ENZO BEARZOT DIES

Enzo Bearzot, the manager of the World Cup-winning Italian team of 1982, died today at the age of 83 in Milan.

Under Bearzot's guidance, Italy triumphed at Espana 82 after a dreadful start. They drew all three of their first round group games before going on to defeat Argentina, Brazil, Poland and West Germany to win the World Cup for a third time.

The manager's decision to keep faith with striker Paulo Rossi - who seemed completely out-of-sorts in the first three games - was widely criticized at the time by the Italian press, yet proved to be the turning point of the World Cup. Rossi ended up with the Golden Boot following a hat-trick against Brazil, a brace against Poland, and the opening goal against the Germans in the Final.

Bearzot became the coach of the national side in 1977 and steered Italy to a fourth-placed finish at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.

His reign ended after the 1986 World Cup in Mexico when the defending champions bowed out disappointingly in the second round against France.

Bearzot's death today strangely falls on the same day as the passing of Vittorio Pozzo (December 21 1968), the man who managed the Italian national team to their first two World Cup triumphs in 1934 and 1938.

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS THURSDAY 24 JUNE

WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS FOR TODAY'S GAMES:

Slovakia 2-3 Italy

The defending champions are under pressure but will deliver. I sense considerable drama in this one though.

Paraguay 3-0 New Zealand

It's going to be a stroll in the park for the very well-organized and impressive South Americans - a dark horse for the tournament.

Denmark 1-0 Japan

The Danes have never failed at the group stage in three previous World Cup appearances. They will be good enough again to just see off Japan.

Cameroon 2-1 Holland

Cameroon are out but will finish with a win again the Dutch who are already through.

SNEAKING IN THE BACK DOOR

It's do or die time at the World Cup. With the last round of group games to take place over the next few days, heartache, joy and drama awaits.

As always, it's squeaky bum time for quite a few of the big boys. France, runners-up four years ago, have the most difficult situation as their destiny is out of their hands. They have to beat South Africa in their last game - probably by a few goals - and hope that Mexico and Uruguay don't play out a draw which would take them both through. And by the way, in case you haven't heard, the French squad refused to train today - in protest at the sending home of Nicolas Anelka. France appear to be in complete meltdown, and barring an extraordinary turnaround their World Cup looks over.

The defending champions Italy have just played out a frustrating 1-1 draw with New Zealand, a result which leaves their progress out of Group F in doubt. Their situation suddenly has a similar look about it to that of England in Group C, who have registered two points from their opening two games against the USA and Algeria. England face Slovenia on Wednesday afternoon and Italy will play Slovakia 24 hours later; and both nations are facing the very real possibility of the unthinkable - elimination from the World Cup at the group stage.

Of the two, I would say England have the more difficult task, simply because their last game is against the group leaders who only need a point to ensure their qualification and at the same time almost certainly put England out. Slovenia may well pack players behind the ball and seek to frustrate England, something the Algerians did to great effect. Italy, on the other hand, should have more of a chance to get at their opponents Slovakia, for whom a draw will count for nothing.

The World Cup only comes round every four years, and that's why it is felt so passionately by fans everywhere. It's so intense, a defeat in the group stages is felt so deeply and is taken so personally. It's the end of the world until the next game.

Four years is also enough time for us to forget certain realities about the World Cup. The things that seem impossible when you are living the roller-coaster ride of the tournament, in the intensity of the moment, can be the very realities that actually come to pass. Let me invite you to remember history as I try to sell to you the extreme importance of sneaking through the back door into the knock-out stages.

Cast you mind back if you can to Italia 90. Defending champions Argentina were shambolic in their opening game against Cameroon and went down 1-0. They recovered to beat the Soviet Union and draw with Romania, results which saw them qualify as one of four best third placed teams. Their reward was a second round clash with Brazil, who had cruised their group with three wins. You can guess what happened if you don't remember...Yes, Argentina put Brazil out 1-0 in an extraordinary game, and went on to win their quarter-final and semi-final on penalties against Yugoslavia and Italy respectively. Argentina were a poor side and rode their luck, but having sneaked through the back door in their group they ended up in the Final.

Four years later at USA 94 the Italians also made it to the Final despite having lost their opening match against the Republic of Ireland. That group ended up with all four teams finishing on four points each (the only time in World Cup history that this has ever happened) and Italy - as Argentina had done four years earlier - only qualified in third place. In the second round only a last minute equalizer by Roberto Baggio staved off a shock defeat to Nigeria.

The Italians in 1982 provide us with another spectacular example of how things can turn round for a team - and for an individual player. Italy drew all three of their group games against Peru, Poland and Cameroon - only scoring two goals in the process. They only went through by virtue of having scored one more goal than Cameroon. After that, nobody was talking about Italy as potential World Champions that year, especially when in the second group phase they were paired with Argentina and Brazil, with only one semi-final place available amongst the three of them. However, Italy beat them both in the space of six days and went on to beat Poland in the semi-final and West Germany in the Final. Italian striker Paulo Rossi had done nothing at all in the first group phase but his manager stuck faith with him, and his hat-trick against Brazil opened the floodgates. Two more in the semi and the opening goal in the Final gave Rossi six goals in three games and the Golden Boot.

As despondent as English, French, Italian - and perhaps even Spanish - fans may be feeling, take heart from this history lesson of the World Cup. The back door is still open. The team that dares may just sneak through it and find that it opens up to the Promised Land. This week will contain tears, and the dreams of some will die over the next few days. But strange things happen in football, just as they do in life. Three weeks tonight we could be gearing up for a France v Italy Final again. Or England v Spain. You never know.

WORLD CUP-LATEST PREDICTIONS SUNDAY 20 JUNE

WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS FOR TODAY'S GAMES:

Slovakia 1-2 Paraguay

Paraguay have an excellent chance to win Group F and avoid a possible clash with Holland in the first knock-out round. They'll sneak this one.

Italy 3-0 New Zealand

The World Champions will take a big step to Round 2 with a routine victory here.

Brazil 1-1 Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast impressed me in the their first game and I think they can get something from this. I've backed them to get out of Group G.

BIG NAMES FLATTER TO DECIEVE AS FIRST ROUND OF FIXTURES DRAWS TO A CLOSE

So with just twenty minutes or so left until South Africa play their second game of the tournament we have little time left to reflect on the opening round of fixtures, although maybe we shouldn't look back for too long.

It's not much to look at after all, most of the talk has been about the lack of action and excitement. With just two games containing more than two goals and Germany the only team to bag more than a brace, the competition has been somewhat bereft of world class football.

Some blame the ball, some blame the altitude, most blame the Vuvuzelas. But as far as I can see it's been a case of the big boys not playing well and the underdogs giving all they've got. The biggest surprise undoubtedly came in the final match of the first round of fixtures as Gelson Fernandes converted the ugliest goal in World Cup history to help his Swiss friends secure a shock victory over bookies favourites Spain.

Previously France, England, Portugal and Italy had all failed to win their opening games while Brazil and Argentina had looked unimpressive in victory. It was the unfancied Germans who stole the show with their four-nil demolition of Australia.

However the series of results has provided one of the most open World Cups in recent history with nobody written off as possible qualifiers for the last sixteen. In fact underdogs such as South Korea, Slovenia and Japan could secure qualification for the knockout stages with victory in their second games. While lowly New Zealand and North Korea put up spirited performances against Slovakia and Brazil respectively to prove there are no easy games at the World Cup.

Perhaps there's one thing that we always fail to remember about football; It's totally unpredictable. But we'll never stop trying to predict it.

NEW ZEALAND STUN SLOVAKIA TO PICK UP FIRST POINT

New Zealand picked up their first ever point at the World Cup Finals with a last gasp equaliser against an unimpressive Slovakia side.

The Slovakians, competing in their first World Cup as an independent nation, had been expected to cruise past the All Whites with their wealth of European stars. However Ricki Herbert's men were well organised and gave a strong account of themselves to pick up a deserved draw.

New Zealand were unlucky not to be ahead at half time, threatening the Slovakian defence with a number of good crosses. Shortly after the break Slovakia punished New Zealand with their first clear cut opportunity as Robert Vittek directed a header into the far corner of the goal.

Slovakia looked capable of playing some neat football when not falling on the floor in 'agony' but they were still struggling to create chances and when they did they failed to test the 'keeper. Napoli's highly rated midfielder Marek Hamsik wastefully fired over after good work from striker Stanislav Sestak in the build up.

Slovakia attempted to see out the match with their one goal advantage in tact but a barrage of long and early crosses from New Zealand kept the pressure on deep into injury time.

The Islanders appeared to waste their last chance for an equaliser when Tony Lochead's superb cross was headed wide by Shane Smeltz just before the ninety minutes was up. However the Kiwi's kept pushing and it was Smeltz himself who delivered a glorious curling cross to the far post for defender Winston Reid to divert in off the post with a glancing header.

Cue scenes of jubilation as every member of the squad rose from the bench to celebrate with the now shirtless Reid in front of the joyous New Zealand support. Slovakia's inability to win against New Zealand could compound them to exit as they will now surely have to win against either defending champions Italy or the highly rated Paraguay to stand and chance of qualifying for the knock out stages.

On the other hand, for New Zealand, a country without a professional football league, the party will continue against Italy on Sunday.

WORLD CUP LATEST PREDICTIONS - MONDAY JUNE 14

World Cup Predictions for today:

Holland 1-1 Denmark

Much is expected from the Dutch but this is a tough opener - the Danes have never failed to make it out of the group stages in three previous appearances at the Finals and will be good enough for a point.

Cameroon 3-0 Japan

I expect more joy for the African nations with a comfortable win for Cameroon against a weak Japanese side.

Italy 1-1 Paraguay

These two teams should qualify from Group F and I expect a cagey opening and the points shared.

ITALIAN GRAVEYARDS

1950...Sao Paolo
a 3-2 group defeat to Sweden.

1954...Basel
a 4-1 play-off loss to hosts Switzerland.

1962...Santiago
Host nation hoodoo strikes again, 2-0 to Chile.

1966...Middlesborough
One of the great World Cup shocks, North Korea 1 Italy 0.

1970...Mexico City
Beaten by the best. 4-1 to Brazil in the Final.

1974...Stuttgart
Poland 2 Italy 1, out in the group stages again.

1978...Buenos Aires
2-1 defeat to the Dutch in the final group game of the second stage, with a place in the Final awaiting the winners.

1986...Mexico City
2-0 to France in the second round.

1990...Naples
So close to the Final, but beaten to it by the golden boy of Naples - Maradona - and Argentina, who marched on to Rome via a penalty shootout.

1994...Los Angeles
Penalties again, this time in the Final, with hero turned villian Roberto Baggio missing the decisive kick.

1998...Paris
Three in a row: penalty exit again to hosts France in the quarter-finals.

2002...Daejeon
Merging of two hoodoos: hosts and the Korean peninsula! Out in the second round, South Korea 2 Italy 1, evoking memories of 1966.

SELECTION HEADACHES

There's no denying it, we may be thirty days from the start of the tournament but South Africa 2010 is well and truly in full swing.

With squads being announced left, right and centre there is talking point after talking point arising from all corners of the globe and believe it or not there's the odd metatarsal raising it's ugly head, or toe as the case may be.

It seems that South Africa will be a World Cup that will make new international superstars rather than showcasing the ones we are already familiar with. Maradona kicked things off by giving Argentina fans something of a head scratcher as he left out not one, not two, but three big names in his provisional squad.

The legend has left the trio of Javier Zanetti, Fernando Gago and Esteban Cambiasso without a seat on the plane to South Africa. In an apparent catching trend Ronaldinho has been omitted by the Brazilians, Ruud van Nistelrooy overlooked by the Dutch, Luca Toni and Francesco Totti ignored by the Azzuri and Patrick Vieira left out of the France squad.

That crazy Raymond Domenech has also left out Arsenal's Samir Nasri and decided that Real Madrid's £30 million striker Karim Benzema is not one of the top eight French strikers with the twenty-two year old told to take a holiday somewhere other than South Africa this summer.

In other news, Mexico have named just five midfielders in a thirty man squad and New Zealand have selected two men who don't have clubs.

On the home front it's somewhat less surprising that there is no Michael Owen in the England squad and for injury reasons David Beckham has also missed out. However don't think Fabio Capello has it all that easy, since naming Rio Ferdinand the new England captain the Manchester United defender has struggled to string two games together while there are strong whispers that John Terry has done his metatarsal (that's a toe to us simpletons).

The first choice replacement is Tottenham Hotspur's Ledley King, a man who has such injury problems that he doesn't train for the Premier League outfit, but admittedly it doesn't seem to effect his performances on the pitch. King was an integral part of Spurs successful charge to fourth place this season and you'd bet your house on him to put his career on the line for the cause.

Other backups in the centre back position are the untried Michael Dawson, the uninspiring Matty Upson and the un-retired Jamie Carragher all of whom would have to string together an immediate understanding to give England some leadership at the back.

When is this tournament over? I've already got a headache.

PLAYER FOCUS: GIANLUIGI BUFFON

In the world of international football, they don't come much more respected than Gianluigi Buffon.

The eternally brilliant Italian commands praise from all corners of the globe and even now in his thirty-second year he still gets linked to the biggest clubs in Europe, despite the inevitable price that would be required.

Rumours of a summer transfer to the Premier League seem to gather pace with every passing day and perhaps playing abroad is one of the few things left to accomplish for the veteran 'keeper.

Buffon's move from his first club, Parma, to Juventus in 2001, sent shockwaves around the footballing world when he made the switch for over £23 million, an amount that still remains the highest fee ever paid for a goalkeeper.

Perhaps even more impressive than his exemplary club record - UEFA Cup winner, Italian Cup winner and twice a Serie A winner - is his incredible international career. South Africa will be Buffon's fourth World Cup and the Italy legend has more than proven his ability on the big stage.

In Italy's victorious campaign at Germany 2006 Buffon kept five clean sheets in seven matches including a 453 minute streak without conceding. Buffon's form was influential in Italy's run to glory and he'll be hoping to provide the same stronghold this time around in South Africa.

Buffon reached the magical mark of one hundred caps for his country earlier this year and will be looking to add seven more to that total this summer.

SPAIN TOP RANKINGS AS ENGLAND CLIMB AGAIN

The announcement of the latest FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings has seen European Champions Spain retain top spot ahead of Brazil and the Netherlands.

The top three remain unchanged for the fifth successive month, since November 2009, but the rest of the top ten saw some considerable action this month.

Former World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has seen his Portugal side move up two places to fourth at the expense of defending World Champions Italy and three-time winners Germany who both drop a place to fifth and sixth respectively.

Meanwhile Fabio Capello's England climbed the rankings for the second successive month as they jumped one place to seventh with France dropping down to eighth.

Croatia re-entered the top ten just behind Argentina who are unmoved in ninth, while Australia have now broken into the top twenty after moving up four places to 19th.

This summer's hosts South Africa, have fallen seven places to 88th.

This month's biggest gainers were Senegal who climbed an impressive 22 places to 72nd whilst the biggest losers were Guam who fell 14 places to 196.

Full FIFA World Rankings here.

MARCELLO LIPPI MAY QUIT ITALY AFTER WORLD CUP

Marcello Lippi hinted today that he may step down from his role as Italy manager after this summer's World Cup in South Africa.

Lippi led the Italians to their fourth crown at the previous World Cup in 2006, when the Azzuri beat France on penalties in a final that included Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt. After the tournament Lippi stepped down from the national team, only to return to the post in 2008.

Rumours abound that the 61-year-old is ready to return to Juventus for the start of next season and Lippi himself has hinted at an exit.

He told Italian press that Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete "already knows what I will do" after the tournament.

Lippi won five Serie A titles with Juventus during two spells at the club and made the Champions League Final three years in a row, lifting the trophy in 1996.