Andre Agassi is 34. He has lost his hair and at the same time let go of the rebellious image he once cultivated while smashing a tennis ball in the outlandish outfits he used to flaunt. The man with the toothpick legs and the lethal backhand now looks beatific with his bald head and monochromatic ensembles he dons each time he walks out on the court. But while his appearance has changed, Agassi's game has remained strong.
Second Fiddle?
Last September, he advanced all the way to the U.S. Open and succumbed to the world's most dominant player, Roger Federer. At one point in his career, he would have been facing Pete Sampras, the retired star whose serve-and-volley style netted him a record 14 Grand Slam titles in his career.
For years, Agassi played second fiddle to Sampras. He lost to his rival in 20 of the 34 matches they played, including the 1999 Wimbledon final and the 1990 U.S. Open final. But Agassi did something Sampras never did. He won all four Grand Slam titles at different points during his career. And that is the true mark o####reat player. Since the 1950s, only Rod Laver and Roy Emerson have ever accomplished this feat. Laver did it twice during the calendar years of 1962 and 1969, although many argued that his reign in the tennis world occurred when there was decidedly weaker competition.
Agassi, on the other hand, has been able to conquer both clay-court specialists and players with big serves -- not to mention guys who were only able to rule the sport for a short period of time, like Jim Courier. Agassi has a unique ability to adapt his style of play -- something Sampras was never able to do as he repeatedly left Paris with no French Open title in hand. While Sampras excelled on grass and hard courts with a power game, Agassi not only could serve and volley on the fast surfaces but also play baseline-to-baseline on clay.
It's much easier to repeatedly win at the same tournament than go out and conquer one that requires a much different skill set to be victorious. Half of Sampras' 14 Grand Slam championships came at Wimbledon. Agassi, who has eight Grand Slam titles, has had similar success at the Australian Open, but proved he was more well-rounded when he won the French Open in 1999.
Now, seven years after he won at Roland Garros, Agassi has been pushed to the backburner by Federer, a player who has been compared to Sampras. Certainly, Federer deserves the recognition as Agassi enters the twilight of his career. After all, he went 81-4 and won 35 straight matches in 2005 while racking up two Grand Slam titles. But like Sampras, Federer has yet to win the French Open. Last year, he made it to the semifinals after struggling in previous appearances at Roland Garros and being knocked out of the first round two straight years in 2002 and 2003. His failures in Paris have been surprising, especially for a player who is accustomed to playing on clay courts in his native country Switzerland and has been heralded as a great tactician. But it reinforces the idea that what Agassi did was special and very rare.
And not even Sampras or Federer can take that way from him.
It's less than six months before soccer's greatest spectacle will take place, and this time Americans will not be forced to crawl out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to view the World Cup. Four years ago in Korea and Japan, Brazil took home its fifth title by scoring a 2-0 win in the final against Germany, which happens to be the host of this year's tournament. Two great soccer powers battled for the trophy, but the last World Cup was more about the surprising runs made by nations that were not expected to do as well as they did. Resembling a trend that has been seen recently in the NCAA Tournament, there has been increasing parity among the countries competing for soccer's most coveted prize and that was evident in 2002. South Korea and Turkey shocked the world by reaching the semifinals and the United States was among the final eight teams in the last World Cup. Will other nations emerge this time around or will there be a restoration of the old order? Here is a glance at the ten teams that could make some noise at the 2006 World Cup:
10. The United States national team has improved considerably since it qualified for the World Cup in 1990 and ended its 40-year absence from the tournament. In 2002, the U.S. upset Portugal in group play and beat Mexico in the Round of 16 before succumbing to Germany in a game many thought the U.S. should have won. But this year, the U.S. will have a lot more obstacles to overcome. On Dec. 9, when the World Cup matchups were announced, the U.S. got stuck with a difficult draw. Bruce Arena's squad will have to face both Italy and the Czech Republic in Group E. If the Americans can get standout performances from goalkeeper Kasey Keller like they did from Brad Friedel four years ago, less pressure will be placed on Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson and Brian McBride to tally some goals. But Europe has not been kind to the U.S. The Americans have never won a World Cup game across the pond.
9. It's hard to picture a Scandinavian country taking home the cup. But Sweden could be a sleeper in the tournament. Despite finishing second in its qualifying group, the Swedes have Henrik Larsson, Freddie Ljungberg and Zlatan Ibrahimovic -- a powerful trio that will make any defenders quiver in their cleats. In the last World Cup, Sweden finished on top of the Group of Death, ahead of Argentina and England. They have shown they can play with the big boys. Lars Lagerbach and Tommy Soderbergh have another strong team this year, and they will get another shot against England in what will be an interesting matchup after the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie in the previous World Cup. The game will also have an interesting subplot, as Sven Goran Eriksson, a native of Sweden, is coaching the Brits.
8. Spain has a history of underachieving in the World Cup. In 2002, the Spanish were defeated by Korea in the quarterfinals and four years earlier they failed to make it out of group play. But Luis Aragones' side would be hard-pressed not to make advance to the next stage. Matches against Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudia Arabia in the opening round should not be terribly difficult for a team that has Xabi Alonso anchoring the midfield and Fernando Morientes on the attack with Fernando Torres. Even if Raul can't recover from his knee injury in time to be on the field in June, Spain should have no problems at the outset of the tournament. Then again, many didn't think that Spain would finish second in a weak qualifying group that included Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Belgium and Serbia and Montenegro. But it did -- giving soccer fans more reason to believe that this team could be a paper tiger, although it might take until the Round of 16 to find out if that is indeed the case.
7. Having played in the final game of the last World Cup and serving as host of the upcoming tournament, Germany would appear to be one of the favorites. However, there is reason to believe the Jurgen Klinsmann's side is just not as good as the other powers in world. Two months ago, the Germans lost to Turkey and only scored a 1-0 victory over China. Klinsmann has been criticized for his decision to live in the United States while at the same time preparing his team for the World Cup. In order for Germany to have a chance to get back to the final game, it will need goalkeeper Oliver Khan to turn in a series of performances that resemble his play in the 2002 World Cup, when he was named the best stopper in the tournament. Germany should finish first in its group, but a likely matchup with Sweden or England in the Round of 16 could send the hosts packing.
6. David Beckham. Michael Owen. Rio Ferdinand. Stephen Gerrard. Wayne Rooney. England's roster is a Who's Who of soccer and it's hard to imagine how a team with these players could get knocked out in group play or the Round of 16. But England has been difficult to figure out. The Brits lost to Northern Ireland 1-0 last September and dropped a game to Demark 4-1 the month before. These performances have not inspired confidence that England can relive the glory days of 1966 four decades later. After all, England has not even moved on to the semifinals since 1990. Perhaps the recent woes has to do with a style of play that favors more open attacking than containment. But don't worry anglophiles. Pencil in England for the quarterfinals if it wins its group. Surely, Beckham, Owen and the gang can overcome Poland, Ecuador or Costa Rica in the Round of 16.
5. The last World Cup felt like something was missing. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that the Netherlands wasn't participating. After finishing fourth in France eight years ago, Holland failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. For a nation that was the runner-up in two consecutive tournaments in the 1970s and has a proud soccer tradition, not competing in soccer's biggest event was a bitter pill to ####. But the Netherlands is back and they mean business. Holland breezed through qualifying this time around, winning ten games and securing the best record among all the teams in Europe. With players like striker extraordinaire Ruud van Nistelrooy, captain Philip Cocu and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar no team wants a piece of the Orange, which should advance with Argentina in Group C.
4. Six months ago, it would have been to imagine France repeating the performance it had in 1998, when it won the World Cup on its own soil. After all, Les Bleus were shown the door in group play at the World Cup and id not fare well in Euro 2004. But then something curious happened. Zinedine Zidane heard a voice and it told him he should forego retirement and help France qualify for the World Cup. He obliged and France now has one of the best playmakers in the world to set up Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and David Trezeguet. With a favorable draw, France should have no problem moving on and beating Ukraine, the expected runner-up in Group H, in the Round of 16.
3. The same year its CONMEBOL rival Brazil won the World Cup, Argentina did not even make it past group play. The year 2002 was not a happy one for the nation that produced Diego Maradona and won soccer's biggest spectacle in 1978 and 1986. This time around Argentina has a strong mix of youth and experience with Hernan Crespo, Javier Mascherano and Javier Saviola making up the core of a talented roster. Lionel Messi, a forward with FC Barcelona, could also play a piviotal role after leading Argentina to the FIFA World Youth Championship in 2005. Even Brazilian striker Ronaldo is giving the young Argentine some props and openly wishing Messi could play with the Samba Boys. However, Ronaldo probably wouldn't trade his team's group with the one Argentina has. Messi and Argentina will have a tough time overcoming Netherlands, another team still smarting from its past failures.
2. Brazil has participated in the final game of each of last three World Cups and has won two of them. There is no reason to believe why the Samba Boys won't be there again. Brazil finished on top of its qualifying group after being the first defending champions to not be awarded an automatic bid to the next tournament. During their run, they scored the most goals of any South American team and flashed a stingy defense. The same cast of characters is back with Ronaldinho leading the charge and Kaka, Dida, Robinho and Roberto Carlos right beside him. Brazil has also dipped into the past. Carlos Alberto Parreira, who steered Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title, is coaching the squad again. So watch out world.
1. When it comes to World Cup play, there has not been a team more star-crossed than Italy in the last 15 years. In 1990, gli Azzurri lost to Argentina on spot kicks. Four years later, they were vanquished by Brazil in the final game when star forward Roberto Baggio launched a penalty kick over the crossbar. In a cruel twist of fate, Luigi Di Biagio hit the bar four years later on Italy's final penalty kick in a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion France. Finally, in 2002, gli Azzurri lost in the Round of 16 when they gave up a golden goal to Korea. Italy has been dealt some harsh blows, but it appears that things are about to change for a nation that has won three World Cups. Marcello Lippi has come in and restructured Italy's roster, which has the talent to play catenaccio defense and score with the likes of England and Brazil. With Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero and Alberto Gilardino up front, Italy has a strong attack. But Lippi must move beyond the conservative tactics that have hurt Italy in the past. If he does, Italy could be hoisting the trophy in Berlin on July 9.
My name is Rainer Sabin. I am a 23-year-old freelance reporter who has covered professional and Division I college sports for a variety of publications and news services.
Second Fiddle?
y in a game many thought the U.S. should have won. But this year, the U.S. will have a lot more obstacles to overcome. On Dec. 9, when the World Cup matchups were announced, the U.S. got stuck with a difficult draw. Bruce Arena's squad will have to face both Italy and the Czech Republic in Group E. If the Americans can get standout performances from goalkeeper Kasey Keller like they did from Brad Friedel four years ago, less pressure will be placed on Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson and Brian McBride to tally some goals. But Europe has not been kind to the U.S. The Americans have never won a World Cup game across the pond.
have Henrik Larsson, Freddie Ljungberg and Zlatan Ibrahimovic -- a powerful trio that will make any defenders quiver in their cleats. In the last World Cup, Sweden finished on top of the Group of Death, ahead of Argentina and England. They have shown they can play with the big boys. Lars Lagerbach and Tommy Soderbergh have another strong team this year, and they will get another shot against England in what will be an interesting matchup after the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie in the previous World Cup. The game will also have an interesting subplot, as Sven Goran Eriksson, a native of Sweden, is coaching the Brits.
group play. But Luis Aragones' side would be hard-pressed not to make advance to the next stage. Matches against Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudia Arabia in the opening round should not be terribly difficult for a team that has Xabi Alonso anchoring the midfield and Fernando Morientes on the attack with Fernando Torres. Even if Raul can't recover from his knee injury in time to be on the field in June, Spain should have no problems at the outset of the tournament. Then again, many didn't think that Spain would finish second in a weak qualifying group that included Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Belgium and Serbia and Montenegro. But it did -- giving soccer fans more reason to believe that this team could be a paper tiger, although it might take until the Round of 16 to find out if that is indeed the case. 
reason to believe the Jurgen Klinsmann's side is just not as good as the other powers in world. Two months ago, the Germans lost to Turkey and only scored a 1-0 victory over China. Klinsmann has been criticized for his decision to live in the United States while at the same time preparing his team for the World Cup. In order for Germany to have a chance to get back to the final game, it will need goalkeeper Oliver Khan to turn in a series of performances that resemble his play in the 2002 World Cup, when he was named the best stopper in the tournament. Germany should finish first in its group, but a likely matchup with Sweden or England in the Round of 16 could send the hosts packing.
players could get knocked out in group play or the Round of 16. But England has been difficult to figure out. The Brits lost to Northern Ireland 1-0 last September and dropped a game to Demark 4-1 the month before. These performances have not inspired confidence that England can relive the glory days of 1966 four decades later. After all, England has not even moved on to the semifinals since 1990. Perhaps the recent woes has to do with a style of play that favors more open attacking than containment. But don't worry anglophiles. Pencil in England for the quarterfinals if it wins its group. Surely, Beckham, Owen and the gang can overcome Poland, Ecuador or Costa Rica in the Round of 16.
years ago, Holland failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. For a nation that was the runner-up in two consecutive tournaments in the 1970s and has a proud soccer tradition, not competing in soccer's biggest event was a bitter pill to 
in group play at the World Cup and id not fare well in Euro 2004. But then something curious happened. Zinedine Zidane heard a voice and it told him he should forego retirement and help France qualify for the World Cup. He obliged and France now has one of the best playmakers in the world to set up Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and David Trezeguet. With a favorable draw, France should have no problem moving on and beating Ukraine, the expected runner-up in Group H, in the Round of 16.
Diego Maradona and won soccer's biggest spectacle in 1978 and 1986. This time around Argentina has a strong mix of youth and experience with Hernan Crespo, Javier Mascherano and Javier Saviola making up the core of a talented roster. Lionel Messi, a forward with FC Barcelona, could also play a piviotal role after leading Argentina to the FIFA World Youth Championship in 2005. Even Brazilian striker Ronaldo is giving the young Argentine some props and openly wishing Messi could play with the Samba Boys. However, Ronaldo probably wouldn't trade his team's group with the one Argentina has. Messi and Argentina will have a tough time overcoming Netherlands, another team still smarting from its past failures.
finished on top of its qualifying group after being the first defending champions to not be awarded an automatic bid to the next tournament. During their run, they scored the most goals of any South American team and flashed a stingy defense. The same cast of characters is back with Ronaldinho leading the charge and Kaka, Dida, Robinho and Roberto Carlos right beside him. Brazil has also dipped into the past. Carlos Alberto Parreira, who steered Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title, is coaching the squad again. So watch out world. 
later, they were vanquished by Brazil in the final game when star forward Roberto Baggio launched a penalty kick over the crossbar. In a cruel twist of fate, Luigi Di Biagio hit the bar four years later on Italy's final penalty kick in a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion France. Finally, in 2002, gli Azzurri lost in the Round of 16 when they gave up a golden goal to Korea. Italy has been dealt some harsh blows, but it appears that things are about to change for a nation that has won three World Cups. Marcello Lippi has come in and restructured Italy's roster, which has the talent to play catenaccio defense and score with the likes of England and Brazil. With Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero and Alberto Gilardino up front, Italy has a strong attack. But Lippi must move beyond the conservative tactics that have hurt Italy in the past. If he does, Italy could be hoisting the trophy in Berlin on July 9.
