Swiss national team
Manager: Ottmar Hitzfeld
Best: Quarter-final (1934, 1938, 1954)
Never a power in world soccer, the Swiss nonetheless turned in a creditable performance in 2006, making it through their group and narrowly losing the knockout showdown against Ukraine on penalties. The fact that the Swiss didn't concede a single goal in regulation time was testimony to their defensive discipline, and German coach Ottmar Hitzfeld (best known for managing Bayern Munich) will be hoping for more of the same in South Africa from the likes of Reto Ziegler and Phillippe Senderos. The creative sparks in a midfield anchored by St. Etienne's Gelson Fernandes will come from Udinese's Gokhan Inler, Bayer Leverkeusen's Tranquillo Barnetta and West Ham's Valon Behrami, while for goals they may still have to rely on the old warhorses Hakan Yakin of Lucerne and Basel's Alexander Frei.
Player to watch: Gokhan Inler. There's a reason why many of the top clubs in Europe are interested in signing the 25-year-old Udinese attacking midfielder.