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Every four years when the World Cup approaches, we have the same usual candidates to win the tournament (Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina), but along with the favorites, you have your dark horses and underdogs. Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)
The last few World Cups have definitely produced some major surprises, such as Sweden and Bulgaria both reaching the semis in ’94, and Croatia finishing third in ’98. And the 2002 World Cup was one of the most exciting and shocking tournaments ever, as Senegal beat the defending champs from France and later advanced to the quarterfinals, South Korea posted a second-round win over powerhouse Italy on their way to the semifinals, and Turkey made a majestic run all the way to third place. This is why the World Cup of Soccer has become the most-watched sporting event in the world, and this upcoming tournament looks to contain all the elements for more world-class excitement. The continent of Africa is sending four nations that will be making their first-ever World Cup appearance: The Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Angola, with all four teams looking to become the 2006 version of the 2002 Senegal surprise. In particular, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana have been picked by many as teams that shouldn’t be overlooked. Chelsea's Didier Drogba scored nine goals in qualifying and leads the way for The Ivory Coast, who could make it tricky for Argentina or the Netherlands to make it out of the group stage. Ghana made it through qualifying by conceding only four goals in 12 games and is riding a 14-game unbeaten streak. They’ve been placed in a tough group with Italy, Czech Republic and the United States, but they’re a team that doesn’t rely on star power and plays with high spirits, much like Senegal in 2002. Some sports betting dark horses coming out of Europe include Sweden, Ukraine, and Serbia and Montenegro. Sweden qualified for Germany while winning eight of their 10 group matches and averaging three goals per game, while conceding only four in total. Sweden has a history of performing well in World Cups, and is more than a minor threat to pull off an upset or two. With strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson, the Swedes have potential to go far into the tournament. The Ukrainians were the first European team to qualify for Germany, topping a qualifying group that included Turkey, Denmark and Greece. Led by one of Europe’s best strikers, Andriy Shevchenko from AC Milan, Ukraine could become a huge threat if they make it out of the group stage.
Serbia and Montenegro enters the World Cup for the first time as an independent country and proved to be a very dangerous squad throughout qualifying, going undefeated to win their group which included teams like Spain and Belgium. Atletico Madrid striker Mateja Kezman will be the man to watch on this team, and like The Ivory Coast, they should pose a threat to Argentina and the Netherlands in the group stage. Other teams to note as possible dark horses include Croatia (Group F), Poland (Group A) and Paraguay (Group B). Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)
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