Colombia vs Uruguay – Toothless Affair

ROUND OF 16 – MATCH 2

COLOMBIA     VS     URUGUAY

.

.

Venue: Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

.

OVERVIEW

Colombia have dominated their way through from Group C by beating everyone in their path without their star striker Radamel Falcao. Manager Jose Pekerman has changed the formation to 4-2-3-1 that allowed young talent such as Monaco attacking midfielder James Rodriguez and Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado to shine.

Both of them are set to make the starting line-up and so will team captain Mario Yepes and striker Teofilo Gutierrez who were both rested in Los Cafeteros’ final group stage match against Japan.

Uruguay have managed to make it through from the ‘Group of Death’ but lost their best player in the process. Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been banned from any football for four whole months and will not be wearing the Celeste shirt for nine international matches. The punishment occurred after the 27-year-old bit Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder last Tuesday.

Manager Oscar Tabarez now needs to decide whether he will play Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani up front on his own or whether he will include the best player of the 2010 competition, Diego Forlan, next to him. To make matters worse, team captain Diego Lugano could also be out with a knee injury.

ROAD TO THE SECOND ROUND

Ruthless in attack and relentless in defence, Colombia won all of their group C matches to finish on top with 9 points. Convincing wins over Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan showed the world that they are a force to be reckoned with.They’ve done all this without supposed talisman Falcao too!There’s no doubt that during this World Cup they have recruited many new fans along the way. Uruguay won’t look forward to this duel.Colombia have a touch of class about them too, sentimentally bringing on goalkeeper Mondragon to make him the oldest player in World Cup history at 43 years old.

With a rather average group performance Uruguay managed to qualify from the ‘Group of Death’ even after losing the first match 3-1 to lowly ranked Costa Rica. With a win over England and a rather controversial one over Italy, Uruguay managed to finish second with 6 points with Costa Rica finishing at the top with 7 points. They will be missing out on Luis Suarez but fact remains that Uruguay have lost the matches where the Liverpool FC striker didn’t play.

Suarez – They will defenitely miss The Biter.

HISTORY AND STATS

The teams have faced off 38 times with Uruguay winning 18 matches and Colombia emerging victorious out of 11 of the exchanges. Colombia’s first ever World Cup match was against Uruguay in 1962 where the Uruguayans were being managed by Diego Forlan’s grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazzo. That was also the last time they faced each other in this competition.

Colombia’s shot conversion equals to 31 per cent, which is the best rate out of any other squad in the group stage. Los Cafeteros have scored nine goals in three matches.

Jose Pekerman’s team is unbeaten in their last 10 matches, where they picked up six wins. Monaco attacking midfielder James Rodriguez has scored in all of his last five internationals.

Uruguay have achieved arguably their greatest feat in the Maracana stadium when they beat Brazil 2-1 in the 1950 World Cup final – that day is remembered as the Maracanazo.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been banned from nine straight international matches and any other sort of action for four months, which means that the Uruguayan will not be playing again until October. His country have lost both of the last World Cup matches that Suarez missed , which was against the Netherlands in 2010 and Costa Rica in this year’s opener.

TACTICAL SET-UP – COLOMBIA

In 3 games, Colombia scored 9 goals as they played united as a team and all areas of the pitch played well. Colombia is right behind Holland for most goals scored as the dutch have scored 10. Goalkeeper David Ospina, played phenomenally as he only conceded 2 goals in 3 games. He saved 9 shots in those games, including 5 saves against Japan. The defense also put in a stellar performance as Juan Zuniga, Cristian Zapata, Mario Yepes and Pablo Armero were rock solid in the back line as all four of them rarely made mistakes. Pablo Armero and Juan Zuniga also helped out offensively as their dangerous runs from the other end, helped out an already high-powered offense. Also a special mention should go out to defensive midfielders, Abel Aguilar and Carlos Sanchez as they were a key reason why Colombia won the first two games by playing superbly in the midfield.

While Colombia’s defense is solid, their offense is one of the best, if not the best in the tournament. Despite playing a 4-1-4-1 in their last game, coach Jose Pekerman likes a 4-2-3-1 formation putting a heavy emphasis on the “3″.

This World Cup has seen the rise of two Colombians who have dominated this tournament. Juan Cuadrado and James Rodriguez have been the attacking force that could very well see Colombia make a long run into this tournament. After taking a look at all of the 9 goals that Colombia scored in the group stages, Cuadrado and Rodriguez played a part in seven of the nine goals scored.

Strengths

They have arrived at the World Cup with a wonderfully well-balanced attacking team, built around the creative talents of James Rodriguez and the pace on the wings of Victor Ibarbo and Juan Cuadrado.

Weaknesses

Colombia have not had to do much defending so far, and a good side could test out the discipline of their holding midfielders or the centre-back Mario Yepes’ pace on the turn.

Key Man

Rodriguez has been one of the stars of the World Cup so far. The little No 10 has scored three times – including a wonderful chip against Japan – and had a hand in four other goals.

J-Rod – Class Act.

TACTICAL SET-UP – URUGUAY

Any football fan could infer from their group matches that Uruguay’s midfield is struggling to produce anything and we noticed that in the game against Italy as the midfield was barely seen at all. One reason why the midfield struggles so much is because of the horrendous pass completion rate of most, if not all of the midfielders. Coach Oscar Tabarez used a different formation for each game Uruguay played in the group stage. In the first game against Costa Rica he used a heavy central midfield formation, and an ever so classic 4-4-2. This didn’t work out as the midfield could not support the tandem of Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani. Then in the next game against England, it was Luis Suarez who scored two goals with one coming off a kick from keeper Fernando Muslera. The other one was a nice through ball to Suarez who headed in from a couple of yards out. Once again, very little to absolutely no midfield play from Uruguay as Tabarez opted for a 4-1-2-1-2 formation. In the last game against Italy we saw another near pitiful performance by the midfielders in a very harsh game that saw Uruguay go with a 5-3-2 formation.

Strengths

They showed in their wins over England and Italy that they are a resilient unit, making up for individual deficiencies with tremendous application and a clear shared sense of how they play as a team.

Weaknesses

They would not be here without Luis Suarez and it remains to be seen how they will cope without him, and whether their sense of indignation – however misplaced – will distract them.

Key Man

With no Suarez, there will be even more pressure on his strike partner Edinson Cavani to produce single-handed brilliance. He has the full range of skills to win games on his own, but he will have to show it.

Cavani – Packed with Power.

KEY PLAYER BATTLES

1. Edinson Cavani vs Mario Yepes

At 38 years old, Yepes still remains a formidable presence in defence. But he will need to harness all his experience to handle the big striker from PSG, Cavani.

Yepes – The 38-year old youngster.

2. Juan Cuadrado vs Alvaro Pereira

One of the highlights of this attractive Colombia team has been the speedy winger Juan Cuadrado. Defending that right flank will be a priority for Uruguay and the 28-year old left back Alvaro Pereira will be tasked with the job. Should be a feisty battle, that.

Cuadrado – Tricky Winger.

3. James Rodriguez vs Diego Godin

This will be arguably the biggest battle of the game. James Rodriguez has taken this World Cup by storm so far. With his trickery, neat passing and runs into the box, defenders are going to have a tough time handling him. But Diego Godin is no pushover. Coming from a bloody amazing season and scoring important goals, Godin’s confidence will be sky high. This battle should a quite a show.

Godin – Big Match Player.

VERDICT AND PREDICTION

Colombia breezed through the group stages with relative ease and the 4-1 win over Japan with a number of fringe players highlights the strength in depth in their squad. Fans believe they have the ability to go all the way and the performances of the team suggest the faith isn’t all too farfetched, though Uruguay will pose their first real test of the competition. However, their South American counterparts will be without talismanic frontman Luis Suarez after he was banned for 9 international fixtures. Reports suggest Uruguay are threatening to not play Colombia in protest of his ban and the furore surrounding Suarez is expected to hamper pre-match preparations. With their heads not in the right place, Uruguay are likely to be distracted by off-field antics which Colombia should capitalise on.

This one will be a very tightly contested match with both the South American teams desperate to prove a point. It could go down to the wire or one could witness a thrashing of either teams.

Whatever the result may be and amidst all the controversy football fans should be ready for a wonderful second round match.

MATCH 22 – The English Nightmare

MATCH 22  – GROUP D

URUGUAY        2-1          ENGLAND

.

.

Goals

URU: Suarez 39′, 85′;

ENG: Rooney 75′;

.

.

Venue : Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo

Referee : Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)

.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Uruguay: Muslera, Gimenez, Godin, Caceres, Pereira (Fucile 79), Lodeiro (Stuani 67), Gonzalez, Arevalo Rios, Rodriguez, Cavani, Suarez (Coates 89).
(Manager: Oscar Tabarez)

England: Hart, Baines, Cahill, Jagielka, Johnson, Gerrard, Henderson, Sterling (Barkley 64), Rooney, Welbeck (Lallana 71), Sturridge.
(Manager: Roy Hodgson)

THE MATCH

Suarez – He’s Back.
Uruguay 1-0 England.

Rooney – FINALLY! Uruguay 1-1 England.

Suarez – The English Heart Breaker. Uruguay 2-1 England.

MATCH 6 – The Tables Have Turned

MATCH 6  – GROUP D

   URUGUAY       1-3        COSTA RICA

.

.

Goals-

URU: Cavani 24′(P);

CRC: Campbell 54′, Duarte 57′, Urena 84′;

.

.

Venue : Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza

Referee : Felix Brych (Germany)

.

TEAM LINE-UPS

Uruguay: Muslera, Caceres, Lugano, Godin, Pereira, Gargano (Gonzalez 59), Arevalo, Rodriguez (Hernandez 76), Stuani, Forlan (Lodeiro 59), Cavani.

Costa Rica: Navas, Gamboa, Umana, Gonzalez, Duarte, Diaz, Bolanos (Barrantes 87), Borges, Tejeda (Cubero 74), Ruiz (Urena 83), Campbell.

With the Liverpool goal machine Luis Suarez not deemed fit to start due to injury, the pre-match talk centred around the question of whether PSG star striker Edinson Cavani could make his own presence felt. And with coach Oscar Tabarez looking to maximise the attacking talent at his disposal, he decided to field a classic (read ancient) 4-4-2 formation to best accomodate the attacking talents of wingers Cristian Rodriguez and Christian Stuani, and centre forwards Diego Forlan and Cavani.

Coming into the mtach as underdogs and facing the powerful presence of Edinson Cavani and 2010 Golden Ball winner Diego Forlan, Costa Rica started with a more conservative 5-4-1 formation with Arsenal youngster Joel Campbell, starting alone upfront and Fulham’s creative force Bryan Ruiz on the right side of midfield. Another familiar name in the Tico line up was Levante’s rising star between the sticks Keylor Navas, who is sure to attract a lot of attention from top clubs who battle for his signature after the World Cup.

THE MATCH

The reason that the 4-4-2 formation has become something of an antiquated commodity is that with every player now being required to contribute defensively in a team’s play, the traditional big centre forward is now considered more a liability than an important pivot in a team’s attacking game. And with most teams now preferring to employ 3 central midfielders, the 2 man midfield of a 4-4-2 is prone to being over-run.

A perfect example of this was highlighted in this game. The game started off as a scrappy affair with neither team really able t asser their infuence on the game. Costa Rica enjoyed more possession but with no real playmaker asserting himself on either side, a goal was more likely to come from a set-piece or an individual mistake than a piece of attacking genius.And on the 24th minute Uruguay were awarded a penalty as Diego Lugano was brought down by Junior Diaz in the penalty area. Up stepped Edinson Cavani and converted with a neat right footed shot.

Cavani – Slotting it in.
Uruguay 1-0 Costa Rica.

With Joel Campbell playing alone up front, his speed was always going to cause problems to the experienced Uruguayan centre half pairing of Diego Lugano and Diego Godin, who although great readers of the game, would not really be giving the Flash a run for his money (pun unintended).

And on the 27th minute, the Arsenal’s Olympiakos loanee fired a warning shot as his shot whistled just wide of Muslera’s goal. Campbell broke free a few other times but was denied a clear sight of goal by timely tackles by Diego Godin. And although Campbell looked like the man who would make things happen for the Tico, the lack of proper service meant he was dropping back into midfield to collect the ball thus leaving Costa Rica without a man to occupy the Uruguayan backline.

And as the referee blew for half time, Uruguay although having played out a scrappy affair; lead by a solitary goal that they looked content with. With the performance of Forlan leaving a lot to be desired, Uruguay were missing the spark and touch a genius to kill off the game (wink Suarez).

The second half saw Campbell stay central and occupy Lugano and Godin; but with Ruiz stationed on the right and looking ghostly ineffective; again the only decent service to Campbell was going to have to come from crosses or set-pieces, both of which Godin and Lugano on an ideal day, should have been able to repel without too much of an effort.

With just under 10 minutes played, a brilliant cross whipped in from the right by-line by the impressive full-back Cristian Gamboa evaded Lugano and Godin, and fell to the unmarked Campbell who lashed in a powerful half volley to equalise for Costa Rica as he celebrated by putting the ball inside his jersey and immitate a pregnant woman.

Campbell – Blasting it in.
Uruguay 1-1 Costa Rica.

And just 2 minutes later, as Tico centre half Oscar Duarte wheeled away in delight, Uruguay were behind. Another wonderful free-kick whipped in from the centre by left-sided midfielder Christian Bolanos was met by a stooping Duarte at the near post, which meant that Uruguay had conceded two goals in 3 minutes via situations that their defence was really expected to deal with.

Duarte – Sneaking in at the far post.
Uruguay 1-2 Costa Rica.

Oscar Tabarez immediately rang in the changes. Creative midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro replaced the largely ineffective and disappointing Forlan and the more attack minded Alvaro Gonzalez replacing Napoli hard-man Walter Gargano. Uruguay were now passing with greater urgency and tempo, but they still lacked the spark to create something truly special.

Urena – Running away with the glory.
Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica.

With Uruguay looking desperately to find the equaliser, Tico keeper Navas gave a good account of himself with a crucial save to deny Cavani. And with Abel Hernandez coming on, any hopes of a Suarez cameo were extinguished. And on the 84th minute a combination of a wonderful slide rule pass by the impressive Campbell and an impeccably timed run by Marco Urena who had just come on a minute ago, meant that the coup de grace was administered with there being just enough time for Uruguayan wing back Maxi Perreira to get his marching orders after kicking out at Joel Campbell.

Pereira – Frustration taking over.
Red Card.

 

Man Of The Match : Joel Campbell

With an impressive work rate, and a lethal combination of speed, power, incisive passing and good finishing Costa Rican youngster Joel Campbell is defintely among the young stars to watch out for this World Cup. And if Costa Rica are to qualify even further, then Campbell will have to keep up performances of this pedigree, if not go one better.

Joel – See that, Wenger?

CONCLUSIONS

The result left Uruguay to do things the hard way, if they are to qualify for the round of sixteen.

Meanwhile Costa Rica must surely be looking forward to their next matches againt the Azzuri and the Three Lions. If they manage to win even one of the two games, then surely they should be in with a chance to weave the fairy tale run of this World Cup even further.

GROUP D – The Group Of Death

GROUP D

Uruguay

Costa Rica

England

Italy

 

OUTLOOK

Yes, the big one! Group D is undoubtedly the one to watch. With 3 heavyweights pitted against each other, anything is possible! Uruguay, England and Italy are in for a real test. There are no clear favorites but one thing is for sure, Costa Rica are going to get whipped. Without much further ado, lets get straight into the action!

P.S. My predictions are at the end!

 

 

 

URUGUAY

 

Nickname : La Celeste (The Sky Blue)

FIFA Ranking : 7

After a dream run in the last World Cup where they finished 4th, Uruguay went on to win the Copa America in 2011. So, for a World Cup happening in South America, the continental champions will believe they can go all the way. Although they had an disappointing qualifying campaign where they had to wait for an intercontinental play off win to guarantee their spot in the World Cup, Uruguay will be a very difficult team to beat. Its obvious, just look at their strikers!

Manager : Oscar Tabarez

A veteran of the game, having begun management 34 years ago. With experience plenty of clubs in both South America and Uruguay, Tabarez will not find experience lacking. He has already managed Uruguay in World Cups twice before (1990 and 2010), the first of which they managed to reach the Round of 16 and the second of which, they memorably reached the semifinals.

Team & Tactics

The Uruguayan defence is headed by someone who for me, has to be in the team of the season. Diego Godin, has had the season of his life at Atletico Madrid. Rock solid at the back, powerful aerial presence and a potential goal threat during set pieces, Godin will be a key player in Uruguay’s success. He will be playing alongside veteran Lugano and Portugal based duo Pereira and Fucile should expect to make the start at fullback positions.

Godin – Tackling Tough

The Uruguayan midfield is their weakness. Lacking big names, the midfield will be under a lot of pressure especially since their group mates England and Italy have a pretty strong midfield. I expect La Liga winner Christian Rodriguez and Napoli’s Gargano and Southampton’s Gaston Ramirez to be the leaders from midfield.

I doubt many will disagree when I say, Uruguay is all about its strikers. The front pair of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani is about frightening as it can get. The former, coming off a multiple-award winning campaign in England, is one of the best in the business today. He is good with both feet, his head, his hand (Ask Ghana), his teeth (Ask Ivanovic) and pretty much every other part of his body (Ask his wife)! His counterpart, Cavani has one of the best work rates I’ve ever seen in a footballer. You’d find him fighting for the ball, covering in defence, everywhere! The key for Uruguay would be for these two to combine well. Veteran forward and last time’s hero and Golden Ball winner, Diego Forlan is also selected and although he may be well past his prime, he can offer his valuable experience when called upon in attack.

Suarez – Making defenders piss their shorts since forever!

 

Uruguay Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Vasco da Gama), Rodrigo Munoz (Libertad)

Defenders: Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica), Diego Lugano (West Bromwich Albion), Diego Godin, Jose Maria Gimenez (both Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Coates (Liverpool), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Jorge Fucile (Porto)

Midfielders: Alvaro Gonzalez (Lazio), Alvaro Pereira (Sao Paulo), Walter Gargano (Parma), Egidio Arevalo Rios (Morelia), Diego Perez (Bologna), Cristian Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Gaston Ramirez (Southampton), Nicolas Lodeiro (Botafogo)

Forwards: Luis Suarez (Liverpool), Edinson Cavani (Paris St-Germain), Abel Hernandez (Palermo), Diego Forlan (Cerezo Osaka), Christian Stuani (Espanyol).

 

 

 

  COSTA RICA

 

 

Nickname : Los Ticos

FIFA Ranking : 28

When the FIFA World Cup 2014 Group Stage Draw happened in December last year, no country would have felt more devastated that Costa Rica. Drawn against 3 heavyweights, nobody in their sane minds would expect Costa Rica to get even a single point, let alone qualify. But with everyone focusing on the 3-way battle in the group and assuming Costa Rica to be pushed aside brutally, they have absolutely nothing to lose. An upset from them can make Group D even more interesting (as if it isn’t already!).

Manager : Jorge Luis Pinto

The Colombian has a wealth of experience in management, especially in South America. Although the task ahead of him is a teeny bit difficult, he will know what to expect. Having managed a number of clubs and a couple of national teams, experience is at plenty.

Team

God is cruel. If the Draw wasn’t punishment enough for the Costa Ricans, they also lost two of their best players to injury. Striker Alvaro Saborio and defender Bryan Oviedo both miss out as Costa Rica are losing the last rays of hope. Fans will look to captain Bryan Ruiz, who has enjoyed impressive spells in the Premier League with Fulham, to steer their team’s charge from midfield. Also up front, they will have Arsenal youngster Joel Campbell, who is a promising talent and fans will hope he will justify Arsenal signing him.

Bryan Ruiz – The Last Hope

 

Costa Rica Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (Levante), Patrick Pemberton (Alajuelense) Daniel Cambronero (Herediano)

Defenders: Johnny Acosta (Alajuelense), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Columbus Crew), Michael Umana (Saprissa), Oscar Duarte (Bruges), Waylon Francis (Columbus Crew), Heiner Mora (Saprissa), Junior Diaz (Mainz 05), Christian Gamboa (Rosenborg), Roy Miller (New York Red Bulls)

Midfielders: Celso Borges (AIK), Christian Bolanos (Copenhagen), Esteban Granados (Herediano), Michael Barrantes (Aalesund), Yeltsin Tejeda (Saprissa), Diego Calvo (Valerenga), Jose Miguel Cubero (Herediano)

Forwards: Bryan Ruiz (PSV Eindhoven, on loan from Fulham), Joel Campbell (Olympiakos, on loan from Arsenal), Randall Brenes (Cartagines), Marco Urena (FC Kuban Krasnodar).

 

 

 

ENGLAND

 

Nickname : The Three Lions

FIFA Ranking : 10

Squad filled with outstanding individual players – One of the best teams on paper – Huge Expectations – Scrape through the Group Stages – Lose in the early knockout stages (mostly on penalties) – Nationwide disappointment.

This is England’s World Cup story. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It just goes to prove that it’s not individuals that win it, but the team. England as a team, well, they suck. I’m an England fan and it has been frustrating! This time out, they find themselves in arguably the toughest group they’ve ever been in. With a mountain of pressure and expectation on their shoulders, the young English squad is in for a real test. Let’s see how they’ve lined up and what to expect.

Manager :  Roy Hodgson

No World Cup winning team in history has had a manager from a different country. In fact, none of the big teams ever appoint foreign managers. But none of that applies to England, apparently. The Three Lions have gone to the last 3 World Cups with a foreign guy at the helm – Swede Sven Goran Eriksson in 2002 and 2006 and Italian Fabio Capello (who doesn’t even speak English!) in 2010. Why is the English FA doing this? Do they not have faith in any of the English managers? Or were they desperately trying to put an end to that first statistic? Anyways, they finally seem to have come to their senses and after 16 years, England will be going to Brazil with an Englishman as the boss, namely Roy Hodgson. Having managed a total of 16 teams in 8 countries, Uncle Roy is a seasoned veteran of the game. Having guided Switzerland to the second round at the 1994 World Cup, Hodgson will know what to expect in a tournament of this scale. Go Roy!

Team & Tactics

Age is just a number. If a 17-year kid (Pele, 1958) can inspire a World Cup win, anything is possible. Which is why Hodgson has taken the pretty bold move of selecting a very young English squad for the trip to Brazil. 10 players in the 23-man squad are below 24, with the likes of Luke Shaw, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all showing us the amount of young talent in the Premier League. Each one coming off a great season, the kids will be in for a maturity check at the World Cup.

With the snub of veteran defender Ashley Cole, we can now say that an era has come to an end in the English defence. Stalwarts John Terry and Rio Ferdinand have all retired in recent times and thus, we see a new look at the back. At left back, Leighton Baines will play a key role in attack, bombarding down the flanks putting in those trademark crosses of his. His right side counterpart, Glen Johnson, will look to provide the same at the opposite wing with his runs into the middle. These fullbacks can afford to assist the attack because they are covered at the back with two solid center halves. Gary Cahill, who has emerged as one of the best defenders in the world, is being called the perfect heir to John Terry for both club and country. Along with him, stands Phil Jagielka who has a wealth of experience in the Premier League. Together, the pair will need to be at their very best to keep out the likes of Luis Suarez and Mario Balotelli. All in all, it looks like a solid back four.

Cahill – Rock Solid

The defence will be screened by captain and talisman Steven Gerrard, who at 34, has adapted brilliantly to a much deeper role at Liverpool. Long ball and dead ball speacialist, Gerrard will be the link between defence and attack. England fans just have to hope that he doesn’t ‘slip’ up!

Ahead of Gerrard and behind the two strikers, there are 3 positions to fill and a host of stars competing for them. None of the 9 players vying for these positions could be guaranteed a start. For me personally, I think it will be Jack Wilshere, Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling. Wilshere, although coming off a recent injury, has been impressive in the friendlies and is known for his quick feet and excellent ball control in central midfield. Adam Lallana has been the revelation of this Premier League season. His mazy runs and brilliant passing has been vital to Southampton’s rise this season. And teenager Raheem Sterling will complete the midfield after a scintilating season for Liverpool, especially in the second half of the campaign. With speedster Theo Walcott ruled out, Sterling will be the one providing the much required pace and creativity to the English attack. You’d wonder how someone so young could play with such maturity, but then this is a guy with 2 wives and 3 kids! Other players like youngsters Barkley and Oxlade-Chamberlain will also hope to impress Hodgson and crawl their way into the starting lineup.

Up front, will be the duo of Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge. The former, widely regarded as one of the best forwards in the game, has been a juicy target for critics with a string of below par performaces at national level, especially in the previous 2 World Cups. But then, which England player has ever had a good World Cup in recent years? Rooney still hasn’t opened his account and will look to silence all the critics that in Brazil. Daniel Sturridge is just coming off a brilliant season with Liverpool ending the season as second highest scorer behind own teammate and to-be opponent Luis Suarez. England will look to him to provide the finishing touches.

Their weakness?

That bloody left wing! For decades now, England has suffered dearly from being without a quality left sided winger. The age old lament of English fans “If only Ryan Giggs was English” has not quite vanished, but just taken a new form with Giggsy’s name replaced by a certain Gareth Bale. Many great players have found themselves shockingly deployed on the left wing. Seeing Paul Scholes (2002) and Steven Gerrard (2010) playing in the wings is heartbreaking for Premier League fans. Who will be the next victim? Rumours suggest Wayne Rooney might be the unfortunate soul, but I personally would assign Adam Lallana to the left side so that he cut inside too to allow Baines to charge and whip in a few crosses.

Gerrard & Rooney – Rare photo of England players smiling.

 

England Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United)

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson (both Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).

 

 

 

ITALY

 

 

Nickname : Azzurri (The Blues)

FIFA Ranking : 9

Four-time champions Italy head into Brazil knowing they have a chance to go level with the hosts for the most World Cup wins. After a horrible tournament in South Africa 2010 where they got knocked out in the group stages by the likes of Paraguay and Slovakia, the Azzuri have been on the rise since. They reached the final of Euro 2012 (where they got thrashed 4-0 by Spain though!) and had a strong qualifying campaign, being one of the first teams from Europe to qualify. Drawn into the ‘Group of Death’, they face a tough task ahead. Let’s see what they have to offer.

Manager : Cesare Prandelli

Appointed after 2006 World Cup winning coach, Marcelo Lippi was sacked after a dismal performance in South Africa 2010, Prandelli has gone on to revitalize the national team in a way which has started to make people believe that Italy can play attractive football again and not be ‘Defensive and Boring’. A 2nd place at the Euros and a 3rd place in the Confederations Cup are all signs of the magnificient work Prandelli has put in.

Team & Tactics

He’s still got it! Gianluigi Buffon, at 36, is still considered one of the best goalkeepers in the game. The Juventus stopper is in line to be only the 3rd player to be part of 5 World Cups, having made his debut in 1998. The Azzuri captain will need to be at his vintage best to progress from this group.

In front of him, lie familiar faces. Buffon’s clubmates Chiellini and Barzagli stand tall in the heart of the defence with youngsters Abate and De Sciglio on either side. Italy are also known to shift into the unconventional 3-defender formation with Bonucci also joining the centre backs thus completing a full Juventus backline.

After losing influential midfielder Ricardo Montolivo to injury a week ago in the friendly against Ireland (bloody drunk Irishmen!), Prandelli has had to rethink his midfield strategy. Daniele De Rossi should start in defensive midfield with Juventus midfielders Marchisio and the ever-so-elegant L’Architetto (The Architect), Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings in midfield. Pirlo at 35, remains Italy’s most influential player and is continuing to prove that age doesn’t matter. Other midfielders who will look to make the starting eleven will be PSG duo Motta and the new wonderkid, Marco Verratti, whose performances at club level have certainly caught an eye or two.

Balotelli – Even God doesn’t know what he’s thinking.

Up front will be the controversial Mario Balotelli, who is probably the most unpredictable players in the world today. One day, he may score a brilliant goal and win them the game and on another day, he may get in a fight and get sent off and lose the game for them. He is a risk and Prandelli knows it, but he is his own protege, and will attempt to tame the hothead. Along with Balotelli, Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile will look to start. His name can be pretty misleading as he is nothing but immobile. Getting into the right positions, he can get the Azzuri the goals they need, especially after a brilliant hat-trick in one of the warm up games. Completing the attack will be the youngster Insigne, who can take a run or two at the opposition with his speed and creativity. He is also a free kick specialist, but I feel sorry for the kid. With Pirlo there, he can forget about scoring off the dead ball.

Pirlo – The Godfather

 

Italy Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain), Mattia Perin (Genoa)

Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Gabriel Paletta (Parma)

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain), Marco Parolo (Parma), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Mario Balotelli (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)

 

 

GROUP PREDICTIONS

I predict England and Uruguay to qualify from the groups in that very order. The Italians have been poor in recent warm up games and with their best 2 players at 35 and 36, they will fall short. Costa Rica, well, I pity them.