With the tragic suicide of Robert Enke on Nov

Podolski does nothing but score goals when playing for Germany, and even if Loew goes with a 4-1-4-1 or 4-5-1 formation, he'll find a way to keep Podolski in the starting 11.But Loew's preference is 4-3-3, and the question becomes: "Who will fill the third slot up front" Mario Gomez is more enigma than "Super Mario." A big-time scorer in the Bundesliga, he struggles with the national team (zero goals in 10 qualifying games). One player who might force his way onto the team is Stefan Kiessling, who is off to a fast start this season with Bayer Leverkusen. Midfield will be the strength, with Ballack accompanied by the powerful Bastian Schweinsteiger, long-range bomber Thomas Hitzlsperger ("Der Hammer"), and possibly one of the rising young stars of German soccer, Mesut Ozil or Marko Marin. The German back line looked slow and vulnerable at the center during Euro 2008, and that remains a problem. Per Mertesacker and Philipp Lahm will be two members of the back four, but Loew is still looking for the right tandem to combine with those two stellar starters. Heiko Westermann, Arne Friedrich, Serdar Tasci, and Jerome Boateng (one of the stars of Germany's 2009 U-21 European Championship-winning team) are just three of the contenders to fill out the back four.With the tragic suicide of Robert Enke on Nov. 10, there is not only a shadow of deep sorrow cast across the entire team, but a significant question mark surrounding the goalkeeping position.

Since the days of the legendary Sepp Maier in the 1970s, Germany has been rock-solid in goal. Enke was expected to start in South Africa, with Bayer Leverkusen starlet Rene Adler sitting on the bench, and gaining valuable experience for the future. That future is most likely now for Adler, although Tim Wiese and Manuel Neuer will be in the frame as well. How did those so-called less-than-vintage German teams do They finished second, third, and second, respectively Don't expect anything less in South Africa.. "The Bison," "The Rock", and a goalkeeper with a trio of different names are just three of the players who will make Ghana one of the most intriguing and potentially formidable teams in the World Cup. Playing in their first World Cup four years ago, Ghana was the only African country to reach the Round of 16 It will be aiming much higher than that in South Africa.

Just as it was in Germany, the Black Stars' strength is their midfield Michael Essien is a field general of the highest caliber. The Chelsea star, nicknamed "The Bison," has a big engine; he covers a lot of ground, shutting down passing lanes, and gets forward quickly to support the attack. Alongside Essien in the middle, the other two driving forces of the team are another pair of holdovers from the 2006 team, Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah U.S. fans will no doubt remember Appiah for converting the penalty kick that sealed Team USA's fate in Germany in 2006. At the back, the defense is built around "The Rock," John Mensah, and another stalwart of the Black Stars, John Pantsil. Not the most solid of units in world football, the defense will be a question mark in South Africa, even allowing for the fact that it was rarely breached in the qualifying stages The last line of defense is goalkeeper Richard Kingson. He was outstanding in Germany in 2006, despite his name being misspelled on official match reports, and even on his jersey.

(It should be "Kingston", but the incorrect spelling has stuck.) Apart from spelling issues (Pantsil's name is actually "Paintsil"; the defender's name was also submitted incorrectly at the World Cup, and the wrong spelling has also stuck), the real problem for Ghana lies on offense. MLS alumnus Junior Agogo, Haminu Dramani, Prince Tagoe, and Matthew Amoah have all featured on the front line for Ghana during World Cup qualifying, but none of them have looked like world beaters.But unlike most national teams, Ghana will have a chance to continue prepping for the World Cup in a meaningful competition: the 2010 African Cup of Nations, which is being staged in Angola in January. Ghana hosted the tournament in 2008, but lost in the semifinals. Essien is undoubtedly the real thing, but will Ghana be the real deal in South Africa A lot of pundits think it can be. But a lot of the players will struggle to get playing time this season with their European clubs, and the African Cup of Nations offers a double-edged sword: a huge confidence booster ahead of the big show, or a source of mayhem if the team doesn't perform up to expectations.Prediction: Ghana will hopeand the nation will expectthe team to make the second round on the home continent, given that their preparation will be more high octane than their opponents due to their participation in the African Cup of nations. Moving to the Asian Confederation might be the best thing Australia has ever done.Sure, it has meant that they have to work harder than they did to qualify, but really, playing teams like Fiji and Vanuatu in front of empty crowds is no way to prepare for a tournament of this magnitude.Australia made it to the Round of 16 last time out, pipping rivals Croatia to a place.