Favorites Wary of First Round Foes

Jürgen Klinsmann and the German team can count on sell-out crowds of thousands of adoring countrymen even though they aren't facing the world's most dangerous teams. But German soccer fans will no doubt be willing to line up for tickets to a number of other games between the tournament's top sides as well.

The draw for the first round in the eastern city of Leipzig on Friday placed the Dutch and two-time World Cup winners Argentina against each other in what looks to be the tournament's "Group of Death."

Dutch coach Marco van Basten said he was looking forward to the clash with the South Americans in Frankfurt on June 21.

"Argentina are one of the big footballing countries with a great history, and many of their players are in the European leagues," he said.

Brazil always excites fans

Australia's experienced Dutch coach Guus Hiddink also promised his side wouldn't let fans down in their first finals appearance in 32 years.

Though he admitted they would be outgunned by Brazil in a game that would be great for Australian fans, he predicted the match with Croatia would be a thriller -- and decide both teams' fate.

"I think it will go down to the final game against Croatia, which should be interesting," Hiddink said. "Perhaps we can create a surprise in Germany."

Proving that it's not always a rival team that can do the most damange, Portugal's toughest battle in the first round may be against themselves.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian who coached his home nation to victory in 2002 and is now in charge of Portugal, said he would guard against over-confidence in the group which features Mexico, Iran and Angola.

"All of us in Portugal have to work to avoid the euphoria we experienced four years ago after the draw for the 2002 World Cup, which ended up in a nightmare. We don't want Portugal to live through that again," Scolari said.

Portugal crashed out in the first round in 2002 after failing to negotiate a group which included the United States, Poland and South Korea.

Beckham can picture playing in final

England Captain David Beckham said his squad would determine their own fate and stand a superb chance of going all the way.

"If we work hard and play to our potential we have a genuine chance of winning the World Cup," he said. "We meet a familiar opponent in Sweden -- one that both the players and manager know well."

Sweden are hard to reckon with -- England have not beaten them since 1968 -- but British bookmakers have already put Beckham and his teammates down as favorites behind Brazil to be crowned world champions.

Should England win their group and progress through their last 16 match, they face a possible clash with Argentina or the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

Italians, Czechs cautious of rivals

Three-time winners Italy will be wary of the challenge posed by dark horse contenders from the Czech Republic, who were the last team to qualify for the finals with a play-off win against Norway.

Before Friday night's group drawing, Czech coach Karel Bruckner said he met Italy's trainer Marcello Lippi, and both men said they would rather not end up in the same group.

"Italy are of course a strong team, they are surely the favorites in this group," Bruckner said, despite the fact that the Czech Republic is currently the world's second best team after Brazil, according to FIFA's ranking.

The two teams also won't be able to relax in their other matches against the USA and Ghana, teams the two European coaches agreed have the potential to be World Cup spoilers.

The 2006 tournament's 64 matches in 12 German cities begin in Munich on June 9 with the final in Berlin on July 9.