Your Guide to SA 2010 : Portugal

8:24 PM // by Dhaval // // 0 comments

Justify Full


FIFA RANKING: 3


Portugal's recent form doesn't suggest they are the no. 3 team in the world. They have depended largely on Ronaldo to provide the inspiration in every game. Having had a shock 0-0 result against 117th ranked Cape Verde Islands in a friendly a week ago, there has been an increase in the number of doubters about Portugal's credentials of winning the World Cup this year. But Portugal will certainly hope for the best when they start their World Cup campaign against Ivory Coast on June 15.


LAST WORLD CUP JOURNEY

Portugal had a relatively easier group last time around with Mexico, Angola and Iran in their group. Portugal coasted through to the knockout stages with wins in all their three matches.

In the knockout 1st round match, they faced a tough opposition in Netherlands. They managed to win that tie 1-0 courtesy a 23rd minute Maniche goal. The match was a live wire with tackles flying everywhere. Boulahrouz tackled Cristiano Ronaldo which apparently injured Ronaldo forcing his substitution at half-time. Cristiano left the field in tears. In the 78th mnute, Deco was sent off after collecting his 2nd yellow card. Netherlands were also down to 10 men when Van Bronckhorst was sent off for a foul in injury time. Next, Portugal faced England in which Deco and Costinha were unavailable due to suspension. This match is infamously remembered for the sending off of Wayne Rooney in extra time, allegedly triggered by his then United team-mate, Ronaldo. The match ended 0-0 after extra time. Portugal went through by winning 3-1 on penalties and they would now appear in their 1st ever WC Semi-Final after 40 years. There, they met a strong team in France where they faced a hostile crowd of English and French fans, accusing Ronaldo of unsporting behaviour. France won the match 1-0 with a Zidane goal and ended Portugal's dream of appearing in a World Cup Final. In the other semi-final, Germany lost to Italy resulting in a 3rd place playoff between Portugal and Germany. The first half, both the teams played cautiously. But the Germans managed to bang in 3 goals in 20 mins of the 2nd half. Portugal got a consolation goal through Nuno Gomes in the 88th minute and the match ended 3-1 in favour of Germany resulting in Portugal finishing 4th in the 2006 World Cup.


THE MANAGER

After having left the Manchester United no. 2 job for Portugal's no.1 job, Carlos Queiroz has certainly struggled to make his mark as a top coach. He has often been termed as 'lucky' by the Portugal fans. He will certainly be looking forward to impress the Portugal fans and the world alike at the World Cup.


THE SQUAD

Goalkeepers:
Beto, Daniel Fernandes, Eduardo


Defenders:
Fabio Coentrao, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Bruno Alves, Rolando, Ricardo Costa, Duda, Pepe, Miguel


Midfielders:
Tiago, Deco, Raul Meireles, Ruben Amorim (in place of injured Nani), Miguel Veloso, Pedro Mendes


Forwards:
Simao Sabrosa, Hugo Almeida, Liedson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Danny


SQUAD STRENGTHS

Solid in defence, exceptional in midfield and with plenty of options in attack, Portugal are not short of highly-rated players. Technique, speed, alertness, the Portuguese have access to individual strengths on a world class level. In Ronaldo, they have one of the best players in the world. During qualification, their defensive skills allowed for a series of four games in which not a single goal was conceded and which made World Cup participation a reality for the Portuguese.


 SQUAD WEAKNESSES

Consistency is certainly the main weakness for Portugal. Ronaldo hasn't scored for Portugal since EURO 2008. Queiroz's uncertainty as to where to play Ronaldo, as a striker or as an attacking winger, is surely affecting the flow in Ronaldo's game. With Nani's absence, their wing-play will be affected.


MEN TO WATCH

Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portugal captain and arguably, the best player in the world, is definitely the key man for Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo has the potential to change any match at any given point of time and will have to be at his best if Portugal are to have any hopes of lifting the World Cup. Having scored 26 goals for Real Madrid this season, Portugal are sure to rely heavily on their captain to provide inspiration.


Danny



The Zenit St. Petersburg star is the Russian league's most expensive player, but the no. 10 remains an enigma in western Europe, despite having the capabilities to control a game on his own.

 
FP VERDICT

Portugal have been very inconsistent in terms of their results in the recent past having required to play a playoff to qualify for the World Cup which clearly doesn't make worthy of their 3rd rank in the world. With Nani now out of the World Cup and having Brazil in their group certainly doesn't make things easier for them, but the uncertainty of Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba's presence in the initial stages of the tournament means that Ivory Coast will be a far lesser threat to the other teams. Portugal should qualify to the knockout stages.

Your guide to SA 2010 : Netherlands

7:44 PM // by Amogh // // 0 comments








FIFA Ranking: 4

You can never write off Oranje of any major competition. They are one of the strongest contenders for this WC too . The team is famous for their Total Football and was nicknamed as Clockwork Orange for their precise passing . Their strong counter-attacking and free flowing football makes them one of the best in business .

The Dutch team went on to secure a 100 percent record in their World Cup 2010 qualification campaign , winning all eight games and becoming the first European team to qualify for the World cup .


Last World Cup Journey:
 
Netherlands were drawn in the same group with Argentina , Serbia and the Cote d'Ivoire and secured the second spot in the team . Though they had as many points as Argentina had , Argentina had a better goal difference . Oranje were eliminated in the round of sixteen after the " Battle Of Nuremberg " . The match was played between The Dutch and Portugal and it saw Sixteen Cautions And Four Red Cards .Four Red Cards in a single WC match was a record in iteslf. Netherlands lost the game 1-0 and were out of the WC .



The Manager:


Bert van Marwijik replaced Marco van Basten after Euro 2008 as a head coach of Netherlands football team. He has a good history as a manager if not splendid . He led Feyenoord to win the then UEFA Cup . His managerial team will include Frank de Boar , Phillip Cocu , Dick Voom . And the squad will be relying on Marwijik and his tactics if they are to win the cup .


Squad:

Goalkeepers :
Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Sander Boschker (FC Twente), Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht)


Defenders:
Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart), Edson Braafheid (Celtic), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), John Heitinga (Everton), Joris Mathijsen (HSV), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Andre Ooijer (PSV);


Midfielders :
Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Stijn Schaars (AZ), Wesley Sneijder (Inter), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax), Ibrahim Afellay (PSV);



Forwards:
Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Eljero Elia (HSV), Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich).

 


Squad Strengths
Netherlands strength is their Counter Attacking and free flowing football . Arjen Robben with his pace and ability to finish , the opposition must have someone of his caliber to put a stop to him . With Robin van Persie in the squad and fit , They will have another player who can shoot with comfort and find the net . In midfield Wesley Sneijder who will take the runs and the efforts to provide the ball And Rafael Ferdinand van der vaart if used properly can upset the opposition defence too .



 
Squad Weakness :
I am not saying Maarten Stekelenburg is not a good enough goalkeeper , but they will certainly miss Van der Sar due to his retirement from national football . Netherlands weakness will be its defence . With most of their men committed to attack , they should not forget to watch their backs .



Men to watch:


Arjen Robben , who plays as a winger will be undoubtedly the man to watch in the Netherlands squad . He has got the pace , the Stamina , He can run past defenders with ease , He can put the ball in the box and he can score . What more do you want from a player ?
With as qualified as him , opposition defenders are going to have a headache keeping an eye on him and stopping him . He'll be the man for Oranje .
The current Dutch side has expert finishers in Persie , Robben and they just need good passes to convert them .With his passing combined with the shooting which is almost always on the target , Wesley Sneijder is the man to watch . He is Netherlands ace in the hole.




FP Prediction

They have been drawn in with Denmark , Japan and Cameroon. Netherlands are favorites to get the top spot in the group. With their strong squad, they should be able to reach Semi Finals, being one of the strongest contenders to win it too.


Your Guide to SA 2010 : Italy

5:26 PM // by vikrant // // 0 comments



FIFA Ranking: 5

The Defending Champions will obviously be among the top contenders for the Cup. With most of their stars playing their last World Cup this time, the Azzuri will look to live up to the official song of the tounament - ' When I get older, I will be Stronger '. And they do look really strong.

Last World Cup Journey:

Italy came into the World Cup 2006 with a point to prove. After the scandal at Juventus, it was a bad time for Italian football. They were placed with USA, Ghana and Czech Republic for the group stages. Winning two games comfortably and drawing against USA, they came up against Australia in the knockout stage. It took an injury time penalty to win that game after Italy played with ten men 40 odd minutes. It was disciplined defending that saw the Italians go to the quarter finals against ukraine which they comfortably won. The real challenge was the semi-final against hosts Germany. Del Peiro and Grosso scored a goal each in the second half of Extra time after a goalless 90 minutes to seal a berth in the finals for Italy. The 2006 World Cup final was a memorable affair. Zizou scored of a penalty awarded because of a challenge by Marco Materzzi. Materazzi scored off a Pirlo corner. The rest of the game was dominated by France but the scoreline remained level. Buffon's save denying Zidane a second goal was arguably the save of the tounament. Then Zidane was sent off and the game progressed to the penalties where the Italians buried every penalty to the back of the net, but the upright denied Trezeguet a goal and Italy were Champions.


The Manager:

Marcello Lippi was first appointed as the national coach in 2004 after two successful seasons with Juventus. He lead them to the Crown in 2006 but let go of his job after the victory, stating that his job for the country was done. After an ungracious exit from the Euro 2008 in the Quarter-finals under Roberto Donadoni, Lippi was recalled and here he is again. An amazing tactician, his genius is something the Italians will rely heavily upon.

 
Squad:

Goalkeepers :
Gianluigi BUFFON, Federico MARCHETTI, Morgan DE SANCTIS


Defenders:
Christian MAGGIODomenico CRISCITO, Giorgio CHIELLINI, Fabio CANNAVARO, Salvatore BOCCHETTI, Gianluca ZAMBROTTA, Leonardo BONUCCI

Midfielders :
Daniele DE ROSSI, Simone PEPE, Gennaro GATTUSO, Claudio MARCHISIO, Mauro CAMORANESI, Angelo PALOMBO, Andrea PIRLO, Riccardo MONTOLIVO


Forwards:

Vincenzo IAQUINTA, Antonio DI NATALE, Alberto GILARDINO, Fabio QUAGLIARELLA, Giampaolo PAZZINI


Squad Strengths

The Defending Champions will be riding high on the experience of their veteran players and the genius of their manager to adapt to situations. It is necessary here to mention how Lippi changed the formation later on in the game against Germany in 2006 where he employed three forwards and an attacking midfielder and sure enough Italy was awarded with two goals in Extra time.

Squad Weakness

Of the 23 man squad, 9 players are aged above thirty and most of these 9 will be in the playing 11. Lippi will have to inject some youth and pace into the team to form the optimum medley.


Men to watch:


Gigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro are two players who inspired Italy to their win in 2006 and will look to repeat the same. With probably the best keeper in the world and another world-class centre back in front of him, scoring against the Azzuri is going to be a very difficult task. Another man who needs to be mentioned here is not a player but the manager Marcello Lippi. Do look out for his tactical changes as the tounament progresses.


FP Prediction

Italy will progress through the group stage pretty easily and with a great deal resilience should make it to the semis. They should also concede the least number of goals in the cup. From the semis onwards it will depend totally upon the geius of players to sniff out an oppurtunity and make the most of it.


Your Guide to SA 2010 : Germany

5:25 PM // by Abyshek // // 0 comments










FIFA Ranking: 6th

Talk about perennial champions in world football and you are talking about teams like Italy, Brazil and Germany. These countries have carved a niche for themselves on the international stage and have eventually ended up with sparkling World Cup histories. Talking about the Germans, they boast three World Cup titles to their name (1954, 1974, 1990), a feat surpassed by only two other nations. A feat achieved solely because of their endless supply of gifted footballers over generations. Maybe it be the timeless ingenuity of Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthaus or recent wonders like Michael Ballack and Lukas Podolski, Germany's footballing resource has always been unparalleled and incomparable. No doubt this sparkling history can act as a dose of motivation for the German lads in South Africa, but it can also leave them psyched. For a country who's real tournament only begins after semifinals, anything less than that in South Africa would mean failure for them. Thus by all means Germany are one of the firm contenders for 2010 FIFA World Cup.



Last World Cup Journey

Germany hosted the 2006 World Cup edition. Backed by a tremendous home support Germany oversaw a splendid WC campaign under the stewardship of Jurgen Klinsmann. They stormed through their group stages scoring 8 times and conceding only twice. Needless to say they finished as the group toppers. In the knock-outs, they bagged a convincing victory over Sweden (2-0) in the pre-quaters and won 4-2 on penalties against Argentina in quaterfinals after playing out a 1-1 humdinger. Their high-flying campaign came crashing down in the semis, when they played against Italy. Two goals at the death from Fabio Grosso (119th minute) and Del Piero (121st minute) handed Germany a brutal defeat and Italy went on to win the World Cup against France. Even so they managed to claim the 3rd place by defeating Portugal in the playoffs. Miroslav Klose was awarded the Golden Boot for his 5 goals in the tourney and Lukas Podolski was adjudged the Best Young Player. Not only this, but four German players ( Jens Lehmann, Philipp Lahm, Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose) featured in the all-star team which was selected the FIFA.



The Manager

Joachim Low, the current manager of Germany has carried on from where Jurgen Klinsmann left of. He and the then coach Klinsmann had deviced a new attacking philosophy for the Germany which resulted in successful outings in 2006 World Cup and 2008 Euro Championships where Germany finished as the runners up. Low is a no-nonsense man and a disciplinarian. His decision to omit Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi from the WC squad for storming away before the final whistle in a qualifier against Russia depicts the same. In South Africa, Low will have to be at his tactical best since important players like Michael Ballack, Rene Adler, Christian Traesch and Simon Rolfes are out of the World Cup due to injuries.

The Squad

Goalkeepers:
Manuel Neuer, Tim Wiese, Hans-Jorg Butt

Defenders:
Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng, Serdar Tasci, Marcell Jansen, Per Mertesacker, Aene Friedrich, Philipp Lahm

Midfielders:
Marko Marin, Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Dennis Aogo, Piotr Trochowski, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller

Strikers:
Stefan Kiessling, Mario Gomez, Lukas Podolski, Cacau, Miroslav Klose



Squad Strengths

Germany has got abundance of striking options as they have a number of goal scorers in their squad. Goal machine Miroslav Klose and Podolski both are proven performers for their country. They will be looking to repeat the feat they achieved in 2006 World Cup. Midfield too looks threatening. In absence of Ballack, it is expected that Schweinsteiger will be handed a more advanced role in midfield. Add to this the Bremen playmaker Mesut Ozil, who has earned special priases from Beckenbauer is being touted as the next best thing in the German midfield. All in all a very attacking side.


Squad Weakness

Germany's shortcoming is in defence, especially in the goalkeeping position following the tragic suicide last year of their first choice goalkeeper Robert Enke. Bayer Leverkusen's Rene Adler was Germany's no.1 until he was ruled out of World Cup due to rib injury. It is now expected that the less experienced Manuel Neuer will guard the post. But given that Germany are placed in a competitive group, this relative weakness in goal will give Ghana, Australia and Serbia hope of pulling off a major upset. Ironically Germany boasted of one the best goalkeepers of all times Oliver Kahn. Add to this the absence of their inspirational skipper Michael Ballack. Joachim Low clearly has some important decisions to make.



Men To Watch

Miroslav Klose

The veteran striker Miroslav Klose has consistently delivered for Germany on international stage. He has scored 5 goals in each of the previous two World Cups. His 48 goals in 98 matches has put him in the 2nd in German all-time scoring charts. His eye for goals and clinical finishing has surely made him one of the most fearsome strikers in the world.

Bastian Schweinsteiger


Bastian Schweinsteiger came under the limelight for his spirited performance in 2006 World Cup. The 25-year-old midfielder offers immense experience having already crossed 75 caps for Germany. He can operate in central midfield or on both flanks thus providing his manager plenty of options. His long-range shooting skill and wicked vision has made him an important weapon in the German armoury. 

Philipp Lahm

The 26-year-old Bayern Munich defender has been assigned the role of captaincy in absence of Michael Ballack. Lahm has enjoyed an incredible season with Bayern and has attracted interests from many European giants like Manchester United. He has been a revolution in defence who also loves to make frequent forward surges. Lahm along with Mertesacker will play vital roles in Germany's defence.


FP Verdict

Despite many persisting woes one can never write off Germany. Out of 16 times that Germany has appeared in World Cups, they have managed to reach semifinals an astounding 11 times and finals 7 times. Placed in group D along with Australia, Ghana and Serbia, Germany have enough quality and depth to surpass the group stages. Although, as of now, reaching the finals is looking highly unlikely, but history has shown time and again that Germany is capable of producing wonderful footballing spectacles which might just give them an outside chance of clinching their fourth World Cup. So let the game begin! 


Your Guide To SA 2010 : England

5:20 PM // by msmohit004 // // 0 comments
England



FIFA Ranking : 8

The English side will be in strong contention this world cup, just like they are every world cup. England are one of the seven teams in the world to have won atleast one World Cup. England won the World Cup in 1966, when they were the hosts. Their best finish after that has been a semifinal in World Cup 1990, Italy. Despite boasting one of the best leagues in the world, England have never been as strong contenders as Brazil, Italy or France. The biggest nemesis that England have are their expectations. A survey by a British newspaper said that 13% of the England fans would stop watching the World Cup if England did not reach the finals. Considering that only two teams in the world get to play in the finals, even for a top team, thats asking too much.


Last World Cup Journey :

England, under Sven Goran Erikkson, reached the quarterfinals, in the last World Cup, Germany 2006. They were placed in Group B along with Sweden, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago. As was expected, England scored victories, albeit unconvincingly, over T&T and Paraguay. Their last group match, when they had already qualified, was 2-2 draw with Sweden. In the round of 16, England's opponents, Ecuador were, well, not steamrolled, but they lost anyway, courtesy a Beckham trademark freekick goal, which put England up against Portugal. This match-up was the most controversial match in the World Cup with Rooney getting sent-off after a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho and a resulting fight with Ronaldo (the one in which Ronaldo winked after Rooney got sent off). England never played convincing football in the World Cup, with Rooney, a half-fit Owen, Crouch and a 17 year-old Theo Walcott being the only strikers. This decision were to cost England the chance of, well not winning the World Cup, but at least progressing, and Sven Goran Erikkson, his job.


The Manager :

England manager, Fabio Capello joined the England coaching team in 2008, after England failed to qualify for the Euro 2008. Along with his Italian backroom staff, England have showed steady, though unentertaining, progress. England topped their World Cup qualifying group with 9 victories in 10 matches with a goal difference of +28. England won all their pre-World Cup friendlies, but as Capello admitted, England fielded experimental sides. Capello has added more steel and responisibility to the under-achieving England side, and it would help England very well as they are to do without their captain Rio Ferdinand, who got injured in training. Inspirational Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard, will lead the English ship, with Chelsea stalwart Frank Lampard his deputy.


The Squad :

Goalkeepers :
David James, Joe Hart, Robert Green.

Defenders:
John Terry, Jamie Carragher, Ledley King, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Steven Warnock, Matthew Upson.

Midfielders:
Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Aaron Lennon, Joe Cole, James Milner, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Forwards:
Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe, Emile Heskey.


Squad Strengths:
England's biggest strength is their central attacking trio. An attacking trio of Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard when implemented accurately, is unstoppable. However, Capello's tactics are unknown to anyone outside the England squad, and it would be improbable to predict. The general feeling is that Steven Gerrard will attack from the left with the freedom to roam, with Lampard playing slightly on the right, but more defensive. That said, England's main threat will be Wayne Rooney, who was in oustanding form in the League.


Squad Weakness:
England lack stability and depth in their team. Their team is undecided, with Gareth Barry, a sure starter, not fully fit. His replacement Michael Carrick was hugely disappointing in the friendlies. A Gerrard-Lampard central midfield though strong on paper, is very weak stability wise, and Capello would have made sure that, it wouldn't affect his plans. England do not have a recognised left-winger, nor do they have a out-and-out backup Right-back. Ledley King has a proven record of injuries, so any injuries to the three mentioned areas will cripple England.

Men To Watch:



England's key players are Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. Wayne Rooney is an oustanding talent who would fit in any team in the world. If Rooney keeps his head on, he has a very good chance of taking England further and further. Though he has been warned by the referees for his conduct and threatened by opponents for "winding up", Rooney should keep his cool to concentrate on the game. That said, it all falls down on the current England captain Gerrard, who has somehow never quite really performed for England. His assists have been key in the pre-World cup friendlies, and he has played a key role in the victories, he'll be looking to carry that form into the World Cup.


FP Verdict:
England are almost always written off by most pundits, though correctly. With USA, Algeria and Slovenia in their group, England should surely qualify for the knockout stages, where they will meeta a team from Group D, one of - Germany, Australia, Ghana or Serbia, where it could prove tricky. With a squad such as their own, England do have a chance of winning the World Cup, but they have to fully focussed on their goal to achieve that. That said, England are not the favourites for the World Cup. But, heck, England have the ability to write their own destiny, which would remain to be seen...