Group E. Spain, Belgium, Uruguay, South Korea.
Spain
Head coach: Luis Suárez
No.
Pos.
Player
Date of birth (age)
Caps
Club
1
GK
Andoni Zubizarreta
23 October 1961 (aged 28)
49
Barcelona
2
DF
Chendo
12 October 1961 (aged 28)
22
Real Madrid
3
DF
Manuel Jiménez
21 January 1964 (aged 26)
13
Sevilla
4
DF
Genar Andrinúa
9 May 1964 (aged 26)
24
Athletic Bilbao
5
DF
Manuel Sanchís
23 May 1965 (aged 25)
30
Real Madrid
6
MF
Rafael Martín Vázquez
25 September 1965 (aged 24)
22
Real Madrid
7
FW
Miguel Pardeza
8 February 1965 (aged 25)
4
Real Zaragoza
8
DF
Quique Sánchez Flores
2 February 1965 (aged 25)
11
Valencia
9
FW
Emilio Butragueño (c)
22 July 1963 (aged 26)
49
Real Madrid
10
MF
Fernando
11 September 1965 (aged 24)
2
Valencia
11
MF
Francisco Villarroya
6 August 1966 (aged 23)
7
Real Zaragoza
12
DF
Rafael Alkorta
16 September 1968 (aged 21)
1
Athletic Bilbao
13
GK
Juan Carlos Ablanedo
2 September 1963 (aged 26)
2
Sporting Gijón
14
DF
Alberto Górriz
16 February 1958 (aged 32)
8
Real Sociedad
15
MF
Roberto
5 July 1962 (aged 27)
22
Barcelona
16
MF
José Mari Bakero
11 February 1963 (aged 27)
11
Barcelona
17
MF
Fernando Hierro
23 March 1968 (aged 22)
2
Real Madrid
18
MF
Rafael Paz
2 August 1965 (aged 24)
3
Sevilla
19
FW
Julio Salinas
11 September 1962 (aged 27)
26
Barcelona
20
FW
Manolo
17 January 1965 (aged 25)
13
Atlético Madrid
21
MF
Míchel
23 March 1963 (aged 27)
44
Real Madrid
22
GK
José Manuel Ochotorena
16 January 1961 (aged 29)
1
Valencia
Hard to predict group, but with some reservations and if anything did not go wrong, Spain was the likeliest candidate for the 1st place. Tough and experienced team, hard to beat and, in a good day, lethal in attack. It was not that some great football was expected by the Spaniards, but the make of the group – every team was a fighter and that was environment suitable to team Spain. Then again, Spain most often failed to fulfill expectations.
Belgium
Head coach: Guy Thys
No.
Pos.
Player
Date of birth (age)
Caps
Club
1
GK
Michel Preud’homme
24 January 1959 (aged 31)
23
Mechelen
2
DF
Eric Gerets
18 May 1954 (aged 36)
80
PSV
3
DF
Philippe Albert
10 August 1967 (aged 22)
7
Mechelen
4
DF
Lei Clijsters
6 November 1956 (aged 33)
36
Mechelen
5
MF
Bruno Versavel
27 August 1967 (aged 22)
14
Mechelen
6
MF
Marc Emmers
25 February 1966 (aged 24)
16
Mechelen
7
DF
Stéphane Demol
11 March 1966 (aged 24)
29
Porto
8
MF
Franky Van der Elst
30 April 1961 (aged 29)
37
Club Brugge
9
FW
Marc Degryse
4 September 1965 (aged 24)
24
Anderlecht
10
MF
Enzo Scifo
19 February 1966 (aged 24)
39
Auxerre
11
MF
Jan Ceulemans (c)
28 February 1957 (aged 33)
88
Club Brugge
12
GK
Gilbert Bodart
2 September 1962 (aged 27)
5
Standard Liège
13
DF
Georges Grün
25 January 1962 (aged 28)
47
Anderlecht
14
FW
Nico Claesen
7 October 1962 (aged 27)
35
Royal Antwerp
15
DF
Jean-François De Sart
18 December 1961 (aged 28)
3
FC Liège
16
DF
Michel De Wolf
19 January 1958 (aged 32)
27
Kortrijk
17
DF
Pascal Plovie
7 May 1965 (aged 25)
2
Club Brugge
18
MF
Lorenzo Staelens
30 April 1964 (aged 26)
1
Club Brugge
19
FW
Marc Van Der Linden
4 February 1964 (aged 26)
17
Anderlecht
20
GK
Filip De Wilde
5 July 1964 (aged 25)
2
Anderlecht
21
MF
Marc Wilmots
22 February 1969 (aged 21)
2
Mechelen
22
MF
Patrick Vervoort
17 January 1965 (aged 25)
27
Anderlecht
Troubles put behind, Belgium had strong points – old master at the helm, well known sturdy stars and plenty of experience. Tradition also favoured them – as a rule, the Belgians played well at finals. However, the strength of the team was also its weakness: the key figures were getting too old and there was no new talent equaling the old feet. Only Enzo Scifo, who was already well known, but he was practically the only great young player. So, Belgium could finish even first, but also third.
Uruguay
Head coach: Óscar Tabárez
No.
Pos.
Player
Date of birth (age)
Caps
Club
1
GK
Fernando Álvez
4 September 1959 (aged 30)
15
Peñarol
2
DF
Nelson Gutiérrez
13 April 1962 (aged 28)
53
Hellas Verona
3
DF
Hugo de León
27 February 1958 (aged 32)
44
River Plate
4
DF
José Oscar Herrera
17 June 1965 (aged 24)
27
Figueres
5
MF
José Perdomo
5 January 1965 (aged 25)
23
Genoa
6
DF
Alfonso Domínguez
24 September 1965 (aged 24)
27
Peñarol
7
FW
Antonio Alzamendi
7 June 1956 (aged 34)
28
Logroñés
8
MF
Santiago Ostolaza
10 July 1962 (aged 27)
25
Cruz Azul
9
MF
Enzo Francescoli (c)
12 November 1961 (aged 28)
42
Marseille
10
MF
Rubén Paz
8 August 1959 (aged 30)
42
Genoa
11
FW
Rubén Sosa
25 April 1966 (aged 24)
27
Lazio
12
GK
Eduardo Pereira
21 March 1954 (aged 36)
10
Independiente
13
DF
Daniel Revelez
30 September 1959 (aged 30)
12
Nacional
14
DF
José Pintos Saldanha
25 March 1964 (aged 26)
9
Nacional
15
MF
Gabriel Correa
13 January 1968 (aged 22)
18
Peñarol
16
MF
Pablo Bengoechea
27 June 1965 (aged 24)
17
Sevilla
17
FW
Sergio Martínez
15 February 1969 (aged 21)
14
Defensor Sporting
18
FW
Carlos Aguilera
21 September 1964 (aged 25)
50
Genoa
19
FW
Daniel Fonseca
13 September 1969 (aged 20)
4
Nacional
20
MF
Ruben Pereira
28 January 1968 (aged 22)
18
Danubio
21
MF
William Castro
22 May 1962 (aged 28)
8
Nacional
22
GK
Javier Zeoli
2 May 1962 (aged 28)
14
Danubio
Uruguay was expected – or rather wished – to finish 3rd and go home. Their ugly performance at the 1986 World Cup was not forgotten at all and it was easy to pile up negative points on such a base: Oscar Tabarez was still unknown coach, so little was expected from him and there were big doubts that he will change Uruguayan attitudes – after all, his promise to make team Uruguay more attractive were hard to trust, for he was talking in the same time of strong defense and fighting spirit and everybody remembered what that meant in 1986. And since the players were pretty much the same… Uruguay had small pool of players, so like it or not, coach’s options were limited, but the big stars were getting old (Francescoli was already 30 years old, Alzamendi – 34, De Leon – 32, Paz – 30) and there was no new exciting talent. With some luck Uruguay may finish second, most likely and wished – third.
South Korea
Head coach: Lee Hoe-taik
No.
Pos.
Player
Date of birth (age)
Caps
Club
1
GK
Kim Poong-joo
1 October 1961 (aged 28)
N/A
Daewoo Royals
2
DF
Park Kyung-hoon
19 January 1961 (aged 29)
N/A
POSCO Atoms
3
DF
Choi Kang-hee
12 April 1959 (aged 31)
N/A
Hyundai Horangi
4
DF
Yoon Deok-yeo
25 March 1961 (aged 29)
N/A
Hyundai Horangi
5
DF
Chung Yong-hwan (c)
10 February 1960 (aged 30)
N/A
Daewoo Royals
6
FW
Lee Tae-ho
29 January 1961 (aged 29)
N/A
Daewoo Royals
7
MF
Noh Soo-jin
10 February 1962 (aged 28)
N/A
Yukong Elephants
8
FW
Chung Hae-won
1 July 1959 (aged 30)
N/A
Daewoo Royals
9
MF
Hwangbo Kwan
1 March 1965 (aged 25)
N/A
Yukong Elephants
10
FW
Lee Sang-yoon
10 April 1969 (aged 21)
N/A
Ilhwa Chunma
11
FW
Byun Byung-joo
26 April 1961 (aged 29)
N/A
Hyundai Horangi
12
MF
Lee Heung-sil
10 July 1961 (aged 28)
N/A
POSCO Atoms
13
DF
Chung Jong-soo
27 March 1961 (aged 29)
N/A
Hyundai Horangi
14
FW
Choi Soon-ho
10 January 1962 (aged 28)
76
Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso
15
DF
Cho Min-kook
5 July 1963 (aged 26)
N/A
Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso
16
MF
Kim Joo-sung
17 January 1966 (aged 24)
N/A
Daewoo Royals
17
DF
Gu Sang-bum
15 June 1964 (aged 25)
N/A
Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso
18
FW
Hwang Sun-hong
14 July 1968 (aged 21)
N/A
Konkuk University
19
GK
Jeong Gi-dong
13 May 1961 (aged 29)
N/A
POSCO Atoms
20
DF
Hong Myung-bo
12 February 1969 (aged 21)
4
Korea University
21
GK
Choi In-young
5 March 1962 (aged 28)
N/A
Hyundai Horangi
22
MF
Lee Young-jin
27 October 1963 (aged 26)
N/A
Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso
By now South Korea was taken seriously – the strongest Asian team, good developing program, familiarity with World Cup finals, in which the Koreans already became regular participants. It was the make of the group working against them – in a group of physically strong and fearless fighters individual talent seemed decisive and unlike the other teams, South Korea had strong collective, but no outstanding star. Only miracle – collective failure of all other teams – could propel them to higher position. South Koreans were expected to be difficult opponent, to fight every game to the last second, and to finish last.