ROGER MILLS, Newsday Special Correspondent Sunday, June 4 2006

Arabs make run for title

SPAIN

Group: H

Location: South Western Europe

Team Colours: Red and yellow

Opening match: June 14 vs Ukraine, Leipzig

World ranking: No 6

How qualified: Got pass Slovakia in two-match play-off, after placing second in UEFA Group 7 with a 5-5 record.

World Cup History: Spain has participated in 11 previous World Cups, reaching the semi-finals in 1950.

Coach: Luis Aragones (third year)

Notable Stars: Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid), Raul (Madrid), Luis Garcia (Liverpool), Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Michel Salgado (Real Madrid).

Overview: Understandably, questions surfaced when Spain was granted a spot as a top seed, and considering qualification for the tournament came only after a two-match playoff, such scepticism is hard to derail.

Spain has been an elite team for a long time, and for a long time it has fallen short in the big tournaments. Perennial striker Raul and young phenom Torres have pledged that this will be the year all of that is changed.



SAUDI ARABIA

Group: H

Location: Middle East

Team colours: Green and white

Opening match: June 14 vs Tunisia, Munich

World ranking: No 34

How qualified: Placed first in Asia qualifying rounds with a 10-2-0 record.

World Cup history: The Kingdom debuted in 1994, and also qualified in 1998 and 2002.

Coach: Marcos Paqueta (first year)

Notable stars: Sami al-Jaber (Al Hilal), Yasser al-Qahtani (Al Hilal), Mabrouk Zaid (Al Ittihad), Mohammed al-Shalhoub (Al Hilal), Taiseer al-Jassam (Al Ahli), Ahmed al-Bahri (Al Ittihad)

Overview: The Saudis show little patience for their coaching staff and in December fired Argentinian Gabriel Calderon in favour of Brazilian Paqueta.

The move was meant to stir up emotions and bring stability to a team with so many players playing for Al Hilal, where Paqueta coaches domestically. It’s hard to imagine the Saudis will have everything settled in time to make a run at the title.

UKRAINE

Group: H

Location: Eastern Europe.

Team colours: Yellow and blue

Opening match: June 14 vs Spain Leipzig

World ranking: No 42

How qualified: Clinched UEFA Group two with a 7-1-4 record

World Cup history: Tournament debut

Coach: Oleg Blokhin (third year)

Notable stars: Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan), Andriy Vorobei (Shakhtar Donetsk), Andre Voronin (Bayer Leverkusen), Oleh Husev (Dynamo Kiev), Ruslan Rotan (Dynamo Kiev)

Overview: Blokhin, a former star with the Soviet Union, believes his new country is ready to prove its place on the world stage. With nothing to lose and in a group lacking competitive depth, the Ukraine chances are promising. Young star Shevchenko will have to be the catalyst. The Ukraine goes where he carries it.

TUNISIA

Group: H

Location: Northern Africa

Team Colours: Red and white

Opening match: June 14 vs Saudi Arabia, Munich

World Ranking: No 24

How qualified: Clinched Africa Group 5 with a mark of 6-1-3.

World Cup history: This is the fourth World Cup tournament, but Tunisia has never advanced past the first round.

Coach: Roger Lemerre (fifth year with senior team)

Notable stars: Hatem Trabelsi (Ajax), Silva dos Santos (Toulouse), Jose Clayton (Qatar FC), Adel Chedli (Nuremberg), Ziad Jaziri (Troyese), Hamed Namouchi (Rangers), Radhi Jaidi (Bolton Wanderers)

Overview: Lack of a household name should be no indication of the talent level on the Tunisia squad. For instance, defender Jaidi is a strapping man well over 6-foot-3 who can power his way into the box on set pieces. Add to that the input of Brazlian born players like dos Santos and Clayton and Tunisia won’t be humiliated by anyone.

(Information from other news sources and the internet were used in this report.)