| World Cup group A places the home nation | | | | respected, because on a good day they can |
| Germany against Costa Rica, Ecuador & Poland | | | | match most national sides. Germany 2006 is |
| in a relatively easy group from which they | | | | only the second finals they have reached and |
| should comfortably qualify.Although the | | | | they will be keen to add to their single |
| German team is not thought to be up to the | | | | victory from Japan 2002. Discipline may be a |
| standard of their previous victorious teams, | | | | factor for Ecuador, and the strict refereeing |
| bookmakers currently have them as joint | | | | of the Finals may not suit them.Costa Rica |
| second favourites behind Brazil, and they | | | | will most probably be the groups whipping |
| must be respected as possible winners on home | | | | boys, first up for them is Germany in the |
| soil. | | | | tournament's opening game, a game they can't |
| | | | really expect to gain points from. Their |
| It is difficult to see any of their three | | | | second game against Ecuador will be the one |
| opponents being able to challenge them as | | | | that decides whether or not they can progress |
| Group A winners and it would appear that | | | | further in the Cup, and should provide good |
| Costa Rica, Ecuador & Poland are competing | | | | entertainment as both sides like to attack, |
| for a chance to qualify in second | | | | sometimes at the detriment to their defensive |
| spot.History tells us that when the | | | | duties.It is difficult to see any other |
| competition is played in Europe, the European | | | | outcome than Germany topping group A. Poland |
| nations tend to outperform the sides visiting | | | | should take the second spot if successful in |
| from other continents. This coupled with | | | | their first match versus Ecuador, but |
| Poland's impressive qualification from a | | | | anything less than a win for them will give |
| difficult European qualifying stage must make | | | | the edge to Ecuador. Costa Rica will probably |
| the Poles most likely to progress along with | | | | sit at the foot of the table, unless they |
| the Germans. For the Poles, who will have an | | | | produce a couple of shocks...Norbert Wartle |
| army of travelling supporters, the first game | | | | is a soccer writer for Football England and |
| will be massively important, and a win over | | | | will be covering the matches at the Fifa |
| Ecuador in that game should ease their | | | | World Cup - Germany 2006.Norbert also covers |
| passage to the second stage.Ecuador are a | | | | the England Football Team's matches. |
| talented but temperamental outfit who must be | | | | |