SPAIN VS. UKRAINE.

Byline: -- Scott French

Kickoff: 6 a.m., Zentralstadion, Leipzig.

TV: ESPN2 and Ch. 34.

In brief: The Group H favorites face off in opener, and both could be missing star strikers.

Spain update: The perennial underachievers are unbeaten in 21 games since Luis Aragones took over as coach, and he's got a wonderfully talented lineup to go after the Spaniards' first final-four berth since 1950. Veteran striker Raul, hampered by partially torn knee ligaments since November, will be on the bench, with Liverpool's Luis Garcia, Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres and Valencia's David Villa, who scored 25 goals this season, in the front three.

Ukraine update: Andriy Shevchenko, perhaps the world's best pure striker, has been rehabbing a knee injury for the past six weeks, and his status remains uncertain. Coach Oleg Blokhin, the former Soviet goalkeeping great, has kept his preparations secret, including all real news on Shevchenko's recovery. The forward, moving from AC Milan to Chelsea, says he's ready to go, a necessary development for Ukraine to have a chance.

TUNISIA vs. SAUDI ARABIA 

Kickoff: 9 a.m., Allianz Arena, Munich.

TV: ESPN2 and Ch. 34.

In brief: The battle for Arabia could determine who battles Ukraine for Group H's second round-of-16 slot.

Tunisia update: The Carthage Eagles head into their fourth World Cup rather beat up. Brazilian-born star forward Franciluendo dos Santos is out with a shin injury, and two players -- defender Mehdi Meriah and reserve forward Issam Jomaa -- were dropped from the roster with injuries. Tunisia won the 2004 African Nations Cup under coach Roger Lemerre, whose France team didn't score a goal at the 2002 World Cup.

Saudi Arabia update: Brazilian-born coach Paqueta won FIFA U-17 and U-20 titles for Brazil, but getting this team to the next phase will be far more difficult. The Saudis' best player is defender Hamad al-Mantashiri, the reigning Asian Player of the Year, but their defense is troublesome, surrendering 24 goals in 14 preparation matches. A likely 5-4-1 alignment would compensate.

GERMANY vs. POLAND

Kickoff: Noon, Westfalenstadion, Dortmund.

TV: ESPN2 and Ch. 34.

In brief: Neighbors and rivals meet again, with tournament host hoping to clinch second-round berth from Group A.

Germany update: Captain Michael Ballack returns to the lineup after missing the opener, a 4-2 victory over Costa Rica, with a calf strain. His return will help, but the slow-footed backline is the Germans' biggest problem, not that the Poles are likely to test it.

This is THE big game for strikers Miroslav Klose, who tallied twice against Costa Rica, and Lukas Podolski: Both were born in Poland.

Poland update: Few teams disappointed in openers as strongly as the Poles, who were outclassed 2-0 by unfancied Ecuador and seek to stave off elimination against their hated rival. Coach Pawal Janas might need to dump the conservative tactics he employed Friday in an attempt to steer Poland to its first victory over the Germans in a 14-game series that stretches back 85 years.

CAPTION(S):

8 boxes

Box:

(1) GROUP A

(2) GROUP B

(3) GROUP C

(4) GROUP D

(5) GROUP E

(6) GROUP F

(7) GROUP G

(8) GROUP H