Hello all, sorry I haven't posted in a month or so, but life can be busy, you know? So on to Group A, a group that I'll label as The Misfits. Here we have the host nation, a subdued Uruguay, a France team who, after reaching the final of the 2006 World Cup, arguably shouldn't have even qualified for this year's tournament, and... Mexico. Let's start with the host nation, South Africa.
Ranked at a less than appeasing 90 by FIFA, South Africa qualified for this year's World Cup by hosting the tournament. The recent FIFA Confederations Cup should be the most recent measure of their form, right? Well, if it does, the team nicknamed the Bafana Bafana are in good shape to at least make it out of the group stage. They advanced out of their group by beating measly Iraq and New Zealand and a loss to the current Kings of Soccer, Spain. However, the semifinal match showed at least South Africa's defensive competence, only conceding to powerhouse Brazil late on a corner. Also, in the 3rd place match, they led Spain at one point before eventually losing to the Spainards. If this performance is any semblance to how S.A. will play in the World Cup, they look to be in solid shape. I predict that they will surprise Mexico and take the #2 spot in Group A, behind France, despite only having won one game total in previous World Cups. Besides, no host nation has ever failed to move past the group stage.
Speaking of France, remember November 18th, last year? Well, I'll refresh your memory. That was the day on which France and Ireland were playing the 2nd leg of a playoff to get into the Cup. Oh, you're starting to remember? Well, then you probably remember Theirry Henry handling the ball inside the box off of a free kick, then crossing the ball to William Gallas who easily headed it into the twine. If the ball hadn't gone into the net, the playoff would've been tied at 1-1, both away goals, and would've gone to overtime, but instead, France advanced over Ireland and caused international uproar not only from soccer commentators, but also from networks like ESPN who could probably care less about soccer and just common people who don't really follow soccer. Replays of the match were called, Henry was blasted, but nothing was changed, and rightfully so, replaying the game or taking away the goal would go directly against the spontaneity that makes soccer the brilliant sport that it is.
Anyways, enough rambling about that incident, let's look at the actual team. France has obviously been a soccer powerhouse these past few years, being led by huge names such as Patrice Evra, Florent Malouda, and their captain... erm... Theirry Henry! In 2006, France reached the finals of the World Cup, where they faced Italy, and lost in Penalties, it was a compelling game that included the infamous "Zidane headbutt". They didn't qualify for the most recent Confederations Cup, and they barely qualified for the Cup this year, yet they're ranked 10 by FIFA, although I do agree with this, since they are a powerhouse. To add, France is one of the few teams with a World Cup victory, (Uruguay, also in Group A, being another) claiming one in 1998, when they defeated Brazil 3-0 in the final. I believe that the qualifying scare will unite the French and vault them to the top of Group A. That, and the fact that any 11 players that they send out to the pitch are the highest of class.
Now, soccer fans, if I asked you who won the first inaugural World Cup, unless you knew the answer off of the top of your head, you'd most likely tell me a country that has been at the top of the soccer ladder throughout its existence, maybe someone like Brazil, or Argentina, maybe England, who popularized the game. I doubt that you'd ever guess the country with the capital of Montevideo, Uruguay, that is. That's right, the inaugural World Cup(the first recognized by FIFA, any way) was held in none other than Uruguay, where the host nation beat the Argentines 4-2 in the Finals. Uruguay also won the Cup in 1950, winning one of the most famous soccer matches ever against host Brazil, 2-1. Enough said about Uruguay's past though, let's talk about their future. Interestingly enough, their FIFA ranking at the moment is 18, although they only qualified for South Africa through a play-off against Costa Rica (2-1 agg.). It's hard to tell how good their form has been recently, other than their Copa America semi-final appearance in 2007. However, their near-miss on qualification(2 teams trailed them by a mere 1 point to get Uruguay's 5th place in the W.C. group qualifying stages), I don't see them making it very far in this tournament. I'll say 4th place and an early exit in the group stages.
Finally, on to Mexico, who in recent times, has been overshadowed in the international soccer community by their northern neighbors, the U.S. Speaking of the U.S. vs. Mexico, Mexico has bested the U.S. in their last two prominent matches, a 2-1 beating in W.C. qualifying and a 5-0 whooping in the finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, although we have to keep in mind that Mexico was really playing a U.S. C-team. In Mexico's last 4 World Cup appearances, they have made it out of the group stage to the round of 16 and lost there each year. Looking at Mexico's recent form, they didn't qualify for the Confederations Cup and placed 3rd in the 2007 Copa America. They are a strong team, ranked 1 better than Uruguay at 17, but they are also in a strong group, and I don't think they will be able to make it out. I'm predicting a 3rd place finish for the Mexicans and a snapping of their 4 tournament streak of getting to the Round of 16.
To recap, I'll give you how I think the group will play out:
1. France
2. South Africa
3. Mexico
4. Uruguay
Regardless of the results, this group is going to be one of the most intriguing of the tournament, with 3 teams ranked in FIFA's top 20, and the host nation, this group surely will not fail to disappoint.
*Photo sources*
http://www.grasshopperimports.com/market/mexico%20flag.jpg
http://www.ee.adfa.edu.au/staff/hrp/Quiz/capitals/flags/uy1.gif
http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac120/alexmoreau/France_flag_300_2.png
http://www.zslic.co.za/mobile/images/south_africa_flag.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment