Group A: Brazil, Mexico, Croatia and Cameroon
The
World Cup wait is almost over with Group A containing the host nation
Brazil, Mexico, Cameroon and Croatia. Expectation, talk, warm-up
matches, and squad announcements will all be forgotten come Friday
morning as teams take to the pitch and kick-off the biggest sporting
event on the globe. It is a time when the Australian football loving
public turn their sleep patterns upside down for an entire month. Many
will follow the fortunes of the Socceroos, but in this uniquely
multi-cultural country, seeing a sea of foreign kits and flags in the
many cafes, helps warm the heart on those cold winter mornings.
Brazil
Brazil will be floating on a wave of intense home support and on
paper will progress through the group stage without too much trouble.
Their performance against Serbia on the weekend was far from convincing
and the crowd voiced their displeasure at the half-time break. The
Selecao have always had an over abundance of attacking talent and this
tournament is no exception. Coach ‘Big Phil’ Luiz Felipe Scholari has
worked hard to transform his side into a football superpower once again,
but it could be a case of all or nothing if he doesn’t deliver the
nation’s sixth FIFA World Cup trophy. It is a team possessing a great
balance of age and experience
Key players
No question the player everyone will be watching will be Neymar Jnr.
With his blistering speed and jaw-dropping footwork, Neymar’s stock
price and gravity defying hairstyle will rise exponentially by the
conclusion of the cup. The partnership with Oscar promises to be more
thirst quenching than a cheap local Mojito and could provide some great
moments for the massive television audience. His tally of goals is
growing quickly with each appearance, but it is his unselfishness and
willingness to assist teammates onto the score sheet that impresses many
pundits.
Another player crucial to the overall success of Brazil could lie in
their ageing keeper Julio Cesar. Much is said of the star studded
forward line but deep into a tournament stalemate games are often
decided by the harsh but drama filled penalty shoot-out and Cesar at the
back could prove a big asset.
Mexico
Probably considered lucky to even be in Brazil this time around,
Mexico always brings a certain unpredictability to the World Cup. It
would seem unjust if they weren’t competing in their sixth consecutive
tournament. Mexico has always had strength in their youth but success
will depend on what team turns up on the day. They play one of the most
entertaining styles in world football and their perfect record of group
progression in the past six world cups ensures they will be worthy
opponents. If taken lightly they will punish and, with a strong “hands-
on” coaching approach of Miguel Herrara, have the potential to upset and
surprise.
Playing their first game against Cameroon will be an
opportunity to build confidence after warm up games against Portugal and
Bosnia-Herzegovina. They competed solidly against Portugal on the
weekend despite losing 1-0 and a 3-1 friendly win over Ecuador will be
at the front of their minds. Goals have been scarce of late and their
attack will need to convert chances and fast if they intend going beyond
the group into the knockout stage.
No surprise that Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will have plenty of
eyes cast his way to see if he can deliver on reputation as Mexico’s
biggest footballing product. The downside is his distinct lack of pitch
time this season for Manchester United. Not registering a goal for his
country since last summer, if he gets on the board early against
Cameroon, look for a big tournament from the ‘Little Pea’.
Croatia
As we are all well aware, Croatia took on the new Ange Era
Socceroos in a final warm up match for both teams. In what was a solid
hit out, the intensity was solid without either side risking injury or
playing all their cards in their deck. For Croatia the challenge doesn’t
get any bigger than taking on Brazil in the opening game on Friday
morning AEST. Sadly Croatia is a shadow of their former self this time
around and the squad lacks the depth of previous campaigns. A weakened
defensive line could ultimately cost them a place in the round of 16 and
their final game against Mexico may mark their farewell.
Key players
Bayern Munich’s star striker Mario Mandzukic will provide Croatia
with their biggest weapon upfront in the air but he will have to sit out
the opener against Brazil due his send off against Iceland in
qualifying. His combination with the classy Luka Modric will keep
defences second-guessing. This could be a watershed tournament for
Croatia who, like Mexico, are an unknown quantity given their track
record of inconsistency in qualifying.
Cameroon
Finally Cameroon rounds out Group A. The African nation’s campaign
certainly wasn’t boosted with news filtering through of the squad
refusing to board a plane to South America due to an ongoing dispute
over match bonuses. Thankfully a late deal was brokered and the team can
rest easier knowing each player will receive a participation bonus. Not
an ideal preparation, but given the squad is largely built around
Chelsea’s Samuel Eto’o, not too much is expected from this team which
could work in motivating the side.
Key players
Samuel Eto’o is Cameroon’s stand-out weapon but given his touchy
relationship with teammates, his influence could be one of brilliance or
failure to fire. They are a team more often than not that beats
themselves rather then relying on their opponents to do so. Toss a coin
on what team turns up in Brazil.
Key Matches
Brazil v Croatia June 13 6:00am AEST (Arena de Sao Paulo)
This opening game is critical for Brazil to blow away any perceived
cobwebs, get their tournament off to winning start and send a message to
other teams.
Brazil v Mexico June 18 6:00am AEST (Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza)
Has the potential to be an entertaining game with plenty of attacking free-flowing football and goals, goals, goals.
Croatia v Mexico June 24 6:00am AEST (Arena Pernambuco, Recife)
A game that could decide the future in the World Cup for both teams
and might well be a must win for either side to progress deeper.
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