World Cup Group B

I caught some heat from a dirty European over my Group A preview, but hey, I'm here to call it like I see it, not pander.

Let's get it on with Group B.

Group B

Argentina

Greece

Nigeria

South Korea

Who Will Win

Argentina

Who Could Win

Nigeria

Who Has No Chance

Greece

How They'll Finish

4. Greece - This will be Greece's second trip the the World Cup Final ever. The Greeks play a grinding defensive style of soccer. That style helped them win the 2004 Euro Championship in surprise fashion. The problem is that Group B is full of teams with speed that can carve up the Greek defense. The Greeks do have one thing going for them...their nickname is "To Piratiko", which translates to "The Pirate Ship," easily a top-3 nickname in the tournament.

3. South Korea - The South Koreans were successful in 2002, when they co-hosted the tourney with Japan. Four years ago in Germany they were bounced in the first round. They reached this year's final without losing in qualifying, but they had the benefit of playing a bad North Korea team four times. The Taiguk Warriors have qualified for the World Cup Final seven straight times, making them one of the best in Asia, but are still looking for respect on the international level. Unfortunately for them, this year, their group is one of the best at the top. Getting through the knockout stage is a long shot.

2. Nigeria - The Super Eagles didn't lose a game in qualifying, but did draw with lowly Tunisia twice. They have dynamic mid-fielders in Premier League players John Obi Mikel and Dickson Etuhu. They also have one of the best African players of this generation, Nwankwo Kanu, coming off the bench. The problem is their defense. They are prone lapses in concentration. That will hurt them against Argentina, but they should still have enough to get past the other two countries.The Nigerians should get out of the group, but advancing beyond that will be tough.

1. Argentina - This team is well balanced and dangerous. They have a great mix of young and old, including 35 year-old Juan Sebastian Veron and 23 year-old Lionel Messi, arguably the best player in the world right now. Their offense is fast, dynamic, and hard to stop. They have problems with defense sometimes, they gave up six goals on the road to Bolivia in qualifying. They are lead by head coach Diego Maradona, who is a piece of World Cup history (1986, Hand of God, look it up.) He can be impulsive, but this team has enough veteran leadership that they know how to win. Argentina has the goods to get far in this tournament, but they will be tested in the round of 16, where they will have to play either France or Mexico, provided things pan out the way I predicted.

Coming soon....Group C!