Group G Analysis

Group G

Brazil

I fully expect to see a different Brazil to what most people expect and are used to. They can still turn it on when they want to and play some great stuff, but Dunga has introduced a more effective and organised style of play making them harder to beat. They will not be as attractive to watch as previous WC’s, but they should still be better than most sides to watch.

Their hopes and aspirations revolve around one player in particular for me, and that is Kaka. They need him to be fit and back to match sharpness, something which has not been the case all season since moving to Real Madrid. On one hand, he should be fresh and ready for this. On the other, he may be rusty and still struggling. Much will depend on him if Brazil are to really push on in this tournament. I am not suggesting they are a one man team at all, but if he is close to his best, then they will be really tough to stop. If he is out, then it could mean time for Robinho and that is a fair negative.

A handful of their players have also had very long seasons – Maicon and Lucio in particularly. Otherwise, the likes of Luis Fabiano, Robinho, Nilmar and Kaka have all conveniently had injuries in the second half of the season. I may be wrong, but I suspect their priority has been on this competition rather than with their clubs, so they should be fresh.

They should have enough quality and depth to get through the group and go all the way to the final. I actually give them the nod to win the tournament as I just feel Spain may run out of steam despite being the better side. I think Luis Fabiano will be one of the topscorers in the tournament, and this will be a really tough Brazilian team to beat. A Spain/Brazil final would be immense, and at the moment, I edge them for the better condition of their players.



Portugal

Another team hit by a late withdrawal as Nani was ruled out of the competition through injury. I cannot say I overly like him, but he has had some very good moments this season and played an important role for Portugal in their qualification. I do not think he is a major loss however as they have some options in attack.

They did receive some positive news though with Pepe passing a fitness test after recovering from a serious knee injury – he did not play at all before the end of the season but they decided to take a chance on him, and understandably so. He is a fantastic defender, but I think this competition just comes too soon for him.

The squad itself is decent on the whole. They have options all over the pitch and Queiroz has some decisions to make. The midfield if anything is a weakness for me. They have destroyers like Pedro Mendes, they have playmakers like Deco, but they just lack players who can really dominate in the midfield and control the game. When the going gets tough and they need to break the deadlock or take control of match, I am not sure where it will come from.

Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo was pretty quiet in qualification for the team. There is big expectation on him though in this tournament to produce the goods and if they are to go far, they desperately need him to be art his very best. Teams will double team him throughout and it will not be easy for him, but despite what many people say, he has had a very strong season in Madrid.

In theory, they should get out of this group but I am taking a bit of a shot here by saying that I think Ivory Coast will finish above them along with Brazil. I like many of the players in the squad, but there is something just lacking in my view. Too often they are ineffective, and I can see them being frustrated at times and stopped. It would be a bit of a surprise, but I say they get knocked out in the groups. Even if they do get through, I think they will lose to Spain in the Round of 16.

Prediction – Group Stage Only



Ivory Coast

Of all the African teams, the Ivorians are the team I like the most. Their starting team is very strong, they are solid defensively, have talented individuals who can create chances, and have some serious firepower. All-round, they can go further than any of their neighbours, despite being handed the toughest group of all.

They will be battling with Portugal to qualify with Brazil in my view, but they have a great chance of edging them out. The main reason for this is Didier Drogba. I think he can be the difference between a hugely successful tournament and failure for them. Seeing him pick up that arm injury in the pre-tournament friendly will have alarmed everybody following the team, but reports suggest he has recovered sufficiently to play in the first game, and that is great news for them. He is fundamental to the team and he can terrorise any defence in the competition.

The rest of the team is strong also – they are not a one-man team even though they do badly miss the focal point of Drogba when he is absent. At the back they have some strong defenders in Toure, Eboue and Boka, while Zokora, Yaya Toure and Romaric give the back four plenty of protection allowing the raiding full-backs to pile forward. Their wing play is excellent and they have good variation in how they attack teams. They will be the most adventurous of the African sides and will cause Portugal and Brazil problems.

I prefer them to the Portuguese, as long as Drogba is fit. I just feel that they have the pace and power to overcome them and grab second place. The toughest thing for them is that second place will probably mean playing Spain where they will fall short I believe. Not only do they have the toughest group but the toughest run in the knockout phase potentially. They will impress many and give some trouble to some of the best teams in the world, but I think Spain will edge them unfortunately.

Prediction – Round of 16



North Korea

Your guess is as good as mine really as far as these boys are concerned. I have only seen a couple of their qualifying matches on good old Eurosport, and they used to be one of my favourites to bet on against the bigger Asian teams. For a long time, they were expected to be hammered by the likes of Japan and neighbours South Korea, but they proved they can match those kind of teams and get results through hard work, discipline and organisation.

There may be opportunities from a betting perspective in this group also. They will not allow any of the teams to walk over them and will cover a huge amount of ground to make up for their inferior quality. The main unknown for me is how they will perform on such a big stage against some top class rivals, will they freeze or will it motivate and inspire them further? I fear that they will be in awe of the likes of Brazil in the opening game and I would be cautious for if considering a bet on them there. However, in the following two games, they will make it incredibly hard for Portugal and Ivory Coast to break them down and could frustrate them for long periods.

The other key element I note with them is that they hold their nerve and keep their style and shape even if they go behind. I suspect that will be more than evident here also as the coach will want to avoid any major hammerings. I would not expect them to come out attacking and leaving major gaps at the back if they go 1-0 down after 15 minutes, but to keep their shape keep things tight and try to get back into the game with patience. The bookmakers may expect them to get hammered in each game by 2-3 goals, but it will not be easy for any of them.

All that said, they are going out in the groups in last position!

Prediction – Group stage Only