After five days of conservative competition, all 32 nations have taken to the field for their opening match. Germany showed some early dominance while Spain is in an early hole. These are the power rankings for all 32 teams upon the conclusion of the Spain vs. Switzerland match. Feel free to leave your power rankings in the comments section below.
1) Germany (1-0-0)
It’s been 20 years since Germany last won a World Cup and if Sunday’s dismantling of Australia is a sign of things to come it might not be long before they raise the Cup again. The German offense was firing on all cylinders against the Socceroos and could have had a few more goals on top of the four they scored. Will the back line hold up against more potent offenses? That much is uncertain but no one wants to get into a shootout when the likes of Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose are banging in the goals.
2) The Netherlands (1-0-0)
The inventors of total football have long underperformed at the World Cup but The Netherland’s orange-clad fans had a lot to be excited about coming into South Africa. The Dutch came in to the World Cup unbeaten since 2008 and won every game in World Cup qualifying. Even though Arjen Robben is questionable for the rest of the tournament Holland seems balanced enough to make a deep run. Their 2-0 defeat of Denmark simply confirmed the Dutch danger.
3) Argentina (1-0-0)
Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Nigeria on Saturday showed the offensive potency promised by the eccentric Diego Maradona. Only a career performance by Nigeria keeper Vincent Enyeama kept the scoreline respectable. Messi’s inability to finish was a concern but he did pose a threat all afternoon, creating quality chances.
4) Brazil (1-0-0)
The tournament favorites were less than impressive in their opener against 105th ranked North Korea. Despite controlling possession for the most of the game the five-time champions showed vulnerability on defense. Manager Dunga assured the Brazilian public that the lack of creativity in this side would be compensated by rigid structure and an impenetrable defense. We’ll see if the defense picks it up in big games but no one can deny that Brazil can still score some beautiful goals when needed, as illustrated by Maicon’s brilliant goal.
5) England (0-0-1)
The Three Lions flaws were exposed against the United States but there were glimmers of hope for Don Fabio’s men. Steven Gerrard’s goal was the result of brilliant passing and team chemistry. That virtually disappeared as the game went along but give some credit to the United States’ defense. It’s only a matter of time before Wayne Rooney finds his scoring touch. The injuries and goalkeeping leave England’s chances up in the air but they still have time to tap into their potential.
6) Switzerland (1-0-0)
The Swiss were fancied by few to progress out of group G when the World Cup began. But an upset of Spain has put Switzerland in an extremely advantageous position. Even if they lose to a tough Chilean side their final fixture will be against Honduras, who will already be eliminated in all likelihood.
7) South Korea (1-0-0)
Many dismissed Asian teams as unable to win away from home soil and, historically, they were correct. But this year’s Red Devils have the talent to cause problems once they get out of group B. Their 2-0 thumping of Greece showed a balanced attack led by Ji-Sung Park and gave them a firm hold on second place. South Korea is full of belief going into their second game against Argentina so don’t expect an Argentinean blowout.
Chile (1-0-0)
The South Americans carried over their stellar qualifying form in a 1-0 defeat of Honduras. Chile showed great attacking flair but their defense hasn’t yet been tested. Chile is in a great spot in group H with their upcoming match against Switzerland proving pivotal.
9) Italy (0-0-1)
The Azzuri’s title defense got off to a rocky start against Paraguay with a 1-1 draw. The Italian’s had little attacking creativity and their back line was predictably slow. This is not the defense that stifled the world’s best offenses four years ago and the uncertain future of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Andrea Pirlo could mean a short tournament for the four-time champions.
10) USA (0-0-1)
Yes, Clint Dempsey’s goal was the lucky break of the tournament but the Stars and Stripes showed poise in shutting down England after an early lapse. Tim Howard and the rest of the much-maligned defense shut down Wayne Rooney and the rest of a potent Three Lions offense, often bending but not breaking. Jozy Altidore and the rest of the American attacking power need to find form in order to break down a stubborn Slovenian side. Also, the U.S.’ Achilles’ heel of letting in early goals almost spelled disaster in their opener, they must be focused from the opening whistle, not after 15 minutes.
11) Spain (0-1-0)
The pre-tournament favorites suffered the shock of the tournament so far with a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland. Spanish players grew frustrated with each other as the game drew on with no goals coming from unrelenting Spanish pressure. This led to a fatal lapse of concentration and the concession of a decisive goal. Spain has talent but can’t seem to shake the stigma of not being able to perform on the big stage.
12) Paraguay (0-0-1)
Paraguay showed great discipline in their opening match against Italy. Knowing when to park to the bus and when to push forward to attack the historical underachievers were a goalkeeping error away from taking a stranglehold on group F. What remains to be seen is how they deal with being the favorites and are forced to attack against Slovakia and New Zealand. But Gerardo Martino’s men are eyeing a knockout berth with dreams of doing some damage.
13) Mexico (0-0-1)
Mexico showed great composure in their come-from-behind draw against the hosts in the opening match. El Tri showed their speed and creativity in attack led by Giovani Dos Santos but the defense is of concern. Repeatedly, the back line fell asleep and left South African attackers fall in behind them. Goalkeeper Oscar Perez is adequate but cannot carry this team deep into this tournament. Either the attackers must find a brilliant finishing touch or the defense must tighten up. Still, this is one of the more talented Mexican teams and expect them to create problems for the listless France and Uruguay.
14) Ivory Coast (0-0-1)
The top African team at the World Cup played well in their opener against Portugal but showed their offensive ineptitude when Didier Drogba is not in top form. Despite the historical pedigree of the Portugese offense and the presence of Christiano Ronaldo keeping Portugal out of the net is not a monumental accomplishment given their woeful goal-scoring record. With a tie for second place seemingly inevitable the Elephants must kick their offense into high gear to have the highest goal differential possible.
15) Japan (1-0-0)
Japan has long dealt with the stereotype of not being able to win away from home but the Blue Samauri dominated the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Keisuke Honda is a rising star with a fine finishing touch. Japan still has two tough games against The Netherlands and Denmark but is off to a good start.
16) South Africa (0-0-1)
The host nation was not expected by many to do much damage in group A but the Bafana Bafana played inspired soccer against Mexico. The weakness of the other teams in group A give South Africa a great chance to avoid being the first host nation to go out before the knockout round.
17) Ghana (1-0-0)
The Black Stars were unconvincing in their victory against Serbia, needing an idiotic handball to claim victory. But three points is three points and Ghana is in a fantastic position to advance to the knockout rounds. The loss of Michael Essien was evident but a defeat of tragically hopeless Australia could be enough to secure advancement.
18) Denmark (0-1-0)
Demark played better than their 2-0 defeat against the Netherlands would indicate. The Danes did a good job of clogging up the midfield and allowing the Dutch few chances. But the fact remains that lucky goals count the same as beautiful ones and Denmark must be more careful if they are to make up their early deficit.
19) Slovenia (1-0-0)
Slovenia’s victory against the erratic and overmatched Algerians was hardly convincing, requiring a goalkeeping flub to grab three points. But the Slovenia’s strength is not in their offense. Facing mistake-prone sides like England and USA might play right into Zmajceki’s hands.
20) Portugal (0-0-1)
Portugal’s offensive problems continued in their opening draw against the Ivory Coast. Christiano Ronaldo has taken to diving in order to draw soft free kicks and no one else seems capable of helping him knock in the goals. There is no cohesion among Queirzo’s side and, with goal differential likely determining second place in group G, Portugal doesn’t look like a side with the ability of blowing out opponents.
21) Serbia (0-1-0)
Serbia looked threatening when the draw was made back in December. They had qualified ahead of France in a difficult UEFA group and looked ready to tap into their unrealized potential. But an ugly defeat to Ghana puts the Serbs dreams of the knockout rounds in jeopardy and they must seriously up their game if they are to get a vital result against powerhouse Germany.
22) Nigeria (0-1-0)
The Super Eagles’ many flaws were exposed in the wake of the tidal wave of Argentinean attack. Only goalkeeper Vincent Enyema’s career performance kept the score respectable. The good news is that their toughest game is now out of the way and Nigeria can now look forward to more manageable fixtures against South Korea and Greece.
23) Cameroon (0-1-0)
Cameroon was hoping on riding the wave of good sentiment provided by the African home crowd to success in a tough group E. But the Indomitable Lions were put in a hole following a surprising defeat courtesy of Japan. The Lions have weapons led by Samuel Eto’o but none of them seem to be firing. It looks like an early exit for the African hopefuls.
24) France (0-0-1)
The 2006 finalists came into the tournament with everything going wrong. No one liked the manager, Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka weren’t scoring, and the players weren’t getting along with each other. Well it looks like the locker room divide has found its way onto the field. France has talent but you wouldn’t know it by their performance against Uruguay on opening day. Worst of all, they looked like they don’t care and if a team can’t get excite for soccer’s biggest stage it’s difficult to remain optimistic about their chances.
25) North Korea (0-1-0)
The secretive side from Asia impressed in their scrappy defeat to Brazil. Their defense remains hard to break down and possess some deceptive attacking ability. They probably won’t be able to compete with the powerhouses in group G but the Ivory Coast and Portugal could get burned by a North Korean side not to be underestimated.
26) Honduras (0-1-0)
It means the world for Honduras just to be here and getting bounced out of the tournament in the tougher than expected group H holds no shame. Honduras can cause some problems for the Swiss and the Spanish in their remaining fixtures but simply earning a point would be a monumental occasion for the troubled nation.
27) Uruguay (0-0-1)
For a team who had to get to South Africa the hard way Uruguay seems ready to catch the first plane home. It’s quite a feat to appear less inspired than the French but the final South American qualifiers found a way. Preferring to foul rather than defend and no semblance of an attack spells doom for the two-time champions.
28) New Zealand (0-0-1)
The All-White’s late equalizer against Slovakia set off a national celebration in the small island country. New Zealand, the second-lowest ranked team in the competition, has already exceeded expectations by getting their first-ever World Cup point. Their heart and new-found confidence will probably not be enough to stave off defeat from the likes of Italy and Paraguay but the World Cup has already advanced the game in New Zealand.
29) Greece (0-1-0)
The 2004 European champions continued their woeful form in big tournaments with an ugly 2-0 defeat to South Korea. The Greeks look uninspired, uncoordinated and had no semblance of teamwork. In fact, it looked the Greece team actively dislikes each other on the field, with players yelling at each other during play and blaming their teammates for goals. It looks like another forgettable tournament for the Greeks.
30) Slovakia (0-0-1)
Slovakia’s advancement hopes are all but over after failing to beat lowly New Zealand in their opening match. The Slovaks looked overwhelmed by the occasion and look unlikely to cause Paraguay or Italy many problems in their remaining matches.
31) Australia (0-1-0)
The Socceroos’ hopes of a return to the round of 16 were brutally and systematically destroyed by Germany in their opening game. The 4-0 scoreline was flattering to Australia who let German attackers in on goal almost at will. The loss of Tim Cahill was the final nail in the coffin for this once-promising side. The one bright spot? Brazil is only four years away.
32) Algeria (0-1-0)
The Desert Foxes are playing in their first World Cup since 1982 and look like they have no idea how to react. They looked disorganized, albeit entertainingly frenetic, against Slovenia. Goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi let in the decisive goal but a defeat is exactly what Algeria deserved based on their performance. England and the USA should dispatch overmatched Algeria rather easily.
In what sense is Maradona “eclectic?”
I think he meant “eccentric: as in “Ranking England #5 after the first round is an ECCENTRIC selection.” Delusional would also work in that sentence
You’re right. I meant eccentric. As far as England goes. I don’t think they’re a particularly strong team but the other “powerhouses” have been very, very disappointing.
Chile have the coolest ranking of all
Maybe you meant erratic? I don’t think eclectic is exactly the word you were looking for.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eclectic#English
I meant eccentric. My fingers move faster than my brain sometimes and I missed it upon proofreading.
In your defense, Maradona has been accused of having an eclectic array of vices: cocaine, alcohol, McDonalds….
South Korea and Chile were both impressive in their opener than The Two and a Half Lions. Ivory Coast also looked better against tougher opposition.
South Korea and Chile were impressive. I just thought they were against fairly weak opponents. I have to disagree with you on Portugal, respectfully of course. I think they’re the most overrated team in the tournament and would be very surprised if they get out of the group.
England may prove me wrong but I think if they played South Korea given both teams form England would win more than lose.
I would probably take a fully fit England over a fully fit S Korea but this England isn’t fully fit. The defence is a mess. Carragher and Glen Johnson on the right side. Ouch!
This is the first time that I’ve seen someone not over rate Spain but Spain still a better team than the Swiss.
Not today they weren’t. I’ve had questions about Spain’s ability to deal with adversity ever since the defeat to the USA last summer. Most people forget that they almost lost to South Africa in the consolation game.
As far as England. They’re back line might be a bit of a mess but is anyone expecting Slovenia or Algeria to spend much time in the England half? The Three Lions defense won’t be tested again until the knockout round. I could play goal next match and have a decent shot at a clean sheet.
As to Spain, I agree. I understand that Spain have the best or nearly the best players but they just don’t have the tradition of handling the World Cup well together. Germany and to a lesser extent Italy still look like safer bets to me despite the talent imbalance. European teams rarely make the massive jump of 50+ years of World Cup futility to suddenly winning it or even making the finals. That said, I can see that Spain may be posed to be the dominant European country for the next decade or two because of the Barcelona revolution. As the Spanish national team becomes more and more influenced by Catalania, it seems likely to become more and more ascendant. But who knows, France failed to qualify for the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, made it to the semis of the 1996 Euros and then of course won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Euros. I’m not sure that they would have won 1998 if hadn’t been in France though.
As to England, yes they should definitely make it out of their group but you’ve got them ranked right behind teams that all should definitely make the quarterfinals unless they face one another. England isn’t a bad team, but I think that they have way too many defensive liabilities to be ranked the fifth best team right now. Maybe they should be if you are in goal though?
John,
I agree with you about Portugal! They’re overrated and had to make a late surge in the qualifiers to barely make the playoffs against Bosnia.
The Portuguese will have difficulty scoring against Brazil and perhaps even N. Korea after the way the Koreans played against the Selecao.
C. Ronaldo rarely delivers for Portugal and his approach is somewhat predictable unlike Messi who does not perform at the international stage because of Maradona’s choices, tactics and the players surrounding him. While with Barca, Messi has freedom to roam and has the talented Xavi to assist him and provide him with incisive passes while with Argentina he will often have to create his own chances and be the creative force. He shares those duties with Xavi (and Iniesta when healthy) while playing for Barca. As for C. Ronaldo he’s a solid goal scorer but relies heavily on his shooting and penalties as well as pace to score. Messi has a wider set of skills. Regardless both rarely shine for their country. I do think Messi might finally make a difference at this World Cup.
Just 2 comments:
1) I wouldn’t put Germany as first despite the 4-0 win. The Aussies are weak and they did not impress in the Asian qualifiers. No disrespect to Australia but they’re one of the weakest teams in the tournament.
2) I am not sure about England & USA being in the top 10. Neither team impressed and they are lucky to be in a weak group.
3) Algeria might be the weakest team in the tournament but they lost to a fluke late in the match while the Aussies were dismantled by Germany. I think Aussies should be last if we are simply considering results since I can see Germany being ranked 1st based on result.
Vote for team to win World Cup here: (interestingly most are voting Spain!)
http://www.worldcupbuzz.com/which-team-will-win-the-2010-world-cup/
Just two comments eh?
Australia looked good in Asian qualifying from my perspective, going undefeated in the last round. Australia played an exceptionally bad game but have talent in their squad, even if it was fairly unrealized. If Tim Cahill was still available they would have a chance of getting out of their group.
I grappled with giving the USA a top-10 spot but I liked what I saw against England.
Hi again,
I missed one number I guess!
To be fair to USA, the players worked hard for the draw but the Three Lions were not impressive as Rooney did not seem to have the space to create or score while the other English players looked lethargic. I think both England & USA deserve closer to a top 20 ranking. They will benefit from being in a weak group. Slovenia might still work to steal a draw from both teams but I can still see England and USA go through. The majority of readers believe those two teams will go through as well:
http://www.worldcupbuzz.com/world-cup-group-c-comments-after-world-cup-buzz-podcast/
As for Australia’s qualifying campaign, I thought it was unimpressive and the results early on back it but I do admit the results in the final round were good (despite some unconvincing performances):
In the third round of qualifiers, Aussies had 0-0 draw with Chinese who missed a penalty, lost to Iraq 1-0 in a match played in UAE for safety, and then lost to China 1-0.
Switzerland on the 6th spot??
That is ridiculous… they had an extremely amount of luck against Spain and didn’t create one single chance!
They should be near New Zealand as far as I’m concerned…