Cologne, Germany (My Sportsbook) - The World Cup officially opens for Portugal and Angola on Sunday when the two teams face each other in Cologne.

Sunday's meeting is nothing new for either side, as the two teams have become very familiar with each other over the past couple of years. Many of Angola's top players spend their time playing with some of Portuga's top club teams, which could make for an interesting match-up.

In two previous meetings, the Angolans have suffered two heavy defeats, with the first one coming in 1989, resulting in a 6-0 loss. The team managed to find the back of the net once in the second meeting, but ultimately went onto lose, 5-1 in 2001.

For Angola, the 2006 World Cup is the team's first trip to a finals tournament. The road to Germany was a difficult one, as the Angola squad was dealt an early loss to Chad in preliminary qualifying. But the team, which has depth and talent in its roster, managed a tremendous rebound, by handing Chad a defeat in the return match and eventually securing a first place spot in Group 4 to ensure the World Cup berth.

With goalkeeper Joao Ricardo helping to lead the squad, Angola has a great shot at starting with a first match victory on Sunday. Angola offers a strong defensive and middle lines, and an offensive line that boasts the names of Mantorras and Akwa.

For Portugal, the qualifying rounds saw the team glide through its schedule, defeating Slovakia and Russia to take the top spot in Group 3. Overall, the team did not concede a single loss, a feat that easily secured a spot in the '06 tournament. Portugal also benefited from a strong offensive line that produced 35 goals to lead all of Europe during competition.

Following a successful 1966 World Cup that saw the team finish third, Portugal has struggled in its most recent trips. In 1986 and in 2002, the Portuguese failed to get past the group stages, leaving the team with plenty to work towards in 2006.

Led by Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco, both some of Europe's finest players during the club season, the Portuguese could easily become a large threat in Group D competition.