Heathrow Airport has seen the last of James Plankton.

Caught up in the prelude to soccer’s World Cup, I was jubilant after catching England’s 6-0 dismantling of Jamaica at the famous “Old Trafford”. Catching a connecting flight in London seemed like just another pit stop on a 10-hour trip home after a fantastic week… or so I thought.

With four hours between when I arrived and when I was due to depart, I made my way to Wetherspoons, a pub located conveniently in the terminal. Had I known what was to follow, I would have had even more than the five pints of Newcastle Brown Ale I managed to quaff while I was there. First, the plane was delayed an hour. Then, my seat was next to a heavyset opera singer and a screaming infant with a head like a sweaty red potato. As a final coup de grace, my bags were sent to Colorado Springs instead of New York. But I digress.

My punditry gig leads to some wonderful opportunities and this soccer game was one of those special events. England is one of the favorites to win this year’s World Cup in Germany, which starts on June 9. The tournament is held every four years and was played in the United States in 1994. Soccer doesn’t capture the American imagination as it does in other countries, which know it as “football.” A World Cup is the biggest event on the sporting calendar anywhere outside our borders. Here’s the quick lowdown on the competition.

Format

There are eight groups of four teams, labeled A-H. Each team plays against each of the other three teams in the group, with the best two teams advancing to the next round. From then on, it is single elimination, culminating with the championship match on July 9.

Favorites

Brazil has won the World Cup four times since it began in 1930. They are packed with brilliant individual players who also play well together, making them the favorites to win this year. However, Argentina, England, Holland, Germany and Italy are certainly capable to winning the tournament as well.

Dark Horses

Every World Cup has at least one team that surprises everyone. Though not considered to be among the contenders before the tournament, they do remarkably well, usually at the expense of a more fancied team. This year, I’m tipping Sweden and South Korea to make it further than most people expect.

Stars

Many of the best players in the world will represent their countries in this tournament. Brazil’s Ronaldinho, Argentina’s Juan Roman Riquelme, England’s David Beckham, Holland’s Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Italy’s Francesco Totti are some players to watch this summer.

Young Guns

There are always a few youngsters who make a name for themselves at the World Cup. Pele was only 17 years old when he helped Brazil win in 1958. This year, keep an eye on Lionel Messi from Argentina, Lukas Podolski from Germany and Franck Ribery from France.

I’m picking Argentina to beat Brazil in the final. They’ve got youth and good form on their side. However, England is still my favorite team and I hope they do well. For more information about the teams involved, check out my blog, “Benched”. And feel free to e-mail me at benchedfeedback@ticketliquidator.com with your predictions and opinions. Enjoy the tournament!