England/Paraguay 
My Pick: England
For a team which is probably the most followed by the fourth estate during World Cups and is probably the 2nd most supported team in the World after Brazil if not the most, England do not have much to show in their trophy cabinet. Barring one glorious occasion at home in 1966, the past World Cups have not exactly had fairytale endings for the British fans, with all the hype and hoopla before the start often ending in traumatic exits, mostly in form of the much dreaded penalty shoot outs.
England skipper and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham would probably like to set his not too impressive record in the last 2 editions aside and captain them to victory in what may very possibly be his very last World Cup.If he does play Becks will equal Captain Marvel's record of 90 international caps.
England
So much is the embarrasment of riches in the England squad that manager Sven-Goran Eriksson could afford to leave out promising strikers Jermaine Defoe and Darren
Bent from his squad of 23. Stalwarts like Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard and Neville have peaked just at the right time and the starting eleven looks very formidable
even in the absence of the "Wonderkid" Rooney. Teen prodigy Theo Walcott will turn a few heads in Germany but is unlikely to start the Paraguay game. Robinson looks
to start in goal ahead of "Calamity" James and Peter "Beanpole" Crouch will have another chance to showcase his "Robot Dance".
Injuries/Suspensions: It's just a shame that Wayne Rooney would not be able to grace the entire tournament. The inspirational 20 year old has not fully recovered from the "Curse of the Metatarsal" Reports also suggest that Steven Gerrard is also a doubt going into the opening clash. John Terry and Ashley Cole have recovered completely from the knocks they picked up.
Goalscorers: There is a plethora of potential goalscorers on the pitch. Which one of them will score is a very difficult question to answer. Right from Michael Owen in front, to John Terry at the back, everyone has an eye for goal and one shouldn't be surprised if the match turns out to be a goalfest..
Paraguay
Olympic Silver medalists Paraguay will face an uphill task against favourites England.Many avid WC watchers will not see a familiar face this time around—Charismatic
custodian Jose Chilavert. Paraguay have a fine blend of youth and experience. The onus will once again be on Roque Santacruz and Nelson Cuevas to find the net for the
men from Paraguay. Julio Dos Santos will also be expected to play a significant role.This Paraguyuan squad is probably better known for its defensive qualities than its
attacking ones .
Injuries/Suspensions: Roque SantaCruz is a doubt for the game and that could seriously jeopardise Paraguay's chances of getting anything out of this big clash against England.
