World Cup Group D Preview

It's been a long, busy day so hopefully this stands up to my shockingly good work on the first three groups. Group D has one clear favorite in Germany and then three solid teams competing for the next spot. Germany is the clear class of the group while Australia showed in the last World Cup it's capable of playing with anyone. Ghana will have a bit of a home-field advantage and is a popular choice to make a deep run in the tournament. Serbia is competing in its first World Cup since first breaking away from Yugoslavia and then dropping Montenegro, which always seemed to be the half that was holding Serbia & Montenegro back from true world dominance. This may turn out to be the most entertaining group in the tournament.


Australia
Australians are pretty likeable to begin with, and this team is named the Socceroos, which is even more likeable. What would be even more awesome is if they'd somehow incorporate a kangaroo into the team, but for now we'll take what we can get. In 2006, Australia advanced out of group play and then lost on a controversial penalty kick to Italy in the second round. Almost the exact same group of players is back, which could be good, or not so good. Australia lost to the United States on Saturday, allowing three goals, which isn't a good sign for a team that relies on defense. Australia allowed just one goal in eight qualifying matches as it was the first team to qualify for South Africa. With Germany and Ghana dealing with injuries to their stars, things may be open for Australia to get through once again.
Coach: Pim Verbeek. Pim and the Socceroos sounds like a cartoon. He took over in December of '07 after previously coaching South Korea. Pim likes his defense and loads up on the back line, hoping to counter attack. This is a team that has played together for awhile, so there shouldn't be too much managing to do. He's already announced he's leaving the team after the World Cup to take over Morocco's youth program. I'd probably never leave Australia if I was there, but that's just me. Pim is his own man.
Players to Watch
Harry Kewell: Harry Kewell kind of sounds like a film noir detective or criminal. He was a dangerous scorer early in his career but has slowed down. He left Liverpool to join Galatasaray to try to keep his career going, but injuries are catching up and he's not the same attacking player he once was.
Brett Emerton: A versatile player who can play both in the back and at mid, he's likely to be more of an attacking player in South Africa. Has played at a high level for Blackburn in the EPL and is one of Australia's most accomplished players.
Tim Cahill: Probably Australia's most dangerous scorer, though he generally does it more with his head than his feet. An attacking center midfielder who has reached double figures in goals for Everton for the last two years, if Australia scores a key goal, it's likely Cahill who did it.
Lucas Neill: The team's captain since 2006, he followed Kewell to Galatasaray after playing in the EPL for years. A tough center defender who anchors the defense, he also committed the penalty against Italy in '06, so he'll try to erase that memory.
Craig Moore: I had a doctor named Craig Moore once. I didn't get the sense he was a soccer player, though. This Craig Moore is a highly experienced player who joins Neill at center defense and generally organizes the back line.
Mark Schwarzer: Has been the top Australian keeper for like 50 years, despite his being only 38. He's been one of the top keepers in the EPL for Fulham for awhile as well. He's 6-foot-5 and capable of making some big saves, and had seven shutouts in eight qualifying matches.
Brett Holman: One of several players competing to be the starting striker, he is not related in any way to former Mariner pitchers Brian or Brad Holman, though it seems like he could be.
Luke Wilkshire: Plays for Dynamo Moscow and will take over a starting defensive wing role, allowing Emerton to push forward.
Nikita Rukavytsya: How is this guy Australian? I mean, Nikita Rukavytsya? But he is, and might be one of the forwards, but probably not.
Jason Culina: A solid defensive midfielder, he'll be counted on to slow down some of the talented attacking players in the group.
Vince Grella: The Blackburn Rovers defensive midfielder will pair with Culina to provide defensive assistance, freeing up Kewell and Emerton to try to score. If they ever make a movie about his life, I bet John Travolta plays him, because Vince Grella sounds like the name of a guy John Travolta would play.


Germany
Here's the best story I've heard about Germany - or any other team. In a qualifying match against Wales last year, striker Lukas Podolski slapped team captain Michael Ballack after Ballack tolled Podolski to, "Move yourself!" Podolski was fined $7,000, apologized to Ballack and called himself an idiot. Oh those Germans.
That was just another in a line of troubles for Germany. In November, expected World Cup keeper Robert Enke committed suicide after being depressed over the death of his kid. Then they lost Ballack, the captain and best-known player, for the tournament with an injury. It's amazing that this team is still considered the favorite, but it is, a testament to the overall talent that Germany has. That's not a surprise, as Germany has qualified for every World Cup since 1954 and hasn't failed to get out of group play, winning the whole thing three times. Can they make it a fourth?
Coach: Joachim Low. An assistant coach four years ago, he's very organized and has helped the team through a tough period. There's always pressure on Germany, so Low has his work cut out but has talent to get far.
Players to Watch
Thomas Muller: Just 20-years-old, he's already considered one of the top young strikers in the world. At Bayern Munich, he sent German teammate Miroslav Klose to the bench and helped Bayern to the Champions League final, and led Bayern to the German league and cup championships. He's scored 19 goals this season and while he may not start, he'll surely see time.
Manuel Neuer: Not long ago, he was considered the third-string keeper. Now, with Enke's death and Rene Adler's injury, Neuer is the man. He was the keeper on the Under-21 team that won the 2009 European championship. Germany is always strong at keeper so the pressure is on Neuer to come through.
Miroslav Klose: In the 2006 Cup, Klose won the Golden Boot with five goals. Since then, things haven't gone as well as he lost his starting job with Bayern Munich. Still, he led Germany in scoring in qualifying and is always a dangerous threat.
Lukas Podolski: An idiot who is never afraid to slap a teammate, Podolski is also a dangerous scorer who scored three times in the 2006 World Cup when he was just 21. Podolski used his solid World Cup to move from Cologne to Bayern Munich, where he hardly played at all, so he slunk back to Cologne and only scored twice this season. But like Klose, he's very talented and could get hot in the tournament.
Bastian Schweinsteiger: The most German of Germans given his name, Schweinsteiger is being counted on to step into Ballack's spot as an attacking midfielder. Another Bayern Munich player, Schweinsteiger is as capable of scoring as he is creating, he's been one of the best players in the Bundesliga this season.
Mesut Ozil: One of the top younger players in the world, the creative midfielder from Werder Bremen could be the breakout star for Germany. Just 21, he could be the next in line of great German midfielders.


Ghana
Some people believe this team will be the one to bring the first World Cup title to Africa. Ghana made its World Cup debut in 2006 and advanced out of a group that included Italy, the U.S. and the Czech Republic. The country built on that success by winning the Under-20 World Cup last year, beating Brazil in the final, and reached the final of the African Nations Cup. This is clearly an emerging soccer power, but it will have to get by after the loss of team captain and Chelsea star Michael Essien to injury.
Coach: Milovan Rajevac. A Serbian who has coached here since 2008, he's brought a defensive balance to a traditionally offensive team. Now his challenge is to mix a group of youngsters who won the U-20 World Cup with a veteran group that played so well at the '06 World Cup.
Players to Watch
Kevin-Prince Boateng: Only recently switched his allegience from Germany to Ghana, he's never played for the Black Stars. But already he's seen as Essien's replacement, and made his mark by knocking German star Michael Ballack out of the tournament with a hard tackle in the FA Cup final.
Kwadwo Asamoah: Probably the best of Ghana's young players, he'll likely line up at midfield or could move up to serve as a third forward.
Lee Addy: A very popular player because he plays his club ball in Africa, he only started playing for his country last year but already is a starting back who came up big in the African Nations Cup. His name makes him sound like a mechanic.
Asamoah Gyan: A 24-year-old scoring machine who has 17 goals in 32 games for Ghana. Plays professionally in France, where he scored 13 goals for Rennes this year, he'll be Ghana's top scoring threat.
Eric Addo: Was supposed to be a key member of the defense but has hardly played at all at the club level in Holland and may have lost his starting job.


Serbia
Serbia somehow qualified for the 2006 World Cup despite having to carry Montenegro's butt but now that it's dropped it's ugly sister and has set out on its own, it could really be a country to be reckoned with. Serbia won a tough qualifying group that included France, Austria and Romania, so clearly this is a team that can play with most teams. This is a well-coached team with plenty of top European players and it wouldn't be a surprise if this team advances beyond group play. Also, keep an eye on defender Neven Subotic of Borussia Dortmund, a 21-year-old considered one of the top young defenders in the world. Oh, also, he grew up in Salt Lake City and was on the U.S. U-17 and U-20 teams but got cut from the 2007 U-20 World Cup team, so switched to Serbia, where his parents are from. Smooth move Coach Thomas Rongen, way to go.
Coach: Radonomir Antic. Antic is the main reason Serbia has been as good as it has been so quickly. An excellent tactician, he's the only man to have coached Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, which he led to the La Liga title in 1995-96. When he was hired, there was plenty of skepticism, but he's quieted that in a way only Radonomir Antic can.
Players to Watch
Dejan Stankovic: The captain and an outstanding all-around midfielder who can play inside or out and stars at Inter Milan. Had an excellent run with Inter to the Champions League title and, now in his 12th year with the national team, he's looking to wrap his career up on a high note.
Milan Jovanovic: Was not really a top option until two years ago, but now the winger is one of Serbia's top attacking players. Jovanovic led Serbia in scoring during qualification and his great play over the last season has led to his transfer to Liverpool next season.
Nemanja Vidic: Considered one of, if not the, best defender in the world, the center back stars at Manchester United. Vidic missed the 2006 World Cup with injury but has been ridiculously good throughout qualifying. Maybe the most important player on the team.
Milos Krasic: A fast winger who is the only Serbian to play in every qualifier, he had a great Champions League performance for CSKA Moscow. Could really have a breakout tournament in South Africa.
Branislav Ivanovic: Not an attractive player at all - and I don't mean his looks, I mean how he plays - but gets the job done in the back. The Chelsea defender is physical and tough and one of the keys to the Serbian defense.
Nikola Zigic: No one in the tournament will present a more imposing presence than the 6-foot-8 Zigic, who plays at Valencia. Unfortunately, he has not been a very good scoring option for his club or country, and he'll have to up that performance to have much value in South Africa.
Marko Pantelic: He'll step in at forward if Zigic can't do the job, but Pantelic is more of a passer than finisher, so that doesn't help much.
Nenad Milijas: A center midfielder who may be asked to provide a lot of defensive assistance, he'll have to work hard to keep up with Serbia's fast wings.