Trinidad and Tobago will be the biggest longshots vying for the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany.
Capsule reports yesterday from The Associated Press (AP) of the 32 countries playing in next year's finals gave the breakdown on the chances of each team securing the most sought-after prize in world football and the T&T Soca Warriors are at the bottom of the heap at 750-1, according to odds posted by British bookmakers William Hill.
The AP report listed the Warriors' key players as Sydney FC striker Dwight Yorke and Falkirk FC player/coach Russell Latapy and described Trinidad and Tobago, one of six debutants at the 2006 World Cup, as being "short on players with major experience" and predicted that "anything other than three straight defeats will be a surprise".
T&T, currently 51st on the FIFA world rankings, are the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup, having made it to the big show for the first time after beating fifth-place Asian Zone team Bahrain 2-1 on aggregate last month.
Of the three other CONCACAF teams to feature at the finals next year, Mexico, ranked seventh in the world, not surprisingly have the best odds at 50-1, while the United States (eighth), who have not had a great record in Europe in recent times, are at 80-1 to win the coveted Cup.
The other CONCACAF qualifiers in the mix are Costa Rica, ranked 21st, and they are quoted at odds of 500-1, along with Asian Zone teams Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The favourites to win their second successive and sixth overall World Cup title are defending champions Brazil, with odds of 11-4, while their neighbours and South American arch-rivals Argentina, who have twice won the title, are at 13-2.
World Cup under-achievers England, the 1966 winners who are being touted as contenders for the final, are at 7-1.
Hosts Germany are at 8-1, along with fellow three-time winners Italy, while 1998 champs France were posted at odds of 12-1.
Oceania's Australia, who are scheduled to make their first appearance at the competition since 1974 following a 4-2 triumph on penalty kicks over Uruguay after a 1-1 playoff aggregate, are at 125-1.
Of the other teams debuting at Germany 2006, Angola and Togo are touted at 400-1, while fellow African qualifiers Ghana are at 200-1 and Ivory Coast have been given decent odds of 66-1.
The other first-timers, Ukraine, are at 50-1.