Group A
South Africa
Key Players
G - Itumeleng Khune
D - Matthew Booth
M - Steven Pienaar
F - Benni McCarthy
Advantages
-Home Field
-Quickness
-Counter-attack
Weaknesses
-Lack of Experience
-Lack of Size Ahead of the Defense
-Lack of Impact Players
Prediction
Fourth in Group A
Mexico
Key Players
G - Guillermo Ochoa
D - Rafael Marquez, Ricardo Osorio
M - Giovanni Dos Santos, Gerardo Torrado
F - Guillermo Franco, Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Advantages
-Experienced Defenders and Midfielders
-Ability to Possess for Long Periods in the Midfield
-Speed on the Wings
Weaknesses
-Slow Defenders
-Inexperienced Finishers
Prediction
-3rd Place in Group A
Uruguay
Key Players
G - Juan Castillo
D - Diego Lugano, Diego Godin
M - Cristian Rodriguez, Alvaro Pereira
F - Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez
Advantages
-Experience Up Front
-Great Finishing
-Good Pace
Disadvantages
-Fail to Impress in Big Games
-Sometimes Rely Too Much on Star Players
Prediction
1st Place in Group A
France
Key Players
G - Hugo Lloris
D - Patrice Evra, William Gallas
M - Franck Ribery, Jeremy Toulalan
F - Andre-Pierre Gignac, Thierry Henry
Advantages
-Great Pace on the Wings
-Great Playmakers
-Great Scoring Capability
Disadvantages
-Terribly Inconsistent
-Bad Coaching
-Defenders Push Forward Too Often
Prediction
2nd Place in Group A
Is the coach allowing Benni McCarthy to play? Last time I remember he had some beef with the coach and he didn't want him on the team.
ReplyDeleteI'll stick with my France/Mexico prediction but I wouldn't be surprised to see France lose/tie their first game. Uruguay may show up better than expected. Hopefully Gallas will control his defenders and Henry will stay cool as always (and keep his hands in his pockets). Should be a good show.
ReplyDeleteThough I'm wondering, should I feel bad that I'm not even giving South Africa a second glance? Perhaps an underdog story is in the works?.....NAAAAH
Oh dang, I hadn't heard about that. I remember he didn't play in the Confederations Cup, but I just assumed he'd be on this team. He's definitely the best striker South Africa has.
ReplyDeleteI think that's a good call on Gignac ... he's not terribly consistent but for premier league teams who need to strengthen their front line, i can see him coming to england if he puts in a good showing at the world cup. Group A could go either way - never write off the hosts, and we have to remember the altitude factor - maybe the french would do themselves a favour by living in the Alps for the next few weeks - the england players are sleeping in altitude tents and playing Japan in Austria. I don't want to predict it though - I've given up predicting football.
ReplyDelete