January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Brazil's winning streak stretches to 11 straight games
No shocks, few fairytale stories, just the world football heavyweights in a shoot-out for the greatest prize of all.
This World Cup is turning out to be a champion of champions battle.
All of the previous winners are in the quarter-finals with the exception of Uruguay, who let's face it don't really count any more.
The sides making up the eight are Ukraine, who have had a fairly easy path to the last eight, and Portugal, a side whose talent outstrips its previous performances.
In the build up to this weekends four big games we take a closer look at the form of the remaining nations.
Argentina
The story so far: Beat Ivory Coast 2-1, Serbia & Montenegro 6-0 then played out a dull goalless draw with Holland. Beat Mexico 2-1 in extra-time to progress to the last eight.
The star-men: Before the Cup we were all looking at Riquelme and Messi, and while both have done okay, it's been a team effort from the Argentinians. Their passing and movement is what has impressed most, though Maxi Rodriguez warrants mention for his three goals, particularly his stunner against Mexico.
The style: Patient, passing football has been the key for Argentina. They are great to watch and for the most part the approach has paid off. Witness their 24 pass goal against Serbia.
The coach: Jose Pekerman is a man who knows what he's all about. While many coachs at this tournament are still struggling to find their best XI and have bowed to public pressure to include big name players Pekerman has been happy to leave four or five 'new Maradonas on the bench'. He's found the right balance and the likes of Carlos Tevez. Lionel Messi and Pablo Aimar have to content themselves with being the world's best 'impact substitutes'.
The bench: See above. Messi and Tevez came on to good effect against Mexico.
How to beat them: Mexico showed the way to play against Argentina. Press hard, disrupt their rhythm and defend from the front. Don't allow them the time to get their passing game going.
The nightmare scenario: Getting to the final only to fall at the last hurdle to Brazil.
What we said before the tournament: If they get out of the toughest group in the competition then they can go all the way.
What we say now: Things still look good for the Argentinians. They've probably been the best team so far and will be aiming for a place in the final, at a minimum.
England
The story so far: Beat Paraguay 1-0, Trinidad 2-0 and drew with Sweden 2-2 to top group B. Went on to beat Ecuador 1-0 in the second round.
The star-men: England went into the tournament hyping up their midfield as the best in the world but so far only Joe Cole has excelled. Frank Lampard is struggling to find his range with his long-shots and offers little else, David Beckham is deadly from set-pieces but sluggish in open play and Steven Gerrard is not dictating games the way he does for Liverpool. Star striker Wayne Rooney has yet to come to the party.
The style: What style? England are fast becoming the Bolton Wanderers of world football. They can't string passes together, struggle to keep possession and lack imagination from open play. Their saving grace is that they are deadly from set-pieces and have three or four players who can score from distance. It's a good job, because their approach play is getting them nowhere near the six-yard box.
The coach: Sven Goran-Eriksson is struggling to find his best XI. He's had a few enforced changes, but the real concern is how to get the best out of Lampard and Gerrard, something he has so far failed to do. He's made a couple of tactical blunders, most notably trying to play Wayne Rooney up front on his own - highlighting the foolishness of his original decision to include only four strikers in the squad. He's got a reality-driven results-first approach and so far it's working. England are entertaining nobody but they are winning and that's alright with Sven.
The bench: England must be taking an envious glance at some of the other squads in the last eight. There are options on the England bench, but not many. Aaron Lennon has excelled on the wing when he has come on, injecting pace and enthusiasm into a lacklustre team, but outside of him there are few options to change a game if England go behind, something that has yet to happen in this tournament. Sven seems reluctant to use Theo Walcott, begging the question, why is he in the squad?
How to beat them: Score first. England like to go 1-0 up and sit back and defend. If they go behind they lack the creativity and imagination to chase a game. They are also going to struggle against a side that passes well and retains possession.
Nightmare scenario: A repeat of Euro 2004 with Becks missing a penalty as Portugal go through on a shoot-out - or being beaten by Germany in the final.
What we said before the tournament: Without Rooney the last eight is the best they can hope for.
What we say now: Rooney's back but Owen's now missing and England don't look too hot. They might scrape past Portugal but the semis looks the limit for this squad.
Germany
The story so far: Beat Costa Rica 4-2 in the opener and haven't looked back since. A 1-0 win over Poland and a 3-0 win over Ecuador followed, before they killed off Sweden in the opening 20 minutes to claim a 2-0 second round victory.
The star-men: Strikers Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski have fired for Germany. With seven goals between them they look like the hottest strike force in the tournament right now. Full-back Philip Lahm has also been a hit and is being touted for a big money move to Chelsea (well, who isn't, right?)
The style: This is a vastly different Germany to the one we are used to - Positive, aggressive, robust and competitive. They are also one of the few countries in this tournament to play with two out-and-out strikers.
The coach: Jurgen Klinsmann or 'Klini' as he is known in Deutschland, has become a cult hero on the back of his team's run in this World Cup. He came into the job with no experience but has brought a fresh, positive approach and deserves credit for that.
The bench: Like England, Germany lack depth in the squad. Klinsmann has not yet had to find a plan B, and that could be a weakness if their backs are against the wall.
How to beat them: They look susceptible to balls played in behind the defence and a speedy striker could exploit their shaky offside trap. They've also not beaten one of the World's top teams for nearly six years so there are serious doubts as to whether they will have enough quality when it comes to the crunch.
Nightmare scenario: Facing England in the final - and losing thanks to a rough call from a Russian linesman.
What we said before the tournament: The draw is wide open and despite reservations about their quality they could go all the way.
What we say now: Germany have been better than we or anyone else imagined but Argentina in the quarters looks a step too far. Fanatical home support could propel them on to the final, but we don't think so.
Portugal
The story so far: Beat Angola 1-0, Iran 2-0 and Mexico 2-1 in the group stages. Defeated Holland 1-0 in a bad-tempered second round clash.
The star-men: So far Maniche and Miguel have been impressive for Portugal, Deco and Ronaldo have also shown glimpses of what they are capable of.
The style: They play a 4-5-1 formation with two defensive midfielders and three flair players supporting lone striker Pauleta. They are a hard-working side and even the creative attacking players do their share of tracking back. Difficult to break down at the back, they look solid from Ricardo through to Pauleta.
The coach: Luis Felipe Scolari is now the most successful coach in World Cup history with 11 wins from 11 games. He also took Portugal to the Euro 2004 final.
He has done so with the same formula that brought him success
The bench: They many not have the same depth as Spain, Brazil or Argentina but Portugal still have plenty of options on the bench. With suspensions mounting they are going to need them.
Simao (check), Petit and Tiago have all been used to good effect in this tournament and Portugal beat Mexico with a virtual reserve team.
How to beat them: Keep their flair players quiet and cut off the supply line to Pauleta. Set-pieces and long-shots look the best way to get through a well-drilled defence (good news for England).
Nightmare scenario: Outplaying England for 90 minutes only for a Beckham cross to bounce off the back of Peter Crouch's head and into the net.
What we said before the tournament: Anything beyond the quarters would be a bonus.
What we say now: The situation has changed and Portugal will be looking to go all the way now, but we think the semis will be their limit, though.
Brazil
The story so far: Won every game in the group, 1-0 v Croatia, 2-0 v Australia but only really hit form with the 4-1 win over Japan and in the latter stages of their 3-0 second round victory over Ghana.
The star-men: Neither Adriano or Ronaldinho has had a major impact as yet. The industrious Ze Roberto has been a key performer while Kaka and Juninho have been the better players going forward and Ronaldo has started to hit goalscoring form.
The style: Pass, pass, pass is the Brazilian way and we are starting to see some real stylish South American football from these boys. They went one better than Argentina with their 25-pass goal against Ghana yesterday and are starting to delight and excite their millions of fans, worldwide.
The coach: Carlos Alberta Parreira won playing ugly football (it's all relative) with Brazil in '94 this time he wants to do it the real Brazilian way. There were questions over whether he would stick with the magic quartet of Ronaldo, Adriano, Ronaldinho and Kaka as the tournament went on. So far he's shown faith in the attacking maestros and it's paying off.
The bench: Parriera has a back-up squad bursting with talent and desire and as the game with Japan showed the likes of Gilberto and Juninho are arguably in better form than the first choice players. Robinho and Cicinho give him excellent options from the bench.
How to beat them: A lot of coaches would love to know this answer. Their focus on attack does leave space for a creative midfielder like Argentina's Juan Riquelme to exploit. There is also space behind the full-backs which a winger like Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo could take advantage of. Corners and set-pieces could be another vulnerable area, but you've got to stop them from scoring — easier said than done.
The nightmare scenario: Ronaldo has another fit in the dressing room before the final. As do Ronaldinho, Kaka, Juninho, Adriano and Robinho. That might level the playing field a bit.
What we said before the tournament: Winners.
What we say now: Winners.
France
The story so far: A smooth upward curve for the French who started poorly with draws against Switzerland and Korea before improving with a 2-0 win over Togo and peaking with a deserved 3-1 crushing of Spain.
The star-men: Henry has been criticized for his performances and in truth it was a low-key start for all the French team. Franck Ribery came to the party when it counted against the Spanish and Vieira has looked his old self in the midfield over these last two games.
The style: Sharp passing football with Zidane, Vieira and Ribery looking to hit Henry with those precise through-balls.
The coach: Raymond Domenech has alienated much of France and even some of his players with his management style. There's been talk of division in the camp but they looked pretty united in celebration last night.
Domenech's decision to ditch Trezuguet to deploy a top heavy midfield featuring Zidane and Ribery looked like a failure until last night, when both men justified the coach's faith.
The bench: Plenty of attacking potential with the aforementioned Trezuguet and Louis Saha waiting in the wings but the French lack decent defensive cover.
How to beat them: Frustrate their midfield - they've looked short of ideas when Ribery and Zidane have not performed. Their aging defence could also be susceptible to pace.
The nightmare scenario: Brazil in the quarter-finals…. Oh.
What we said before the tournament: The group is tougher than it looks at first glance, but they'll probably scrape through to face Spain or Ukraine in the second round, where another early exit could be in prospect.
What we say now: Having just seen France hammer Spain we are back-tracking rapidly. They are peaking just at the right time and will give Brazil a headache at the weekend. Whether they have enough in the tank to beat the South Americans remains to be seen.
Italy
The story so far: Beat Ghana 2-0, drew with the USA 1-1 and then beat the Czechs 2-0 to qualify as group winners. Scraped past Australia 1-0 after a horrible penalty call from the ref deep into injury time.
The star-men: Totti and Del Piero haven't shown for Italy neither has striker Luca Toni. The midfield inspiration has come from Pirlo who has been impressive on the ball and has got into goalscoring situations. Keeper Buffon continues to justify his billing as the world's top stopper while Cannavaro has been immense at the heart of the defence.
The style: Italy have been far more offensive in this tournament playing in a variation of the 4-3-3. Their full backs have been given license to attack and it at times is pleasing to the eye. If they win this tournament it will be on the backs of their defence. Totti will also need to play better as Del Piero is looking way past his best.
The coach: Marcello Lippi has ridden the storm of the Italian match fixing controversy and has had the luck you need as a manager to go far in this competition, most notably against Australia and the U.S. He's still unsure of his best strike force and has to decide whether its time to let Iaquinta or Inzaghi lead the line.
The bench: Both those strikers have got what it takes to come off the bench and get a goal but with Totti and Del Piero underperforming Lippi must be worried about the lack of a 'mystery player' in his squad.
How to beat them: Win the midfield battle. Gattuso and Pirlo have been excellent in the centre of the park and whoever puts Italy out of the competition will have to cover more ground than those two.
The nightmare scenario: Italy win the World Cup and then it' s taken off them in a new match-fixing scandal after it is revealed that Luciano Moggi had a word in the ear of the ref.
What we said before the tournament: The strongest of the European challengers but not quite on the same level as Argentina and Brazil.
What we say now: We'll stand by that call. The Italians should get past Ukraine but would struggle against Brazil in the semis.
Ukraine
The story so far: Hammered 4-0 by Spain on their World Cup debut but recovered to dish out a similar drubbing to Saudi Arabia before scraping past Tunisia 1-0. Beat Switzerland on penalties in the second round, keeping a third successive clean sheet.
The star-men: Struggling to shrug off the assertion that they are a one-man team. That said Andiry Schevchenko has hardly set the competition alight. Serhiy Rebrov has provided decent support and the defence, barring the Spain game, has been watertight.
The style: It was hard to believe the pre-tournament hype that this was a well-organised defensive team that relied on clean-sheets and a few inspirational forwards - one in particular, when we saw them surrender so meekly. But the real Ukraine has been to the fore in the last three games. Still not looking too lively up front though.
The coach: It may be the only prize Oleg Blokhin wins this summer but he's got the most creative excuse award sewn up. He explained away the Spain defeat by blaming noisy frogs outside the hotel for keeping them awake all night. The rest of the world might have wondered what he was on about but at least we in Bermuda can empathise.
The bench: Ukraine's options on the bench look limited. If Schevchenko, for example, was to pick up an injury they would be in trouble.
How to beat them: Spain showed the way. If you pass the ball well and play with skill and creativity you will wear them down. It's hard to see them scoring more than one goal against the top teams and breaking down their defence remains the toughest obstacle.
The nightmare scenario: Even if they go out in the last eight the tournament will have been a success but they won't want to be humiliated against Italy. A Schevchenko injury wouldn't help and would also be a nightmare for Chelsea who just shelled out upwards of $50 million for him.
What we said before the tournament: World Cup dark horses. There is always one team that surprises everyone by reaching the semi-finals and it could be them.
What we say now: The last four is still a possibility but they haven't looked as good as we thought. They haven't had to beat anyone of note to get to the last eight and they will be severely tested against the Italians. Will probably be happy to have got this far.[[In-content Ad]]
Comments:
You must login to comment.