A: Africa’s World Cup Much has already been made about this World Cup being the first on African soil. The continent, as well as the country of South Africa, has a lot riding on the event. B: Brazil: Always entertaining to watch, Brazil will go into this World Cup as a popular favorite. Despite being more defensive now, Dunga’s side will certainly be one to watch. C: Cristiano Ronaldo Ronaldo will need to show the world he truly is one of the greatest players on the planet. D: Diego Maradona The eccentric manager of Argentina has promised to run around naked in Buenos Aires if Argentina wins the World Cup. E: Extra Time An important part of any World Cup match that lasts more than 90 minutes. Will we see any crucial goals after the 90-minute mark? F: France France was “handed” a place in the World Cup after a controversial no-call hand ball against Ireland. Now the challenge for France will be to see if they advance from Group A. G: Group of Death Group G has Brazil, Portugal and the Ivory Coast along with North Korea. Who will join North Korea and get eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup? H: Honduras After Honduras got into the World Cup on a late goal from U.S. defender Jonathan Bornstein, it will be interesting to see how the team will do in Group H. But no matter what, they have the best World Cup qualification story in quite some time. I: Ivory Coast Considered by many to be the primary African nation that could win this World Cup, the Ivory Coast have a difficult journey out of Group G. But with players such as Didier Drogba, the Toure brothers and Salomon Kalou, anything can happen for the Elephants. J: Jabulani The official match ball for the World Cup, the Jabulani has come under some extreme criticism over the last week. Now, how will the players adjust to this ball, and how big a story will it be come June 11th? K: Korea This will be the first World Cup in which both North and South Korea will be competing. L: Landon Donovan The star American, Landon Donovan is expected by many to help the Americans advance from the group stage. So, will 2010 Donovan play like he did in 2002 or 2006? M: Messi The best player in the world, Lionel Messi seems destined to have a great World Cup after his great season for FC Barcelona. N: Nelson Mandela It’s still unknown whether the great South African statesman will be able to go to the World Cup because of health issues, but hopefully we’ll get to see the legendary 91-year-old. O: Oranje This is the nickname of the Netherlands squad that is expected to have a great World Cup. Can this team reach the final? P: Portugal Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal is not considered to be a strong favorite for this World Cup. But after a run to the semifinals in 2006, anything is possible. Q: Quick play In every World Cup, there’s always some incredible quick play. Which nation will be the fastest in South Africa? R: Royal Bafokeng Stadium This is the stadium that’s hosting the USA versus England match on June 12th. It’s probably the quietest stadium in the World Cup, which is a good thing. S: Soccer City The stadium that is hosting the opening ceremonies on June 11th and the World Cup final on July 11th, this stadium will get very, very loud. T: Thierry Henry After his hand ball got France into the World Cup, Thierry Henry has seen a fall from grace. Will one of the greatest French players ever rebound in South Africa? U: USA vs. England The first great match of the World Cup, this is a match that will get all Americans and Englishmen fired up for the tournament. V: Vuvuzela noise These are the loud trumpets blown by South African soccer fans that make people furious. How much vuvezela noise can you take before you go mad? W: Wayne Rooney England’s latest hope, Wayne Rooney had a great year with Manchester United, and is expected to be a major player over the next month. X: X-Factors In every World Cup, there are always x-factors. So, what impact will weather, the fans or any other force have in South Africa? Y: Young Stars With players such as the U.S.’s Jozy Altidore and Argentina’s Angel di Maria, there will be some fantastic young players to watch. Z: Zaniness Every World Cup has eccentric characters that go down in history. Who will be the zany characters this year? [ Via ]
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