As the countdown to the world's biggest sports extravaganza after the Olympic Games, the 18th FIFA 2006 World Cup nears, people have set their eyes on the preparation being made for the mega event, being organised by the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) in Germany.
The German government is making all out efforts to organise the month-long mega event in a befitting manner.
While the inaugural ceremony will be held on June 8 at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, the first match will be played in Munich on June 9 and the showpiece final in Berlin a month later, ie July 9. The semi-finals will be played in Dortmund and Munich, with the third place play-off at Stuttgart.
Eight stadiums will each stage five matches, with the four largest venues at Berlin, Dortmund, München and Stuttgart, will be hosting a sixth. The venues for the event are well spread out throughout the entire length and breadth of Germany. In choosing venues, various parameters have been taken into consideration like art, culture, tourist attractions, amusement and leisure activities, availability of hotels and airports. Other venues are Hamburg, Hannover, Gilsenkirchen, Leipzig, Cologne, Frankfurt, Kaiserslautern and Nuremberg.
Besides sports and cultural activities, the event will also provide great opportunity for trade promotion as Germany have involved the trade and industry to promote their trade.
Though Pakistan are nowhere in the soccer world, they have, however, made their presence felt in the FIFA World Cups. They have so far exported over 55.8 million footballs, amounting to more than Rs 8.5 billion. Sialkot exporters and manufacturers are utilising all channels to fulfil the demand of their foreign buyers and speedy and timely delivery of the football consignments.
About 85 percent of total production of soccer balls of the world comes from Sialkot, while all international brands are sourcing their supply of footballs from Sialkot, nucleus of cottage industry of Pakistan.
FOOTBALL FEVER:
Anyhow, the football fever has gripped the sports levers the world over, who are eagerly waiting for the kick-start on June 8 at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Thirty-two teams will be vying for the top honours.
Though each participating team will be dreaming of winning the coveted World Cup title, defending champions Brazil are hot favourites and are determined to make it a record sixth title win.
Under the rules, introduced by the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), Brazil have not been given an automatic place at the subsequent finals and they have to qualify for final to defend their crown In the inaugural match, holders Brazil will take on the runners-up and hosts Germany to defend their march to the sixth record win.
The 2002 World Cup started as a tournament of upsets and shocks when the defending champions France lost their three group matches without scoring a single goal. However, Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who have tuned his team to maintain winning streak following the marathon 18-match South American campaign, brimming with world-class players, like current FIFA's Player of the Year Ronaldinho. Holders of Copa America Cup Confederations Cup, Brazil's World Cup record is unmatched. They have reached the semi-finals in 10 of the 17 World Cups since the competition started in 1930, and are the only country to have played in every tournament. They were runners-up twice, including in 1998 to host France. Brazil have played 87 World Cup matches, winning 60 (including the last seven), drawing 14 and losing only 13.
But no matter how good Brazil may be, but they will be facing hard time, as besides hosts Germany, Italy, England, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Holland, France and the US are considered the toughest teams of the tournament.
As regards Argentina, they qualified for the cup with a comfortable cruise through the marathon South American section, eventually finishing second to Brazil.
ENGLAND:
By topping European Group VI, ahead of Poland and Austria, England coach Sven Goran Eriksson, the world's highest-paid national coach, has struggled to prepare his team to give tough time to their opponents. Among the key English players are Wayne Rooney, already a talismanic figure having just turned 20, fast-improving midfielder Frank Lampard, John Terry, now coach Eriksson's first-choice centre-back.
FRANCE:
As winners of European Group IV, despite a shaky start, the team is strengthened with the return of Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram. However, Zidane, along with striker Thierry Henry and midfielder Makelele will be the key players of France.
GERMANY:
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the former national team striker, is heavily dependent on midfielder and captain Michael Ballack, young Koln and striker Lukas Podolski.
Klinsmann is bitterly criticised for his controversial policy of rotating feuding goalkeepers, Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann, and his critics ask if the team as hosts play a more attacking game at the finals to keep the home crowd on their side.
HOLLAND:
The winners of European Group I, ahead of the Czech Republic and Romania, will on their key men Hamburg's midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart, striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Ajax's midfielder Wesley Sneijder.
Besides, these experienced players coach Marco Van Basten, legendary former Ajax and Milan striker in his first senior coaching role, will field youngsters like Ryan Babel and others at the expense of established players such as Edgar Davids, Mark Van Bommel and Clarence Seedorf.
SOUTH KOREA:
By taking second place in one of Asia's final stage groups, behind Saudi Arabia, are coached by former Rangers and Holland boss Dick Advocaat, who replaced his Dutch compatriot Jo Bonfrere earlier this year. An upset by the Koreans under coach Advocaat cannot be ruled out.
SPAIN:
With an emphatic play-off victory against Slovakia after finishing a disappointing second to Serbia and Montenegro in European Group VII, will be relying on strikers Raul and Fernando Torres and Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alfonso.
It is interesting to point out that the Spanish have already forgotten the fact they qualified via the play-offs, but they optimistic to win the final.
ITALY:
As comfortable winners of European Group V, ahead of Norway, the Italians have an abundance of attacking riches - Lippi, Totti, Alex Del Piero, Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino - but they face a as to who will provide cover to Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro in defence.
MEXICO:
By finishing second in the final CONCACAF group, behind rivals USA, Mexico will field their key men Bolton's striker and all-time national team top scorer Jared Borgetti and Barcelona's defender Rafael Marquez.
But Argentina.coach Ricardo Lavolpe, a former Argentina keeper, has been criticised for fielding naturalised overseas-born players such as Guillermo Franco.
MUSLIM COUNTRIES:
Among the Muslim countries, only Iran, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Tunisia have qualified to take part in the 18th World Cup.
IRAN: Iran have qualified by taking second place in one of Asia's final stage groups behind Japan. They key players are Asian Player of the Year Ali Karimi, rising star of the Iranian League Javad Nekounam, Vahid Hashemian and Mehdi Mahdavikia.
TUNISIA: As winners of African Group V, ahead of north African rivals Morocco, Tunisian comprises goalscoring sensation Haikel Gmamdia and Brazil-born star of Tunisia's 2004 African Nations Cup triumph Francileudo dos Santos.
SAUDI ARABIA: By winning their final stage group in Asia, ahead of South Korea, to reach their fourth successive finals, the main player of the Saudi team is striker Sami Al-Jaber. The team was coached by former Argentina international coach Gabriel Calderon.
GROUPS:
The 32 participating teams are placed in the following eight groups:
GROUP A: Germany, Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador
GROUP B: England, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Sweden
GROUP C: Argentina, Ivory Coast, Serbia and Montenegro, Netherlands
GROUP D: Mexico, Iran, Angola, Portugal
GROUP E: Italy, Ghana, United States, Czech Republic
GROUP F: Brazil, Croatia, Australia, Japan
GROUP G: France, Switzerland, South Korea, Togo
GROUP H: Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia
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