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World Cup 2010: Goal.com Know Your Rivals Special: Dream And Nightmare Draws – Who Do The Top Seeds Wish To Face?
Who do the big guns want to face - and to steer clear of?
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Dec 2, 2009 11:44:00 AM
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 top eight World Cup seeds 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?
South Africa - Peter Pedroncelli
1) As we are seeded in Pot 1, we will avoid many of the better sides, but South Africa would still prefer to avoid teams like Portugal and France, with technically gifted players and the ability to force the hosts to struggle for scraps in the game. A second round berth is important to the host nation, and the big teams will need to be avoided to secure it.
2) Perhaps North Korea or Honduras, as two of the minnows in the tournament. Bafana know that they need to secure a win to progress to the next stage, and a match up against one of the lesser known footballing nations would be in favour of the South Africans, with confidence at low levels and a FIFA Ranking reminding the nation that they are one of the weaker sides at the tournament.
3) Beer is big in South Africa, and it will no doubt be used as a mood alteration device if Bafana happen to find themselves in a group with Cristiano Ronaldo or Nicolas Anelka, but South Africans love a challenge, so bring on the draw.
Brazil - Andre Baibich
1) Switzerland has a style of play that makes Brazil very unconfortable. 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 quayfiers.
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 favor 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...
Spain - Ivar Matusevich
1) From Pot 2 we fear France to some extent, due to their tendency to play well when it matters, and also the small matter of 2006. Portugal is also a terrible team for us to meet because they have a clear idea of what to do and they have Crisitiano Ronaldo. From Pot 4, the Ivory Coast is a tremendous opponent and Uruguay could make us the things difficult. From Pot 3, the USA can never be discounted, and Honduras have nothing to lose.
2) Slovenia and Slovakia should not give us problems. In the pot with CAF teams, Algeria is one of the better teams to play against in comparison with the others, because they do not have enough discipline to play a defensive game over 90 minutes and because they are not too aggressive. And from Pot 3, New Zealand is the rival that every team wants.
3) Just like in Italy, in Spain we will believe in conspiracy and controversy, so fans in bars will debate who was responsible for our bad draw over some cerveza and vino. However, they are forgetting that to be the best team you must beat whoever you must face.
The Netherlands - Tommy Vaneldik
1) It's nice to be in Pot 1, but in this case my 'nightmare scenario' could come true: being with Portugal in one group. I really hoped that we would be in the same pot as Portugal, so we could have evaded them. Portugal have become our 'bestia nera' during recent years. Remember, they knocked us out in the WC-qualification campaign for 2002 (the 2-2 in Portugal was a real nightmare for us, we really should have won there), they beat us in the semi-final of Euro 2004. And of course, there's the Nurnberg-game of WC 2006 with all those yellow and red carsd and, again, a defeat for us. Portuguese teams also thrash our clubs when they meet in Europe. This could be an absolute nightmare.
2) New Zealand, a team that every big country probably wants to have in their group. They are probably the weakest side in the whole competition.
3) No sorrow here! It won't affect our eternal dream of becoming world champion and the storm of programs and articles talking about victory that will emerge over the next few months. We will dream, but we'll cry when it doesn't come true, just like every time. We're a nation of optimists, but reality bites.
Italy - Sergio Chesi
1) This one's a no-brainer. In Pot 2 we find strong teams such as the France and Portugal. They have great players, great quality, and great football tradition... it's better not to meet them too soon. The same story goes for the Ivory Coast, and in the other pot Mexico and the USA are the toughest opponent.
2) Italy needs to avenge a pair of historic defeats. For this reason it would be nice to have Denmark (do you remember Euro 2004? We do...) and one of the two Koreas. Both have given us trouble in the past. And finally Ghana, as in Germany 2006, but that's a question of superstition...
3) They will continue to do what they are already doing in bars and cafes across Italy: demanding that Antonio Cassano receives a call-up.
Germany - Dennis Weinacht
1) Germany has "Angstgegner" (team to avoid), because we are a "Turniermannschaft" (a tournament team). Every fan knows we are lucky in draws, but even if we are not, we are always self-confident. We're not too worried about Ivory Coast and Portugal - having won the World Cup three times we know how to beat flair teams. In fact we'd prefer to avoid battlers like Serbia instead.
2) Why not a neighbour such as Switzerland, Slovakia or Denmark? Their weak points are well-known here. A clash against Greece would be an interesting rendezvous with our man Otto Rehhagel. Still, in the end it will turn out that Germany will get an easy group with maybe Honduras, Algeria and Denmark. It happens every time.
3) What sorrows? Germans are always confident about tournaments, so before they fear others, others fear them.
Argentina - 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 do not want to share a group with Portugal or France, 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 Cups. Slovakia, Slovenia and Greece are clear examples of this. Similarly all top seeds are eager to 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.
England - Amar Singh
1) While there is a definite urge to exact revenge on Portugal while they find themselves in such poor form, they nevertheless have been England's nemesis at the last two international tournaments. That, plus the Cristiano Ronaldo x-factor, makes a potential upset almost too ominous.
2) With no neighbours having made it to the finals, the likes of Slovakia and Slovenia are teams Capello has had no problem overcoming, while matches against the likes of USA or Australia may spark up a degree of old-fashioned rivalry for the fans.
3) There will be no pre-tournament sorrows regardless of the draw. Confidence will be sky-high, fitness to key players permitting. The problem, however, may come upon a possible elimination...
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 top eight World Cup seeds 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?
South Africa - Peter Pedroncelli
1) As we are seeded in Pot 1, we will avoid many of the better sides, but South Africa would still prefer to avoid teams like Portugal and France, with technically gifted players and the ability to force the hosts to struggle for scraps in the game. A second round berth is important to the host nation, and the big teams will need to be avoided to secure it.
2) Perhaps North Korea or Honduras, as two of the minnows in the tournament. Bafana know that they need to secure a win to progress to the next stage, and a match up against one of the lesser known footballing nations would be in favour of the South Africans, with confidence at low levels and a FIFA Ranking reminding the nation that they are one of the weaker sides at the tournament.
3) Beer is big in South Africa, and it will no doubt be used as a mood alteration device if Bafana happen to find themselves in a group with Cristiano Ronaldo or Nicolas Anelka, but South Africans love a challenge, so bring on the draw.
Brazil - Andre Baibich
1) Switzerland has a style of play that makes Brazil very unconfortable. 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 quayfiers.
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 favor 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...
Spain - Ivar Matusevich
1) From Pot 2 we fear France to some extent, due to their tendency to play well when it matters, and also the small matter of 2006. Portugal is also a terrible team for us to meet because they have a clear idea of what to do and they have Crisitiano Ronaldo. From Pot 4, the Ivory Coast is a tremendous opponent and Uruguay could make us the things difficult. From Pot 3, the USA can never be discounted, and Honduras have nothing to lose.
2) Slovenia and Slovakia should not give us problems. In the pot with CAF teams, Algeria is one of the better teams to play against in comparison with the others, because they do not have enough discipline to play a defensive game over 90 minutes and because they are not too aggressive. And from Pot 3, New Zealand is the rival that every team wants.
3) Just like in Italy, in Spain we will believe in conspiracy and controversy, so fans in bars will debate who was responsible for our bad draw over some cerveza and vino. However, they are forgetting that to be the best team you must beat whoever you must face.
The Netherlands - Tommy Vaneldik
1) It's nice to be in Pot 1, but in this case my 'nightmare scenario' could come true: being with Portugal in one group. I really hoped that we would be in the same pot as Portugal, so we could have evaded them. Portugal have become our 'bestia nera' during recent years. Remember, they knocked us out in the WC-qualification campaign for 2002 (the 2-2 in Portugal was a real nightmare for us, we really should have won there), they beat us in the semi-final of Euro 2004. And of course, there's the Nurnberg-game of WC 2006 with all those yellow and red carsd and, again, a defeat for us. Portuguese teams also thrash our clubs when they meet in Europe. This could be an absolute nightmare.
2) New Zealand, a team that every big country probably wants to have in their group. They are probably the weakest side in the whole competition.
3) No sorrow here! It won't affect our eternal dream of becoming world champion and the storm of programs and articles talking about victory that will emerge over the next few months. We will dream, but we'll cry when it doesn't come true, just like every time. We're a nation of optimists, but reality bites.
Italy - Sergio Chesi
1) This one's a no-brainer. In Pot 2 we find strong teams such as the France and Portugal. They have great players, great quality, and great football tradition... it's better not to meet them too soon. The same story goes for the Ivory Coast, and in the other pot Mexico and the USA are the toughest opponent.
2) Italy needs to avenge a pair of historic defeats. For this reason it would be nice to have Denmark (do you remember Euro 2004? We do...) and one of the two Koreas. Both have given us trouble in the past. And finally Ghana, as in Germany 2006, but that's a question of superstition...
3) They will continue to do what they are already doing in bars and cafes across Italy: demanding that Antonio Cassano receives a call-up.
Germany - Dennis Weinacht
1) Germany has "Angstgegner" (team to avoid), because we are a "Turniermannschaft" (a tournament team). Every fan knows we are lucky in draws, but even if we are not, we are always self-confident. We're not too worried about Ivory Coast and Portugal - having won the World Cup three times we know how to beat flair teams. In fact we'd prefer to avoid battlers like Serbia instead.
2) Why not a neighbour such as Switzerland, Slovakia or Denmark? Their weak points are well-known here. A clash against Greece would be an interesting rendezvous with our man Otto Rehhagel. Still, in the end it will turn out that Germany will get an easy group with maybe Honduras, Algeria and Denmark. It happens every time.
3) What sorrows? Germans are always confident about tournaments, so before they fear others, others fear them.
Argentina - 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 do not want to share a group with Portugal or France, 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 Cups. Slovakia, Slovenia and Greece are clear examples of this. Similarly all top seeds are eager to 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.
England - Amar Singh
1) While there is a definite urge to exact revenge on Portugal while they find themselves in such poor form, they nevertheless have been England's nemesis at the last two international tournaments. That, plus the Cristiano Ronaldo x-factor, makes a potential upset almost too ominous.
2) With no neighbours having made it to the finals, the likes of Slovakia and Slovenia are teams Capello has had no problem overcoming, while matches against the likes of USA or Australia may spark up a degree of old-fashioned rivalry for the fans.
3) There will be no pre-tournament sorrows regardless of the draw. Confidence will be sky-high, fitness to key players permitting. The problem, however, may come upon a possible elimination...
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|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
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