A few Questions - Top teams and USA chances

Which teams are favored?

A: Spain, which won the European Championship two years ago, is ranked No. 1 in the world and has one of the planet's deepest rosters. No other country is as balanced from goalkeeper to defense to midfield to attackers, but Spain rarely fares well in the World Cup and has never won it.

Brazil owns a record five titles and tends to perform well in new sites for the tournament. The samba kings won when the event was held in North America for the first time (Mexico 1970) and in Asia for the only time (Japan/South Korea in 2002). Brazil also won in the United States in 1994.

The Netherlands, Portugal, Argentina, Germany and defending champion Italy could be front-runners, and England might be, too, if it can get healthy. Argentina is coached by its greatest player,Diego Maradona, who has yet to prove he's nearly that efficient on the sideline.

Q: How should the United States do?

A: The Americans reached the quarterfinals in 2002 before losing to Germany. But in 1998 and 2006, a lack of chemistry led to infighting that destroyed their chances. This team has two stars (Landon Donovan, Tim Howard), several proven contributors, and an ability to rally against stronger sides. But there are big holes defensively that must be filled before the U.S. team opens against England.