Group of Life where maybe everyone has a chance

Discussion in 'Group H: Belgium, Algeria, South Korea, Russia' started by Iranian Monitor, Jan 2, 2014.

  1. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
    Regarding weather and travel, Belgium couldn't have landed a better group than H ... really we won't complain.

    PS our previous training camp was in Sweden and Algeria's in Switzerland ... during our next friendly in Brussels it will probably be hotter and a little bit more humide than during our opener ... regardless the weather isn't a huge issue in our case.
     
  2. Hayaka

    Hayaka Member+

    Jun 21, 2009
    San Francisco North Bay, Bel Marin Keys
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
    Yes, as I also said before, Belgium is one of the luckier teams with respect to venue and travel, especially after the first match. However, the Algeria match, with midday temps on the pitch of 32 or 33C, is not going to be any picnic.
     
  3. DZfennec

    DZfennec Member

    Jun 5, 2014
    Yeah we normally call that set up a 4-3-2-1 (we being the people I talk with about Algerian football) or even sometimes a 4-3-3. But yes, you've highlighted it in more depth, but it's pretty much the same set up. So Medjani is our DM anchor, Taider and Bentaleb as CM's and a front 3. 4-3-2-1/4-3-3 describes it alright, but yes 4-1-2-3/4-1-2-2-1 is probably more accurate, highlighting Medjani's position.

    I've re-watched the game and the first half performance wasn't good for me. Second half was much better. If anyone is interested in watching the game, notice how we dropped off a lot more in second half. In first half, we had more players in Romania's half when they had the ball, and our striker would press them much more. Second half, we dropped off more and formed what I felt was a really well organised unit. Vahid afterwards said he tried out a variety of defensive blocks. He did also mention that the high pressing is a difficult one to master, stating it can take months to do so, which for me confirms he will probably play a similar style as what we saw in the second half yesterday, especially against Belgium.

    Our RB position is very vulnerable. Mostefa was poor and shouldn't be anywhere near the team as a RB. He was slow, very poor positioning at times too which allowed the Romanians to really target him. Mandi, for me and everyone I've spoken to, is a much better RB. He made the mistake leading to the goal in the Armenia friendly, but apart from that he was ok, and he had a good performance against Slovenia in March. He's had a good season in France and I'm confident he will have a good tournament too.
     
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  4. Persona

    Persona Member

    Feb 24, 2014
    #104 Persona, Jun 5, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2014
    I have actually, I've seen every match from the last 20 odd years. Have you actually seen Russia play lately? Since when does "pretty" equal results? Might as well strip the Euro 2004 from Greece because they sure as heck weren't "pretty." They're unbeaten in their last nine. Capello has lost two games in two years. They are systematically strong, they work incredibly well as a unit which hasn't been the case the last 6 years. Akinfeev is one of the best keepers in the world. Russia gave up 5 goals in qualifying, total. As well as scoring the same amount as Portugal.

    And to the person who said Algeria has "fire power", it's easy to have firepower when you're qualifying in Africa and you're going up against "Benin" and "Rwanda" :ROFLMAO::laugh::ROFLMAO::laugh::ROFLMAO::laugh:. The French "D" team brings nothing to the table.
     
  5. DZfennec

    DZfennec Member

    Jun 5, 2014
    Agree on the Russia front, solid team.

    What about scoring 5 goals in 2 games against Armenia and Romania? Doesn't that at least show some attacking ability in the Algeria team or are they awful teams as well in your opinion?

    Unfortunately, Russia haven't had the pleasure of playing Benin and Rwanda, so we won't quite know how easy they really are to score against. What we can look at is that both Algeria and Russia played recently against Armenia. Russia won 2-0 (at home) and Algeria won 3-1 (neutral ground). That should indicate that the French "D" team, as you put it, will be bringing something to the table.
     
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  6. DzFooty

    DzFooty Member

    Feb 22, 2014
    Did you even read what I said before? Is this a joke? You need to get off your high horse. Again, have you watched Algeria before or are you speaking out of arrogance? I don't know whether to think of your ignorance as laughable or sad. Either way I feel bad for you if you're thinking this way. Little do you realize your posts reap of homerism and apologia.

    Algeria's attacks in their recent friendlies speaks for itself. They were literally experimenting with formations and tactics with 12 different players and still mustered up an attack. And if that's unconvincing for you, France's 'D' players have performed more successfully in Europa and Champions League play for a lot of decent clubs over the past few years.

    So much for bringing up Russia's so called superiority against a team like Algeria that, "brings nothing to the table". I'm sure Russia's 8 goals against Luxembourg's semi-pros is more impressive than Algeria's dominance of a European based Benin squad. I'm also sure Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland were quite the challenge. I'm sure relying on a 32-year-old as your only in-form striker bodes well for you. :ROFLMAO::laugh::ROFLMAO::laugh::ROFLMAO::laugh:
     
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  7. zahzah

    zahzah Member+

    Jun 27, 2011
    Club:
    FK Crvena Zvezda Beograd
    Russia struggles to beat the likes of Azerbaijan or Northern Ireland but their fans poke fun at playing Benin or Rwanda?

    Let's see how Russia fares against Morocco tomorrow.
     
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  8. DZfennec

    DZfennec Member

    Jun 5, 2014
    The guy seems extremely arrogant. Calling us French "D" team is insulting, and I'm surprised I replied as calmly as I did lol.

    I hope that the Russian players are as arrogant as him, because there's nothing more satisfying than beating those who don't give you the respect you deserve.
     
  9. DZfennec

    DZfennec Member

    Jun 5, 2014
    Looking forward to watching Russia vs Morocco tomorrow. I watched parts of the Russia Norway game. I found it to be extremely boring, but yet within that there were still patches that showed how strong Russia could be. They are going to be very hard to break down, but at the same time they do have the ability to create chances.

    I think Morocco could potentially cause Russia some problems tomorrow. Morocco have some talented players. All they've needed is a good manager to bring those individual parts together and form a good team. Now, I'm normally not a fan of home grown North African managers, because they are on the whole very limited, but Badou Zaki is an exception. Good manager in my book. Saying that, he hasn't got off to the greatest of starts with Morocco coming off the back of a 2-0 loss to Angola coming into this game (they won their first match under Zaki 4-0 against Mozambique, Angola match was their second since beginning his second spell with Morocco).

    I'd expect Morocco to threaten, and probably score a goal, but I think Russia will knick the win in the end. Don't think there will be much in it mind, and even if Russia win 2/3-0, I don't think it would be a major surprise seeing as Morocco are in transition.
     
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  10. DzFooty

    DzFooty Member

    Feb 22, 2014
    As you said, Morocco is in transition so Russia will probably look comfortable against Morocco tomorrow. The Russians will probably get a lot of confidence thinking we play similarly. Capello made the same mistake in 2010 when he scheduled a friendly against Egypt thinking we played like a weaker version of them. Either way, the idea of scheduling friendlies with your opponents geographical rivals makes no sense to me at all. Different teams. Different coaches. Different systems. Russia was better off scheduling a friendly against a better opponent.
     
  11. zahzah

    zahzah Member+

    Jun 27, 2011
    Club:
    FK Crvena Zvezda Beograd
    Subpar selection by Morocco, basically missing out all the top players. But confident win by Russia, even though they struggled in the first half.
     
  12. Nordino

    Nordino Member

    Nov 17, 2006
    Haugesund, Norway
    Damn Zahzah, do you get paid to watch football? You really watch all kinds of matches :)

    Would you provide some info on how Russia played today? Strengths and weaknesses? I have absolutely no knowledge of the team, as the last time I saw them play was in the Euros in 2012. Also a bit hard to be up to date on their players when all of them earn a living in the domestic league...
     
  13. zahzah

    zahzah Member+

    Jun 27, 2011
    Club:
    FK Crvena Zvezda Beograd
    To be honest I only watched some 20 minutes of the first half and 20 minutes of the second half. Russia are very organised in possession and tactically look very sound. They seemed to be misplacing a lot of passes though and did look a bit slow defensively. It was a surprisingly open game and Russia I gather used the game to test their attacking prowess more.

    p.s. I watch movies for a living :) So sometimes I have a movie playing on one screen and the match on the other. Naturally I lose a bit of both, but often either the match or the movie isn't really worth watching.
     
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  14. Hayaka

    Hayaka Member+

    Jun 21, 2009
    San Francisco North Bay, Bel Marin Keys
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark

    Cool job! You're a film critic?
     
  15. zahzah

    zahzah Member+

    Jun 27, 2011
    Club:
    FK Crvena Zvezda Beograd
    No, movie selecter (festivals, distribution).
    Plus movie translator.
     
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  16. DZfennec

    DZfennec Member

    Jun 5, 2014
    I probably watched as much as you did. Russia's strength is their tactical discipline. When they are set into a defensive block, they are hard to break down. However, today we saw them make mistakes in their passing and lose the ball in bad areas. And when they did that they looked vulnerable, as they were no longer organised into a defensive unit. Individually, I really don't think their defenders are anything special. Key for teams is to find a way of luring Russia out of their shell, and then hitting them quickly on the break.

    As an Algerian fan, what I've always said is that Russia will be especially tough if they only need a draw in the final game. They will be too organised for us to break down in my opinion (that's something even Belgium will struggle to do in my opinion). If Russia need a win in a game, I think they're very susceptible. I don't think their build up play is particularly special, and I wouldn't say they are abundant with creative talent (though Kokorin is someone I really like).

    For me, and obviously I'm biased as an Algerian fan, Russia are going to be the most boring team in the group. Not a bad thing if they get the results, but talk of Algeria being the most negative team for me will be proven wrong. For neutrals sake, worst thing to happen is for Russia to win their first game against Belgium. If Korea can get a result, that should definitely lead to more entertaining games because Russia will be forced to open up a bit.

    If Russia do get out of the group though, I can see them going far. They can beat absolutely anyone on their day because well organised teams are so hard to break down. They really could be the Athletico madrid of this tournament; a couple of very good players, but they rely on teamwork and tactical organisation more than anything else.
     
  17. Hayaka

    Hayaka Member+

    Jun 21, 2009
    San Francisco North Bay, Bel Marin Keys
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
    "For neutrals sake, worst thing to happen is for Russia to win their first game against Belgium."

    Russia plays Korea first. Anyway, I think Russia will not play just to finish 2nd in any of their matches (unless by the 3rd match 1st place is out of reach), because no one in Group H wants to play Germany in the 2nd round.
     
  18. DzFooty

    DzFooty Member

    Feb 22, 2014
    Maybe not the Russians or Belgians but the Koreans and Algerians would happily settle for 2nd place at this point. For Algerians, knockout round football would be a huge accomplishment. For the Koreans, they would be content with any elimination football considering they are still in their rebuilding phase. Russia under Capello wants to vault into the world stage in time for the 2018 World Cup. They wouldn't want to settle for less than 1st unless they have to. And obviously the Belgian golden generation is looking for a first place finish.
     
  19. DZfennec

    DZfennec Member

    Jun 5, 2014
    #119 DZfennec, Jun 6, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2014
    Haha, I know that seeing as I'm an Algerian fan and all we can talk about is our first match against Belgium. Mistake and lack of proof reading, my bad.

    And yes, while Russia would like to come first, it still doesn't change their overall style of play. Especially against Belgium, they will be looking to be compact and hit them on the break, and that's when Russia are comfortable. Against Korea in the first game, I'm hoping Korea don't play too attacking otherwise they'll fall into the trap. Hoping Korea bait Russia into coming out of their shell a little. If it's 0-0 at half time say, Russia will be forced to start pushing more men forward. That's where I think Russia will be vulnerable, when they are pushing for the win, because they will leave spaces in behind. If Russia get to the knockout stages, they will be dangerous because they can play that compact, organised, counter attacking style in every game they play (until they go behind of course). From seeing Russia play that way, and knowing Capello's tactical nouse, they will be extremely hard to break down.

    First goal is key in every game Russia play at this World Cup, more than most other teams (obviously in general, scoring the first goal is an advantage, but for Russia, I feel it will have an even greater impact). If the opposition score first, I think we'll see Russia struggle because I'm not convinced of their creativity in areas up front to unlock defences and they look susceptible to counter attacks. If Russia scores first however, I think they are going to be very hard to beat. From what I've seen of both teams, I'd honestly rather go 1-0 down to Belgium than Russia. Yes Belgium have great counter attacking capabilities, but I feel their weakness in the full back area can be targeted, while Russia look extremely solid when they are set up in their own half.
     
  20. GoYoungrokba

    GoYoungrokba Member+

    May 21, 2009
    Club:
    Suwon Bluewings
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    Losing Shirokov will be a huge blow for the Fabio Capello's club.
     
  21. Nordino

    Nordino Member

    Nov 17, 2006
    Haugesund, Norway
    Any news on Lukaku's injury? Would be sad to lose yet another star player. The man is an unstoppable beast when he is in form. Although for Algeria's part it would be a relief not to face him.
     
  22. Marar4

    Marar4 New Member

    Oct 12, 2013
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    The first reports stated an ankle injury, let's hope it's only that and no hamstring injury. Apparently we have to wait 2-3 days for any official statements. No other news for now.
     
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  23. krunal patel

    krunal patel New Member

    Jan 14, 2014
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Does anybody need tickets to
    chile vs australia or
    russia vs korea or
    nigeria vs bosnia or
    japan vs colombia?

    I have 2 tickets for each of the first 3 games and only 1 to the last game. I had a sudden death in the family and can no longer go. Thanks

    you can email me at krupat23@gmail.com.
     
  24. Marar4

    Marar4 New Member

    Oct 12, 2013
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Apparently Lukaku is out for 3-4 days, could've been worse, still don't like it.
     
  25. zahzah

    zahzah Member+

    Jun 27, 2011
    Club:
    FK Crvena Zvezda Beograd
    Has a week before the opening Belgium game, so he should be fine.
     

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