(Transcript from SBS World News Radio)
In the lead up to the World Cup in Brazil we are taking a look at each of the eight pools that make up the group stages of the tournament.
Darren Mara takes a look at Group F, featuring powerhouse Germany, darkhorse Portugal, African giant Ghana and the aspirant USA.
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Thousands of Bayern Munich supporters cheers and dance as German club's stars Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Mueller hold aloft the Bundesliga and German cup trophies.
Bayern enjoyed an impressive season, and no wonder seven of their starting XI were selected in the German national team preliminary squad.
Germany heads to Brazil desperate for a fourth star on its jersey - and, as always, die Mannschaft will be there, or thereabouts, in the World Cup's later stages.
So says veteran defender Philipp Lahm:
"We have a good chance, a very good team and high qualities among us so there is definitely a chance there. The pressure is maybe a little self-imposed because we have been very successful in the last tournaments."
The Germans last won the World Cup in 1990 and after nearly eight years in charge, time is running out for coach Joachim Loew.
Germany is known for its powerful attack and this year Loew will have veteran Miroslav Klose Lukas Podolski of Arsenal and Thomas Mueller of Bayern Munich fame.
In the mids, Loew is has had some issues finding someone to partner Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Real Madrid's Sami Khedira is struggling with a knee injury and Mesut Ozil is lacking confidence after an ordinary season with his English club Arsenal.
Germany still has plenty of talent around the park, with the likes of Manuel Neuer, Marco Reus, Andre Schuerrle, Toni Kroos and Mario Goetze to contend with.
Schuerrle, who plays in England with Chelsea, says victory in Germany's first-up clash with Portugal will be integral.
"It's going to be very difficult and you know you have to be on the top in the first game against Portugal because maybe it's the best team with us in this group and you have to be on the top level in the first match, so I don't know. We'll have to wait and see if we can be on the top level and then to keep going to the final."
For Portugal - led by the talismanic Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo - it's much the same story.
The 29-year-old has built a legion of followers.
Ronaldo is going into his third World Cup, and insists cool heads will help Portugal progress from the group stages.
"We aren't the favourites, so it is good because we don't have so much pressure on us; that will come later. We will try to enjoy it. We have a very difficult group stage, in my opinion the toughest in the world cup, but we'll take it one step at a time"
The peerless attacker will be supported in Brazil by a more-than-able cast.
The central-defensive pairing of Real Madrid's Pepe and and Fenerbahce's Bruno Alves will likely play alongside Joao Pereira of Valencia and Fabio Coentrao of Real Madrid.
Monaco midfielder Joao Moutinho brings creativity to the midfield, while Manchester United attacking mid Nani can also be relied upon to shine alongside Ronaldo.
But Group G won't be a straightforward proposition for the Portuguese, or the Germans.
An ever-improving USA will be all too happy to cause an upset.
This was the official song when the USA hosted the World Cup in 1994.
Team USA has come a long way in the two decades since, now coached by German legend Jurgen Klinsmann.
"This is the ultimate thing you can experience as a soccer player. So we give everything we have, we are well-prepared, we're going to do all our homework on every team we are going to face, including Germany, even if I think that I don't need to do much homework on that one. So we hope that we're going to get the job done."
Klinsmann has controversially left veteran Landon Donovan out of his squad.
But the Stars and Stripes have quality elsewhere.
Klinsmann has made goalkeeper Tim Howard, strikers Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore and midfielders Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones the spine of his squad.
Having played over 80 times for Germany and coached the European powerhouse at the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann has an intimate understanding of what makes Germany tick.
Meanwhile, the USA will be facing Ghana for a third consecutive World Cup - losing 2-1 in both 2006 and 2010 in the group stages and Round of 16, respectively.
Ghana - or the Black Stars as they're known - reached the last eight of the World Cup four years ago in South Africa.
The West African country's head coach James Kwesi believes there's no reason it can't be done again.
"I said before the draw that once you prepare to go to the World Cup, you must be prepared to face any team that comes your way. If you want to win the World Cup, you need to beat all the teams in your group. Portugal is a very strong side as well. The most important thing is we need to prepare very well so we'll be able to face each team that comes our way."
Ghana will rely on skipper Asamoah Gyan and Michael Essien for experience.
Whilst the emerging striker Abdul Majeed Waris of Valenciennes in France and Christian Atsu of Vitesse in the Netherlands will provide energy around the park.
Group G begins with Germany facing off against Portugal on June 16 in Salvador.
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