32 Teams in 32 Days: Cameroon

Country: Cameroon
Nickname: Les Lions Indomitables (Indomitable Lions)

Not only do they have sport's coolest nickname, Cameroon is also now home to Africa's most successful national team, boasting a legacy of continental success that is the envy of Africa.

CAMEROON

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World Cup schedule

June 14: vs. Japan (Bloemfontein)
June 19: vs. Denmark (Pretoria)
June 24: vs. Holland (Cape Town)

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Home Away

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Key players

Samuel Eto'o, Forward
Alexandre Song, Midfielder

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Best WC result: Quarterfinals in 1990
FIFA World Rank: 19

A republic, Cameroon is nestled in the central-west of the continent, with Nigeria to its west and the DRC, Equitorial Guinea and Gabon to the South. Chad and Central Africa Republic are its other two neighbors. It sits on the Atlantic at the Bight of Bonny, and is a former colony of both England and France (it was divided post-WWI). As in Algeria, a guerilla war was waged against France in the northern part of the country for two decades before independence and reunification.

A relatively stable African nation -- despite what is seen as a corrupt and autocratic government -- Cameroon is split linguistically and culturally between its French-speaking and English-speaking populace.

Despite some well-established industries (timber, agriculture, oil), many people in the country still live on subsistence wages. That said, it is still one of the wealthier nations per capita in the sub-Saharan region.

Soccer is the national sport, and many of the top players have been exported to major teams in France, Spain, Germany and England. Cameroon is also known for being hit by footballing tragedy. In particular, the death of Marc-Vivien Foe cast a pall over the team and international football. Foe collapsed during the 2003 Confederations Cup during a game against Colombia, and could not be revived. An autopsy later suggested a previously unknown heart defect had led to his death.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: Six-time qualifiers, they became the first African team to reach the quarterfinals in 1990, when they pushed England to the limit before losing. Unfortunately, they've gone out in the group stage every other time.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: Four-time winners of the African Cup of Nations, they also won gold at the 2000 Olympic Games.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: An 11-team league, of which only Cotonsport is at all notable. Cotonsport is a regular presence on the continental stage, but their best finish was runners-up in the CAF Confederations Cup in 2008.

MANAGER: Paul Le Guen. He's had a shaky record. At Lyon, he led the club to glory. At Glasgow Rangers, he didn't fit in at all, and was sacked quickly. He didn't recover with Paris Saint-Germain, either, and originally signed a short-term deal with Cameroon. He has a good track record with younger players, however, having turned Rennes from a doormat into a decent Ligue One side through shrewd scouting and management.

KEY PLAYERS: They have a lot. Alex Song (Arsenal) is perhaps the key man this time out. He was arguably the Gunners' man of the year, capable on both defense and offense, and has the ability to take over games despite his relative youth -- he's just 22. His uncle, Rigobert (Trabzonspor), is the hard man in the back, known for fouling early and often. Samuel Eto'o is the game-changing forward, though his productivity has dropped since leaving Barcelona for Inter Milan. Of course, he's in the Champions League final, and Barcelona is not. Jean Makoun was a key midfielder for Lyon during their European run. Pierre Webo has shaken off injury to become a solid contributor at Mallorca and could pair up top with Eto'o.

FIFA RANKINGS: 19th. Highest was 11th (2006) and lowest was 62nd (1997).

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Denmark, Japan, Holland

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST DENMARK: The Lions are 1-0-1 in two friendly meetings, neither particularly recent. In 2001, Denmark won in Copenhagen 2-1; three years prior Cameroon won by the same score, also in Copenhagen.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST JAPAN: Cameroon has never beaten Japan, but it should be noted that all the matches have been played on Japanese soil. In the 2001 Confederations Cup, Japan handled Cameroon 2-0. More recently, Japan repeated the feat in a 2007 friendly. Overall, Cameroon is 0-1-2 against the Asian side.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST NETHERLANDS: Two friendlies, no wins, all on Dutch soil. Most recent was a 1-0 Dutch win in Rotterdam in 2006; in 1998 in Arnhem the two sides played to a scoreless draw.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: Cameroon got off to a very slow start, losing to Togo and then playing a scoreless draw against Morocco that saw then-coach Otto Pfister sacked. Le Guen took over and Cameroon proceeded to win four straight to finish atop Group A.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 75%. They should get out of this group. Holland are the favorites, and the Danes will be tough, but Cameroon should get the African boost and finish safely in the top two.

TO WATCH: Achille Emana. The 28-year old has blossomed in Spain with Real Betis and could be on several teams' radar.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayserispor), Carlos Kameni (Espanyol), Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Valenciennes), Amour Patrick Tignyemb (Bloemfontein Celtic)

Defenders: Jean Patrick Abouna Ndzana (Astres de Douala), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham), Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham), Gaetan Bong (Valenciennes), Aurelien Chedjou (Lille), Geremi Njitap (Ankaragucu), Stephane Mbia (Marseille), Makadji Boukar (Al Nahdha), Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco), Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor)

Midfielders: Marcel Ndjeng (Augsburg), Enoh Eyong Tarkang (Ajax), Jean II Makoun (Lyon), Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern), Joel Matip (Schalke), Patrick Mevoungou (Canon Sportif de Yaounde), Landry Nguemo (Celtic), Alexandre Song (Arsenal)

Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (Coton Sport), Eric Choupo-Moting (FC Nuremberg), Achille Emana (Betis), Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan), Mohamadou Idrissou (Freiburg), Rostand Dorge Kouemaha (FC Brugge), Achille Webo (Mallorca), Jacques Zoua (FC Basel)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: Nigeria

Country: Nigeria
Nickname: The Super Eagles

Nigeria is a kleptocracy that milks the most populous African nation. Oil wealth has made this massive African nation one of the most dangerous, most corrupt, most impoverished and straight-out saddest countries on earth. Despite billions and billions of dollars in annual oil revenue, virtually none of it reaches the general population, instead lining the pockets of one "big man" after another.

NIGERIA

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World Cup schedule

June 12: vs. Argentina (Johannesburg)
June 17: vs. Greece (Bloemfontein)
June 22: vs. South Korea (Durban)

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Home Away

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Key players

Mikel Jon Obi, Midfielder
Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Forward

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Best WC result: Last 16 in 1994, '98
FIFA World Rank: 21

Adding to the discord is the legacy of colonization and the North-South split in the nation along religious lines: Christians to the North, Muslims to the South. What passes for government in Nigeria is usually an uneasy balance between the two religions. However, since that government seems to exist only to leech off its populace and mineral wealth, it is predictably ineffective. War is a regular occurrence in Nigeria, and drug and arms smuggling have made it an almost-failed state.

The only thing that unifies the country is the national football team. And sadly, it reflects its state all too well.

The local league is hopelessly corrupt, with games that are routinely fixed. The youth national teams have been successful -- but too often tainted by accusations of cheating. African and some Asian players have routinely lied about their true ages in order to play in the age-eligible competitions, and until FIFA began cracking down on it, Nigeria was known as one of the worst offenders. In fact, prior to the U-17 World Cup that Nigeria hosted last year, FIFA announced it would begin conducting bone scans on all players in an effort to stamp out the practice. The day after, 16 Nigerian players -- half the squad -- dropped out of camp.

The sad part about all this is that corruption seems so endemic in Nigerian culture that it threatens to obscure the fact that some Nigerian players are world class. They play a gorgeous, flowing style of soccer when they are on, and some of their players have justifiably become legends, with Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha being two prime examples. Sadly, the team tends to dissolve into pointless squabbles over the usual, venal matters. Bonuses aren’t paid, roster choices are always suspect and being a coach in Nigeria requires a hefty cash deposit up front, because you're not likely to see any more.

If Nigeria could get its act together, it could be one of the great footballing powers on the planet. Since it cannot, it won't.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: This is Nigeria's fourth Cup. Best showing was in America in 1994, where many observers feel they could have won the whole shebang. (Obviously, they didn't.) Recent history is a bit tougher: They stunk it up in Japan and failed to qualify for Germany.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: Two-time winners of the African Cup of Nations (1980, 1994). At the Olympic level (which is an Under-23 competition), they took gold in Atlanta (1996) and silver in Beijing (2008). See above for the caveats.

MANAGER: Lars Lagerbeck. The former coach of Sweden quit after that country failed to qualify for the Cup. If he actually makes it to the Cup, it'll be something of a miracle as he's already had one run-in over non-payment, and Nigeria has a habit of firing their foreign coaches on the eve of a major tournament to reward some politically connected local hack.

KEY PLAYERS: Kanu, allegedly 33, is still playing in England for Portsmouth. Despite the fact that he may actually be closer to 42, he's going to play. Defender Joseph Yobo (Everton) is very solid as is his counterpart at Bolton, the unfortunately named Danny Shittu. The star is John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), who has been transformed from a foul-prone hothead into one of the better holding midfielders in the game. Yakubu (Aikegbeni; he goes by one name at Everton) and Obafemi Martins (Wolfsburg) are the target men up top, running off the erratic Victor Anichebe (Everton).

FIFA RANKINGS: 21st. Top was 5th in those heady days of 1994; lowest was 82nd in 1999.

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Argentina, South Korea, Greece

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST ARGENTINA: Nigeria has a long history against Argentina, but mainly at the youth level -- where Nigeria holds a firm edge. At the senior level, however, Argentina dominates. They have met twice in the World Cup, and lost to the Albicelestes both times. In 1994, Nigeria fell 2-1 in Foxboro; in 2002, Argentina got the better of them in Japan, 1-0. They played to a scoreless draw at the 1995 Confederations Cup.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST GREECE: Nigeria whipped 'em in the game that mattered, 2-0 back at Foxboro in the 1994 World Cup. They dropped a friendly by the same score in Greece five years later after most of their top players failed to show up.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST SOUTH KOREA: Never met.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: Barely. They needed a big win over Kenya on the final day. Had Tunisia won its game, Nigeria wouldn't have made it at all. That said: Nigeria didn't lose a game (9-3-0) in qualifying. And yet, there was a lot missing.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 75%. If Nigeria cannot get out of this group, on African soil, there's something deeply wrong. Since we've already noted that there are, in fact, many things deeply wrong with this side, if/when they flop out, don't say we didn't warn you.

TO WATCH: First off, see if a coach actually shows up. Next, see if the players take the field. After that, see if the guys talk to one another. If you get all three, this team has a good shot.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Dele Ayenugba (Beni Yehuda FC), Bassey Akpan (Bayelsa United), Austine Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva)

Defenders: Taye Taiwo (Marseille), Elderson Echiejile (Rennes), Chidi Odiah (CSKA Moscow), Onyekachi Apam (Nice), Joseph Yobo (Everton), Daniel Shittu (Bolton), Ayodele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam), Rabiu Afolabi (Salzburg), Peter Suswan (Lobi Stars)

Midfielders: Kalu Uche (Almeria), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), Sani Kaita (Alaniya), Lukman Haruna (Monaco), Ayila Yussuf (Dynamo Kiev), Peter Osaze (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Forwards: Yakubu Ayegbeni (Everton), Victor Anichebe (Everton), Chinedu Obasi (Hoffenheim), Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth), Obafemi Martins (Wolfsburg), Ideye Brown (Sochaux), Ikechukwu Uche (Zaragoza), John Utaka (Portsmouth), Peter Utaka (OB Odense), Victor Obinna (Malaga)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: South Korea

Country: South Korea
FIFA calls them: "Korea Republic"
Nickname: "The Reds" or the "Taeguk Warriors"

An electronics and tech giant, this small country is an anomaly in Asia. By turns both proud and belligerent, and yet also deeply socialized in the group mechanics that typify most of Asia, Korea is a weird, wonderful place.

SOUTH KOREA

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World Cup schedule

June 12: vs. Greece (Port Elizabeth)
June 17: vs. Argentina (Jo'burg)
June 22: vs. Nigeria (Durban)

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Home Away

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Key players

Park Ji-Sung, Midfielder
Lee Chung-Yong, Midfielder

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Best WC result: Semifinals in 2002
FIFA World Rank: 49

An independent, isolated and comparatively poor kingdom for almost a millennia, Korea was always in the shadow of -- as well as closely influenced by -- China. As such, the country has always had something akin to the "small guy" syndrome -- a bit of a chip on its shoulder, a brashness that is not unbecoming, and a proud bit of difference.

Take the very language of Korea: it is unique in Asia in that it is NOT ideogrammatically based as Chinese and Japanese are; the hangul (written) alphabet has 24 characters and the spoken (called urimal or gugeo) is what linguists call a "language isolate," meaning that is bears no roots to any other known spoken language on the planet (in comparison, the Romance languages -- of which the six most prominent are Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Catalan -- are rooted in Latin).

Korean cuisine has similar flair. While touched by Chinese, Mongolian and Japanese influences, Korean food incorporates flourishes of French, sauce-based cooking (perhaps imported from Vietnam), barbecue, and the pungent, native cabbage dish of kimchee.

Modern Korea has yet to recover psychologically from the brutal Japanese occupation at the turn of the 20th Century and the partitioning of an already small country by the Korean War (1950-53). It has an enormous expatriate community in the United States.

Baseball was once its top sport, but since 2002, the K-League rules the roost, and the country is wildly attentive to and passionate about the national team. The comings and goings of the national side are covered with an exhaustive fervor that rivals America's intense scrutiny of the NFL. The Korean press corps following the team is a several-hundred strong gaggle with an unquenchable thirst to ask the same questions over and over to anyone they can get their hands on. They are single-minded: if you seem to be at all familiar with the sport of soccer, a Korean national will invariably ask you for your opinion on their team, regardless of the setting or situation.

Unfortunately, their team isn't great. Combined with the nation's grandly delusional (and to be fair, uninformed) opinion of their side's strength, it makes for a potent, woe-filled cocktail on the streets of Seoul. And the South Koreans do love their cocktails.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: South Korea has now made the World Cup eight times (1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006), and has taken part in it every year since 1986. Co-hosts of the 2002 competition, South Korea's fourth place finish was nothing short of a miracle. They had never even won a game in the World Cup prior to 2002. They came back to earth a bit in Germany, finishing third in Group G at 1-1-1.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: Less than they'd prefer. Best recent finish was bronze at the 2007 Asian Cup; they last won it back to back in 1956 and 1960.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: The K-League! It's tough not to have a soft spot for a league with teams named "Pohang Steelers" and "Suwon Samsung Bluewings." And while it's probably second best to the J-League across the ocean, their fans are rabid. Go for the planned cheerleading sections, stay for the very peculiar hot dogs and dry-ice cooled beer.

MANAGER: Huh Jung-Moo. He's an interesting fellow. Huh scored the goal that got South Korea back to the World Cup in 1986 (fittingly, it was against Japan). He also was one of the rare South Koreans to play in Europe in that era; he suited up for PSV Eindhoven from 1980-1983 and was not a bad midfielder. Most of his coaching experience has come either from the K-League (Chunnam Dragons, twice) or with the national teams program. He's currently the AFC coach of the year.

KEY PLAYERS: Most of the team is domestic-based, but the guys overseas are clearly the top dogs. Park Ji-Sung (Manchester United) is the standout. He's had a heck of a season in England, climbing up the ladder from squad player to on-field must have. Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton) has also had a good year on a team that flirted with the drop. Park Chu-Young (Monaco) has shown steady improvement, but is not a regular starter. A lack of options up top might make him the de facto first choice. A guy South Korea really wanted -- but was lost to injury -- is former Fulham man Seol Ki-Hyeon.

FIFA RANKING: 49th. Highest was 17th back in 1998; lowest was 56th (1996).

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENTS: Argentina, Nigeria and Greece

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST ARGENTINA: Argentina played, and beat, Korea at the 1986 World Cup in the group stage, 3-1. Argentina also won 1-0 in a 2003 Seoul friendly and beat them 2-1 back at the Seoul Olympic games.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST GREECE: The Koreans have won and tied Greece in their two meetings, most recently winning out 1-0 in a London friendly back in 2007.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST NIGERIA: The men's teams have never played against one another.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: Korea won Group B of Asian qualifying straight up. Korea didn't lose a game, going 4-4-0 in the final round against bitter rivals North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 20%. It's going to be tough. You have to think that Argentina is the group favorite, and Nigeria should get the boost that we expect all African teams to get at this Cup. Greece stinks, but because the Koreans don't score a lot of goals, they could struggle to get on the board.

TO WATCH: Can Korea put the ball on frame? It's a big problem for this team, but Park is the closest thing this squad has had to a playmaker in years. Keep on eye on Japan-based striker Lee Keun-Ho. If he has a breakout tournament, expect an offer sheet to roll in from Europe.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Lee Woon-jae (Suwon), Kim Young-kwang (Ulsan), Jung Sung-ryong (Seongnam)

Defenders: Kwak Tae-hwi (Kyoto), Kim Dong-jin (Ulsan), Kim Hyung-il (Pohang), Oh Beom-seok (Ulsan), Lee Young-pyo (Al Hilal), Lee Jung-soo (Kashima Antlers), Cha Doo-ri (Freiburg), Cho Yong-hyung (Jeju)

Midfielders: Koo Ja-cheol (Jeju), Ki Sung-yong (Celtic), Kim Bo-kyung (Oita), Kim Nam-il (Tom Tomsk), Shin Hung-min (Pohang), Kim Jae-sung (Pohang), Kim Jung-woo (Gwangju), Lee Chung-yong (Bolton), Park Ji-sung (Manchester United)

Forwards: Park Ju-young (Monaco), Ahn Jung-hwan (Dalian Shide), Lee Seung-ryul (FC Seoul), Yeom Ki-hun (Suwon), Lee Keun-ho (Jubilo Iwata), Lee Dong-guk (Jeonbuk)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: Switzerland

Country: Switzerland
Nickname: La Nati

Switzerland has three official languages and encompasses four cultures. It is the world's center for banking and, despite its official neutrality, has been known to sell arms to both sides of a conflict. Its guards protect the pope, its slopes on the Alps are known worldwide, and overall Switzerland is a small, grand, peaceful country that was allowed to stay that way by virtue of geography -- it was just too much of a pain in the you-know-what to overrun, what with the mountains and all.

SWITZERLAND

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World Cup schedule

June 16: vs. Spain (Durban)
June 21: vs. Chile (Port Elizabeth)
June 25: vs. Honduras (Bloemfontein)

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Home Away

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Key players

Tranquillo Barnetta, Midfielder
Alexander Frei, Forward

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Best WC result: Quarters (last in 1954)
FIFA World Rank: 20

Switzerland is rightly feted for winter sports; like neighboring Italy and Austria, it has fine skiing and impressive chalets. It is slowly becoming a decent soccer-playing nation, but it is better known for playing host to FIFA than it is for actually winning soccer games. It memorably hosted the European Championships in 2008 ... and stunk.

Business is still tricky for the Swiss clubs, which weathered the collapse of the club Servette after shady financial dealings mid-decade. The league is second-rate, and most of the best players have to ply their trade abroad.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: This will be Switzerland's ninth trip to the Cup (1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1994, 2006). Switzerland has reached the quarterfinals three times (1934, 1938, 1954) but never in the modern era. The Swiss also won silver at the 1924 Games. The best showing in recent years was their shocking first-place finish in 2006 Group G (above eventual runners-up France!) that saw them go out in the knockout round to Ukraine on penalties. Unfortunately, that was also one of the worst games played in the tournament.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: Hey, at least the Swiss won a game (a first) in the 2008 Euros. That was better than their co-hosts Austria, who were truly out of their depth.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: Switzerland's league is split in two; the Super League is its de facto top league, while the Challenge League below it uses a different points system for wins and draws and also rewards goal-scoring. Top clubs are Young Boys Berne, Grasshopper, FC Basel and FC Zurich.

MANAGER: Ottmar Hitzfeld. Former manager of Bayern Munich, Hitzfeld also has a great deal of experience in Switzerland's league, having coached Grasshopper, Basel and Lugano (among others). Hitzfeld also is one of just three men to have won the Champions League with two different teams. Ernst Happel is one, the other will be determined May 22nd in Madrid; either Jose Mourinho or Louis van Gaal will win his second.

KEY PLAYERS: Valon Behrami (West Ham) is decent, but he's on such a lousy club, it's really hard to tell; he has been linked with a move to Palermo. The creaky Alexander Frei (Basel) is still about; and then there's Phillipe Senderos, a washout at two English clubs. Get the picture?

FIFA RANKINGS: 20th. Which is ridiculous. Highest ever was 3rd (1993) and lowest was 83rd (1998).

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Honduras, Chile, Spain

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST CHILE: Chile beat them in Santiago way back in the 1962 World Cup, 3-1. More recently, the Swiss won out 2-1 at Vienna in an exhibition.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST HONDURAS: Switzerland has never faced Honduras.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST SPAIN: Spain has played Switzerland 15 times over the years, and the Swiss haven't won once. Most recently in World Cup play, Spain knocked the Swiss out in 1994, 3-0. That was also the most recent meeting; the Swiss aren't exactly an attractive friendly opponent, so they stopped all that in 1989.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: With relative ease. They were in an awful group, and won it, despite a humiliating 2-1 loss to Luxembourg. At home.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 30%. Spain and Chile are better, but Switzerland has a chance to slip through in a group with only one clear favorite.

TO WATCH: You know, you really shouldn't. It's a bad team.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Johnny Leoni (Zurich), Marco Woelfli (Young Boys), Fabio Coltorti (Racing Santander)

Defenders: Stephan Lichtsteiner (Lazio), Stephane Grichting (Auxerre), Steve Von Bergen (Hertha Berlin), Philippe Senderos (Arsenal), Mario Eggimann (Hannover), Christoph Spycher (Eintracht Frankfurt), Reto Ziegler (Sampdoria), Francois Affolter (Young Boys), Ludovic Magnin (FC Zurich)

Midfielders: Valon Behrami (West Ham), Gokhan Inler (Udinese), Benjamin Huggel (FC Basel), Gelson Fernandes (Saint-Etienne), Xherdan Shaqiri (FC Basel), Pirmin Schwegler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen), Marco Padalino (Sampdoria), Fabian Lustenberger (Hertha Berlin), Valentin Stocker (FC Basel)

Forwards: Alex Frei (FC Basel), Blaise Nkufo (FC Twente), Eren Derdiyok (Bayer Leverkusen), Hakan Yakin (Lucerne), Marco Streller (FC Basel), Nassim Ben Khalifa (Grasshoppers), Albert Bunjaku (FC Nuremburg)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: Slovenia

Country: Slovenia
Nickname: None

Slovenia is a pretty modern country as things go in Europe. A part of the former Yugoslavia, the idea of a Slovene state appears to have first popped up around the mid-1800s, when a short-lived political movement tried to gain autonomy from the Austrian Empire. The state emerged as an independent entity after the collapse of Yugoslavia, following the Ten-Day War, in 1991.

SLOVENIA

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World Cup schedule

June 13: vs. Algeria (Polokwane)
June 18: vs. USA (Johannesburg)
June 23: vs. England (Port Elizabeth)

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Home Away

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Key players

Milivoje Novakovic, Forward
Robert Koren, Midfielder

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Best WC result: 2002 First Round
FIFA World Rank: 23

Nestled right next to Italy, Slovenia is both a NATO member and a part of European Union and euro zone. It has also been the most successful Slavic nation post-Communism, and enjoys outsized influence relative to its size.

The weird thing about Slovenia is that, despite being arguably the most successful post-Communist country in the Balkans, they get absolutely no recognition. They've got a gorgeous capital, Ljubljana, that doesn't make anyone's tourism list (it should be -- it has breathtaking Art Noveau architecture); incredible mountain vistas; a well-regarded winemaking industry; and it's pretty darn affordable. In fact, the only people that really pay attention to Slovenia for tourist reasons are spelunkers: Slovenia happens to have one of the great cave systems in Europe.

Perhaps more people would pay attention to it if their former major port, Trieste, were still under Slovene control (perhaps not).

Soccer is the second-biggest sport in Slovenia, with basketball arguably number one. Ice hockey is also a big sport.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: None. This is their second World Cup to date; in 2002 they lost three straight and went out in the first round.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: They made a cameo appearance in the 2000 European Championships, where they drew twice and lost once, going out in the first round.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: The 10-team PrvaLiga is small and weak. Dominated by Olimpia and NK Maribor, the Slovene league used to be part of the bigger Yugoslav football league, albeit as a second-tier.

MANAGER: Matjaz Kek. A former player with exactly one national team cap (to be fair, Slovenia didn't exist until the end of his career, which began in 1979 with Maribor), Kek made his name with the Slovene youth teams.

KEY PLAYERS: The funny thing about Slovenia is that they could be the least-known group of players in the tournament. They shouldn’t be. Milivoje Novakovic (Koln) is the main scoring threat, and he's not bad, but he's pretty much it. Captain and midfielder Robert Koren (West Brom) made his name in Norway of all places, and is considered a gifted playmaker. But it's defense that really sets the Slovenes apart. They do not concede goals easily. Samir Handanovic (Udinese) plays every game, and has been a very tough keeper to beat; Miso Brecko (Koln) and Bojan Jokic (Chievo) combine with Marko Suler (Ghent) and Bostjan Cesar (Grenoble) to form a solid and experienced back four.

FIFA RANKINGS: 23rd. That's also its highest ranking ever. It's lowest was a dismal 134th, back in 1993.

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: England, USA, Algeria

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST ALGERIA: Slovenia has never played Algeria.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST ENGLAND: England has played the Slovenes once, last year in a London friendly. England won out 2-1 in a performance the British media felt was less than impressive.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST USA: The Americans have never played Slovenia.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: The Slovenes upset heavily-favored Russia in the UEFA playoffs after coming in second to Slovakia ... whom they beat twice in qualifying.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 35%. Slovenia could easily become the second team out of this group.

TO WATCH: Slovenia is off the radar over here ... but it shouldn't be. Nearly all of its top players ply their trade with decent European teams, and even if the Slovenes lack a breakout star, they are a tough team to play. Anyone who expects them to be a cakewalk is dead wrong.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Samir Handanovic (Udinese), Jasmin Handanovic (Mantova), Aleksander Seliga (Sparta Rotterdam), Jan Koprivec (Gallipoli)

Defenders: Bojan Jokic (Chievo), Marko Suler (Gent), Bostjan Cesar (Grenoble), Branko Ilic (Lokomotiv Moscow), Matej Mavric-Rozic (Koblenz), Dejan Kelhar (Cercle Brugge), Elvedin Dzinic (Maribor), Miso Brecko (FC Cologne), Aleksandar Rajcevic (Koper), Suad Filekovic (Maribor)

Midfielders: Andraz Kirm (Wisla Krakow), Andrej Komac (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Rene Krhin (Inter Milan), Mirnes Sisic (Giannina), Darjan Matic (Rapid Bucharest), Dare Vrsic (Koper), Dalibor Stevanovic (Vitesse Arnhem), Robert Koren (West Bromwich Albion), Aleksander Radosavljevic (Larissa), Valter Birsa (Auxerre)

Forwards: Milivoje Novakovic (FC Cologne), Zlatko Dedic (Bochum), Zlatan Ljubijankic (Gent), Nejc Pecnik (Nacional), Miran Burgic (AIK Stockholm), Tim Matavz (FC Groningen)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: Japan

Country: Japan
Nickname: Samurai Blue

Japan has the world's second-largest economy and is one of the planet's leaders in technology, heavy industry and commerce. Japan was forged during a long period of isolation beginning in 1603 by a shogunate (what we would call a military dictatorship). During the late 19th century, Japan became an aggressive regional power that occupied Korea and Formosa and defeated the armies of both Russia and China.

JAPAN

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World Cup schedule

June 14: vs. Cameroon (Bloemfontein)
June 19: vs. Netherlands (Durban)
June 24: vs. Denmark (Rustenburg)

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Home Away

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Key players

Shunsuke Nakamura, Midfielder
Yuji Nakazawa, Defender

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Best WC result: 2002 Round of 16
FIFA World Rank: 45

In 1933, Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 launched a full-scale invasion of China. As Germany's main ally during World War II, Japan brought the United States into the war with its attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. After the conclusion of World War II in the Pacific Theatre -- brought to an abrupt end by President Harry S. Truman's use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- Japan disbanded its army and amended its constitution to become, officially, a pacifist nation.

Today, Japan is a strong ally of the United States and a dominant player in the Asian theatre. While it still retains a sitting emperor, actual political power rests in its Parliament and in the hands of business executives. Japan is home to a number of multi-national corporations with deep reach around the world (Sony, Nintendo, Toyota, et al.), but the country remains hampered by a great deal of debt. In addition, Japan is shockingly expensive, even by American standards -- Tokyo is considered among the priciest destinations to visit.

Japanese design, technology, art and cuisine have been exported successfully around the world, with the U.S. being one of the largest consumers of Japanese-made or inspired products.

Soccer receives downright obsessive media coverage in Japan, which is a blessing and a curse: it can be stifling for the team and its players, but has unquestionably kept the sport in the limelight.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: Japan's best showing was reaching the knockout round back in the tourney they co-hosted with South Korea. (And yes, they have not gotten over the fact that South Korea finished fourth.) But, they’ve been a steady qualifier since 1998; this will be their fourth Cup in a row.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: They are three-time Asian Cup champs (1992, 2000, 2004). Weirdly enough, they were also bronze medalists at the 1968 Olympic games. Of more recent vintage was their second-place showing in the 2001 Confederations Cup.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: The 18-team J-League 1 is the best league in the region. Started in 1991 (but kicked off in 1993) as a training ground for its players for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, the J-League has exploded, helping soccer become the country's second biggest sport -- but still well behind baseball. Attendance at J-League matches slipped a bit to just under 6,000,000 total fans in 2008. Approximately 10% of its players are imports; the league has also sent players abroad with limited success. The league's major teams are Urawa Reds, Yokohama F-Marinos and Kashima Antlers. Japan's new season kicked off at the beginning of March.

MANAGER: Takeshi Okada. A former player, he ran the ship back in 1998 in France, but was forced back into the hot seat when coach Ivica Osim suffered a stroke and had to be suddenly replaced. He's best known for his tenure at J-League club Yokohama F-Marinos.

KEY PLAYERS: Keisuke Honda (CSKA) has been a key man for club and country. At just 23, he's got Champions League experience and a nose for goal. Shinji Okazaki has impressed with Shimizu S-Pulse, and has scored 16 goals for the national team in just 25 games. Captain Yuji Nakazawa and Shunsuke Nakamura (both Yokohama) are the grand old men of the side; this is sure to be their last hurrah.

FIFA RANKINGS: 45th. Highest was 9th (1998) and lowest was 62nd (2000).

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Holland, Denmark, Cameroon.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST CAMEROON: Japan has a very good record against Cameroon, with the caveat that all of the matches have been played on Japanese soil. In the 2001 Confederations Cup, Japan handled Cameroon 2-0. More recently, Japan repeated the feat in a 2007 friendly. Overall, Japan is 2-1-0 against the Africans.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST DENMARK: Japan's women play the Danes all the time. The men? Only once, way back in 1971. Japan lost that match 3-2 in a Copenhagen friendly.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST HOLLAND: The Japanese have never beaten Holland at any level of competition. Again, while the women's teams play fairly frequently, the men have met just twice at the senior level, if you're counting the Olympic games. (And, technically, that's an Under-23 tournament.) Most recently, Japan dropped a friendly last year in Enschede 3-0 to the Dutch. At the Beijing Olympics, the Dutch ran out 1-0.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: Japan didn't have a great run, finishing five points behind Australia in Group A. Adding insult, South Korea finished a point better in the other group. Japan lost to the Aussies once, were held to a draw by the Uzbeks and generally looked a bit soggy. However, they weren't really in any grave danger of missing the World Cup.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 10%. They're in a very tough group, with an African team. They could get slaughtered.

TO WATCH: Don't expect much, but do keep an eye on Okazaki. He's tipped to be the next Japanese player to head to Europe.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus), Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale)

Defenders: Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Nagoya Grampus), Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers), Tomoaki Makino (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Yuji Nakazwawa (Yokohama F Marinos), Yuhei Tokunaga (FC Tokyo)

Midfielders: Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama F Marinos), Junichi Inamoto (Kawasaki Frontale), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble), Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds), Makoto Hasebe (VfL Wolfsburg), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow), Naohiro Ishikawa (FC Tokyo), Shinji Kagawa (Cerezo Osaka), Mitsuo Ogasawara (Kashima Antlers)

Forwards: Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus), Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe), Kishi Yano (Albirex Niigata), Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse), Takayuki Morimoto (Catania), Ryoichi Maeda (Jubilo Iwata), Tatsuya Tanaka (Urawa Reds)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: Greece

Country: Greece
Nickname: None

The Greeks love football, but they really aren't very good at it. What else can one take away from their history? Despite being one of the truly soccer-mad nations in Europe, the arguable seat of Western culture, the Olympic movement, and, um, massive debt, the Greeks have not managed to translate a deep, true love for sport into any measurably success -- with one notable exception: the 2004 European Championship.

GREECE

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World Cup schedule

June 12: vs. S. Korea (Port Elizabeth)
June 17: vs. Nigeria (Bloemfontein)
June 22: vs. Argentina (Polokwane)

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Home Away

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Key players

Georgios Samaras, Forward
Giorgos Karagounis, Midfielder

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Best WC result: 1994 First Round
FIFA World Rank: 12

While this is a bit like kicking a nation while it's down, it's that debt that has done it. The country that is on the verge of dragging down the Euro has long had economic problems, and it’s been reflected by a lack of investment in its leagues and players.

That shouldn't obscure the fact that Greek football enjoys a long legacy. The clubs are well-remembered, and their national team is well-supported, with fans turning out across the globe to see them on the road. Nine newspapers cover the sport in Greece, and more money is allegedly wagered on football in Greece than anywhere else in Europe (some have suggested that's because matches are easy to fix).

And yet it only takes one trip to a Greek stadium to figure out what's wrong: most of their facilities are a wreck. No wonder people would rather play in Belgium, Norway and Scotland than in Greece, and thus, no wonder Greek football isn't even close to top-tier.

So, here's what you have: A country on the precipice of bankruptcy. A beloved national team whose supporters are desperate for anything positive, but is comprised largely of underpaid, underskilled players under a rigorous, defensive system.

It's not pretty.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: None. Believe it or not, Greece has only played in one prior World Cup. That was back in 1994, here in the States. They lost three straight, without scoring a single goal, and gave up ten.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: These guys won the 2004 Euro title, in one of the great upsets of all time. That’s the shining moment. And it really was great. But that’s it.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: The sixteen-team Super League kinda stinks. That’s why their teams don't do much in Europe. It's dominated by AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos. Poverty is a big factor in this.

MANAGER: Otto Rehhagel, who should have been given honorary Greek citizenship for leading this team to one of the greatest upsets ever in 2004.

KEY PLAYERS: Theofanis Gekas (Hertha Berlin) led all scorers in UEFA qualifying with 10 goals (he did it against the likes of Moldova, Latvia and Luxembourg, so don’t get too excited). Kostas Chalkias (PAOK) takes over in the nets from probably their best-ever keeper, Antonios Nikopolidis, and he’s a step down. Forward Angelos Charisteas has been decent for Nuremburg while striker Georgios Samaras has taken a nose dive at Celtic. The key man, however, is captain and midfielder Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos). He helped lead the team in 2004, and though he'll turn 33 when the Cup kicks off, he still is the team’s main playmaker.

FIFA RANKINGS: 12th. Which is wildly inflated. Best was 8th (2008) worst was 66th (1998).

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST ARGENTINA: Played 'em once. Lost. Badly. It was a 4-0 whipping at Foxboro at the 1994 World Cup.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST NIGERIA: Played ‘em twice. Lost once. Badly (see where this is going?). It was an easy 2-0 win at Foxboro for the Africans in 1994. They did win a 1999 friendly in Greece, however, 2-0.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST SOUTH KOREA: 0-1-1; they’ve lost and drawn to the Koreans in two friendly meetings, most recently losing 1-0 in London in 2007. In Ridayh in 2006, they drew 1-1.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: They were in a lousy group, and still managed to finish second. But, they did get a big win in the playoffs, ousting Ukraine in a shock 0-1 away win.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 25%. This is a lousy group. And Greece is not a good team. They could lose all three games. That said, since Nigeria is really iffy, and South Korea is, well, South Korea. The fact is anyone can get into the next stage. So why not Greece?

TO WATCH: The Greeks are not exactly a fun team to watch unless you’re Greek. They plod, they foul, they’re old, and they essentially field a 6-3-1 formation that usually ends up as a 9-0-1. Rehhagel will have them organized, but I’m not sure you want to be setting your alarm clocks for this bunch.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Michalis Sifakis (Aris), Alexandros Tzorvas (Panathinaikos), Costas Chalkias (PAOK Thessaloniki)

Defenders: Sotiris Kyrgiakos (Liverpool), Vangelis Moras (Bologna), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Genoa), Giourkas Seitaridis (Panathinaikos), Loukas Vintra (Panathinaikos), Nikos Spiropoulos (Panathinaikos), Stergos Marinos (Panathinaikos), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiakos), Giorgos Galitsios (Olympiakos), Vassilis Torosidis (Olympiakos), Costas Manolas (AEK Athens), Stelios Malezas (PAOK), Giorgos Tzavelas (Panionios)

Midfielders: Alexandros Tziolis (Siena), Christos Patsatzoglou (Omonia), Costas Katsouranis (Panathinaikos), Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos), Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (Panathinaikos), Grigoris Makos (AEK Athens), Thanassis Prittas (Aris)

Strikers: Georgios Samaras (Celtic), Angelos Charisteas (FC Nuremberg), Pantelis Kapetanos (Steaua Bucharest), Fanis Gekas (Hertha Berlin), Dimitris Salpingidis (Panathinaikos), Costas Mitroglou (Olympiakos)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: Honduras

Country: Honduras
Nickname: Los Catrachos

Honduras is well known to American fans because the USA plays them so often. On the world stage, the country is currently better known for its politics; you might recall that a key World Cup qualifying match against the U.S. was nearly called off after a coup ousted the sitting president.

HONDURAS

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World Cup schedule

June 16: vs. Chile (Nelspruit)
June 21: vs. Spain (Johannesburg)
June 25: vs. Switz. (Bloemfontein)

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Home Away

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Key players

David Suazo, Forward
Wilson Palacios, Midfielder

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Best WC result: 1982 First Round
FIFA World Rank: 40

The irony is that while the match was played -- and Honduras lost, 3-2 -- it was the U.S. who helped the Hondurans qualify for their first World Cup since 1982 by drawing Costa Rica in the final match of qualifications.

But first, a little soccer-specific history: Honduras is one of the few places to have fought in something called the “Soccer War.” A loss in the qualifying round for the 1970 World Cup ignited a six-day war against next-door El Salvador, sparked in part by riots in the aftermath of the game. The war was actually a bit more complex than that -- it related to arcane immigration issues -- but the point is that these folks take their football seriously, even if they aren’t very good at it on the world stage.

This is actually the best Honduran team in ages. If they were in a weaker group, they might make some noise.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: None. This is only the second time Honduras has made the big dance. In 1982, they held hosts Spain to a 1-1 draw in the opener, which was pretty amazing.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: Slim. The high water mark was a fluke win in the 2001 Copa America, where they knocked out Brazil 2-0 in the quarterfinals (if you remember correctly, that whole tournament was a bit of mess and overshadowed by security concerns, with Canada and Argentina pulling out, so let’s keep that in perspective). They’ve won the UNCAF Cup twice (1993, 1995), but haven’t really established themselves as a consistent force in the region. Best meaningful result of late was their third place finish in last year’s Gold Cup.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: The 10-team Liga Nacional is dominated by three clubs: Olimpia, Motagua and Real Espana. Olimpia is by and away the most decorated team, having won the old CONCACAF Champions Cup twice.

MANAGER: Colombian Reinaldo Rueda. Interestingly enough, Rueda never played professional football: His reputation was secured during his tenure with Colombia’s youth teams.

KEY PLAYERS: They have some folks who can play. David Suazo (Genoa) has been solid for them up top and Carlos Pavon (Real Espana), now a creaky 36, doesn’t act his age. Tottenham’s Wilson Palacios is probably going to arrive worn out from England, but he can get the ball upfield. Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa will be familiar to EPL fans as well; they both play (sometimes) at Wigan. Missing: Carlo Costly (Vaslui), who had been deadly in CONCACAF in big games. Costly was named as an alternate as he is recovering from a foot injury.

FIFA RANKING: 40th. Highest was 20th (2002), lowest was 95th (1998).

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Spain, Chile and Switzerland.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST SPAIN: They famously drew Spain in 1982 1-1 in their only World Cup appearance to date. That’s also the only time they’ve met the European champs.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST CHILE: Honduras is pretty familiar with Chile, having played them five times over the years. They are 2-0-3 against the South Americans, most recently beating them 2-0 in a friendly staged in Ft. Lauderdale.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST SWITZERLAND: Honduras has never faced the Swiss.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: An American draw with Costa Rica combined with their 1-0 win over El Salvador gave them the third and final slot, sending the Ticos to a playoff with Uruguay (which they promptly lost).

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 15%. They aren’t going to beat Spain. They probably aren’t going to beat Chile either. Everybody beats the Swiss, so why not them too?

TO WATCH: Honduras is a defense-first side, playing at times with seven men behind the ball. Nonetheless, they do have a few guys that can hurt you up top.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Ricardo Canales (Motagua), Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia)

Defenders: Victor Bernardez (Anderlecht), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan), Oscar Garcia (Olimpia), Sergio Mendoza (Motagua), Emilio Izaguirre (Motagua), Johnny Palacios (Olimpia), Mauricio Sabillon (Hangzhou Lucheng), Osman Chavez (Platense)

Midfielders: Edgard Alvarez (Bari), Julio Cesar de Leon (Torino), Roger Espinoza (Kansas City Wizards), Amado Guevara (Motagua), Ramon Nunez (Olimpia), Wilson Palacios (Tottenham), Hendry Thomas (Wigan), Danilo Turcios (Olimpia)

Forwards: David Suazo (Genoa), Georgie Welcome (Motagua), Carlos Pavon (Real Espana), Walter Martinez (Marathon)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: Slovakia

Country: Slovakia
Nickname: Repre

SLOVAKIA

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World Cup schedule

June 15: vs. N. Zealand (Rustenburg)
June 20: vs. Paraguay (Bloemfontein)
June 24: vs. Italy (Johannesburg)

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Home Away

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Key players

Marek Hamsik, Midfielder
Martin Skrtel, Defender

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Best WC result: First appearance
FIFA World Rank: 33

Part of the former Czechoslovakia, Slovakia became an independent state after the Velvet Revolution and the fall of the Soviet bloc. A landlocked Slavic state, Slovakia has had a somewhat tortured history, first as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and then under Communist rule, but is today one of the main trade corridors between east and west in Europe.

While largely ignored by Americans, Slovakia is a major central European nation with a highly developed economy and a thriving arts scene. And the region has been settled since the Early Paleolithic era (that’s about 270,000 BC) so it’s not like Slovakia just popped up out of nowhere.

Why don’t Americans know about it?

Well, tourism is not yet a major international moneymaker for the nation and, because things are mercifully quiet, Slovakia has tended to slip off the radar. But, Slovakia does attract people from Western Europe to its mountains for skiing and, while its capital Bratislava won’t be mistaken for Prague anytime soon, it offers much of the same cuisine and culture, albeit with less recognition outside the country.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: None. This is their first appearance as an independent nation. That said, it would be wrong to overlook the fact that the Slovaks were an integral part of the great Czechoslovakian teams that finished second in the 1962 World Cup and won the European Championships in 1976.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: None: They have never qualified for the Euros as an independent nation, but having said that, see above.

DOMESTIC LEAGUE: The Corgon Liga is small and poor. Only 12 teams compete in it; the best-known sides might be Artmedia (MFK Petrzalka) and all-time leaders MSK Zilina.

MANAGER: Vladimir Weiss. A former World Cup player with Czechoslovakia (1990), Weiss made his name as a player with Inter Bratislava. As a coach, he’s best known for his tenure at Artmedia, where he transitioned from player to coach at the end of his career. Family gatherings must be confusing: His father is also named Vladimir Weiss ... as is his son, who currently plays for Bolton. The youngest Weiss is also part of the national team pool.

KEY PLAYERS: Marek Hamsik (Napoli) is Slovakia’s young captain and playmaker. Just 22 years old, he’s already scored 8 times for the national team and 30 times in his three-year stint in Italy. Central defender Martin Skrtel (Liverpool) and aging striker Marek Mintal (Nuremberg) are also key members of the squad.

FIFA RANKING: 33rd. Highest was 17th (1997); lowest was 150 (1993).

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Italy, New Zealand and Paraguay.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST ITALY: This is the team Slovakia is most familiar with, having played 27 matches against the four-time World champs over the years, counting the games played as part of Czechoslovakia. Slovakia is 8-9-10 overall against Italy, which isn’t horrible.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST NEW ZEALAND: Slovakia has never faced New Zealand.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST PARAGUAY: Slovakia has never faced Paraguay.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: Methodically. Yeah, they got spanked 4-0 by England, but that was a friendly. In qualifying they beat and drew with the Czechs, took care of the games they were supposed to win (San Marino, Northern Ireland, Poland) and lost only twice -- to a clearly better Slovenia side that nonetheless finished behind them in Group 3. This is a fairly rugged Eastern European side that can give you headaches.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 50%. The Slovaks can and should get out of this group. The Italians won’t underestimate them, but Slovakia should beat the Kiwis and Paraguay ain’t great shakes. This is not a great team, but frankly, if they don’t advance, it’ll be a disappointment to them.

TO WATCH: If defense can make up for a lack of offense. These guys ain’t Inter Milan, and the fact that they have no one who can really be a target up front hurts them.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Jan Mucha (Legia Warsaw), Dusan Kuciak (Vaslui), Lubos Kamenar (Nantes), Dusan Pernis (Dundee United)

Defenders: Peter Pekarik (Wolfsburg), Martin Petras (Cesena), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool), Lubomir Michalik (Leeds), Jan Durica (Hannover), Radoslav Zabavnik (Mainz), Marek Cech (West Bromwich Albion), Tomas Lubocan (Zenit St. Petersburg), Kornel Salate (Slovan Bratislava)

Midfielders: Kamil Kopunek (Spartak Trnava), Jan Kozak (Timisoara), Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague), Miroslav Karhan (Mainz), Marek Sapara (Ankaragucu), Mario Pecalka (Zilina), Stanislav Sestak (Bochum), Marek Hamsik (Neapol), Vladimir Weiss (Manchester City), Miroslav Stoch (Chelsea), Dusan Svento (Salzburg), Zdeno Strba (Xanthi)

Forwards: Erik Jendrisek (Schalke), Robert Vittek (Ankaragucu), Martin Jakubko (FC Moscow), Filip Holosko (Besiktas)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: Algeria

Country: Algeria
Nickname: Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes)

Algeria is one of the great African nations, and closely tied to Europe. It’s also enormous; few folks realize that in terms of square mileage, this North African nation is the 11th largest on the planet. An OPEC nation, oil forms the backbone of the economy.

ALGERIA

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World Cup schedule

June 13: vs. Slovenia (Polokwane)
June 18: vs. England (Cape Town)
June 23: vs. United States (Pretoria)

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Home Away

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Key players

Yazid Mansouri, Midfielder
Madjid Bougherra, Defender

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Best WC result: 1982, 86 First Round
FIFA World Rank: 27

Algeria’s history is long, fascinating, and somewhat bloody. Islam arrived in the nation around 640 AD, with Muslim armies overthrowing the Berber rulers. Algeria was gradually colonized -- first by Spain, then later as part of the Ottoman Empire, with Algiers becoming known as the raiding base for the famed Barbary pirates, or corsairs.

France arrived in 1830, sparking a long and sometimes brutal campaign of repression that some have estimated wiped out nearly one-third of the native population. The 1950s saw considerable unrest in the country -- dramatized famously in the 1966 film The Battle of Algiers -- and after fighting an eight-year guerilla campaign against France, Algeria won independence in 1962.

Nicknames notwithstanding, French is not the dominant language of the country. Most Algerians speak either Algerian Arabic or Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: Algeria has never made it out of the first round; their best spell was qualifying for two straight tournaments in 1982 and 1986. 1982 was a high-water mark: they stunned West Germany in the first group game, 2-1 and were narrowly edged out by Austria on goal difference. In 1986 they failed to win a game and finished at the bottom of their group. This is their third appearance.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: Unfortunately, the best years of Algerian football went by about 20 years ago. Then, Les Fennecs were kings of Africa, qualifying for the World Cup, and winning the African Nations Cup in 1990. They actually failed to qualify for that tournament in 2006 and 2008; they finished fourth in this year’s edition.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: The Algerian Championnat National is a young league -- it was formed in 1962 right after the nation gained independence from France. It doesn’t have a lot of talent -- most of its better players travel to France’s Ligue One -- but a few clubs have made their mark in African play. JS Kabylie (also called Tizi-Ouzou, after the city in which the club is based) has been a perennial contender in the African Club Cups, most recently winning the CAF Club Cup in 2002. ES Setif was a finalist last year in the CAF Confederations Cup, and has also been a perennial power.

MANAGER: Rabah Saadane. The long-time, on and off manager of Algeria, Saadane has been involved with the national teams program since its heyday in the early 1980s. He played a few games for Rennes in Ligue One, but most of his playing experience came locally, and his coaching experience came with Tunisian giants Etoile Sportive Sahel and Morocco’s Raja Casablanca.

KEY PLAYERS: Captain Yazid Mansouri is the current caps leader and is best known outside the country for his stint with France’s Lorient. But while he is considered the best player inside Algeria, most international fans will point to defenders Nadir Belhadj, currently playing for Portsmouth, and Madjid Bougherra at Rangers. Karim Matmour has been a regular contributor at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

FIFA RANKINGS: 27th. That’s just one place off their highest ever ranking of 26th (December 2009). Lowest ever was 103rd ... in only 2008.

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: England, Slovenia and the U.S.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Algeria has never played against any of the teams they will face in South Africa.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: Algeria stunned bitter rivals Egypt in a one-game playoff after both teams finished with identical records in Group C of African qualifying. Antar Yahia scored Algeria’s biggest goal in the 40th minute to lead them to a massive 1-0 win. The result plunged Egypt into chaos and made Yahia a national hero.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 15%. You know, stranger things have happened. This is not a great team, but they are tough and will be playing on as close to home soil as you can get without hosting it. All African teams should get a boost. While I doubt anyone is going to overlook them, they can catch you napping. Just ask Egypt.

TO WATCH: Algeria plays a pretty plodding style of football that more often than not results in errant passes and clumsy fouls. They have an experienced defense but lack close control skills and too often decline to take the shot. Keep in mind also that Belhadj and No. 1 keeper Faouzi Chaouchi will miss games; they were both suspended in the African Cup of Nations semifinals and must serve those bans in the group stage.

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef), Faouzi Chaouchi (Entente Setif), Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche (MC Alger), M'bohi Rais Ouheb (Slavia Sofia, Bulgaria)

Defenders: Abdelkader Laifaoui (Entente Setif), Madjid Bougherra (Rangers, Scotland), Carl Medjani (Ajaccio, France), Rafik Halliche (Nacional Madeira, Portugal), Anther Yahia (Bochum, Germany), Habib Belaid (Boulogne-sur-Mer, France), Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth, England), Djamel Mesbah (Lecce, Italy)

Midfielders: Hassan Yebda (Portsmouth, England), Medhi Lacen (Racing Santander, Spain), Yazid Mansouri (Lorient, France), Adlene Guedioura (on loan at Wolverhampton, England from Charleroi, Belgium), Riad Boudebouz (Sochaux, France), Djamel Abdoun (Nantes, France), Fouad Kadir (Valenciennes, France), Mourad Meghni (Lazio, Italy), Karim Ziani (Wolfsburg, Germany), Karim Matmour (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany)

Strikers: Abdelkader Ghezzal (Siena, Italy), Rafik Djebbour (AEK Athens, Greece), Rafik Saifi (Istres, France)

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32 Teams in 32 Days: New Zealand

Country: New Zealand
Nickname: The All Whites

New Zealand is one of the most isolated countries on the planet, an island nation deep in the South-Western Pacific that paradoxically has strong ties to Europe. A constitutional monarchy, it is one of the last major remnants of the former British Empire.

NEW ZEALAND

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World Cup schedule

June 15: vs. Slovakia (Rusternburg)
June 20: vs. Italy (Nelspruit)
June 24: vs. Paraguay (Polokwane)

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Home Away

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Key players

Ryan Nelsen, Defender
Chris Killen, Forward

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Best WC result: 1982 First Round
FIFA World Rank: 79

New Zealand is perhaps best known to Americans for its otherworldly geography: its breathtaking range of scenery was used as the backdrop for the Lord of The Rings trilogy, and it has a remarkable range of native flora and fauna found nowhere else on the planet.

The country is also sports-mad, and is best known for its dominance in international rugby. The All-Blacks are far and away the most historically successful rugby team on the planet, and their distinctive pre-game ritual, the “haka,” is considered one of sports' treasures. Soccer falls a distant fourth in popularity on the islands -- cricket and horse racing surpass it -- but that is slowly changing with the reintroduction of a professional league in Australia, and the tremendous pride the Kiwis take in their sport.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: None. In fact, they have yet to win a game in the World Cup, their lone apperance back in 1982 seeing them concede 12 goals in three straight losses. It's worth noting that their best international result in meaningful competition might be their 0-0 draw with Iraq in last year’s Confederation’s Cup. That was their first point gained in three appearances at the warm-up tournament.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: The All Whites dominate Oceania, and are reigning OFC Cup champs. Unfortunately, that means little as Oceania is far and away the weakest FIFA region.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: New Zealand doesn’t have a top-flight league. Many of the better players play in the A-League. However, there is one A-League club based in New Zealand, Wellington Phoenix, and several of the team’s players ply their trade under Ricki Herbert at the club.

MANAGER: Ricki Herbert, longtime coach of Wellington Phoenix. Some fans may remember him from his days at Wolverhampton, but much of his sporting life has been spent in New Zealand, where he played for several teams in the now-defunct domestic league.

KEY PLAYERS: Captain Ryan Nelsen is the only major international talent the team has. Currently with Blackburn Rovers, the defender should be well-known to American fans from his stint with MLS side D.C. United. Forward Chris Killen was with Celtic until joining Middlebrough this year; he and Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast Utd) will form the attacking tandem. Andrew Boyens should be known to Yanks; he’s with Red Bull. He had a miserable Confederations Cup, and he’s currently riding the NY bench.

FIFA RANKINGS: 79th. Highest ever was 47th back in 2002; lowest was 156 (2007).

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia.

HEAD TO HEAD VS. ITALY: New Zealand has played Italy once, a 4-3 loss last year that came right before the Confederations Cup. The match was something of an embarrassment for the Azzurri, who fell behind three times and needed a goal from Vincenzo Iaquinta to escape with the win.

HEAD TO HEAD VS. PARAGUAY: The All Whites have played and lost once to Paraguay, back in 1995 in Santiago, 3-2.

HEAD TO HEAD VS. SLOVAKIA: This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: New Zealand won the Oceania/AFC playoff against Bahrain.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 0%

TO WATCH: Taking a point would be a triumph.

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32 Teams in 32 Days: North Korea

Country: North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
Nickname: "Chollima” (roughly: “Pegasus”)
Important note: Though the team is usually referred to as North Korea, FIFA designates them as Korea DPR

NORTH KOREA

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World Cup schedule

June 15: vs. Brazil (Johannesburg)
June 21: vs. Portugal (Cape Town)
June 25: vs. Ivory Coast (Nelspruit)

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Home Away

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Key players

Hong Yong-Jo, Forward
Jong Tae-Se, Forward

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Best WC result: 1966 Quarterfinals
FIFA World Rank: 105

If you don't know about North Korea, then you're not paying attention to the nightly news. This small, impoverished, and deeply weird nation is currently engaged in some high-stakes sabre-rattling over its nuclear program, and it allegedly torpedoed a South Korean boat, a nation with which it is still technically at war.

Led by Kim Jong-Il under what is widely described as a cult of personality, North Korea is almost hermetically sealed from the outside world. What little information we have on the nation comes from smuggled cell phone transmissions into South Korea (an offense punishable by death) and satellite flyovers that reveal how starkly undeveloped the nation is. Sadly, North Korea is about as close as you get to an old-style Soviet state; according to defectors who have managed to flee the country, it makes places like Turkmenistan look good.

As you might expect, sports are used here for propaganda purposes. In a twist, however, many of the sports remains internal and North Korea routinely declines to participate in international events. The fact that they are even in the World Cup is something of a shock: since 1966, the nation has either withdrawn from the tournament, failed to qualify or flat-out refused to enter.

By and large, North Korea also refuses to allow its athletes to play overseas and to abide by normal FIFA transfer rules. While that is slowly changing -- at the moment a total of 23 of them have played abroad, including two in Europe -- it has been suggested that this shift is a tactical move by the Kim government to keep players happy by granting them the ability to live in relative opulence.

But North Korea's iron control over its image and people has started to slip. Cell phones and the internet have opened up fissures. As for soccer, while few people paid attention to North Korea's World Cup qualifying matches, they are known as a defense-first side that fouls early and often. They do not shoot the ball well and tend to overpass, but they are extremely fit and will play out the full 90 minutes.

PAST WORLD CUP SUCCESS: None. Perhaps, like England, they are clutching on to 1966, where they surprisingly reached the quarterfinals in their lone World Cup appearance to date. In that match, they made the wrong kind of history, jumping out to a 3-0 lead before ultimately losing to Portugal 5-3 in one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history. That comeback cemented the reputation of the now legendary Eusebio, who scored four goals in the match. The North Koreans did however knock Italy out early in the tournament, and that's something the Azzurri have never forgotten.

REGIONAL SUCCESS: Very little, and not very recent. They were gold medalists in 1978 at the Asian Games and finished fourth in the 1980 Asian Cup. They did win the 2010 Asian Challenge Cup, which is a third-tier competition for “emerging” nations. But they beat Sri Lanka. On penalties.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: Little is known about the Hermit Kingdom's league. It apparently has one, but because of the country’s paranoia, its teams do not take part in Asian competitions. It is said to have 15 teams, but the most recent league champions -- Pyongyang City Sports Group -- were crowned in 2007.

MANAGER: Kim Jong-Hun. Very little is known about him. In one of the few interviews conducted with him, Kim gave all credit for his team’s performance to "the Great Leader's care" for his players.

KEY PLAYERS: Your guess is as good as ours. They have very, very few players outside the county, and as little is known about their league, it’s nearly impossible to judge them fairly or accurately. And even if you name 'em, you can never be quite sure what you're getting: North Korea has been known to change lineup numbers and squad shirts prior to taking the field in what most would find to be evidence of truly baffling paranoia.

Here's what we do know: A small handful of players have been allowed to ply their trade outside the nation. Of those, Hong Yong-Jo (FC Rostov, Russia) is one of the two to play in Europe. He captains the national team, and has scored 11 goals for the squad to date. His performance in Russia has been poor; he's only scored three times in his tenure there. The other European-based player is Kim Kuk-Jin (FC Wil, Switzerland), a very young midfielder with only two caps (and two goals) to his name. 26-year old Jong Tae-Sae has enjoyed a long tenure in Japan with Kawasaki Frontale; he has been a solid scorer for the side.

FIFA RANKINGS: Currently, North Korea is ranked 105. Their best ranking (57th) was back in 1993; their worst (181) was in 1998.

FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: They're the cannon fodder of Group G, facing off against Brazil, the Ivory Coast and Portugal.

HEAD-TO-HEAD AGAINST FIRST ROUND OPPONENTS: Brazil and the Ivory Coast have never played North Korea. Portugal has met them once, as detailed above.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED: North Korea had to start right from the first round, making them the only Asian qualifier to progress to the World Cup without getting a bye. North Korea would snag the final slot with 12 points, just behind hated rivals South Korea, finishing with a 3-3-2 record. They edged Saudi Arabia by securing a 0-0 draw in Riyadh on the final day of qualification, advancing thanks to superior goal difference. Along the way, North Korea claimed their team had been poisoned (after a 1-0 loss in Seoul; how else could it be explained?) and essentially refused to allow the South Korean team to play in Pyongyang -- FIFA intervened and that match, a 0-0 draw, was held in Shanghai.

PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO PROGRESS: 0%. They're likely to finish dead last.

TO WATCH: Given the Korean's history of combustion, I'd watch the press conferences to see what excuses the coach comes up with for the Dear Leader, because this team is unlikely to do much on the pitch.

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Quagliarella ready for title defence

Fabio Quagliarella believes Italy will arrive in South Africa "in the best possible condition'' for their World Cup defence.

GettyImagesFabio Quagliarella netted Italy's equaliser in the 1-1 friendly draw with Switzerland

The Azzurri's underwhelming preparations for the World Cup were concluded with a 1-1 draw against fellow finalists Switzerland on Saturday, with a 2-1 loss to Mexico the only other warm-up match played by Marcello Lippi's side.

Lippi has elected to focus the squad's efforts on altitude training rather than match sharpness in the build-up to the tournament and Napoli striker Quagliarella, who netted the equaliser against the Swiss, believes little should be read into recent results.

"The coach asked us to put in a good performance in the final game before we travel to South Africa and I think we did that,'' Quagliarella told RaiSport.

"It is normal that against Mexico we suffered a little from fatigue given it was our first test since the end of the season.''

"The bottom line is that we arrive at the tournament in the best possible condition and who knows where we can go from there. Let's not forget we are still the current world champions.''

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