World Cup preview
Zack Johnson, Reporter
May 28, 2010
Filed under Sports
From June 11 to July 11, 32 nations will compete at the World Cup, in South Africa, for the chance to be crowned champion of the world’s most popular sport.
The 32 nations have been split into groups A through H; the winners of each group moves onto the second round. Six nations from Africa, 13 from Europe, five from South America, four from Asia, three from Concacaf, and one nation from Oceania will all compete in South Africa for the World Cup.
The opening game will be played between the host team, South Africa, and Mexico. The game starts June 11 at 9:00 AM. South Africa hopes to show what they are made of in this opening game, by defeating Mexico.
In the first round, winners of groups will be determined by the total number of points accumulated over three games. The point system works so that a win equals three points, a tie counts as one point, and a loss counts for zero points. The maximum points allowed is nine, which would mean that a nation won all three games.
Italy won the last World Cup at the 2006 tournament in Germany, against the French national team. Italy is, of course, looking towards a repeat performance. Brazil, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Argentina look to be the five pre-tournament favorites.
Brazil has world-class players in Kaka, the 2007 player of the year, Robinho, Louis Fabiano, Felipe Melo, and Gilberto Silva to lead their powerful offense.
Spain is led by Iker Casillas, one of the worlds top goalkeepers; Carles Puyol heads the defense, while Marcos Senna works through midfield, and Andres Iniesta sets up goals for the Spanish national team. The real power in Spain is the potent forward partnership, Fernando Torres and David Villa, the greatest pair of forwards at the international level.
The Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, is the main venue for the World Cup. For one month, this venue will pretty much be the soccer capital of the world. Leading up to June 11, the world will be sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for the world’s most popular sport to start its championship tournament.
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