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JUNE/JULY 2006 6161
magazine
STRENGTHS • WEAKNESSES • STARS • COACHES • LINE-UPS
THE 32 TEAMS
Page
Group AGermany 62Costa Rica 64Poland 66Ecuador 68
Group BEngland 70Paraguay 72Trinidad & Tobago 74Sweden 76
Group CArgentina 78Cote d’Ivoire 80Serbia & Montenegro 82Netherlands 84
Group DMexico 86Iran 88Angola 90Portugal 92
Group EItaly 94Ghana 96USA 98Czech Republic 100
Group FBrazil 102Croatia 104Australia 106Japan 108
Group GFrance 110Switzerland 112Korea Republic 114Togo 116
Group HSpain 118Ukraine 120Tunisia 122Saudi Arabia 124
Text: Andreas Werz, Georg HeitzStatistics: FIFA Information ServicesPhotos: KEYSTONE, IMAGO, FOTO-NET, AFP
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JUNE/JULY 2006 JUNE/JULY 20066262
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Podolski Klose
FringsBorowskiBallackSchneider
Lahm Huth Mertesacker Friedrich
Lehmann
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
THE COACH AND THE STAR
“Klinsi”remains confident
When Jurgen Klinsmann took over as
Germany boss from Rudi Voller two
years ago, he met with a huge welcome
from German football fans. Because as
“Klinsi” proclaimed, “At the 2006 World
Cup, we’ll be going all out to win it”.
Now 42, Klinsmann has yet to
change his view, remaining convinced
that Germany can lift the trophy at the
second World Cup to take place on home
soil. German football fans, however,
are steadily losing belief in their team’s
chances, even though December’s draw
in Leipzig placed the hosts in what looks
to be a relatively easy group alongside
Costa Rica, Poland and Ecuador.
Yet in the light of Germany’s
inconsistent showings in recent
friendlies, many supporters have even
started to fear these teams. Whilst a
much younger side earned plaudits at
the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup by
fi nishing in third place, they have since
gone on to produce several disappointing
displays against moderate opposition.
Klinsmann has attempted to appease
the growing number of critics, who have
castigated the defence, in particular, by
emphasising that it will take time to
mould the players into a powerful team.
Th eir patience fi nally snapped after
a 4-1 friendly defeat against Italy in
Florence on 1 March. “Play like that
and we’re sunk at the World Cup!” read
the headline in the tabloid daily Bild,
while specialist sports journal Kicker, not
known for adopting a menacing tone,
simply wrote “Disaster”.
What cannot be denied is that there
are few above-average footballers around
with a German passport. For better or
worse, then, Klinsmann will probably
have to opt for players who regularly
warm the substitute’s bench at their
clubs and thus lack match practice.
Th e Germany boss and many fans are
well aware of the problem, yet they
still dream of landing a major coup at
the World Cup. Th ey draw their hopes
from Germany’s impressive record at
World Cup fi nals, from the benefi ts of
having home advantage and, not least,
from the traditional unbending will to
win and battling qualities of German
teams. Th e 2002 World Cup provided
ample proof, after all, that Germany do
not have to be in outstanding form to
reach the fi nal.
Qualifi ed automatically for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ as hosts.
Top scorer:Michael Ballack, (62 appearances, 29 goals)
1934 Italy 3rd
1938 France 10th
1954 Switzerland 1st
1958 Sweden 4th
1962 Chile 7th
1966 England 2nd
1970 Mexico 3rd
1974 Germany FR 1st
1978 Argentina 6th
1982 Spain 2nd
1986 Mexico 2nd
1990 Italy 1st
1994 USA 5th
1998 France 7th
2002 Korea/Japan 2nd
Most World Cup matches:Lothar Matthaus, 25 (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998)
Top World Cup scorer:Gerd Muller, 14 (1970, 1974)
All-time World Cup ranking:2nd
(85 matches, 50 wins, 18 draws,17 defeats, 176 goals for, 106 goals against).
Germany
Area: 357,030 km²Population: 82.54 millionCapital: Berlin (3.4 million)Association: Deutscher Fussball-Bund (DFB)Founded: 1900FIFA member since: 1904Website: www.dfb.deNumber of players: 6.26 millionNumber of clubs: 26,700Number of teams: 172,700
Jurgen Klinsmann(41/German/since 2004)Won the World Cup in 1990 and the European Championship in 1996 as a player and scored 47 goals in 108 international appearances. His first coaching job is none other than that of Germany boss. “Klinsi” lives in the USA and is criticised for it, but also for allegedly putting his faith in too many players who lack the necessary quality and experience.
Michael Ballack(29/midfi elder/Bayern Munich)The heart and soul of the German national team. This technically gifted playmaker is a creator, warrior and goalscorer rolled into one. Along with the goalkeepers, Ballack is the onlyGerman footballer to merit world-class status. Rarely has a Germany sidebeen this reliant on a single outfi eld player.
Germany defender Robert Huth climbs higher than Italy striker Luca Toni.
… This is the sixth consecutive World Cup that Germany will be led by a coach who lifted the trophy as a player. Franz Beckenbauer (1986 and 1990, won in 1974), Berti Vogts (1994 and 1998, won in 1974), Rudi Voller (2002, won in 1990) and now Jurgen Klinsmann (2006, won in 1990).
… Germany have tasted defeat at least once at every major tournament they have staged to date, having lost 2-0
to Norway at the 1936 Olympics, 4-1 to Hungary and 3-2 to the GDR at the 1972 Olympics, 1-0 to the GDR at the 1974 World Cup and 2-1 to the Netherlands at the 1988 European Championship.
… Germany have lost just one of their opening games at previous World Cups, 2-1 to Algeria in Spain in 1982. That defeat is countered by four draws and ten victories.
Oliver Kahn Bayern MunichJens Lehmann Arsenal (ENG)Timo Hildebrand Stuttgart
Arne Friedrich Hertha BerlinRobert Huth Chelsea (ENG)Marcell Jansen Borussia MonchengladbachPhilipp Lahm Bayern MunichPer Mertesacker Hannover 96Christoph Metzelder Borussia DortmundJens Nowotny Bayer LeverkusenPatrick Owomoyela Werder Bremen
Michael Ballack Bayern MunichTim Borowski Werder BremenFabian Ernst Schalke 04Torsten Frings Werder BremenBernd Schneider Bayer LeverkusenBastian Schweinsteiger Bayern MunichDietmar Hamann Liverpool (ENG)
Gerald Asamoah Schalke 04Kevin Kuranyi Schalke 04Miroslav Klose Werder BremenLukas Podolski CologneOliver Neuville Borussia Monchengladbach
Preliminary competition
Did you know?
GROUP A: GERMANY
Previous World Cup appearances
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FE
DE
RA
CIO
N C
OSTARRICENSE DE F
UT
BO
L
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
GROUP A: COSTA RICA
A minor footballing miracle
In Munich on 9 June, Costa Rica will
take on hosts Germany in the opening
match of the 18th FIFA World Cup™. It
will be a special honour for the Central
American country as well as a minor
footballing miracle, as just two years
ago, in June 2004, Costa Rica’s World
Cup dreams had almost ended. In the
fi rst two of what ultimately became 18
qualifying matches, the favourites had
managed only two draws against Cuba.
A 2-2 in Havana was followed by a 1-1
in San Jose six days later – only the away
goals rule saved the Ticos from total
ignominy.
Costa Rica also incurred the wrath
of their fans at the start of the second
qualifying stage, fi rst by thoroughly
messing up their home clash with
Honduras (2-5) and then by losing
in Guatemala (1-2). After these
calamities, however, the team arrested
their decline, winning eight of the next
twelve matches.
Yet not until Alexandre Guimaraes took
charge in mid-2005 did things settle down
properly. In Germany, this tall man will
become the fi rst Costa Rican to take part
in three World Cups, having been involved
as a player in 1990 and as coach in 2002.
Guimaraes is hoping his side will
achieve a feat similar to that of 16 years
ago in Italy, when Costa Rica progressed
to the last 16 in their fi rst World Cup
appearance. He is convinced they can do
just as well in June. “Germany, Poland
and Ecuador are strong opponents,”
says Guimaraes. “But we have nothing
to lose. We can just go out and play
without worrying too much about
them. Maybe that is precisely where our
chance lies.” Costa Rica’s main qualities
are to be found in defence, where Gilberto
Martinez and Walter Centeno pull the
strings. In attack, Guimaraes is pinning
most of his hopes on Paulo Wanchope,
who scored eight times in the qualifying
competition, and Ronald Gomez.
Th e World Cup squad will consist
large ly of players from the country’s
three most prominent clubs, Deportivo
Saprissa, Alajuelense and Herediano.
Guimaraes expects much of the Saprissa
representatives, in particular. Th ey did,
after all, take part in the FIFA Club World
Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan
2005, where they claimed an impressive
third-place fi nish.
1. Luis Marin (16 matches) Alajuelense
2. Gilberto Martinez (16) Brescia (ITA)
3. Walter Centeno (15) Deportivo Saprissa
4. Paulo Wanchope (14) Herediano
5. Alonso Solis (13) Deportivo Saprissa
6. Leonardo Gonzalez (12) Herediano
7. Ronald Gomez (10) Deportivo Saprissa
8. Steven Bryce (9) OFI Crete (GRE)
9. Carlos Hernandez (9) Alajuelense
10. Alvaro Mesen (8) Herediano
11. Jose Porras (7) Deportivo Saprissa
12. Mauricio Solis (7) Comunicaciones (GUA)
13. Jose Luis Lopez (7) Deportivo Saprissa
14. Douglas Sequeira (7) Real Salt Lake (USA)
15. Jafet Soto (7) Herediano
16. Alvaro Saborio (7) Deportivo Saprissa
17. Jervis Drummond (6) Deportivo Saprissa
18. Harold Wallace (6) Alajuelense
19. Cristian Badilla (6) Herediano
20. Pablo Chinchilla (6) Los Angeles Galaxy (USA)
… Costa Rica won both of their opening matches at their two previous World Cup appearances, 1-0 against Scotland in 1990 and 2-0 against China PR in 2002. Eight of the nine goals scored by Costa Rica in 1990 and 2002 arrived in the second half.
… Along with Mexico’s Jared Borgetti, Paulo Wanchope is the most prolific goalscorer in the history of World Cup qualifiers in the CONCACAF region. The Costa Rican has netted 20 goals to date, five in the qualifying competition for the 1998 World Cup, seven on the way to Korea/Japan
2002 and eight in the qualifiers for this year’s tournament.
… Costa Rica picked up 43 yellow cards in 18 matches en route to Germany, while three players were sent off. Only Panama collected more cautions (46).
… On 18 August 2004, Costa Rica conceded five goals at home for only the second time in their history, going down 5-2 to Hondu-ras in a World Cup qualifier. The margin of defeat was even higher on 10 August 2000, when the Costa Ricans crashed 5-1 against Venezuela.
One of Costa Rica’s best and most experienced players: striker Ronald Gomez.
1st roundCuba v. Costa Rica 2-2Costa Rica v. Cuba 1-1
2nd roundCosta Rica v. Honduras 2-5Guatemala v. Costa Rica 2-1Costa Rica v. Canada 1-0Costa Rica v. Guatemala 5-0Canada v. Costa Rica 1-3Honduras v. Costa Rica 0-0
3rd roundCosta Rica v. Mexico 1-2Costa Rica v. Panama 2-1Trinidad and Tobago v. Costa Rica 0-0USA v. Costa Rica 3-0Costa Rica v. Guatemala 3-2Mexico v. Costa Rica 2-0Panama v. Costa Rica 1-3Costa Rica v. Trinidad and Tobago 2-0Costa Rica v. USA 3-0Guatemala v. Costa Rica 3-1
Top scorer:Paulo Wanchope, 8
1990 Italy 13th
2002 Korea/Japan 19th
Most World Cup matches:Hernan Medford, 5 (1990, 2002)
Top World Cup scorer:Ronald Gomez, 2 (2002)
All-time World Cup ranking:40th
(7 matches, 3 wins, 1 draw, 3 defeats, 9 goals for, 12 goals against).
Area: 51,100 km²Population: 4 millionCapital: San Jose (310,000)Association: Federacion Costarricense de Futbol (FEDEFUTBOL)Founded: 1921FIFA member since: 1927Website: www.fedefutbol.comNumber of players: 68,700Number of clubs: 130Number of teams: 5,800
Costa RicaAlexandre Guimaraes(46/Brazilian-Costa Rican/since 2005)The native Brazilian has lived in Costa Rica since 1971. He also played for his adopted country – in 1990, for example, when the Central Americans reached the last 16 on their World Cup debut – and has coached the country’s most successful team, Deportivo Saprissa, among others. Guimaraes was in charge of Costa Rica at the 2002 World Cup but then resigned. He took the helm again in 2005.
Paulo Wanchope(29/striker/Herediano)Played for three English clubs before leaving Manchester City to joinSpanish side Malaga in 2004. He then secured a lucrative move to Qatar(Al-Gharafah) before returning to Costa Rica a few months ago to sign for Herediano. Wanchope is very popular in his home country and also has his own website.
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
Wanchope Gomez
Bolanos
Centeno Sequeira
Solis
WallaceMartinezMarinGonzalez
Porras
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Smolarek Zurawski
Krzynowek Szymkowiak Sobolewski Kosowski
ZewlakowBakJopBaszczynski
Boruc
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
GROUP A: POLAND
“White Eagles” ready to swoop
Poland coach Pawel Janas is a passionate
hunter. In the woods at home, he sets
his sights on red deer, but at the World
Cup he will be out to take down some
eminent adversaries. Germany, Ecuador
and Costa Rica are Poland’s rivals in
Group A. “I’d be lying if I said our
opponents frightened me,” says Janas.
Th e Polish media were even more bullish
after the draw was made. “In this group
we’ll go through!” wrote Nowy Dzien,
while the headline in Super Express read
“We’ve arrived in paradise!”
Whereas Polish clubs continue to play
a minor role in European competition,
the national team have made magnifi cent
strides forward recently. After two third
places at the World Cup (1974, 1982)
and a gold (1972) and two silvers (1976,
1992) at Olympic football tournaments,
Poland have recovered from several
disappointments – the 2002 World Cup
was their fi rst appearance in the fi nals in
16 years – and now look strong again.
Th e Poles cruised through qualifi cation.
Although they lost both encounters with
group winners England, they won all
eight of their other games.
Th e White Eagles, as the Polish national
team is known to their fans, used to be
mainly associated with strong defending,
but under Janas’ stewardship their
footballing philosophy has undergone
dramatic change. Today, Poland are
largely attack-minded and prolifi c in
front of goal. Th ey found the net 27 times
in qualifying, ten more than England. In
midfi elders Ebi Smolarek, Sebastian Mila
and Kamil Kosowski, and strikers Tomasz
Frankowski and Maciej Zurawski, Janas
has several top-quality attacking players
at his disposal. Playmaker Miroslaw
Szymkowiak is another.
His only concerns are in defence,
which is said to be too old and made up
of players who are rarely given an outing
with their clubs. “I haven’t got too many
defenders to choose from,” says Janas.
Yet he still believes his side can hit the
heights in Germany: “We play with great
heart. And if you do that, there’s much
you can achieve.“
Spectacular: Poland’s attacking midfi elder Ebi Smolarek.
… Poland have won 12 of the 14 meaningful matches they have played on German soil. In 1972, the eastern Europeans won gold at the Olympic Games in Munich, while in 1974, they finished third at the World Cup.
… In their six World Cups to date, Poland have met the hosts on three occasions, each time losing without scoring a goal (1-0 against West Germany in 1974, 2-0 against Argentina in 1978 and 2-0 against Korea Republic in 2002).
… Poland have registered five draws at their six World Cups, all of them goalless.
… Poland’s highest victory in a World Cup qualifying campaign was an 8-0 win over Azerbaijan on 26 March 2005. En route to the 1966 finals, Poland beat Finland 7-0, and in the qualifying competition for the 1970 World Cup, they trounced Luxembourg 8-1.
… Coach Pawel Janas played in all six matches at the 1982 World Cup when Poland claimed a third-place finish.
Pawel Janas(52/Polish/since 2002)A member of the legendary team that achieved a superb third-place fi nish at the 1982 World Cup. As a coach, he made a name for himself at Amica Wronki, in particular. In 1992, Janas coached the Poland side to a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Bar-celona. He took over from Jerzy Engel after Poland’s disappointing perfor-mance at the 2002 World Cup.
Maciej Zurawski(29/striker/Celtic)Zurawski has scored 15 goals in 48 international appearances to date. He began his club career at Lech Poznan, but came to prominence as a prolifi c goalscorer during a fi ve-year spell at Wisla Krakow. In July 2005, he moved to Celtic, where he netted four times in his fi rst six matches. Zurawski is considered to be one of the best Polish strikers in recent times.
Northern Ireland v. Poland 0-3Poland v. England 1-2Austria v. Poland 1-3Wales v. Poland 2-3Poland v. Azerbaijan 8-0Poland v. Northern Ireland 1-0Azerbaijan v. Poland 0-3Poland v. Austria 3-2Poland v. Wales 1-0England v. Poland 2-1
Top scorers:Maciej Zurawski and Tomasz Frankowski, 7 each
1938 France 11th
1974 Germany FR 3rd
1978 Argentina 5th
1982 Spain 3rd
1986 Mexico 14th
2002 Korea/Japan 25th
Most World Cup matches:Wladyslaw Zmuda, 21 (1974, 1978, 1982, 1986)
Top World Cup scorer:Grzegorz Lato, 10 (1974, 1978, 1982)
All-time World Cup ranking:14th
(28 matches, 14 wins, 5 draws,9 defeats, 42 goals for, 36 goals against).
Poland
Area: 312,685 km²Population: 39.2 millionCapital: Warsaw (1.7 million)Association: Polski Zwiazek Pilki Noznej (PZPN)Founded: 1919FIFA member since: 1923Website: www.pzpn.plNumber of players: 987,600Number of clubs: 7,800Number of teams: 27,100
1. Jacek Bak (10 matches) Al Rayyan (QAT)
2. Maciej Zurawski (10) Celtic (SCO)
3. Tomasz Rzasa (9) ADO Den Haag (NED)
4. Marcin Baszczynski (8) Wisla Krakow
5. Kamil Kosowski (8) Southampton (ENG)
6. Jerzy Dudek (7) Liverpool (ENG)
7. Jacek Krzynowek (7) Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
8. Sebastian Mila (7) Austria Vienna (AUT)
9. Tomas Frankowski (7) Wolves (ENG)
10. Miroslav Szymkowiak (6) Trabzonspor (TUR)
11. Grzegorz Rasiak (6) Southampton (ENG)
12. Arkadiusz Radomski (6) Austria Vienna (AUT)
13. Radoslaw Sobolewski (5) Wisla Krakow
14. Tomasz Klos (5) Wisla Krakow
15. Michal Zewlakow (5) Anderlecht (BEL)
16. Euzebiusz Smolarek (4) Borussia Dortmund (GER)
17. Artur Boruc (3) Celtic (SCO)
18. Mariusz Lewandowski (3) Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
19. Radoslaw Kaluzny (3) LR Ahlen (GER)
20. Andrzej Niedzielan (3) NEC Nijmegen (NED)
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
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Tenorio Delgado
Valencia Méndez Ambrossi M. Avoyi
Reasco Hurtado Espinoza De la Cruz
Mora
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
Who can help Agustin Delgado?
Nothing has changed at the pinnacle
of South American football, with
Brazil and Argentina again cruising
through qualifi cation. Behind these
two giants, however, a changing of the
guard has taken place. Th e number
three is no longer Uruguay, Paraguay
or Colombia, but Ecuador, who seem
to have established themselves in this
position with their second consecutive
qualifi cation for the World Cup fi nals.
Yet at the start of the qualifying
campaign, Ecuador severely taxed
the patience of their supporters,
collecting just four points from the
fi rst fi ve of their 18 matches. Having
caused a surprise in 2002 by leading
Ecuador, hitherto largely unknown
on the world football stage, to the
World Cup fi nals, national hero
Hernan Dario Gomez fi nally resigned
as coach. His fellow Colombian and
previous assistant, Luis Fernando
Suarez, took charge of the unsettled
team and quickly restored calm and
confi dence among the players. All of
a sudden, organisation on the pitch
and composure were back in evidence.
Ecuador returned to winning ways
and eventually clinched their ticket to
Germany with reasonable ease and a
team consisting mostly of players who
featured in the country’s World Cup
debut in Korea/Japan. Despite securing
qualifi cation, Suarez is still far from
achieving his goal. “In Germany we aim
to progress to the last 16 and we’re quite
capable of doing so. I do, after all, have
a good, experienced, well-balanced and
harmonious team at my disposal,” he
says.
Striker Agustin Delgado is the player
who stands out amid a strong collective.
But who is going to help him when it
comes to fi nding the net? A question
that weighs heavily on the coach’s mind.
“Unfortunately, in Delgado we have
only one consistent striker. Th e rest
are dogged by injury, inconsistency or
ineff ectiveness,” he explains. Th e man
most likely to partner Delgado in attack
is Edison Mendez, having contributed
the same number of goals as Delgado in
the qualifying competition for Germany
and at the 2002 World Cup, i.e. fi ve and
one respectively.
1. Giovanny Espinoza (18 matches) Liga de Quito
2. Ivan Hurtado (17) Al Arabi (QAT)
3. Ulises de la Cruz (17) Aston Villa (ENG)
4. Marlon Ayovi (16) Deportivo Quito
5. Edison Mendez (15) Real Iraputo
6. Edwin Tenorio (14) SC Barcelona
7. Paul Ambrossi (13) Liga de Quito
8. Neicer Reasco (12) Liga de Quito
9. Agustin Delgado (11) Liga de Quito
10. Franklin Salas (11) Liga de Quito
11. Edwin Villafuerte (9) Deportivo Quito
12. Clever Chala (7) El Nacional
13. Carlos Tenorio (7) Al Sadd (QAT)
14. Luis Valencia (7) Villarreal (ESP)
15. Jose Cevallos (5) SC Barcelona
16. Alfonso Obregon (5) Liga de Quito
17. Ivan Kaviedes (5) SC Barcelona
18. Christian Lara (5) El Nacional
19. Walter Ayovi (5) SC Barcelona
20. Ebelio Ordonez (4) El Nacional
… Nineteen of the 23 players used in qualifying also played at the 2002 World Cup.
… On 3 September 2005, Agustin Delgado scored Ecuador’s 100th World Cup qualify-ing goal in the 2-1 win over Bolivia.
… This is the second time that a Colombian coach has led Ecuador to the World Cup finals. In 2002 it was Hernan Dario Gomez,
now it is Luis Fernando Suarez. Both men, incidentally, come from Medellin.
… Along with Venezuela, Ecuador were the only South American team not to have a player sent off during qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.
… Ivan Hurtado has played more World Cup qualifying matches than anyone else. The defender has 56 games behind him.
Ecuador striker Agustin Delgado (right) in a tussle with Argentina’s Javier Zanetti.
Luis Fernando Suarez(46/Colombian/since 2004)Ecuador’s third successive national coach from Colombia (his predecessors were Francisco Maturana and Hernan Dario Gomez). Suarez, a former Colombia and Ecuador assistant coach, sets great store by discipline and team spirit. A quiet, unpretentious man who is popular among players and fans alike.
Agustin Delgado(31/striker/Liga de Quito)Scored Ecuador’s fi rst World Cup goal in 2002. “Tin”, as he is known to his fans, has played for various Mexican clubs and for Southampton in England. In the qualifying competition for the 2006 World Cup, he scored fi ve goals. He is strong in the air and blessed with an almost unerring instinct for goal. A typical penalty-box predator.
Ecuador v. Venezuela 2-0Brazil v. Ecuador 1-0Paraguay v. Ecuador 2-1Ecuador v. Peru 0-0Argentina v. Ecuador 1-0Ecuador v. Colombia 2-1Ecuador v. Bolivia 3-2Uruguay v. Ecuador 1-0Ecuador v. Chile 2-0Venezuela v. Ecuador 3-1Ecuador v. Brazil 1-0Ecuador v. Paraguay 5-2Peru v. Ecuador 2-2Ecuador v. Argentina 2-0Colombia v. Ecuador 3-0Bolivia v. Ecuador 1-2Ecuador v. Uruguay 0-0Chile v. Ecuador 0-0
Top scorers:Agustin Delgado and Edison Mendez, 5 each
Area: 256,370 km²Population: 13 millionCapital: Quito (1.4 million)Association: Federacion Ecuatoriana de Futbol (F.E.F.)Founded: 1925FIFA member since: 1926Website: www.ecuafutbol.orgNumber of players: 1,022,400Number of clubs: 1,000Number of teams: 3,400
Ecuador
2002 Korea/Japan 24th
Most World Cup matches:Twelve players with three appearances (2002)
Top World Cup scorers:Agustin Delgado and Edison Mendez, 1 each (2002)
All-time World Cup ranking:49th
(3 matches, 1 win, 2 defeats, 2 goals for, 4 goals against).
GROUP A: ECUADOR
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
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Rooney Owen
J. Cole
Lampard Gerrard
Beckham
NevilleTerryFerdinandA. Cole
Robinson
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
1. Frank Lampard (10 matches) Chelsea
2. Paul Robinson (9) Tottenham Hotspur
3. Michael Owen (9) Newcastle United
4. Ashley Cole (8) Arsenal
5. David Beckham (8) Real Madrid (ESP)
6. Rio Ferdinand (8) Manchester United
7. Joe Cole (8) Chelsea
8. Jermain Defoe (8) Tottenham Hotspur
9. Wayne Rooney (7) Manchester United
10. Steven Gerrard (7) Liverpool
11. John Terry (6) Chelsea
12. Jamie Carragher (6) Liverpool
13. Gary Neville (6) Manchester United
14. Ledley King (6) Tottenham Hotspur
15. Owen Hargreaves (5) Bayern Munich (GER)
16. Luke Young (4) Charlton Athletic
17. Shaun Wright-Phillips (4) Chelsea
18. Alan Smith (4) Manchester United
19. Sol Campbell (3) Arsenal
20. Kieron Dyer (3) Newcastle United
Midfi eld maestro: Frank Lampard (left).
Perfect send-off for Eriksson?
sheer class of perhaps England’s most
important player Frank Lampard, to the
blistering pace and beautiful touch and
vision of Wayne Rooney – England have
seldom been so strong.
But there are still a few question marks
hanging over the team, most notably over
the fi tness of striker Michael Owen, who
broke a metatarsal bone in December.
Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch are
waiting in the wings to step in if necessary.
England did not exactly cruise through
the preliminary competition either. Th e
1-0 defeat in Northern Ireland was a
huge embarrassment, Rooney failed to
fi nd the back of the net in the qualifying
campaign, and more often than not, the
team seemed to sit back after taking the
lead, apparently happy to defend their
advantage.
And then there is the burden of history.
Th e entire nation has been waiting since
the 1966 World Cup on home soil for
England to bring home another major
trophy. Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker
and co. came closer than most in 1990
before falling at the semi-fi nal stage
after losing a penalty shoot-out to West
Germany.
Eriksson, a man no stranger to glory,
will be leading England into his second
World Cup, but England’s last game in
Germany will also be the Swede’s fi nal
match in charge of his adopted nation
and the early announcement of the
coach’s departure could yet undermine his
authority. Th ere is enormous competition
in the English squad, and even stars
such as Owen and central defender Rio
Ferdinand are not guaranteed a place in
the line-up. Th ere could be unrest in the
camp, but the English players will want
to give their Swedish coach the perfect
send-off . One thing is for sure: if England
do well at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™,
Eriksson will leave as a hero.
Sven-Goran Eriksson (58/Swedish/since 2001). The winner of 16 titles with a string of clubs including Benfica, Roma,Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Lazio,Eriksson is the fi rst ever foreign coach of the England national team. Eriksson will leave his post after the World Cup after coming to an agreement with The FA in the wake of the “Fake Sheikh” affair. Eriksson and England will be aiming to reach the semi-fi nals at least.
Wayne Rooney (20/striker/Manchester United). Brimming with talent that belies his tender years, Rooney is strong in the tackle, supremely skilled and lethal in front of goal. Although one of the world’s best strikers, he also has a rebellious reputation both on and off the fi eld. After starting his career at Everton, Rooney at one point was the youngest ever goalscorer in the English Premier League at just 16 years old before moving to Manchester United in 2004. He has been a key player there from day one.
… England are top of the class in terms of goalless draws at the FIFA World Cup™. They have drawn 0-0 eight times in their 50 World Cup matches.
… England have played three matches in final competitions on German soil...and lost all three (to the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and the USSR in EURO 1988). They did not take part in the 1972 Olympic Games and they
also failed to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup™. A Great Britain team did, however, participate in the 1936 Olympic Games.
… David Beckham holds the English record for the most World Cup preliminary com-petition appearances. So far, the England captain has played in 23 matches.
… England have lost 13 games at the World Cup, 11 of which by a single goal.
Austria v. England 2-2 Poland v. England 1-2 England v. Wales 2-0 Azerbaijan v. England 0-1 England v. Northern Ireland 4-0 England v. Azerbaijan 2-0 Wales v. England 0-1 Northern Ireland v. England 1-0 England v. Austria 1-0 England v. Poland 2-1
Top scorer:Frank Lampard (5)
1950 Brazil 8th
1954 Switzerland 6th
1958 Sweden 11th
1962 Chile 8th
1966 England 1st
1970 Mexico 8th
1982 Spain 6th
1986 Mexico 8th
1990 Italy 4th
1998 France 9th
2002 Japan/Korea 6th
Most World Cup matches: Peter Shilton, 17 (1982-1990)
Top World Cup scorer:Gary Lineker, 10 (1986, 1990)
All-time World Cup ranking:5th (50 matches, 22 wins, 15 draws,
13 defeats, 68 goals for, 45 goals
against)
Area: 130,395 km²Population: 49.1 millionCapital: London (7.4 million)Association: The Football AssociationFounded: 1863FIFA member since: 1905Website: www.TheFA.comNumber of players: 3.31 millionNumber of clubs: 42,000Number of teams: 64,850
Many an England team has gone into
the World Cup fi nals full of hope, only
to see their dreams crumble to dust, and
great things are once again expected of
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s team. A glance
at the talent of the players that the
Swede has at his disposal goes a long
way to justifying England’s tag as one
of the pre-tournament favourites. From
the elegant but simple play of captain
David Beckham, to the dynamic energy
and drive of Steven Gerrard and the
EnglandDid you know?
GROUP B: ENGLAND
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
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THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
The right mixand a good balance
Paraguay have numerous players
abroad. Th e team has a good balance of
experience and youth, and Uruguayan
coach Anibal Ruiz is very popular with
the players. It would appear they have
the right mix to do well in Germany.
Th e South Americans reached the
round of 16 at each of the last two World
Cups. At France ’98, their eccentric
goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert was the
man who stood out, while in 2002 the
team impressed as a collective. Of the
current squad, defender Carlos Gamarra
is the most experienced player. Gamarra
was once on the books of Inter Milan
and now earns a living in Brazil.
In midfi eld, Ruiz has a number of
talented players at his disposal. Playmaker
Julio Dos Santos moved to Bayern Munich
in January, but has spent long periods on
the bench at the German champions. Like
Dos Santos, Edgar Barreto was a member
of the team that won silver at the 2004
Olympic Games in Athens. Nevertheless,
should the team appear to fall short in
the creative centre of midfi eld, Ruiz will
be able to call upon 18-year-old Jose
Montiel who made his international debut
last November. Montiel, an impressive
dribbler of the ball and an imaginative
attacking player, will move from
hometown club Olimpia de Asuncion to
Udinese in Italy’s Serie A after the World
Cup fi nals. Paraguay also have quality in
attack. Nelson Valdez has off ered ample
proof of his goalscoring ability at Werder
Bremen. Th e tricky forward is the ideal
partner for Roque Santa Cruz, a tall and
elegant striker for Bayern Munich. Santa
Cruz does lack match practice, though,
after sustaining a cruciate ligament
injury last year. Waiting in the wings
to stand in for him if need be is the
irrepressible Jose Cardozo, Paraguay’s
leading scorer during qualifying. Now
35, Cardozo recently joined Argentine
club San Lorenzo.
Th ere can be no doubt that Paraguay
have the potential to survive the group
phase once again in Germany.
1. Justo Villar (15) Newell’s Old Boys (ARG)
2. Carlos Gamarra (15) Palmeiras (BRA)
3. Julio Cesar Caceres (15) River Plate (ARG)
4. Jose Cardozo (15) San Lorenzo (ARG)
5. Paulo Da Silva (14) Toluca (MEX)
6. Carlos Paredes (13) Reggina (ITA)
7. Denis Caniza (12) Cruz Azul (MEX)
8. Roque Santa Cruz (12) Bayern Munich (GER)
9. Angel Ortiz (12) Guarani
10. Diego Gavilan (12) Internacional (BRA)
11. Nelson Cuevas (12) Pachuca (MEX)
12. Julio Cesar Enciso (9) 12 de Octubre
13. Carlos Bonet (8) Libertad
14. Salvador Cabanas (7) Chiapas (MEX)
15. Edgar Barreto (7) NEC Nijmegen (NED)
16. Francisco Arce (5) Veracruz (MEX)
17. Jorge Nunez (5) Arsenal (ARG)
18. Julio Manzur (5) Santos (BRA)
19. Nelson Haedo Valdez (4) Werder Bremen (GER)
20. Julio Dos Santos (4) Bayern Munich (GER)
… Uruguay’s Anibal Ruiz is the third foreign coach in succession to lead Paraguay to the World Cup finals. His predecessors were Brazil’s Paulo Carpegiani (1998) and Italy’s Cesare Maldini (2002).
… Paraguay scored three goals in each of their previous seven World Cup outings in Europe – or else none at all. In 1958 they lost 7-3 to France, beat Scotland 3-2 and drew 3-3 with the former Yugoslavia, while in 1998 they secured goalless draws against Bulgaria and Spain and beat Nige-
ria 3-1 before going down 1-0 to France in the round of 16.
… Paraguay became the first South American team to contest 100 World Cup qualifying matches when they beat Argentina 1-0 on 3 September 2005.
… Eight Paraguay players who featured in the 2006 qualifying competition also took part in the last two World Cups. The play-ers in question are Acuna, Arce, Campos, Caniza, Cardozo, Gamarra, Paredes and Sanabria.
Paraguay hope to have cause for celebration in Germany.
Anibal Ruiz (63/Uruguayan/since 2002)One of the world’s most experienced coaches, he has worked in Uruguay, Mexico and at various clubs in Para-guay. Before taking over the senior national side, he was in charge of Paraguay’s youth team. Ruiz is consi-dered an outgoing coach who is always friendly, even when dealing with the press. He is one of just three coaches in the South American zone to have been involved throughout the World Cup qualifying competition.
Roque Santa Cruz (24/striker/Bayern Munich)Discovered by Bayern Munich as an 18-year-old, he needed a few years to make the breakthrough. But by the 2005-2006 season, the quick andtechnically outstanding striker who is good in the air had become a vital member of the team, providing a regular supply of goals until his pro-gress was halted by a torn cruciate ligament. He will be fi t in time for the World Cup, but will he have found his form by then?
Peru v. Paraguay 4-1Paraguay v. Uruguay 4-1Paraguay v. Ecuador 2-1Chile v. Paraguay 0-1Paraguay v. Brazil 0-0Bolivia v. Paraguay 2-1Argentina v. Paraguay 0-0Paraguay v. Venezuela 1-0Colombia v. Paraguay 1-1Paraguay v. Peru 1-1Uruguay v. Paraguay 1-0Ecuador v. Paraguay 5-2Paraguay v. Chile 2-1Brazil v. Paraguay 4-1Paraguay v. Bolivia 4-1Paraguay v. Argentina 1-0Venezuela v. Paraguay 0-1Paraguay v. Colombia 0-1
Top scorer:Jose Cardozo, 7
1930 Uruguay 9th
1950 Brazil 11th
1958 Sweden 12th
1986 Mexico 13th
1998 France 14th
2002 Japan/Korea 16th
Most World Cup matches: Carlos Gamarra, Celson Ayala, Roberto Acuna and Denis Caniza (all 1998-2002), 4 each.
Top World Cup scorers: Nelson Cuevas, Julio Romero, Roberto Cabanas plus four players from the 1958 team, 2 each.
All-time World Cup ranking: 22nd (19 matches, 5 wins, 7 draws,7 defeats, 25 goals for, 34 goals against)
Paraguay
Area: 406,752 km2
Population: 5.64 millionCapital: Asuncion (508,000)Association: Asociacion Paraguaya de Futbol (APF)Website: www.apf.org.pyFounded: 1906FIFA member since: 1925Number of players: 720,000Number of clubs: 1,100Number of teams: 2,000
GROUP B: PARAGUAY
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
Santa Cruz Valdez
Dos Santos
Paredes Gavilan
Barreto
Nunez Caceres Gamarra Caniza
Villar
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S. John Yorke
Latapy
Birchall Edwards
Whitley
Andrews Lawrence A. John Spann
Jack
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
Teamnumber 32
Beenhakker took over the underdogs
in March 2005; by November of the
same year, Trinidad and Tobago had
qualifi ed for the World Cup fi nals for
the fi rst time. Th ey only secured a 1-1
draw against Bahrain in the home leg
of the play-off , but Dennis Lawrence
scored the only goal away from home
and Trinidad and Tobago were able to
book their trip to Germany.
Lawrence is just one player in a team
of unknowns. Th e defender earns his
money with Wrexham in England’s
fourth division, and only a few of his
team colleagues play club football at
the highest level. Th at is why Trinidad
and Tobago are the real underdogs in
Germany.
Two names fuel the football-crazy
nation’s hopes of achieving a sensation
or two: Beenhakker, who is capable
of conjuring up an ingenious idea at
any time, and Dwight Yorke, his most
important player. Although the striker is
not as young as he used to be, he still
remains the linchpin of the team. “As a
coach, you only have to say three words
to him and he knows what he has to do,”
says Beenhakker in praise of his star.
Yorke, 34, places great importance on
fostering team spirit.
Beenhakker knows how diffi cult it will
be to garner points in the fi nals. “But
we are not just travelling to Germany
simply with the Olympic motto of
taking part in mind. We’re going there
to win.” He will gather his players
around him for four weeks ahead of
the “Germany adventure”, and expects
this training camp to bring further
progress. Every point that Trinidad
and Tobago win at the fi nals will be a
great surprise. Beenhakker is relying
on the unpredictability of his team:
“We’re talking about football here, not
mathematics.”
1. Stern John (19) Coventry City (ENG)
2. Marvin Andrews (18) Glasgow Rangers (SCO)
3. Dennis Lawrence (17) Wrexham (WAL)
4. Kenwyne Jones (14) Southampton (ENG)
5. Dwight Yorke (12) Sydney (AUS)
6. Carlos Edwards (12) Luton Town (ENG)
7. Kelvin Jack (11) Dundee (SCO)
8. Brent Sancho (11) Gillingham (ENG)
9. Angus Eve (10) San Juan Jabloteh/
retired from national team
10. Silvio Spann (10) Unattached
11. Densil Theobald (10) Falkirk (SCO)
12. Avery John (9) New England
Revolution (USA)
13. Christopher Birchall (9) Port Vale (ENG)
14. Aurtis Whitley (9) San Juan Jabloteh
15. Marlon Rojas (8) Unattached
16. Brent Rahim (8) San Juan Jabloteh
17. Cornell Glen (7) Colorado Rapids (USA)
18. Anthony Rougier (6) United Petrotrin
19. Russell Latapy (6) Falkirk (SCO)
20. Ian Cox (6) Gillingham (ENG)
… Trinidad and Tobago is the smallest country ever to take part in the World Cup finals.
… Trinidad and Tobago lost 5-0 in a friendly against Sweden in 1983 and drew twice with Paraguay in 1989 (2-2 and 1-1). The Central Americans have never come up against England.
… Of the current squad, Marvin Andrews is the player with the most World Cup qualifying competition appearances for
his country. Andrews has played in 38 matches, followed by Russell Latapy (36) and Dwight Yorke (35).
… Coach Leo Beenhakker is leading a team at the World Cup for the second time, having been in charge of the Nether-lands in 1990. His 16-year break from the World Cup is the second longest in history after Brazil’s Mario Zagallo, who coached Brazil in 1974 and again in 1998.
Stern John (left) and Dennis Lawrence, who scored against Bahrain.
GROUP B: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Dom. Republic v. Trinidad & Tobago 0-2Trinidad & Tobago v. Dom. Republic 4-0St Vincent & Grenadines v. Trinidad & Tobago 0-2St Kitts & Nevis v. Trinidad & Tobago 1-2Trinidad & Tobago v. Mexico 1-3Trinidad & Tobago v. St Kitts & Nevis 5-1Mexico v. Trinidad & Tobago 3-0Trinidad & Tobago v. St Vincent & Gr. 2-1Trinidad & Tobago v. USA 1-2Guatemala v. Trinidad & Tobago 5-1Trinidad & Tobago v. Costa Rica 0-0Trinidad & Tobago v. Panama 2-0Mexico v. Trinidad & Tobago 2-0USA v. Trinidad & Tobago 1-0Trinidad & Tobago v. Guatemala 3-2Costa Rica v. Trinidad & Tobago 2-0Panama v. Trinidad & Tobago 0-1Trinidad & Tobago v. Mexico 2-1
Play-off:Trinidad & Tobago v. Bahrain 1-1Bahrain v. Trinidad & Tobago 0-1
Top scorer:Stern John, 12
-
Most World Cup matches: -
Top World Cup scorer: -
All-time World Cup ranking: -
Trinidad & Tobago
Area: 5,128 km2
Population: 1.3 millionCapital: Port of Spain (50,000)Association: Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF)Website: www.socawarriorstt.comFounded: 1908FIFA member since: 1963Number of players: 27,692Number of clubs: 135Number of teams: 963
Leo Beenhakker (63/Dutch/since 2005)A character and a celebrity. He has coached famous teams such as Feyenoord, Ajax and Real Madrid and has also worked in Switzer-land, Mexico and Turkey. He has coached the Netherlands (1985 and 1990) and Saudi Arabia (1993–1994). Beenhakker places great importance on attractive, attacking football.
Dwight Yorke (34/striker/Sydney FC)Once hailed as one of the world’s best strikers, he won the UEFA Champions League and two league titles with Manchester United. Between 1989 and 2005, Yorke played only for English clubs (Aston Villa, Manchester United, Birmingham City and Black-burn Rovers). He has sincewon the Australian league with Sydney, and in his team’s crucial 1-0 win over the Central Coast Mariners, he provided the assist for the only goal, thus under-lining his importance for the team.
”We are,” says Leo Beenhakker, “number
32 of the 32 participating teams.” Th e
Dutch coach of Trinidad and Tobago has
not lost his sense of reality, even though
he has been almost overwhelmed by
a huge wave of enthusiasm in recent
weeks and months.
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
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Larsson Ibrahimovic
LjungbergSvensson
Linderoth
Wilhelmsson
Edman Lucic Mellberg Ostlund
Isaksson
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
Dream strike force
Nordic teams have a reputation for
playing a disciplined, tactically minded
game. Yet the team that Sweden will send
to the World Cup in Germany prefers a
more spectacular brand of football.
Sweden’s attack is led by the
indefatigable Henrik Larsson. Now 34
and a valuable substitute for Barcelona
in the season just ended, Larsson will
see his career out at hometown club
Helsingborgs after the World Cup.
Larsson is an integrator, a battler with
good technique and a keen eye for
goal. Alongside him, the player who
most warrants attention is Zlatan
Ibrahimovic. Th e Juventus star is one of
the most complete strikers in the world
and almost impossible to keep quiet
for a full ninety minutes. Yet Sweden
have other aces in their squad with the
ability to do well in Germany. Freddie
Ljungberg and Christian Wilhelmsson
are fearsome midfi elders who constantly
pop up in attack and chip in with goals.
Ljungberg scored seven times during
qualifi cation, Wilhelmsson twice. Two
younger players have also forced their
way into the squad. Kim Kallstrom is
an exceptionally talented playmaker, as
fans of his club Rennes will testify, and
Johan Elmander can play in attack or just
behind the strikers. With his potential,
he looks sure to claim a regular berth in
the Sweden team in the not too distant
future. In defence, Sweden coach Lars
Lagerback relies on experience. Olof
Mellberg pulls the strings at the back,
a role he also assumes for Aston Villa
in the Premier League. Left back Erik
Edman used to be on the books of
Tottenham Hotspur before switching
to Rennes, where a third Swedish
international, goalkeeper Andreas
Isaksson, plies his trade. Isaksson was
the third-choice goalkeeper at Juventus,
but is now one of the best in the world
in his position. He shot to prominence
on the back of some outstanding
displays at EURO 2004 in Portugal. If
he can repeat this level of performance
in Germany, Sweden will be capable of
doing very well.
1. Teddy Lucic (10 matches) Hacken
2. Tobias Linderoth (10) FC Copenhagen (DEN)
3. Olof Mellberg (10) Aston Villa (ENG)
4. Freddie Ljungberg (10) Arsenal (ENG)
5. Andreas Isaksson (10) Rennes (FRA)
6. Christian Wilhelmsson (10) Anderlecht (BEL)
7. Alexander Ostlund (9) Southampton (ENG)
8. Henrik Larsson (8) Barcelona (ESP)
9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (8) Juventus (ITA)
10. Anders Svensson (8) Elfsborg
11. Niclas Alexandersson (8) IFK Gothenburg
12. Erik Edman (7) Rennes (FRA)
13. Marcus Allback (7) FC Copenhagen (DEN)
14. Mattias Jonson (6) Djurgardens
15. Kim Kallstrom (5) Rennes (FRA)
16. Mikael Nilsson (3) Halmstads
17. Johan Elmander (2) Brondby (DEN)
18. Christoffer Andersson (1) Lillestram
19. Petter Hansson (1) Heerenveen (NED)
20. Magnus Hedman (1) Celtic (SCO)
… Sweden have not won any of their ope-ning matches since the 1958 World Cup on home soil.
… In finding the net eight times in qualifying, Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalled Henrik Larsson’s goalscoring record, which was set ahead of the 2002 World Cup.
… Sweden were the fairest European team during the qualifying competition. The
Scandinavians collected eleven cautions and no sendings-off.
… Sweden v. Brazil is the most frequent World Cup pairing to date. The South Americans have won five of the seven encounters, with the other two ending in draws.
… Sweden have faced South American opposition at least once at each of the ten World Cups they have contested.
GROUP B: SWEDEN
Scored seven times in the World Cup qualifi ers: Freddie Ljungberg.Lars Lagerback (57/Swedish/since 1997)Former assistant to head coach Tommy Soderberg. From 2000 they shared joint coaching responsibility and managed the team at both the 2002 World Cup and EURO 2004. Soderberg resigned after the European Champi-onship and Lagerback has been in sole charge ever since. He puts his faith in continuity and a core of experienced players. His matter-of-fact approach makes him popular with his team.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (24/striker/Juventus)The son of Bosnian immigrants does the unexpected both on and off the pitch, a virtuoso player who is prone to the occasional lack of control. Real Madrid were reputed to have offered EUR 70 million for the lanky striker a few months ago, though he remains very much a part of Juventus’ plans. In the season just ended, Ibrahimovic shone not only as a goalscorer, but also as a creator.
Malta v. Sweden 0-7Sweden v. Croatia 0-1Sweden v. Hungary 3-0Iceland v. Sweden 1-4Bulgaria v. Sweden 0-3Sweden v. Malta 6-0Sweden v. Bulgaria 3-0Hungary v. Sweden 0-1Croatia v. Sweden 1-0Sweden v. Iceland 3-1
Top scorer:Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 8
1934 Italy 8th
1938 France 4th
1950 Brazil 3rd
1958 Sweden 2nd
1970 Mexico 9th
1974 Germany 5th
1978 Argentina 13th
1990 Italy 21st
1994 USA 3rd
2002 Japan/Korea 13th
Most World Cup matches:Bo Larsson, 11 (1970, 1974, 1978)
Top World Cup scorer:Kennet Andersson, 5 (1994)
All-time World Cup ranking:8th
(42 matches, 15 wins, 11 draws,16 defeats, 71 goals for, 65 goals against)
Area: 449,964 km2
Population: 8.96 millionCapital: Stockholm (765,000)Association: Svenska Fotbollforbundet (SVFF)Website: www.svenskfotboll.seFounded: 1904FIFA member since: 1904Number of players: 576,000Number of clubs: 3,228Number of teams: 25,000
Sweden
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
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THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
GROUP C: ARGENTINA
Defence is the worry
Argentine football fans are known for
their high expectations. For them it is
not enough for the team to win, it has
to be done profi ciently – and they want
superb moves and great goals to cheer. In
qualifying for Germany, Argentina did
not give their fans cause to do so very
often. Although the two-time World
Cup winners secured their berth in the
fi nals early on, only in the 3-1 home win
over arch-rivals Brazil did they excel.
Supporters and journalists criticise
coach Jose Pekerman for putting his
players in a tactical straitjacket, allowing
them hardly any (attacking) freedom on
the pitch, even though he has a host of
highly gifted players at his disposal. Juan
Roman Riquelme, Pablo Aimar, Lionel
Messi, Esteban Cambiasso and Carlos
Tevez are all names to savour if you are
a lover of artistic football. Th en there
is Hernan Crespo, Argentina’s leading
scorer during the qualifying competition.
And Javier Zanetti and Kily Gonzalez
and Javier Saviola and many others.
Stars as far as the eye can see. Yet this
is precisely the problem, or rather the
task facing Pekerman. From all these
outstanding individual talents, he has to
form an homogenous team by June. At
the 2002 World Cup, Argentina learnt
the painful lesson that great individual
players alone are no guarantee of success
– they were eliminated at the group
stage.
Experts agree, however, that
Pekerman will succeed in constructing
an outstanding team for Germany that
will even have a chance of lifting the
trophy. Th ere is certainly no lack of
quality, although they may be short on
outstanding defenders. Argentina do
have Roberto Ayala, Gabriel Heinze and
Javier Mascherano in their ranks, but
they have been plagued by injury for
quite some time and lack match practice.
Will they be on top of their game in
time for the World Cup? A question that
applies equally to goalkeeper Roberto
Abbondanzieri, who has committed
several blunders in recent months.
Th e entire nation lives in hope, for no
“Gaucho” wants to experience a repeat
of four years ago, although one of twenty
years ago, when Argentina won the
World Cup, would be nice.
… Seventeen of the players who featured in the qualifying competition for the 2006 World Cup won the World Youth Champi-onship under Jose Pekerman’s stewardship (Sorin in 1995; Aimar, Cambiasso, Cufre, Franco, Placente, Riquelme, Samuel and Scaloni in 1997; Burdisso, Coloccini, D’Alessandro, Medina, Ponzio, Rodriguez, Rosales and Saviola in 2001).
… Apart from 1930 (and 1978 and 1986, when they won the World Cup), Argen-tina have always been knocked out of the tournament by European opponents.
… When the tournament kicks off, Peker-man will be the oldest coach ever to have managed Argentina at the World Cup. On 9 June, he will be 56 years and 279 days old. The previous record was set by Guillermo Stabile in 1958 (52 years, 149 days).
… No Argentine player has contested more World Cup qualifying matches than Roberto Ayala. The Valencia defender now has 40 games under his belt and thus holds a clear lead over previous record holder Diego Simeone (33).
Often only to be stopped by fouls: Juan Roman Riquelme.
1. Juan Pablo Sorin (13 matches) Villarreal (ESP)
2. Javier Zanetti (12) Inter Milan (ITA)
3. Luis Gonzalez (12) Porto (POR)
4. Roberto Abbondanzieri (11) Boca Juniors
5. Roberto Ayala (11) Valencia (ESP)
6. Hernan Crespo (11) Chelsea (ENG)
7. Cristian Gonzalez (11) Inter Milan (ITA)
8. Gabriel Heinze (10) Manchester United (ENG)
9. Cesar Delgado (10) Cruz Azul (MEX)
10. Javier Saviola (10) Sevilla (ESP)
11. Walter Samuel (9) Inter Milan (ITA)
12. Juan Roman Riquelme (9) Villarreal (ESP)
13. Andres D’Alessandro (9) Portsmouth (ENG)
14. Esteban Cambiasso (8) Inter Milan (ITA)
15. Pablo Aimar (8) Valencia (ESP)
16. Carlos Tevez (8) Corinthians (BRA)
17. Fabricio Coloccini 7) Deportivo La Coruna (ESP)
18. Javier Mascherano (7) Corinthians (BRA)
19. Pablo Cavallero (6) Levante (ESP)
20. Gabriel Milito (5) Real Zaragoza (ESP)
Jose Pekerman(56/Argentine/since 2004)Possibly the best youth coach ever, having won the FIFA youth World Championship three times. A host of talent has graduated from his academy to become leading stars (Riquelme, Saviola, Aimar, Tevez etc.). Pekerman also played the game professionally. After ending his career, he earned a living as a taxi driver for a time.
Juan Roman Riquelme(27/midfi elder/Villarreal)Won everything there is to win with Boca Juniors, Argentina’s most popular club. After a disappointing spell at Bar-celona he joined Villarreal, where he is the undisputed number one. Majestic on the ball and brimming with ideas, he has made the playmaker’s position his own and is a feared dead-ball specialist. A member of the U-20 side that won the World Championship in 1997.
Argentina v. Chile 2-2Venezuela v. Argentina 0-3Argentina v. Bolivia 3-0Colombia v. Argentina 1-1Argentina v. Ecuador 1-0Brazil v. Argentina 3-1Argentina v. Paraguay 0-0Peru v. Argentina 1-3Argentina v. Uruguay 4-2Chile v. Argentina 0-0Argentina v. Venezuela 3-2Bolivia v. Argentina 1-2Argentina v. Colombia 1-0Ecuador v. Argentina 2-0Argentina v. Brazil 3-1Paraguay v. Argentina 1-0Argentina v. Peru 2-0Uruguay v. Argentina 1-0
Top scorer:Hernan Crespo, 7
1930 Uruguay 2nd
1934 Italy 9th
1958 Switzerland 13th
1962 Chile 10th 1966 England 5th
1974 Germany FR 8th
1978 Argentina 1st
1982 Spain 11th
1986 Mexico 1st
1990 Italy 2nd
1994 USA 10th
1998 France 6th
2002 Korea/Japan 18th
Most World Cup matches:Diego Maradona, 21 (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
Top World Cup scorer:Gabriel Batistuta, 10 (1994, 1998, 2002)
All-time World Cup ranking:4th (60 matches, 30 wins, 11 draws, 19 defeats, 102 goals for, 71 goals against).
Argentina
Area: 2,780,403 km²Population: 36.8 millionCapital: Buenos Aires (2.8 million)Association: Asociacion del Futbol Argentino (AFA)Founded: 1893FIFA member since: 1912Website: www.afa.org.arNumber of players: 1,505,500Number of clubs: 3,000Number of teams: 17,800
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
Crespo Tevez
L. Gonzalez Cambiasso Riquelme Messi
Sorin Coloccini Ayala Zanetti
Abbondanzieri
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THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
GROUP C: COTE D’IVOIRE
The efficiency of Drogba and Dindane
Stade Omnisport in Yaounde, 8 October
2005. Th e World Cup qualifi er between
Cameroon and Egypt is in stoppage
time. It is 1-1 and there are just seconds
left to play. Cameroon have to win if
they are to reach the 2006 World Cup.
Pierre Wome has the chance to become
a national hero, as it is he who will
take his side’s penalty. Th e defender
runs up, shoots – and the ball clips the
outside of the post. Suddenly the game
is over – the Indomitable Lions are not
going to Germany! Th e Elephants are,
though, for Cameroon’s misfortune is
Cote d’Ivoire’s gain. Th e team coached
by Frenchman Henri Michel has
qualifi ed for the World Cup at the last
moment. Cote d’Ivoire’s fi rst ever World
Cup appearance is the reward for an
exemplary youth development scheme
that dates back to 1993 when Roger
Ouegnin, president of the country’s
most successful and most popular
club, ASEC Abidjan, opened a football
academy. Th e nation’s fi nest talent
have been given food, accommodation,
schooling and fi rst-class coaching there
ever since. Among the players to pass
through the talent factory are Kolo
Toure, Boubacar Barry, Didier Zokora,
Abdoulaye Djire, Gilles Yapi Yapo, Siaka
Tiene and Aruna Dindane. Today, all are
full internationals and on the books of
foreign clubs.
Not a single member of the Ivorian team
is under contract to a home-based team.
Th ese national heroes play in France, or
in England, Germany, Belgium, Greece,
Italy and the Netherlands, primarily
for well-known clubs. Th e Elephants
are on the march and could well cause
a surprise in Group C, where they face
Argentina, the Netherlands and Serbia
& Montenegro. Th e centrepiece of the
Cote d’Ivoire team, who went all the way
at this year’s African Nations Cup, only
to lose on penalties to hosts Egypt, is
without doubt the attack. Didier Drogba
and Aruna Dindane scored 16 of the 20
goals in qualifying. But the defence is also
capable of standing up to any opposition,
containing as it does two players who are
highly regarded at Arsenal, Kolo Toure
and Emmanuel Eboue.
… Cote d’Ivoire have played in the finals of a FIFA competition on eight occasions: once at the Confederations Cup (1992), twice at the U-17 World Championship (1987, 2005) and five times at the U-20 World Championship (1977, 1983, 1991, 1997, 2003).
… Two players accounted for 16 of the 20 goals scored by Cote d’Ivoire in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. Didier Drogba found the net nine times, strike partner Arune Dindane seven.
… Five of the seven goals Cote d’Ivoire conceded in the qualifying competition came against Cameroon. The World Cup debutants lost 2-0 away and 3-2 at home. It was the first time Cote d’Ivoire had let in three goals at home in a World Cup qualifier.
… Ibrahima Bakayoko is Cote d’Ivoire‘s lea-ding scorer in World Cup qualifying mat-ches. The striker hit the net eleven times ahead of the 2002 tournament, but it was still not enough to see his side through to the finals in Korea and Japan.
Aruna Dindane surges past two Italian opponents.
Henri Michel(58/French/since 2004)Played 58 times for France and later became coach (1986 World Cup). He managed Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup as well as Morocco in 1998. With Raja Casablanca, Michel won the prestigious CAF Cup in 2003. Knows the African game inside out.
Didier Drogba(28/striker/Chelsea)Moved to Chelsea from Olympique Marseille for EUR 35.5 million in 2004 and was a pillar of their 2004-2005 championship-winning side. Drogba is strong in the air, a prolifi c goalscorer, the superstar of the Cote d’Ivoire team and a national hero. The best player the country has ever produced.
Cote d’Ivoire v. Libya 2-0Egypt v. Cote d’Ivoire 1-2Cameroon v. Cote d’Ivoire 2-0Cote d’Ivoire v. Sudan 5-0Benin v. Cote d’Ivoire 0-1Cote d’Ivoire v. Benin 3-0Libya v. Cote d’Ivoire 0-0Cote d’Ivoire v. Egypt 2-0Cote d’Ivoire v. Cameroon 2-3Sudan v. Cote d’Ivoire 1-3
Top scorer:Didier Drogba, 9
-
Most World Cup matches:-
Top World Cup scorer:-
All-time World Cup ranking:-
Cote d‘Ivoire
Area: 322,462 km²Population: 16.8 millionCapital: Abidjan (2.9 million)Association: Federation Ivoirienne de Football (FIF)Founded: 1960FIFA member since: 1961Website: www.fi f.ciNumber of players: 96,000Number of clubs: 200Number of teams: 1,200
1. Aruna Dindane (10 matches) Lens (FRA)
2. Abib Kolo Toure (10) Arsenal (ENG)
3. Didier Zokora (9) St. Etienne (FRA)
4. Cyrille Domoraud (9) Creteil (FRA)
5. Bonaventure Kalou (9) Paris St Germain (FRA)
6. Didier Drogba (9) Chelsea (ENG)
7. Tchiressoa Guel (9) Lorient (FRA)
8. Jean-Jacques Tizie (8) Esperance (TUN)
9. Arthur Boka (7) Racing Strasbourg (FRA)
10. Abdoulaye Meite (7) Olympique Marseille (FRA)
11. Gilles Yapi (6) Young Boys (SUI)
12. Blaise Kouassi (5) Troyes (FRA)
13. Siaka Tiene (5) St. Etienne (FRA)
14. Bakary Kone (5) Nice (FRA)
15. Marc Zoro (4) Messina (ITA)
16. Kanga Akale (4) Auxerre (FRA)
17. Arouna Kone (4) PSV Eindhoven (NED)
18. Serge Die (3) Kayseri Erciyesspor (TUR)
19. Guy Demel (3) Hamburg (GER)
20. Emerse Fae (3) Nantes (FRA)
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
Drogba Dindane
Y. Toure
A. Kone Zokora
Fae
Kouassi K. Toure Eboue Boka
Tizie
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Zigic Kezman
Stankovic
Koroman Duljaj
Djordjevic
GavrancicKrstajicVidicDragutinovic
Jevric
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
GROUP C: SERBIA & MONTENEGRO
Ilija Petkovic(60/Serbian/since 2003)Replaced former star player Dejan Savicevic three years ago and went on to secure qualification for the World Cup in Germany without a defeat. This is the second time the former international has been coach of his home country, having previously coached Troyes (France) and Servette (Switzerland).
Mateja Kezman(26/striker/Atletico Madrid)Kezman achieved his international breakthrough with PSV Eindhoven and moved to Chelsea in 2004. He was not a regular starter in England, though, and so moved to Atletico Madrid in Spain last year. Kezman is a quick and tricky player, but has yet to fully exploit his potential.
What isa defeat?
Serbia and Montenegro fans have
almost forgotten what it feels like to
lose a match. Th e side they call Plavi
(the Blues) last lost in June 2003.
Th at defeat against Azerbaijan in a
EURO 2004 qualifi er cost coach Dejan
Savicevic his job. Ilija Petkovic, another
former international, took over and
steered the team into calmer waters.
Under Petkovic’s stewardship, Serbia
and Montenegro, who as Yugoslavia
made numerous positive headlines in
international football up to 2003, have
yet to taste defeat in a competitive
match. En route to the World Cup in
Germany, they won six of their eight
games and conceded only one goal. “Th e
secret of our success is the harmony
in the team,” says Petkovic. Th e coach
can be particularly proud of a defence
in which goalkeeper Dragoslav Jevric
and captain Mladen Krstajic stand out.
Th e Serbia and Montenegro rearguard
has been among the best in Europe for
some time now. A number of leading
teams can vouch for that, having found
them an extremely tough nut to crack.
But Argentina, the Netherlands and
Cote d’Ivoire will not just be up against
a side that defends well, as Serbia and
Montenegro traditionally play an
elegant, attacking style of football. And
in Dejan Stankovic, Savo Milosevic,
Ognjen Koroman and Mateja Kezman,
for example, Petkovic has the right
players for the job. Th e Serbia and
Montenegro fans will expect a great deal
of their team at the World Cup, even
though they have been drawn against
tough opponents in Group C. Petkovic
is trying to dampen the euphoria that
is sweeping the country and the high
expectations of the fans: “We’ve got
a great team, but there’s still a lot of
work ahead of us before the start of the
World Cup. We can’t aff ord to rest on
the laurels of the good results during
qualifying – that would be fatal.” If they
do, Serbia and Montenegro may soon
fi nd out again what is like to lose.
Ognjen Koroman (left) wins the ball against Tunisia’s Ziad Jaziri.
… Raul was the only player to score against Serbia and Montenegro in the qualifying competition for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. The Spain striker found the target in the 1-1 draw in Belgrade on 7 Septem-ber 2005.
… Savo Milosevic and Dejan Stankovic are the only players in the current Serbia and Montenegro squad who represented Yugoslavia at the 1998 World Cup. Milose-vic featured in two matches at the tourna-ment in France, Stankovic in three.
… Coach Ilija Petkovic took part in two major competitions as a player. In 1968 he was in the Yugoslavia team that reached the final of the European Championship, and in 1974 he played in the World Cup finals in West Germany, scoring one of the goals in a 9-0 win over Zaire during the group stage.
… Zvonimir Vukic scored the very first World Cup qualifying goal for Serbia and Mon-tenegro in the fourth minute of a 3-0 win over San Marino on 4 September 2004.
1. Goran Gavrancic (10) Dynamo Kiev (UKR)
2. Dragoslav Jevric (10) Ankaraspor (TUR)
3. Mladen Krstajic (9) Schalke (GER)
4. Dejan Stankovic (9) Inter Milan (ITA)
5. Ognjen Koroman (9) Portsmouth (ENG)
6. Igor Duljaj (9) Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
7. Nemanja Vidic (8) Manchester United
(ENG)
8. Ivica Dragutinovic (8) Sevilla (ESP)
9. Zvonimir Vukic (8) Partizan Belgrade
10. Mateja Kezman (7) Atletico Madrid (ESP)
11. Savo Milosevic (7) Osasuna (ESP)
12. Predrag Djordjevic (6) Olympiakos (GRE)
13. Dragan Mladenovic (5) Red Star Belgrade
14. Danijel Ljuboja (4) Stuttgart (GER)
15. Nikola Zigic (4) Red Star Belgrade
16. Sasa Ilic (4) Galatasaray (TUR)
17. Marjan Markovic (3) Dynamo Kiev (UKR)
18. Nenad Jestrovic (3) Al Ain (UAE)
19. Nenad Brnovic (3) Partizan Belgrade
20. Albert Nadj (2) Partizan Belgrade
San Marino v. Serbia & Montenegro 0-3Bosnia & Herzegovina v. Serbia & Montenegro 0-0Serbia & Montenegro v. San Marino 5-0Belgium v. Serbia and Montenegro 0-2Serbia & Montenegro v. Spain 0-0Serbia & Montenegro v. Belgium 0-0Serbia & Montenegro v. Lithuania 2-0Spain v. Serbia & Montenegro 1-1Lithuania v. Serbia & Montenegro 0-2Serbia & Montenegro v. Bosnia & Herzegovina 1-0
Top scorer:Mateja Kezman, 5
1930 Uruguay 4th
1950 Brazil 5th
1954 Switzerland 7th
1958 Sweden 5th
1962 Chile 4th
1974 Germany 7th
1982 Spain 16th
1990 Italy 5th
1998 France 10th
Most World Cup matches:Dragan Stojkovic (1990, 1998), Ivica Surjak (1974, 1982), Dragoslav Sekularac (1958, 1962), 9 each
Top World Cup scorer:Drazen Jerkovic, 4 (1962)
All-time World Cup ranking:11th (37 matches, 16 wins, 8 draws, 13 defeats, 60 goals for, 46 goals against).
Serbia & Montenegro
Area: 102,173 km²Population: 8.1 millionCapital: Belgrade (1.3 million)Association: Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro (FSSCG)Founded: 1919FIFA member since: 1919Website: www.fsj.co.yuNumber of players: 473,500Number of clubs: 2,800Number of teams: 7,500
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances(as Yougoslavia)
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Van Nistelrooy RobbenKuyt
Van der Vaart Cocu Van Bommel
KromkampBoulahrouzOpdamVan Bronckhorst
Van der Sar
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
GROUP C: NETHERLANDS
Van Basten wants the trophy
Marco van Basten was once one of the
world’s best strikers. He won practically
everything there is to win in the game
– except the World Cup. Now coach
of the Netherlands, he is out to fi ll the
gap in his medal collection in Germany:
“We’re going to the World Cup with the
aim of lifting the trophy”.
Van Basten’s statement has nothing to
do with overestimating his own ability,
even though you have to go back quite
some time to fi nd the best years of the
Dutch national team – World Cup
fi nalists in 1974 and 1978 – and even
though they failed to reach the fi nals in
2002 and were eliminated from EURO
2004 at the semi-fi nal stage. Van Basten
is full of confi dence and belief. And he
has every reason to be so. After all, the
team he inherited from Dick Advocaat
after EURO 2004 dominated their
qualifying group more or less at will.
Even renowned opposition such as the
Czech Republic and Romania were
left trailing in the wake of their Dutch
counterparts, who at times played with
unreserved abandon. Ten wins and two
draws in twelve matches and a goal
diff erence of 27-3 is a clear indication
of the superiority of the 1988 European
champions.
Under Van Basten’s reign the Dutch
have played an attractive, attacking brand
of football. Th ey have an outstanding
squad blessed with an abundance of
technical ability, tactical awareness and
intelligence. Van Basten appears to have
found the ideal mix of experienced
players who are capable of maintaining
their composure under pressure and
carefree young talent who breathe new
life into the team.
Th e Netherlands may have been drawn
with Argentina, Serbia and Montenegro
and Cote d’Ivoire in the “group of
death”, but the Dutch coach does not
feel it is a disadvantage: “I’m not worried
about having to play three technically
strong attacking sides to begin with. At
least we know what we’re up against.”
Th e thought of stumbling at one of these
considerable obstacles does not even
enter Van Basten’s mind. Even bumpy
roads will lead you to your goal, which
for the Netherlands is Berlin, the venue
for the World Cup fi nal on 9 July.
1. Edwin van der Sar (12 mat.) Manchester United (ENG)
2. Dirk Kuyt (11) Feyenoord
3. Ruud van Nistelrooy (10) Manchester United (ENG)
4. Giovanni v. Bronckhorst (10) Barcelona (ESP)
5. Denny Landzaat (10) AZ Alkmaar
6. Rafael van der Vaart (9) Hamburg (GER)
7. Phillip Cocu (8) PSV Eindhoven
8. Khalid Boulahrouz (7) Hamburg (GER)
9. Wesley Sneijder (7) Ajax
10. Nigel de Jong (7) Hamburg (GER)
11. Hedwiges Maduro (7) Ajax
12. Barry Opdam (6) AZ Alkmaar
13. Arjen Robben (6) Chelsea (ENG)
14. Marc van Bommel (6) Barcelona (ESP)
15. Robin van Persie (6) Arsenal (ENG)
16. Romeo Castelen (5) Feyenoord
17. John Heitinga (4) Ajax
18. Jan Kromkamp (4) Liverpool (ENG)
19. Edgar Davids (4) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
20. Roy Makaay (4) Bayern Munich (GER)
Will Dirk Kuyt have cause for celebration at
the World Cup in Germany?
… The Netherlands became the first nation to lose two consecutive World Cup finals, losing 2-1 to hosts West Germany in 1974 and 3-1 after extra-time to hosts Argentina in 1978. West Germany also lost two consecutive World Cup finals, in 1982 (against Italy) and 1986 (against Argentina).
… The Netherlands did not concede a goal in nine of their qualifying matches. Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar remained unbeaten for a total of 887 minutes.
… The Netherlands were eliminated by Brazil in each of their last two World Cup appearances, going down 3-2 in the quarter-final in 1994 and losing on penalties in the 1998 semi-final.
… Marco van Basten never scored at the World Cup. The former world-class striker bagged 24 goals for the Netherlands in World Cup qualifiers, but none in the finals. Van Basten made a total of five World Cup appearances, all in Italy in 1990.
Marco van Basten(41/Dutch/since 2004)One of the best strikers the world has ever seen. Won the European Cham-pionship once and the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) three times. The former AC Milan and Ajax striker is in his fi rst job as head coach, having previously been assistant youth-team coach. Van Basten favours an attacking style of football.
Ruud van Nistelrooy(29/striker/Manchester United)A guaranteed scorer of goals, many of them outstanding. A spectacular and very effi cient striker. Unpredictable, with practically no weaknesses. Van Nistelrooy has played at the top level for Manchester United and the nati-onal team for many years. He is very popular with fans not only because of his many goals, but also because of his natural personality.
Netherlands v. Czech Republic 2-0Macedonia v. Netherlands 2-2Netherlands v. Finland 3-1Andorra v. Netherlands 0-3Romania v. Netherlands 0-2Netherlands v. Armenia 2-0Netherlands v. Romania 2-0Finland v. Netherlands 0-4Armenia v. Netherlands 0-1Netherlands v. Andorra 4-0Czech Republic v. Netherlands 0-2Netherlands v. Macedonia 0-0
Top scorer:Ruud van Nistelrooy, 7
1934 Italy 9th
1938 France 14th
1974 Germany 2nd
1978 Argentina 2nd
1990 Italy 15th
1994 USA 7th
1998 France 4th
Most World Cup matches:Ruud Krol (1974, 1978), Wim Jansen (1974, 1978), Johnny Rep (1974, 1978), 14 each
Top World Cup scorer:Jonny Rep, 7 (1974, 1978)
All-time World Cup ranking:9th
(32 matches, 14 wins, 9 draws,9 defeats, 56 goals for, 36 goals against).
Netherlands
Area: 41,526 km²Population: 16.2 millionCapital: Amsterdam (737,000)Association: Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond (KNVB)Founded: 1889FIFA member since: 1904Website: www.knvb.nlNumber of players: 1,260,900Number of clubs: 4,100Number of teams: 58,900
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
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THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
GROUP D: MEXICO
The eternal “dark horses”
Mexico are always the “dark horses” at
the World Cup, but their chances of
living up to their fans’ expectations have
rarely been this good. Coach Ricardo
La Volpe has put together a solid team
made up largely of players who have
been together for years. At last year’s
FIFA Confederations Cup, Mexico
fi nished fourth after some quite inspiring
performances, and they strolled through
qualifying in the CONCACAF zone
with their customary air of confi dence
to reach the World Cup fi nals for the
13th time.
Mexico’s strengths lie partly in their
tactical discipline. Each player knows
exactly what he has to do on the pitch,
playing his part in both attack and
defence. Added to this is the individual
class of some members of the squad.
Jared Borgetti is one of the most effi cient
goalscorers around, and Rafael Marquez is
a central defender of outstanding ability.
Attacking midfi elder Jaime Lozano is
always a threat from freekicks and the
experienced Cuauhtemoc Blanco, a
crafty and gifted striker, is the ideal
player to have in reserve. Th e attacking
department is headed by playmaker
Zinha, who was born in Brazil and later
became a Mexican citizen.
So what can prevent Mexico from
doing well in Germany? Possibly the
high expectations of the media or the
constant harping of former players such
as Hugo Sanchez, who never misses
an opportunity to criticise La Volpe in
public. Plus, at the Confederations Cup,
Germany had a clear physical edge over
the Mexicans during extratime in the
play-off for third place.
Most of the Mexican squad are on the
books of home-based clubs, where wages
are comparatively high. Only Borgetti,
who joined Bolton Wanderers in 2005,
and Marquez (Barcelona) play in Europe.
But La Volpe’s squad contains a number
of players who could play themselves
into the reckoning of European teams.
To do so, they will have to do well in
Germany.
Elegant: playmaker Zinha.
… Jared Borgetti (14 goals) was the leading scorer during qualifying. In the all-time ranking, he now holds third place behind Iran’s Daei (30) and Japan’s Miura (21).
… In 1986, Mexico became the first host nation to be knocked out of the World Cup finals without losing a game. They secured three wins and two draws before going out to West Germany after a penalty shootout in the quarter-final.
… Mexico and Portugal have played each other only once to date (in 1969). The match ended goalless.
… Mexico have come up against anAfrican team just once at the WorldCup. In Argentina in 1978, they lost 3-1to Tunisia and were thus involved in apiece of football history, as it was thefirst ever World Cup win by an African side.
1. Jared Borgetti (14 matches) Bolton Wanderers (ENG)
2. Oswaldo Sanchez (12) Guadalajara
3. Carlos Salcido (12) Guadalajara
4. Zinha (12) Toluca
5. Francisco Rodriguez (11) Guadalajara
6. Rafael Marquez (11) Barcelona (ESP)
7. Jose Fonseca (11) Cruz Azul
8. Jaime Lozano (11) Tigres
9. Luis Perez (11) Monterrey
10. Gonzalo Pineda (10) Pumas
11. Ricardo Osorio (8) Cruz Azul
12. Pavel Pardo (8) America
13. Alberto Medina (8) Guadalajara
14. Hector Altamirano (7) San Luis
15. Mario Mendez (7) Toluca
16. Ramon Morales (7) Tigres
17. Hugo Sanchez (6) Tigres
18. Salvador Carmona (5) Cruz Azul
19. Juan Pablo Rodríguez (5) UAG
20. Cuauhtemoc Blanco (5) America
Dominican Republic v. Mexico 0-10Mexico v. Dominican Republic 8-0Trinidad and Tobago v. Mexico 1-3Mexico v. St Vincent & Grenadines 7-0St Vincent & Grenadines v. Mexico 0-1Mexico v. Trinidad and Tobago 3-0St Kitts and Nevis v. Mexico 0-5Mexico v. St Kitts and Nevis 8-0Costa Rica v. Mexico 1-2Mexico v. USA 2-1Panama v. Mexico 1-1Guatemala v. Mexico 0-2Mexico v. Trinidad and Tobago 2-0Mexico v. Costa Rica 2-0USA v. Mexico 2-0Mexico v. Panama 5-0Mexico v. Guatemala 5-2Trinidad and Tobago v. Mexico 2-1
Top scorer:Jared Borgetti, 14
1930 Uruguay 13th
1950 Brazil 12th
1954 Switzerland 13th
1958 Sweden 16th
1962 Chile 11th
1966 England 12th
1970 Mexico 6th
1978 Argentina 16th
1986 Mexico 6th
1994 USA 13th
1998 France 13th
2002 Japan/Korea 11th
Most World Cup matches:Antonio Carbajal, 11 (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966)
Top World Cup scorer: Luis Hernandez, 4 (1998)
All-time World Cup ranking: 13th (41 matches, 10 wins, 11 draws, 20 defeats, 43 goals for, 79 goals against).
MexicoArea: 1,953,162 km²Population: 102.3 millionCapital: Mexico City (8.7 million)Association: Federacion Mexicana de Futbol Asociacion, A.C. (FMF)Website: www.femexfut.org.mxFounded: 1927FIFA member since: 1929Number of players: 7.4 millionNumber of clubs: 1,493Number of teams: 20,000
Ricardo La Volpe (54/Argentinian/since 2002)Member of the Argentina squad that won the World Cup in 1978 – as third-choice goalkeeper. He is considered to be an advocate of attacking football and regularly uncovers new talent. He occasionally has diffi culty controlling his temper, though, which has caused him problems more than once. This is one reason why his position is constantly called into question by the Mexican media, despite his successful record.
Jared Borgetti (32/striker/Bolton Wanderers)The most prolif ic goalscorer in qualifying matches for the 2006 World Cup, fi nding the net 14 times. In 69 games for his country so far, he has scored 35 goals – a Mexican record. Borgetti is an agile striker with a knack for being in the right place at the right time and he is extremely strong in the air. His move to Europe came at a relatively late stage of his career, but he settled down surprisingly quickly at his new club, Bolton Wanderers.
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
O. Sanchez
Salcido F. Rodriguez Marquez Osorio
Perez
ZinhaPardo
Lozano
Fonseca Borgetti
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Daei Hashemian
Karimi
NekounamAlavi
Zandi
Rezaei Nosrati Golmohammadi Mahdavikia
Mirzapour
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
GROUP D: IRAN
Branko Ivankovic (51/Croatian/since 2001)When Croatia achieved a surprising third-place fi nish on their World Cup debut in 1998, Ivankovic was the assis-tant to head coach Miroslav Blazevic. He subsequently followed Blazevic to Iran before assuming sole responsibility for the national team in 2001. “I’ve been given enough time to teach the players my football philosophy,” is how he explains his success with Iran.
Ali Karimi (27/midfi elder/Bayern Munich)A quick and strong dribbler, Karimi has a huge repertoire of tricks and qualities as a playmaker and a goalscorer. The Asian footballer of the year in 2004 is not renowned for being overly keen on training, but this has not prevented him from making the breakthrough at Bayern Munich, even if he has not been a regular starter. Karimi suffered a ligament injury in March and has since missed several games.
Iran v. Qatar 3-1Laos v. Iran 0-7Iran v. Jordan 0-1Jordan v. Iran 0-2Qatar v. Iran 2-3Iran v. Laos 7-0Bahrain v. Iran 0-0Iran v. Japan 2-1Korea DPR v. Iran 0-2Iran v. Korea DPR 1-0Iran v. Bahrain 1-0Japan v. Iran 2-1
Top scorer:Ali Daei, 9
1978 Argentina 14th
1998 France 20th
Most World Cup matches:10 players with 3 matches each (1978 and 1998)
Top World Cup scorers:Hassan Rowshan and Iraj Danaifar (1978), Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia (1998), 1 each
All-time World Cup ranking:48th
(6 matches, 1 win, 1 draw,4 defeats, 4 goals for, 12 goals against).
Iran
Area: 1,648,000 km²Population: 66.4 millionCapital: Tehran (7 million)Association: IR Iran Football Federation (IRIFF)Website: www.iriff.irFounded: 1920FIFA member since: 1945Number of players: 797,800Number of clubs: 2,535Number of teams: 16,800
Underdogs in their adopted country
Iran will travel to Germany full of
confi dence. Branko Ivankovic’s team
proved extremely consistent during the
World Cup qualifi ers, losing only two
matches, and defeat in their fi nal game
in Japan had no bearing whatsoever on
their place in the fi nals.
Iran will be competing at the World
Cup fi nals for the third time, and this
year they have a good chance of playing
more than a minor role. In comparison
with Mexico and Portugal, they are, of
course, rank outsiders. But with the traits
inherent in Ivankovic’s team, Iran will be
dangerous opponents for their group
rivals. Th e defensive organiser in the team
is Javad Nekounam, who despite off ers
from England and Germany, still plays
in Asia. Th e host nation is the favourite
destination for Iranian players. Nimble
wing-back Mehdi Mahdavikia plays his
football for Hamburg, while midfi eld
strategist Ali Karimi is now with Bayern
Munich. Ferydoon Zandi, who grew
up in Germany, is at Kaiserslautern,
while aerial specialist and striker
Vahid Hashemian (“We have a lot to
thank Germany for”) leads the line for
Hannover 96. Moharram Navidkia
returned to his home country on loan
from Bochum in January to gain match
practice before the World Cup, and
robust striker Ali Daei, once again Iran’s
leading scorer in the qualifi ers, enjoyed
the best spell of his career with Bayern
Munich. All these players have been
able to gain valuable experience abroad
that is now benefi ting the national
team. But nobody can aff ord to rest on
the laurels of their previous exploits, as
a new generation of players is making
their presence felt.
Iran’s football is characterised by the
technical ability of the players and the
speed of their passing. Any shortcomings
are to be found on the physical side.
Daei is certainly not as strong as he
was a few years ago, but anyone who
underestimates them could be in for an
unpleasant surprise.
1. Hossein Kabei (12 matches) Al-Sadd Doha (QAT)
2. Javad Nekounam (12) Al-Sharjah (UAE)
3. Yahya Golmohammadi (11) Saba Batry Tehran
4. Ebrahim Mirzapour (11) Foolad Ahvaz
5. Ali Karimi (11) Bayern Munich (GER)
6. Mohammad Nosrati (11) Pas Tehran
7. Ali Daei (10) Saba Batry Tehran
8. Alireza Vahedi (9) Al-Wasl Dubai (UAE)
9. Mehdi Mahdavikia (8) Hamburg (GER)
10. Rahman Rezaei (8) Messina (ITA)
11. Vahid Hashemian (7) Hannover 96 (GER)
12. Seyed Alavi (6) Foulad Ahvaz
13. Ferydoon Zandi (5) Kaiserslautern (GER)
14. Moharram Navidkia (5) Sepahan Isfahan
15. Eman Mobali (5) Foolad Ahvaz
16. Arash Borhani (5) Pas Tehran
17. Ali Badavi (4) Foolad Ahvaz
18. Sattar Zare (4) Bargh Shiraz
19. Jalal Kameli (3) Foolad Ahvaz
20. Javad Kazemeyan (3) Pirouzi Tehran
… Three Iranian players who featured in the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup finals were also in the squad at the 1998 World Cup in France: Ali Daei, Khodadad Azzizi and Mehdi Mahdavikia.
… Branko Ivankovic is the first foreign coach to lead Iran to the World Cup finals.
… Iran scored the most goals (29) in the Asian qualifying zone.
… The Iranian team has conceded at least one goal in each of its six World Cup matches to date.
… Iran have never played Angola and they lost 3-0 to Portugal in 1972 in the only match between the teams so far. In 2000, Iran went down 2-1 in a friendly against Mexico, with Daei scoring their only goal.
Hashemian, Nekounam and Zandi celebrate a goal for Iran.
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
JUNE/JULY 2006 JUNE/JULY 20069090
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THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
Highlight on 11 June
Luis De Oliveira Goncalves is now so
popular in Angola that supporters of
the national team are demanding the
coach be given the job for life. Ever
since Angola overcame Rwanda 1-0 in
the fi nal qualifying match to reach the
World Cup fi nals for the fi rst time in
their history, a massive wave of euphoria
has been sweeping the west African
country.
De Oliveira Goncalves is all too
familiar with the limited opportunities
available to the Angolan FA, having
worked as a youth-team coach before
being given the senior job. On his
promotion, he set about searching
Portugal for young, talented players
with Angolan roots. In March 2006,
for example, he managed to persuade
Pedro Emanuel to commit to the Black
Antelopes. Emanuel is a regular fi xture
in the centre of the Porto defence and
a welcome boost for the World Cup
debutants.
For Angola, the highlight of the
tournament in Germany will doubtless
arrive on 11 June when they take on
Portugal in Cologne. Th eir hopes of
causing a sensation (a draw would suffi ce)
will rest largely on a solid defence and the
ability of their strike pairing, Akwa and
Mantorras. Th e latter plays for Benfi ca,
and although he is not a major star, he
does make regular appearances for the
famous Portuguese club.
Angola may be rank outsiders in
Germany, but no one gave them a
chance of qualifying either. In the end,
they fi nished ahead of Nigeria, taking
four points from their two clashes
with their more illustrious opponents.
Nevertheless, they will have to play well
above themselves to avoid elimination at
the end of the group stage.
De Oliveira Goncalves will be without
the player he relied on most during
qualifying, though, as Yamba Asha failed
a drugs test in October 2005 and was
handed a worldwide ban by FIFA that
will be in place until 8 August 2006.
1. Yamba Asha (12 mat.) AS Aviacao
2. Andre (11) Al-Kuwait (KUW)
3. Gilberto (11) Al Ahly (EGY)
4. Jamba (10) AS Aviacao
5. Joao Pereira (10) Moreirense (POR)
6. Figueiredo (10) SC Varzim (POR)
7. Kali (9) FC Barreirense (POR)
8. Flavio (9) Al Ahly (EGY)
9. Akwa (8) Al-Wakra (QAT)
10. Maurito (8) Al-Wahda (UAE)
11. Love (8) AS Aviacao
12. Ze Kalanga (8) Petro Atletico
13. Jacinto (7) AS Aviacao
14. Freddy (7) Moreirense (POR)
15. Mendonca (6) SC Varzim
16. Mauro (4) Estrela Amadora (POR)
17. Lebo Lebo (3) Sagrada Esperanca
18. Loco (3) Benfi ca Luanda
19. Mantorras (3) Benfi ca (POR)
20. Lopes (3) Petro Atletico
GROUP D: ANGOLA
Chad v. Angola 3-1Angola v. Chad 2-0Algeria v. Angola 0-0Angola v. Nigeria 1-0Gabon v. Angola 2-2Angola v. Rwanda 1-0Angola v. Zimbabwe 1-0Zimbabwe v. Angola 2-0Angola v. Algeria 2-1Nigeria v. Angola 1-1Angola v. Gabon 3-0Rwanda v. Angola 0-1
Top scorer:Fabrice Akwa, 5
-
Most World Cup matches:-
Top World Cup scorer:-
All-time World Cup ranking:-
Angola
Area: 1,246,700 km²Population: 13.5 millionCapital: Luanda (2.7 million)Association: Federacao Angolana de Futebol (F.A.F.)Website: www.fafutebol.comFounded: 1979FIFA member since: 1980Number of players: 43,000Number of clubs: 100Number of teams: 500
Luis De Oliveira Goncalves(48/Angolan/since 2003)Previously coached the AngolanU-20 team, with whom he reachedthe round of 16 at the FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina in 2001. “Angola is not a third-world country in footballing terms,” saysDe Oliveira Goncalves, who prefers a more defensive, well-organised brand of football. His system does notfeature a genuine attacking midfi eld general.
Fabrice Akwa(28/striker/Al-Wakra)The Angolan captain signed for Ben-fi ca as a junior but failed to make the breakthrough in Portugal. In 1998, he moved to Qatar and has been one of the most prolifi c goalscorers there ever since. Akwa scored fi ve times in the qualifying competition, including the all-important goal that secured a 1-0 victory over Rwanda in the fi nal game. Akwa was a youth player under Angola coach Luis De Oliveira Goncalves.
… Angola did not take part in a World Cup qualifying competition until 1986.
… The west African team has not lost a home World Cup qualifier in 18 matches. Their last defeat on home soil came against Cameroon in 1989 (1-2).
… Germany 2006 will be the third World Cup in succession in which an Asian side has faced an African team in the group stage.
… Three of the players in the 2006 World Cup squad were members of the side that reached the round of 16 at the FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina in 2001 (Gilberto, Mantorras and Mendonca).
… Of the 15 goals scored by Angola during qualifying, only four came in the first half.
… S ince 1977, Ango la have p layed non-African opposition on just four occasions (Portugal, Cuba, Korea Republic, Japan).
Acrobatic: Angolan
midfi elder Maurito.
Fabrice Akwa.
Did you know?
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
Mantorras Akwa
Maurito
Figueiredo Gilberto
Andre
Kali Pedro Emanuel Jamba Jacinto
Joao Pereira
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Figo
Pauleta
Deco
Costinha Maniche
Ronaldo
MiguelCarvalhoAndradeFerreira
Ricardo
THE 32 TEAMS
PLAYERS
Likely line-up
The top 20 by qualifying match appearances
THE COACH AND THE STAR
GROUP D: PORTUGAL
Spectacular wingers
Portugal have long put defeat in the
2004 European Championship fi nal on
home soil behind them and will travel
to Germany oozing confi dence having
come through the qualifying competition
unbeaten. Th is current Portugal side has
all the experience needed to progress to
the latter stages of the tournament.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s squad does not
have any obvious weaknesses. Goalkeeper
Ricardo has provided ample evidence of
his value, while the back line in front
of him is made up of four players who
are all on the books of foreign clubs.
Defensive organiser Ricardo Carvalho
had an outstanding EURO 2004 and
now plays for Chelsea alongside Paulo
Ferreira, who was recently dubbed the
“best defender in the world” by club
manager Jose Mourinho. Miguel, a
nimble full-back, and the experienced
Jorge Andrade complete the defensive
line-up.
Playmaker Rui Costa is no longer
available in midfi eld, although he had
already been replaced by Deco during
EURO 2004. Unlike his predecessor,
whose game is geared solely for attack, the
native Brazilian is a two-way player with
strengths going forward and dropping
back. On the fl anks, Portugal boast
some spectacular talent with Cristiano
Ronaldo and the returning Luis Figo
more than capable of unhinging any
defence. Behind them, Simao, who had
a great season with Benfi ca, is patiently
awaiting his chance. Up front, Pauleta
operates as a lone striker. Although he
has an exceptional goalscoring record,
he has never quite managed to justify
his reputation as a marksman at a major
tournament. Th is is the only position
where Scolari does not have two players
with the same qualities. Pauleta’s stand-
in Nuno Gomes is a completely diff erent
type of forward. He is mobile, but does
not have the same physical attributes as
Pauleta.
For Pauleta, Luis Figo and Costinha,
the World Cup looks set to be their
swansong in the national team. Th ey
will be doing their utmost to end their
international career on a high.
1. Jorge Andrade (12 matches) Deportivo La Coruna (ESP)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (12) Manchester United (ENG)
3. Pauleta (12) Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
4. Ricardo (11) Sporting Lisbon
5. Deco (11) Barcelona (ESP)
6. Maniche (11) Chelsea (ENG)
7. Ricardo Carvalho (9) Chelsea (ENG)
8. Paulo Ferreira (9) Chelsea (ENG)
9. Costinha (9) Dynamo Moscow (RUS)
10. Simao Sabrosa (8) Benfi ca
11. Helder Postiga (8) Porto
12. Petit (7) Benfi ca
13. Luis Figo (6) Inter Milan (ITA)
14. Tiago (6) Olympique Lyon (FRA)
15. Nuno Valente (5) Everton (ENG)
16. Caneira (4) Valencia (ESP)
17. Miguel (4) Valencia (ESP)
18. Nuno Gomes (4) Benfi ca
19. Luis Boa Morte (4) Fulham (ENG)
20. Fernando Meira (3) Stuttgart (GER)
Latvia v. Portugal 0-2Portugal v. Estonia 4-0Liechtenstein v. Portugal 2-2Portugal v. Russia 7-1Luxembourg v. Portugal 0-5Slovakia v. Portugal 1-1Portugal v. Slovakia 2-0Estonia v. Portugal 0-1Portugal v. Luxembourg 6-0Russia v. Portugal 0-0Portugal v. Liechtenstein 2-1Portugal v. Latvia 3-0
Top scorer:Pauleta, 11
1966 England 3rd
1986 Mexico 17th
2002 Japan/Korea 21st
Most World Cup matches:Eusebio, Coluna, Hilario, Graca, Simoes, Torres, Augusto, all 6 (1966)
Top World Cup scorer:Eusebio, 9 (1966)
All-time World Cup ranking:28th (12 matches, 7 wins, 5 defeats,
25 goals for, 16 goals against).
PortugalArea: 92,345 km2
Population: 10.4 millionCapital: Lisbon (520,000)Association: Federacao Portuguesa de Futebol (FPF)Website: www.fpf.ptFounded: 1914FIFA member since: 1923Number of players: 291,000Number of clubs: 2,530Number of teams: 10,400
Luiz Felipe Scolari(57/Brazilian/since 2002)
Led Brazil to World Cup triumph in
2002 and Portugal to the European
Championship fi nal two years later (0-1
against Greece). Scolari resolutely goes
his own way and is not afraid to leave
star players on the bench. Rumours
abound, however, that this headstrong
yet equally successful coach is eyeing a
return to club football.
Luis Figo(33/winger/Inter Milan)
In spite of competition from Cristiano
Ronaldo and Deco, Figo remains the most
popular player in Portugal. The elegant
winger now turns on the style in the
colours of Inter Milan, having previously
enjoyed many successful years at Barce-
lona and Real Madrid. Figo retired from
international football after EURO 2004,
but has since enjoyed an impressive
comeback.
… Portugal have not drawn any of their twelve World Cup matches to date, having registered seven wins and five defeats.
… The Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari is the second coach to have won the World Cup (2002 with Brazil) and then taken charge of a different team at the fol-lowing tournament. His “predecessor” is compatriot Carlos Alberto Parreira, who lifted the trophy with Brazil in 1994 and then contested the 1998 finals with Saudi Arabia.
… Portugal are one of seven European teams who qualified for the World Cup in Germany without tasting defeat, scoring the highest average number of goals in the process (2.92). Pauleta was the leading marksman in the European zone with eleven goals.
… Portugal share the record with the Netherlands for the number of penalties scored at a World Cup. At the tourna-ment in 1966, Eusebio converted four spot kicks.
Spectacular goingforward: Portugal’sCristiano Ronaldo.
Pauleta.
Preliminary competition
Previous World Cup appearances
Did you know?