Group Strength La Furia Roja have been spared a nightmare scenario but still face some tough tests in the section. Ottmar Hitzfeld's Switzerland recovered from a poor start to their qualification campaign to top their listings ahead of Greece and Israel. Meanwhile, Chile were only a point worse off than CONMEBOL section toppers, Brazil and are an exciting, dynamic prospect under Marcelo Bielsa, scoring 32 times in the qualification process. Honduras, back after 28 years to the world stage, are somewhat of an unknown quantity to a global audience but managed to inflict a 3-1 over Mexico during the CONCACAF qualification process and boast a number of impressive performers not to be taken lightly. Group Favourites Spain will certainly fancy their chances of topping the group with relative ease; nine eminently winnable points are on offer for the current world number one and European champions. Wins over Switzerland and Honduras could leave Spain with the enviable prospect of fielding an understrength side in the final match against Chile. Battle for Second Chile and Switzerland are currently next to each other in the current batch of world rankings; the South American side sit 17th with the Swiss one place back; Honduras are a distant 39th. The group promises to be intriguing with so little to choose between the the Swiss and the Chileans on paper and the June 21 clash between the two sides could have a huge bearing on the knock-out credentials of both. The Outsiders It would be unfair to label Honduras as rank underdogs in the section as they could have been handed a lot worse draw. However, the central Americans need to hit the ground running with a decent result against Chile on matchday one. It would be foolish to dismiss La Bicolor as no-hopers, boasting the likes of Wilson Palacios, David Suazo and Carlos Costly in their ranks. The Long Road Forward The runners-up in Group H will surely have a stern task on their hands in the knock-out round of 16. Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Portugal and outsiders North Korea comprise Group G, with the top-placed team in that pool moving on to meet Group H's second best. It ensures that the reward for topping the section will only be a tough tie in the second round, with the possibility of facing The Netherlands, Cameroon and Italy further along the tournament ladder.
World Cup 2010: Group H Analysis - Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
World Cup 2010: Group C Analysis - England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group Strength England will be relatively pleased with what has already been pinpointed as one of the weaker draws. Certainly Algeria and Slovenia, both of whom qualified via a play-off, are seen as minnows. Meanwhile the USA, having qualified with room to spare from CONCACAF, still lack some of the allure offered by European or South American teams. The Three Lions, then, will be quietly confident of first place. Group Favourites It can only be England. First out of the pot, they were expected to be first in the group regardless of who they faced. After a reasonably tough opener with the USA, fans will expect nothing less than six points against Algeria and Slovenia. A 100% record, then, is not out of the question. Battle for Second The USA will fancy their chances of qualification. Having avoided the likes of Portugal from the UEFA pot, the Americans are eager to go one further than in a difficult World Cup 2006. Meanwhile Slovenia have team spirit and a sense of the unknown about them, causing local fans to grow in optimism. Algerians never quit, meanwhile, and off the back of a solid defence may cause a surprise. The Outsiders Slovenia are the lowest-ranked team in the group, weighing in at 33, and will be expected to battle with Algeria to avoided bottom spot. However, having only conceded four goals in qualifying, the Slovenians are not to be trifled with. Algeria, then, may wish to watch their step. The Long Road Forward It's not just the group itself that has England fans calling this a dream draw. Australia or Germany may be their next meeting for games that have plenty of grudges about them. France, Uruguay and the like may follow. England fans will dare to dream that this may be the repeat of 1966 they have hoped for.
