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by Daniel Huckel
The World Cup of Football
comes once every 4 years and boasts the largest support of any
one tournament in the history of sport. It deserves more talk,
analysis, fanfare, and scrutiny than any other sporting event.
Each team will be looked at completely and in extreme detail by
millions of fans and media across the world in the months before
the games. As we consider all of the teams’ options, it must be
kept in mind that no matter what, a team’s chances can change
instantly with an injury or any other sort of misfortune.
Following careful analysis, and barring any such disaster, I
will provide the qualifiers from the announced groups and
propose how each team will perform in the initial stage of the
2006 World Cup.
Group A: With a
quick glance at this group you
can instantly infer that Germany should qualify and Poland
should be second. That would be a false first impression
however. There are surprises in every group and this one could
feature the most underrated team in the tournament: Ecuador.
Look for this group to have its fill of exciting play with
boring score-lines.
Germany: Yes,
Klinsmann is very young to be at the helm, and yes, it’s obvious
he likes to bring in players who are almost half his age, well
not that young, but close, but he has more than a few things
going for him. He possesses
playing experience in his recent past and understands how the
game has evolved while he was playing it. It’s different
now, more fitness-based and tactics revolve around personnel
instead of the opposite. Klinsmann also knows he needs a few
veterans of the game, and even of the World Cup itself, and that
is justified by the inclusion of Wörns,
Ballack, Klose, and of course Oliver Kahn. Look for Diesler to
add youthful excitement and effort and Kuranyi to be the one man
up front Klinsmann will need to match someone with. Germany’s
match schedule is slightly favorable. None of the teams in this
group are better than Germany on paper; however, as I specified
before, Ecuador will be a surprise package, look for Germany to
roll into their game with Ecuador with at least a win and a draw
and the momentum of a country’s confidence.
Costa Rica:
Unfortunately, Costa Rica, like all but one of the CONCACAF
teams, faces an uphill battle. Not only is starting against the
hosts a stroke of the worst luck, but trying to rebound against
an Ecuadorian team that will see that game as a springboard into
the round of sixteen will be even tougher. Ecuador will not
overlook Costa Rica because they know how important that game
is. The third game for Costa Rice will most likely be academic
by the time they reach it. However, all is not lost. Costa
Rica will need the experience of Wanchope and they also need
their tough attitude that led them through the CONCACAF
qualifying. Most people underestimate the difficulty in trying
to win an away fixture in the qualifying in the CONCACAF region;
it is as tough as a group game in the World Cup if not tougher
because of home crowds. As Costa Rica’s qualifying record
shows, even winning an away qualifying game proved too tall an
order. Expect Costa Rica to hang tough, but they have a slim
chance of progressing.
Poland: The Poland
team that went to Korea four years ago was much stronger. Their
starting goalie is a mere substitute on Premier League contender
Liverpool, and their main striker, Olisadebe has aged beyond his
prolific years. Don’t be fooled, though- the spark is still
there, and the Poles have been able to advance very far with
only a few star players, such as when Zbigniew Boniek and
Grzegorz Lato led Poland to the semi-finals in the 1982 World
Cup. Maciej Zurawski is an obvious player to watch; he scores
regularly for Celtic and also performed well in qualifying. But
the player who will fly under the radar for now is Jacek
Krzynowek who plays for Leverkusen. Poland needs a strong
experienced midfield to show their skill; Krzynowek knows most
of the German team, and he knows how to score.
He also has the experience of a
World Cup as well as the Bundesliga. Poland will be susceptible
in the back; they need to defend with good heading and possibly
look to take advantage of the counter-attack instead of slow
build-ups. The more they work the ball, the more chances they
have of giving it away against quicker teams- look for that to
be a possible problem. Their game against Ecuador will decide
their fate, even though it’s their first. They need confidence
and morale to help them against Germany and minnow Costa Rica.
Ecuador: Ecuador had
a tough draw last World Cup, but they showed why they should
succeed in qualifying this time around. A convincing defeat
over Croatia showed they can compete with the second tier
European teams. The loss to Italy showed they were still a step
away from really being a contender. They still are that step
away; however, with Poland much like 2002’s Croatia, and Costa
Rica in their way, it looks far and away better for Ecuador this
time. But they can’t get excited too quickly. They need a win
over Poland in their first game and they can’t afford to push
too hard for it because Costa Rica will not spare any energy
during the crucial second game for both teams. It will be
everything or nothing in that one game between Costa Rica and
Ecuador, with the winner having a shot at 2nd. Two
qualifying wins stand out for Ecuador, 1-0 over Brazil, and 2-0
over Argentina, even though both of the opponents knew they were
qualifying and also playing in Ecuador. If Ecuador can overcome
the obstacle of playing away from home, they will be able to
perform in the big game atmosphere and threaten even the best
teams. Their 3-0 loss to Poland
in November is meaningless- do not misconceive it as a result
that will yield a similar game in the World Cup- it will be
completely different when the kickoff comes on June 9th.
Watch Agustin Delgado, as long as he correctly focuses on the
World Cup, instead of his troubles at Barcelona. When the time
comes, he could show how much the system in Spain has improved
him. A player changes when he joins
and trains with big clubs; rest
assured Delgado will be a spark. One last thing: if Ecuador
qualifies, 2nd most likely, they would meet the
winner in England’s group, which should be England. England was
unfortunate to underestimate Northern Ireland and it’s obvious
that if they are even a small bit mentally challenged during an
important game their weaknesses, such as a chaotic midfield,
become glaringly recognizable. Ecuador needs to introduce some
sort of unknown factor to the English to win that game,
something that England won’t expect and can’t adapt to because
Sven’s team is especially bad at adapting during a game.
Qualifiers: Germany, Ecuador.
Group B: This group
boasts the team with arguably the best collection of individual
talent in this World Cup. While Brazil probably has the best
individual, no team has more skill players than England. It is
their great strength and their even greater weakness. This
group will be the most watched simply because everyone in the
world, even non-English fans, wants to know how England will
do. All eyes will be on England
Manager Sven Goren
Erickson as he tackles the
toughest managerial job of the tournament in trying to field a
cohesive unit. This group also shows off two teams that
refuse to be underestimated. Paraguay has talent, and Trinidad
and Tobago has nothing to lose and a freewheeling style. This
will be as exciting as any group. But let’s start with a team
that should be considered one of the best European teams in the
tournament.
Sweden: They have
more than they’ve ever had before. Not since Dahlin and Brolin
has Sweden had the magic of a pair of strikers. If Henrik
Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic grace the field together, it can
be a deadly strike-force. Larsson boasts vast World Cup
experience and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has one of the best striker
builds in the world, quick with the touch, deadly in the air,
and acrobatic by nature, he has the same potential as a
difference maker up front as Wayne Rooney. Their midfield is
commanded by the experienced and fascinating Freddie Ljungberg;
he can create chances through passing as well as dribbling and
still has his trademark speed. Look for Kim Kallstrom to
possibly make an appearance and maybe an impact. A few
questions linger for the Swedes: Will their fillers in midfield
be up to the challenge of controlling a fast-paced international
game? Will their experienced defensive players be able to
compensate for their lack of pace? The
answers will be apparent by their third match against England.
Sweden needs a smashing start against Trinidad, and confidence
and momentum against Paraguay to have a chance at challenging
England for the group winner. But be assured
that Sweden will put more effort into that England game
than the other two; they do not want to meet the host nation in
the next round. Germany would do better against Sweden than
against England because they will not only be more tested but
also they are more direct and less chaotic, which could force
Sweden to defend and chase instead of being able to intercept
passes and counter.
England: While many
media pundits are surely trying to support the idea that each
team in the tournament deserves an equal amount of time and they
all have the same amount of preparation, it’s just plain
untrue. England has a plethora of team selection options,
tactical options, and mental obstacles to overcome and resolve.
Even though Sven claims there are only three spots that are
debatable, the real task for him is putting out 11 players who
can create early goals and secure wins. England is the only
team that has the capability to yield the widest range of
results, from a three loss utter failure to the euphoric and
everlasting glory of winning the World Cup (I realize that
all the teams have the same range of success or failure, but
it is only England that I can perceive as realistically being
able to reach either ending). Sven Goren
Eriksson must show he has control over the egos on the
English team before he can hope to press his tactics and
strategy. Look for him to make a controversial decision before
entering the World Cup either with team selection or the
starting lineup against Paraguay and stand by it to show he is
confident in his own decisions. He should stay with his faith
in Paul Robinson as the starter in the mistake-riddled
goalkeeper role, and he will field a defense that can compete
with any attack in the world. David Beckham, while serving as
England’s icon, is not in top form with Real Madrid and has not
enjoyed his streak of red cards. Sven may not have the guts to
sit Beckham, but it might not be a bad idea to favor Lampard,
Gerrard, Joe Cole, and either Jermaine Jenas or Shaun
Wright-Phillips for speed. His strikers should be an obvious
choice: Rooney and Owen are far and away his best pair, and he
would be making an enormous mistake taking Peter Crouch. Yes
Crouch is tall, but when did pure physical attributes ever
determine the player’s skill? Peter Crouch is not potent enough
for the international stage; in England his heading skills and
ability to lay the ball to strikers might be useful, but
international defenders are too fast and too smart for his
narrow and restricted abilities. England will come out knowing
they need a win against Paraguay, and they will attack like it’s
a deciding game. If Paraguay fends them off for a half, it will
be considered a failure for England- nothing less than a win
will do because England needs momentum heading into the David
and Goliath match-up in their second game. No England fan will
ever forget the last heavy underdog to beat them in an important
game; Trinidad has a blueprint of how to take advantage of an
inept English side thanks to Northern Ireland. Be sure they
will sink in on defense and break out on offense. But England
hopefully will be smarter and certainly more cooperative with
each other and not make the same mistake again. With two wins
and playing Sweden, Sven might exercise more options on the
bench but he will still see the importance of finishing first
and playing a lesser team instead of being stuck with the hosts
as their second round match.
Trinidad and Tobago:
Trinidad’s options are as simple as Togo’s, Angola’s and Saudi
Arabia’s: simply accept the fate they have been dealt and do the
best they can. Trinidad and Tobago is like the New Zealand of
1982. Two European powers in Sweden and England will force
Trinidad to eventually focus on getting any points they might
get from mid-level COMNEBOL Paraguay. But there will be no lack
of effort- T&T has declared their qualification a national
holiday and they will take their games very seriously. They
play Sweden to start with, and if they can bottle up Ljungberg
and Ibrahimovic, then they have a prayer. With England, they
will do as Azerbaijan did, and they might even watch that
Northern Ireland qualifying game a few times, it’s a good
example to follow. Dwight Yorke can still play, it was not so
long ago that he was still a good striker in the English League,
and he has more to play for now than he did in 1999- it’s the
culmination of a troublesome international career for him.
Against Paraguay, Trinidad will need to do essentially the same
thing as they do against Sweden: bottle up Santa Cruz and
control their midfield. Trinidad’s overall chances are slim,
but so were Senegal’s last World Cup. Don’t overlook them, and
without doubt they will bring some of the most colorful and fun
fans since Jamaica’s in 1998.
Paraguay: Paraguay
is into the World Cup and they mean business. They certainly
see a good chance of being able to progress if they can only
deal with Sweden. But they must fight off England first. They
have a strike pair of Jose Cardozo and Roque Santa Cruz.
Cardozo was on fire during qualifying and he should not
disappoint on the Big Stage. Nelson Valdez can also provide a
spark. Paraguay, as usual, is stacked in the striking department, but usually is weaker in
defense. They may adjust their formation accordingly to either
strengthen their defense with another defensive player, maybe a
midfielder, or to utilize their attacking ability and have
either a supporting attacking midfielder or three forwards.
Either way they will be a potent team and a force to be reckoned
with.
Qualifiers: England, Sweden.
Group C: This is
one of the two groups of death along with Group E, and it’s not surprising
that both groups have the toughest European 2nd seeds
in the drawing. This group will be dynamite to the bitter end.
It will be sad to see two teams fail to qualify from this group
as all of them can compete with the best, each in their own
different way. Many fans will have speculated that at least one
of the two teams who fail in this group would have qualified had
they been drawn into Group D.
Ivory Coast: Yes,
Ivory Coast has possibly one of the best strikers in the world
in Didier Drogba. He has size, touch, lethal striking power and
accuracy, and great heading control. But it’s the team around
Drogba that will decide their outcome. They will need good
performances from Bonaventure Kalou and Aruna Didane in order to
succeed. Kalou can create from the midfield, and, if Henri
Michel decides to play Drogba in a supporting role as he has in
qualifying, then more pressure will lie on Didane to cause
problems for opposing defenses, especially slower ones like that
of the Serbs and possibly the Dutch. It will be tough, but they
will have good practice from the African Cup of Nations
beginning this in January, and by playing the two hardest teams
first they can come out with unexpected tactics and strategies
and possibly catch both Argentina and Holland by surprise. They
should not expect to advance with a loss to either team, though,
and they must win against Serbia in order to qualify.
Serbia and Montenegro:
Most of this team has benefited from the former Yugoslavia’s
past success in the World Cup in at least the knowledge of how
to succeed in the big tournament and what type of experience and
level of play to expect. The country knows, although the name
and political borders are different, that they have the same
standard and expectations as they once did. They will not
deliver like the Yugoslavian team in 1990, but they have the
ability to make a difference and possibly qualify through the
group. Serbia are tough, hard working, and do not back down.
They have a good striker in Mateja Kezman, and a hard working
midfield around Dejan Stankovic. The variable could be Zvonimir
Vukic, who has the ability to create problems for defenses as
well as get the occasional well-timed goal. They played two
tough games against Spain and came out with two points, which
shows Serbia’s ability to play against a top ranked team even in
a hostile atmosphere. Their games against Holland and Argentina
could each be potential upsets, but most likely not both.
Serbia may have the ability to win two games, but they shouldn’t
end up with more than six points. They will have to be
physically tough against Argentina to force the South American’s
more finesse players to be cautious when entering tackles, and
then feed off that intimidation and attack with speed. Against
the Netherlands, their physical presence will be matched, so
they will need to exploit the Dutch defense, which is either
slow and aging or young and inexperienced, and get close range
shots because Van der Sar can make saves from almost anywhere.
Serbia did not go undefeated in qualifying by luck, they have a
defense and know how to shut a team out, but they have never
seen the likes of Holland or Argentina’s offensive power, not
even from Spain.
Argentina: Argentina
is one of the top five teams attending the World Cup. They have
skill, pace, cohesiveness, individuals as well as group strength
in each of the four aspects of their team. Watch for their
weakness to be Roberto Abbondanzieri, their goalkeeper, who is
definitely capable but not one of the best in the world. Beside
that, there are very few weak links, a defense that has speed
and ability to break out a dangerous attack, but they will need
to remember to defend and not always move forward. They have
lost Gabriele Heinze for the World Cup, which will be a blow to
their central defense as well as their aerial abilities during
set pieces. There is no real defense for a midfield with Aimar
and Riquelme and an attack with Tevez and any number of partners
that can play with him. This will be the World debut of Carlos
Tevez; many have seen him and heard of him, but after this World
Cup, everyone will know why he has been a hot topic. He even
got facial surgery to make him look prettier as a celebrity, but
David Beckham has nothing to worry about, except on the field
should England ever meet Argentina. This Argentine team could
go all the way, but don’t get too excited, as it will be far
from easy for them. Starting off against an Ivory Coast team
that wants to prove itself, remember that Argentina have a
history with opening games against African opponents. The group
will not be a pushover, and Argentina has the chance of being
the France of the last World Cup. Follow that with the Serbia
game and Argentina have a recipe for disaster. Come out of that
game with any less than four points and it’s over. Their game
against Holland will be a defining moment in the World Cup;
watch for non-stop midfield and attacking brilliance and a long
day for each defense. It will be a shootout, but based on pure
talent and possibly even more, Argentina should come out with a
win and 9 points, or 7 if necessary.
The Netherlands:
Few have forgotten the days of Total Football and Marco van
Basten’s dominance of the game. He will bring that mentality
back to the team as their mentor and, as always, Holland has the
personnel to succeed. With one more World Cup effort left in
the dwindling tank of Edwin Van der Sar, Marco van Basten will
have a world class goalkeeper behind a defense that will need a
little help. Most of his defenders have no experience on the
World Cup stage, but they do in comparable competitions such as
qualifying and even Euro 2004. However, by taking a look at
their qualifying record, where they let up an astonishing 3
goals in 12 matches, it’s safe to say they can hold their own.
Holland has not seen an attack as potent as Argentina’s, though,
and that will be the real test in what could be a very crucial
third match. Dealing with Serbia and Ivory Coast will be
somewhat of a lesser ordeal compared to Argentina, but
overlooking them would be fatal to their qualifying. Both Ivory
Coast and Serbia have the ability to beat the Dutch but only if
they fight hard and respond with physical play. Expect the
veterans Edgar Davids, Van der Sar, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and
Philip Cocu to lead Holland, and the exciting play of Robin van
Persie and Arjen Robben to add the needed attacking spark to
finish off their games. It will all depend on their mentality,
though Holland can not afford to play down to their competition,
which they sometimes do. At their best they can win the World
Cup, but at their worst they wouldn’t have a prayer.
Qualifiers: Argentina, Netherlands.
Group D: This is by
far the weakest group of them all. Angola are first-timers,
Mexico have relinquished their role as the
best from CONCACAF, even though the seeding of teams
didn’t support it, Iran are the weakest Asian team, and Portugal
are the only team that really have accomplished international
ability. It’s hard not to pick the obvious one-two in this
group, but there are a few potential surprises that can’t be
overlooked. Both Angola and Iran know how to compete. Possibly
their greatest strength is that most international coaches know
nothing about them or pay attention to them. This should be the
least watched group, but may still offer a couple of decent
games.
Mexico: They are
back for a fourth straight World Cup appearance, and they field
a team with a few European stars as usual. Rafael Marquez and
Jared Borgetti are notables, but the player to watch is
Fransisco Fonseca. If Fonseca can provide support to Borgetti’s
aerial ability, then Mexico only need to be sure to defend. If
there is any one team in the tournament with the most favorable
schedule, it is Mexico. A moderate opener against Iran will
cause problems, but nothing more than what Mexico had to deal
with to qualify. It’s important that Mexico focus on their
strengths in mental and physical toughness as well as make up
for any weak links in their midfield by getting men behind the
ball and supporting a potentially high powered attack. The
Mexicans have speed and they can use it effectively to force
Iran to chase and tire quickly. However, the Mexicans are not
very good in Europe, with a much different climate creating a
more equal playing field, don’t be surprised to see them fail
because they don’t have the same edge they would have if they
played in a more humid and sweltering atmosphere. The game
against Portugal should provide some exciting play, but will
probably succumb to some heightened tempers and maybe some
frustration of having played two hard fought games already.
Mexico will not get off easy, they will need to play hard each
game to get through, and that might hurt them in the second
round.
Angola: Angola
should not be overlooked, and
they will focus primarily on being able to stay fit and run all
game long. Whatever Angola lack
in skill they will make up for in pure fitness. Very little is
known about the Angolans, and that is to their advantage. Most
of their players do not play in Europe, Luis de Oliveira
Goncalves is staying quiet about their preparation, and
qualifying results show Akwa to be a prolific international
scorer. There is more to them than it seems and they will bring
a surprise package to the World Cup. They will rely on their
full team to bring them results, and a win will come from a team
effort instead of individual skill. Angola will have a good
chance to become more close-knit in the upcoming African Nations
Cup and surely fans can look for Ricardo La Volpe, Branko
Ivankovic, and Luiz Felipe Scolari (or their scouts), in
attendance.
Iran: Iran proved a
huge point in their last World Cup in 1998, but things have
changed greatly and they will not be favored very highly in this
group. They will rely mostly on Ali Daei to provide their
scoring spark, and will have to hope to contain opposing
offenses in order to gain an edge. One thing is for certain
though, the longer Iran hang in the game, the better chance they
have of pulling out a win, they know how to be opportunistic and
they know not only how to get a late goal in a deadlocked game,
but also how to hold a slim lead, as they showed in qualifying.
Iran’s matches against Mexico and Angola will be close 1 or 2
goal games. Their game against Portugal may be a little further
out of hand. Iran should be happy to get 3 points, but don’t be
surprised to see a tie against Mexico and possibly qualification
with 4 points.
Portugal: Scolari
will bring the strongest Group D team, and arguably the
strongest team in Portuguese history since Eusebio, and even
then there was hardly any need for a team around him. This
coming World Cup will see a class of Portuguese that will be
unwilling to suffer the same mistakes as the 2002 team. Scolari
brings an individual with incredible flair and talent in
Cristiano Ronaldo who will show that not only is he great with
his feet, but as a header as well. Lius Figo is still around
along with Armando Petit, Pauleta, and Nuno Gomes. They will be
veterans that can remind the young ones of how to avoid the
team’s performance in the last World Cup. Look for Deco to be
the spark in the midfield with passes, runs, and dribbles that
should spice up a couple of boring match-ups against Iran and
Angola. Scolari is correct in saying that Portugal need to
focus on themselves the most, though they are a fragile team and
can crumble with the first setback they have. Their game
against Angola will be paramount in determining their confidence
levels for an important must win against Iran. The Mexico game
should be meaningless when Portugal reaches it because both
teams will most likely meet very stiff competition in the second
round from either Argentina or Holland. Portugal would rather
see Holland because against European competition they would know
more what to expect than against the dazzling South Americans.
Qualifiers: Portugal, Mexico.
Group E: This could
not have gone worse for Ghana or the United States. Both teams
had high hopes, being the best representatives coming from their
respective qualifying regions, but both were paired with easily
the two strongest European teams possible in the drawing. This
is without doubt the true Group of Death, with Group C in close
second. Three of the teams in this group were ranked in the top
10 in FIFA’s convoluted ranking system and the United States
could make a case that they were robbed of a deserving top seed
by Mexico. In the world of football, an analyst can not ignore
the political undertones to the game, and football is the most
political sport in the world. This group has many political
undertones, and the United States has been an epicenter for
political controversy in the past few years. This draw will
receive many different political conspiracy theories: perhaps
FIFA didn’t want to see the USA paired with Iran, even though it
went so smoothly in 1998. The United States may be seen, in the
situation it’s in, as an oppressor getting what it deserves, or,
from some Americans’ standpoints, in the traditional
nationalistic role of being the underdogs and overcoming huge
odds to triumph over adversity. All of these will be exercised
and all of the theories are absolute crap. Sport is sport, and
politics are politics; they are connected, but any way we look
at it, the USA is just plain unlucky this time. This group will
showcase two managerial geniuses in Bruce Arena and Marcello
Lippi, three of the best international goalkeepers with Cech,
Keller, and Buffon, and also three top class attacking
midfielders in Totti, Rosicky, and Donovan. Now on to the real
business.
Italy: After an
embarrassing and rather unsettling exit from the last World Cup,
Italy has swallowed their comments and come back as a force.
Lippi is an experienced manager and knows best about how to
prepare Italy for stiff competition. He will field the
second-best international goalkeeper in the world with Gianluigi
Buffon, and the traditional stalwart defense with Nesta,
Cannevaro, Matarazzi, and possibly Bonera. The midfield is as
flawless as England’s with stars Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso,
Mauro Camoranesi, and maybe Totti or Del Piero if Lippi so
chooses. The forwards can be any combination of Vieri, Totti,
Del Piero, Toni, Cassano, or the young Gilardino. Both Cassano
and Gilardino are equally prolific, so it could be one or the
other. What Lippi has most importantly are versatile players
such as Totti, Del Piero, and Gilardino so his lineups and
tactics can be a mystery. Italy starts against Ghana and it is
a favorable start for them, Lippi may need time to settle on a
lineup that works; Italy is also sometimes slow in the beginning
of their campaign so Ghana will be a perfect test without
causing too much trouble. Italy needs to be careful, Ghana is
known as the “Brazil of Africa” and the Italians will pay should
they slacken too much. Slow defense will be a problem against
Ghana, and the United States, their first two games. Look for
Italy to shut down Landon Donovan with the hard-tackling of
Gennaro Gattuso. If Italy can
force the United States into alternate forms of attacking,
primarily with the flanks, then the defense may be able to cope
with the other U. S. players. If Landon gets loose, though,
there will be no containing him. Against the Czech Republic it
will be the clash of the Titans; these two teams will provide
either the most entertaining game or the most boring game of the
group stage depending on whether attack or defense prevails.
Lippi won’t be rash with this game; he will ask his team to be
cautious and essentially play not to lose. The Czechs may not
be so forgiving, and the game could go either way.
United States: While
the Italians have Buffon, the United States have Kasey Keller,
definitely the best international goalkeeper in the world.
Without Keller, the U. S. would most likely have not become the
power they are. There are no controversies over the U.S.
goalkeeper position, but beyond that, anyone can guess because
it will be a mystery until they take the field. Bruce Arena is
one of the top five best modern international coaches. Arena is
secretive, very good at adapting his team and a genius when it
comes to game to game tactics. He was impressive in the 2002
World Cup when he changed his lineup and tactics almost every
game to get to the quarterfinals, and they were even one bad
call away from having a chance at the semifinals. While most
teams have a player as their ace-in-the-hole, the United States
has their cunning and calculating manager. There is more to the
United States than goalie and coach. They have a brilliant
young player in Landon Donovan, and although he never really
progressed in Europe, he is as good as any midfield creator in
the world. Among the European-based players are DaMarcus
Beasley, John O’Brien, Brian McBride, Eddie Lewis, Oguchi Onyewu,
Bobby Convey, and their leader Claudio Reyna. Reyna has emerged
as the best defensive midfielder in all of the Premier League,
but, although he is among a good group of European-based
players, the U. S. will surely bring an equally skilled group of
homegrown players. Bruce Arena is smart enough to know that few
Europeans pay more than occasional attention to the MLS and the
players on the U. S. team from their own league will not
necessarily be scouted well. Look for Clint Dempsey to be
included and add
much-needed physical
toughness. Steve Ralston has been in enough internationals to be
well known and he will probably provide crosses from the right
hand wing. A more than competent defense will be anchored by
big-man Oguchi Onyewu, who can man-mark and eliminate almost any
striker. One thing fans can be sure of is that whatever the
United States bring into each game will be unexpected and most
assuredly every player will have a very specific purpose for
being on the field. USA starts against the Czech Republic, and
will use speed to exploit possible defensive weaknesses; look
also for set pieces around the Czech area, even corners, as
Onyewu and McBride are very powerful headers of the ball, and
McBride is enjoying a good scoring spell at Fulham, not just
with his head. The game with Italy will be a clash of
managerial geniuses, and the tactical chess match between Lippi
and Arena will unfold during what should be a great game. The
USA needs, again, to exploit a slow Italian defense in order to
succeed and Onyewu will most likely be asked to shut down Vieri
or Totti up front, but more likely Vieri because he is slower
and bigger. The United States needs at least 2 points from
their first two games and no less than a win against Ghana to
qualify. It’s possible but not very probable. Even if the
United States qualifies in second, they will undoubtedly meet
Brazil in the second round. It will be nothing but uphill the
whole tournament for Sam’s Army.
Czech Republic:
While Czechoslovakia is no stranger to World Cup play, the Czech
Republic is a first timer, but don’t be fooled, they are already
an international power and have every right to expect to make it
to the final. Unfortunately, it has shown in its short
international career that the Czech Republic underachieves, as
they did in Euro 2004, failing to even arrive in the 2002 World
Cup. The Czechs, though, boast some amazing talent led by Pavel
Nedved, Milan Baros, and Jiri Jarosik. Watch for Tomas Rosicky-
he has great skill as a youngster, and Karel Bruckner is smart
enough to be sure Rosicky plays an important role in the Czech’s
campaign because he can create chances as well as Totti for
Italy or Donovan for the U. S. Rosicky will cause trouble for
any team, and look for Italy to match Gattuso up to him, while
the U. S. may not have an answer. The Czechs may also look to
Jan Koller for aerial ability on set pieces. Milan Baros is
typically a better international performer than on the club
level, so look for him to provide
the goals as the frontrunner. The Czech’s start with a tough
game against the United States, and certainly Rosicky will make
the difference for the Czechs in midfield, but unlike Italy,
Czech Republic may not be able to contain the speed of Beasley
and Donovan or the heading ability of both McBride and Onyewu.
Against Italy, it will be push and shove, back and forth, but in
the end it seems that the Italians will be too strong,
especially behind their masterful manager. Because of this game
as the third game, the Czechs cannot afford any less than four
points entering the game. The Czechs also have another world
class goalkeeper in Petr Cech, and he should be able to serve
well as long as his defense can manage to hold shots to outside
the area.
Ghana: Along with
the Ivory Coast, Ghana is the other strongest African team,
nicknamed the “Brazil of Africa”. Their leader is Micheal
Essien in the midfield, but watch for the attacking abilities of
Matthew Amoah, and Sulley Muntari. Ghana is the underdog of the
group, but Ratomir Dujkovic is optimistic and he knows better
than anyone that Ghana is capable of one upset and a good result
against the U. S. to get through the group. He may have to rely
on huge pressure on the Czechs and Italians to come through with
an upset. Stephen Appiah is also a very capable midfielder, but
Dujkovic’s primary problem will be depth; they will need supreme
fitness in order to stay with the other three teams in the
group. Don’t expect more than 3 points, but Ghana could pull an
upset and qualify through with 4 or 5 points.
Qualifiers: Italy, Czech Republic.
Group F: This group
will have an average team qualifying as second regardless of
results. The first place spot is Brazil’s to lose and it
doesn’t look very feasible. Besides Brazil, the showcase of
talent in the group will be Dado Prso, Junichi Inamoto,
Hidetoshi Nakata, and Mark Viduka. However, it may not seem so,
but each of the three teams fighting for second has an equal
chance at qualifying, even Australia, who are grossly
under-estimated. It is also safe to say that each of those
three teams will likely play for a draw against Brazil and all
of them will lose as a result. It will be a competition at who
is best with damage control against Brazil.
Australia: The
Socceroos were the surprise team to qualify with a penalty
shootout playoff win over two-time World Cup champion Uruguay.
But Australia fully deserved to qualify and have the players
and, more importantly, the coach to progress through the group
stage. Guus Hiddink is another of my top five modern
international coaches and he will show his tactical superiority
against Croatia and Japan. Many people are writing them off,
but I am not falling for the underdog predictions and terrible
ranking- Hiddink will make his team a contender for 2nd
place. Watch for Brett Emerton, Marco Breciano, Mark Viduka,
and Harry Kewell (if he’s fit) as they fuel the Australian
midfield and attack. They also have strong performers in Tim
Cahill, Lucas Neill, and Tony Vidmar. And goalkeeper
Mark Schwarzer will keep them in any game, except against
Brazil; there is no hope against them. Against Croatia,
Australia will need to bottle up their midfield, cause chaos,
and use wingers to send in chances for Bresciano and Viduka.
Viduka is very good in both the air and on the ground.
Combining Viduka’s skill and his first real appearance on the
biggest international stage will be enough motivation for
powerful performances from the Australian striker. Against
Japan, Australia must contain speed and take advantage of
Japan’s size in the back, no Japanese player has the size of
Viduka, and that may make a difference on set pieces. In the
end, though, Australia will desperately need good games from
Schwarzer to bail them out of tough situations against Japan
especially, and, more importantly, if Australia falls behind,
they will not be able to regain ground. They need to keep the
game tied for as long as possible and get a leading goal in
order to win. By the time Australia plays Croatia, Hiddink will
know what they need to do to qualify. Expect
him to take care of business and be sure Australia performs in
excess of media expectations.
Brazil: Brazil has a
simple task, but not simple in the way that most people will see
it. It’s not as easy as “just be sure to win”. They need to
address two goals for each game: first, do not allow the
opponent to stay in the game past half, and second, get an early
goal and destroy any potential momentum. Brazil can not afford
to finish second because the second place team most likely plays
Italy, and Italy is one team that wants redemption against
Brazil. However, with players such as Ronaldinho, Kaka, Cafu,
and Roberto Carlos for one last time, Perreira will have a tough
time losing. Look for Ronaldo to re-ignite his World Cup
scoring streak, and newcomer Robinho to show why Real Madrid
wanted him so badly. The normal weakness for Brazil is in
goalkeeping; if there are any troubles for Brazil, it will be
with Dida, or with the defense and whatever central defender
Perriera decides to pair with Lucio. The only team that poses a
threat for Brazil is Japan with team speed and Japan’s
capability to pull an upset. Expect at least 7 points if not 9.
Japan: The country
of Japan will expect success, but the team itself can’t expect
many fans in Germany and therefore little support in hostile
Europe, which could hurt their chances. There has always been a
problem for Asian teams playing in Europe. No Asian team has
qualified through the group stages in a European-hosted World
Cup since Korea DPR in England in 1966. This should be no
different; Asian teams seem to underachieve in the European
countries. Japan will have their hands full with Brazil, but
expect a lot of pressure to be relieved with the midfield play
of Inamoto and Nakata. Since it will be the third game, Japan
can hope for fatigue in the Brazilians and possibly some
distraction since Brazil will already have qualified. Japan
starts against Australia, and that game could determine who
places second, since Australia should be able to hold their own
against Croatia, and Japan should as well. Leave it to Guus
Hiddink to make some brilliant tactical changes during the
Japan-Australia game. Japan may have had a great World Cup in
2002, but this may be a disappointing one. Against Croatia
expect Japan to attack with speed and try to score early; it
will be an important game to win and to bring momentum into the
Brazil game. Look for Oguro to score the goals in Japan’s
frontline.
Croatia: Croatia has
taken steps backwards since their stunning debut in 1998. They
have lost most of their biggest impact players, and will rely
heavily on Dado Prso to get them goals, which he is capable of.
They will also look to Darijo Srna to help lead their midfield.
Their defense has usually been their strong point and they only
let in 5 goals in 10 matches in qualifying. But it won’t be
enough against the likes of Brazil and possibly even Japan.
Team speed is also a problem and will be exploited. Croatia
needs a good result in their last game against Australia in
order to have a chance at qualifying. Croatia will enter that
game against a manager that will have a specific tactic
structure to win the game; Zlatko Kranjcar needs to be equal to
Guus Hiddink. Croatia may be a disappointment, but they could
have a chance of going through, though they won’t get past Italy
if they do qualify.
Qualifiers: Brazil,
Australia.
Group G: This group
features an African minnow in Togo and an Asian power in
Korea. Both teams will want to show they can compete
with the best, but Korea should really be expecting a second
place finish. France will be heavily favored and they won’t
falter this time. They are not
absentminded enough to forget 2002, so you can
be sure they will come out with a vengeance. The Swiss
will be on the bubble, ready to teeter either way depending on
their game against Togo. Both the French and Swiss coaches will
be watching the African Nations Cup for a little extra
information on their opponent.
Togo: Togo beat out
last World Cup’s surprise team Senegal to qualify, and it was no
easy road; Togo showed that it fully deserved to qualify into
this World Cup and it intends on performing well. With a few
players abroad, Togo will rely on its more experienced players
to help it along the way. Watch for Emmanuel Adebayor who was
an absolute barn-stormer in qualifying with 10 goals in 9
games. He will need to perform for Togo to compete. They will
rely on counter-attack against France, but anything more than a
tie is a big stretch. Their games against Switzerland and Korea
will be the determining games. Still Togo is the biggest
underdog and should be happy with any points. Switzerland has
too capable a team for Togo to compete with, and they will need
to focus on stopping the attack before it can afford to attack
the Swiss. Expect a losing battle from the start and at the
very most a tie with a potential infrequent attacking
opportunity here and there in each of Togo’s three games.
France: France will
bring a team capable of dominating not only their group, but
possibly the tournament. Raymond Domenech can call upon the
ranks of Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Claude Makelele,
Zinadine Zidane, and Lillian Thuram as the veterans who can lead
the team through the stages. France went undefeated in the
qualifying stages but also couldn’t manage to break five ties,
mostly with lesser teams. France’s big game will be against the
Swiss and it should be addressed with the importance of a
rivalry. Raymond Domenech will
expect the Swiss to rise to the occasion as they did during
qualifying, matching them twice with only a goal apiece. France
has never seen the likes of Togo, and Domenech will spend time
with the African Nations Cup scouting Togo for potential
threats. Expect a coming out party against Togo, as it will be
France’s third game and they will want to carry momentum into
the second round while also experimenting enough with players
and tactics to formulate backup plans going into the next
round. France needs to address Korea seriously in the second
match, even coming off a win against the Swiss, which isn’t a
given. Korea has the potential
to be the most dangerous team and a spoiler for France.
France’s defense is not much quicker than Italy’s and no one
will forget how Korea exposed Italy last World Cup. France has
won their only two matches against Korea with 8 goals total; it
could be the same this time but it will depend on Thierry Henry
getting open and free. In the coming weeks watch how Domenech
handles the situation, possibly calling up Nicholas Anelka. He
once was a great forward but since has declined; however, should
he be included in the squad, as he might be a variable that
teams don’t account for. Anelka is much like Henry to a
somewhat lesser extent, but the two of them together would be a
better pairing than with the under-achieving David Trezeguet or
the equally ineffective Djibril Cisse. Look for France to focus
on getting goals, which is their greatest problem and needs to
be solved if they are to have a chance of going far in the
tournament.
Korea: The battle
for second place should be between Korea and Switzerland, but
nothing can be assumed in the World Cup, and if France does in
fact flop for a second World Cup in a row, look for Korea to
command the top spot. Korea seems to be more skilled than its
Asian counterpart Japan, and although it suffered two qualifying
losses to another World Cup team, Saudi Arabia, it will
assuredly approach the World Cup with greater purpose than ever
before. Dick Advocaat is another very good manager, and he
knows he will need to scout Togo to be ready because the result
in the first game will decide the group phase for Korea. If
Korea plays France with zero or even one point in the bag, it
will be uphill for them, facing a must-win against the Swiss,
not a situation the Koreans should expect to qualify from. With
that said, the match schedule for Korea is favorable, definitely
the easiest game to begin with, followed by its hardest but
still a potential upset. By the time the Koreans meet the Swiss
they will know what they have to do, and Dick Advocaat is a
brilliant manager. The Swiss
would do well not to underestimate Advocaat’s tactical and
strategic abilities as well as Korea’s talented players. Korea
has the services of Park Ji-Sung, the exciting winger from
Manchester United, and he will not disappoint, but he may not
play on the wing. Advocaat may need him elsewhere on the field,
possibly more central to help provide for the attackers or in an
advanced role up front with his speed and technical abilities.
Jung Hwan Ahn returns as an attacker and his World Cup
experience should be invaluable for the Koreans in their
deciding second and third matches.
Switzerland: The
Swiss are looking to build on their appearance in Euro 2004, and
they have some good players and a reasonably strong core to
perform well enough to qualify. The game that many fans will
consider as their most important will be the one against
Koreans, since the fight for second place will be a battle
determined by that result. However, the game that everyone may
overlook as possibly going either way will be between the French
and the Swiss. Switzerland played France to two ties in
qualifying and they’ve seen the French team enough to know what
to expect. While France has a deep bench, Switzerland has a
more than competent starting team and are deep enough to even
add some skill from the bench. Watch for the trio of Alexander
Frei, Johan Volanthen, and Philippe Senderos as the key parts in
a potent attack. Switzerland will need their goalkeeper Jorg
Stiel to be especially outstanding because they can expect lots
of shots from outside the box, especially if their usually
strong defense manages to frustrate opposing attackers. France,
Togo, and Korea will be sure to study how Turkey managed four
goals against the Swiss, but they need to keep in mind that any
team that ousts Turkey, especially in extremely hostile
Istanbul, can hold their own against anyone. Switzerland is not
to be underestimated and tabs must be kept at all times on their
three key players. Expect the second game to determine the
standings for the Swiss, as nothing less than a win over Togo
will do. That makes three teams that really can not afford to
lose or tie to Togo, making Togo the team that can ruin anyone’s
hopes for qualifying out of the group, and therefore a very
dangerous team. Expect at least one team, and it could be the
Swiss, to falter against Togo unexpectedly, especially if the
Swiss come off a psychological victory against the French with a
tie. It’s easy to overlook Togo to see Korea, or to spend too
much time dwelling on the match against the French; if anything
could hurt the Swiss against Togo, distraction would be the
worst.
Qualifiers: France,
Korea.
Group H: The eighth
and final group in the World Cup is another weak group on par
with Group D. Spain is the endlessly under-achieving World Cup
performer, Ukraine is in their first World Cup, Tunisia never
offered much and Saudi Arabia is one of the stronger Asian
representatives. The group looks immediately like Spain and
Ukraine are the qualifiers and it should follow that track and
become probably the most straight forward and predictable group
of the tournament.
Spain: We could
count on one hand how many times Spain has entered the World Cup
and actually performed to expectations, and they always seem to
set themselves up for disappointment. Now, though, Spain may
have expectations to get out of the group, but they should be
considered relative underdogs compared to the likes of Brazil,
Germany, France, England, and Argentina. Even to the Czech
Republic and Netherlands, Spain may not be favored. Spain lost
Raul to a broken leg, and Xavi is out as well, but both could be
back. It is not as much a setback as it is an opportunity. For
too long Spain has relied on Raul to lead the team to glory and
it’s time to change that focus to a full-team effort instead of
moving through a few players. Spain has usually come to the
World Cup with a few outstanding players that seem to control
their fate, but this time Spain will come and feature a team as
talented as England’s. Iker Casillas will start in goal as one
of the best young international goalkeepers and he will be
fronted by experienced defenders Carles Puyol, Carlos Marchena,
and Michel Salgado. The midfield should be riddled with
individual talent as Aragones can choose from Ruben Baraja, Xabi
Alonso, Joaquin, Vicente, and possibly Raul and Xavi should they
return. Look for the front runners to be the prolific Fernando
Torres, who has been scoring regularly for Spain, and possibly
the experience of Fernando Morientes, but only if he finds
regular time at Liverpool. Otherwise it could possibly be a
toss-up between Jose Reyes, David Villa and Luque. Starting
against Ukraine will be no easy task and Spain will need defense
to douse the Ukraine attack and watch their number one man,
Andriy Shevchenko. Afterwards, only Tunisia and Saudi Arabia
stand in Spain’s way to qualification. Look for Tunisia to be a
goal-glut so that Spain can ensure they have goal differential
going into the final game, because finishing second would not be
favorable. Finishing first, however, will most likely give a
match-up against Korea or Switzerland, something both Ukraine
and Spain would love to have considering the alternative,
France.
Ukraine: Ukraine is
just happy to be there as expected, but they also expect
progression from the group, and they should. The first game will
be the most important: Ukraine doesn’t want to meet France if
they go through, so coming out against Spain will be a primary
target. Ukraine has dealt with the Denmark defense, and
Sorensen and Casillas are equally skilled in goal. But it’s the
Ukraine defense that will need to be alert as Spain has enough
skill on attack to dribble circles around the Ukrainian
defensive line. It might be a sit-back-and-send-long-balls type
of game for Ukraine, which isn’t necessarily bad because of the
one world class frontrunner they have in Shevchenko. Ukraine
has to get results against Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, at least
one win from the two games and no less than four points, to
realistically expect to qualify. Ukraine’s games may be low
scoring but they can pack a punch and if the flood gates open
for them, it will be open season scoring all game long, which
might make a long game for Tunisia, or even Saudi Arabia, who
sometimes are susceptible to heavy defeats to European
opposition (see: Germany, 2002).
Saudi Arabia: The
Saudis are in for a tough group draw, but starting against
Tunisia could be a springboard. Look for Sami Al Jaber and
Hamad Al Montashari as possible sparks. Al Jaber can score, but
the Saudis will be hoping to get an even spread of scoring from
its midfield and strikers as no one player really stands out.
There is another variable that seems to show with Middle Eastern
teams- the grit and will to win. Teams such as Iran and Saudi
Arabia seem to play with a higher purpose, something beyond the
game. Watch for Saudi Arabia to
rely on psychological toughness and a shared faith between
teammates to achieve good results. If Saudi Arabia comes out of
the Tunisia game with a win, it could come down to the second
game against Ukraine to determine second place. If Saudi Arabia
has hope, it might be enough to cause an upset. Saudi Arabia,
like Angola and Togo, has an element of surprise and it will
take some detailed scouting to reveal their secrets.
Tunisia: Tunisia
finished ahead of Morocco in the African qualifying with only
one loss and two draws to reach their fourth World Cup.
Tunisia, along with Saudi Arabia, will have a tough road in the
group, but starting against Saudi Arabia offers as much
opportunity for Tunisia as it does the Arabs. Tunisia may have
more talent, especially with striker Francileudo dos Santos
Silva, who plays in France. Santos has the ability to exploit
defenses and score goals but he will need a good supporting cast
for Tunisia to win any games. Tunisia will have a chance to gel
during the African Nations Cup and it should be a good
preparation for the World Cup. Once again, as with Saudi
Arabia, if Ukraine loses to Spain, the group will be wide open.
Neither Tunisia nor Saudi Arabia can expect to beat Spain in a
situation where Spain would need a win, but both could hope to
compete with Ukraine, especially in a pressure situation.
Pressure can level the playing field and both Tunisia and Saudi
Arabia want as much pressure on Ukraine as possible. Tunisia
are fortunate to have Ukraine as their final game because with a
win against Saudi Arabia, and most likely a loss to Spain, they
can prepare for the Ukraine game as the possible second place
decider, and Tunisia will not back down or be intimidated.
Qualifiers: Spain,
Ukraine.
Players to Watch (of the
736 attending):
Andriy Shevchenko
Mark Viduka
Park Ji-Sung
Francesco Totti
Fernando Torres
Landon Donovan
Robin van Persie
Arjen Robben
Sebastian Diesler
Pablo Aimar
Wayne Rooney
Carlos Tevez
Tomas Rosicky
Robinho
Ronaldinho
Thierry Henry
Kasey Keller
Cafu
Roberto Carlos
Thanks to
www.uefa.com,
www.fifaworldcup.com, and
www.soccernet.com for providing valuable information and
insight that led to the direction of much of my analysis.
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