Women's World Cup Panos Power Rankings - Edition #2

With the group stages completed at the Women's World Cup, I must say I have been captivated by the tournament. The level of play has surprised me and the lack of the theatrics that mar that men's game are not on display. The three big favorites still remain in Germany, the United States and Brazil with the only surprise, if you can even call it that, is that Canada were sent home early. Of course with the conclusion of the group stage, there is only one thing left to do . . . here are the PBP Power Rankings, Edition #2.

Women's World Cup Panos Power Rankings - Edition #1

With a couple days to go before the start of the Women's World Cup it is time for a Posts By Panos tradition as we present the first edition of the Women's World Cup Power Rankings. Enjoy!

Sidenote: Odds are given as a multiplier and were taken from www.betbrain.com

World Cup Panos Rankings - Edition #3

The group games have been completed and we are left with the final sixteen teams that will battle for the World Cup. All five South American teams have qualified for the next stage, while two of the three North American teams have also qualified coupled with one African and two Asian teams. That leaves only six European sides that have reached the knock out stage. The Americas have shined at this World Cup while Africa and Europe have faltered. So, for fun, let's rank the sixteen remaining teams in this edition's World Cup Panos Rankings. Enjoy!

1. Brazil (1) - Next Match v. Chile

The favorites coasted through their 'Group of Death' and are 90 minutes of football against probably the Dutch to advance to the final. Brazil gets to avoid England, Germany, Spain, Argentina and Portugal until the final, a very favorable draw for the Samba Boys.

2. Argentina (4) - Next Match v. Mexico

Argentina have played some beautiful football, and although Lionel Messi has yet to find the back of the net, you know the goals will soon begin to flow in. I still have my doubts about Diego the Coach, especially with all the touching, and kissing and rubbing. He does remind me of a drunk Danny DeVito with a mullet and a beard. Argentina, assuming they beat Mexico, will face England or Germany in the quarterfinals.

3. Netherlands (3) - Next Match v. Slovakia

As mentioned above, the Dutch are 90 minutes of football against Brazil away from the final. Arjen Robben made a cameo appearance in the final group match versus Cameroon and immediately his introduction led to the winning goal. The Dutch have dangerous attacking players, but are suspect at the back, and they also have the Dutch fragile psyche. This team for all its talents always finds a way to fail at the big hurdle.

4. Spain (10) - Next Match v. Portugal

The Spanish topped Group H even with the opening round loss to Switzerland. Andres Iniesta, in my opinion, is the key man for the Spanish because he takes some of the pressure away from Xavi and will occupy numerous defenders creating open space for his Barca teammate. It is clear that Fernando Torres is not 100% and is still rusty, but David Villa has been more than capable of shouldering the scoring load.

5. Germany (2) - Next Match v. England

The Germans are young and they are talented for sure, the key for the Germans is to make sure that they keep their shape defensively especially given the darting forward runs from Phillip Lahm. Furthermore, the Germans have a difficult road to navigate with a potential quarter-final match-up versus Argentina looming.

6. Portugal (13) - Next Match v. Spain

The Portuguese, other than a 7-0 victory against North Korea, have not scored a goal against better opposition in Brazil and the Ivory Coast. As much as Cristiano Ronaldo might rub people the wrong way with his playacting and diva antics, he is still one of the most talented players in the world and when he is on form he can carry a team.

7. Uruguay (21) - Next Match v. South Korea

Uruguay took advantage of France's demise and the inability of the hosts, South Africa, to defend to win Group A and advance into the easiest quadrant of the knock-out stage. Victories for Uruguay against South Korea and either Ghana or the United States, will see Uruguay make the semi-finals. Furthermore, Diego Forlan has had a splendid tournament leading his team thus far.

8. United States (17) - Next Match v. Ghana

The United States were probably one minute away from a disappointing victory but with Landon Donovan's winning goal the United States topped Group C and will take on Ghana in the Round of 16. The United States have never won back to back games at the World Cup but then again the US never won their third group match and we know how that ended. Also keep in mind that the United States have been in the lead for only 2 minutes during this entire tournament.

9. England (8) - Next Match v. Germany

England have disappointed so far in this World Cup and maybe it is because of the unrivaled pressure their fans and press put on the team. Wayne Rooney looks injured and Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard really doing play well together. Jermaine Defoe and James Milner provided a spark for Don Fabio, but the Three Lions will need someone to step up in order to defeat Germany.

10. Chile (5) - Next Match v. Brazil

The Chileans all out attacking style of play is a pleasure to watch but the Chileans have to thank Honduras for not conceding against Switzerland to punch their ticket to the Round of 16. The Chileans will attack, but the key for the team is if they can defend especially against the Brazilians.

11. Paraguay (19) - Next Match v. Japan

Finish top of your group and for your second round match you get to play Japan, that has to be the earliest Christmas gift the Paraguayans  have ever received. Paraguay are a very stout defensive team that do possess attacking flair and as evidenced by their results against Italy and Slovakia, they will be a difficult out.

12. Mexico (16) - Next Match v. Argentina

The scintillating Round of 16 match between Argentina and Mexico in 2006 was a fantastic game from a neutral's perspective and here is hoping that they duplicate that match when they meet on Sunday. The Mexicans possess and interesting mixture of young and talented (Dos Santos, Vela, Hernandez) with the old and slow (Blanco).

13. Ghana (6) - Next Match v. United States

Ghana are Africa's last hope in this World Cup, and although they are missing their best player, Michael Essien and not playing their second best player, Sulley Muntari, the Ghanaians are in the Round of 16. Victory over the United States will see Ghana with a great opportunity to advance to the semi-finals and we all know that all of Africa will be supporting them.

14. South Korea (11) - Next Match v. Uruguay

South Korea advanced from Group B to make the second round and into a match-up against Uruguay. The South Koreans will need to avoid the early goal because South Korea is lacking the firepower to come back in the match. Credit must be given to the Asian nations because they have defended admirably and attacking with purpose and conviction, unlike their European counterparts.

15. Slovakia (20) - Next Match v. Netherlands

Slovakia played very inspiring football to knock-out the Italians and grab a spot into the Round of 16. Although the Slovakians were ahead by two they still almost let the Italians tie the match so I would suspect that the nerves are frayed for the Slovaks. 

16. Japan (12) - Next Match v. Paraguay

Maybe Takeshi Okada, coach of Japan, was fooling all of us when he claimed that Japan was going to reach the semi-finals, but so far he has delivered and Japan are on course for the semis. But let's be realistic, can the magical run continue?

World Cup Panos Rankings - Edition #2

Welcome to the second edition of the Panos Rankings. At this point every team has played one game, and with possibly the exception of the Germans, every team has had their problems or difficulties. I will touch on all of these in my 'State of Play' feature that should be posted later tonight. In the meantime to the rankings:

1. Brazil (1) - Last Match (2-1 North Korea)

The favorites won their first game, albeit they had their struggles against a determined North Korean side.

2. Germany (6) - Last Match (4-0 Australia)

The Germans played the most complete game so far in the tournament demolishing the Socceroos 4-0.

3. Netherlands (3) - Last Match (2-0 Denmark)

Another struggle for one of the favorites, but thankfully to an own goal, the Oranje were able to break down the Danes and secure the three points.

4. Argentina (4) - Last Match (1-0 Nigeria)

Lionel Messi missed an exorbitant amount of chances against Nigeria, once he starts connecting the rest of the world should watch out.

5. Chile (11) - Last Match (1-0 Honduras)

In a tourney devout of attacking play, thank the Chileans who attacked in numbers during their first match against Honduras.

6. Ghana (17) - Last Match (1-0 Serbia)

Even though they Serbs were poor in their match against Ghana, a victory is a victory and Ghana are in good shape to advance to the Round of 16.

7. Slovenia (20) - Last Match (1-0 Algeria)

The Slovenians are in good shape after their victory over Algeria; however, their next match against the Americans decides who will advance to the next round.

8. England (5) - Last Match (1-1 USA)

Other than the 'Hand of Clod' England most probably would of cruised in their match against the USA.

9. Switzerland (24) - Last Match (1-0 Spain)

The Swiss defended bravely in their upset victory over Spain and have thrown Group H into a loop with their performance.

10. Spain (2) - Last Match (0-1 Switzerland)

Spain controlled all the play but could not break down the Swiss defense. Torres was clearly rusty but his introduction into the game injected some life in a lifeless attack.

11. South Korea (25) - Last Match (2-0 Greece)

South Korea used their speed and organization to dissect a weak Greece squad and could of scored 3 or 4 in their first match.

12. Japan (28) - Last Match (1-0 Cameroon)

Perhaps their coach was onto something when he declared that Japan would make the semi-finals. Honda scored the winner in their match versus Cameroon.

13. Portugal (8) - Last Match (0-0 Ivory Coast)

Cristiano Ronaldo almost scored the goal of the tournament with his thunderbolt from outside the box, but the Portuguese had to settle for a draw against the Ivory Coast.

14. Ivory Coast (14) - Last Match (0-0 Portugal)

With the exception of Brazil, the Ivory Coast are the only team to not move up or down in the rankings and with their next match against Brazil here is hoping that Drogba is fit to play a full 90.

15. Italy (7) - Last Match (1-1 Paraguay)

Italy are severely lacking creative players and it showed in their lack of offensive firepower during their match with Paraguay and coupled with Buffon's herniated desk the Italians might find themselves in trouble.

16. Mexico (13) - Last Match (1-1 South Africa)

The Mexicans looked good in their match against South Africa and could of folded when they conceded the opening goal but they battled hard and deserved their equalizer.

17. USA (15) - Last Match (1-1 England)

The Americans will view their tie against England as a victory and now face must wins against Algeria and Slovenia.

18. France (9) - Last Match (0-0 Uruguay)

Les Blues generated very little from an offensive standpoint and Anelka was especially poor, perhaps Thierry Henry will save France if he is allowed off the bench.

19. Paraguay (22) - Last Match (1-1 Italy)

Paraguay carried the play against Italy, but near the end began to fade and stamina and endurance could be an issue moving forward.

20. Slovakia (19) - Last Match (1-1 New Zealand)

The Slovaks should of defeated the Kiwis and will regret the dropped two points; this could potentially lead to Slovakia not qualifying for the Round of 16.

21. Uruguay (18) - Last Match (0-0 France)

Diego Forlan needs to step up and score goals for Uruguay against South Africa and Mexico for them to have a chance to advance.

22. South Africa (25) - Last Match (1-1 Mexico)

So far the opening goal for South Africa was the moment of the tournament and the celebrations that followed afterwards were well deserved for the Bafana Bafana; the question is if they can keep it up?

23. New Zealand (31) - Last Match (1-1 Slovakia)

Congratulations to the Kiwis for fighting till the end and scoring the dramatic tying goal in the 93rd minute, enjoy the point because it might their last.

24. Nigeria (23) - Last Match (0-1 Argentina)

Nigeria should thank goalkeeper Enyeama's performance for keeping the score close against Argentina. However, the Nigerians appeared to be dangerous and should do well in their remaining matches.

25. Cameroon (12) - Last Match (0-1 Japan)

Cameroon can only fault themselves for their performance against Japan, and need Samuel E'too to play as a striker and not a winger to advance.

26. Serbia (10) - Last Match (0-1 Ghana)

So much for the darkhorse favorite Serbia, as they really played without heart and courage against Ghana and will find it difficult to advance considering Germany's form.

27. Denmark (16) - Last Match (0-2 Netherlands)

The Danes were undone by an own goal and lacked any flair from their strikers or wingers.

28. North Korea (32) - Last Match (1-2 Brazil)

Maybe Brazil was half asleep for the match, but give credit where its due the North Koreans defended admirably and became football darlings for about 90 minutes before we all realized who their leader is.

29. Greece (21) - Last Match (0-2 South Korea)

The Greeks were more interested in fighting amongst themselves than caring about winning a soccer match and were thoroughly outclassed on the pitch by South Korea.

30. Honduras (29) - Last Match (0-1 Chile)

Honduras took the game to Chile and both teams gave us an attacking game of football that was filled with chances, however their play in the final third was lacking.

31. Algeria (30) - Last Match (0-1 Slovenia)

Algeria played hard against Slovenia, but were beaten by a weak goal and will have their hands full against a determined English squad.

32. Australia (26) - Last Match (0-4 Germany)

Thoroughly outclassed by Germany and now lacking their best player, Tim Cahill, due to a red card suspension, things are only going to get tougher for the Aussies.

World Cup Panos Rankings - Edition #1 - Pre Tournament Rankings

There has been a rush amongst sports journalists, and no I am not a sports journalist, to constantly rank things for first to worst, and I will be honest I took the bait, so here is the first edition of the World Cup Panos Rankings. These rankings are not indicative of who will play in the final game or the order of finish, but a ranking in my opinion of the strongest to weakest teams in the tournament. Enjoy!

1. Brazil

One Positive - The Brazilians are always the prohibitive favorite when the World Cup is not on European soil

Style of Play - The samba boys priority is not on 'jogo bonito' but rather pragmatic counter-attacking football

One Negative - Kaka has had an awful first season with Real Madrid, and a lack of confidence coupled with injury concerns could negatively impact Brazil's most important player

2. Spain

One Positive - One loss in the last 48 games . . . and it was to the United States

Style of Play - Possession football, with the strings pulled by the dangerous Xavi & Iniesta, with the goals from Villa & Torres

One Negative - History of choking on the biggest stage, although the success of Euro 2008 might change the mindset for the Rioja

3. Netherlands

One Positive - Simply put the best playing team on the planet during the pre-World Cup friendlies and with an attacking quartet of Sneijder, Robben, van der Vaart and van Persie have enough firepower to compete with any team

Style of Play - Total 'Oranje' Football, a style that emphasizes pass and move with one or two touches, very pleasing to watch and very frustrating to play against

One Negative - With the retirement of Edwin van der Sar, the GK position is shaky at best and the injury bug has hit the Dutch, with the Porcelain Winger, Robben, under threat to miss the group stage

4. Argentina

One Positive - Lionel Messi, Lionel Messi, and again Lionel Messi, easily the best player on the planet right now enters the World Cup after a whirlwind season with Barcelona

Style of Play - Attack with a lack of belief or sense of defensive play, very attractive soccer that is ambitious and filled with skill and bags of tricks

One Negative - Coach Maradona can inspire the Argentines to World Cup glory or lead to their implosion, the most interested subplot of this World Cup is the impact Diego will have on his squad

5. England

One Positive - In my opinion, the best English team in the past 25 years led by Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard & Frank Lampard and fantastically managed by Fabio Capello

Style of Play - Not your father's English style of play with the long ball, however this is a physical side that will dominate in the air with a direct purpose

One Negative - Expectations are sky high, and with the loss of Rio Ferdinand the second center back position falls on the shoulders of injury prone Ledley King

6. Germany

One Positive - In the last 11 of 13 World Cup Finals, either Brazil or Germany have played for the trophy, this illustrates the pedigree that the Germans have and cannot be taken lightly

Style of Play - The Germans use an organized style of play that is difficult to break down while at the same time maintaining a physicality that few teams can match

One Negative - The injury bug has hit the Germans with the loss of their captain Michael Ballack, furthermore, the domestic form of Klose and Podolski leaves much to be desired

7. Italy

One Positive - The defending champions bring a world of experience and age to the World Cup led by the management of Marcello Lippi

Style of Play - Another organized squad that practices patient and counter-attacking football, however without Totti and Del Piero there lacks some creativity in the squad

One Negative - In the pre-World Cup friendlies the Italians have been everything but impressive with less than stellar performances against much weaker opposition

8. Portugal

One Positive - Although this may not be the Golden Generation of Portuguese footballers, the current edition of the team is loaded with talent including Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani

Style of Play - With the Brazilians led by the rigid Dunga, the Portuguese are the best bet for a 'joga bonito' style of play

One Negative - With one win from their first 5 qualifying games, the Portuguese struggled to get to the big dance, and now that they are here the results have not been very kind

9. France

One Positive - The change to a 4-3-3 formation with Ribery and Malouda on the wings has elevated the play for the French, and one cannot discount the goalkeeping of Hugo Lloris, in my opinion, the prohibitive favorite for Young Player of the Tourney

Style of Play -  Free-flowing French play, yet without the virtues of Zidane in the midfield at times makes the French appear like they are playing in the mud

One Negative - A recent loss to China have dampened the spirit of Les Blues, coupled with the banishment of Thierry Henry to the bench leaves the French stumbling towards South Africa

10. Serbia

One Positive - Led by a formidable back four of Vidic, Subotic and Ivanovic the Serbians will difficult to play against

Style of Play - The Serbians will be extremely physical and the goals will come from the M & M boys, Milos Krasic and Milan Jovanovic

One Negative - With the injuries to Michael Essien of Ghana and Michael Ballack of Germany, will the greater expectations on the squad to advance to the Round of 16 hamper the Serbs, only time will tell

11. Chile
One Positive - Let me be the first to remind you that Chile finished second to Brazil in qualifying and also had Humberto Suazo lead the group in goals, but you already knew all of that
Style of Play - Typically South American, led by an Argentine gaffer, the Chileans will be a tough out, or they could find themselves lying on the ground play-acting, but South Americans don't do that, hell, everyone country does that now
One Negative - Every since the days of Salas, the Chileans haven't had such a talented team at the World Cup, however with an injury to Suazo the Chileans have their own problems to deal with before their opener

12. Cameroon
One Positive - Usually the flag bearer for African football, Cameroon is in prime position to advance to the Round of 16 and there is potentially an upset versus Italy in the cards for the 2nd Round
Style of Play - Although he might of lost a step, Samuel E'too is still a winner evidenced by his Champions League success with Inter Milan and Barcelona, the Lions will attack through E'too and hope everything else falls into place
One Negative - When Roger Milla, scorer of the epic goal in the 1994 World Cup versus Argentina, called out his countrymen E'too for a lack of leadership, several flaws were revealed in Cameroon's armor.

13. Mexico
One Positive - 'El Tri' enter the tournament as the best team out of the Concacaf Region, and buoyed by recent friendlies versus England and Italy are primed to be a surprise package from Group A
Style of Play - Quite simply put, attack with style is the mantra for the Mexicans, however, they can be caught out of position especially along the flanks
One Negative - Trying to blend the experience of Blanco with the youth of Dos Santos, Vela and Hernandez could lead to a potential divide in the locker room

14. Ivory Coast
One Positive - Put me in the minority but I believe that Sven is actually a decent coach and can lead Africa's most talented team through the Group of Death
Style of Play - With the potentially devastating injury of Didier Drogba, the goals will be hard to come by, so except the Elephants to play a compact style looking for the counter-attack that will utilize their speed through Salomon Kalou
One Negative - It is looking like the World Cup will be robbed from viewing Africa's best player in Didier Drogba due to an unfortunate injury, and thus, could hamper the chances of the Elephants to advance beyond the group stage

15. USA
One Positive - The beauty of the Americans is that although they do not have the most talented teams, they do work the hardest and have a mentality that is undeniably American in that they never give up, which should see them push England for first place in the group
Style of Play - Uncle Sam's team will be a physical bunch, looking for the speed on the wings from Dempsey and Donovan, however with the recent injury to Altidore, the goal scoring will fall on former TFC player Edson Buddle
One Negative - This has to be most anticipated World Cup for the United States with added pressure from ESPN and the American public; Americans don't accept second place, so with all the pressure will the team be able to perform

16. Denmark
One Positive - The Danes breezed through qualifying in a group which included Sweden and Portugal and if Bendtner managed to bury at least one in every five chances, the Danes could be a surprise package
Style of Play - This team will not evoke the memories of the Laundrup brothers of the early 1990s, but the Danes will play a Northern European style of football relying on a direct route to the goal that is best served in set piece situations
One Negative  - Some have argued that the Danes have peaked already especially due to their impressive qualifying run, and with a knee injury to center back Simon Kaer, things could get tough in a hurry

17. Ghana
One Positive - Perhaps I am putting too much of an advantage to the so-called African advantage but even with the loss of Michael Essien, this is the same Ghana team that advanced to the African Cup final.
Style of Play - Like most African teams, Ghana will emphasize their speed, however, they are a much more physical team with Sulley Muntari in the midfield
One Negative - It cannot be overlooked that the loss of Michael Essien really hurts the chances of the Black Stars, and even though they did reach the African Cup final, Egypt, who won the tournament, did not qualify for the World Cup

18. Uruguay
One Positive - Led by the frontline of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez goals will not be a problem for Uruguay, and with a wide-open group that includes France, Mexico and South Africa there are chances to advance to the Round of 16
Style of Play - Like their South American neighbors, Uruguay will look to attack to make up for their lack of a defensive structure and is quite possibly the only way to play
One Negative - With the recent suspension of Cristian Rodriguez Uruguay will have to rely on uncapped and untested youngsters to provide midfield steel

19. Slovakia
One Positive - The Slovaks find themselves in the easiest group of the World Cup and this tournament could be a breakout even for Marek Hamsik, rumored to be on radar of clubs such as Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and AC Milan
Style of Play - The team will focus on defending and counter-attacking football, however with some of the youthful exuberance that is evident throughout the squad creativity could rise to the top
One Negative - Like the Americans, there is a father-son, coach-player relationship on the Slovakian squad which could potentially lead to a divided locker room if things get dicey, however I really like the Slovakians as a surprise package at this World Cup

20. Slovenia
One Positive - The Slovenians only allowed 4 goals in 10 qualification games and dispatched Guus Hiddink's Russia during the European playoffs
Style of Play - This is a very big and physical team that is well organized that would allow for Slovenia to compete in every game
One Negative - Unfortunately, the Slovaks are in a group with other similar minded physical teams like the United States, England and Algeria and qualification would be a tough task

21. Greece
One Positive - The Greeks are boosted by the goal-scoring exploits of Theofanis Gekas who led the UEFA qualifying stage with 10 goals and with the inclusion of whizkid Sotiris Ninis much is anticipated
Style of Play - Well, simply put the Greeks play a physical eleven men behind the ball style of play, perhaps if the talent was different the Greeks might come out of their defensive shell, but in the meantime the keys to the Greek team is organization and physical defense
One Negative - Some very poor results in the friendlies leading to the World Cup have led to chaos throughout Athens, the draw to North Korea being extremely troubling

22. Paraguay
One Positive - The South Americans qualified with ease for the World Cup and should be a force to deal with and perhaps the gods will be on their side following the unfortunate shooting of Cabanas, one of Paraguay's key front men
Style of Play - Another South American team that focuses on offense with little regard for the defensive aspects of the game
One Negative - Unfortunately with the shooting of Cabanas, Paraguay does lack some offensive firepower and with a back line that averages 30+ in age, the team could struggle with more talented teams

23. Nigeria
One Positive - Lars Lagerback, the former coach of Sweden, will ensure that the team is organized and with the Africa home field advantage look for the Eagles to make some noise out of Group B
Style of Play - Obafemi Martins leads the line for the Nigerians and with his speed and with the speed from the Super Eagles, Nigeria will rely on speed and attacking play
One Negative - Unfortunately the loss of John Obi Mikel from Chelsea will affect Nigeria in the midfield and with the ageless wonder Kanu playing a role for the team, it must be said that this is not the most talent Nigerian squad

24. Switzerland

One Positive - Other than being made from chocolate the Swiss will rely on the creativity of winger Tranquillo Barnetta to lead them out of a tough group highlighted by the Chileans and Spanish
Style of Play - Opponents of the Swiss don't have to worry about speed when defending, as the Swiss are known for tactical and organized play relying on set pieces to score the winning goal
One Negative - Omar Hitzfeld, the old coach of Bayern Munich, will have his problems with this squad due to the lack of speed and creativity and also the Swiss find themselves in a very difficult group

25. South Africa
One Positive - Home-field advantage will carry the Bafana Bafana into their matches with France, Uruguay and Mexico, and with an undefeated run of 12 matches, momentum may just be on the side of the South Africans
Style of Play - The South Africans will attack through Everton's Steven Pienaar and will look for a boost from the vuvuzela crazy locals
One Negative - The Bafana Bafana did not qualify for the African Cup of Nations and are considered one of the weakest of all the African teams

26. Australia
One Positive - The Australians have benefited from their previous Dutch managers and have acclimated themselves well in a couple of the pre-World Cup friendlies
Style of Play - The Aussies will be a physical bunch that will not be afraid to stick in, and with Tim Cahill leading the charge, the Aussies will score their fair share of goals via the good ol' noggin
One Negative - Unfortunately, the Socceroos are in a difficult group with Germany, Ghana and Serbia and they will find it difficult to advance

27. South Korea
One Positive - The South Koreans will always bring the effort and led by Park Ji-Sung, the Manchester United midfielder, the Koreans will always be in every game
Style of Play - Another organized team that will defend in numbers and look for their speed down the wing via the counter attack
One Negative - The South Koreans have yet to win a  World Cup match outside their home soil from 2002, so the chances for another victory are slim

28. Japan
One Positive - The Blue Samurai have played extremely well in recent friendlies, although they were losses, to England and the Ivory Coast
Style of Play - The Japanese will focus on the set pieces from free-kick specialist Shunsuke Nakamura and try to use their aerial tenacity when attacking dead ball situations
One Negative - So England manages to beat the Japanese via two own goals, and with a third own goal scored in the game against the Ivory Coast, perhaps the Japanese don't quite understand which goal they are supposed to shoot at

29. Honduras
One Positive - Led by Wilson Palacios, Maynor Figueroa and ex-TFC midfielder Armado Guevera the talent is there on the offensive side of the ball
Style of Play - This Central American side will play a possession style brand of football that will focus on the quick strike with play down the middle of the pitch
One Negative - Unfortunately as we get to the bottom of the Panos Rankings the quality of the teams keeps getting less and less, and with Honduras except goals to be scored by the bushel, just unfortunately against them

30. Algeria
One Positive - After knocking off Egypt in their qualifying run the Desert Foxes are the final African team to make the World Cup and led by a majority of players who ply their trade in France there will be distinct French feel to the team
Style of Play - The Algerians will play football almost the same way any Middle Eastern team would, with passion, emotion, play-acting and a flair for the dramatic, hopefully the right combination will be able to lead them out of their group
One Negative - During the match versus Egypt the Algerians finished with nine men so discipline is the key for the squad and against physical sides England and the US, the discipline may be lacking

31. New Zealand
One Positive - They beat Serbia 1-0 in a World Cup friendly, that is really all I can say about the Kiwis
Style of Play - A physical side that will battle hard and play with grit, determination unfortunately without the talent
One Negative - With a lack of talent and a captain that used to play for MLS squad D.C. United this could be one of poorest teams in the World Cup

32. North Korea
One Positive - (This space is left blank for fear of censorship by the government of North Korea) But, in all seriousness Jong Tae-Se, the Asian 'Wayne Rooney' is a fantastic player that scored a cracker of a goal against the Greeks, but then again is that such a hard task
Style of Play - Direct and determined play with speed through the wings and a focus on target man Jong Tae-Se
One Negative - Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal are all difficult games so hopefully the margin of victory will not be too large