ENGLAND + UNITED STATES + SLOVENIA + ALGERIA
Fixtures:
ITV Sat June 12 England v United States Rustenburg 19.30
BBC Sun June 13 Algeria v Slovenia Polokwane 12.30
BBC Fri June 18 Slovenia v United States Ellis Park 15.00
ITV Fri June 18 England v Algeria Cape Town 19.30
BBC Wed June 23 Slovenia v England Port Elizabeth 15.00
BBC Wed June 23 United States v Algeria Pretoria 15.00
ENGLAND
Coach: Fabio Capello (since 2007)
FIFA World ranking: 8
World Cup best: Winners in 1966
Last appearance: 2006 - Quarter Finals
How they qualified: England have rarely had such a comfortable qualification, winning eight straight games to seal qualification from UEFA Qualifying Group Six with two matches to spare. The Three Lions were in rampant form, scoring 34 goals to finish as the world's top scorers in qualifying. Their wins included two thrashing of Croatia, 4-1 away and 5-1 at Wembley, to gain revenge after the Croatians knocked England out of the Euro 2008 qualifiers.
Premier League picks: Fabio Capello's plans were thrown into disarray after captain Rio Ferdinand was forced to pull out of the tournament having injured his knee in training. Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard will now take the armband and uncapped Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Michael Dawson has got the call-up though it his club team-mate Ledley King who is likely to replace Ferdinand in the team. Theo Walcott, surprisingly selected by Sven Goran Eriksson four years ago, was left at home along with striker Darren Bent, despite his 24 goals for Sunderland this season. Squad profiles.
Prediction: Semi Finals
England's hopes rest mainly with Wayne Rooney. There is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of the 25-year-old Manchester United striker but he will be aware of his importance to this team as much as anyone. He knows that if he can replicate the form which he showed for United this season, England will have their best chance of a World Cup win since 1990. Having said that, this is also an important World Cup for new captain Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard who will be aged 34 and 35 respectively in 2014. This is likely to be the last one for both players - this is possibly their last chance for them to make a lasting impression in an England shirt to put alongside their glittering club careers.
Defence is the main worry for Fabio Capello - and Rio Ferdinand's injury has just made a poor situation worse. Ledley King's ability to play back-to-back games remains a doubt and the other options to play alongside John Terry - Jamie Carragher, Michael Dawson and Jamie Carragher - have had little recent international experience. The first-choice goalkeeper has also not yet been named. But, despite problems at the back, a kind draw should give England and Rooney some momentum going into the knockout stages. Avoid the spectre of the penalty shoot-out and this England squad should be aiming to play in the final week of the competition.
UNITED STATES
Coach: Bob Bradley (since 2006)
FIFA World ranking: 14
World Cup best: Semi Finals in 1930
Last appearance: 2006 - First Round
How they qualified: United States finished top of the final CONCACAF Qualifying Group after a campaign that improved as time went on. The Americans started in inconsistent fashion, winning their first four home matches but taking just one point against El Salvador from their first three away games. Successive wins on the road against Trinidad & Tobago and Honduras, however, put Bradley's men in the finals with a game to spare.
Premier League picks: Eight British-based players have made it into the United States squad with all three goalkeepers - Aston Villa's Brad Guzan, Everton's Tim Howard and Marcus Hahnemann of Wolves - coming from the Premier League. In defence, Watford's Jay DeMerit is joined by West Ham's Jonathan Spector while Fulham's Clint Dempsey will be expected to pull the strings in midfield. Jozy Altidore is likely to start up front against England after his loan spell in the Premier League with Hull City last season while Landon Donovan showed he was a threat while on loan at Everton. Bolton Wanderers' Stuart Holden and Maurice Edu of Rangers are also in Bob Bradley's squad along with the coach's son, Michael. Full squad.
Prediction: Second Round
The United States are the team that England will most fear in this group for several reasons. Firstly, the fact that the Three Lions are one of the favourites for the whole tournament means the USA can approach the first game of the group with nothing to lose, playing it - in snooker parlance - as a shot to nothing before collecting points against Slovenia and Algeria. Secondly, many players in the American squad have experience of playing in the Premier League and can replicate its style. Finally, the USA have the advantage of already having played in South Africa at last year's Confederations Cup. There, Bob Bradley's men did well, ending Spain's long unbeaten record to reach the Final here they led 2-0 before losing 3-2 to Brazil. But, while the Americans will certainly give England a test, their priority will still be to finish above the other two teams. A failure to do that would be desperately disappointing.
SLOVENIA
Coach: Matjaz Kek (since 2007)
FIFA World ranking: 25
World Cup best: First Round in 2002
Last appearance: 2002
How they qualified: Slovenia beat Russia in the UEFA Playoffs on the away goals rule but only after having hung on in the first game in Moscow. The Russians, who were semi finalists at Euro 2008, took a two-goal lead and looked set for the finals. But Nej Pecnik scored with two minutes left to give the Slovenians hope. Slovenia produced a much better performance at home and Zlatko Dedic's goal just before half-time gave Matjaz Kek's team a 1-0 win and a second appearance at the World Cup finals. Earlier, Slovenia finished runners-up to Slovakia in UEFA Qualifying Group Three despite having beaten the Slovakians twice. Nevertheless, a finish above Czech Republic and Poland was still an impressive achievement.
Premier League picks: West Bromwich Albion's decision to release Slovenia captain Robert Koren means that there are no English-based players in Matjaz Kek's squad. The lack of Premier League representation is somewhat of a surprise, considering that no fewer than 18 teams and 11 different leagues across Europe are, in fact, featured. Maribor pair Elvedin Dzinic and Suad Filekovic are the only Slovenia-based players. Full squad.
Prediction: First Round
Slovenia have made it through to a third finals since gaining independence after another surprise qualification. But the current squad, coached by former Under-21 boss Matjaz Kek, represents a different generation to the team which played at Euro 2000 and World Cup 2002. Zlatko Zahovic has now passed into the record books but Ljubljana has a new hero in Milivoje Novakovic after the Koln striker scored five goals in qualifying. Slovenia are a team that regularly produces more than the sum of its parts but the decision by West Brom to release Robert Koren shows an obvious gulf between this team and that led by Fabio Capello.
ALGERIA
Coach: Rabah Sadaane (since 2007)
FIFA World ranking: 30
World Cup best: First Round in 1982 and 1986
Last appearance: 1986
How they qualified: Algeria won a hotly-contested, hastily-arranged playoff against their massive North African rivals Egypt in neutral Sudan after the teams finished with identical records in final African Qualifying Group C. The Desert Foxes had the chance to seal a place in the finals in the last group game in Cairo but a 2-0 loss amid crowd trouble left both teams on 13 points from six games with nine goals for and four against, Egypt having scored their second in the 95th minute. The build-up to the playoff was intense and the match quality suffered in the tension but Antar Yahia's goal five minutes before half time was enough to send Algeria to a first finals in 24 years.
Premier League picks: There are four British-based players in the Algeria squad including Portsmouth pair Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda. Rangers' defender Madjid Bougherra has also made it, as has Adlene Guedioura who is on loan at Wolves from Charlerio in Belgium. Three home-based players make it into the 23 with seven of the squad playing in France. Full squad.
Prediction: First Round
Algeria have arguably already played in their 'World Cup Final' by beating Egypt in that momentous playoff match to qualify for the first time in 24 years. Certainly, there are no expectations of a repeat of their 1982 appearance when the Desert Foxes stunned the world with victory over West Germany. Instead, the current Algerian team has the tendency to play a shocker every so often. In fact, they were probably summed up by their performance in January's African Nations Cup where they suffered a dismal 3-0 defeat against Malawi before still reaching the semi finals. This group is not the toughest in the competition but it will still prove too much for the Algerians.
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