Costa Rica will be making their third appearance at the finals, and second straight. In 1990, they made it to the second round, where they were dumped by the Czech Republic 4-1.

Man on the spot – The Ticos have been quite competitive and entertaining in their two previous World Cup trips, so coach Alexandre Guimares would be wise to advance from this manageable group. His larger problem may be that most of his key guys are past 30… or is that an asset?

Ace in the Hole - Carlos Hernández may not start, but the 24-year old possesses a top notch strike from distance and must be closely marked near the area. With top attackers Rónald Gómez and Paulo Wanchope getting up there in years, some late offensive relief could fill the doctor’s order.

Outlook - Costa Rica are a fiercely proud unit that probably feels as though they should advance from this group. I’d like to agree, but I simply can’t. If they can scratch a result in the opener against Germany, however, their chances greatly increase.

Ecuador are making their second consecutive appearance. They opened their debut showing with a 1-0 victory over Croatia, but failed to advance after a pair of losses.

Man on the spot – Simply put, Augustin Delgado has to mind himself AND score goals. At times, it seems as though he needs a little bit of chaos to perform with an edge. However, he can make a mark on the game physically, while retaining enough boot magic to keep defenses guessing. If he strikes multiple goals in the first round, they have a shot at advancing.

Aces in the Hole – Franklin Salas got his international goal feet wet in 2004, scoring in both Copa América and the Olympics. Christian Lara has filled in admirably for the often splendid Edison Mendez. Each will need to help open up things for Delgado, but can also do the business when needed.

Outlook – Personable coach Luis Suarez certainly has his work cut out for him. Their CONMEBOL qualification was quite impressive, and the team take well after their workhorse manager. That being said, the old guys are a little too old and the young guys are a little too young. In other words: pack light.

Germany are hosting for the second time, and appearing at a World Cup for the 16th time. They have raised the trophy three times, including at home in 1974, and have finished as runners up four times. Only once, have the team been ousted before the quarterfinals.

Man on the spot – Can you say ‘Klinsmann’? He’s been blasted over his selection process, pulling players away for non-FIFA day friendlies and spending too much time at home in Los Angeles. Regardless of what he did for Die Mannschaft as a player (and these deeds were considerable), he will be thrown on the grill if they don’t at least reach the semifinals.

Ace in the Hole – A lot of folks still consider Miroslav Klose (pictured) to be a one-dimensional aerial threat because of his 2002 performance, but they are mistaken. If opponents think they can allow him space to dribble and distribute outside the area, he will punish them.

Outlook – If class ends up the indicator, Germany will have no problems reaching the next round. My money says there’s no way this team becomes the first home side to fail in the group stage. They got their reputation as tournament opportunists for a good reason.

Poland have claimed their seventh ticket to the finals, and like each of their foes, are repeat participants from 2002. They made three consecutive semifinal showings from 1974 to 1982.

Man on the spot – Shakhtar Donetsk star Mariusz Lewandowski is going to see a little bit of everything at his advanced sweeper position: fast players, physical players, ground game, crosses. Considering the particular attack threats posed by group sides, he really needs to turn in the kind of everywhere-at-once displays that have caught glances from club opponents such as AC Milan, Celtic and Stuttgart over the past two seasons.

Ace in the Hole – Acrobatic NEC Nijmegen forward Andrzej Niedzielan has a knack for the big play. If he could figure how to make the easy plays, he would be a starter. Still, the prospect of facing his brand of bad-angle shot making and trickiness should worry tiring defenders.

Outlook – Things are usually going well for Poland Ebi Smolarek and/or Kamil Kosowski are making people nervous on the dribble. Lewandowski can direct traffic and Maciej Zurawski can finish… it says here those four can provide enough to squeak into the round of 16.

by Greg Seltzer

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