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Italy
FIFA ranking position: 13
Qualification: 1st place in the group
Friendly matches: 4-1 against Germany, 1-1 against Switzerland, 0-0 against Ukraine
If Francesco Totti hadn't recovered from injury, Italy's preparation for the tournament would have been one of the worst in history. The corruption scandal this year has deeply shaken Italian football. In the first Italian match against Ghana, we will not see at least two main defenders - Gianluca Zambrotta and Alessandro Nesta are injured. The Roman philosopher Horace once said: "Misfortunes allow new talents to emerge, which, in different circumstances, may not emerge." If these words prove true, the Italian national team can show what the Italian football school is really capable of.
Prediction: After two unsuccessful performances in international tournaments, Italy will have to shine in Germany at all costs. If the team manages to find their form, they can reach the top.
Czech Republic
FIFA ranking position: 2
Qualification: 2nd place in the group
Friendly matches: 2-2 against Turkey, 2-0 against Saudi Arabia, 1-0 against Costa Rica, 3-0 against Trinidad and Tobago
Shortly before the start of the World Cup, key players of the Czech national team suffered injuries. "Aston Villa" forward Milan Baroš, the new "Arsenal" acquisition Tomas Rosicky, and defender Tomas Galasek have problems, Vladimir Šmicer will not travel to Germany, and his place was taken by Libor Sionko. The only good news in the Czech camp is that Jan Koller has recovered from injury. The high number of injured players is not the only problem. The team has remained virtually unchanged for a long time - the core of the team is aging and is perhaps too old to show the true strength of the Czech Republic.
Prediction: The talented Czech national team can defeat anyone. On the other hand, their open attacking style may backfire on them. In any case, the Czechs remain among the teams that can punish universally recognized favorites during this championship and show high results themselves.
USA
FIFA ranking position: 5
Qualification: 1st place in the group
Friendly matches: 1-0 against Poland, 1-4 against Germany, 1-1 against Jamaica, 0-1 against Morocco, 2-0 against Venezuela, 1-0 against Latvia, 1-0 against Angola
Not long ago, defenders Cory Gibbs and Frankie Hejduk, who were part of the USA team, could not go to the championship due to injuries, causing an additional headache for team coach Bruce Arena. However, the substitutes for both players - Chris Albright and Gregg Berhalter - performed well in friendly matches and firmly established themselves in the main lineup of the USA team. Questions arose about Claudio Reyna's injury, but it seems that the player will be able to play in the first championship match against the Czech Republic.
Prediction: It will be difficult for the USA national team, ranked fifth in the world rankings, not only to prove that they deserve such a position but also to advance to the next stage.
Ghana
FIFA ranking position: 48
Qualification: 1st place in the group
Friendly matches: 0-1 against Mexico, 1-1 against Turkey, 4-1 against Jamaica, 3-1 against South Korea
Comparing the team that represented Ghana in the 2006 African Cup of Nations, the team composition has changed quite a bit. On the other hand, the team now shows a more stable and reliable game. Coach Ratomir Dujković did not hide his joy with the good results of his team's preparation for the tournament. In addition, unlike many others, the Ghana national team has avoided injuries. The World Cup in Germany will be the first for Ghana, which they will start after winning the last three friendly matches - the team known as the "Black Stars" defeated the 2002 World Cup bronze medalist South Korea 3-1, a 4-1 victory against Jamaica, and a 1-1 draw against the powerful Turkey team will give Ghana even more confidence in their abilities.
Prediction: Ghana has entered a fairly strong group, so it will be very difficult for them to advance from it.
