Argentina

are still my favourites to win. The most gratifying part of this World Cup, however, has been that no team has looked completely outclassed - the quality of the football (with the notable exception of Ingerland) has been of a uniformly high quality, and the insistence by FIFA on clamping down on the parts of the game that undermine it as a spectacle have proven successful so far - although I disagree that overhead kicks should be construed as dangerous play. The Czech won (wonderfully - see the boy wonder below), Italy look ominously capable of grinding out results, and Australia could be a surprise package - Kewell, Cahill and Viduka are all capable of changing a match against anyone. Tomorrow sees Brazil vs Croatia - this should be the most technically gifted of all the first round games, and I for one cannot wait.