PeakeLoo205

Outright Odds: 14/1

Party H Winners: 4/6

Spain, just as before, are tipped as dark horses for the World Cup and 2006 will finally end years of disappointment and this generation of people will fulfil their undoubted potential. However they wont. For many their individual skill they are able to never motivate themselves to go up to the challenge.

They are, obviously, mainstays of the Entire World Cup and 2006 will be their eight match in a row they've qualified for going back to 1978. The quarter finals is really as far because they have gone since then so why the obsession this will soon be their year?

Spain certified via the play-offs after finishing runners-up to Serbia & Montenegro within their group. Luis Aragones area were unbeaten in 10 qualifiers but five draws and five wins meant they had a need to square off against Slovakia in order to secure their invest Germany. It had been throughout after the first leg as winners were run out 5-1 by Spain before drawing 1-1 in the reunite leg to win 6-2 on aggregate.

Possibly the reason for such confidence lies with the manager. Under Aragones, Spain are unbeaten in 18 games because he took over in July 2004, although some credit must be also taken by the players.

Spain have discovered a genuine fighting expertise in Fernando Torres. The 21-year-old Atletico Madrid striker was the European qualifying locations mutual next top goalscorer with eight goals and he is a target for both Chelsea and Arsenal. Torres is observed while the natural heir to Spains most-capped outfield person and all-time top goalscorer Raul.

At 28, Raul should be at his peak for the finals but a knee ligament injury suffered in November raises concerns over so how influential he will be. One more reason for a possibly underachieving competition?

Septembers qualifier against Montenegro & Serbia set a fresh record since it was initially an international club, Liverpool, had more representatives in the national group than any Spanish club side. Will their excellent club performances be transferred by the likes of Jose Reina, Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia onto the grand stage? While Fernando Morientes, with five goals in seven World Cup looks suggests he's a threat even though his domestic kind has been relatively indifferent.

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The known underachievers face a difficult beginning match prospect in the Ukraine and will need to get up to speed because of their remaining two suits that they will be fully expected to win. The opening match is likewise Ukraines first ever World Cup appearance and with both sides keen to avoid defeat, a sketch could be the likely result.

Italy versus Ukraine attract @ 11/5 Billiard Balls are not all designed equal.