Group B: Epitaphs and Evolutions

Overview: A nine point Argentina distanced itself from a vicious competition for second edged out by an organized, resilient Korea. The South Koreans overcame a 4-1 loss to Argentina to bounce back against Nigeria and add to their dominant show against Greece. Maradona is different from other big-team managers in his positive atmosphere approach, and even though he has left a lot of good players at home, especially defensive players, his team look strong and motivated so far. Leo Messi has entertained, but not yet scored, will he make this his World Cup?

FINAL TABLE:

TEAM	WON	DRAWN	LOST	GOAL DIFFERENCE (FOR, AGAINST)	POINTS
	9	0	0	+6 (7,1)	7
	1	1	1	-1 (5,6)	4
	1	0	2	-3 (2,5)	3
	0	1	2	-2 (3,5)	1

Argentina Unassailable?


Tribute:
Lots of hugs to go around.

Analysis:

The hand of god has grown, and now the hugs of god using all of Maradona’s surface areas are driving Argentina forward. Is it enough? Not likely, Argentina might have gotten 9 points here but they showed evident weaknesses which better opposition could exploit.

Strengths:

Attacking, confidence and a good spirit fostered by a personality coach.... that was the idea. Maradona, however is not a master tactician, and his defensive neglect could prove costly going forward. Maradona is creating a great, forgiving atmosphere of positive encouragement in the team, this is strangely, a novel approach in a world of terror-coaching and negative pressure... but is it enough? If so Argentina can definitely go all the way to the final.

Prognosis: Argentina will have the toughest test yet against Mexico. Failure is not impossible, especially since they might take for granted their win against the Central Americans four years ago.  The Mexican test, if passed, will appropriately prepare them for the even tougher opposition to follow.

South Korea Methodical and Resilient


Tribute: 
Fast and furious the Koreans played,
Combining, running, scheming they stayed,
The Kimchi express is not to take lightly,
The holes in their net are easy to raid,
Their chances of progress are no more than slightly.

Analysis: Korea flow and perform as a team, but is it enough given lapses in concentration and physical strength? Their weakness is in holding a score, as their 6 goals conceded demonstrate.

Strengths: South Korea are efficient and creative in attack, with many options for scoring, but leaky in defence, where the inexperience and lack of physical ability is costing them. They are good at set pieces, comers and free kicks, and dangerous from both wings. Their pressing of the opponents after being ahead has been very very effective so far. They can be overpowered by a team that does both thins better, like Uruguay for example.

Prognosis: South Korea will have a very hard time against Uruguay, anything else will be a surprise and great team achievement.

Greece Better but Time for Retirement


Epitaph: Getting things backwards once again.

Greece’s current talented generation of attackers is forced to play defensive football by their conservative coach. Rehhagel was brilliant before, but his style no longer suits the current generation of Greek players. The loss against South Korea was toothless in the opening match, and their lack of efficiency in front of goal was crucial. The turnaround against Nigeria to pick up the country’s first World Cup win is something to be content with though, and a hard question to answer is: will Greece manage to rebuild with a new generation and be back in 4 years?

Analysis: Injuries caused an insecure defence, despite the best efforts of Tzorvas the goalkeeper. The midfield simply lacked steam and speed to play the counterattacking football of 2004... against three physically fitter sides it didn’t work. The strangest part of it was, that against South Korea Rehhagel had his players attempt long ball, and even here the taller Greeks didn’t really manage to score against the fit South Koreans. 

Karagounis, Rehhagel, Charisteas, Katsouranis are all going to retire and Greece will have an extensive rebuilding process to do... nothing short of a complete revolution in style will work.

Nigerian Super Eagles Just Ordinary Chickens Again
Epitaph: No wingspan, no claws, no flight.

The Super Eagles continue their lack of form under new coach Lars Lagerback. Although they managed to qualify for the tournament, the Nigerian team is a shadow of its past self at present, with the current set of players refusing to perform well together. All in all what was the final straw was the lack of finishing, with many goals not finding the back of the net. Also crucial was the absence of commanding Chelsea central midfielder John Obi Mikel through injury... his presence adds stability and momentum going forward.  The FA is to be blamed for firing and hiring coaches too rapidly, Lagerback was given too little time with the team.... I am certain if allowed to continue the team can improve under him... if he wants to continue that is.

Analysis: Nigeria had a great defence at January’s African Nations Cup, but in South Africa the Shittu-Yobo Everton-Bolton combination functioned only against Argentina. Afterwards, the lack of midfield support meant Nigeria was attacked from too many sides, and this vulnerability proved costly. The main problem was with the offense, and with Sani Kaita’s red card which made all the difference. The attacking players played too far apart, they played the ball too much into space without good timing, something observed numerous times in all three games where a ball was sent forward without anyone running on to it.

Lars Lagerback – stubbornness marked his career with Sweden, and stubbornness marked his short tenure with Nigeria. True, he didn’t have much time to prepare the Super Eagles for the tournament, but he failed to create a functioning attack. He did however make them competitive despite the early disappointments. I think he should get a bit of congratulations for playing a role in the fact that Nigeria still could have qualified on the last matchday, and for really reading Argentina’s weaknesses to create an exciting first match.

11 Performances to Remember


Alexandros Tzorvas & Vincent Enyeama – In Tzorvas Greece look to have found a successor to their legendary goalkeeper Nikopolidis. His performances were solid and he can be blamed for none of Greece’s 5 goals outright.... he wasn’t that much better than Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama who played brilliantly against Nigeria, and for most of his time on the pitch, making up for his defence’s lack of concentration... but Enyeama had at least two errors under pressure, forgivable for the amount of work he was asked to do in three games.

Chidi Odiah – Nigeria’s best outfield player, his excellent assist against South Korea looked to have qualified Nigeria. He didn’t manage to inspire the rest of his team though....

Martin Demichelis – Scored a goal, and played generally well except for the horrific mistake which gifted Korea a goal which also puts him in the flops category.

Walter Samuel – Excellent and solid in the two games he played. Looks reassuring and continuing his excellent play for Champions League winners Inter all season.

BEST OF THE GROUP: Lee Chung Yong – Bolton’s right midfielder had an excellent season in England and is now continuing his excellent work on the right of Korea’s offense in South Africa. He is unpredictable, combines well with team mates, and scored a crucial goal for Korea. A tough call but three good performances earned it.

Lee Jung Soo – Not the best defensive performances, but Korea’s central defender showed why he is known for scoring goals while finding the net against both Nigeria and Greece, crucial goals to his country’s advancement. Was weak in defence and for that reason was not the best in the group.

Leo Messi – Moments of brilliance from the little world renowned sprite lit up this group, even if though he failed to score he is included in the present company due to the Oooh Ahhh factor which has been badly needed so far in this tournament.

Georgios Samaras – A hope for Greek football, if he improves his scoring. He played up front alone against Argentina, and looked very dangerous at times.

Park Chu Young – Hi energy, and most importantly his goal against Nigeria was crucial to Korea advancement. He managed to look dangerous the whole time on the pitch with runs and unpredictable forward play.

Gonzalo Higuain – Scored a hat trick, although not a marvellous one against Korea. He seems to fit well into the team, and has taken the place of Diego Milito in the team who is generally considered the better forward.

Alexandros Tziolis – Looked dangerous from Greece’s left back slot... especially against Korea where he looked the only determined player on his team at times.

Coach:  Huh Jung Moo – The Korean coach has managed to bring to this tournament a collected, well integrated, effective unit... who still concede a lot of goals under pressure but manage to go forward dangerously and threaten any opponent. The fact that they barely qualified was not due to tactical shortcomings, but due to a bad half against Argentina, the victory against Greece and Nigeria make him deserve praise, even more so as South Korea look the only Asian team to leave the group stage.

Honourable Mention: While so many big teams are failing and trailing the blag sludge of negative pressure around this tournament, Maradona deserves praise for deploying a secret weapon: THE HUG. Despite his tactical failures, and Argentina’s vulnerability he managed to win all three games in his group. When questioned by journalists at a press conference about the hug, he intelligently responded: “many of these lads did not receive sufficient hugs in their life, and they need positive support to see this through.” Don’t laugh.... It’s no easy achievement to hug Carlos “Apache” Tevez!

11 Flops to Forget

The goalkeepers all did fine so the flop team doesn’t get one.

Jonas Gutierrez – Not his fault, but Maradona playing him at right defence almost backfired against Nigeria. Argentina has a good attacking winger in Gutierrez, but he has no experience as a defender, and was often out of position. Not a disaster yet, but a potential one.

Martin Demichelis – ALSO in the flops as well as memorable, due to his horrible mistake allowing Park Ji Sung of South Korea to steal the ball and score against the run of play.

Joseph Yobo – The Everton defender, like his attacking club colleague Yakubu failed to reproduce club form for country. He was not the defensive rock on which Nigeria could be forgiven for their mistake-prone game.

Rabiu Afolabi – Deployed twice by Lagerback, but we will never understand why. Did nothing.

Sani Kaita – His red card against Greece ruined Nigeria’s chances, turning the game around and in retrospect, demoralizing his team and preventing the few millimetres they lacked to progress from the group. Despite being a decently performing player in the Russian Premiership, lately with Alaniya, his football contribution was minimal, and he even fails as candidate for worst of the group.

Peter Odemwingie – Much was expected of the Lokomotiv Moscow playmaker, he did very little. He looked moderately dangerous against Argentina in the first game, before failing to impress against Greece.

Georgios Karagounis – Finally over the hill... the marvellous Greek attacking midfielder, the goal creating hero of the Greek team, that was so important in qualification was anything but marvellous here, running out of steam in every first half that he played.

Chinedu Obasi  - One of the best players in the German Bundesliga with surprise-powerhouse Hoffenheim over the best two years... all the elements were here for him to have a great tournament, and he managed to squander every opportunity he had. Would be a candidate for worst if it wasn’t that he actually ran and made quite an effort.

Angelos Charisteas –  Too little, too late. The hero of the Greek European Championship struggled through his first game against Korea before being left out of the team. A tough ending for the player that was once the important-goal-scoring mascot of the Greek team.

FLOP OF THE GROUP: Yakubu Ayegbeni – the miss against South Korea towards the end of the game, and the fact that of all the opportunities he only managed to hit a penalty is inexcusable. Yakubu was a major let down and failed to match his club form miserably for Nigeria... not replacing him with another forward, such as Utaka or Martins was a persistent stubborn failure from Lars Lagerback.

Coach: 

Otto Rehhagel – He has had years to prepare Greece, and now its time for a change, given that his monumental achievement when winning the 2004 European Championship was built on a solid defence, he has failed to realize that the new generation of Greeks is better at attacking than defending, and a defensive style of game no longer suits them. 

Nigeria - Greece - 1 Goal the Difference Between a Dynasty and an Emergency Coach

Greece won their first ever World Cup match, and scored their first ever World Cup goal.

Their coach Rehhagel has had 7 years in charge of the team.

Nigeria will blame this loss on Lars Lagerback, but he has had less than 3 months to shape his team.

Nigeria are our of the World Cup, except for a miracle scenario in which case Argentina destroy Greece and they sink South Korea with a lot of goals.

The Nigerian red card was deserved, Sani Kaita lost his head... the rest of the team just folded and let the Greeks attack them for the better part of the game. With this many attacks, not even a brilliant Enyeama could prevent goals. The Greeks won this match as the more stable and composed team... Nigeria need more work, more integration and more time to develop a playing style which they can impose on others.

The current Nigeria is a week team, with good individuals. Not many tactics can be successfully applied to a weekly integrated team.

Preview for Thursday June 17th

 VERSUS

Time: 1330h
Match: Argentina v South Korea (Group B)

Overview: South Korea has one of the best performances during the first round of matches, Argentina not necessarily. Will the Argentine technicians  master the silly Jambulani ball or will this be another messy 1-0 or 1-1 game or a Messi 4-0?

Regardless Korea’s scintillating play could mean serious trouble for Argentina especially down their vulnerable right defensive side.

Venue: Johannesburg - Soccer City Stadium


Referee: Franck de Bleeckere (Belgium)
Date of Birth: 01.07.1966
Height: 182 cm
Place of residence: OUDENAARDE
Occupation: PR manager
Mother tongue: Dutch
Other languages: French, English, German
International since: 1998
First international: Portugal-Wales (02.06.2000)
Hobbies: Tennis, travelling
Fondest memory: FIFA U-17 World Cup Peru 2005 (Final) Brasil v. Mexico; FIFA World Cup Germany 2006; UEFA Euro Austria-Switzerland 2008 (Semi-final) Spain v. Russia

Analysis: Korea showed that they are organized and capable in getting the ball forward. If they can hold the individual efforts of Tevez, Messi or Di Maria then they could get something out of this game. The effort of Argentina’s defensive midfield, which thanks to Maradona’s arrogance means only Mascherano will make a difference here. Important also is wether Jonas Rodriguez has learned to play right back yet.

Key Players: 

Leo Messi, of course. If anyone can master the Jambulani ball and show something special its him.

Park Ji-Sung, the Korean schemer will have to defeat Mascherano in their midfield duel and create dangerous attacks for Korea. Will he manage?

Danger Men:

Lee Chung Yong,  Korea’s best right winger could start on the left just to better exploit Argentina’s problem, but wether right or left he will certainly be able to cause problems for the Southern South Americans.

Walter Samuel was the real man of the match against Nigeria for his defensive performance, and if he play as well against South Korea it will be very difficult to score against Argentina.

Previous Matches: 2 Games played, 2 won by Argentina who outscored the Koreans 4-1.

Weaknesses: Argentina are vulnerable at the back, especially down the right defensive side, where inexperienced winger Jonas Guttierez is being played instead of surprisingly absent veteran captain Javier Zanetti. Another weakness of Argentina could be lack of replacement for Javier Mascherano the defensive midfielder, who will start looking exhausted at some point soon.

Korea lack the class of the Argentine players, even though they are good and capable professionals. They could find themselves thrown off by the Argentina dribbling and fast paced attack and lose all of their new found confidence if a couple of goals roll into their goal.

Strengths: Argentina is an attacking machine, at least on paper so far. Their technique, speed and dribbling dominates games and is dangerous to any opposition.

Korea is disciplined and hard working, and this can mean 90 minutes of danger to their opponents who should stay concentrated and respect their threat.

Playing style: Maradona field a rather offensive team, with little midfield support to the defence. This did not pay off against Nigeria, and could be a detriment in a World Cup with very few goals scored so far. The trident of attacking midfielders, two wingers and Messi is a tempting style for Argentina, but it needs to start earning dividends.

Korea attack through the center and in the wings. Their defense looked very good and prepared at quickly getting the ball forward to counter-attack. Can they hold off Argentina’s pressure?

Most likely scenario:

In a normal world, both teams at the top of their game Argentina wins this 3-1.

A slight surprise would be:

A small win for Argentina 1-0 or a draw.

A real shocker would mean:

South Korea humble Maradona and Argentina.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 VERSUS

Time: 1600h

Match: Greece v. Nigeria (Group B)

Overview: The Greeks were week in their opening match, but are capable of a lot more. The Nigerians were strong in their opening match, and deserved a draw against Argentina, so they are the favourites to sweep away the Greeks and advance to the second round. Their key game will  be against Korea, but they must secure 3 points today.

Venue: Mangaung/Bloemfontein - Free State Stadium

Referee: Oscar RUIZ (COL) Country:Colombia  

Date of Birth: 01.11.1969

Height: 185 cm

Place of residence: Villavicencio

Occupation: Lawyer, University teacher

Mother tongue: Spanish

Other languages: Portuguese, English

International since: 1995

First international: Paraguay-Venezuela (12.07.1995)

Hobbies: Music, reading, watching sports on TV

Fondest memory: FIFA World Cup Korea/ Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup Germany 2006

Analysis: Greece knows how to defend, although their defence was shaky against South Korea, Rehhagel should fix this for today’s match, and this means Nigeria has to be lethal in front of goal. Of course a Greek win is not impossible, if the Super Eagles fail to create and score.

Key Players: 

Theofanis Gekas is a goalscorer, and if he finds out how to hit the Jambulani properly, he can be a lethal danger to the Nigerian hopes.

Vincent Enyeama had a fantastic game against Argentina, will he be able to remain consistent in his performance?

Danger Men:

Luckman Haruna of Monaco had a decent match against Argentina, can the young player mark his name on a goal against Greece?

Soitirois Kyrgiakos should be back for Greece, his defensive abilities were missed in the first match, and he is good enough to be a catalyst for his team.

Weaknesses: Nigeria have shown lapses of concentration and consistency in the past, maybe Swedish coach Lagerback has managed to do something about that in his short spell in charge. They are vulnerable to hold and counter-attack tactics as was seen in the African Nations Cup, and waste a lot of chances in front of goal.

Greece are a bit slow on the temp and old, which is what caused their initial problems against Korea. If Nigeria manages to up the tempo against them they could really suffer. Another weakness is goal opportunity creation, which can sometimes run dry, and almost entirely depends on the aging Karagounis.

Strengths: Nigeria are physically powerfull and fast, and have some technical ability, a combination that could make life difficult for Greece.

Greece is clever on set pieces and can deploy a patient tactical approach well for 90 minutes, winning 1-0 very often.

Playing style: Nigeria attack on the wings in a 4-4-2 system, with two defensive midfielders supporting the defence, and one striker and one forward working together to do the hard work up front. They are physically strong and fast on the counterattack which makes them a dangerous opponent. Lars Lagerback’s favourite system plays well to these strengths, and the performance of the wingmen is key to their success.

Greece have a very solid defence-first approach, which didn’t work against Korea. They sit, catch the opposing team then score on the break forward. They depend on tall players to win high balls, like the long ball they tried without success against Korea. This advantage however is gone against Nigeria.

Previous Matches:

2 Games played, 1 Win each, 2 goals each. 

Most likely scenario: 

A 1-1 draw.

A slight surprise would be:

Either team win. Greece is slightly more suprising.

A real shocker would mean:

Either team win big.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 VERSUS 

Time: 2030h

Match: France v. Mexico (Group A)

Overview: Following Uruguay’s win last night, this game is an elimination game for both teams. France have to win against a tough, well integrated opponent that is Mexico. Mexico have to show that they are capable of beating the World’s best once again. This is a key match.

Venue: Polokwane - Peter Mokaba Stadium

Referee: Khalil AL GHAMDI (KSA) – The Saudi is a strange choice for what is bound to be a difficult match to referee. Does he have enough top level experience for this kind of game or is FIFA making another Jambulani?

Country:Saudi Arabia  

Date of Birth: 02.09.1970

Height: 177 cm

Place of residence: Jeddah

Occupation: Teacher

Mother tongue: Arabic

Other languages: English

International since: 2003

First international: Yemen-United Arab Emirates (08.09.2004)

Hobbies: Swimming

Fondest memory: FIFA U-17 World Cup Finland 2003 FIFA U-20 World Cup Netherlands 2005

Analysis:  France must win, but Domenech is not likely to change too much from the side that played Uruguay to a 0-0 as it was one of the best performances of his team in years, which is not saying it was a great performance. Mexico need to be covered in midfield, but not abandon their attacking options, which is a tough challenge for the manager Javier Aguirre in needing to strike the right balance. In other words, even though both teams must win, this promises to be a tight affair.

Key Players: 

Abou Diaby, was France’s best player in last game, bringing dynamism and danger to the offense, and covering in defence. It would take a dolt like Domenech to change him, but since a normal manager wouldn’t remove him we will assume the energy he brings to midfield is key for France.

Gerardo Torrado, does the same thing for Mexico as Toulalan for France, a defensive midfielder that relaunches attacks after good tackles, and has a vicious long shot, although we might never know that after the Jamboulani’s is making shooting tougher.

Danger Men:

Franck Ribery is off course a real danger man, but we are yet to see if it is to his own team or the opposition given his form lately. He has to rediscover his brilliant midfield play and shake off personal problems in order to create the goal opportunites his team need to advance.

Giovani dos Santos had a very good game against South Africa, and the young attacking midfielder can really re-earn his reputation with a good performance leading Mexico’s offense today His dribbling and crossing will be a threat to France.

Missing player:

France have lost Cedric Carrasso their third goalkeeper to injury.

Weaknesses: France are finding it very difficult to score lately, which is incredible given the talent in the team. They are also playing several players in unnatural positions which can cause confusion and mistakes in key situations. In short, France’s coach is their weakness.

Mexico find it tough to play physically strong teams, and can be outmuscled in corner kicks and freekicks, or in the midfield. They are also rather open and attacking as a team, meaning that they leave a lot of space which could be a major weakness that France will exploit.

Strengths: France are talented. Their players are capable of a lot in every position. Their defensive midfielder Toulalan seems to be in great form which should make life hard for Mexico.

Mexico have very effective attack based on dangerous wingplay. They can get the ball into the box with a good cross and score rather quickly. If they can beat of France’s physical presence to create the right kind of tempo in attack this could prove lethal.

Playing style: France have been playing with a single attacker and five midfielders of late. Anelka is the lone striker that needs to link up with the midfield and produce the movement that results in goals. This 4-5-1 formation is rather timid for a team with such attacking potential, but it makes France very hard to score on. 

Mexico are normally a 4-4-2 team, but here play a flexible 4-3-3 that works as a 4-5-1 when needing to hold a tough opponent like France. Their wing play is very important, and most of their goals come from high and low crosses.

Previous Matches:

The teams have played 6 games, France winning 5 outscoring Mexico 15-4 and 1 game has been a draw.

Most likely scenario:

France will win 2-1.

A slight surprise would be:

A draw.

A real shocker would mean:

A Mexican win.

Match Preview: SOUTH KOREA versus GREECE

VERSUS

Match: KOREA REPUBLIC versus GREECE
Date: June 12th 2010
Time: 1330h
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth
Capacity: 48000 People

Referee: Michael Hester (New Zealand)
Country:New Zealand

Date of Birth: 02.05.1972
Height: 181 cm
Occupation: Naval Officer
Mother tongue: English
International since: 2007
First international: Tahiti-New Caledonia (25.08.2007)
Hobbies: Snowboarding, travel, golf
Fondest memory: U-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009 semi-fianl

Analysis:


Form: 
Both teams are coming off of average form with Greece slightly at a disadvantage.


Key Men:

Georgos Karagounis number 10 will be in charge, as always of stimulating an often uninspiring Greek attack. He is also the archetypal big game competitor who knows that Korea is the most important match for the Greeks to win.

Park Ji-Sung number 7, the Manchester United midfielder must lead Korea to become the first asian team to do well outside of home soil.

Men to watch:
The giants of Korea defense, especially Sotrios Kyrgiakos number 16 should pose the physically smaller Koreans problems.

Park Chu Yung, number 10, is a real goalscorer, something Korea haven’t had for a while... what this guy when he gets into the penalty area.

Previous Matches:
These two countries not only have very distinct football cultures, they have never played each other.

Most likely scenario:
A 1-1 draw is the most likely scenario.

A slight surprise would be:
Either team wins.

A real upset would mean:
Either teams wins heavily

Recommended Recipe for your meal to accompany this game:
A delicious entree of Greek Salad starts of our match lunchtime. The freshest olives, feta, and salad mixed lightly and accompanied by a delicious tangy oil and lemon dressing.... ahhhhhhh

The Korean beef then makes its appearance in the form of Bulgogi Koren Barbecue simmering on a piping hot plate and accompanied by Greek Retzina!

Bulgogi Recipe
Ingredients :
2 tablespoons
1 tablespoons
4 tablespoons
1 bunch (about 8)
1(about 2 inch)
6 cloves
2 tablespoons
5 tablespoons
2 lb / 1 kg Dark soy sauce
Light soy sauce
Sugar
Scallions, white  and tender green parts only, coarsely chopped
Fresh ginger,  peeled and grated
Garlic, minced
Cooking rice wine
Sesame oil
Beef tenderloin, sliced as thin as possible
Cooking oil
Method :
• Mix all the ingredients thoroughly except the sliced beef.
• Add the beef and marinade for about 1 hour.
• Heat some cooking oil in a large frying pan.
• Put the sliced beef in a few at a time and sear on both sides for about 1 minute per side.
Note : This is a festive national dish of Korea. A good choice for New Year. Often cooked at the table on small grills and diners seated around it. Kim Chi, a spicy pickled, often accompanies it.

Country Focus: Group B: Greece

Group B: GREECE

Surface Area: 131,940 sq. km.
Population: 11.3 million greeks  (circa 7 million more outside of Greece and Cyprus)
Lyrics to the national anthem :

Se gnorizo apo tin kopsi
tou spathiou tin tromeri,
se gnorízo apo tin opsi,
pou me via metrai tin gi.
Ap' ta kokkala vgalmeni
ton Ellinon ta iera,
kai san prota andriomeni,
chere, o chere, Eleftheria

English:
I shall always recognize you
by the dreadful sword you hold
as the Earth with searching vision
you survey with spirit bold
From the Greeks of old whose dying
brought to life and spirit free
now with ancient valour rising
let us hail you, oh Liberty!

Official Team Bus Slogan for South Africa:
Η Ελλάδα είναι παντού!
(Greece is everywhere!)

National Food Culture:

Oooohhhhhhhhhh.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrgmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

You can’t go wrong when you mary in love lamb, the freshest vegetables, suculent yogurts and squeaking-fresh seafood.... washed down with liters of Rezina...

Subjectively Greek food is so good its enough to eat every day for seventy five lifetimes...

Positive Nicknames:
The Ethniki, the pirate ship, galanoleyki (the blue and white), the phalanx

Negative Nicknames:
The Sheeplovers, the backdoor-pirate ship

Most Famous Clubs:
Panathinaikos Athens, Olympiakos Pireus, AEK Athens, PAOK Thessaloniki, Iraklis Thessaloniki, Aris Thessaloniki, OFI Crete

Famous Players of the Past:
Not many as the 2004 team overshadowed all previous Greek footballing „achievements” but some of those team members have already retired:

Theodoros Zagorakis, Stratos Apostolakis, Antonios Nikopolidis, Nikos Anastopoulos, Demis Nikolaidis, Georgios Georgiadis

Achievements:

2004 European Champions
Otherwiese mostly disastrous performances

Current Coach:

Otto Rehhagel is an underapreciated footballing genius. Yes the Greek National Football Team had talent in 2004, but so did many of the teams in that competition.
When he took over the Greek National team in 2001, he was faced with a bucket full of talent, no hard work, no system, no discipline, blaring overblown egos, and infighting... all of which he managed to work into a deserving championship team in 2004.
He took a very defensive mode, and introduced the perfect system which accentuated the strengths of that team, a superb defence, and covered for the fact that the players didn’t have the fitness to attack for  90 minutes. The system is referred to as a „controlled defense.”
He has not yet managed to repeat the success, and for that generation of Greek supertalent this World Cup is undoubtedly the last chance to show something... Otto stayed around for the very reason that getting veterans to do something great a second time is four times as hard as an already superb achievement.
Alas, success can breed conservatism... and Rehagel’s defensive approach might not be suited to the fact that the new generation has more class attacking players than defensive ones. The result is that Greece fail to create sufficient opportunities sometimes, and if they do they are too tired to finnish correctly having had to cover more ground before having a chance at goal.
As a personality Otto is an older Mourinho or Hiddink, having been known as a rebel and Maverick in his time, and for his dictatorial approach to management.
Rehhagel will be the oldest coach managing a team in South Africa, clocking in at just under 72 years of age.

Squad of 23:
Probable strarting 11: (x greek games, x greek goals)
Antonios Nikopolodis was a symbol of the Greek goal for two decades. Now he is gone and three goalkeepers are still fighting for the number one spot – Kostas Chalkias, 36 (27,0) of PAOK is the most likely choice because given the lack of hypertalent Rehhagel is likely to stick with experience – Alexandros Tzorvas, 27 (8,0) of Panathinaikos was the hero of the 2 legged playoff against Ukraine, and could still be Greece’s number one for the World Cup – Michalis Sifakis, 25 (2,0) of Aris, has a longer shot at number one but is talented.  Given the attacking talents of the opposition, this uncertainty of goalkeepers could really hurt the Greek team.

The twin towers of the Greek defence are probably the strongest aspect of the team. Their names are Sotirios Kyrgiakos, 30, Liverpool (58, 4) and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, 21, Genoa (10,0). While they might have the same height but have a significant experience gap. Kyrgiakos is one of the best defenders at this tournament, but can Sokratis partner him?

Otto likes wingbacks. Greece has two exceptional wingbacks one of which is likely to start in South Africa.  Since the 2004 victory Giourkas Seitaridis, 28, Panathinaikos (69,1) has been the main right back for Greece and is a very balanced player excellent at defense and helpful going forward. Vasilis Torosidis, 24, Olympiakos (26,2) is Rehhagel’s first choice at left back although he struggles against fast opposition.

Alexandros Tzoilis, 25, Siena (19,0) measures 191 cm and is the physical presence in defensive midfield that Otto tends to prefer.

A frequent team captain and defensive midfielder is Kostas Katsouranis, 30, Panathinaikos (69,8) is a block of experience in central midfield that orchestrates Rehhagel’s complicated „controlled defense.” He is more of a defensive player but has a fair amount of passing ability.

Giorgios Karagounis of Panathinaikos, at 33 is one of the biggest footballing talents that Greece has produced.  He has amassed 93 appearances for his national team and scored 6 times. He is capable, an excellent dribbler and passer, and the only really creative player that Greece currently have, but not a good finisher which explains his only 6 goals given that he has had a lot, lot more opportunities on goal. His freekicks and corners are a key to Greece’s tall players knocking in the ball. A theatrical charmer, Karagounis is entertaining to watch, and highly annoying if you are an opposition fan.

Dimitris Salpigidis storms down the right wing, weaves his way into penalty boxes and does what not all Greek players know how to do: scores. The catch is that he does it in key matches for Panathinaikos, but has only managed to do it 3 times in 36 games for Greece.

So the burden of goals will go to the highest scorer in European qualification: Teofanis Gekas, 30, Eintracht Frankfurt (47,20). Gekas has consistently been scoring bags of goals all over Europe, including in Germany and England but it took him a while to start scoring for Greece. He just knows how to make the run and finnish calmly. A precious ability at any World Cup with thousands of screaming fans and historiy-in-the-making putting pressure on you.

A lot more was expected of attacker Georgios Samaras, 25, of Celtic Glasgow  (34,5) who combines technical ability and height with speed. He failed to impress in England and several other leagues before finally becoming something of an asset for Celtic in Scotland. He opens the holes which Gekas scores himself, but his finnishing is still poor.

The remaining benchies: (x greek games, x greek goals)


Angelos Charisteas, 30, Nuernberg (84,24) – the emblematic, charming forward who was the goal scorer in the final against Portugal in the 2004 European Championship win. A hard working workhorse, strong like a horse, and with the technical ball control of a horse he has lost steam over the years and doesn’t score as much as he used to. He is likely to start from the bench as a super-sub but that is uncertain as he is a sort of „lucky charm” for team in terms of goals.

Pantelis Kapetanos, 26, Steaua Bucharest (3,0) - a tall striker who scores bags of goals in Romania.
Sakis Prittas, 31, Aris Thessaloniki (0,0) – a flexible midfielder who is a surprise inclusion in the final team. He is consistent and hardworking, two traits that Rehhagel values.
Sotiris Ninis, 20, Panathinaikos (4,1) – A young supertalent, with exceptional dribbling and passing. This tiny player gets comparisons against Messi, but if Rehhagel is consistent we won’t get much time to compare the two side by side this summer as he doesn’t often get used in the Greek team. The Greek fans really want to see more of him though. Can play in the middle or on the wings as an attacking midfielder.

Christos Patsatzoglou (yes spelled correctly), 31, Omonia Nicosia (43,1) – a tall defensive midfielder with a strong shot. Likely to start on the bench but could be a starter.
Stelios Malezas, 25, PAOK (0,0) – a tall strong central defender who was another surprise inclusion in the team. Rehhagel has never yet let him play. He should provide good cover for the more experienced defenders.
Loukas Vyntra, 29, Panathinaikos (29,0)- could be a starting center back instead of Sokratis. He is rather fast and strong, he is a real defensive asset and gives Otto the option to employ three central defenders against an Argentina or Nigeria. He can also cover the left of defence and play as sweeper.
Avraam Papadopoulos, 26, Olympiakos (14,0) – Australian born, Avraam is really becoming a major asset  for Greece as well. A possible starter, he is still pursuing the heights of his talent.
Vangelis Moras, 28, Bologna (11,0) – A very likely starter in Central defence, where he has many times partnered Kyrgiakos very effectivelly. He forced Avraam from the post before losing out to Sokratis himself. He is a giant of 196 cm who can easily score when going forward from corners. Rehhagel is a big fan and he could start.

Nikos Spiropoulos, 26, Panathinaikos (19,0) – A very talented fast left-wingback who should start, but since Rehhagel prefers defensive players this talent has gotten limited chances with Greece. If he does get to play, he will be remembered as a discovery of the World Cup. Very dangerous going forward.

Tactical Approach:
He tends to prefer big, strong players to technical ones and his teams attack a lot down the wings of the pitch and not through the center.

Look for a 4-5-1 formation than can become more of a 4-3-3 when needing goals.
Two giant strong central defenders are a must to Rehhagel’s „controlled defense” as well as a dedicated defensive midfielder (Katsouranis) and one strong tall ball-heading forward (Charisteas, Samaras).
Making up for the lack of 11 super-talents Greece adheres to the Rehhagel system carefully, and this makes them a dangerous opponent. When all else fails, individual talents and long-range shooting like that of Karagounis tries to save the day.

Who is missing? Why?

2 major injuries:

Ioannis Amanatidis, 28 (35,2) of Frankfurt is out of the team. This tall, strong winger’s dynamism might be missed.

Schalke defensive midfielder Vasilis Pliatsikas, 22 (4,0) is young but already doing great with Schalke 04 and was beginning to become a central player in the national team midfield.

Greece Straaangths
Although not as formidable as in 2004, largely due to age, the Greek defense is still one of the best.

Passion runs in Greek veins, it looks like hard work, but it comes in spurts and only when it wants to. This „juice” manages to create a confusing phenomenon where a team can look like an explosion of talent and energy for 1 game, and a Sunday afternoon Bingo tournament for the next 7 games. If the Greek team manages to tap this passion they will go far.
Karagounis and the defense are strengths of an international caliber and the team has Creative talent and physical strength. Gekas and Salpingidis can run and score... but not always.
Finally a key attribute is experience, some excellent experienced players are in this team, and in a tounrament where every decision counts this could be key.

Greece Weeeaaklingnesses
Consistency, work rate, and confidence. The team has lost the confidence and barely managed to qualify for this tournament beating Ukraine narrowly in 2 playoff legs.
The goalkeeper is very insecure and filling Nikopolidis’s gloves has been more than a challenge.
The offense doesn’t seem to always work correctly, perhaps because Rehagel’s tactics are now conservative.
Finally, as seems to be a definite cultural trait, the Greek team is very capable of meltdowns. When they get scored on they stop functioning as a team and this leads to more goals. Luckily strong personalities like Kyrgiakos or Karagounis can help avoid this with some leadership on the field.

Finally if you have read this far your reward (the prediction):
Very very hard to say. If Greece finds the correct gear they are capable of advacning at least to the quarterfinals. If Greece doesn’t find the right sailing winds in South Africa, this pirate ship will sink in port.
The talent is there its all in the psychology, and the fact that every minute of Group B will be important in the face of talented, diverse opposition from Nigeria, South Korea and Argentina.
Will Rehhagel prove his genius once again and get Greece out of this group?
Prediction: Greece will finnish third in the group.