Brazil in the World Cup 2010

Michael Ballack declared in an interview to German magazine Kicker that Germany is not one of the favorites too win the World Cup 2010.

Ballack, currently playing with Chelsea, is captain of the German national team, and played in the 2002 and 2006 Cups.

He said in the interview that the German team “do not have the consistency or strength in depth in the squad at the moment”, and “in friendly matches we have been too weak to be able to say that we have the class and routine to beat everybody else”; in the last three matches, Germany lost to Russia (0 x 1), tied with Finland (1 x 1) and with Ivory Coast (2 x 2).

In the first stage of the World Cup, Germany will face Australia, Serbia and Ghana; about them, Ballack said: “we have a tough group and all three opponents are uncomfortable and physically very strong”.

Does he really mean it?

Today, Germany is the 6th in the FIFA ranking. Betters put Germany as the 5th favorite to win the Cup, with odds ranging fro 10/1 to 12/1.

And more important, Germany, along with Brazil, Italy and Argentina, are the countries with most tradition in World Cups. In all the World Cup finals since the first event in 1930, at least one of these countries has been present (and in six Cups, two of them were present).

No matter how weak these countries may look before the Cup begins, they will always rank among the favorites.

Today, FIFA conducted the final draw to determine the groups in the first stage of the World Cup 2010.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Côte d’Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Brazil is seed of group G. The Brazilian Confederation is happy: if Brazil reaches the final match, four of the seven matches will be played in Johannesburg; so, the team will have to displace less often across host cities, and will have more time for training.

Brazil will play the first match against North Korea on June 15th 2010 in Johannesburg, then Cote d’Ivoire on June 20th again in Johannesburg, and Portugal on June 25th in Durban.

If Brazil finishes first of group G, then will play against the second of group H again in Johannesburg on June 28th; if Brazil finishes second, will play against the first of group H in Cape Town on June 29th.

Brazil has never played against North Korea and Cote d’Ivoire (considering only adult male teams). Brazil played several times against Portugal, including one match in the World Cup 1966, which Portugal won by 3×1.