Holland
Coach: Bert van Marwijk
Goalkeepers: Sander Boschker (FC Twente), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht)
Defenders: Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart), Edson Braafheid (Celtic), John Heitinga (Everton), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax)
Midfielders: Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax), Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid)
Strikers: Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Eljero Elia (Hamburg), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
A very talented squad, the Dutch go into the tournament with a 100% win rate this year, having scored 14 goals in their 4 games played so far.
Question marks have to linger though due to the fact Holland have gone into several major tournaments with the talent to win it, but seem to press the self-destruct button time after time, and not fulfill their potential.
Any team with the attacking threats of Sneijder, Van Der Vaart and Van Persie have to be considered when talking about potential winners, and if the group can remain harmonious (there have already been a few rumoured rumbles) then Holland have a great chance.
The potential loss of Arjen Robben is a blow though, the flying winger has been in superb form for Bayern this season, scoring 16 goals in just 24 appearances.
Key Man
Arjen Robben - If Robben can recover in time to play a part in the tournament it will lift the morale of the whole nation.
When on top of his game, there is no footballer I prefer to watch. His ability to go past players is mesmerizing, and more often than not, the end product, whether it be a shot or cross is spot on too.
Denmark
Coach: Morten Olsen
Goalkeepers: Jesper Christiansen (Copenhagen), Stephan Andersen (Brondby), Thomas Sorensen (Stoke City).
Defenders: Daniel Agger (Liverpool FC), Lars Jacobsen (Blackburn Rovers), Patrick Mtiliga (Malaga), Per Kroldrup, (Fiorentina), Simon Poulsen (AZ Alkmaar) Simon Kjær (Palermo) William Jorgensen (Copenhagen).
Midfielders: Christian Poulsen (Juventus), Christian Eriksen (Ajax) Daniel Jensen (Werder Bremen), Jakob Poulsen (Arhus), Mikkel Beckmann (Randers), Thomas Enevoldsen (Groningen), Thomas Kahlenberg (VfL Wolfsburg).
Forwards: Dennis Rommedahl (Ajax), Jesper Gronkjær (Copenhagen), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Feyenoord), Martin Jorgensen, (Arhus) Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal), Soren Larsen (MSV Duisburg).
Coach: Morten Olsen
Goalkeepers: Jesper Christiansen (Copenhagen), Stephan Andersen (Brondby), Thomas Sorensen (Stoke City).
Defenders: Daniel Agger (Liverpool FC), Lars Jacobsen (Blackburn Rovers), Patrick Mtiliga (Malaga), Per Kroldrup, (Fiorentina), Simon Poulsen (AZ Alkmaar) Simon Kjær (Palermo) William Jorgensen (Copenhagen).
Midfielders: Christian Poulsen (Juventus), Christian Eriksen (Ajax) Daniel Jensen (Werder Bremen), Jakob Poulsen (Arhus), Mikkel Beckmann (Randers), Thomas Enevoldsen (Groningen), Thomas Kahlenberg (VfL Wolfsburg).
Forwards: Dennis Rommedahl (Ajax), Jesper Gronkjær (Copenhagen), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Feyenoord), Martin Jorgensen, (Arhus) Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal), Soren Larsen (MSV Duisburg).
Denmark go into the World cup with what many believe is their strongest squad since they won the European Championships in 1992.
Denmark qualified by winning probably the toughest group in the UEFA qualifying section, finishing ahead of both Portugal and Sweden, and have never failed to get past the group stage on the three occasions they’ve qualified for the tournament.
The danish have injury worries over Niklas Bendtner, Simon Kjaer, Jon Dahl Tomasson and Thomas Sorensen and will give the quartet as much time as possible to prove their fitness.
Key Man
Christian Eriksen - the Youngest player in the tournament. I expect Eriksen to be a "joker in the pack" for the Danes. Ajax manager Martin Jol compared him to the likes of Ajax youth products Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart and described him as a good reader of the game in the traditional "number 10" role like the two Dutch internationals.
Japan
Coach: Takeshi Okada
Goalkeepers: Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus), Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale), Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata).
Defenders: Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Nagoya Grampus), Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F Marinos), Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers), Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo).
Midfielders: Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow), Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds), Junichi Inamoto (Kawasaki Frontale), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale) Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble).
Forwards: Keiji Tamada(Nagoya Grampus), Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse), Takayuki Morimoto (Catania), Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe), Kisho Yano (Albirex Niigata).
The Japanese have lost 5 out of their last 6 friendlies, with their only victory in that run coming over lowly Bahrain, and it's hard to see them improving that sort of form, despite it taking two fortunate own-goalsto get England past the post in the recently friendly between the two sides.
The squad though have recently hit back at recent criticism from the Japanese press, and will be out to prove them wrong.
Marcus Tulio Tanaka seems destined to play a big part in this world cup, having scored an own goal in each of his last two games, he was then the defender who's challenge has left doubts over whether Didier Drogba will be able to play any part in the tournament.
Key Man
Keisuke Honda - This time last year Honda was playing in the Dutch second division, but 2010 saw him linked with top clubs including Arsenal, before CSKA Moscow snapped him up for roughly £6million, where he helped the russians to the quarter finals of the champions league, providing them with a creative spark, as well as scoring twice in 11 games.
Goalkeepers: Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus), Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale), Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata).
Defenders: Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Nagoya Grampus), Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F Marinos), Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers), Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo).
Midfielders: Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow), Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds), Junichi Inamoto (Kawasaki Frontale), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale) Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble).
Forwards: Keiji Tamada(Nagoya Grampus), Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse), Takayuki Morimoto (Catania), Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe), Kisho Yano (Albirex Niigata).
The Japanese have lost 5 out of their last 6 friendlies, with their only victory in that run coming over lowly Bahrain, and it's hard to see them improving that sort of form, despite it taking two fortunate own-goalsto get England past the post in the recently friendly between the two sides.
The squad though have recently hit back at recent criticism from the Japanese press, and will be out to prove them wrong.
Marcus Tulio Tanaka seems destined to play a big part in this world cup, having scored an own goal in each of his last two games, he was then the defender who's challenge has left doubts over whether Didier Drogba will be able to play any part in the tournament.
Key Man
Keisuke Honda - This time last year Honda was playing in the Dutch second division, but 2010 saw him linked with top clubs including Arsenal, before CSKA Moscow snapped him up for roughly £6million, where he helped the russians to the quarter finals of the champions league, providing them with a creative spark, as well as scoring twice in 11 games.Cameroon
Coach: Paul Le Guen
Goalkeepers: Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayserispor), Carlos Kameni (Espanyol), Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Valenciennes)
Defenders: Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham), Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham), Gaetan Bong (Valenciennes), Aurelien Chedjou (Lille), Geremi (Ankaragucu), Stephane Mbia (Marseille), Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco), Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor)
Midfielders: Eyong Enoh (Ajax), Jean II Makoun (Lyon), Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern), Joel Matip (Schalke), Landry Nguemo (Celtic), Alexandre Song (Arsenal)
Strikers: Vincent Aboubakar (Coton Sport), Eric Choupo-Moting (Nuremberg), Achille Emana (Betis), Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan), Mohamadou Idrissou (Freiburg), Achille Webo (Mallorca)
After a slow start to their qualifying, Otto Pfister was fired from the managerial role, and replaced by current incumbent Paul Le Guen, lifting Cameroon's spritis and leading them to qualification.
Captain Samuel Eto'o has recently come in for some criticism from Roger Milla, which led to the Inter Milan star threaten to quit the squad, which is hardly going to do wonders for squad morale, but Le Guen and the Cameroon Football Federation insist that the squad is united and determined to do well in their home continent.
Their best hope, in my opinion though, is that Holland have already qualified for the second round by their final game, and rest some of their stronger players against Cameroon giving them a chance of sneaking through to the next round.
Key Man
Goalkeepers: Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayserispor), Carlos Kameni (Espanyol), Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Valenciennes)
Defenders: Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham), Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham), Gaetan Bong (Valenciennes), Aurelien Chedjou (Lille), Geremi (Ankaragucu), Stephane Mbia (Marseille), Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco), Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor)
Midfielders: Eyong Enoh (Ajax), Jean II Makoun (Lyon), Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern), Joel Matip (Schalke), Landry Nguemo (Celtic), Alexandre Song (Arsenal)
Strikers: Vincent Aboubakar (Coton Sport), Eric Choupo-Moting (Nuremberg), Achille Emana (Betis), Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan), Mohamadou Idrissou (Freiburg), Achille Webo (Mallorca)
After a slow start to their qualifying, Otto Pfister was fired from the managerial role, and replaced by current incumbent Paul Le Guen, lifting Cameroon's spritis and leading them to qualification.
Captain Samuel Eto'o has recently come in for some criticism from Roger Milla, which led to the Inter Milan star threaten to quit the squad, which is hardly going to do wonders for squad morale, but Le Guen and the Cameroon Football Federation insist that the squad is united and determined to do well in their home continent.
Their best hope, in my opinion though, is that Holland have already qualified for the second round by their final game, and rest some of their stronger players against Cameroon giving them a chance of sneaking through to the next round.
Key Man
Alex Song - Arsenal's midfielder will need to be at his dominant best if The Indomitable Lions are to progress. If he and Jean Makoun can get on top of their opposition and create chances for Eto'o, the talented striker should be able to show his undoubted ability in front of goal, and perhaps make Milla eat his words.
Prediction
1. Holland
2. Denmark
3. Cameroon
4. Japan
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