2010 FIFA World Cup Group C

Group C comprises England, USA, Algeria and Slovenia, with the English and the Americans being clear favorites. The English are considered to be the team most likely to finish off on top of Group C, but in order to pull off this herculean feat they will have to battle the aggression of a sinewy USA, Algeria and Slovenia.

The road to South Africa for the English was one punctuated with a few pit stops and potholes; theirs in fact was a dream campaign. The Fabio Capello led team went on win nine out of their ten qualifying matches and even finished off as the European Zone’s top scoring team. The English in South Africa will rest their dreams and aspirations on a fiery Wayne Rooney. Rooney as a player will look to make a mark for himself and his team, significantly because he was forced to walk away from the 2006 event, courtesy a penalizing red card in England’s match against Portugal. Apart from Rooney, the English are fortunate enough to have a large number of talented stars at their disposal. The icing on the cake however is the fact that they have a coach with a knack for the game of football to lead them on. With all these advantages on their side, England will look to brush aside their peers and proceed at an unrelenting pace in South Africa.

All this English dreaminess however can be put to an end by the Americans. If there is one team who can stop the English dead in their tracks, it’s got to be the Americans. The 2010 World Cup will see the Americans appear at the world stage for the sixth successive time. They will look to ride on a wave of past successes. The Americans were extremely handy at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. They of course lost 3-2 to the mighty Brazilians in the finals, but not without putting up a resilient fight which saw them leading 2-0 for the first few minutes of the game. They also managed to oust a robust Spain in the semi-final of the same tournament. The Americans in South Africa will definitely strive towards upgrading their World Cup dreams to achievable realities.

Algeria and Slovenia as teams representing their respective countries will without the question of doubt look to win, a fact that cannot be taken for granted. These two teams, on paper, may not be as good as the English or the Americans. However, for the Algerians and the Slovenians pulling off an upset win or two is as good as an assured possibility. Algeria enters the competition after a 24-year long lull at the world stage. They believe they possess a good mix of both young and experienced players. The success of this team will depend on the likes of star midfielder Karim Ziani, Antar Yahia, and a speedy Nadir Belha.

Slovenia on their part will look to pull off surprise wins over their unsuspecting competitors. Robert Koren, the Captain, is the team’s leading light. He is no stranger to the game of football and gets his healthy dose of football from playing at West Bromwich Albion. The Slovenian side’s strength also lies in the capabilities of Milivoje Novakovic who plays for FC Cologne in Germany. Milivoje’s five goals in the qualifying matches helped Slovenia reach South Africa with a decent second spot finish in their respective group. The Slovenians will also look to capitalize in their match against the Algerians and gain valuable points, but that’s only if they’re fortunate enough to register a win.

Wayne Rooney (ENG), Frank Lampard (ENG), Tim Howard (USA), Robert Koren (SVN), Karim Ziani (ALG) and Landon Donovan (USA) are the Group C players who are expected to furnish the group with moments of brilliance.

The schedule for the Group C matches is given below.