Group F Preview

Not only does the futbol Buffet not see this happening again, it doesn't see Italy advancing out of group play in the shock of the tournament. New Zealand is clearly out of its league and will lose every game it plays. But Slovakia will show that they are no pushover, and when they play Italy in their third game on June 24th, they will shock the world. P.S. Has anyone seen Buffet Slovak Martin Zabka since he was spotted playing midnight futbol with a random German in Gelsenkirchen?

Predicted Finish:
1. Paraguy
2. Slovakia
3. Italy
4. New Zealand (and last place in the entire tournament)

Paraguay:
The big question for Paraguay is whether they will be able to compensate for the loss of striker Salvador Cabanas. The Hotline probably remembers that Cabanas was savagely shot in the head while in a restaurant in the otherwise tranquil town of Mexico City. And you thought Charlie Davies had bad luck. But Paraguay is not a team that is lacking in offensive ability. The Hotline is expecting strong showings from Nelson Valdez (Dortmund) and Oscar Cardozo (Benfica). Off the bench they can also call on World Cup veteran Roque Santa Cruz. There defense was their strongest area in South American qualifying so they should get through no matter what.

Slovakia:
Slovakia is not favored by the experts to get out of the group stage, and you could easily argue that if you like Slovakia, then you have to also like Slovenia, since both advanced out of the same European qualifying group, beating out the Czech Republic. The Hotline, however, is impressed by their silky smooth midfield, led by Marek Hamsik and the coach's son, Vladimir Weiss. The Hotline is also welcoming to World Cup football Stanislav Sestak, who we expect to tear up the group stage with 4 goals.

Italy:
The last straw for the Hotline came with the news that Italy's central midfield maestro, Andrea Pirlo, would be out for the entire group stage. This injury, combined with their recent poor form and their lack of new/younger players from the 2006 squad is going to see them eliminated. Think France in 2002 and that's what you can expect from the 2010 Italians. Why change a squad that won the World Cup? Because Slovakia is young, talented, and going to clean your clocks.

New Zealand:
This could be one of the worst teams to ever play in a World Cup. They will be lucky to score a goal.