This group, on paper, is one of the not so interesting one's. However, as in any world cup, their is no such thing as a bad group. There are groups that don't fulfill expectations, and some that overachieve, but never is there a "bad group". This group features, once again, a very diverse bunch of nations. First off, the entertainment of the tournament thus far, Argentina. With Messi on the pitch and Maradona off, how can you not get excited about this team? Even the most loyal Brazilian fan will tell you this team will be, if nothing else, entertaining to watch. Following the South American giants are 3 fairly level teams. With Argentina almost assuredly taking top spot in this group, the battle for second place is on. The always exciting and fast Nigeria are in the group. South Korea and their never ending engines and random flair as well. And last, but by no means least, the "thorn-in-your-side" Euro team, Greece. There is no doubt in my mind that Argentina will win this group, but that battle for second will be a tasty one.
Argentina
Which #10 will bring the biggest spark?
The Famous Argentina Home Kit
The somewhat boring road kit
A novel could be written on this team in just the last couple of years. Diego Maradona as the coach, Leo Messi as the star, the struggles to qualify, the scare of almost not making it in, etc. They were the roller coaster that everyone outside of Argentina (and its followers) wanted to see crash. There is something awesome about a big team failing that seems to excite us unlike anything else. Argentina, both good and bad, made the cut. Now we get to see how they will perform on the grand stage. Last world cup they were a thrill to watch. They are deadly with the ball up top and aren't too shabby in the back. However, like many top teams, they hate being challenged by a lesser opponent (which is everyone in their eyes). Take no doubt, this team is not just all bark, they have a mean bite. I have tagged Argentina as the most entertaining team of World Cup 2010, they are already light years ahead of everyone else and the actual tournament hasn't even begun. Part of me, a very small part, wants them to win just to see if Diego will hold true to his promise. No worries though, I will have plenty of soap for us all to wash out our eyes if so.
Roster:
Goalkeepers: Mariano Andujar, Diego Pozo, Sergio Romero
Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso, Ariel Garcé, Gabriel Heinze, Nicolás Otamendi, Clemente Rodriguez, Walter Samuel
Midfielders: Mario Bolatti, Martín Demichelis, Ángel Di María, Jonás Gutiérrez, Javier Mascherano, Javier Pastore, Maxi Rodríguez, Juan Verón
Forwards: Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuaín, Lionel Messi, Diego Milito, Martin Palermo, Carlos Tevez
Nigeria
If you blink you might miss them
The famous green home kit
The road white kit that begs for more flair
The Super Eagles are coming! The high flying football that once was Nigeria has slown down a bit, but not by much. This team always puts a scare in their opponent even if they don't have a great record to always back it up. The style they play is deadly and very entertaining for the observer. I fear, however, that their stay in South Africa will be short lived. While they have the talent to make some noise, I just see them at the wrong end of things come the end of group stages. With players like Kan, Yakubu, Mikel Obi, and Martins the opponents defense better be on the top of their game. These guys have made European defenses beg for the final whistle in the past.
Roster:
Goalkeepers: Bamidele Aiyenugba, Austin Ejide, Vincent Enyeama
Defenders: Ayodele Adeleye, Rabiu Afolabi, Uwa Echiejile, Chidi Odiah, Danny Shittu, Taye Taiwo, Joseph Yobo
Midfielders: Dickson Etuhu, Lukman Haruna, Sani Kaita, John Mikel, Kalu Uche, John Utaka, Atanda Yussuf
Forwards: Nwankwo Kanu, Obafemi Martins, Victor Obinna, Peter Odemwingie, Chinedu Obasi, Ayegbeni Yakubu
South Korea
The scary talented Asian team
Finally some creativity with the jersey in this group
The road kit is just as sweet, subtle stripes
2002 was the first world cup that I watched with real intensity. This team jumped out at me, well, like a tiger. Their attacking football is awesome, but it has something to it that separates it from most sides. You see a hint of South America in their play, and it’s awesome. You also see a hint of African spirit in that they never seem to run out of gas. And finally, you see a bit of Euro brut in these guys despite being so small in stature. Really, this team is a joy to watch. Like their culture, they work hard and never quit. They are always looking to make runs, always looking to score, always (or so it seems) on the attack. I love this team, as if you couldn’t tell already, and the man that sums it up is Park Ji-Sung. The kid is brilliant. Anybody that watches Manchester United games will tell you that possibly the fittest player on that squad is Park, the guy runs in his sleep, I swear. This team, in my opinion, is part of the "new wave" of football. They have taken the flair, the brute, and the hustle and mixed it all together to form a fantastic curry. Anybody that has to face this team better be ready for 90 minutes of sprinting.
Roster:
Goalkeepers: Jung Sung-Ryong, Kim Young-Kwang, Lee Woon-Jae
Defenders: Cha Du-Ri, Cho Yong-Hyung, Kim Hyung-Il, Kang Min-Soo, Kim Dong-Jin, Lee Jung-Soo, Lee Young-Pyo, Oh Beom-Seok
Midfielders: Ki Sung-Yueng, Kim Bo-Kyung, Kim Jae-Sung, Kim Jung-Woo, Kim Nam-Il, Lee Chung-Yong, Park Ji-Sung, Yeom Ki-Hun
Forwards: Ahn Jung-Hwan, Park Chu-Young, Lee Dong-Gook, Lee Seung-Yeoul
Greece
The crazy Greeks will try and repeat their famous Euro Championship
Being Greece, I was expecting a lot more (Home Kit)
The Road Kits, again, come up short
The Greeks are the perfect opponent for the other two teams playing for second place. With Nigeria and South Korea you get high powered offense. With Greece, you get a disciplined defense and a very solid counter attack. This seems to be the perfect poison for all the teams and makes this group that much more exciting. Greece will be the thorn in the side for all these teams. They like to slow the game down and counter after you get too frustrated and throw numbers forward. While their games arent the prettiest in terms of high flying offense, they are wonderful for the purist that loves to watch a well built counter. Their roster is full of names that you say "who the hell is that" and "how the hell do you pronounce that" but dont take anything away from them, they are a team that will punish mistakes. If you dont believe me, ask Portugal and their attempt to win the Euro cup 6 years ago.
Roster:
Goalkeepers: Konstantinos Chalkias, Michalis Sifakis, Alexandros Tzorvas
Defenders: Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Stilianos Malezas, Vaggelis Moras, Avraam Papadopoulos, Sokratis Papastrathopoulos, Giourkas Seitaridis, Nikos Spyropoulos, Vassilis Torosidis, Loukas Vintra
Midfielders: Giorgias Karagounis, Kostas Katsouranis, Sotirios Ninis, Christos Patsatzoglou, Athanassios Prittas, Alexandros Tziolis
Forwards: Angelos Charisteas, Theofanis Gekas, Pantelis Kapetanos, Dimitrios Salpingidis, Georgios Samaras
Matches:
6/12: South Korea 3 - Greece 1
6/12: Argentina 3 - Nigeria 2
6/17: Argentina 2 - South Korea 1
6/17: Greece 1 - Nigeria 1
6/22: Nigeria 1 - South Korea 2
6/22: Greece 1 - Argentina 3
Derived Standings:
Argentina 9 pts, +4 GD, 8 GF, 4 GA
South Korea 6 pts, +2 GD, 6 GF, 4 GA
Nigeria 1 pt, -2 GD, 4 GF, 6 GA
Greece 1 pt, -4 GD, 3 GF, 7 GA
Key:
pts = points
GD = Goal Differential
GF = Goals For
GA = Goals Against
Best Kit in the group: South Korea Home
- Honorable mention to Argentina Home and South Korea Road
Worst Kit in the group: Greece's Kits
- Honorable mention to Nigeria Road
Having done both Group A and B, these would be the round of 16 matches and how I see them going:
Uruguay 2 - South Korea 3
Argentina 4 - South Africa 1
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