Group G News

The thing about Portugal is that they struggle to break down minnows, but they're also extremely hard to beat themselves. They're the sort of team who might go out in the group stages, but if they scraped through they might go all the way in the knockout rounds.

 

I agree. But my thing is that North Korea might actually fancy their chances for a result against Portugal. And that would put the group on its head... I fancy North Korea to pull off at least one draw at the tournament.

 

Still... you can see what Argentina did with Canada... 5:0 thrashing. African sides are generally underrated in the FIFA ranking due to the way the system works (basically all the African teams are pulling themselves down the ranking, because the team are much more evenly balanced than in i.e. North America or in Europe). Still you have 23 African sides in the first 100 and 32 teams in general above Cape Verde in the FIFA rankings.

Not matter how we comment on it - the Cape Verde draw is a terrible result. Thankfully it's just a meaningless friendly after just under a week in camp. They is no escaping the fact that this game was supposed to be a confidence builder.

As to North Korea: They will park the bus. And if Portugal or Cote d'Ivoire can't cope with a bus (I think Brasil will have no problems) than a 0:0 or even a 1:1 result is very likely.

p.s. Tunisia should have advanced at the 2006 WC, but for some terrible refereeing. The group in general was very poor.

p.s.2 RSA was a poor team in 1998 or North Korea? In 1998 RSA had a relatively good team (2nd at the ACoN), although at the WC they totally blew.

 

Portugal are used to not being able to defeat teams that park a bus. Why do you think they came in second to Denmark? Because they lost points against the Albanian bus as well as against the tightly knit Swedish defence.

OT: In the span of 2 minutes they had an evident handball waved away, which probably would have made the score 1:0 and than Ukraine got a penalty after Shevchenko dived in the box. If the referee hadn't screwed this up Tunisia was likely to win 1:0 and probably would have come in second in this group (not that any team in the group apart from Spain really deserved to progress...)

To tell the truth RSA really should have won the game against Denmark... they did have the better chances...

 

1. Cape Verde speaks Portuguese
2. half of their players play in Portugal
3. its only 3 or 4 days now that Portugal have been together
4. there is still 2 weeks to the start of 2010

 

It's quite obvious that Maruti is obsessed with Portugal. He has prolonged the topic of a friendly with only 4 days of preparation like it's the ultimate omen for our WC performance. Among many other things he has been spatting lately.
I know you want Ivory Coast to pass the group stage, but you don't need to smother the other down in the process.

I stated before and I'll state it again. I have low expectations for this WC but in no way will I fall into hysteria when there are so many variables explaining the result.

As for Tiago, I couldn't care less. If you think he's a terrible loss then you have to be kidding. He never performed well in the nt and doesn't fit any formation we play.
Atm, it might be Zé Castro as a substitute. But I suppose Moutinho and Manuel Fernandes are being considered. I hope CQ pick the latter.

Again, not worried about North Korea. Portugal spent most of their qualifiers scoring from set pieces. North Korea showed to be quite vulnerable against Greece on such. Honestly, I think this will be the smallest team in height we've faced in a long, long time. Their nr 23 showed skills, but if our CBs tight mark him then no issues will arise. Other than that, I'm not impressed.

 

LOL. I just had an opinion. I just don't have a tendency to retreat from a discussion as long as I have something to say.

When has North Korea been about Cote d'Ivoire... The only mention I made of Cote d'Ivoire in regards to this friendly was that they might draw against North Korea. So the rest of your 'theory' failed spectacularly.

I just really feel everyone is underestimating North Korea and treating them as an 'assured 3 points'. Seeing how Cote d'Ivoire struggled against a bunkered Burkina Faso I can see them having grave issues with breaking down Korea.

 

Portugal is the team you focus your attention more in this group. Ivory Coast is a related to that, wether you admit it or not.

I will keep saying again, North Korea team is smaller when it matters. In set pieces they will be dead meat, especially against good headers. How many of those you can find in the rest of teams?
A freaking lot.

 

Simple:
1. I feel Brazil is just too good, so there isn't much to discuss. I would however not mind if Portugal or Cote d'Ivoire provide an upset.

2. The key game is Portugal vs Cote d'Ivoire. I naturally would prefer the Ivorians. You would prefer Portugal. That's just natural. Hence most people focus on this game as the crunch game. I don't think either team has the upper hand in this match - talentwise they are comparable and nothing between the coaches to prefer one team over the other. Cote d'Ivoire do look less likely to win, because Portugal is sound throughout while Cote d'Ivoire has severe defensive issues.

3. North Korea is a ranked outsider. It will just be so interesting to see how they do against the three toughest teams they could have possibly drawn. If they manage any result against any of the teams it will be a big success for the Koreans and could cause havoc in this group.

4. I focused on Portugal because they played a friendly. If Cote d'Ivoire had played a friendly I would have focused on Cote d'Ivoire.

EOT. And peace.

 

I can't believe Brazil is going to put $$$ into the pockets of the murdering criminal Mugabe by playing a friendly vs. Zimbabwe in Harare. Wow.

When North Korea said they were doing it, I thought, "figures", but Brazil?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/feedarticle/9099456

I hope they don't believe in karma in Brazil.

This is the most outrageous news yet in WC preparation.

 

I fully agree with leonidas. Besides - the people and the footballers have done nothing to deserve being treated as if they were crap. They deserve the opportunity to see Brazil in action.

I've been in Zimbabwe and really - great people. Besides (politics aside) its much safer than in South Africa.

 

Don’t want to turn the thread into a politic discussion, but Brazil going to Harare is not an issue. The real issue is the Koreans being based in Zimbabwe preparing for the WC when the infamous Korean 5th Brigade arrived in Zimbabwe in the early 80s and executed some 20,000 people under the orders of Mugabe. I know that my Zimbabwean neighbours are quite pissed at having to host a nation they associate with the Matabeleland massacres.

 

Man.... just watching Cote d'Ivoire-Paraguay... the Ivorians are HUGE (not only height, but they are also bulky, strong and massively built)! They make the Paraguayians look like midgets...

 

who is number 15 for cote d'ivoire? he is terrible

they didn't announce the line ups and the mexican announcers are clue less as t who the players are. where is gervinho?

 

Lol. My thoughts exactly.

A half-hearted performance by Cote d'Ivoire, but its looking like an easy win.

No 15 is Aruna Dindane.

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Cote d'Ivoire had the game in the bag and drew... They really can't have such communication lapses.

 

those are the african unity uniforms

 

Portugal Quote [R]

We play better when we are the under dogs
Portugal to exceed low expectations? Posted by Tom Kundert

Also posted by the same author: Five reasons why Portugal will surprise the world