World Cup Breakdown: Group D

Team	Odds To Win Cup
1. Germany	14-to-1
2. Serbia	50-to-1
3. Australia	150-to-1
4. Ghana	100-to-1

No Group in this World Cup is more ripe for parity than Group D. It's not so much a 'Group of Death' as it is a 'Group of teams that are just good enough to beat each other but probably not any teams after this round' group. You'd think the Germans, a.k.a. Die Mannschaft...a.k.a. Das Wunkerkind's Homeland, would be the front runner, and you'd be correct. But the injury to midfield centerpiece Michael Ballack a month ago is a bruising blow. Couple that with the death by suicide of all-world goalkeeper Robert Enke last year and an injury to his backup Rene Adler and the playing field levels off considerably for Group D.

The old workhorses in Die Mannschaft's lineup will be called upon to carry even more weight than normal. That means Rory's boy Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski will have to be ever vigilant roaming the middle. It doesn't hurt, of course, to have a striker like 2006 Golden Boot winner Miroslav Klose, who has scored five goals in consecutive World Cups for the Germs. Klose is being called upon to be even more of a focal point of the offense this year despite the fact that he's been around since Hitler's reign.

All things considered, I still expect Germany to take Group D. The rest of the teams could just as easily win the group outright though. Serbia boasts a backline that draws an envy from about every other team in the cup so goals will be difficult to come by against hardened defenders like Nemanja Vidic, Branislav Ivanovic and the rest of the 'Vic's'.

Serbia will have its hands full with Australia and Ghana though. The Socceroos are a tournament-tested team riddled with veterans. They suffered a bruising 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Americans on Saturday morning that could've been a lot worse, but should bounce back and make a run at second place. Midfielder Tim Cahill is really their only offense though so if he's off, it's going to be a long tournament for the Aussies.

Meanwhile Ghana is rocking what is simultaneously the coolest and most apropos nickname in the tournament as the Black Stars. Unfortunately, its biggest star, Michael Essien, will be sitting out for the cup with a knee injury. Ghana will need big production out of younger stars in the middle like Kevin Boateng-Prince and Kwadwo Asamoah to repeat a return trip to the knockout round.

Ultimately, I don't see it happening. I think the Serbian defense will stonewall all but Germany and the White Eagles will advance.

Group A Breakdown
Group B Breakdown
Group C Breakdown