Giorgio Chiellini, right, of Italy and Robin Van Persie of Holland cause an injury during a tackle
Some muttered that the Dutch shouldn't have been one of the top seeds, but unlike France (who the grumblers claim should have the seeding), Holland can justifiably take comfort in knowing it's a top seed on merit — like Spain, it had a 100% record in qualifying. It may be one of the game's legendary underachievers, but it boasts a breathtaking array of attacking talent (Sneijder, van der Vaart, Robben, van Persie and Huntelaar). Its group promises to provide the most attractive soccer of the opening stages, pairing it with Denmark, which is coming off an impressive qualification campaign, and with Japan and Cameroon, both of whom grow in stature with every World Cup tournament.
Predicted Finishing Order
1. The Netherlands 2. Cameroon 3. Denmark 4. Japan