As the Stanley Cup winds down and the NBA Finals progress, we are getting closer and closer to the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

There is no clear favorite for this year’s World Cup and in fact, analysts have said that any team could win the tournament.

Teams have continued to play friendly international matches to prepare for the World Cup, but many of them have run into problems and injuries.

Ivory Coast star striker and captain, Didier Drogba, will miss this year’s tournament due to an elbow injury he suffered in the first half of a friendly match against Japan on Friday, June 4.

Drogba had just put the Ivorians ahead when he was injured in a 15th-minute clash with Japan central defender Tulio and left the field clutching his right arm.

England’s captain Rio Ferdinand also fell to injury during the team’s first training session after arriving in South Africa, putting a damper on the hopes of England fans.

England’s rival is a team that is in the same grouping as them and they have also suffered injuries to star players.

The United States team has seen injuries in their best defensive player, Oguchi Onyewu, and young star, Jozy Altidore.

Both of them will play, however neither seems to be playing at 100 percent.

Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo is resting at home in Milan with a calf injury that could force him out of the world soccer championship.

Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar missed multiple practices while recovering from a back injury.

Injuries seem to be plaguing every team.

Where one team sees an injury to a key player, another team sees an opportunity at the World Cup. And just as that happens, they lose a key player.

If anything, this year’s World Cup will be . . . let’s say interesting.

I look forward to seeing upset after upset and hopefully the USA team can make a run and create a hype about American soccer, a la the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey team.

Rob Warren can be reached at 581-7942 or at denphotodesk@gmail.com.