CENTRE BACK'S free kick go over the bar.

33 Mins: Mexico pass the ball about once again, and Carlos Vela dinks the ball into Franco who has got away from his marker. He tries to ease the ball past Khune, but the goalkeeper has made himself big enough to stop it. Best chance so far.

34 Mins: South Africa have gone to sleep. Mexico find themselves in a great position which looks like it surprises them, as Vela has the ball on the right and attempts to either cross or shoot (I can't decide which) but in the end it's gone wide. They'll be disappointed they haven't scored in this first half to be honest.

38 Mins: Controversy here but it's a brilliant call from the linesman. Mexico have a corner and South Africa just let about three players free. the ball is flicked on to vela who puts the ball into the back of the net, but he is just ahead of the goalkeeper Khune who has come out to punch the ball and got absolutely nowhere near. Disallowed goal, but good officiating.

41 Mins: Another freekick for Mexico, another act of terrible set-piece marking from Bafana Bafana. Franco has another header that misses the target. If Mexico had a finisher they'd be 4-0 up here.

42 Mins: South Africa come alive for the first time in an age. A great passing movement results in a corner after Gaxa's cross is blocked. From the corner, Perez makes a hilarious leap for the ball and it deflects off Franco for another corner. The second corner is terrible however; it appears to be flashes of brilliance from South Africa here.

44 Mins: A cross from South Africa almost reaches the head of Mphela who managed to lose his marker. South Africa get a corner, which Perez punches away, and then proceeds to dive across the floor, probably realising that the cameras are on him. I love this guy.

Half Time!

- That's half time in the opening game of the 2010 World Cup. Adverts in England are trying to entice people to put a bet on a 2-1 victory to Mexico at 12/1. With Mexico's poor finishing and South Africa's rare abillity to excite, i'd steer clear of that one. This one is looking like a likely draw as things stand, or a 1-0, but i'm sure South Africa will be encouraged by their finish to the first half, whereas Mexico will know that they have the pace and passing movement to run rings around the hosts.

- ITV show South African fan's reaction to Khune's save from Franco, they're in some bar in South Africa and everyone is celebrating except one man that looks mortified in the front row. Maybe he bet against his own country?

Second Half Kick Off!

45 Mins: ITV commentators say that although it looks like a lovely day it is actually quite cold in South Africa. South Africa have made a change, no surprise that it's in the full back areas, as Masilela comes into the game to play at left back, replacing thwala. There is also a problem of quite a few empty seats before the second half starts, is there only one toilet in this stadium or something?

55 Mins: GOAL! TSHABALALA: It's been a good start to the second half, and the ball is played through to Tshabalala who is burst forward after beating the offside trap from the left wing and smashed the ball into the top corner of the net for the first goal of this World Cup. A great first goal and a good celebration from the South African's as a massive roar is let out from the crowd. I don't know who got the assist as a dog was barking - obviously a big South Africa fan.

56 Mins: Quite strange really, Mexico are set to make a substitute here only minutes after the second half has commenced, and this was a decision made before the goal was scored, suggesting the Mexican manager is one of the most impatient managers at the World Cup. Guardado who plays for Deportivo in Spain is on for Aguilar. Also my brother has pointed out if anyone has noticed, a lot of the Mexican players are wearing the same boots in this game. Cha-ching!

60 Mins: Mexico have a free kick which is caught by the keeper. They get the ball back and get it to Gio Dos Santos on the right wing who manages to beat his marker and get a shot on goal which Khune meets with a fantastic save. He must have springs in his step, that was a great jump to stop that.

66 Mins: South Africa get another passing move together and Mphela lines up a shot that is weak and deflected, but it drops to Modiese who seems to hit it a bit too casually in front of goal and puts it wide, luckily for him though it was offside, so his blushes are saved.

69 Mins: Heres the moment we've all been waiting for. Cuauhtemoc Blanco takes to the field, obviously this can only result in a hattrick for the main man. What a hero!

70 Mins: Gaxa plays the ball into Modiese and it looks too heavy, but Modiese makes a great first touch and claims he is being held back as he has a shot which is saved by Perez in goal and cleared to safety. Was that a penalty? Opinion seems quite divided. ITV have just claimed that Blanco is the danger now. I love you Blanco. Also it's not just the Mexican's with those boots on, many of the South African's have them on too. Interesting...not.

74 Mins: Mysterious Man Utd signing Javi Hernandez comes onto the field to replace a disappointing Franco, who hasn't found his finishing touch today. Seems Mexico are trying to throw the kitchen sink at this one now and are looking to go a bit gung ho. I reckon there could be another goal in this one.

76 Mins: Blanco threatens as his first touch sets up South Africa perfectly into an attack, in which Modiese looks for Tshabalala at the far post, but his cross is too heavy.

79 Mins: GOAL! MARQUEZ: The changes have worked for Mexico, it's a short corner that doesn't work out very well, but the cross comes in and Mokoena is playing everyone onside while the rest of the South African team have pushed forward. It is missed by the front two, but Marquez takes it down and has all the time in the world. Mexico will be favourites to go on and get the winner now. Blanco winner!

80 Mins: Gaxa has a hopeful shot which Perez doesn't want to hold onto, so punches out in front of him. Great stuff from the Mexican goal keeper once again, like I said, everybody loves a keeper that punches!

83 Mins: Surprise here as Pienaar comes off, but Bernard Parker, a striker, comes onto the field showing that South Africa believe that they can win this one and won't settle for a draw. Although it appears that Parker is going to play more of a supporting role to Mphela up front.

85 Mins: Good little chip from Blanco that for a second looked like it had put Javi Hernandez in at goal, but a good block from South Africa and it's a goal kick as it comes back off Hernandez.

89 Mins: ITV viewers have voted Tshabalala man of the match for this game. He's been good, but not Gio Dos Santos? No goal but he's been amazing in his game!

90 Mins: Oh my lord! A nothing ball thumped forward see's Mexico's defence slow to react and all of a sudden Mphela gets a hold of the ball and his first touch sets him up beautifully, and despite beating Perez, the ball hits the near post. Agonising for the rainbow nation.

Full Time!

- Nothing much happens in added time, although Perez once again came running off his line to be Mexico's sweeper keeper. The full time whistle goes and South Africa goal keeper Khune drops to the floor looking like he's in despair and if their World Cup is already over! Both teams have a right to feel a bit uneasy about not picking up the victory, but an exciting start to the 2010 World Cup! Oh, and my accumulator is over in the first game. Brilliant - thanks lads.

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Who do you think will advance from Group A in the 2010 World Cup? It's a very tough group featuring four excellent countries. South Africa, as host, will have a lot of pressure on them to advance. France will be the most hated team in the World Cup as people around the globe will be rooting for them to lose after the Ireland debacle. Uruguay should never be underestimated, and Mexico definitely has the talent to advance far in this tournament.

Cast your vote for which two teams you think will advance from Group A in the poll above, and post your comments below.

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Rounds 7 and 8 of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers were the rounds that re-established the known order of CONCACAF national teams. The US & Mexico came into these rounds in need of 6 points to overtake Honduras & Costa Rica in the standings. The Stars & Stripes defeated El Salvador 2-1 at home in Utah with Jozy Altidore scoring the game winner in 1st half injury time. The US then traveled to Port of Spain and defeated Trinidad & Tobago 1-0 on a Ricardo Clark long distance GOLAZO. The victories moved the US to the top of the hexagonal.

Mexico was in the same position as the US, needing 6 points to affirm their position as a CONCACAF power. Beginning with an impressive 3-0 road win against Costa Rica at Saprissa Stadium. Giovani Dos Santos was the man of the match scoring a GOLAZO to open the scoring and set up the other two goals to give El Tri a massive 3 points. Mexico's next match was at home against a hot Honduras team that had won 4 of their last 5 matches. It was a hard fought match that was decided in the 74th minute when Dos Santos was fouled in the box and Cuauhtemoc Blanco buried the PK to give Mexico its 4th consecutive WCQ win and 2nd place in the standings.

Here are the results & standings from these rounds:

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH

United States 2 - 1 El Salvador
USA: Clint Dempsey (41') & Jozy Altidore (45'+2')
SLV: Cristian Castillo (31')

Honduras 4 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
HON: Carlos Pavon (20', 28'), Amado Guevara (62'), David Suazo (83')
TNT: Kerry Baptiste (86')

Costa Rica 0 - 3 Mexico
MEX: Giovani Dos Santos (45'+1'), Guillermo Franco (62'), Andres Guardado (71')

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH

El Salvador 1 - 0 Costa Rica
SLV: Rudis Corrales (90'+1')

Trinidad & Tobago 0 - 1 United States
USA: Ricardo Clark (62')

Mexico 1 - 0 Honduras
MEX: Cuauhtemoc Blanco (pen 75')

STANDINGS

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With World Cup Qualifiers coming up in the next couple of weeks, its time for another Top 5 here on The Buzz.  These are the Top 5 things to watch for as teams compete to solidify their place for The Great Tournament in 2010 on The Motherland:

#1 - Maradona Starts To Feel Albiceleste Heat

El Pibe De Oro's time as coach of the Argentine National Team really starts with upcoming South American World Cup qualifiers. Two friendly match victories over Scotland & France are well and good but he wasn't hired to win friendlies. Maradona's true abilities as a coach and personality manager will be put to the test when he leads Los Albicelestes versus Venezuela at home on March 28 and then on the road in the high altitude of La Paz against Bolivia on April 1st. If Maradona can break Argentina out of their disappointing form in qualifying then he will further elevate his place in world football lore.

#2 - What Will Africa Have In Store?

The Motherland will host The 2010 Great Tournament, in years past The World Cup has witnessed fresh faces in national team football most of them coming from Africa. The 2006 World Cup saw 8 teams qualify for the 1st time, 4 of them from Africa (Cote D' Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Angola). This year, with teams like Gabon, Malawi, Guinea, and Burkina Faso surprisingly advancing to the final group stage and a Group of Death (Group 1) featuring Cameroon, Togo, Morocco, and Gabon. It is likely that the 2010 World Cup will see another 1st timer from Africa.

#3 - What Will Become Of Portugal?

The Portuguese National Team has given their countrymen nothing to cheer about lately as they have been thoroughly disappointing so far in World Cup qualifying. They sit in 4th place in Group 1 of UEFA qualifying behind Denmark, Hungary, and Albania. An unacceptable position for a team boasting talents like Deco, Pepe, and FIFA Player Of The Year, Cristiano Ronaldo. They have not scored a goal in their last 2 qualifying matches including a 0-0 home draw versus Albania. ALBANIA, that's ridiculous, other than France's Raymond Domenech is their a coach whose seat is hotter in Europe than Carlos Queiroz? Portugal face a struggling but always tough Sweden side in the upcoming qualifiers, while its not over for Portugal they need to win for their confidence and table positioning cause its obvious that getting points against group leaders Denmark & Hungary will be difficult.

#4 - Australia & Japan Could Begin To Pack

After this next round of qualifiers it is possible that Asia could have 2 of its automatic 4 spots filled for 2010. In Group 1, Australia and Japan are undefeated with Australia in 1st with 10 points and Japan in 2nd with 8 as Bahrain & Qatar follow with 4 points. Both Japan & Australia play at home this round with the Aussies taking on last place Uzbekistan and Japan facing Bahrain. There is an excellent chance that both teams will win making the gap between themselves and the bottom 3 even wider. Considering talent, form, and table position, Australia & Japan can pack their bags for South Africa if they win.

#5 - Can Costa Rica Give Sven A Bigger Headache?

In 2002 World Cup qualifying, Costa Rica pulled off the impossible by beating Mexico at Estadio Azteca. It was the only time that Mexico lost a World Cup qualifier at the Azteca. This time in 2010 WC Qualifiers, Los Ticos could really put El Tri in a bad spot if they can duplicate that same performance. Mexico's coach Sven Goran Eriksson has been under fire since his hiring and every result has been intensely scrutinized. Mexico has not been impressive in reaching CONCACAF's last six and many feel that if there is a year that Mexico could be knocked off their place as one of CONCACAF's automatic representatives, it is this year. If Costa Rica can win once again at The Azteca, the pain Sven has been feeling in his head will transfer to his ass as the FMF kicks him off the bench.

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Let's begin Part II of our analysis of bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup with a surprise entrant whose deep pockets could sneak in and win the right to host a World Cup.

QATAR

The oil-rich nation with plentiful natural gas reserves would become the 1st Arab nation to host a World Cup. According to the CIA World Factbook, Qatar has the highest per capita income in the world so the money to build new stadiums and renovate current stadiums to FIFA standards is there. In the capital of Doha, there is a revolutionary underground stadium scheduled to be complete in 2010. The plans are the coolest for a stadium ever seen, imagine WC Matches played there. WOW!. The question is will they have enough clout in FIFA to win the vote?

Outlook: A longshot but undoubtedly the most intriguing of the bidding nations. 2022 is their best bet.

RUSSIA

The world's largest country placed its bid knowing that the sheer size of the country presents big infrastructure problems. Russia is much like England in that Moscow has a ton of stadiums like London does. Russia's stadiums would need upgrade and organizers would have to keep the matches west of the Ural Mountains to avoid Siberia & the time zones. Earlier talk of the English FA backing Russia's Euro 2016 in exchange for Russia dropping its 2018 WC bid is dead.

Outlook: Worthy of consideration but won't get 2018 or 2022.

Bids from Asia & Europe have been made and now let's take a look at the 2 CONCACAF nations that could host the tournament.

MEXICO

History could be on the side of Mexico when it comes to their bid at becoming the only nation to host 3 World Cups. 1970 WC was Pele's last and 1986 WC was the Maradona Show, that might not mean as much as the new stadiums being built by Mexican league teams. Chivas, Monterrey, Santos, Cruz Azul are among the clubs building new stadiums. 1994 was the last time a CONCACAF nation hosted a World Cup, 2018 may be the year to bring it back.

Outlook: Major contender, #2 contender of nations outside of Europe. Previous magical World Cups favor Mexico.

UNITED STATES

The host of the 1994 World Cup has been the land of booming stadiums since Brazil defeated Italy on PKs in the final. It seems like every team in a major sport in the States has a new stadium or arena. There are no real weaknesses other than not having much clout amongst the FIFA Executive Committee. Suggestion: Play the final at FedEx Field its the largest stadium in the NFL (90K+ capacity), its close to D.C. (the U.S. capital), and the Rose Bowl is played out as the centerpiece stadium of sports in the U.S. Also, the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Outlook: Fierce contender, #1 contender of nations outside of Europe, slight edge over Mexico because of the quality of the infrastructure and the stadiums.

Well there it is. Let's us know what you think about the nations mentioned and if you can think of any other nations worthy of consideration. We are aware that China & Japan are in the mix so let's see what happens with their bids. Despite their history, a China/Japan joint bid would be interesting. Tell us what you think.

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