IBLOG SPACE

Germany head into their 15th consecutive finals competition looking to draw level with Italy as the second most successful side in the history of the tournament. Their opening game of Group D in Durban will provide a decent test as Pim Verbeek's Australia look to cause a major upset. The Germans, however, have not lost a group game since 1994, winning their last five opening games. Despite manager Joachim Low selecting the youngest Germany squad in 76 years to travel to South Africa, their reputation as a side always there or thereabouts at the latter stages of the tournament means they will be one of the teams to fear. There is also a vast difference in experience, with an average age of 25 in Low's squad, whereas Verbeek's team have a more experienced look about them, with an average age of 30. The game will come as a stern test for new captain Philipp Lahm following talisman Michael Ballack's withdrawal after being injured in Chelsea's FA Cup final in May. The Ba

Colin Chong rates the players in the 2010 FIFA World Cup match between Algeria and Slovenia. Algeria Fawzi Chaouchi - 5 Best friends with Robert Green. Although he had a very promising start, a goalkeeping blunder handed Slovenia the only goal of the match. Madjid Bougherra - 7.5 The big, strong defender made life difficult for Milivoje Novakovic. Came forward to provide attacking options when his team went down to 10. Nadir Belhadj - 7 Talented defender has a sweet left foot. Really rampaged down the left flank and tested the keeper with his free kicks. Anther Yahia - 6.5 Effective ball winner. Keeps the ball well too. Rafik Halliche - 6 Had a goal scoring opportunity but quiet for most of the match. Mehdi Lacen - 6 Good distributor of the ball, supporting the defence whenever necessary. Karim Ziani - 8.5 The tireless midfielder was the engine of the Algerian team. He ran his lungs out today, chasing every ball in both halves of the pitch. Hassan Yebda - 7 The enthusiastic midfielder

Slovenia recorded their first World Cup finals win thanks to a 1-0 victory over Algeria. Algeria goalkeeper Farouzi Chaouchi's error 11 minutes from time handed Slovenia a crucial 1-0 victory in their World Cup Group C match at Polokwane. Less than 24 hours after England's Robert Green had let Clint Dempsey's shot slip from his grasp in the 1-1 draw in the group's opening game, Chaouchi produced a similar howler. Slovenia captain and former West Brom midfielder Robert Koren's 25-yard shot was not particularly venomous but the Algeria goalkeeper allowed it to bounce up off his shoulder and into the net. Only moments before that the Africans had been reduced to 10 men when substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal's needless handball resulted in a second yellow card. The win puts Slovenia top of the fledgling table and with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, an unlikely scenario before the tournament kicked off. On this evidence it would seem unlikely either nati

Diego Maradona has warned that Argentina will not fear any opponent at the World Cup after they began their quest for a third global title with a win. The South Americans were 1-0 winners over Nigeria at Ellis Park on Saturday and the success could have been by a greater margin but for some superb saves from Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who lived up to his nickname of 'The Cat' and was hailed as a "phenomenon" by Lionel Messi. The Barcelona star was denied time and time again by Enyeama, and while the lead remained just 1-0 there was always the prospect that the Africans could find a way back into the game, and they threatened more as the match wore on. Maradona is six wins away from equalling the achievement of Franz Beckenbauer in winning the World Cup as a player and coach, but the comparison to the German at this early stage of the competition seemed to amuse and bewilder him. "Well I'm not similar at all, I don't look like Beckenbauer and

France captain Patrice Evra has defended under-fire coach Raymond Domenech's tactics after their goalless start to the World Cup. Les Blues could only draw 0-0 against Uruguay in Cape Town on Friday night as Domenech's side lacked creativity and produced only one dangerous goalscoring chance. The outgoing coach - who is almost certainly to be replaced by Bordeaux's Laurent Blanc after the tournament - kept Thierry Henry and Florent Malouda on the bench and only introduced them late on in like-for-like changes. "What would I change for the next game? Score a goal!" Evra said. "We will keep going, create a lot of chances and be strong like we were in the first match, because I don't think Uruguay caused a lot of problems for us. "We need to create more chances to score goals. "I think the tactics were okay for us. "We talked with the boss before the game and we were very happy with these tactics. It is not the first time we've played like

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung has backed World Cup underdogs North Korea to "surprise the world" in South Africa. Park, who scored as South Korea began their own World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Greece on Saturday in Port Elizabeth, faced North Korea twice during qualifying. North Korea reached the knockout stage on their only other World Cup finals appearance in 1966 and, despite being drawn in Group G alongside five-time winners Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast, Park believes Kim Jong-hun's side again have what it takes to compete. "I think North Korea can surprise the world, even though they are not well-known," said 29-year-old Park. "I want to see how North Korea play against their world-class opponents. They are certainly in the 'group of death' but I am happy that both Koreas are playing in the World Cup. "I don't think North Korea will lose all their three matches." North Korea, who are ranked 105th by FIF

South Korea coach Huh Jung-moo has told his players not to be afraid of Argentina as they attempt to prolong their stay at the World Cup. The Koreans sit proudly at the top of Group B, ahead of the two-time World Cup winners on goal difference, following Saturday's 2-0 victory over Greece. They will face a much tougher test, however, at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Thursday when they go head-to-head with Diego Maradona's men knowing the winners are destined to head the group and make it through to the last 16, something the Asian side has only achieved once and never on foreign soil. But while Huh knows his team will be up against it, he insists they will not go into the game having already lost it in their minds. He said: "Argentina are one of the contenders for the final and they have a lot of very good players. They are a very tough team to play against. "But I have told my players, we have to remain confident no matter who our opponent is. "If we do what we

Jamie Carragher admits England will be under pressure for the finale of their World Cup group against Slovenia if they fail to overcome Algeria on Friday. The Liverpool defender insists sharing the spoils with the United States in their opening clash last night in Rustenburg was "not a disaster." But Carragher, a half-time substitution for the injured Ledley King, knows the importance of not suffering a similar slip-up in Cape Town when they tackle the Algerians. When asked if the players were now feeling under pressure, Carragher said: "The lads play for top clubs in top competitions and it's always pressure playing for your club and playing for England. "I don't think we are at that stage yet. If the next result doesn't go for us, then for the last game there will be a bit more pressure. "A draw is not a disaster in your first game. Obviously you want to win it but it is very important not to lose as well. "We would have liked to have got the

Didier Drogba admits the Ivory Coast are under intense pressure to succeed at the World Cup. The Chelsea striker's participation in South Africa is still in doubt because of the broken arm he suffered in the friendly against Japan on which he underwent surgery last weekend. The 32-year-old is integral to the Elephants' hopes of progressing in South Africa with the team in a tough group alongside Brazil, Portugal and North Korea. Despite facing such a challenge to make it into the knockout stages, Drogba says there is great expectation. He told Sportsworld, on the BBC World Service: "The expectation back home is really high. "Most of our players play for big teams and have won things with big teams. "But for the country we have won nothing. "People speak about this generation being the best in Ivory Coast for years and that is why the expectation is so high, higher than in France or England." Ivory Coast will be led in South Africa by Sven-Goran Eriksson

Brazil legend Pele has admitted he is worried about Kaka's form going into the World Cup. Kaka is looking to forget a disappointing first campaign with Real Madrid and lead Brazil to glory in South Africa. He has been plagued by injuries this season and missed large parts of it with a groin injury. The former AC Milan forward insists he is getting better every day and says he is not concerned by his fitness levels. But Pele still needs to be convinced. "Kaka worries me," said Pele. "He is very important to our team. "He is a key player for our attack and midfield. "But God willing he will be in good form." One player who has stood out for Pele has been Manchester City's wantaway star Robinho, who has rediscovered his passion for the game while on loan in his homeland. "If Robinho does what he did at Santos in the last three months, I think he will be a key figure, especially considering Kaka's fitness," said Pele. "I believe Robi

Manchester United are reportedly readying a bid to take Juventus outcast Diego to Old Trafford this summer. The former Werder Bremen playmaker has had a miserable debut season in the Serie A with Juventus and has been rumoured to be on his way out of Turin with the Barclays Premier League the most likely destination for the Brazilian. His form since joining Juventus for €24.5 million at the start of last season has caused him to lose his place in Dunga's Brazil squad for the World Cup in South Africa and it is unlikely that the player will be willing to put his international future at risk by staying at the Stadio Olimpico. Calciomercato reported that Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to sign the attacking midfielder to replace Anderson, who is possibly on his way out of Old Trafford if any club comes in with an offer. A fee around the region of €20 million seems to be the figure that United are willing to fork out for the talented samba kid.

Daniel Agger says he and is team-mates are targeting nothing less than a win against Holland. The Dutch are the outright favourites to top Group E, while the Danes are widely expected to be competing for second place along with Japan and Cameroon. Therefore the Scandinavians could be forgiven for looking to take at least a point from their opening game. But that is not the case according to Liverpool defender Agger. He told Press Association Sport: "We're looking forward to getting started. "There are four teams in the group and everybody's competing for those top-two places, not only Holland, the other teams as well. "A team like us is always going out to win and it's the same against Holland. We'll be trying to win the game." His team-mate Jesper Gronkjaer was slightly more circumspect, warning that their opponents are amongst the favourites for the title. "They are a very good team, a very young team with players who play all around Europe at

Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure is relishing the chance to upset Portugal in his side's first Group G game. The teams meet in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday afternoon, and Toure is looking forward to the challenge of trying to dent the World Cup hopes of Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates. He said: "Knowing that we face Portugal, a big team in this competition, it motivates us even more," he said. "We must have mental strength because the match will be decided on details." The Ivory Coast's own ambitions in South Africa could depend largely on how star striker Didier Drogba recovers from his broken arm with coach Sven-Goran Eriksson keeping his fingers crossed. Asked if the Chelsea frontman will be fit, Toure replied: "Didier is a very important player for us. It is difficult to answer your question but, you never know, we will see."

AC Milan midfielder, Gennaro Gattuso will retire from international football at the end of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The tough-tackling Italian is in Marcelo Lippi's squad but is not expected to be given a starting berth by Lippi, who seems to prefer AS Roma's Daniele De Rossi as the holding midfielder in recent months. Speaking to Centurion, Gattuso said: "After World Cup 2010 in South Africa I will no longer play for la Nazionale, "I am 33 years old and for the role I cover, I think it's right to give more space to others who have more energy. "But, my dream one day would be to coach Italy in a World Cup." Italy will open their campaign on Monday with a Group F game against Paraguay.

England captain Steven Gerrard backed Robert Green after the keeper's nightmare moment in the 1-1 Group C draw against USA. Gerrard put England ahead inside four minutes but Green let a simple Clint Dempsey shot slip from his grasp as Fabio Capello's side had to settle for a point in their opening match in Rustenburg. Gerrard told ITV1: "It was a difficult game. The most important thing in the opening game is not to lose. The idea was to win but unfortunately we let a poor goal in and we couldn't go and get the winner. The target now has to be seven points." Reflecting on Dempsey's goal, Gerrard continued: "It was one of those freak things, I don't think you can criticise the keeper. People have been talking about the ball and it is tricky. "Rob will learn from this and he might make an important save that wins us a match. We're all behind him. It was a bit of shock and it took us a while to get over it." Coach Capello was pleased with h

Abhishek Mehrotra rates the players in the game between England and USA on Saturday. England Robert Green - 3 Was it the ball? Was it the wind? Was it something in Green's eye? No. Well, there were tears. But that was only after the horrendous mistake that could yet come back to haunt England. Did make a superb save later, but the fatal fumble is what fans will remember years later. Glen Johnson - 6.5 Was a constant thorn in the US side - the right side. Plumped in some good crosses to make up for Lennon's profligacy. Got caught high up the pitch on a couple of occasions, something he needs to watch out for. Ashley Cole - 5.5 Was quiet as a church mouse on a Sunday. The signature pace and incision were missing - which meant Wright-Phillips was left to plough a lone furrow on the left. John Terry - 6.5 Had a solid game at the back - and looked assured in the air; an area in which he is known to be suspect. Helped out the struggling Ledley King in the first half. Ledley King (of

Robert Green dropped a World Cup clanger as England kicked off their campaign with a 1-1 draw against the United States. Skipper Steven Gerrard gave England the perfect start by scoring his 17th goal for his country after just four minutes. But Green somehow allowed Clint Dempsey's effort to beat him five minutes before the interval. And it could have been worse had the West Ham goalkeeper not partially redeemed himself by pushing Jozy Altidore's second-half effort onto a post. England started confidently and struck early courtesy of skipper Gerrard. Wayne Rooney managed to feed the ball from midfield to Emile Heskey, who got in front of Jay DeMerit and then played an excellent pass inside to Gerrard. The captain took a touch before finishing low beyond Tim Howard from just inside the box. James Milner, who appeared lethargic after being struck by a virus in midweek, was replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips soon after being booked. England were in the ascendancy but were undone by

Diego Maradona compared Lionel Messi's love for the ball to a child's love for chocolate after Argentina beat Nigeria 1-0. Argentina created a series of excellent openings in the Group B match but took just one of them, Gabriel Heinze heading home a Juan Sebastian Veron corner after five minutes. Messi in particular suffered at the overworked hands of Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who secured the man-of-the-match award with a string of superb saves. But Maradona felt the result was the most important thing for the opening game and hopes they can now go on a seven-match winning run that takes in the final at Soccer City in Johannesburg on July 11. He said: "I really hope that my men will make the most of the support from Argentina's fans, the people in the stadium, I hope they can make the most of that so they can excel and improve. "My players will then have the flavour of winning. If our players keep winning the games they are going to feel the need, the hu

Liow Yi Yang rates the players from Argentina's narrow 1-0 win over Nigeria. Argentina Sergio Romero - 7 The young keeper repaid Diego Maradona's faith in him with a sound performance in goal. He made a couple of good saves, one in particular was a Martins thunderbolt. Martin Demichelis - 6.5 Commanding in defence, was seldom troubled. Gabriel Heinze - 7.5 Grabbed a fantastic goal, was untouchable at the back. Walter Samuel - 6.5 Missed a great chance in the first half but will continue to be a threat for his side from set pieces. Angel Di Maria - 5.5 Drifted in and out of the game, it was an ineffectual performance from the talented winger. Juan Sebastian Veron - 6.5 Veron had a decent game tonight, he tried to create chances for his team and was a willing runner. Javier Mascherano - 7.5 The anchor man completed his job with minimal fuss. Solid in the tackle, it was a good contribution from the skipper. Jonas Gutierrez - 7 Looked right at home in an unfamiliar right-back posit