retired_bbcarr

i've had this story waiting for about two months or so now. i've written the entire thing so i should be able to update every day enjoy

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Welcome to World Cup E-Zine, a brand new online magazine which will follow the trials and tribulations of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Full previews of each group will be available in the build up to the tournament and, once the action gets underway, match reports from every single game plus interviews with the stars will keep you more than entertained.

World Cup E-Zine, the only place for your online world cup needs.

retired_bbcarr

We’ve known for a good few months now who will take on who when the tournament kicks-off on 7th June, but now that all the 23-man squads have been announced, the picture has become that little bit clearer. And it’s time that World Cup E-Zine took a closer look at the first stage of the competition.



GROUP A


Egypt:

Having failed to qualify for the party in Japan and South Korea in 2002, Egypt are determined to finally show their worth on the world stage. Perhaps one of the less fashionable teams in the draw, there is no doubt that they have some talented players, particularly on the defensive side.

With 91 caps worth of experience, Birmingham left back Mohamed Emara will be one looked upon to guide the younger members of the squad. Emara has, many times before, proven himself deadly from set pieces, having scored 13 goals for his country and netting a wonderful 9 free kicks for his Premiership side this season.

Joining Emara in defence will be Ibrahim Said of Tenerife and Hady Kashaba of Manchester City. The 58 times capped Said will fill the central defensive role, despite holding down a midfield place at his Spanish club. One the right side of the Egyptian back line will by City’s Kashaba who, should he make the team, will earn his 50th cap against Paraguay in the country’s first game.

For goals, Egypt will look towards their Belgian based striker Mohamed El Yomani. With 24 caps and 11 goals, the Standard Liege player has the best goals to games ratio of any in the squad and, as he is likely to fill a lone striker role, many of his nation’s qualification hopes will lie on his shoulders.

Prediction: A lack of strength in depth may harm the Egyptian’s qualification bid, as may a lack of big tournament experience. Though a second round place is by no means out of the question, a gallant 3rd spot is our guess for the African side.

retired_tonytranbg79

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Terk:
_i've had this story waiting for about two months or so now. i've written the entire thing so i should be able to update every day enjoy_ <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

wayhey a finished story look forward to it :thup:

retired_bbcarr

Italy:

The undoubted stars of Group A and tournament favourites, Italy will be determined to hold onto the crown they won in 2002. Having finally succeeded after years of under performing, the Azzuri lost their way again at Euro 2004, losing to eventual runners-up Romania in the quarter final. Many, however, feel that the disappointment suffered in Portugal will provide the motivation needed for Arrigo Sacchi’s men to successfully defend their World Cup crown.

The Italians are widely recognised to have one of the best attacking lines in the game, but they also hold world renowned stars in defence as well. With former greats Francesco Toldo and Gianluigi Buffon now considered too old for international duty, Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati has begun to finally live up to the potential he showed many years ago when he first broke onto the scene with the San Siro side. In the run of friendly games that the Italians have played, Abbiati has left many people speechless with the vast array of world class saves he has proven himself able to make.

Directly in front of Abbiati will be the most experienced central defensive partnership in football today. Having amassed over 150 caps between them, Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro know each other’s games inside out and, despite their advancing years, they form a pairing which makes strikers across the world feel like packing up and going home before they even take to the field. Lazio manager Gianfranco Zola made on of the wisest transfer moves in recent club football history in January when he swooped to take Parma defender Cannavaro to Rome to partner him alongside Nesta for the Stadio Olimpico side.

We should not overlook that much vaunted attack though. Perhaps the key for Italian success in Germany will lie at the talented feet of Roma’s Francesco Totti. Able to fill any attacking role on the pitch from winger to striker, Totti is most likely to appear ‘in the hole’, a role that Sacchi has employed him in throughout all the country’s recent friendlies. And the lifelong Roma player is not one you could call goal shy either. In his 72 caps, Totti has netted a respectable 17 times, including five in Italy’s 2002 World Cup success. A tally which saw him claim the tournament’s Golden Boot award.

If, however, Totti fails to provide the goals, a former team-mate of his at Roma, now plying his trade at the Olympiastadion with Bayern, will no doubt be in hand to help out. In the two seasons since his £23M move to Germany, Vincenzo Montella has netted at a rate of more than one every other game, scoring a wonderful 52 goals in 88 matches, including a double in this season’s Champions League final against Juventus which helped see his side lift the trophy for the second year running.

Prediction: Having finally proven their pedigree in 2002, there can be no doubts that Italy will be there or thereabouts come the end of the tournament. However, their quarter final Euro 2004 defeat only went to prove that they still harbour weakness and an absence of competitive football since that loss due to being automatically qualified for Germany ’06 as defending champions may leave them a little rusty. Class does run through their side though and we are predicting another final appearance, although only to collect runners-up medals this time.

retired_bbcarr

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tyrone the Mag:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Terk:
_i've had this story waiting for about two months or so now. i've written the entire thing so i should be able to update every day enjoy_ <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

wayhey a finished story look forward to it :thup: <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

:p i'm also writing the final few posts of my autobiography story so, fingers crossed, i'll post two whole finished stories :eek: miracles can happen

retired_bbcarr

Paraguay:

This South American outfit are one side in the tournament who are, perhaps, rated higher in the public imagination than their results justify. Having finished only 5th in the South American qualifying section, winning 10 out of 18 games, they required a 3-0 aggregate play-off victory over Australia to make it to the finals. They also reached the same stage in 2002, though they scored just a single goal and earned just a single point as they crashed out at the group stage.

Although there is a good standard throughout their squad, there are three who stand above the rest. Versatile River Plate defender Pedro Sarabia, who is able to play anywhere across the back line, was recently the subject of a bidding war amongst many of Europe’s top clubs, with English champions Manchester United emerging victorious having agreed a £6M transfer for the 31 year old which will be completed after the tournament. Sarabia has 79 caps to his name and has been solid and consistent throughout his country’s qualification campaign.

Joining Sarabia in defence, almost definitely set to be first choice left back, will be Bastia’s Delio César Toledo. The 46 times capped full back was one of Bastia’s star performers in their wonderful run to Champions League qualification this year, rating a more than impressive 8.12 over the season on the OPTA Stats Index. Toledo also weighed in with a healthy seven goals and twelve assists, although he is still to break his goal scoring duck for Paraguay.

Despite Sarabia’s imminent move to Manchester and Toledo’s excellent season for Bastia, there is but one player who, without a doubt, is the darling of Paraguayan football. FC Bayern striker, and partner of Italian hero Montella for the German giants, Roque Santa Cruz is the most famous Paraguayan footballer of the moment, and possibly the most talented exponent of the game that the country has ever produced. With 24 goals amassed in his 63 caps, Roque definitely holds the key to his country’s progression in the tournament but, as he fills a lone striker role, he will need the able support of his midfield if they are to go through.

Prediction: The omission of Ajax winger Alonso SolÃ*s from the squad caused an uproar in his homeland, especially after he scored two of the three goals that took Paraguay to the finals. With a lack of attacking flair available for them in midfield, it may prove a hugely costly decision. Indeed, we feel that it will restrict their attacking play so much that they are pencilled in for a 4th place group finish on our chart.

retired_bbcarr

Romania:

Surprise finalists in Euro 2004, especially after a soul destroying 6-1 defeat to Sweden in the 2nd round of the 2002 World Cup finals, bookies are being careful not to offer too long odds on the Romanians reproducing the form that they showed in Portugal and reaching the latter stages of the tournament.

The Eastern European side have talent all over the pitch, so perhaps it should not haven been so surprising that they finally lived up to that potential in Portugal, losing only to France in a thrilling final. Defensively they are solid and have two stars, both of whom play at the highest level of European club football. Matei Mirel RÃ*doi may have a mouthful of a name for commentators to stumble over but the centre back has proven during his three seasons at Barcelona that he has the talent to be considered amongst the continent’s best and most consistent defenders.

Joining him will be FC Bayern star Christian Chivu. The former Ajax defender has greatly impressed onlookers during his first season in Germany, having been an £11M recruit in the summer of 2005. Chivu was one of two Romanians named in the Euro ’04 ‘Dream Team’ and the 46 caps he has earned should provide him with the experience needed to perform at his best during the tournament.

In midfield, the undoubted star of the team is Juventus’ winger Florentin Petre. Although expected to leave Italy after just one season in Turin, Petre impressed enough during his 12 months with Juve to find himself on the wanted lists of both Arsenal and Real Madrid, with the Spanish champions thought to be the preferred destination of the 42 times capped right sided player. Having netted 11 times in his international career, Florentin has often proven his worth to the side with goals at vital times, none more so than the extra time Golden Goal which saw his nation into the Euro 2004 final.

Having heaped praise on other members of their squad, we should now focus on the striking berths, which will provide the Romanians with their greatest strength in depth. Long time Valencia striker Andrian Ilie is probably the most well known of the front line players, having earned 80 caps and 23 goals for his nation as well as having found the net over 100 times for Valencia. Although Ilie, now into his 30s, has lost some of the pace which made him devastating in his younger years, his clever mind is still sharp enough to work himself into goal scoring positions on a regular basis.

With Ilie an almost definite starter, the battle for the place alongside him in the team is likely to be a two-way battle between Sporting Lisbon’s Marius Niculae and Mallorca’s Adrian Mutu. The more experienced Niculae, with 55 caps and 23 goals as opposed to Mutu’s 27 caps and 13 goals, is the most likely to get the nod, although Mutu will definitely play some part in Romania’s campaign.

Prediction: With a lot of talent on show, Romania are considered as a smart man’s outsiders for the tournament win. Having breezed through their qualification group with nine wins and one draw (away to Scotland), they should provide stiff competition for Italy and find themselves at least into the second round.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Group A Prediction:1. Italy2. Romania3. Egypt4. Paraguay</pre>

retired_tonytranbg79

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Terk:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tyrone the Mag:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Terk:
_i've had this story waiting for about two months or so now. i've written the entire thing so i should be able to update every day enjoy_ <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

wayhey a finished story look forward to it :thup: <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

:p i'm also writing the final few posts of my autobiography story so, fingers crossed, i'll post two whole finished stories :eek: miracles can happen <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

:p

once again another fine start :thup:

retired_confal2

This should be good. But no mention of Mido in the Egyptian squad description? :eek:

retired_rainmaker

Good start. And I like your title Maybe "Es gibt nur ein Deutschland"?