Expert Blogs

Algeria (back at the World Cup for the first time since 1986) and Slovenia (set to make its second tournament appearance) won't provide much resistance for Fabio Capello's men, and if all goes to plan, England will book its spot in the knockout stage with a game left in the group stage.

The Americans prove a bit of tricky proposition, but I think the English have enough quality and strength to easily overcome the U.S. (despite their strong showing at the Confederations Cup) and exact a little revenge over their historic 1-0 loss in 1950 in Brazil.

Brazil in the Group of Death

And speaking of Brazil, isn't it great to see them finally drawn into the Group of Death?

The Selecao had easy groups the last two times out - as if they needed any more of an advantage handed to them - but weren't so lucky this time as they were thrown into a pot with Ivory Coast (one of the top teams from Africa) and Portugal. North Korea rounds out the group.

Brazil and Portugal play on the last day of the group stage, which means there's a very good chance that match could decide who moves on, and who goes home early.

Plus, how great will it be to see Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid teammates and two of the best players in the world, go head to head?

Brazil's isn't the only difficult group, though.

Germans, Dutch in tough

Group D (Germany, Australia, Ghana and Serbia) and Group E (Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon and Denmark) are also stacked, and there is no guarantee that the Germans and the Dutch, the two seeds, will advance.

Serbia and the Danes are two of my dark horse picks (Chile is the other) and I would be surprised if they win their respective groups. Look out for Cameroon, too - Samuel Eto'o is one of the best strikers in the world.

South Africa has to be cursing its luck. The hosts were pooled together with Mexico, Uruguay and France, which seems to suggest the Bafana Bafana is destined to become the first host nation to fail to get out of the group stage of the tournament.

As for Spain, the European champions, well....

Honduras (back at the World Cup for the first time since 1982), Switzerland and Chile hardly pose a serious threat, and the Spaniards should easily romp to first place.

Argentina also got off light: South Korea, Nigeria and Greece await Diego and his boys.

Italy gets reasonable group

Last, but certainly not least, Italy received a pretty reasonable group. Lightweights New Zealand will easily be brushed aside, before the Azzurri face more difficult encounters against Paraguay and Slovakia.

Don't discount Paraguay (who finished third in the gruelling South American qualifiers) or Slovakia, who have, in my opinion, one of the games brightest young stars in Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik.

All in all, this has to be one of the most dramatic World Cup draws in recent memory, with plenty of intriguing first-round matches and three very difficult groups.