Speacial Edition: World Cup Preview: Group E and F

Group E
With no true all star team this group could be the most competitive group. Netherlands looks like the favorite after being the first team from Europe to qualify for 2010. We know they can score goals with talented striker Robin van Persie, who has scored 73 goals in six seasons for Arsenal. Along with Arjen Robben(top) Netherlands would easily advance to round two. In this FIFA World Cup their are countless African teams that have enough talent to advance but not enough to go far. I've got another one in Cameroon. They have one o the strongest strikers in the game in Samuel Eto'o and a reliable goalie in Carlos Kameni. But to surpass Netherlands they need youngsters Alex Song and Stephane Mbia to step up. Denmark could be considered just another European team. No star but a lot of chemistry means an up and down roller coaster ride. They do have a rising talent in Arsenal's Nicklas Bendter and have experience with Jon Dahl Thompson. They will provide goal after goal. Just another fact: To get to South Africa Denmark took down Portugal and Sweeden, and Sweeden twice. Japan needs a little more pop to get to the next round. Weak qualifying play has many people written them off. Captain Yuji Nakazawa leads the defense but it still will not be enough. Advancing: Netherlands, Cameroon
Group F
Italy hopes to repeat last World Cup in '06 in which they won it all. They aren't exactly young led by experienced players like Fabio Cannavaro who is 36 and Mauro Camoransei who is 33. It means this might be Italy's last chance at the World Cup for a while. With an infield star in Marek Hamsik Slovakia is ready to advance to the second round. Hamsik isn't the only notable player for Slovakia they also have two talented players in Miroslav Stoch and Vladimir Weiss Jr. Paraguay will not let Slovakia advance easily. In a crucial game on June 20 vs. Slovakia, Paraguay will lean heavily on Roque Santa Cruz, especially with no Salvador Cabanas who is lucky to be alive after being shot in the head. It will all depend if the Paraguay shows up that nearly finished first in South American qualifying shows up or the other Paraguay. . . New Zealand hopes that this World Cup they will surprise everyone and get to round number two. Unfortunately, there is slim chance of that happening. Ryan Nelsen is one of the team's lone stars and the only that plays regularly in a top league for the Blackburn Rovers. Other than that New Zealand's roster is very, very bare.