VERSUS
Time: 1330h
Match: New Zealand v. Slovakia (Group F)
Overview: One of the least anticipated matches of the World Cup with two teams that everyone thinks are inferior to the competition. Slovakia, is however a highly interested team with a number of excellent players, while New Zealand has a lot of physique, one good player, and an imagination stimulated by the Lord of the Rings Production in their country. Both countries are share the fact that their countrysides are often used for filming fairy tales and medieval-based motion pictures. A game worth watching as it might remind viewers of the battle for the White City! Based on playing style, the Slovaks are hobbits and the Zealanders have the technique and strength of Uruk-Hai...
Venue: Rustenburg - Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Capacity: 44530 People
Referee: Damon Jerome (South Africa) – A short, bald referee known for looking the other way too often, might be a bit relaxed with his whistle.
Date of Birth: 04.04.1972
Height: 176 cm
Occupation: English and life skills teacher
Mother tongue: English
Other languages: Afrikaans
International since: 2000
First international: Swaziland-Botswana (22.06.2003)
Hobbies: Watching sports (rugby & cricket) and working with young people
Fondest memory: 4th official FIFA World Cup Germany 2006, African Cup of Nations 2008 match for third place: Ghana v Côte d'Ivoire, Beijing Olympics 2008, referee candidature FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010
Analysis: Slovakia have a number of good attacking players, although journalists are rambling about Martin Skrtel, these Orcs only watch the premiership. Names like Hamsik, Weiss, Vittek, Holosko, and Stoch have dazzled fans in Italy, England, France, Turkey and Holland respectively over the past season. In a footballing sense, this match should heavily favour a Slovakian win.
New Zealand however, are tough and resolved. They would furthermore love, love, love, love to win their first game to have an advantage over their hated overseas neighbour Australia. Ryan Nelsen is a player who can organize a good defense, and a couple members of the national team actually play football better than rugby!
Form: Slovakia are in a cloud of success. They qualified from Slovenia’s group after their famous victory over the Czech Republic in Prague, and looked a very strong team throughout.
New Zealand have lost much of their friendlies, but are living the hype of representing the continent of Oceania and all its millions of fish and Islands.
Key Players: Marek Hamsik, 17, is one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe at the moment, having scored 12 goals for Napoli from midfield last season, and having a significant playmaking and scoring talent like Ballack when he was younger.
Shane Smeltz, 9, is a star of the New Zealand side. He is kind of a strong midfielder that can lead his team to destruction over a Fiji team (yes Fiji now have a big enough population to field a team). He has power in his feet, and can be dangerous, especially at halftime or during pre-match warm-ups. Then there is his Frodo Bagins luck... he always manages to escape the orc armies and get the ring to where it belongs.
Ryan Nelsen, 6, is a strong, capable Premiership defender and could actually contribute to New Zealand having a good defence this Cup. But one player doesn’t make a team.
Chris Killen, 10, is N.Z.’s other serious player, scoring loads of important goals and playing his club footie, sorry Soccer, with Middleborough in the English Championship (2nd Division).
Filip Holosko, 13, of all the Slovaks this very fast winger/forward could make a real impact during this cup. A terrible injury kept him from blooming with Besiktas, but since his recovery he has started making a name for himself again. Beware of his speed.
Miroslav Stoch, 15, might be a sub tomorrow, but on loan from Chelsea to FC Twente this season he was among the best right wing players in the Dutch league, and contributed significantly to the surprise Championship win of his adopted team. His dribble and creativity are to be expected.
Playing style: Slovakia play a classic 4-4-2, but attacking as much through the middle as the wings. Their defence led by Liverpool giant Skrtel is relatively tough. They are dangerous close to goal, and have many options for scoring.
New Zealand play a conservative 4-4-2, and rely on strength and speed, and loads of Kiwi luck to score. Most importantly they keep a tight backline and support it heavily from midfield. They are, like Australia, skilled, rough tacklers.
Previous Matches:
These teams have never met in professional completion.
Most likely scenario:
Slovakia dominate, but concede a goal from a set piece 3-1.
A slight surprise would be:
Slovakia struggle to a 1-0 win.
A real shocker would mean:
New Zealand winning... a real shocker igniting the 17th War of the Ring.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
VERSUS
Time: 1600h
Match: Ivory Coast v. Portugal (Group G)
Overview: An extremely anticipated clash. Football’s Mickey Mouse Cristiano Divealdo “leads” a Portuguese team that usually plays better without him against an Ivory Coast classic team with a last chance to achieve something to match their talent before impending retirement. Ivory Coast are possibly without Drogba. This should be an explosive match.
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth - Port Elizabeth StadiumCapacity: 48459 People
Referee: Jorge Larrionada (Uruguay)
Country:Uruguay
Height: 176 cm
Occupation: Clerk
Mother tongue: Spanish
Other languages: English
International since: 1998
First international: Chile-Bolivia (20.06.1999)
Hobbies: Breeding animals (birds, dogs, parrots etc.)
Fondest memory: FIFA Confederations Cup France 2003 semi-final: France v. Turkey; Olympic Football Tournament Athens 2004 Bronze Medal Match: Italy v. Iraq
Analysis: Portugal is dangerous since they drafted a good attacker and managed to improve their play. Ivory Coast had a nightmare African Nation’s Cup, Didier Drogba is injured, and Sven Goran Erikson has only had 47 days to prepare the team. All signs point to an Ivory Coast team failing to reach its massive potential, and leaving the international stage without anything to show for it. But that is exactly the type of stimulus that could produce something special and get them past the Group of Death.
Form:
Ivory Coast are on horrible form. They lost 2-0 to a friendly in Seoul, and Sven seems to have managed to get them a bit more integrated or effective, but we will not know how much until the game tomorrow.
Portugal dispatched Mozambique 3-0, and are on a rise in form. They will be dangerous at the very least.
Key Players:
Liedson, 9, if it was Cristiano Ronaldo that got all the press attention despite playing poorly for Portugal, it was Brazillian born Liedson who fired home the impressive goals to actually do the work of qualifying them. Fast, technical, great in the air, and many years a top scorer in the Portuguese league, he is Portugal’s real danger.
Kader Keita, 18, just like Liedson, Keita is the player that has the incredible dribbling and scoring talent that mattered for Ivory Coast in key moments. His inconsistency forces managers to bench him, but will Sven start him? If he does the reward could be clear, as Keita is a great attacker waiting for an opportunity at the World Cup, and probably his last. He scores many goals of the bench if not a starter.
Danger Men:
The Toure brothers, Kolo and Yaya are the defensive power of Ivory Coast that has just not functioned well the last 4 months. Kolo has the job of shutting down the attacks from defence like he used to at Arsenal, and Yaya is the defensive midfielder that will have to keep Deco and co. Silent for most of the match while launching Portugal’s attacks from the back with good passes.
Simao Sabrosa, for Portugal his wingplay has been much more effective than his commercial counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo, his play more honest, and his freekicks more effective. His crosses and teamplay are the key to Portugal’s successes.
Previous Matches:
This is the first time these two important teams meet.
Most likely scenario:
Portugal beats the stretched Ivory Coast team 3-2 in a stunner.
A slight surprise would be:
Ivory Coast beats an unconvincing Portugal 3-2 in a rough match... or Portugal wins easily 3-0.
A real shocker would mean:
Ivory Coast obliterates Portugal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VERSUS
Time: 2030h
Match: Brazil versus North Korea (Group G)
Venue: Johannesburg - Ellis Park Stadium
Capacity: 62567 People
Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary) – will the Hungarian lean towards his Communist nostalgic past or his present capitalist tendencies as a Sales Manager? Perhaps he will continue the good refereeing in this tournament so far!
Date of Birth: 10.09.1975
Height: 189 cm
Occupation: Sales manager
Mother tongue: Hungarian
Other languages: English
International since: 2003
First international: Slovakia-Luxembourg (18.08.2004)
Hobbies: Sports, cinema
Fondest memory: FIFA Olympic Football Tournament, Beijing 2008
Analysis: North Korea are not pushover. They run, work and score. Their speed and technique is surprising. They are no Brazil, and they will make mistakes due to inexperience. This should be no contest, but then again the Brazilians are often terrible when not challenged.
Form:
North Korea is on excellent form, having had a lot of preparation time, and narrowly losing to Nigeria in a friendly last week.
Brazil are in excellent form, dispatching axis-of-evil Zimbabwe last week with a 3 goal bonanza.
Key Players:
Despite everything, Champions League winning defender Lúcio will have the tough task of dealing with everything that North Korea can throw at Brazil. They are fast and mysterious, and he has the experience to cope. His main role will be to keep Brazil focused and motivated as captain.
Jong Tae-Se, number 9, is good. He runs and dribbles and scores often. Perhaps one of the best Asian offensive prospects currently playing. They call him the Korean “Rooney” but I think he has more brains and motivation than his stronger English counterpart.
Hong Yong-Jo, 10, the highly successful North Korean attack is built on their captain, who rips down the right wing feeding dangerous balls into the penalty area and often scoring. He has lit up the Russian Premier League with modest Rostov, and his speed and work ethic are well known there.
Robinho, 11, babyface is back. After his departure from Manchester City the innocent looking dribbler has found his groove in Brazil, and is a key player for his country. Against an inexperienced defence like North Korea’s his flair, pace and dribbling should be key in Brazil’s win.
None
Most likely scenario:
Brazil will win 4-0
A slight surprise would be:
Brazil only win 1-0
A real shocker would mean:
North Korea draw or win, and put on a show for George Bush.
Recommended Menu for the day:
Coming soon.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment