First thoughts on the 2006 Football World Cup

Okay, I’m ready to sit down, take a quiet seat, and start where I should have left off four years ago, when I ruined my schedules because I got bitten nails all over them. Seven weeks before we’re even started, it’s time to start thinking about the 2006 World Cup Soccer tournament.

It goes something like this. 32 teams, from 32 different countries all over the world, gather in Germany for four weeks between June 9th and July 9th.

The team list reads as follows.

Of these teams, Germany and Costa Rica get us underway on June 9th, in a game that should be a shoo-in for the host city and their current coach, the incomparable Jürgen Klinsmann. Alexandre Guimaraes hasn’t been in charge of the Costa Ricans for so long, but has a frightening record in the domestic leagues. Leading your country, a completely different kettle of snakes.

Of the rest of these teams, we’ll wish for a good showing from first-time qualifiers Ukraine and Trinidad & Tobago, whose team has constantly consisted of very good players like former Manchester United star Dwight York, Stern John, and the ever-impressive keeper Shaka Hislop. However, as an Englander, I will be quietly hoping for the rails to slowly fall off the toboggan.

The seedings, however, play very much in England’s favour. We’ll end up meeting either Germany, Poland, Ecuador or Costa Rica in the next round. Everyone honestly knows that that’s an easy one for the Germans, but once again, silent hope wishes for a few shocks along the way.

That’s all we can tell for now, until some further news comes through.