World Soccer: What did the core group of current U.S. players take away from the 2006 World Cup?
Bob Bradley: The past experience has now become important. In a number of cases, following the last World Cup, we felt that it was time for some players to take more responsibility. Some of the leaders from the past had retired from international
World Soccer: Does your previous World Cup experience in 1990 help you to better prepare for this one?
Oscar Tabarez: It helps to hold certain convictions… I’m aware it’s a World Cup although I’m also aware of the greater demands, the bigger divide there is between the elite leagues and the others. I’m sure that the first round of a
World Soccer: Who are your favourites to win the World Cup?
Ottmar Hitzfeld: Brazil and Spain, the latter being unfortunately our first opponents in the 1st round…
How do you rate your group opponents?
Spain are currently the number one team in the world, tremendous midfield, extraordinary attack, outstanding individual players who also play as a team. Some people told me that Spain
World Soccer: Are Spain favourites for the World Cup?
Vicente del Bosque: Being favourites is a terrible trap. Spain are definitely amongst the group of countries that can be considered favourites but the risk is creating a dichotomy in which you either win the World Cup or you’re a failure. It should not be seen as an obligation for us to
World Soccer: How do you see South Korea’s World Cup draw?
Huh Jung-moo: Group B is tough. No team is weak. Greece, Argentina and Nigeria are not easy opponents. If I’m honest we probably lag behind our rivals, but we will be trying our best to make life difficult for our opponents. Our players want to make an impact at this
World Soccer: Can you beat Mexico in the opening game?
Carlos Alberto Parreira: If we learn to exploit playing at home, we are going to be at an advantage. If you look back at the last World Cups, the opening match has always been pretty boring. The home team is usually under a lot of pressure, the expectation is high. So
World Soccer: What were the key factors in Slovenia’s successful qualifying campaign?
Matjaz Kek: Looking back, I could pin a lot of our success on our big desire and motivation, shown by the quality performances that we have displayed on the pitch.
Who are your key men?
The trademark of our national squad is the team itself. We don’t have big superstars
World Soccer: This is Slovakia’s first appearance in the World Cup finals. What does it mean to you and the country at large?
Vladimir Weiss: I’m so proud we managed to qualify on my watch. It’s an achievement I’ll feel good about forever. Not that the success all belongs to me. I share the plaudits with the players, my national team
World Soccer: What would be a good result for Serbia in South Africa this summer?
Radomir Antic: First of all, I consider that we can be happy and privileged simply by the fact that we will take part at the World Cup finals, especially as it is Serbia’s first. As for what we can achieve there, I am not someone who
World Soccer: How would you assess your qualification campaign? Was it too close for comfort forced to go through the play-offs?
Carlos Queiroz: Without doubt we were slow to get into our stride. In the first three or four games we didn’t show enough of the great quality we have in the team. When results go against you, confidence takes a
