Tuesday, June 06, 2006
World Cup Preview: Group H
Teams: Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Suadi Arabia
History: Spain is the most experienced of the group by a mile, as this will be their 12th World Cup. But despite often sending extremely skilled teams with big expectations, Spain has always come up short. They've never played in a final, and only once even reached the semis, back in 1950. The have usually made it out of their group, but self-destruct in the knock-out round, like in 2002 when bizzare officiating cost them their quarter-final game against South Korea. The other European team, Ukraine, has qualified for the first time. Saudi Arabia has been to the last three World Cups, reaching the knock-out round in 1994. In 2002 they were blown out in the group stage, outscored 12-0. Tunisia has made it to the previous two tournaments, but you have to go back to 1978 to find their only ever win.
Spain: The Spanish come to this World Cup with a very talented club, who has been able to score at will, like they did against Slovakia in a playoff to qualify. Fernando Torres and David Villa are two young, dynamic forwards who should have no problem finding the net against their first round opponents. And of course there is the all-time great Raul up front as well, plus Liverpool's Luis Garcia, so this is clearly where Spain's strength lies. But they are also well rounded in the midfield with a good blend of experience and youth with 2002 returnees David Albelda and Xavi Hernandez, who will be joined by newcomers Andres Iniesta, Jose Antonio Reyes, and Cesc Fabregas. The defense, headlined by Carles Puyol, may not be quite as strong as the other two areas, but is by no means a weakness. 'Keeper Iker Casillas will provide able goaltending. So once again Spain has a team that should easily win the group and compete for the championship. But few people are mentioning them as possible contenders, simply due to the fact that they have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory so many times.
Ukraine: The eastern Europeans were the first team to qualify for Germany 2006, in a very tough qualifying group no less, so they have had plenty of time to make adjustments to their squad in hopes that they will find the winning combination. Almost every one of Ukraine's players hail from the domestic league, several of them from Dynamo Kiev, so chemistry and familiarity should not be a concern. One man who does not play locally is all-world striker Andriy Shevchenko formerly of AC Milan (he's transferred to Chelsea recently). Ukraine plays solid defense, led by young Andriy Rusol, and likes to use the counter-attack to generate goals. The midfield is workmanlike with Ruslan Rotan and Oleg Husev, but it is at forward where Ukraine's tournament will be made or broken. Shevchenko is one of the world's top marksmen, and his play will be very indicative of how well Ukraine does. But the magnificent forward injured his knee in May, and his fitness for the tournament is uncertain. Ukraine will surely need him if they are to go any distance in the tournament.
Tunisia: Former Team France manager Roger Lemerre leads the conservative, technically sound Tunisians into the tournament. The two most dangerous players on the squad will be forwards Francileudo Dos Santos, a native Brazilian, and Ziad Jaziri who is excellent one-on-one. As you would expect the defense is reliable but not flashy, though Hatem Trabelsi will join the attack on occasion. The midfield is the key to Tunisia's chances. Lead by Riadh Bouazizi, they play an aggressive style and play strong positionally. Tunisia has been criticized is the past for their boring style, but that style gives them a chance to advance. If Shevchenko is injured, Tunisia should be able to contain Ukraine, who they will likely battle with for second spot. A spot in the second round is not out of reach for the North Africans.
Saudi Arabia: You'd think that in appearing in their fourth consecutive World Cup, the Saudis would come more experienced and prepared to finally compete. But in fact, they seem to have gotten weaker each time out. They qualified strongly, but then inexplicably fired the coach who had gotten them to Germnay. Lately, Saudi Arabia has been slumping, having won only two of 13 international matches in 2006, those wins coming against "powerful" Yemen and Togo, though the latter is at least in the tournament. Almost all of thier roster has been drawn from domestic club teams Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal, so the players should at least be used to each other. The lone star on the team will be defender Hamad Al-Montashari, the 2005 Asian Footballer of the Year. The forward pairing will consist of greybeard Sami Al-Jaber, in his fourth World Cup, and the young Yasser Al-Qahtani. This team might be stronger than the one that was crushed 8-0 by Germany in 2002, but will have to play much better if they are to avoid the same fate against Spain and have any hope of advancing.
Match to Watch: Spain v Ukraine, June 14. Undoubtedly the two best teams in this group. Should be an entertaining match, with the winner likely to take top spot in the group.
Prediction: 1) Spain, 2) Ukraine, 3) Tunisia, 4) Saudi Arabia. If Spain can't finish in the top half of this group they might as well quit the sport entirely. With Shevchenko in the line-up, Ukraine should be a safe bet to advance as well, but if he's out Tunisia could jump up and steal their spot. The Saudis look disorganized, but should improve on their 2002 performance (could it have been worse?).
Final Thoughts
This concludes the group previews for the World Cup. I have predicted strongly in favour of European teams, as the teams from the hosting continent usually fare quite well. I predict that the pre-tournament favourites Brazil will not reach the final this time around. After three straight finals appearances, they surely must be due for a slip-up somewhere along the way. You'll also notice that I have not predicted any African teams to advance this time. Usually one team from that continent is good for a surprise run, but unfortunately for them, it appears as though their two best teams, Ghana and Ivory Coast, have been put into the two hardest groups. Since the tournament is in Europe, I will predict a European side to lift the trophy on July 9th. I will go against the warnings history has laid out, and select...Spain as my champion. They have an easy group draw, and will likely play either France or Switzerland in the round of 16, two very beatable opponents. Predicting on into the quarter-final can be dicey, but a match with Brazil looms at that stage. Like I said, Brazil is due for a loss. For the record, I have the Spaniards facing Italy in the title game. But hey, even if Spain finds a way to lose yet again, I can take comfort in knowing that I wasn't the first person, nor will I be the last, to incorrectly call them the winners.
History: Spain is the most experienced of the group by a mile, as this will be their 12th World Cup. But despite often sending extremely skilled teams with big expectations, Spain has always come up short. They've never played in a final, and only once even reached the semis, back in 1950. The have usually made it out of their group, but self-destruct in the knock-out round, like in 2002 when bizzare officiating cost them their quarter-final game against South Korea. The other European team, Ukraine, has qualified for the first time. Saudi Arabia has been to the last three World Cups, reaching the knock-out round in 1994. In 2002 they were blown out in the group stage, outscored 12-0. Tunisia has made it to the previous two tournaments, but you have to go back to 1978 to find their only ever win.
Spain: The Spanish come to this World Cup with a very talented club, who has been able to score at will, like they did against Slovakia in a playoff to qualify. Fernando Torres and David Villa are two young, dynamic forwards who should have no problem finding the net against their first round opponents. And of course there is the all-time great Raul up front as well, plus Liverpool's Luis Garcia, so this is clearly where Spain's strength lies. But they are also well rounded in the midfield with a good blend of experience and youth with 2002 returnees David Albelda and Xavi Hernandez, who will be joined by newcomers Andres Iniesta, Jose Antonio Reyes, and Cesc Fabregas. The defense, headlined by Carles Puyol, may not be quite as strong as the other two areas, but is by no means a weakness. 'Keeper Iker Casillas will provide able goaltending. So once again Spain has a team that should easily win the group and compete for the championship. But few people are mentioning them as possible contenders, simply due to the fact that they have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory so many times.
Ukraine: The eastern Europeans were the first team to qualify for Germany 2006, in a very tough qualifying group no less, so they have had plenty of time to make adjustments to their squad in hopes that they will find the winning combination. Almost every one of Ukraine's players hail from the domestic league, several of them from Dynamo Kiev, so chemistry and familiarity should not be a concern. One man who does not play locally is all-world striker Andriy Shevchenko formerly of AC Milan (he's transferred to Chelsea recently). Ukraine plays solid defense, led by young Andriy Rusol, and likes to use the counter-attack to generate goals. The midfield is workmanlike with Ruslan Rotan and Oleg Husev, but it is at forward where Ukraine's tournament will be made or broken. Shevchenko is one of the world's top marksmen, and his play will be very indicative of how well Ukraine does. But the magnificent forward injured his knee in May, and his fitness for the tournament is uncertain. Ukraine will surely need him if they are to go any distance in the tournament.
Tunisia: Former Team France manager Roger Lemerre leads the conservative, technically sound Tunisians into the tournament. The two most dangerous players on the squad will be forwards Francileudo Dos Santos, a native Brazilian, and Ziad Jaziri who is excellent one-on-one. As you would expect the defense is reliable but not flashy, though Hatem Trabelsi will join the attack on occasion. The midfield is the key to Tunisia's chances. Lead by Riadh Bouazizi, they play an aggressive style and play strong positionally. Tunisia has been criticized is the past for their boring style, but that style gives them a chance to advance. If Shevchenko is injured, Tunisia should be able to contain Ukraine, who they will likely battle with for second spot. A spot in the second round is not out of reach for the North Africans.
Saudi Arabia: You'd think that in appearing in their fourth consecutive World Cup, the Saudis would come more experienced and prepared to finally compete. But in fact, they seem to have gotten weaker each time out. They qualified strongly, but then inexplicably fired the coach who had gotten them to Germnay. Lately, Saudi Arabia has been slumping, having won only two of 13 international matches in 2006, those wins coming against "powerful" Yemen and Togo, though the latter is at least in the tournament. Almost all of thier roster has been drawn from domestic club teams Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal, so the players should at least be used to each other. The lone star on the team will be defender Hamad Al-Montashari, the 2005 Asian Footballer of the Year. The forward pairing will consist of greybeard Sami Al-Jaber, in his fourth World Cup, and the young Yasser Al-Qahtani. This team might be stronger than the one that was crushed 8-0 by Germany in 2002, but will have to play much better if they are to avoid the same fate against Spain and have any hope of advancing.
Match to Watch: Spain v Ukraine, June 14. Undoubtedly the two best teams in this group. Should be an entertaining match, with the winner likely to take top spot in the group.
Prediction: 1) Spain, 2) Ukraine, 3) Tunisia, 4) Saudi Arabia. If Spain can't finish in the top half of this group they might as well quit the sport entirely. With Shevchenko in the line-up, Ukraine should be a safe bet to advance as well, but if he's out Tunisia could jump up and steal their spot. The Saudis look disorganized, but should improve on their 2002 performance (could it have been worse?).
Final Thoughts
This concludes the group previews for the World Cup. I have predicted strongly in favour of European teams, as the teams from the hosting continent usually fare quite well. I predict that the pre-tournament favourites Brazil will not reach the final this time around. After three straight finals appearances, they surely must be due for a slip-up somewhere along the way. You'll also notice that I have not predicted any African teams to advance this time. Usually one team from that continent is good for a surprise run, but unfortunately for them, it appears as though their two best teams, Ghana and Ivory Coast, have been put into the two hardest groups. Since the tournament is in Europe, I will predict a European side to lift the trophy on July 9th. I will go against the warnings history has laid out, and select...Spain as my champion. They have an easy group draw, and will likely play either France or Switzerland in the round of 16, two very beatable opponents. Predicting on into the quarter-final can be dicey, but a match with Brazil looms at that stage. Like I said, Brazil is due for a loss. For the record, I have the Spaniards facing Italy in the title game. But hey, even if Spain finds a way to lose yet again, I can take comfort in knowing that I wasn't the first person, nor will I be the last, to incorrectly call them the winners.
Comments:
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Wow, that is a surprise that you are predicting Spain. Hmm...if those two are in the final I would go with the Italians. Maybe Totti and Vieri will have a good tournament this time! Wasn't it last time Totti cost them when he was carded for that spitting thing? That seems to come to mind now.
In World Cup 2002 he was sent off, I think for diving, and in Euro 2004 he spit on a Danish player. Also, Vieri has retired from the national team. Alberto Gilardino could be Italy's top striker this time.
# posted by 
: June 06, 2006
: June 06, 2006
aww, that's too bad Vieri has gone now. What about Del Piero? He surely must be then as well. And maybe DiBaggio. Is Gilardino just a young player?
Yes, Gilardino is young. Del Piero is there, but he'll probably be used as a sub beacuse he's 34 now. DiBiagio is retired as well. Luca Toni is another possibility at forward.
# posted by : June 06, 2006
: June 06, 2006
That is amazing Del Peiro is there. What about that Luigi Buffon person. I think that's the name. Is he the keeper? Or is he gone now too?
Yes he's the keeper, one of the world's best. But he's alleged to have bet illegally on games back in Italy so he could be distracted.
# posted by : June 06, 2006
: June 06, 2006
Oh, brother. Greed is not a good thing. Sounds a bit like that is what this is. The money a player like that must make. It's too bad he didn't stick to his hard work at soccer and honest effort so to speak.
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