World Cup Diary – Day 7-to-13

The World Cup is well and truly into its second swathe of matches, when both the pressure and excitement traditionally build up. Probably the most impressive team seen, thus far, Netherlands kick off the day with a tough fixture against dogged Australia. A particular gem about this match is that it will be one of the most family-friendly fixtures, as it commences at 5pm which is a good excuse to get out of work early – always a good thing. The talents and pace of Netherlands should be too much for Australia too deal with, with their accurate passing football blended with quick attacks likely to result in plenty of goals. My only concern about this match being that the Netherlands might rest a few of their weary squad, but all the same it should be a good game.

Next up is Spain against Chile, at 8pm, which is the must-watch fixture of the day, as reigning champions Spain desperately need a win (if they are to qualify for the knock-out rounds) but are playing against a very talented team, Chile. Spain will be hoping Athletico Madrid star Diego Costa is fitter than he was against Netherlands, as they desperately need goals to get through.

Finally we have Cameroon against Croatia, at 11pm. I expect Croatia to win this game, as their mercurial midfielder Luca Modric demonstrates the art of creative midfieldership to perfection.

Thursday, June 19^th, then sees Colombia –Ivory Coast, at 5pm, which should be a real attacking corker; followed by Uruguay-England, at 8pm, (expect a hard-fought England win); and Japan-Greece, at 11pm.

Friday, June 20^th, sees Italy-Costa Rica, 5pm, (a game that before Costa Rica’s victory over Uruguay, on June 14^th, we would have been certain of an Italian win, now we’re less sure); France-Switzerland, at 8pm, (a potential stumble-in-the-jungle for the French that they should still win); Honduras-Ecuador, at 11pm

Saturday, June 21^st, its Argentina-Iran, 5pm, another chance to see the player many people think is the best in the world Lionel Mesi; Germany-Ghana, 8pm, (déjà-vu? Don’t they always seem to be playing each other, and don’t they have brothers in either squad – the Boatengs); Nigeria-Bosnia, at 11pm.

Sunday, June 22^nd, starts with Belgium-Russia, 5pm, (a must win for both teams); Korea-Algeria, 8pm; US-Portugal, 11pm, (a game that hopefully will see Ronaldo sparkle).

Monday, June 23^rd, is a 4 gamer (so that’s a staggering 8 teams to enjoy) starting with another must win for the 2010 Champions Spain against Australia, 5pm; Holland-Chile, 5pm, (will Netherlands go easy on Chile potentially messing up Spain’s participation?); the two 9pm kick-offs are Brazil-Cameroon and Mexico-Croatia.

Tuesday, June 24^th, the two 5pm kick-offs are England-Costa Rica (our crystal ball says an England win and qualification for the 3 lions) and Italy-Uruguay; and the two 9 pm games are Colombia-Japan and Ivory Coast-Greece.

Key tip, from June 23^rd, as there are two games running at the same time now you might want to use internet streaming to see your preferred choice of a game if it isn’t on terrestial TV; just search in one of your favourite search engines (e.g. Lycos or Ask-Jeeves…other search engines are available) and change the timeframe to last hour (as otherwise the internet-police remove them).

 

 

 

This Time It’s Not going to Penalties

Its Saturday, June 14^th, and the big-guns are on the clock – its Greece versus Colombia, kicking off at 6pm, ……sorry, I meant England are playing Italy, kicking off at midnight.

So that’s the inventors of the beautiful game, England, playing the European team with the most World Cup titles, Italy. This game should be an absolute corker, expect fireworks, expect emotions, expect skill … expect a draw. Yes sorry we expect a draw, this game is too important for either team, hence don’t be at all surprised if it’s a fairly cautious encounter. This doesn’t mean, however, that it won’t be exciting. Think of two boxers, at the peak of physical perfection slugging it out, neither giving an inch, or two aging Russian grandmasters playing chess as if their nation depended upon it. 

From an Italian perspective the keys will be how the explosive, somewhat crazy, striker Mario Balotelli performs (you’ve got to love this kid, talented but with a proper old-school personality, e.g. having to ring the fire service when at Manchester City because he’d let off fireworks in his house) and if Andrea Pirlo can still dictate the pace of the game at the tender age of 35.

For England the keys will be keeping Pirlo busy, a job I think Wayne Rooney’s hair-piece alone will be instructed to do, and the selection out wide, whether it be the brave selection of Raheem Sterling or the more conservative James Milner. If England want to win they should go for Sterling and Welbeck out wide, with Rooney behind Sturridge, or Sterling and Rooney out wide with Barkley behind Sturridge, but I fear the somewhat cautious England manager will plump for James Milner and Wellbeck out wide, with Rooney behind Sturridge up front. 

Anyway, seriously looking forward to this game, hope the kids let me have at least a bit of a lie in Sunday morning.

Saturday’s other game is Uruguay against Costa Rica, starting at 9 pm Paris time. This shouldn’t be written off too lightly, as Uruguay are likely to put on a veritable footballing feast for us all to enjoy, that I don’t imagine Costa Rica will be able to live with for long. Expect a comfortable win, and a big scoreline.

Then on Sunday, lunch kicks off with the Ivory Coast against the land-of-the-rising-sun, Japan. Sit yourself down on the sofa and digest your Sunday lunch to this corker of a game. If you love football, or simply want to enjoy a couple of hours of top-drawer entertainment, decide you are going to support Cote d’Ivoire and let them entertain you.

In Didier Drogba and Wilfried Bony, the Ivory Coast have one of the best strike forces in the competition, supported ably by the very talented Yaya Toure, Gervinho (“please sort your hair out”) and Tiote. We can’t see this being any other than a convincing win for Cote d’Ivoire, or at least a very entertaining can’t-miss match.

Next up is Switzerland versus Ecuador, at 5pm,….if ever there was an incentive to not watch football its this snooze-fest, sorry.

France kick-off at 8pm with a relatively easy, at least on paper, fixture against Honduras; before the day’s likely second best game (another midnighter) between many people’s potential champion’s Argentina and Bosnia-Hercegovina. Argentina are, of course the home to arguably the world’s best player in Lionel Mesi, and many other very very talent players, whilst Bosnia are a collection of lesser names, such as Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko, Senad Lulic and Vedad Ibisevic. Expect an impressive display by Argentina.

World Cup Preview

The World Cup kicks-off on Thursday, June 12^th, and I’m thus-far shrugging off the whole experience with little more than a traditional Gallic-shrug to the footballing delights that will likely ensue.

This could all change tonight, however, if Brazil kicks off the competition with a veritable football-feast, or equally if Croatia throws a shock upset by beating the host nation.

The tournament kicks-off at 9pm, UK time, with Brazil playing against 200:1 outsider Croatia. Although this seems like an easy start to the competition for the host nation, Brazil, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Croatia makes life very hard for “everybody’s second favourite team”.

Brazil has always been one of the most fun teams to watch – “you score three and we’ll score 4” – but they haven’t always converted this undoubted style into substance. With more of their players now plying their trade in European football, however, this has changed, with Brazilian football now a cocktail of beauty-and-steel.

Will this be enough to beat Croatia? Quite probably, although with it being the first game of the competition, for a nervy team, desperate to bring some happiness to their disgruntled fans (the tournament reportedly costing $11 billion to stage), do not be at all surprised if Croatia spring a win, or at least a dogged win.

Is Brazil good enough to win this World Cup? On paper I don’t think so. Their best player – Neymar – has had a so-so season at Barcelona, and compared to the likes of Spain and Argentina (my two World Cup favourites) I just don’t think Brazil are good enough on current form. But if they are to win this most prestigious of tournaments, it is Neymar that will have to find his undoubted swagger.

On traditional fall-guys England, I must admit as a Swansea fan I’m increasingly starting to feel some affinity with this England team. More than half the likely starting 11 were homed under the regimes of ex-Swansea managers last season (Brendan and Roberto), and I’m increasingly seeing them as a potential dark-horse for the tournament. I kid you not. In former Swansea target, Sturridge, they have a real lightening striker, with goals in the locker, that could potentially hit a rich vein of form if two or three of Sterling, Rooney, Gerrard and Barkley also come good.

Leon Britton – The Perfect Defensive Midfielder

I’m not going to fire a load of statistics at you, but trust me this is true, Leon Britton has one of the highest pass completion rates in the Premiership. If you don’t believe me look it up, it is true. When Leon is playing we seem to control the tempo of the game better because we are controlling the tempo of the game better.

Leon is a great defensive midfielder, not by being a crunching tackler but rather with his positional awareness. He never ventures forward, unless someone else is covering, or the attacking risks are minimal, which in itself gives the defenders the confidence to play more expansive passes themselves.

I am not saying Canas should not play for us, because I rate him highly too, and this doesn’t mean I think we should rotate them every other game as we seem to be at the moment either, as I think both can play allowing the rest of the midfield to express themselves more fully.

Infact I think England (not that I’m a fan, being Welsh) should bring him into their midfield, because with Leon in there doing the unglamorous stuff the likes of Wiltshire and Ravel Morrison would be free to attack a little more. Leon Britton is the sort of unappreciated midfielder England have missed since Owen Hargreaves played for them….at least Swansea haven’t missed such skills, and to think we brought him to the club as a winger!!