Do you think it might be a little too early to predict who is going to be the 2010 Soccer World Cup Winner? “Nah! Not really!” say our Teens Oh, Paik and Eun, ardent Soccer fans who wrote this article for Mosaic as part of their Teen Summer Program in 2008. To all our readers who are also ardent sport fans and who would have loved to see a Sports article in Mosaic, this one is for you.

Now that the Euro 2008 has ended, zealous fans all over the world rooting for their mother nations are turning their attention to the upcoming 2010 World Cup. The 2010 World Cup is unique in the sense that it is being held in Africa for the first time in history. This World Cup symbolizes a stronger relationship and trust between intercontinental nations, uniting different nations around the globe by hosting the next World Cup in Africa since it has been a center of calamity. Africa has had many hard times, torn apart by constant civil wars and struggles to overcome the issues of poverty and disease. The World Cup, however, should be able to aid African nations; there is precedence in the 2006 World Cup when the Ivory Coast put on hold their civil war to compete in the World Cup.

Eun –I become a fanatic when it comes to discussing or playing soccer. My favorite all time player is Zidane who played for the French National Team. I have been playing soccer as a hobby since I was 8.

Oh –I started playing soccer in kindergarten, and from then, I’ve played on two travel teams. I also played on my school’s Junior Varsity team, but don’t bother asking me too many details about professional soccer–I’m just a player, not a soccer analyst.

Paik –The most memorable experience with soccer was when my brother head-butted a parked car and had to go to the hospital. Since then, I don’t play soccer that aggressively because I don’t want to get hurt too.

Which country will win the 2010 World Cup?

Players to watch

Spain: Fernando Torres (9) – Torres won the best player award in the UEFA European Under-16 as well as the top goal-scorer prize at the U19 Championships. He is also ranked second in the league by England’s Footballer of the Year vote.

Italy: Gianluigi Buffon (1) –Buffon won the UEFA Cup with Parma FC in 1999. He later became the world’s costliest goalkeeper when he joined Juventus for 52 million euros in 2001. Buffon also started all of Italy’s matches at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as the EURO 2004.

Germany: Michael Ballack (13) – Ballack was voted the German Footballer of the Year three times in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Ballack is the only player to have reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with four different clubs, the most prominent club being Chelsea.

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo (7) – Hailed as the best soccer player in the world by his peers, Ronaldo is the face of Manchester United, his professional team. He is also a significantfigure for Portugal’s national team, as he scored eight goals in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying rounds.

Paul Oh, Dong-Joon Eun, and Seungwoo Paik