MATCH 19 – Champions No More

MATCH 19  – GROUP B

SPAIN        0-2          CHILE

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Goals-

CHI: Vargas 19′, Aranguiz 43′;

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Venue : Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro

Referee : Mark Geiger (USA)

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TEAM LINE-UPS

Spain (4-3-3) : Casillas; Azpilicueta, Martinez, Sergio Ramos, Alba; Iniesta, Busquets, Xabi Alonso(Koke 46’); Silva, Diego Costa(Torres 64’), Pedro (Cazorla 75’).
(Manager: Vicente del Bosque)

Chile (3-5-2): Bravo; Silva, Jara, Medel; Isla, Diaz, Vidal (Carmona 88;), Aranguiz (Gutierrez 64’), Mena; Alexis Sanchez, Vargas (Valvidia 85’).
(Manager: Jorge Sampaoli)

REPORT

Before the start of the game against Chile, the dressing room in Spain was all pumped up and ready to retain their numero uno in world football. But, it was not to be. Right from the moment National Anthems were sung, the passion of the Chileans was unmatched. They sang with their heart, played for their country with all their heart and have deservedly secured a place in the final 16.

After a glorious 6 years of infrangible domination by the Spanish football, thanks to tiki-taka, Spain has bowed out from the group stage of this edition of FIFA World Cup. Just because of this debacle, one cannot conclude that this is the ‘end’ of the beautiful tiki-taka. Reason being, it wasn’t even played to perfection. Same was the case with Barcelona soon after Pep Guardiola left the club to join FC Bayern Munchen. Managers who have tried to adopt the same Guardiola philosophy have not completely emulated his style to perfection. It was a one time combination of Barca + Guardiola which cannot be repeated again unless a new set of players emerge with the same attributes. Xavi and Xabi Alonso were not upto their usual best. Sergio Busquets made quite a few errors while shielding the defence (highly unlikely, but it happened) and a horrible miss from a brilliant acrobatic cross fromDiego Costa.

Furthermore, one error made right before the start of the World Cup by the Spanish FA might have cost them badly which being, Spain call up for the ex-Brazilian Diego Costa. He is a player who does not fit into the beautiful Spanish football. He is more suitable for a team like Chelsea and a manager who loves physical players, Jose Mourinho. Spain dearly missed the masterclass of Xavi Hernandez. He is the one who can control the tempo of the game at whatever pace he deems fit. Spain has been particularly poor in the midfield which might not have been the case if Xavi had started. All these arguments and analytics keep going on until Spain thrash someone again. So, with no further ado let us jump to how the match has progressed.

THE MATCH

The Chileans drew first blood at 20 minute mark. Xabi Alonso made a poor pass straight to the feet of Alexis, who burst forward to exchange a brilliant one-two with Vidal. Barcelona forward, Sanchez, then finds the run of Aranguiz, who shows superb composure to find Eduardo Vargas at the back post, who taps in to put the Chileans in the lead. Hopes of Spain started to dwindle.

Vargas – Draws first blood.
Spain 0-1 Chile.

Spain has raised the tempo after the first goal with Silva heading the ball cleverly into the path of Diego Costa who misses horribly at the front post. Except for this wonderful chance, there wasn’t much from Spain before Aranguiz makes it 2-0 for Chile before the half time break. Alexis Sanchez whipped a free kick towards goal which was followed by a Casillas howler, who punched the ball straight into the path of Aranguiz who takes a assured touch before smashing it into the top corner. At half time Spain 0-2 Chile.

Aranguiz – Smashes into glory.
Spain 0-2 Chile.

Soon after the half time break, Spain made a change which del Bosque hoped would change the course of the game. Koke in for Xabi Alonso. 5 minutes after this crucial substitution, Spain had their best chance at putting their mark on the game. Sergio Ramos whips a free kick towards goal and Barcelona target, Claudio Bravo daftly punches back into the danger area. Diego Costa brilliantly hits a bicycle kick to the back post and all the Barca man has to do is tap it in, but slices his attempt wide. The only good minute he has had in the whole game, Diego Costa.

Chile tried to extent their lead in the 68th minute with Mena bursting from the left made a cross/shot (didn’t really understand what he intended to do. 😛 ). The Juventus man, Isla, meets the ball at the back post but can only slide a strike over the bar on the stretch.

Spain had shown little intent after the 70th minute mark except for a desperate Santi Cazorla attempt from outside the box which was saved by Claudio Bravo.

CONCLUSION

Chileans have been tactically brilliant. Jorge Sampaoli has made sure of it. Alexis Sanchez was at the heart of every Chilean move, which makes me feel good as a Barcelona fan. They have outnumbered Spain in the midfield. They robbed them of the ball in crucial areas and it was an enthralling performance from La Roja ousting La furia Roja from the Cup of Life (I like the name). I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets an offer from to manage in one of the Top 5 European leagues.

The defending World Cup champions are out of the World Cup before the group stage is even over after going down 2-0 to a wonderful Chile side in the Maracana. Maracana is starting to prove unlucky for the Spanish side. Recall that Spain have been thrashed by Brazil 3-0 in the Confederations Cup final at the Maracana. Vargas and Aranguiz were on the score-sheet for the South American side, who deservedly progress to the knockout stage, and now face Holland in the next match to settle the top spot dispute, as I would like to call it. Vicente del Bosque’s men are heading home early and it now finally looks as if the journey of this fantastic team has met it’s sad end.

MATCH 3 – Revenge Of The Dutchmen

MATCH 3  – GROUP B

   SPAIN         1-5          NETHERLANDS 

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Goals-

ESP: Alonso 27′(P);

NED: van Persie 44′, 72′, Robben 53′, 80′, de Vrij 64′;

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Venue : Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

Referee : Nicola Rizzoli

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Revenge is a dish best served cold. And these vengeful sentiments must have been extremely prominent in the men in Oranje because last night the spaniards were overwhelmed. In the 5-1 rout the Spaniards were outclassed sending shockwaves across the football fraternity as Netherlands take their revenge for the World Cup 2010 final loss. The Dutch have reaffirmed their status as contenders for the cup with Louis van Gaal, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben leading the charge. The Spaniards have been left questioning the potency of their attacking ideologies and solidity of their defence.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Spain: Casillas, Azpilicueta, Sergio Ramos, Pique, Jordi Alba, Alonso (Pedro 63), Xavi, Busquets, Silva (Fabregas 78), Diego Costa (Torres 62), Iniesta.

Netherlands: Cillessen, Janmaat, Vlaar, De Vrij (Veltman 78), Martins Indi, Blind, De Guzman (Wijnaldum 62), Sneijder, De Jong, Van Persie (Lens 79), Robben.

THE GAME

In purely tactical terms, last night’s game was a tale of two halves. The first half was a showcase of Spanish supremacy. The grace and elegance displayed in the center of the park was a joy to behold. Bar the initial Dutch surge, the Spanish dominated the center of the park and created a number of good chances. The midfield alliance of Xavi, Xabi Alonso, and Sergio Busquets thrived in the absence of any hint of a challenge from Nigel de Jong and Jordi Clasie and starved the Dutch for the ball for long stretches. The 3-man defence of Bruno Martins Indi, Ron Vlaar, and Stefan de Vrij initially seemed composed and well coordinated, however as time wore on they failed to track the movement of Andres Iniesta and David Silva. Iniesta in particular gave the Dutch plenty of grief by consistently finding spaces in the Dutch defence and slipping in beautiful balls which were not taken advantage of. With Arjen Robben having to drop deeper and deeper for the ball, any attacking threat from the Dutch side was visibly negligible. Indeed, Alonso’s opener from the penalty spot after Diego Costa was brought down by de Vrij under dubious circumstances (Costa’s most significant contribution the entire game) seemed apt justice considering the flow of the game. With Xavi’s distribution being spot on and near-perfect synchronization between different elements of the midfield, it only seemed a matter of time before Costa actually showed up on the field and began demolition. Manager Louis van Gaal had other things in mind.

Alonso buries the penalty. Spain 1-0 Netherlands.

A minute before half time, a beautiful delivery from the excellent Daley Blind was looped over Casillas by the ever clinical Superman RVP as Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique were caught woefully out of position. Brilliant ball in. Brilliant finish. And thus began the demolition nobody expected.

Superman!
Spain 1-1 Netherlands

Van Gaal is a tactical genius. Period. Subtle changes often make the difference. In the second half, van Gaal suffocated the spark of the Spanish team, Andres Iniesta. With at least three men around him all the time, the magician failed to pull off his tricks effectively. With Xavi tiring every passing moment and Alonso not at his creative best, the threat of the Spanish seemed to be dwindling. From his analysis of the first half, van Gaal also noticed that the high defensive line of Ramos and Pique failed very often to track back. These two observations and their corresponding tactical alterations proved to be the foundation stones of a brilliantly executed tactical masterclass. Mr. Van Gaal, I tip my imaginary hat.
What followed was a complete turnaround in the structure of the game. Another brilliant ball in from Blind was superbly controlled by Robben, dazzling Pique and finishing before Ramos could interfere.

Robben easing past Pique before blasting it in.
Spain 1-2 Netherlands.

Unlike his counterpart, Vicente del Bosque miserably failed to adapt to the changing tide and any changes were absent. Finally, Diego Costa was put out of his misery and booed off the field with Fernando Torres his replacement. In response, Netherlands added a third with a Wesley Sneijder freekick missing everybody and slotting in goal after hitting de Vrij at the far post. Casillas was partly at fault with Azpilicueta also failing to track de Vrij’s run.

de Vrij sneaks in at the back post to head home.
Spain 1-3 Netherlands

 

Iker’s night was about to get way worse though. In the 72^nd minute a howler from the man was taken advantage of by Robin van Persie who made it 4-1.

RVP leaves a stunned Iker behind.
Spain 1-4 Netherlands

 

Sorry, Iker. No love from Sara tonight.

 

Oh, Sara!

To complete the rout, in the 80^th minute, Arjen Robben displays his exquisite pace and leaves Ramos and Pique yards behind to score after beating the keeper.

Robben completes the demolition with the icing on the cake.
Spain 1-5 Netherlands

Ramos, Pique, Casillas shamed.

Van Persie, Robben exquisite.

Game. Set. Match.

Conclusion:
In what was the most unexpected result in recent times, the Dutch perfectly countered the initial midfield exhibition showcased by La Furia Roja. Tactically astute with moments of individual brilliance, the win was well deserved.

Vicente del Bosque needs to address some gaping holes in his tactical set up. The defensive pair of Ramos and Pique has to be less adventurous and refrain from venturing forward as often as they did against Holland. Casillas needs to look himself in the mirror, assess his errors and come back strong in Spain’s next game. Diego Costa may well be over burdened with the expectations people have of him and he was ridiculously devoid of any potency in front of goal. The transition to a more direct approach from the Barcelona system is far from complete. Spain needs to get its affairs in order if the team wishes to proceed ahead in the tournament.

Although Netherlands destroyed the Number 1 ranked team in the world, there is still scope for improvement. The 3-man defensive wall was often porous which could have lead to a couple of goals against their team against more potent finishers. Nigel de Jong and Jordi Clasie also have to be more visible and hassle opposition effectively. In future games, Netherlands will not be taken lightly and the attacking duo of RVP and Robben will not be allowed this much freedom. Their overreliance on the two may well cause them some grief later on in the tournament.

The night before last meant different things to different sects of people. To the Dutch it meant sweet revenge. To the Spaniards, the 5-1 drubbing served as a wake up call. They are far from untouchable. To us simple followers of the beautiful game, last night may well be viewed as the end of an era, the collapse of arguably the finest football empire the world has ever seen. The night before last may well signal the death of Spanish football.

GROUP B – Repeat Of The Final

GROUP B

Spain

Netherlands

Chile

Australia

 

OVERVIEW

Group B features a repeat performance of last time’s final with Spain and the Netherlands meeting each other a lot earlier than they would’ve imagined. The group is completed by Chile and Australia. The Spaniards boast one of the strongest squads in the tournament and are clear favorites to brush aside the rest in gaining top spot. The Dutch, with a squad not as imposing as last time, still are second favorites to qualify. The Chileans, who will have home continent advantage, will be a difficult team to crack open. An upset is very much on the cards. And finally, Australia, are in for trouble. The Down Under men are going just there. Down Under.

So, the top spots will be up for grabs as we could expect Group B to be one of the groups of the tournament.  Lets get into Team Analysis.

 

 

 

SPAIN

 

 

Nickname : La Furia Roja (The Red Fury)

FIFA Ranking : 1

Manager : Vicente Del Bosque

Squad and Formation

Predicted Formation: 4-3-3

Predicted Starting Line Up:

The defending champions boast of a squad the depth of which simply cannot be matched in international football today. Their bench comprises of footballers of the highest pedigree who would stroll into the starting eleven of almost any squad in the world, presumably with a cigar on the lips and a glass of cognac in hand. To see the likes of Juan Mata, Javi Martinez, Cesc Fabregas, to name a few, on the bench is heart breaking at times. But their absence from the starting eleven speaks volumes of the options that Manager Vicente del Bosque has at his disposal. And this bodes well for La Roja.
With the revival of Gerard Pique, the continued aggressive excellence of Sergio Ramos, and the tactical intelligence of Javi Martinez, Spain is well stocked up in defence, to say the absolute least. And even if you get past the two central defenders, I do not envy the attacker attempting to get that ball past Iker Casillas. Especially if Sara Carbonero rewards a clean sheet with something the rest of us can only dream of (something the rest of us DO dream of).

With such a strong safety net to fall back on, the fullback pair of Jordi Alba (Speedy Gonzales reincarnated) and the more conservative Juanfran, who has edged ahead of Cesar Azpilicueta, can afford to maraud the wings and provide more than able support to the Spanish wide men.

In the midfield, the Barcelona pair of Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets should start alongside Madrid man Xabi Alonso. Vicente del Bosque could not have hoped for a better screen ahead of his defense than Sergio Busquets who also has the ability to entertain with his theatrics as an added bonus.

We’re watching you, Sergio!

Xavi and Xabi shall be dictating play and pumping those balls all around the field as they are accustomed to. There are talks of the Heir Apparent Koke replacing The Maestro Xavi. However, I do not see that happening in Brazil. Xavi Hernandez is unmatched. Period.

The Spanish wide men shall be Andres Iniesta and David Silva neither being conventional wide men. Del Bosque has displayed an unwillingness to field conventional wingers with Jesus Navas failing to make the cut despite a brilliant season with Manchester City and Pedro not being deployed effectively enough. I believe that much of the wing play will be conducted by the full backs. Iniesta and Silva are the finest playmakers in world football at the moment and they shall have free license to link the striker up front with the midfield trio.

Up front, there really is one option. In fielding the burly Diego Costa, del Bosque has shown a willingness to depart from tradition and use a true striker instead of the ‘False 9’ the Spaniards seem so attached to. Rest assured, Spain shall be more potent in front of goal than what observers have been accustomed to.

Iniesta – Will heroics repeat itself?

Tactics

To watch the Spanish play football is to witness sheer poetry of motion when they are at their best. Being an advocate of Possession Football as practiced and preached by His Holiness The Johann of Cruyff, I admire the shrewdness which Wily Ol’ Bosque has exhibited by adopting the ‘Barcelona System’ thus far. Suffocating opponents by controlling the ball, unmatched distribution and work rate, the high defensive line, hunting in packs. These ideologies have been successfully incorporated into the Spain set up to great effect as is reflected in the recent, well documented additions in Spain’s erstwhile dust covered (almost Arsenal like) trophy cabinet. However, the Barcelona Star is waning and hence, it is my belief that Spain is a team in transition. They are adopting a more direct approach from what can be observed by analyzing their pre-World Cup friendlies. In doing so del Bosque is attempting to fully utilize the considerable skills of one Diego Costa who has thrived in the Athletico Madrid design (kudos Mr. Simeone!). In Diego, del Bosque has a true striker, a ‘True No. 9’, someone who is guaranteed to give him goals if deployed correctly. Diego Costa shall add a new dimension to the Spain set up with his physicality and his clinical finishing. With Andres Iniesta and David Silva tasked with feeding the striker, and Jordi Alba and Juanfran pumping balls in from the wings, he shall get opportunities aplenty.

Tactically speaking, the key point in determining how well Spain do shall be how effectively the midfielders can synchronize. Spain set up their midfield in multi dimensional layers. Busquets takes up the screen in front of the defense with Alonso also lending a hand. Xavi and Xabi Alonso shall attempt to orchestrate play with the former being more attack minded. Andres Iniesta and David Silva shall roam around the entire field looking for the perfect opportunity to play the killer ball in. How effectively the cogs in the midfield engine play their part shall go a long way in determining Spain’s success in Brazil this summer.

Predictions & Key Points

Spain should breeze through to the Knock Out stage and may well make it all the way. However, the aforementioned transition is not yet complete and this may result in failure to retain the World Cup.

A key point in analyzing the effectiveness with which the Spanish way of football is incorporated on the field is how well they adapt to the climatic conditions in Brazil. In the Confederations Cup last summer, Spain failed to adapt and their workrate and pressing were severely compromised. Lets hope the Spanish acclimatize and we get to witness the undeniable mellifluous beauty of Spanish football.

Spain Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), David De Gea (Manchester United)

Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Raul Albiol (Napoli), Javi Martinez (Bayern Munich), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Midfielders: Xavi (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Arsenal), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Juan Mata (Manchester United), David Silva (Manchester City)

Forwards: Pedro (Barcelona), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid), David Villa (Atletico Madrid), Fernando Torres (Chelsea).

 

 

 

NETHERLANDS

 

 

Nickname : Oranje (The Orange)

FIFA Ranking : 15

Manager : Louis van Gaal

Squad and Formation:

Predicted Formation: 5-3-2/3-5-2
Predicted starting lineup:

What the Dutch squad lacks in maturity in defence, they make up for in attacking quality in terms of overall squad strength. The attacking trio of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie up front shall be able to find their way through the meanest of defences, especially when being instructed by the Czar of Alkmaar, Louis van Gaal.

Behind the front three, Nigel de Jong should feature alongside Jordy Clasie. In the absence of star man Kevin Strootman, the pair should provide adequate cover and effectively screen the defence.

With the two-man holding midfield, the wing backs Daryl Janmaat and Daley Blind shall play more like wingers for most of the game. Janmaat in particular will give the opposition plenty of grief.

The main weakness of the Dutch squad is their defence. Promising talents Bruno Martins Indi and Stefan de Vrij may be, but their inexperience shall affect the performance of the team. Ron Vlaar completes the three man defence and is expected to lead and organize the defenders. However, I remain unconvinced with the quality of football that he plays. Jasper Cillessen should make the cut above Michel Vorm and Tim Krul based on his performances for Ajax.

Tactics:

 

Proving his tactical acumen, Manager Louis van Gaal has modified the 4-3-3 formation which was deployed during qualification because of injury to Superman Kevin Strootman. In the absence of the anchor in midfield and no worthy replacement, van Gaal has revived the 5-3-2 formation with three central defenders and two wingbacks. This has been a tactical masterstroke and may negate the effect of Strootman’s loss.

United target Daryl Janmaat and Daley Blind shall function as midfielders in attack and shall use every opportunity to bomb forward. Thus, in the transition from defence to attack, les Oranje modify their tactical set up into a 3-5-2 formation. In doing so, van Gaal has given Wesley Sneijder the perfect platform to showcase his excellent distribution with multiple options in front. The midfield pair of Nigel de Jong and Jordy Clasie shall be able to marshal the midfield and boss around the opposition giving Sneijder and Arjen Robben the freedom to exhibit their many talents. Robben shall exploit the freedom that he shall be given. He will still have to pass the ball though. Van Gaal runs a tight ship.

Van Gaal – The Chills.

Sneijder shall serve as an able middleman to link van Persie with the midfield. When match fit, Robin van Persie is arguably the best striker in the world. Taking into account the service he shall be receiving, expect some fireworks from the Dutch!

Robben & RVP – Left Foots to dream for.

Predictions & Key Points

Netherlands should make it through to the next stage, but will have to work hard competing with Chile. How their hitherto untested defence fares against quality opposition will decide how far along they can make it in the tournament. The acclimatization factor also plays an important role here. If they adapt, they should see off the threat of Chile and qualify for the Knock Outs.

Netherlands Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcastle), Michel Vorm (Swansea)

Defenders: Daley Blind (Ajax), Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord), Terence Kongolo (Feyenoord), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Joel Veltman (Ajax), Paul Verhaegh (Augsburg), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord)

Midfielders: Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Leroy Fer (Norwich), Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV Eindhoven)

Forwards: Memphis Depay (PSV), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Dirk Kuijt (Fenerbahce), Jeremain Lens (Dynamo Kiev), Robin van Persie (Manchester United), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)

 

 

 

     CHILE

 

 

Nickname : La Roja (The Red)

FIFA Ranking : 14

Manager : Jorge Sampaoli

Squad and Formation:
Predicted formation: 4-3-1-2
Predicted starting lineup:

Tactics

The South Americans finished third in their qualifying group behind Argentina and Columbia and much of the credit goes to Manager Jorge Sampaoli who follows in the path paved by Marcelo Biesla. To predict the formation and tactics of the manager is no easy feat as Sampaoli has displayed an inclination to tinker based on the opposition. However, a high-tempo, high pressing gameplay is to be expected.

Throughout qualification, Chile have fielded a three-man or a four-man defence. Based on the relative toughness of the group, it is my belief that Sampaoli shall field three men at the back against Australia whereas a four-man defence will be seen against Spain and Netherlands.

The Chilean team is capable of retaining the ball for long periods and the team works extremely hard when the ball is not with them. Although the principles are similar compared to what they were under Biesla, Jorge Sampaoli has taken Chilean football to a whole new level. The front three work extremely hard and hassle the opposition. The focus is on breaking up the opposition’s play early on and depriving them of the opportunity to settle down. However, this tactic requires a high defensive line to prevent spaces in the middle of the field. This can be exploited by quality opposition as the Chilean defenders lack the pace to track back effectively.

The players are very comfortable with the ball at their feet and they are guaranteed to entertain with their quick passing and subtle tactical variations throughout the game. In Arturo Vidal, Chile have the most complete midfielder in the game today and Sampaoli shall effectively utilize him. The absence of Fiorentina forward Matias Fernandez will be felt. However Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas can run any defence ragged with their dribbling abilities and intelligent link up play, and they sure can pop in goals consistently.

Alexis Sanchez – Spearheading the Reds.

Predictions & Key Points : 

Having been drawn in a relatively tough group, Chile will have to work their socks off to progress into the next stages. With a weakened Dutch side, qualification for the Chileans certainly is not impossible. Sampaoli will have to get his tactics spot on for them to stand a chance against the 2010 finalists.

The weather conditions shall also play a major part in determining the success of the South Americans. In contrast to the Dutch, they are accustomed to playing in these conditions and this could prove to be the edge that the Chileans needed.

Chile Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad), Johnny Herrera (Universidad de Chile), Cristopher Toselli (Universidad Catolica)

Defenders: Gary Medel (Cardiff City), Jose Rojas (Universidad de Chile), Eugenio Mena (Santos), Gonzalo Jara (Nottingham Forest)

Midfielders: Arturo Vidal (Juventus), Mauricio Isla (Juventus), Marcelo Diaz (Basel), Francisco Silva (Osasuna), Felipe Gutierrez (FC Twente), Jose Pedro Fuenzalida (Colo Colo), Carlos Carmona (Atalanta), Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic), Charles Aranguiz (Internacional), Miiko Albornoz (Malmo)

Forwards: Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona), Eduardo Vargas (Valencia), Jorge Valdivia (Palmeiras), Mauricio Pinilla (Cagliari), Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo), Fabian Orellana (Celta Vigo)

 

 

 

AUSTRALIA

 

 

Nickname : Socceroos

FIFA Ranking : 62

Manager : Ange Postecoglou

Squad and Formation:

Predicted formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted lineup:

An Outlook

Coach Ange Postecoglou, the first Australian coach of the national team in 10 years, is a pleasant change from the man he replaced at the helm, Holger Osieck who once claimed that ,”women should shut up in public”. The focus is now on football which has reflected in the qualifying campaign of the Aussies. Postecoglou has transformed the Australian squad in a number of aspects. From being the second oldest squad in terms of average age in the 2010 World Cup, the Socceroos are one of the youngest squads in this edition. However, keeping the positives of youthful exuberance aside, Australians are going to crash. In Everton legend Tim Cahill they have a true leader but his young charges are a long way from comparing to the quality that the other teams in their group possess. Apart from the promotion of youth, Postecoglou has also altered the tactical set up of the Aussies. Possession football is now the essence of the Australian football soul with its traces now observable in the oh-so-famous A-League. Brisbane Roar have now been nicknamed ‘Roarcelona’.

The Ram Narayan of the A-League.

All jokes apart, the work put in by Postecoglou is admirable. He is reshaping Australian football culture. The exposure for the young squad in Brazil shall be invaluable for their development. However, being the lowest ranked team participating in the World Cup, the men from Down Under are going to feel at home, Down Under the group table!

 

Australia Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan (Club Bruges), Mitchell Langerak (Borussia Dortmund), Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United).

Defenders: Jason Davidson (Heracles Almelo), Matthew Spiranovic (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ivan Franjic (Brisbane Roar), Bailey Wright (Preston North End), Ryan McGowan (Shandong Luneng), Alex Wilkinson (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors).

Midfielders: Oliver Bozanic (Luzern), Mark Bresciano (Al Gharafa, Qatar), James Holland (Austria Vienna), Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace), Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory), Dario Vidosic (Sion), Matt McKay (Brisbane Roar), James Troisi (Atalanta), Massimo Luongo (Swindon)

Forwards: Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls), Matthew Leckie (FSV Frankfurt 1899), Tommy Oar (Utrecht), Ben Halloran (Fortuna Duesseldorf), Adam Taggart (Newcastle Jets).