SOUTH KOREA

Fixtures

South Korea v Poland June 4 Busan 8.30pm
South Korea v United States June 10 Daegu 3.30pm
South Korea v Portugal June 14 Incheon 8.30pm

Coach: Guus Hiddink

Record: 1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998 First Round

FIFA Ranking: 40

Rapidly-improving South Korea, under the expert guidance of boss Guus Hiddink (and ably assisted by his Dutch management team), now have their best chance to win their first ever match in a World Cup Finals. Their May 2002 3-2 friendly defeat by France shows how much the team has progressed in recent months. In that game, France looked sometimes bewildered by the speed and angle of attack, lost the services of Zidane, and only narrowly managed to win.

Forecast: Round of Sixteen.

On the sidelines

Coach Guus Hiddink has one two European Cups with Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven, though he found himself in hot water recently with the Korean media for taking his girlfriend to the US during the Gold Cup.

The squad

Goalkeepers
1 Lee Woon-jae (Suwon Blue Wings) Age 29, 32 caps
12 Kim Byung-ji (Pohang Steelers) Age 32, 59 caps
23 Choi En-sung (Taejon Citizen) Age 31, 1 cap
Defenders
2 Hyun Young-min (Ulsan Hyundai) Age 22, 8 caps
4 Choi Jin-cheul (Chonbuk Hyundai) Age 31, 17 caps
7 Kim Tae-young (Chunnam Dragons) Age 31, 75 caps
15 Lee Min-sung (Pusan I.cons) Age 28, 54 caps
20 Hong Myung-bo (Pohang Steelers) Age 33, 126 caps
Midfielders
3 Choi Sung-yong (Suwon Blue Wings) Age 26, 60 caps
5 Kim Nam-il (Chunnam Dragons) Age 25, 19 caps
6 Yoo Sang-chul (Kashiwa Reysol) Age 30, 93 caps
10 Lee Yong-pyo (Anyang LG) Age 25, 49 caps
13 Lee Eul-young (Bucheon SK) Age 26, 20 caps
17 Yun Jung-hwan (Cerezo Osaka) Age 29, 37 caps
19 Ahn Jung-hwan (Perugia) Age 26, 21 caps
21 Park Ji-sung (Kyoto Purple Sanga) Age 21, 31 caps
22 Song Chong-gug (Pusan Icons) Age 23, 29 caps
Forwards
8 Choi Tae-uk (Anyang LG) Age 21, 18 caps
9 Seol Ki-hyeon (Anderlecht) Age 23, 32 caps
11 Choi Yong-soo (JEF United, Jp) Age 28, 58 caps
14 Lee Chun-soo (Ulsan Hyundai) Age 20, 23 caps
16 Cha Du-ri (Korea University) Age 21, 14 caps
18 Hwang Sun-hong (Kashiwa Reysol, Jp) Age 33, 96 caps

POLAND

Fixtures

Poland v South Korea June 4 Busan 8.30pm
Poland v Portugal June 10 Jeongju 8.30pm
Poland v United States June 14 Daejeon 8.30pm

Coach: Wladyslaw Engel

Record: 1938 First round; 1978, 1986 Second Round; 1974, 1982 Third place

FIFA Ranking: 38

Poland rely heavily on Emmanuel Olisadebe to score their goals and Liverpool's Jerzy Dudek to stop them going in at the other end. Usually well-organized and workmanlike, Poland looked poor in a recent 0-2 home defeat to Japan, much will depend on the midfield marshaled by Marsaille's Piotr Swierczewski. Prediction: An early return to Warsaw.

On the sidelines

Nigerian-born striker Emmanuel Olisadebe scored 8 of Poland's 21 goals in qualifying.

The squad

Goalkeepers
1 Jerzy Dudek (Liverpool) Age 29, 21 caps
12 Radoslav Majdan (Goztepe, Turkey) Age 30, 5 caps
22 Adam Matysek (RKS Radomsko) Age 33, 34 caps
Defenders
4 Michal Zewlakow (Mouscron, Belgium) Age 26, 25 caps
21 Marek Kozminski (Ancona) Age 28, 42 caps
15 Tomasz Waldoch (Schalke 04) Age 31, 71 caps
3 Jacek Zielinski (Legia Warsaw) Age 34, 52 caps
20 Jacek Bak (Lens) Age 29, 36 caps
6 Tomasz Hajto (Schalke 04) Age 29, 44 caps
2 Tomasz Klos (Kaiserslautern) Age 29, 37 caps
13 Arkadiusz Glowacki (Wisla Cracow) Age 23, 2 caps
Midfielders
5 Tomasz Rzasa (Feyenoord) Age 29, 9 caps
18 Jacek Krzynowek (Nuremberg) Age 26, 23 caps
10 Radoslav Kaluzny (Cottbus) Age 28, 30 caps
17 Arkadiusz Bak (Widzew Lodz) Age 27, 12 caps
7 Piotr Swierczewski (Marseille) Age 30, 65 caps
16 Maciej Murawski (Legia Warsaw) Age 28, 3 caps
23 Pawel Sibik (Odra Wodzislaw) Age 31, 2 caps
Forwards
11 Emanuel Olisadebe (Panathinaikos) Age 23, 16 caps
9 Pawel Kryszalowicz (Frankfurt) Age 27, 23 caps
19 Maciej Zurawski (Wisla Cracow) Age 25, 10 caps
14 Marcin Zewlakow (Mouscron) Age 26, 17 caps
8 Cezary Kucharski (Legia Warsaw) Age 30, 15 caps

PORTUGAL

Fixtures

Portugal v United States June 5 Suwon 6pm
Portugal v Poland June 10 Jeonju 8.30pm
Portugal v South Korea June 14 Incheon 8.30pm

Coach: Antonio Oliveira

Record: 1986 first Round; 1966 Third place

FIFA Ranking: 5

Though Poland may be entitled to ask quite where their own record could have been bettered in qualifying, Portugal enter the fray undisputed group favourites. Kenedy may have joined goalkeeper Quim in a second drug test failure in an otherwise low-key build-up, but the trio suspended following an inevitable inquest into the Iberians‚ melodramatic Euro 2000 semi exit are all back, and despite their home advantage two years hence, when they host the Euros themselves, it nonetheless feels like now or never for a bunch that looks as formidable as ever on paper. Conceicao, Baia, Couto, Pinto, Couto even a rejuvenated Jorge Costa, recovered Rui Costa and the perennially underrated Pauleta all make for a mouthwatering prospect in full flow. But if there's a weakness it comes in Oliveira's self-confessed tactical rigidity. Factor in Luis Figo's less than vintage season for Real Madrid, and the usual doubts re-emerge. The stats say they are the fifth best in the world, however, and this time experience - and what a bitter experience that night in Brussels turned out to be in 2000 - may just serve the Iberians well.

On the sidelines

Pauleta scored 20 goals in 28 games in his first season at Marseille.

The squad

Goalkeepers
1 Vitor Baia (Porto) Age 32, 75 caps
15 Nelson Pereira (Sporting Lisbon) Age 26, 1 cap
16 Ricardo Pereira (Boavista) Age 26, 10 caps
Defenders
2 Jorge Costa (Porto) Age 30, 46 caps
3 Abel Xavier (Liverpool) Age 29, 18 caps
4 Marco Caneira (Benfica) Age 23, 1 cap
5 Fernando Couto (Lazio) Age 32, 82 caps
12 Daniel Kenedy (Maritimo) Age 28, 0 caps
13 Jorge Andrade (Porto) Age 24, 5 caps
18 Nuno Frechaut (Boavista) Age 24, 9 caps
22 Beto Severo (Sporting Lisbon) Age 26, 16 caps
23 Rui Jorge (Sporting Lisbon) Age 29, 20 caps
Midfielders
6 Paulo Sousa (Espanyol) Age 31, 50 caps
10 Rui Costa (Milan, Italy) Age 30, 67 caps
14 Pedro Barbosa (Sporting Lisbon) Age 31, 21 caps
17 Paulo Bento (Sporting Lisbon) Age 32, 31 caps
20 Armando Petit (Boavista) Age 25, 9 caps
Forwards
7 Luis Figo (Real Madrid) Age 29, 81 caps
8 Joao Pinto (Sporting Lisbon) Age 30, 77 caps
9 Pauleta (Bordeaux) Age 29, 33 caps
11 Sergio Conceicao (Internazionale) Age 27, 41 caps
19 Nuno Capucho (Porto) Age 30, 29 caps
21 Nuno Gomes (Fiorentina) Age 25, 28 caps

USA

Fixtures

United States v Portugal June 5 Suwon 6pm
United States v South Korea June 10 Daegu 3.30pm
United States v Poland June 14 Daejeon 8.30pm

Coach: Bruce Arena

Record: 1998 First round; 1994 Second Round; 1930 Semi Finals

FIFA Ranking: 13

How Team USA can easily overcome powerhouse Jamaica 5-0 and then succumb 2-0 to minnows Holland is anyone's guess, but anglophile Bruce Arena will be hoping for consistency from his charges when the serious stuff starts. Youngster Landon Donovan up front, Claudio Reyna in the middle and the choice of two world-class goalkeepers in the form of Casey Keller and Brad Friedel means the following:
Forecast: Homecoming comes early.

On the sidelines

If only the USA could field their world champion women's team.

The squad

Goalkeepers
1 Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers) Age 31, 75 caps
18 Kasey Keller (Tottenham Hotspur) Age 32, 59 caps
19 Tony Meola (Kansas City Wizards) Age 33, 99 caps
Defenders
12 Jeff Agoos (San Jose Earthquakes) Age 34, 129 caps
3 Gregg Berhalter (Crystal Palace) Age 28, 26 caps
2 Frankie Hejduk (Bayer Leverkusen) Age 27, 40 caps
16 Carlos Llamosa (New England Revolution) Age 32, 27 caps
4 Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids) Age 25, 10 caps
23 Eddie Pope (DC United) Age 28, 49 caps
6 David Regis (Metz) Age 33, 26 caps
22 Tony Sanneh (Nuremberg, Germany) Age 30, 31 caps
Midfielders
14 Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96) Age 23, 10 caps
17 DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago Fire) Age 20, 11 caps
21 Landon Donovan (San Jose Earthquakes) Age 20, 22 caps
13 Cobi Jones (Los Angeles Galaxy) Age 31, 154 caps
7 Eddie Lewis (Fulham) Age 28, 39 caps
5 John O'Brien (Ajax) Age 24, 14 caps
10 Claudio Reyna (Sunderland) Age 28, 87 caps
8 Earnie Stewart (NAC Breda) Age 33, 79 caps
Forwards
11 Clint Mathis (NY/NJ MetroStars) Age 25, 21 caps
20 Brian McBride (Columbus Crew) Age 29, 59 caps
9 Joe-Max Moore (Everton) Age 31, 97 caps
15 Josh Wolff (Chicago Fire) Age 25, 17 caps