GROUP H REVIEW

The final group in the 2010 World Cup sees one of the favourites for the tournament, the multi-talented European Champions Spain, pitted with three teams who will most likely be battling it out for second spot. That battle, from first viewing, looks a tough one to call.

CHILE

Over a decade after a team spear-headed by the star players Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas, Chile have another team they should be proud of. There might not be the same kind of stars, but this team is more than the sum of its parts. Top scorers in qualifying in South America with 32 goals, experienced Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa has fostered a brilliant team spirit and got his country playing his exciting brand of attacking football. In goal will be Claudio Bravo, who plays regularly in Europe, albeit at Spainsh second division side Real Sociedad. In defence, Bielsa will stick with his adventurous three at the back system. This will be Waldo Ponce, Gary Medel, and West Brom's Gonzalo Jara. However, there were form and fitness worries over all three, and this will worry Bielsa. Mauricio Isla, the young Udinese defender, offers versatility and can play in a number of different positions, and Pablo Contreras's experience will come in handy in South Africa. In midfield, there will be three in conventional positions and one behind the striker and position on. The brilliantly named Jean Beausejour will be on the right, offering plenty of pace and width; Rodrigo Millar will be in the engine room, and Arturo Vidal, an impressive presence in Bayer Leverkusen's impressive form this season, will provide width on the right. He is also very versatile, and can be a useful defensive player as well. Matias Fernandez, the Sporting Lisbon playmaker, will be expected to provide a lot of the creativity behind the front three. A brilliant dribbler, he also strikes a mean free-kick. Jorge Valdivia and Rodrigo Tello provide other options. The front three, though, are where the real quality in this Chilean team lies. On the right, there is the very highly rated Alexis Sanchez, the Udinese winger. Speedy and skillful, he also provides a goal threat and seems to have a bright future ahead of him. The spearhead of the time, though, is striker Humberto Suazo. He scored ten goals in qualifying, finishing as joint top scorer with Brzail's Luis Fabiano, and earnt himself a loan move to La Liga side Real Zaragoza in the process. Something of a late developer, moving to Europe for the first time at 29, he is nevertheless big, strong and powerful, and will be Chile's main goal threat in South Africa. He will be flanked on the left by Mark Gonzalez, and it will be an intriguing prospect to see if he's got over his Liverpool nightmare. Nicknamed 'speedy' for a reason, once he's gone he's hard to catch. He also delviers a good cross, and is a real goal threat from long range. He will be especially keen to impress, due to the fact he was born in South Africa and lived there until he was ten. His dad Raul was playing football in South Africa. Two of his teammates were Mark Tovey and Dennis Wicks, which is how Gonzalez got his first and middle names. He will be disappointed Chile won't be playing in Durban in their group matches, the city he gre up in. There is undoubted ability in this Chile squad, and Bielsa may be the man to bring it out of them. They qualified comfortably, finishing second only to Brazil. The Chileans will hope there is not a repeat of Bielsa's last foray into a World Cup in 2002, where his Argentina team breezed through qualifying but were dumped out in the first round in the 'Group of Death'. Defence will be the main concern, but there may be enough goals and creativity in attack to render this immaterial, in the group phase at least.

STAR PLAYER - HUMBERTO SUAZO

If Chile are to progress to the next round, the goals of Suazo are going to be crucial to this aim. The star player in qualifying, he looks like being the long awaited succesor to the great Marcelo Salas, albeit late in his career. Having impressed sporadically in a half-season loan deal at Real Zaragoza, he will be looking for a good performance to increase his chances of securing a permanent move to a top European club.

MANAGER - MARCELO BIELSA

The driving force behinf the revival of the Chilean national team. As experienced and hard-nosed a campaigner as they come, this will be crucial to an inexperienced Chilean team, all of whom will be playing in their first World Cup. His attacking philosophy should be applauded, but he will hope his team is not naive with it, or they could be dangerously exposed.


HONDURAS

Not known for their footballing ability, in a continent dominated by Mexico and USA, Honduras qualified for their third World Cup, and first since 1982, in dramatic fashion. An equaliser in the 94th minute by USA's Jonathon Bornstein prevented Costa Rica, dumping them into a play-off with Uruguay which they lost. Expectations of Honduran success will not be high. Having struggled to get out of a meagre qualifying group (and only just for that matter), they will need something special to get the better of Spain, Chile and Switzerland. Noel Valladares, for local club Olimpia, will be the first choice keeper. Mauricio Sabillion, who plays his club football in China, Anderlecht's Victor Bernandez, Osman Chavez and Wigan Athletic's Maynor Figueroa will comprise the rest of the defence. The latter is one of the stars of this Honduran team, the left-back having a fine season at the JJB, including a sparkling goal from his own half against Stoke City. His pace and energy will be vital. In midfield, the experienced Julio Cesar de Leon, will be on the right, and the Torino player's creativity will be important. Premier League duo Hendry Thomas and Wilson Palacios will be in the middle of the park. Thomas will do the majority of the forward work, while Palacios will be expected to break up the play. and provide a platform for his teammates to perform, as he has do so well at Spurs in the last season. Captain Edgar Guevara will be on the left-wing, and at 34 and with 133 international caps to his name, his team-mates will be looking at him to be a fig~{~}
STAR PLAYER - WILSON PALACIOS

One of the few stars of this Honduran team, he will be looking to continue his excellent form from last season which helped Spurs qualify for the Champions League for the first time. Brilliant at breaking up the play and providing more attacking players with the platform to perform, he has great energy and can get forward when required. The one area of his game he can improve on is his shooting, but he rarely gets into positions where he has to use this skill.

MANAGER - REINALDO RUEDA

The Colombian will have his work cut out to help Honduras progress. Having coached his native Colombia in their unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, he was appointed manager of Honduras, and helped mould a successful team for his adopted country. Although they only just scrapped into South Africa, Rueda became just the third manager in history to take Honduras to the World Cup, and this has afforded an iconic status in Honduras.


SPAIN

There is not much that can really be said about the current European Champions. But let's talk about them anyway. Their win in Austria and Switzerland means they have the ditched the tag of perennial underachievers, and they are likely to be hard to stop in South Africa. Even a probable second round clash with Brazil, Portugal or the Ivory Coast won't phase them. The defeat in the Confederations Cup semi-final against the USA ended a world record equalling 35 matches. But that defeat may be a blessing in disguise for Vincente del Bosque and his men, and will mean they guard against any form of complacency this summer. The squad has remarkable ability, and there are practically two world class for every position, meaning some quality players didn't even make the final cut. None more so than between the sticks. It is almost ten years to the day since Iker Casillas made his national team debut, having just turned 19. He has since established himself as one of the best keeper's in the world, if not the best, with superb decision making and unmatchable reflexes. To be fair, the man nicknamed 'Saint Iker' gets lots of chances to hone behind Real Madrid's shaky defence. His greatness means the best keeper in the Premier League, Pepe Reina, never gets a look in as his back-up, despite the fact the Liverpool keeper would walk into most national teams. Victor Valdes, as the number three, is more than adequate. The fullbacks perhaps offer the only potential weakness in this awesome team. On the right, Sergio Ramos is an expert at getting forward from the back, and offers a goal threat. But he can be prone to errors and his positional sense isn't always the best. Alvaro Arbeloa can offer an alternative, his Real Madrid colleage being slightly stronger defensively if not as flashy. On the left, Joan Capdevilla is limited, and has enjoyed a poor since at Villarreal. The Barcelona partnership of Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol will be one of the strongest at the World Cup. Puyol has the experience and leadership ability which will help drive Spain forward. Alongside him, though, Pique is fast developing into one of the finest defenders in World football. Which certainly begs two questions - why Barcelona let him go in the first place, and more pertinently, why Sir Alex Ferguson did likewise two years ago. He was never really given a real go at Old Trafford, and to be to the great man, he wasn't to know Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic would be beset by injury problems. But surely Pique would have been better back-up than Jonny Evans and Wes Brown. Quick, strong and agile, he is also excellent on the ball - witness his goal against Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final defeat. Carlos Marchena and Raul Albiol provide excellent cover. In midfield, though, there ia wealth of talent. So much talent, in fact, that when the oft-injured Fernando Torres is unavailable, del Bosque usually switches to a five man midfield. The midfield triumvirate of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso is incomparable, definitely in South Africa and there won't have been many better in the history of the beautiful game. As Thierry Henry said when France lost at home to Spain in a friendly this year, 'you just can't get the ball off them,' with a Gallic shrug. But he's right, and that's mainly down to these three. They can get stuck in when needed, but there abilities lie with being brilliant passers, both short and long, creating plenty of chances for the strike force. They're so good, that the brilliat Cesc Fabregas rarely gets a game. The talented David Silva will play slightly further forward, and will provide more of a goal threat. A talented dribbler and with an excellent long range shot, he can also play anywhere across the forward line. He is likely to follow his former teammate David Villa out of Valencia this summer, and a good World Cup will help with that. Jesus Navas, the Seville winger, provides greater width and crossing ability if it's required, as does Juan Mata, the Valencia winger. Sergio Busquets has had a sparkling breakthrough season at Barcelona, giving del Bosque yet more options in the middle of the park. Which leaves us with the strike force. David Villa and Fernando Torres will be perhaps the best strike partnership in South Africa. And if they click as they did in Euro 2008, and Torres can recover his fitness, they will be devestating. Torres will be higher up the pitch, using his pace to play off the shoulder of the last defender and taking any chances that come his way. Villa, having just signed for Barcelona, will drop off slightly, as he is adept at finding the space created by the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Alonso. Pedro is another who has had an excellent debut season at Barca, scoring 23 goals in all competitions, and Fernando Llorente is another who has broken into the squad late, offering more of a physical presence, very much in the Peter Crouch mould. So, overall, it is hard to find weaknesses in this Spain squad. They are well stocked in practically every position, with some talented back-up. If they were a playing in a World League, I would not bet against them. But when it gets to the knock-out stages, anything can happen. Just ask the Spanish class of 2006. Superb in the group phase, they surprisingly lost to France in the second round, who were coming good at the right time. In some ways, it seems Spain's worst enemies may be themselves.

STAR PLAYER - FERNANDO TORRES

One of the hardest decisions when it came to choosing the star player - as they were at least half a dozen candidates. But if Torres is firing and on form, the Spain will be a better team for it. Devilishly quick and deadly in front of goal, he is a big game player - witness numerous goals in the latter stages of the Champions League, and a regular scorer against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Everton in the Merseyside derby. As the scorer of the Euro 2008 winner, he will be key to Spain's success.

MANAGER - VINCENTE DEL BOSQUE

Since taking over from the somewhat unpopular Luis Aragones, he has not changed a great deal. After all, he hasn't needed to. His team had a 100% record in qualifying, and only the excellent Gerard Pique, of those who will be in the probable starting eleven, was not in Austria and Switzerland. Well respected of in Spain, he is best remembered for two spells in charge of Real Madrid, the second being moderately successful, before ending acrimoniously. But his brief in South Africa will be simple - bring the World Cup back to Spain for the first time.


SWITZELRAND

You know what you get with this Swiss team - they are well organised and hard to beat, with a strong defence and midfield. This was very much the case in 2006, when they exited in the second round, being the first team ever to be eliminated without conceding a goal (being defeated on penalties by Ukraine after a 0-0 draw). But they will have been disappointed with a first round exit in their home European Championships, and after qualifying easily from a modest qualifying group which included Greece and Israel, for what will be their fourth straight major championships, the experienced Ottmar Hitzveld will be looking to progress this time. Having taken over from legend Kobi Kuhn after Euro 2008, the campaign started in shambolic circumstances, with a home defeat to minnows Luxemborg, but five straight wins follwed that to turn their form around. The keeper will be Diego Benaglio, of Wolfsburg. Highly rated and key in the Wolves title win in 2009, his form and fitness will be key, as his deputies are untried and untested. Stephen Liechsteiner, of Lazio, is a talented right-back, good at getting forward and providing chances for the strikers. This has even earnt him the nickname 'Forrest Gump!' Ludovic Magnin brings plenty of experience to the table on the other flank - eight years in the Bundesliga to be precise, before he returned to Switzerland with FC Zurich in January. But Reto Ziegler, formerly of Spurs and Wigan Athletic, is an alternative on the left, and has the same kind of footballing outlook at Liechsteiner! The centre of defence, however, offers some problems for Hitzveld. Phillipe Senderos was a lynchpin of the successful defence in Germany, but has been woefully short of match fitness after a season which has seen him have loan spells at AC Milan and Everton, but fail to make any impression at either. Fortunately, the experience Stephane Grichting, of Auxerre, will be alongisde him. Steve von Bergen and Mario Eggimann, both with Bundesliga experience, offer reliable back up. The Swiss midfield will probably be their pride and joy in South Africa. West Ham's Valon Behrami has a great engine on the right, and can help out in defence when needed. Marco Padalino, Ziegler's club mate at Sampdoria, offers adequate back-up. In the centre, Udinese's Goklan Inler and Gelson Fernandes, formerly of Man City, provide plenty of bite and will provide a platform for the more talented players to perform. Inler, especially, provides a brilliant range of passing. On the left, is probably the most talented player of this Swiss generation - the brilliantly named Tanquillo Barnetta. He provides a goal threat, gets forward well, and is the creative hub of this team. A lot, though, will come down to the form and goalscoring prowess of Alexander Frei. With a goals record of 43 in 80 caps, he will be the main goal threat. He will come into the World Cup in good form, following a good debut season at Basel, and his instincts around the penalty area will be crucial to Hitzveld's men. He will probably be partnered by the veteran Blaise NKufo. He only made his debut in 2002 at the age of 27, and has become a fixture in the squad, if not a regular in the team. After a nomadic career, he settled at FC Twente in 2003, and parted on the best possible terms after the end of the season just gone, helping Steve McClaren's men to win the first Dutch title in their history. Another option is the young Eren Derdiyok of Bayer Leverkusen. After a promising debut season in Germany, his youth and pace will offer an antidote to the age and tiring legs of Frei and Nkufo. And at 33, Hakan Yakin is still going strong! They may not be flashy and adventurous, and might be the perfect remedy to insomnia. But they are well organised, have a settled first eleven, and their coach is experienced as they come, so they will fancy their chance of reaching the last 16.

STAR PLAYER - ALEXANDER FREI

If the Swiss are to pregress, Frei's goals will be crucial, as they were in Germany. He may not be the easiest on they eye - like his team in general - but his goalscoring recoird is almost unrivalled in the modern game, and he will need to bring his A game to the table Besides him, Switzerland look woefully short on goals
As his country's captain, his leadership of a young squad will be just as important.

MANAGER - OTTMAR HITZVELD

One of only three managers to win the European Cup with two different clubs, his experience will be important in a somewhat young and inexperienced squad. New to international football following his unsuccessful, short second spell at Bayern Munich, he helped the country recover well after a slow start to qualify easily. He has fostered a tremendous team spirit which could just be the key to their success.


VERDICT

It is hard to bet against European champions Spain as group winners, with the astonishing talent at their disposal. The runners-up spot will probably be taken by eith Switzerland or Chile, so their meeting in the secind match will be crucial. My money is on Chile pipping the dour Swiss, with their refreshing brand of attacking football likely to catch the eye. This will probably leave a weak Honduras bringing up the rear.