As teams prepare for their final game in group play, I have come to the very sad realization that only one African team has a legitimate shot of moving on to the knockout round. This is not only sad due to the fact that I picked three of the six participating African nations to advance, but because they probably feel as if they've underperformed on their home continent. Disappointing play, as well as bad luck, has played a part in this sad showing. To start, South Africa is the first host nation to not advance to the knockout stage. If it weren't for Mexico scoring a goal in a moment of confusion for the South African defense, the Bafana Bafana may very well have advanced. Nigeria didn't have any points coming into today's game against South Korea, but were still in position to advance with a win. They had the perfect opportunity to do so in the 66th minute, but Nigerian striker Yakuba missed possibly the easiest shot ever. Had Yakuba capitalized on the chance and Nigeria gone on to win the game, they would have moved on to the knockout stage because of goal differential. Cameroon, who supposedly had a high octane offense that was sure to produce goals, has only scored one goal in this World Cup. They were the first team to be mathematically eliminated from the tournament, which is obviously a tough pill to swallow for a team that thought they had a legitimate shot at moving on to the knockout stage. The Ivory Coast would have had a shot at advancing if they were to win their final group play game, but didn't receive any help from North Korea. Thanks to the Korean's 7-0 loss to Portugal, the Ivory Coast would have to make up a nine goal differential in order to jump Portugal in the standings and advance.
With all that being said, the hope of the African continent lies with the Black Stars of Ghana. Leading Group D, Ghana can move on with either a win or a draw against Germany. They can also lose and potentially move on, but that situation is much more complicated, and it means that their fate is decided by another team (if you would like to learn exactly what that situation is, send me an email). I think it would be a travesty if not one African team were to move on, because South Africa hosting the World Cup is bigger than just South Africa. It is huge for the entire continent, for all the nations trying to make strides in bettering their countries and becoming respected in the world. So, sorry to all you fans of Deutschland, but along with an entire continent, I will be pulling for the Black Stars tomorrow afternoon.
As for the United States, the message is simple: win and you're in, lose and you're out, and let's not even mention the word tie. Algeria hasn't showed that they are capable of offensive firepower thus far. With that being said, pulling men back to defend would be a poor decision for Bob Bradley to make. The U.S. needs to play like they did in the second half of the Slovenia game if they want to win. This is the final game of group play, and the teams that win their final game are the teams that go out and attack and come away with goals. The U.S. is fortunate enough to be more talented than their opponent, so if they go out and attack, conventional wisdom says they should come away with the win. The entire country will be watching; if the U.S. Soccer Federation wants that to happen ever again, they better hope that the United States delivers and moves on to the Round of 16.
Eventually, I will cover Wimbledon, and although we are still in the early rounds and some big names have already been knocked out (James Blake, Fernando Verdasco, Juan Carlos Ferrero to name a few), I haven't had a chance to watch any matches and thus can't give a educated analysis on the tournament. Friday will be my first chance to watch some of the tournament, so I will likely write something about it then.
- K. Becks
Showing posts with label cameroon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cameroon. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
World Cup Preview: Groups E and F
In today's news, Rafael Nadal won his fifth French Open by defeating Robin Soderling of Sweden. Soderling beat Nadal at last year's French Open, so this is actually bigger news that most would think (in other words, Nadal was not the hands down favorite in this year's match). It is clear that Nadal is healthy now, which raises the question "can he challenge Federer at Wimbledon?" The answer to that question will come in a few weeks, when that tournament begins. As for the Memorial Tournament, the fan favorite and always colorfully dressed Rickie Fowler couldn't quite pull off the win. It was a valiant effort however, and he made sure that people will know his name from here on out with his great play this weekend, as well as his unique wardrobes throughout the tournament.
Now, onto my World Cup Groups E and F preview.
Group E
Teams: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Match to Watch
Netherlands vs. Cameroon (Thursday, June 24th)
With Dutch star Arjen Robben's health now in question, this game could be huge. The Netherlands are favored to win this group, but without a healthy Robben, it gets a lot more interesting, with both Cameroon and Denmark capable of pulling off an upset against the Dutch. Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o makes everything exciting, and without Robben, the Dutch give away an offensive advantage that would make them the overwhelming favorite in this game.
Player to Watch
Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon
Eto'o is good, and he knows he's good. He will demand the ball in lots of key situations, and for good reason. He is the top goal scorer on the team, and is one of the best strikers in the world. If his team can get him the ball with room to work, then he will definitely produce some goals worthy of ESPN's highlight reel. Cameroon needs Eto'o to do well if they want to advance to the knockout round.
Final Standings
1. Netherlands- Whether or not Robben will be one hundred percent healthy is pure speculation at this point. With that being said, the Dutch are still the favorites to be atop the standings at the end of group play.
2. Cameroon- Cameroon has the potential to do very well in this year's World Cup, but they also could perform very poorly. Playing on their home continent will be a boost, but they will need Samuel Eto'o to score goals and hope that the defense doesn't give up too much.
3. Denmark- The Danes play a great team game. If their solid defense is too much for Eto'o and Cameroon to handle, then they have the possibility of moving on in this group instead of the Indomitable Lions.
4. Japan- Japan will need to hope that someone steps up as a scorer, because as of now, they don't have a go-to guy. With scoring happy Cameroon and the Netherlands in their group, it may be hard for Japan to keep up.
Group F
Teams: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Match to Watch
Italy vs. Slovakia (Thursday, June 24th)
It's the old vs. the new. Italy is likely the strongest team in this group, but is an older team. Slovakia is composed of young, quick players who will be energized in every match they play. This is the third game for both teams, so it's possible that Italy may want to rest its veteran players, giving Slovakia a chance to make this one interesting.
Player to Watch
Daniele De Rossi, Italy
There are no real "global stars" in this group, so taking one of the best players on arguably the best team in the group will usually give you a decent player to watch. De Rossi will create the chances that Italy's forwards get, and considering the opposition he will face, he may look better than he really is by the time the Round of 16 is set.
Final Standings
1. Italy- The Azzurri aren't the team they were in 2006, but they are still good enough to make it out of this relatively weak group. They will likely play around with their line-up a bit, because they still need to find answers to a few questions if they plan on making a deep run again.
2. Paraguay- Slovakia could be tough, but Paraguay should be able to move on. They are a tough, physical team, and will look to intimidate the young Slovakian team into making mistakes.
3. Slovakia- In four years, this team could be serious contenders at the World Cup. However, for now, their players lack the experience to move on to the next round. They will be an exciting team to watch, though.
4. New Zealand- They should just be happy to be in the World Cup. If they get more than one point in this World Cup, they should be commended for an outstanding effort.
- K. Becks
Now, onto my World Cup Groups E and F preview.
Group E
Teams: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Match to Watch
Netherlands vs. Cameroon (Thursday, June 24th)
With Dutch star Arjen Robben's health now in question, this game could be huge. The Netherlands are favored to win this group, but without a healthy Robben, it gets a lot more interesting, with both Cameroon and Denmark capable of pulling off an upset against the Dutch. Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o makes everything exciting, and without Robben, the Dutch give away an offensive advantage that would make them the overwhelming favorite in this game.
Player to Watch
Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon
Eto'o is good, and he knows he's good. He will demand the ball in lots of key situations, and for good reason. He is the top goal scorer on the team, and is one of the best strikers in the world. If his team can get him the ball with room to work, then he will definitely produce some goals worthy of ESPN's highlight reel. Cameroon needs Eto'o to do well if they want to advance to the knockout round.
Final Standings
1. Netherlands- Whether or not Robben will be one hundred percent healthy is pure speculation at this point. With that being said, the Dutch are still the favorites to be atop the standings at the end of group play.
2. Cameroon- Cameroon has the potential to do very well in this year's World Cup, but they also could perform very poorly. Playing on their home continent will be a boost, but they will need Samuel Eto'o to score goals and hope that the defense doesn't give up too much.
3. Denmark- The Danes play a great team game. If their solid defense is too much for Eto'o and Cameroon to handle, then they have the possibility of moving on in this group instead of the Indomitable Lions.
4. Japan- Japan will need to hope that someone steps up as a scorer, because as of now, they don't have a go-to guy. With scoring happy Cameroon and the Netherlands in their group, it may be hard for Japan to keep up.
Group F
Teams: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Match to Watch
Italy vs. Slovakia (Thursday, June 24th)
It's the old vs. the new. Italy is likely the strongest team in this group, but is an older team. Slovakia is composed of young, quick players who will be energized in every match they play. This is the third game for both teams, so it's possible that Italy may want to rest its veteran players, giving Slovakia a chance to make this one interesting.
Player to Watch
Daniele De Rossi, Italy
There are no real "global stars" in this group, so taking one of the best players on arguably the best team in the group will usually give you a decent player to watch. De Rossi will create the chances that Italy's forwards get, and considering the opposition he will face, he may look better than he really is by the time the Round of 16 is set.
Final Standings
1. Italy- The Azzurri aren't the team they were in 2006, but they are still good enough to make it out of this relatively weak group. They will likely play around with their line-up a bit, because they still need to find answers to a few questions if they plan on making a deep run again.
2. Paraguay- Slovakia could be tough, but Paraguay should be able to move on. They are a tough, physical team, and will look to intimidate the young Slovakian team into making mistakes.
3. Slovakia- In four years, this team could be serious contenders at the World Cup. However, for now, their players lack the experience to move on to the next round. They will be an exciting team to watch, though.
4. New Zealand- They should just be happy to be in the World Cup. If they get more than one point in this World Cup, they should be commended for an outstanding effort.
- K. Becks
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