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Goal.com Know Your Rivals Special: Dream And Nightmare Draws – South America
The South American sides are ready for the challenge...
01-Dec-2009 11:21:00 PM
In Goal.com’s new dedicated World Cup feature called 'Know Your Rivals', experts from the 32 teams involved in the tournament give their take on various issues regarding the showpiece event.
With the Final Draw fast approaching, we asked them about the ideal matchups for their respective teams, and of course the sides they are hoping to avoid when the groups are decided in Cape Town on Friday. With that in mind, we posed three questions to each of them, and this is what the contributors from the South American countries had to say...
1. Who would you want to avoid in the draw?
2. Who do you want to get in the draw?
3. If you get a bad draw, how will your fans drown their sorrows?
Brazil (Pot 1) - Andre Baibich
1) Switzerland has a style of play that makes Brazil very uncomfortable. With their strong defence they would probably cut all the spaces from the Selecao and try to counter-attack. This was exactly the strategy that created problems for the Brazilian team in the qualifiers.
2) Although Portugal is a strong team, the style fits what Brazil wants. Portugal would probably attack more and leave spaces for Brazil to exercise its biggest weapon, the counter-attack. A friendly match that ended 6-2 in favour of Dunga's men last year is an indicator that the Portuguese might be good opponents for Brazil.
3) There probably won't be many sorrows! Some beers, looking out at the beach, smiling about what's to come...
Argentina (Pot 1) - Javier
1) Argentina knows all too well what it is to be part of the 'Group of Death'. In 2002 they played against England and ended up losing out in the group stage. Therefore, they don't want to share a group with the Netherlands or Portugal, teams of similar stature. Another bad draw for Argentina would be hard workers like Denmark or Serbia coupled with a powerful national team like Nigeria or Ivory Coast.
2) It would be ideal to get teams with little experience in World Cup. Slovakia, Slovenia and Greece are clear examples of this. Similarly all top seeds are eager to face teams such as New Zealand, North Korea or Algeria, who are among the weakest in the competition.
3) Argentinian fans are expecting a bad draw. They assume that the presence of Maradona is a problem for FIFA. If we get a bad draw we will say, "I knew it, they want us out of World Cup," with a glass of red wine in hand.
Paraguay - Ruben Dario Orue
1) Paraguay must avoid teams such as Italy and England. The first are world champions; the second are a tough, tenacious team that brushed us aside in Germany 2006. Also Portugal and the Netherlands are classy sides and we would not like to face them. Finally there's Mexico, a team that never seems to go out in the first round.
2) It would be ideal for Paraguay to be in the same group as the hosts, South Africa, and to get a second-order European team such as Greece or Slovenia, instead of Portugal or Netherlands. From the CONCACAF/AFC pot it would be good to see a rival such as Honduras or New Zealand. Of course, I doubt we're alone in wishing for that.
3) Paraguayan fans will not regret a bad draw. They trust in their team chances and see them at the same level as any of the other 31 teams.
Uruguay - Martin Decaux
1) Uruguay will probably get a strong European team in its group. I hope to avoid Portugal and Netherlands. I don't want Mexico in our group either.
2) I want hosts South Africa and I also want revenge on Denmark, a team that beat Uruguay repeatedly in previous World Cups.
3) There will be nothing to cry for, even if we get the 'Group of Death'. In that case we will not be candidates to qualify, and Uruguay loves the role as underdogs.
Chile - Juan Ignacio
1) For Chile, the seeds to be avoided would be Spain, for their current devastating form, and Germany for their historical superiority. Discarding Brazil and Argentina, all the other teams have been beaten by us at least once. Meanwhile, we lost 3-0 to Spain recently, and coach Marcelo Bielsa doesn't have a great history against Germany.
2) The best thing that might happen to us is a match with France or Italy. The controversial encounter in 1998 against Italy, bossed by French referee Bouchardeau, is still remembered by the Chileans. We want revenge, and we're not scared.
3) Of course we will be complaining about our bad luck and that the unfortunate facts always happen to us, repeatedly. Make ours a Pisco Sour - a bitter one.
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With the Final Draw fast approaching, we asked them about the ideal matchups for their respective teams, and of course the sides they are hoping to avoid when the groups are decided in Cape Town on Friday. With that in mind, we posed three questions to each of them, and this is what the contributors from the South American countries had to say...
1. Who would you want to avoid in the draw?
2. Who do you want to get in the draw?
3. If you get a bad draw, how will your fans drown their sorrows?
Brazil (Pot 1) - Andre Baibich
1) Switzerland has a style of play that makes Brazil very uncomfortable. With their strong defence they would probably cut all the spaces from the Selecao and try to counter-attack. This was exactly the strategy that created problems for the Brazilian team in the qualifiers.
2) Although Portugal is a strong team, the style fits what Brazil wants. Portugal would probably attack more and leave spaces for Brazil to exercise its biggest weapon, the counter-attack. A friendly match that ended 6-2 in favour of Dunga's men last year is an indicator that the Portuguese might be good opponents for Brazil.
3) There probably won't be many sorrows! Some beers, looking out at the beach, smiling about what's to come...
Argentina (Pot 1) - Javier
1) Argentina knows all too well what it is to be part of the 'Group of Death'. In 2002 they played against England and ended up losing out in the group stage. Therefore, they don't want to share a group with the Netherlands or Portugal, teams of similar stature. Another bad draw for Argentina would be hard workers like Denmark or Serbia coupled with a powerful national team like Nigeria or Ivory Coast.
2) It would be ideal to get teams with little experience in World Cup. Slovakia, Slovenia and Greece are clear examples of this. Similarly all top seeds are eager to face teams such as New Zealand, North Korea or Algeria, who are among the weakest in the competition.
3) Argentinian fans are expecting a bad draw. They assume that the presence of Maradona is a problem for FIFA. If we get a bad draw we will say, "I knew it, they want us out of World Cup," with a glass of red wine in hand.
Paraguay - Ruben Dario Orue
1) Paraguay must avoid teams such as Italy and England. The first are world champions; the second are a tough, tenacious team that brushed us aside in Germany 2006. Also Portugal and the Netherlands are classy sides and we would not like to face them. Finally there's Mexico, a team that never seems to go out in the first round.
2) It would be ideal for Paraguay to be in the same group as the hosts, South Africa, and to get a second-order European team such as Greece or Slovenia, instead of Portugal or Netherlands. From the CONCACAF/AFC pot it would be good to see a rival such as Honduras or New Zealand. Of course, I doubt we're alone in wishing for that.
3) Paraguayan fans will not regret a bad draw. They trust in their team chances and see them at the same level as any of the other 31 teams.
Uruguay - Martin Decaux
1) Uruguay will probably get a strong European team in its group. I hope to avoid Portugal and Netherlands. I don't want Mexico in our group either.
2) I want hosts South Africa and I also want revenge on Denmark, a team that beat Uruguay repeatedly in previous World Cups.
3) There will be nothing to cry for, even if we get the 'Group of Death'. In that case we will not be candidates to qualify, and Uruguay loves the role as underdogs.
Chile - Juan Ignacio
1) For Chile, the seeds to be avoided would be Spain, for their current devastating form, and Germany for their historical superiority. Discarding Brazil and Argentina, all the other teams have been beaten by us at least once. Meanwhile, we lost 3-0 to Spain recently, and coach Marcelo Bielsa doesn't have a great history against Germany.
2) The best thing that might happen to us is a match with France or Italy. The controversial encounter in 1998 against Italy, bossed by French referee Bouchardeau, is still remembered by the Chileans. We want revenge, and we're not scared.
3) Of course we will be complaining about our bad luck and that the unfortunate facts always happen to us, repeatedly. Make ours a Pisco Sour - a bitter one.
Become a fan of Goal.com India's Facebook fan page for all the latest news and insight into everything related to the beautiful game!
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