Hello again! You guys know the score by now don’t you? Check out our breakdowns of group A and B here and read on for a breakdown of the next group in the tournament – Group C.
The Teams:
Colombia, Ivory Coast, Greece and Japan.
The Fixtures:
Colombia vs Greece – 14/6/2014 5PM (BST), Ivory Coast vs Japan – 15/6/2014 2AM, Colombia vs Ivory Coast – 19/6/2014 5PM, Japan vs Greece – 19/6/2014 11PM, Greece vs Ivory Coast – 24/6/2014 9PM, Japan vs Colombia – 24/6/2014 9PM
Colombia:
Strengths:
What a forward line! Even without Falcao, who could still make the tournament, this side’s attacking capabilities are very good indeed. Jackson Martinez, James Rodriguez and Freddy Guarin are all names that should be familiar to the casual European football fan due to their attacking prowess and with each of these individuals lining up in the same team, potentially alongside Falcao, expect Colombia to be pretty fierce offensively.
Weaknesses:
They haven’t been in a World Cup for 16 years and that inexperience could play against them. Also, as many a South American side have been known to over the years, Colombian sides have had a history of in-house fighting but new coach Jose Pekerman seems to be getting around that pretty well so far; on the pitch they don’t have many glaring weaknesses at all.
Key Player:
If Falcao makes it, he’s the man to worry about but if he doesn’t then it’s his Monaco teammate James Rodriguez that will have defences worried – for those of you not familiar with his exploits, think of this guy as a Colombian version of Marco Reus and you’re more or less there.
Where will they finish in the group?:
With the company they have in this group and the quality they have throughout their first XI, Colombia should finish first with or without Falcao.
Ivory Coast:
Strengths:
Physicality and cohesion. In a group with Colombia you’re going to need to go at them with no fear and there’s no danger of that with the likes of Drogba and Yaya Toure in your side. Couple that with the fact that the spine of this team has played together for years (The Toure brothers and Drogba in particular) and things begin to look pretty good for this side.
Weaknesses:
Their defence isn’t terrible when it’s on form but the problem is that they rarely are – their defensive line-up is very error prone. Ex-Spurs midfielder Didier Zokora is probably one of their better options at centre-back, along with Kolo Toure, which might speak volumes about the quality available to them at the back.
Key Player:
Yaya Toure – to any of you that’ve watched the Premier League over the last few years, does this really need any elaboration?
Where will they finish in the group?:
Should qualify behind Colombia but once they’ve qualified they might struggle to advance further with their defensive troubles.
Greece:
Strengths:
Defensively they’re pretty strong with the likes of Dortmund’s Papastathopoulos and Roma’s Torosidis proving pivotal to the side’s chances in any game in recent times. Offensively they’re not too shabby either; Samaras and Mitroglou are known for their, arguably infrequent, flashes of brilliance so they could cause some problems too.
Weaknesses:
Between the defence and the forward line there isn’t really much for Greece to call on beyond the 37-year-old Giorgos Karagounis; this will cause them problems against the stronger midfields they’re going to face in this group.
Key Player:
Despite the fact that he’s barely figured in any capacity since January, Konstantinos Mitroglou is Greece’s best chance of making anything of themselves in this tournament by far. How well he’s able to play though having been inactive for so long remains to be seen.
Where will the finish in the group?:
They need to grab a shock win in their opening game to have any chance of qualifying if you ask me but since I can’t see anyone in this group beating Colombia I’m going for a fourth placed finish.
Japan:
Strengths:
In possession they’re pretty lethal – they keep the ball well and are able to do it for sustained periods of time, tiring most teams out. Out of possession they’re very disciplined, pressing the ball constantly – think of them as this tournament’s Borrusia Dortmund.
Weaknesses:
As has been proven, quite spectacularly at times during this season in particular, possession is nothing without an end product and that’s something that Japan have sometimes struggled with. There isn’t much strength in depth either so if they get any injuries it could cause some real problems.
Key Player:
Shinji Kagawa. After a frustrating season at club level the Manchester United midfielder, finding the great form he sporadically showed this season will be crucial for Japan’s chances of advancing from the group.
Where will they finish in the group?:
If they manage to steer clear of too many injuries they can do very well in this group; expect them to give the Ivory Coast a run for their money for the 2nd placed spot.