Poor England.

A World Cup summer is supposed to be the most joyous of occasions for the English, but it never is. No doubt one of the top international sides in the world, success at the World Cup has been mixed through the years for England.

The past two World Cups have been particularly anxious times for English football faithful.

On the heels of the 2002 World Cup, in which David Beckham busted his foot just months before the gala, the hopes of a nation appear to have once again been dashed thanks to another broken foot.

In late April, approximately six weeks shy of the beginning of the 2006 World Cup, a nation gasped when England star striker Wayne Rooney broke his foot while playing with his club, Manchester United. England's hopes are now pinned on the bone-healing ability of a 20-year-old.

He's already been ruled out for England's first group game on June 10, but even if he's fit for England's third match on June 20, it's impossible to imagine him still being the threat he was at Euro 2004.

So what does the 2006 World Cup have in store for the English? Realistically, the prospects are still quite good. Formidable Sweden is realistically the only Group B threat to England, which should ultimately advance as the group's winner.

That would pit England against the Group A runner-up (likely Costa Rica, Ecuador or Poland) in the second round. With such a path laid before it, there's no reason to think England can't advance to at least the quarterfinals. If coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's team stumbles in group play and finishes second, it could well be headed for a second-round game against host Germany, a seemingly impossible task on German soil.

Without its best striker, England is still loaded with talent to make a run at its first title since 1966.

Michael Owen is no slouch up top, and neither is a midfield featuring Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham and Joe Cole. Throw in a defense featuring John Terry, Ashley Cole, Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand, and England's skill level supersedes virtually every other squad at the World Cup.

With that said, none of England's midfielders are known for their defensive prowess; instead they're focused more on supporting the attack. The back four is somewhat mistake-prone, and keeper Paul Robinson doesn't have a wealth of international experience.

Despite all of that, expect England to make some noise in Germany this summer and not just from the 100,000 or so fans who will be making the trek across the North Sea.

Even though Sweden isn't generating the same pre-Cup buzz as England, perhaps it should be. In its last 11 meetings with England, including a 2002 World Cup group match, Sweden has only lost to its European rivals once.