Group B – Argentina are Justin Timberlake, the others are all Lance Bass

What more can be said about Diego Maradona that hasn’t already been said about herpes? Embarrassing to be around but fun to laugh at.

Argentina is the consensus frontrunner in this group. Greece won’t be finding another bailout here. Nigeria, a traditionally physical team, should give Greece and South Korea some bruises but will continue to struggle with their playmaking deficits. Manager Shaibu Amoda was sacked four different times (is a "quadruple jeopardy" rule twice as good as an Anglo "double jeopardy" rule?) and his replacement Lagerback likely will continue the trend of rigid, structured formations. Nigeria probably have the best prospects of all the African nations playing, but that says more about their continent mates than it does about Nigeria. South Korea’s second-round aspirations are about as sunk as their battleship but by a different cause: a glut of midfielders and a dearth of bracket players. They will need either a UN Security Council resolution or superlative play from Park Ji Sung to not finish last in the group.

The only impediment to Argentina’s run may be, of course, itself. The roster is impressive – Lionel Messi et al – but why did they have such a difficult time in even qualifying? There seems to be an air of tension in Buenos Aires, arising from a residual fear that the Argentines will not live up to expectations. Feeding this is the perception that coach Diego Maradona will be a supporting actor in some inevitable self-immolation. However, despite driving over the foot of a cameraman and putting his own foot in his mouth on several occasions, any blame for unfulfilled expectations should fall squarely on the boys on the pitch, whose well-chronicled prior shortcomings and turbulence need no further exposition.

Prediction:
Argentina
Nigeria
Greece
South Korea