The Big Question: Which debutant will do the best?

Each day from now until the start of the World Cup we’ll be asking and answering some of the big questions. Today we offer our opinion on which of the teams making their first World Cup appearance will do the best. A fourth of the tournament’s teams – Angola, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Serbia and Montenegro, and Trinidad and Tobago – will be making their World Cup debuts, which adds intrigue to a tournament where experience and tradition usually count for a lot.

Let’s start with the four new teams from Africa. Many people on the continent and around the world are discounting these teams because they don’t have the tradition of teams that didn’t qualify like Nigeria, Cameroon and Senegal. Of the four teams, I see two of them crashing and burning in the first round. Neither Angola nor Togo has the talent to compete at the World Cup and both will be eliminated with hardly a whimper.

Ghana is an absolute enigma. The team has arguably that best talent of any of the African nations, but it also has the most internal turmoil. With a coach that is under scrutiny from the players, fans and press, Ghana could easily fold like a cheap tent. But if it plays to its potential it could give its first round opponents – USA, Italy and Czech Republic – some fits. Still, I don’t see the Black Stars going far.

Cote d’Ivoire enters the World Cup riding high after a second place finis at the African Cup of Nations. The Elephants have no problem scoring goals, but also have no problem letting goals in. Placed into the Group of Death, Cote d’Ivoire could be three and out, but for reasons not even my therapist can figure out I think they will survive their group. After that, anything could happen but I don’t see them making the quarterfinals.

Trinidad and Tobago has a great goal scoring combination in Dwight Yorke and Stern John, but I am unconvinced the Soca Warriors have the overall talent to overcome a group that included England, Sweden and Paraguay. Three and done.

That leaves the three newcomers from Europe, although none is really unfamiliar with the World Cup. Ukraine contributed players to successful Soviet teams in previous competitions. Led by the legend Oleg Blokhin, Ukraine should do well in Germany. Every successful team needs a go-to goal scorer and Ukraine obviously has that in Andriy Shevchenko. Ukraine has a relatively tame group with Spain, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia so their ticket to the round of 16 should be punched. Beyond that, I don’t see enough talent to go any further.

The Czech Republic was a regular fixture back when it was joined at the hip with Slovakia. The Czechs enter the World Cup the second ranked team in the world; a ranking that I think is entirely unwarranted. Placed into a group with the US, Italy and Ghana, this team will have to scrap its way to the elimination phase. Even if it does, I don’t see it getting by potential opponents Brazil or Croatia.

Finally there is Serbia and Montenegro, a World Cup debutant in name only since the team qualified for the 1998 World Cup when still called Yugoslavia. Like Cote d’Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro was drawn into the Group of Death. Unlike the Elephants, this is a team that can play defense. With its “Fabulous Four” backline, Serbia and Montenegro will likely yield few goals and therefore will always be a threat to win. I see the Plavi being like Croatia in 1998. A team that is not garnering much attention ahead of the World Cup, but one that will go deep into the tournament.

The Big Question: Which debutant will do the best?
The Big Answer: Serbia and Montenegro

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Tomorrow’s Big Question: Which team has the best kits?

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