In With the New; The stage is set: The world's greatest sporting event returns to Europe, whose traditional dominance is fast being eroded.

Byline: Mark Starr (With Stefan Theil, Ginanne Brownell and Sam Register)

None of the 32 countries that qualified to play in next month's World Cup can boast of an especially easy path there. But the one that received an automatic berth--host nation Germany--seemed to suffer the most controversy and consternation. Its youthful team has played uninspired football, most notably in a 4-1 thrashing by Italy early this year, and rookie manager Jurgen Klinsmann has taken a beating, too. Klinsmann, star of three German Cup teams in the '90s, has been vilified for his nontraditional methods, sins compounded by his insistence on living in southern California. When he flew home to America right after the loss to Italy, no less a persona than Franz Beckenbauer, Germany's greatest football icon, pleaded for him to spend more time with his team. Instead critics had to settle for whatever solace could be found in a 4-1 victory over an American "B" squad. Klinsmann termed it an important win, permitting the team to proceed with preparations "in a much quieter atmosphere."

But football experts, both inside and outside Germany, believe that any calm may be of the before-the-storm variety. Starting June 9, Germany will be the center of the sporting universe. By the time the World Cup final is played in Berlin a month later, the games will

have been watched by 3.4 million spectators in stadiums in 12 cities and--according to estimates by FIFA, the sport's governing body--a worldwide television audience of 40 billion cumulative viewers. Many will tune in fully expecting Germany, the 2002 runner-up and winner in 1974, the last time it played host, to have a giant leg up on its fourth World Cup championship. To the eyes of most experts however, the Germans appear at best a long shot to finish on top--for reasons that should concern other traditional European football powers as well.

Just as America discovered with basketball and the demise of its recent Dream Teams, there is a new global game afoot--one that's been kicking up warning signs for years. In football's last seven Under-20 world championships, 14 South American teams and seven African teams have reached the semifinals, while only five European teams (including Spain three times) have made it that far. The emerging parity in the football world was certainly evident at the 2002 World Cup held in South Korea and Japan. For a refresher course, take a glance at these scores: Senegal 1, France 0; United States 3, Portugal 2; South Korea 2, Italy 1; Japan 2, Belgium 2.

True, this World Cup will be staged back in Europe, where the powers that be have always defended their turf relentlessly. Out of nine previous Cup competitions held in Europe, European teams have won eight (with Italy, England, Germany and France all triumphing as hosts). Only Brazil, in 1958 with a 17-year-old Pele debuting, managed to break Europe's home-field advantage. Those successes were abetted by the difficulties non-European players had adjusting to a distant pitch. As European leagues have stocked up on international talent--hundreds of Brazilians and Argentines now play there--distance has ceased to be an impediment. Cup qualifiers from all regions are led by players--Brazil's Ronaldinho, Argentina's Juan RomAn Riquelme, Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba, Ghana's Michael Essien, South Korea's Park Ji-Sung --who have excelled in European competition.

The very best Latin and African players appear to be both faster and more creative. They can maintain possession of the ball for longer spells and are capable of dazzling bursts which can puncture that cautious and rugged defensive style European squads tend to play in the biggest competitions. With Europe's five elite leagues increasingly dependent on foreigners to fill critical roles, particularly on attack, homegrown development of players with those same capabilities has been stifled, inevitably damaging the national teams there. All that helps explain why many ...