The U.S. is fielding maybe its best team ever, but alas: The Yanks were placed in the fourth "group of muerta," and so there's a good chance they won't advance, just so you know. But just so you don't go out and set yourself on fire on Bruce Arena's lawn, note that the Czechs are injury-riddled, the Italians distracted by match-fixing and wagering scandals, and Ghana is in the finals for the first time. So chin up, Clark Griswold. Let's see how this plays out. The vital statistics:

• Group E: Czech Republic, Ghana, Italy, United States.
• Our pick to win: Czech Republic.
• Which means the winner will probably be: Italy. (Two teams advance).
• No chance: Ghana.
• Just think of it as a European Vacation: United States.
• Full match schedule.

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Some may argue, but England is the big celebrity in this World Cup, even if Wayne Rooney could miss the group stage due to injury. But with all the talk of Beckhams and Rooneys, what of steady Frank Lampard, who already has 10 goals for the Three Lions? At any rate, England should advance here, as should Sweden. England will be looking for revenge when the two meet, as Sweden surprisingly emerged on top of the 2002 group of death, ahead of both England and Argentina, only to then lose to Senegal (laugh track). There shouldn't be much trouble here from Trinidad and/or Tobago. Paraguay could surprise, though, led by Nelson Haedo Valdez. The vital statistics:

• Group B: England, Paraquay, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago.
• Our pick to win: England.
• Which means the winner will probably be: Sweden. (Two teams advance).
• No chance: Trinidad & Tobago.
• If they advance, Mark Knopfler will be sending postcards from: Paraguay.
• Match schedule.

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If Brazil fails to advance from this group, it shall signal the end times. Great, horned beasts shall emerge from the jungles and attack our cities; locusts shall descend and devour our crops. There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Also, The Nanny will return to TV and win an Emmy. If Brazil blows this, our Ronaldinho poster business goes flat broke. And we can't afford that. The real question is who comes in second? Japan is scrappy and has a lot to prove after everyone saying that 2002 was a fluke. Croatia tied Brazil 2-2 in the World Federation Cup, and as for Australia, well, as much as we'd like to, we just can't get behind a squad called the Socceroos. Sorry. The vital statistics:

• Group F: Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Japan.
• Our pick to win: Brazil.
• Which means the winner will probably be: Croatia. (Two teams advance).
• No chance: Australia.
• You must have big rats if you need Hattori Hanzo steel : Japan.
• Match schedule.

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Spain, so talented; so likely to lose in the first round. Tunisia, where offense is shrouded in mystery. Saudi Arabia, with something to prove (lost to Germany 8-0 in last World Cup). And Ukraine, the big question mark (it's their first trip). On paper, of course, it should be the Spanish who come out on top in this group, led by Xabi Alonso, Xavi (Barcelona) and Luis Garcia in the middle. But who reads the paper? And what's the deal with leaving striker Fernando Morientes off of the squad? You say Ukraine weak? Forward Andriy Shevchenko make Ukraine strong! But he's coming off of a knee injury. The vital statistics:

• Group H: Spain, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Ukraine.
• Our pick to win: Spain.
• Which means the winner will probably be: Ukraine. (Two teams advance).
• No chance: Saudi Arabia.
• Welcome to Mos Eisley space port. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy : Tunisia.
• Match schedule.

What is generally considered the toughest group in the finals, or The Group of Death, is led by Argentina. All you need to know about them is that they beat Brazil 3-1 in qualifying, and did it convincingly. Led by Lionel Messi, Juan Roman Riquelme, Hernan Crespo and Carlos Tevez, they are long on offense and short of defense. In their last Cup appearance they didn't even get out of the group phase. But what of the (don't call us Holland!) Netherlands, Cote (don't call us Ivory Coast!) d'Ivoire and Serbia (don't call us Yugoslavia) and Montenegro? This is very close; any could advance. The vital statistics:

• Group C: Argentina, Cote d'Ivoire, the Netherlands, Serbia and Montenegro.
• Our pick to win: Argentina.
• Which means the winner will probably be: the Netherlands. (Two teams advance).
• No chance: Cote d'Ivoire.
• By the time group phase is over, could be separate countries: Serbia and Montenegro.
• Match schedule.

France and Switzerland will invade Germany in two weeks. Enjoy the irony, folks. Also, enjoy Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, one of the handful of stars who make the World's Biggest Sporting Event must-see TV. Henry scored a goal in France's 2-0 win over Denmark on Wednesday in a World Cup warmup, a good sign for a team that is looking for redemption after a poor showing in 2002, when they were supposed to have a good shot at defending their 1998 Cup title. Your co-hosts in '02, South Korea, should also advance. But it's all academic to you, who will be rooting for Togo midway through their first match. As we mentioned before, it is impossible not to root for Togo. Might as well face it now. The vital statistics:

• Group G: France, South Korea, Switzerland, Togo.
• Our pick to win: France.
• Which means the winner will probably be: South Korea. (Two teams advance).
• No chance: Togo.
• Just creating a diversion so that they can steal your women: Switzerland.
• Match schedule.

Host nations have done historically well at the World Cup, so it's going to be hard to go against Germany emerging from Group A. But we will. Aside from Michael Ballack, Jens Lehmann and their crazie goalie, the Germans are an average squad, some say sub-par. Poland scored 27 goals in qualifying, second only to England, and opens against Ecuador, which should boost their confidence. At any rate the meeting between the two European teams should be interesting, considering the countries', um, history. The vital statistics:

• Group A: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Poland.
• Our pick to win: Poland.
• Which means the winner will probably be: Germany. (Both advance.)
• No chance: Costa Rica.
• Should be fun, except for the curses: Ecuador.

Fate was not smiling on Portugal when they divided up the Iberian Peninsula — Spain definitely got the largest hunk. Portugal's national soccer team has also had large ambitions, but slender results. Will this year be different? The Magic Eight Ball says: "The answer is not clear." Then, "Perhaps." Stupid ball. Portugal is, however, the favorite in Group D, or should be, if they play up to potential. Portugal can't forget Euro 2004, when it lost at home to Greece in the finals, 1-0, in what we're told was a huge upset. But look out for Mexico, which seems to play poorly against European competition, but will take on a Portugal squad which has a Brazilian coach. So make of that what you will. Mexico takes on Iran and Angola as its first two opponents, so their final game with Portugal should decide the group. The vital statistics:

• Group D: Angola, Iran, Mexico, Portugal.
• Our pick to win: Portugal.
• Which means the winner will probably be: Mexico.
• No chance: Angola.
• Just happy their statues haven't been toppled: Iran.

• 1. Mr. Johnson's Neighborhood. Even if you hate soccer for whatever stupid reason you have, remember this name — Eddie Johnson a.k.a. GAM (Grown Ass Man) — the finest and perhaps only good thing to ever come out of Palm Coast, Fla. Four international games: SIX goals. (That's LeBron territory.) — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

• 2. Not Looking Mah-velous. Assorted quotes from U.S. coach Bruce Arena, on his team's loss to Morocco on Tuesday: "They shortened the game with fouling, delaying and both are fair and within the rules of the game." ... "On the other end, we weren't sharp." ... "We were a little leg weary, a little over-trained at this point." ... "If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change anything we've done." ... "Our objective is still to look ahead to June 12 and not necessarily these games, although we certainly would have liked to have a positive result tonight." Please print these out, clip and use again in June! It's fun!

• 3. I, Claudio. U.S. captain Claudio Reyna will have an MRI today to determine the extent of a hamstring injury which forced him to retire in the 16th minute of the Morocco match. Reyna tends to think he'll be OK, and he should know; he's had every injury known to man. The Send-Off Series continues on Friday at Cleveland Browns Stadium as U.S. takes on Venezuela.

• 4. Meet Landon Donovan. At age 16, Landon Donovan took a teddy bear given to him by a girlfriend on all road trips, despite the mockery of his teammates. It is said that he left Germany to play for the San Jose Earthquakes because he was homesick ... Donovan, who now plays for the LA Galaxy, had two goals in the 2002 World Cup, leading the U.S. team to the quarterfinals; its best showing in 72 years.

• 1. Achtung!. OK, first of all, the Germans would like you to know that they are very sensitive about their history. A warning to fans, especially of the English persuasion: do not taunt Germany with your goose-stepping antics. Any goose-stepping will result in jail time. (A rule that could have been put to better use in '41, but better late than never we suppose). Also, no fake German helmets, or jokes that feature Goebbels. Anyone beginning a limerick with the line "There once was a dictator named Adolf," will be fined. Anyone seen mocking a Volkswagon is subject to arrest. Well, we don't see anything that could possibly go wrong.

• 2. They're Lovely In Goal. There may not be an uglier, more detestable player in International Football currently that No. 2 keeper Oliver Kahn. Unless it's No. 1 Jens Lehman. (Nice way to get sent off in the Champions League Final). — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

• 3. Welcome To Sprockets. I Am Your Host, Corney. Third division club FC St. Pauli is currently owned by an openly gay, cross dressing theater owner, Corney Littmann (ranked No. 2 on FourFourTwo magazine's biggest 'Nutters' list). The club wears brown uniforms, attracts punks and greens and American Corey Gibbs once played for it. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

• 4. Mercenaries R Us. Of Germany's main striker options, none were born inside the countrie's borders; Gerald Asamoah (Ghana), Miroslav Klose (Poland) and Lucas Poldoski (Poland). Also, coach Jürgen Klinsman actually resides in Los Angeles and is under heavy fire for that, as well as adopting American training methods. By the way, current It-boy Bastian Schweinsteiger's last name, literally translates to, "Pig Climber." — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

(Tomorrow: The United States.)

• 1. Rooney Tunes. We really, really wanted to see Wayne Rooney in the Cup, but he broke his foot. Bollocks. The ManU forward is really something else; a Serpentor-style mix of Pete Rose headfirst slide, the bare knuckle aspects of John O'Sullivan, the temper and talent of John McEnroe, in Spud Webb proportions. Plus he's got a sweet action figure. Bloody Hell.

• 2. Spice, Spice Baby. Best English player of all time? Either Sir Bobby Charlton (49 International goals, World Cup winner), or David Beckham, who after all, had a movie named after him. Beckham plays for Real Madrid and is captain of the English WC team. More important, he married a Spice Girl. Another pretty fair soccer player, the late George Best, had this to say of Beckham: "He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle, and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that he's all right."

• 3. Hail, Brittania. England claims to have invented soccer, of course. While that's not proveable, it is known that England formed the first codeified rules in 1846 — with the Cambridge Rules — and in 1863 formed the first Football Association, which eliminated carrying the ball. It's in large part due to the British that soccer is the international sport that it is, as British sailors and traders spread the game to pretty much the entire world, notably Argentina, the Netherlands and Italy. The first international match on Nov. 30, 1872 against Scotland in Glasgow. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

• 4. Tough Times Ahead. England hasn't beaten Sweden in basically forever, but their match on June 20 in Cologne ought to be just for seeding since neither should drop points to Paraguay or Trinidad. However, the winner of Group B likely gets Poland, while the second place finisher likely gets Germany, on home soil in Munich. Not good times, especially since any form of goosestepping from British fans will land them in the pokey. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

(Tomorrow: Germany)

• 1. Not Quite A Guarantee To Win, But Close. In case you're debating whether to attend the WC opener between Costa Roca and Germany, Costa Rica's head coach Alexandre Guimares pledged recently that his team would play the "best game of their history." So that should put your doubts to rest. Costa Rica and Germany are joined in Group A by Poland and Ecuador. The Ticos are a solid, respected team, but got draw into an impossible group with the hosts and a very decent Poland team. All in all, they're a team thats just happy to have qualified.

• 2. Another Hallowed Kenny G. Record Is Gone. The world record for a musician holding a single note is held by Costa Rican saxophonist Geovanny Escalante of the famed local band Marfíl, which has played in Costa Rica for many years (like we had to tell you). In 1998, the then 24-year-old artist held a steady 'A' for 90 minutes and 45 seconds, almost twice as long as the previous record held by the US saxophonist Kenny G. — (thanks to LonelyPlanet).

• 3. They Subscribe To Chaos Theory. The fictitious islands from Jurassic Park were off the cost of Costa Rica. And on clear days from certain mountains you can see both the Pacific and the Carribean at the same time. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

• 4. Wanchope Could Hold They Key. Or Not. Paulo Wanchope is the Ticos' one true World Class talent. But he's something of an enigma, having had an up-and-down career in England, helping Man City up to the Prem, but then being sold off to Malaga in Spain, where he was the subject of bitter racial abuse. He now plays in the Qatari league, so who knows what kind of form he'll be in for Germany. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

(Monday: England)

• 1. Free Jerko. First and foremost, the Croats have a player named Jerko Leko. ... They flopped at Euro 2004 with playing Bremen hitman Klasnic. New coach Zlatko Kranjar likely won't make that mistake. ... A pretty good mix of stars and role players who seem to like playing with each other. Also good mix between young and old. ... One of the few teams in Fifa 2006 online that can consistently defeat Brazil. Although that seems doubtful when they meet June 13 in Berlin.

• 2. Being Severina Vuckovic. Of Croatioan descent: None other than, John Malkovich, Vanna White, Bill Belichick, Nick Saban and the lovely Severina Vuckovic, who is known as the Croatian Paris Hilton. She even has her own sex tape scandal that has tarnished her wholesome image. But we refuse to show a link to that here (we couldn't find one).

• 3. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?. Former Croat legend Zvonimir Boban earned international acclaim for stopping the police from beating a young fan following a riot between a Dinamo Zagreb/Red Star Belgrade match (Oh, those wacky Serbs.). Suffice to say, bring your bulletproof vests should Croatia somehow find a way to play Serbia.

• 4. King Me. Croatia lays claim to inventing the necktie (no word on the piano-key variety). Also, if you get bored, you can Tivo one of their games and pause it and play a game of checkers on their jerseys. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

(Tomorrow: Costa Rica)

• 1. I Put A Spell On You. During the 1992 African Nations Cup, the National Football Federation was looking for an edge, so they employed the services of a pair of witch doctors. It seemed to work, since Côte d'Ivoire won a 21-shot shootout in the finals of the 1992 African Cup of Nations over Ghana by an 11-10 margin. Then, the Federation refused to pay the witch doctors, and the stiffed doctors decided that a curse was to be placed on the team until they were paid. For the next decade, Côte d'Ivoire went into a footballing tailspin, until 2002, when the new head of the National Football Federation, hearing that there was a curse, assembled an offering of $500, a bottle of whiskey, and a cow to the aggreived doctors, who promptly lifted the curse. Côte d'Ivoire proceeded to qualify for its first World Cup four years later. — (thanks to Craig Daniel Barker).

• 2. Not Exactly The Elephant In The Room. The Elephants are currently cruising through the African Cup of Nations. Still, they got lumped in with very tough group. Stringy hair or not, Didier Drogba has talismanic potential. This is a team that really could have been a quarterfinal threat in another group, with say Mexico or Portugal. Winning the African Cup of Nations could be a detriment, since teams will not overlook them. They play the Argies on June 10, but it probably won't be a repeat of Senegal shocking France on El Hadij "Second spitter" Diouf's late winner. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

• 3. The Celtic Circle. If you've been watching the Worldwide Leader lately, you might notice that the Best Tiny Tidbit about Côte d'Ivoire has already been taken, by Bono. V/O as "Where the Streets Have No Name" plays: "After three years of civil war, feuding factions talked for the first time in years, and the president called a truce. Because the Ivory Coast qualified for the World Cup for the first time. Because, as everyone knows, a country united makes for better cheerleaders than a country divided." You may think it's obvious that Bono would be rooting for Côte d'Ivoire because they're an African team, but the reality is, with no Ireland in the proceedings, Bono just inverted the flag. (It's an easy mistake to make, says our tipster; he did it once at the Mall of America, only to realize it somewhere in South Dakota.) — (thanks to Craig Daniel Barker).

• 4. We'll Thank You To Speak French. The country was originally known as Ivory Coast in English, plus: Elfenbeinküste (German), Costa de Marfil (Spanish), Costa do Marfim (Portuguese), Ivoorkust (Dutch). But in 1985 the government requested that the country be known as Côte d'Ivoire in every language. In fact, according to national law, the name of the country cannot be translated from French. The country is rife with corruption, but they got that law passed.

(Tomorrow: Croatia)

• 1. Don't Bet the Dojo On Them. The U.S. beat Japan 3-2 in February in a maych played at San Francisco's Pac Bell (now AT&T) Park. It was 3-0 until very late. In said game, Zico employed the ill-fated 3-6-1, which former U.S. coach Steve Sampson used for a last place finish in 1998. It might be a necessity, though, since after Takahara there aren't a lot of options up top. Japan wants to play fast, one-touch, attacking soccer. Sort of like a team they'll play; Brazil. Unless they notch a result against Australia, 0-3 looks a definite possibility. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

• 2. Do The Antler Dance. The J-League has one of the more handsomely named squads, the Kashima Antlers. Of course that pales in comparison to the Japan Pacific Baseball League squad, the Nippon Ham Fighters. Sadly, Matsumura Fishworks and Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern did not sponsor top flight sides.

• 3. But It Goes To Eleven. May we take a short time out and talk about Japanese sports icon Sadaharu Oh? First of all, he scoffs at Barry Bonds' so-called career home run record chase; not only did he manage Japan to a win in the recent WBC, Oh also owns 868 career homers, mostly with the Yomiuri Giants. Trumping all that, Oh's jersey is worn by Nigel Tufnel in the final scene from This is Spinal Tap. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

• 4. Can't You See I'm Serious? Looking at Japan's roster makes one want to eat misprepared blowfish. Inamoto, Nakamura and Nakata, but not much more. Maybe Mr. Sparkle will suit up to banish Croatia and Australia to the land of wind and ghosts. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

(Tomorrow: Ivory Coast)

• 1. Thank Heaven, For Little Girls. Ah, France, home of Maurice Chevalier, baugettes and possibly the greatest animated film of the past 10 years. Our vow to you today — no surrender jokes. But we will open with a classic French lout, WC keeper Fabian Barthez. He played for the Marseille team that had to forfeit its 1992 Ligue 1 title for match fixing ... he's a heavy smoker ... he made the short-sleeved keeper shirt fashionable ... he recently earned a lenghty ban for spitting in a referee's face ... and the real reason we loathe him: acute envy. This is his girlfriend.

• 2. Let Them Eat Cake. France won the 1998 Cup which it hosted, but in 2002 Les Blues shocked the world by losing to Senegal, and only managing a scoreless draw with Uruguay. This time out, though, France received a very soft draw and could rule again. That has been its history though; it seems that the French are always either retreating from Moscow or storming the Bastille. There's no in-between. Of course, they do open against Togo, which has employed its own witch doctor.

• 3. Oooh, Ahhhh, Cantona. Born in Paris, Eric Cantona was one of France's greatest-ever players until a series of arguments and misdeeds had him wind up with Manchester United, where he became one of England's greatest soccer icons. He's also the current star of a Nike ad campaign.

• 4. What's That Smell? Victory, Or Bitter Failure? Is Djibril Cisse the Dennis Rodman of France? Well, we've never heard of him being ticketed for speeding his boat in a manatee zone, but he does have the hair issues. Then there is forward Thierry Henry (aka TH14), who is a spokesman for Estee Lauder.

• 1. CONCACAF Rules! Wooo! With Trinidad and Tobago qualifying through a playoff victory with Bahrain (and we know how hard that can be), the CONCACAF will have four teams in the WC; USA, Mexico, Costa Rica and TnT. The squad also has quite a few ties to the U.S. and MLS. Cornell Glen (Galaxy) and Avery John (Revolution) are current players, while Stern John (Avery's cousin) led the league with 26 goals in 1998 before departing for England in 1999. Keeper Shaka Hislop played college soccer for Howard University. — (thanks to Eric Race).

• 2. Halt! Are You A Trinidadian or a Tobagonian?. With a population of 1.1 million, Trinidad and Tobago is the smallest country to every qualify for the World Cup. It's not in the South American Zone, even though located only seven miles off the coast of Venezuela. Citizens are officially called Trinidadians or Tobagonians. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

• 3. An Unscheduled Friendly, As They Say. Dwight Yorke is their most well-known player, leading the Premiership in scoring in '98-'99 for Manchester United. (He came out of retirement to help TnT qualify for the World Cup). Also a notorious carouser, he is English model Jordan's baby daddy, a fact he denied until a paternity test proved he was. — (thanks to Eric Race).

• 4. Take That, Jamaica. It was quite a party when Trinidad and Tobago won its World Cup qualifying match against Bahrain in November, with thousands dancing in the streets, jumping atop moving cars and traffic being brought to a standstill in the capital Port of Spain. Not surprising, since the islands are considered party central; the birthplace of the steelpan, calypso and limbo music styles.

(Monday: France)

• 3. Cech And Mate. At one point last season Petr Cech set the record for most time without conceding a goal in the English Premier League. Of course in Germany he won't have John Terry or William Gallas patrolling his box. Or "The Special One" causing referees to be fired.

• 4. Grooming Tidbits. Rangers forward and current NHL points leader Jaromir Jagr imported the Eastern European mullet to North America, where it mutated with the main DNA stands of "Hockey Hair" and "Tennesse Waterfall." Also, Nedved looks like Patrick Swayze in Point Break. That's minus points, Johnny Utah. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo)

(Tomorrow: Trinidad and Tobago)

• 1. Much Adu About Age. In May 2001, Souleymane Mamam became the youngest player ever to play a World Cup qualifier when he played for Togo against Zambia at the age of 13 years, 310 days. That is, if you believe those who claim June 20, 1987 as his birthday. Some Web sites list it as 1985, which would have made him nearly 16. Currently, Mamam plays on loan from Manchester United for the Belgian second division club Royal Antwerp FC.

• 2. Togo Is On The Air!. If you are an SCTV fan, you know Togo is mentioned in the opening credits of the venerable ex-TV comedy series (as people around the world toss out their TVs). News of Togo is always conveyed in the SCTV News with Earl Camembert (Eugene Levy) and "Count" Floyd Robertson (Joe Flaherty). "It is the first thing I think of when I hear Togo." — (thanks to Greg Kelly).

• 3. Meet Togo's Biggest Star. Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor may have the physique of a basketball player, but he is Togo's leading scorer; with 11 goals to finish as the top scorer in the African Zone. None were more important than those scored in the home and away qualifiers against Senegal that effectively won the Togolese first place.

• 4. Fun With Mr. Atlas. OK, raise your hand if you thought Togo was a tropical island. Come on ... yeah, we thought so. Actually it is a small nation (smaller even than West Virginia) on the west coast of Africa; possibly the world's skinniest country. Their national soccer team, nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks), will be making their first-ever appearance in the World Cup finals.

(Tomorrow: Czech Republic)

• 1. They Are Built Fjord Tough. For a country of only 8.5 million people, fewer than New York City, Sweden has been to the World Cup a ridiculous 11 times (coming in second in 1958 when they hosted it.) Sweden came in third in '94, in the U.S., after barely losing to eventual champ Brazil. Their best player, however, is not "totally" Swedish: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. — (thanks to James Vinocur).

• 2. Coaching Controversy. The most famous Swede at the World Cup will be Sven Goren Erickson, but he'll be coaching England. Sven resigned earlier in the year effective after the World Cup, and the English FA named Steve McLaren new manager (Effective 8-1-06) This isn't like a college coach quitting or getting fired before a bowl game and the University naming a successor, this is a coach quitting before the Super Bowl and the team hiring a new coach before the game. — (thanks to Geoffrey Thomas).

• 3. It's Getting Hotter There. Sweden has two hot princesses. The cuter of the two is named Madeleine. Victoria isn't too bad either, especially considering she's the heir to the throne, but Madeleine is hot. And she parties like Paris Hilton. — (thanks to K.W. Donovan).

• 4. Set Your TiVos. England/Sweden on June 20 in Koln ought to be a cracker, as they say. The Swedes caught a massive break when the Boy Wonder, Wayne Rooney, broke his foot against Chelski last weekend. Still, this is a huge one. The winner likely gets Poland in the Round of 16, the loser likely faces Germany in front of 60,000-plus beer fueled, laderhosen-wearing Krauts in Munich. — (thanks to Mike Cardillo).

(Tomorrow: Togo)