David Villa and Spain have set records during the last three years, a span in which they have been the best footballing nation in the world (Photo via Newscom).

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It is the rare analyst that fails to have Spain amongst their favorites for South Africa, with the Spaniards joining perpetual favorites Brazil at the head the short-list of nations punditry picks to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy. 

If either of the two nations stumble in their group, Spain and Brazil could meet as early as the Round of 16.  Else, the two teams are slated to meet July 11th in Johannesburg, the final everybody was hoping for on their last trip to South Africa (Confederations Cup 2009).

If group stage is a first step, Spain's initial obstacle is slightly lower than Brazil's.  While the Spaniards do not have a North Korea-level side in their quartet, they avoid Cote d'Iviore and Portugal - two of the challenges scheduled for the Selecão.

Still, Spain's group is not easy.  There is a reason why we haven't talked about it before.  Rounding out Spain's draw:  the team that finished second to Brazil in CONMEBOL (Chile); a group winner from Europe (Switzerland); a team that overcame late political upheaval to qualify (Honduras).

In some of the groups we've already previewed, those teams would be decent bets to make the second round.  In this quartet, two teams may be left feeling hard-done.

Continuing World Soccer Digest's preview of each of South Africa's groups, I present The Panel of Mild Discomfort:  Group H.

Elo - Elo Rating; FIFA - FIFA World Ranking, December 2009; SPI - Soccer Power Index, Silver/Soccernet; SPA - Set Piece Analysts World Cup Power Poll; Avg. - Statistical mean of four measures

Spain is the highest rated team we've discussed to this point, something we will not be able to say again until we preview Brazil. 

Beyond the champions of Europe, the group can seem thin.  If you think the group's "second" team should be ranked between 9 and 16 (1-8 being your typical top team), Chile is slightly below that range's median.  Switzerland does not even make it into the third team's range (17-24) and Honduras sits at the end of theirs (25-32).

As we've seen in each of our preceding preview, the ratings are just barometers.  I'm here to try and fill the gaps.

Spain - Over the last three years, Spain has been the world's most successful side.  They won the 2008 European Championships, arguably the second most prestigious title in the world (we can debate it and Copa América another time).  They had a record-tying 35 match unbeaten streak that coincided with a record 15 match win streak (both snapped by the United States in the Confederations Cup).

With the backbone of the team being distinctly Barcelona (with Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué expected to start in South Africa), Spain's national team exhibits many of the same characteristics of the Blaugrana. 

With Xavi at the controls, Vincente del Bousque's side plays possession soccer, a trait that also serves as their best defense.  Spain allowed only 5 goals in UEFA qualifying (third best) while scoring 28 times, a mark bested by only the English.  They did this in a group that included Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey and Belgium, posting a one hundred percent record in the process.

If Xavi Hernández drives Spain's attack, David Villa leads it.  The Valencia striker is considered by many to be the best in the world at his position, with performance for his national team helping to distinguish him from competitors.  Villa has an amazing 35 goals in 54 national team appearances, a ratio bolstered by the four goals he scored at Euro 2008, where he won the tournament's Golden Boot.  Playing in support of Fernando Torres, Villa set a record (in 2008) for most goals scored for the national team in one year (12), helping to form a forward tandem to rival anybody's.

Whereas few holes and be found in the Spanish attack, the defense has developed a couple of questions marks; specifically, two Real Madrid players critical to Spain's success.  Goalkeeper Iker Casillas, considered the game's best coming out of Austria/Switzerland, is suffering through the most inconsistent club season of his career.  Likewise, right back Sergio Ramos has not regained his form from Euro 2008, after which he was similarly considered amongst the game's elite at his position.  Both Blancos will need to recapture their fallen grace if Spain is to account for its greatest vulnerability.

That vulnerability can be augmented by Marcos Senna.  The defensive midfielder is the key to Spain's ability to throw  people like Ramos into attack.  The Brazilian-born Villareal star was many's Player of the Tournament last summer (an award which went to Xavi) for his ability to break up potential counters, preventing Spain from being caught while players like Ramos pushed.  In a potential match-up against his home country, Senna would be critical to Spain's hopes - the one person who can help neutralize Brazil's counter.

Like most great teams, Spain is less about their deficiencies than what their opponents do to inhibit their strengths.  It's difficult to see a team without strong midfield play being able to compete with Spain.  Without a strong central defense, how can a team deal with Torres and Villa?  And without the ability to score on the counter, a squad facing the Spanish may not see enough of the ball to build their attack.

Many remain skeptical of Spain because of their World Cup history (haven't been to the semifinals since 1950), and some have written that the team is not the same under del Bosque as they were under predecessor Luis Aragones.  The results, however, speak for themselves.

Chile - In qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, Chile finished tenth (last) in CONMEBOL.  For 2006, they climbed to seventh, and while qualification was never out of the question for 2010, nobody expected the Chileans to finish second in the region.

The increase in fortune can be seen as a factor of timing - a mix or young and experienced players coming together at the same time - but that would over look the architect of that fortune.  Perhaps no coach in South Africa will have influenced a change in his side as much as Marcelo Bielsa.

The Argentine previously steered his birth country, though with mixed results.  He got them to the 2002 World Cup but failed to get the Albiceleste out of a difficult group.  Two years later he would guide the team to the Copa América final only to lose to Brazil.  Despite success coaching at the club level, Bielsa's international resumé lacks a headline-grabbing accomplishment.

Headlines were made when Bielsa signed-on to guide Chile through qualifying, coming back from a three-year coaching hiatus to accept a lucrative offer from the Chilean federation.  It was a huge commitment from a program that had only been to one World Cup since 1982 and would likely have to outdistance at least one of the continent's powerful nations to the east in order to ensure qualification.

If the hiring was ambitious, Bielsa's plans were similarly progressive.  The Argentine started bringing more youth into the team and instituted a 3-4-3 bent on attack.  The result was 32 goals in 18 qualifiers, one goal behind Brazil for best in the region.

That attack is led by Monterrey's Humberto Suazo who, with ten goals, was the leading scorer in CONMEBOL qualifying.  He leads an attack that typically features CSKA Moscow's Mark Gonzalez on his left, Udinese's Alexis Sánchez on his right, with Matías Fernández playing in the de facto hole.

Behind these four attackers, Bielsa's formation can look like two lines of three, though the first line of midfielders tasked with getting into attack.  Still, you won't see many goals from players like Carlos Carmona, Marco Estrada and Jean Beausejour.

At the back, Chile is vulnerable.  Their commitment to attack led to 22 goals allowed, worst amongst South America's qualifying nations.  At times, Bielsa has started defenders amongst his midfielders to try to stem the tide, but by formation and tactic, this is going to be a vulnerable Chilean team.

Switzerland - Although I've previously noted the lack of quality in France's European qualifying group, I am going to take back my designation of Group 7 as Europe's weakest and hand it to Group 2 (with my apologies to the reader for the initial mistake).

In that group, Greece (a team I have getting no points at South Africa 2010) finished a close second to Switzerland, and while the Latvians were improved and the Israelis threatened, the fourth place team in Spain's group (Belgium) might have won Group 2.

Credit Ottmar Hitzfeld and Switzerland for winning the group, but seeing the Swiss struggle to win the automatic spot raises questions about how they will do when thrown into one of South Africa's deepest groups.

At its heart, the Swiss team is still similar to the squad that finished last in its group at Euro 2008.  Alexander Frei is still captain and main goal scoring threat.  His injury at the beginning of last summer's tournament was a huge loss to the Swiss.   They still have Gelson Fernandez as the key to their midfield, Stephane Grichting at the back, and Denio Benaglio in goal.  You will still see Hakan Yakin coming off the bench to attempt to provide some punch.

Well organized in their 4-4-2 and technically adept, the Switz lack the quantity to be true threats to advance out of this group.  With Hitzfeld (who came on after Euro 2008), the side is capable (tactically) of exploiting this oppositions errors and, against sides that allow them (Greece), creating the odd goal.

In Germany 2006, the Swiss were eliminated without having ever allowed a goal, losing to Ukraine on penalty kicks in the Round of 16.  A similar result in 2010 would have to be considered a resounding success.

Honduras - Qualifying for the first time since 1982 (and only the second time in their history), Honduras is being looked at as one of the weaker teams in the tournament.  Considering they qualified third out of CONCACAF (and only after a late United States goal against Costa Rica knocked the Ticos into fourth), calling them one of less qualified teams is fair, but when you take a closer look at their personnel and results, there are reasons to think the Hondurans dangerous.

In the midfield, Honduras features a player in Wilson Palacios who, when playing his best, is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.  With a central midfield that also includes Hendry Thomas and Amado Guevara, the Hondurans are capable of controlling the middle of the pitch against less talented (or less athletic) sides.  When they do, Palacios brings a physicality that can put teams off their game.

Up top, Honduras has a trio of options.  David Suazo is the most talented, but his lack of playing time at Internzaionale in Italy has at times translated to rust when called back into the national team.  Carlos Pavón is the veteran, and while still productive during qualifying, he can be neutralized relatively easily.  Carlo Costly, playing in Poland, may be Honduras's best option, with the added benefit of bringing size that will be difficult to match-up against.

It's at the back where Honduras is at their weakest.  They do have Wigan Athletic defender Maynor Figueroa in the middle of their line, but that line is in front of what is likely to be the worst goaltender in the tournament.   It is no stretch to say that Hondurans, finishing four points behind the United States, would have won CONCACAF had they a better goaltender than Noel Valladares.

Though far from a flawless side, Honduras showed at the end of qualifying that they are a side that can cause problems.  At Estadio Azteca in September, Mexico needed a beneficial call on a Gio do Santos drive to get a 1-0 win.  In October, Honduras played against the United States amidst political unrest, and despite three strange U.S goals (with some help from Valladares), Honduras was a missed Carlos Pavón penalty away from salvaging a point.  To close qualifying, they got a 1-0 result in San Salvador against an El Salvador team that had not lost at home during the last round of qualifying.

It's highly debatable whether those results compare favorably with Switzerland's, but when you look at the squads, go player-for-player, and take a detailed look at the results, Honduras does not seem the weakest team of the group.

Worthless Predictions

June 16, Nelspruit:  Chile 3, Honduras 2 - A battle of teams with problems at the back sees the Chileans the controlling side, but Honduras has the quality in attack to take advantage of the Chilean approach.  A very entertaining match that shows how dangerous, vulnerable Bielsa's team can be.

June 16, Durban:  Spain 3, Switzerland 0 - The Spaniards dance through the Switz in a match that is not this close.  While a less seasoned team my take their dominance and, infused with the energy of opening the World Cup, pile-on, Spain is getting a bit used to this.  At half, they're up a couple of goals and easily guide this match home.

June 21, Port Elizabeth:  Chile 2, Switzerland 2 - Switzerland's ability to maintain their organization helps deal with Chile's attack, though Chile's quality is too much for the Switz to completely contain.  But, as Chile continues to push, Switzerland can exploit the poor Chilean defending to get their goals.

June 21, Johannesburg:  Spain 4, Honduras 0 - Spain's ability to quickly move the ball neutralizes the strength in Honduras's midfield, and a huge possession advantage allows the Spaniards to tear holes through the Honduran defense.  After their first two results, the media will prematurely start comparing this Spain team to the best international teams of all time.

June 25, Pretoria:  Spain 3, Chile 1 - While a draw would assure both sides go through to the Round of 16 (with Spain in first), it is not the style of this Spain team to play for a draw, so while del Bosque may start Santi Carzorla for David Silva and give Xabi Alonso ninety minutes, FIFA's highest-rated team rolls into the Round of 16 and leave the Chileans to hope the Swiss don't pull off a miracle in Bloemfontein.

June 25, Bloemfontein:  Honduras 2, Switzerland 0 - The Honduran midfield dominates this one, with Gelson Fernandez being completely neutralized by Palacios.  Honduras gets their first ever World Cup win, and the Swiss finish bottom of the group.  The team that failed to allow a goal in Germany and allowed only eight goals in qualifying let in seven.