Group C Preview

Schedule

All times Eastern Daylight Time (UTC -4)

June 14th, 12:00 p.m., Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte
Colombia vs. Greece

June 14th, 9:00 p.m., Arena Pernambuco, Recife
Ivory Coast vs. Japan

June 19th, 12:00 p.m., Estadio Nacional, Brasilia
Colombia vs. Ivory Coast

June 19th, 6:00 p.m., Estadio das Dunas, Natal
Japan vs. Greece

June 24th, 4:00 p.m., Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba
Japan vs. Colombia

June 24th, 4:00 p.m., Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza
Greece vs. Ivory Coast

Teams

Colombia

 

Bullets

• World Ranking: 8th
• World Cup Appearances: 5 (Last in 1998)
• Best World Cup Finish: Round of 16 (1990)
• Finished 2nd, 2 points behind Argentina, in South America to qualify.
• 9-4-3, 27 Goals For and 13 Goals Against in qualifying
• Leading goalscorer in Qualifying: Radamel Falcao (9)
• 5-1-5, 14 Goals For and 9 Goals Against in last 12 months
• Manager: Jose Pekerman (ARG). Pekerman has managed Colombia since January 2012. Pekerman managed Argentina in the 2006 World Cup, losing to Germany in the quarterfinals.
• Captain: Mario Yepes. Defender, Atalanta (ITA)
• Odds to Win World Cup (via Bodog): 33/1

Roster

Goalkeepers: Faryd Mondragon (#22, Deportivo Cali), David Ospina (#1, Nice, FRA), Camilo Vargas (#12, Santa Fe)

Defenders: Santiago Arias (#4, PSV Eindhoven, NED), Pablo Armero (#7, West Ham, ENG), Eder Alvarez Balanta (#16, River Plate, ARG), Carlos Valdes (#23, San Lorenzo, ARG), Mario Yepes (#3, Atalanta, ITA), Cristian Zapata (#2, Milan, ITA), Juan Camilo Zuniga (#18, Napoli, ITA)

Midfielders: Abel Aguilar (#8, Toulouse, FRA), Juan Guillermo Cuadrado (#11, Fiorentina, ITA), Fredy Guarin (#13, Inter Milan, ITA), Victor Ibarbo (#14, Cagliari, ITA), Alexander Mejia (#15, Atletico Nacional), Juan Fernando Quintero (#20, FC Porto, POR), Aldo Leao Ramirez (#5, Morelia, MEX), James Rodriguez (#10, Monaco, FRA), Carlos Sanchez (#6, Elche, ESP)

Forwards: Carlos Bacca (#17, Sevilla, ESP), Teofilo Gutierrez (#9, River Plate, ARG), Jackson Martinez (#21, FC Porto, POR), Adrian Ramos (#19, Hertha BSC, GER)

Possible Starting XI

 

Offence

Top striker Radamel Falcao made a valiant effort to recover from an ACL injury in January, but came up short in his comeback bid and was not included in Colombia's final squad. The loss of Falcao hurts, however Colombia's depth should be able to handle his absence. Martinez is expected to start up front and be joined by either Gutierrez, Bacca or Ramos as a striking partner in Colombia's 4-2-2-2 formation.While none of them provide the aerial threat that Falcao does, they all possess speed and can finish with both feet.

The Colombian midfield also brings speed to the table and versatility to switch their formations up if necessary. One of the few teams in the tournament that employs 2 strikers, Colombia counts on their midfielders to provide offensive support and still be defensively sound. James Rodriguez on the wing will provide the most firepower from the midfield. While only scoring 9 goals this season for Monaco, the 22 year old has been tabbed as the next big thing in Colombia with a game styled similarly to stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. His presence on the wing will force opposing defences to shade towards him and take focus off the 2 strikers. Considered a 4-2-2-2 formation, this can turn to a 4-3-3 quickly if Rodriguez wants to join the rush.

Defence

Colombia plays a very offensive style of soccer and are afforded that luxury by a solid defensive back four. They don't provide much in the way of offensive abilities, but Colombia has that to spare up front and counts on their back four to shut everything down that comes their way. Abel Aguilar is capable of playing a holding midfield role for Colombia, but more then most teams nowadays, Colombia's defence is primarily the back line only.

There's also little uncertainty in a defensive four that has looked to be locked in for as long as can be remembered. 38 year old veteran Mario Yepes is still going strong in the central midfield, and together with Milan defender Cristian Zapata, form one of the top defensive pairings in the world. On the wings, Juan Camilo Zuniga and Pablo Armero have over 100 caps between them and complete a strong defensive four that gave up less then a goal per game in the brutal South American qualifying round. Look for Zuniga in particular to spring a Colombian counter-attack and jump forward if the situation allows.

3 Key Players 

James Rodriguez. The wonderboy of Colombian soccer, he has been thrust in to the role of the main star of this team with Falcao out. The big word with Rodriguez is potential. Rodriguez can become on e of the best players in the world if he continues to develop and is on his game. If he isn't though, then much of the offensive flare Colombia is associated with disappears. Rodriguez fills a similar role for Colombia that Neymar does for Brazil as a scorer and playmaker, and their success could very well be determined by how he performs in this tournament

Falcao's Replacement. I have Teofilo Gutierrez tabbed to get first crack at filling Falcao's role, but whoever gets the nod will have large shoes to fill. Falcao's 9 goals in qualifying and ability to score in all facets of attack can't be replaced by any of the options available, but they can carve a niche for themselves in this attack. The key to this for all 3 replacements will be the speed of the Colombian forwards. Their quickness and vision will be critical for them to get in to the open spaces in the penalty area to finish off the balls they'll receive from Rodriguez and co.
 
David Ospina. The unsung hero in the Colombian defence, Ospina has been the first-choice goalkeeper for Colombia in the past half-decade, and is one of the most athletic goalkeepers in the world. Ospina is capable of getting hands to balls that many other goalkeepers can't, despite only being 6 feet tall. Ospina has a strong defence in front of him, but like many attacking teams, will face some fast rushes and counter-attacks along the way. Ospina isn't likely to see much action throughout the group stages at least, and if he can make the saves people know he can make, Colombia will be in good shape getting out of Group C.

Other Name to Know

Juan Fernando Quintero. Won't start for Colombia, but think of the 21 year old as James Rodriguez 2.0. Has much of the same qualities as Rodriguez (speed, dribbling, creativity), but better in the centre of the field as opposed to on the wing. If Colombia find themselves down or tied, look for Quintero as a game-changer off the bench. Rodriguez and Quintero on the field at the same time creates a huge problem for opposing defences, but also takes some of Colombia's defensive balance off the field. Will be interesting to see how that plays out when Quintero comes in.

Overall Impression

About as good as they come for a team that doesn't have a bona fide star. Make no mistake, they'll miss Falcao who is one of the best strikers in the world. But they've also been preparing as if he would not be there in January and have more then capable replacements. Not very many holes in this team, I'm just not sure they'll be able to do enough against the top teams in the world to go deep in the tournament. The most complete team in the group.

Greece

 

Bullets

• World Ranking: 12th
• World Cup Appearances: 3 (Last in 2010)
• Best World Cup Finish: Group Stage (1994, 2010)
• Finished 2nd in Europe Round 1:Group G, trailing Bosnia and Herzegovina on goal differential. Advanced to Round 2 as one of the top runners-up in Round 1. Defeated Romania 4-2 in Round 2:Pairing 3 to qualify.
• 9-1-2, 16 Goals For and 6 Goals Against in qualifying
• Leading goalscorer in Qualifying: Kostas Mitroglou (5)
• 7-1-2, 12 Goals For and 4 Goals Against in last 12 months
• Manager: Fernando Santos (POR). Santos became Greece manager July 2010. His first national team post, he spent the 3 prior seasons with PAOK in Greece.
• Captain: Giorgos Karagounis. Midfielder, Fulham (ENG)
• Odds to Win World Cup (via Bodog): 200/1

Roster

Goalkeepers: Panagiotis Glykos (#12, PAOK), Stefanos Kapino (#13, Panathinaikos), Orestis Karnezis (#1, Granada, ESP)

Defenders: Jose Holebas (#20, Olympiacos), Giannis Maniatis (#2, Olympiacos), Kostas Manolas (#4, Olympiacos), Vangelis Moras (#5, Hellas Verona, ITA), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (#19, Borussia Dortmund, GER), Vasilis Torosidis (#15, Roma, ITA), Giorgos Tzavellas (#3, PAOK), Loukas Vyntra (#11, Levante, ESP)

Midfielders: Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (#16, Bologna, ITA), Giannis Fetfatzidis (#18, Genoa, ITA), Giorgos Karagounis (#10, Fulham, ENG), Kostas Katsouranis (#21, PAOK), Panagiotis Kone (#8, Bologna, ITA), Andreas Samaris (#22, Olympiacos), Panagiotis Tachtsidis (#23, Torino, ITA), Alexandros Tziolis (#6, Kayserispor, TUR)

Forwards: Theofanis Gekas (#17, Konyaspor, TUR), Kostas Mitroglou (#9, Fulham, ENG), Dimitris Salpingidis (#14, PAOK), Georgios Samaras (#7, Celtic, SCO)

Possible Starting XI

 

Offence





I'll openly admit to being critical of Greece's take on what offence is. I also acknowledge that it has been hugely effective for them in the past decade. Ignore the above formation. Greece calls themselves a 4-3-3 given they do use 3 forwards, but this in reality a defensive 4-2-3-1 that is designed to infuriate their opponents. The central striker should be Kostas Mitroglou, and he is the only player on the squad that is expected to be focused primarily on the offensive zone. Mitroglou has plenty of critics after an injury-plagued Premier League season with Fulham. Mitroglou still provides the greatest goal-scoring threat up front, when the few chances he gets will come.

When Greece do manage to get forward, they'll do it with 4 players, Mitroglou included. Georgios Samaras and Dimitris Salpingidis are the expected wingers that will push forward from a midfield-type role when Greece go forward. Samaras' inclusion as winger in this formation is a bit bizarre. At 6'4" and with excellent aerial abilities, Samaras is ideally suited to being a central striker. A quick playmaker on the other side, Salpingidis is one of those players whose name you'll hear often around the ball, as he is able to pop up all over the field and create problems for opponents. The heart of the team is still in the central midfield with captain Giorgos Karagounis. At 37, Karagounis is one of the few remaining players from Greece's 2004 Euro winning squad and remains the primary delivery man to the front 3. Karagounis has lost some pace over the years, but is still a very dangerous deliverer of the ball and can find the back of the net on any free kick opportunity he is awarded.

Defence

Simply put, there is no better nation in the world defensively than Greece. Part of this is philosophy, Greece is a team without the technical skill or athleticism that other teams possess, so they rely on strong team play to be successful. They also understand the basic principle that you can't lose if you don't surrender goals and have embraced that philosophy to the fullest. They skipped through the 2004 Euro playoffs with 3 consecutive 1-0 victories, validating their defensive efforts and shaping Greek football for the still unforeseen future.

Regardless of personnel, this Greek team understands exactly what the roles of each player are on defence. Karagounis' flanking midfielders very rarely play forward of him and shrink down to a holding midfield role when defending the opponent. The wingers then slide down to Karagounis' side, hence a 4-2-3-1 with at least 9 players behind the ball. Greece are also incredibly difficult to break down defensively. Some teams collapse down like Greece does but become disorganized and lose their assignments. Greece does an excellent job of maintaining their defensive shape and making life difficult for opposing teams. If you score against Greece, pat yourselves on the back, because it doesn't happen often.

3 Key Players 

Giorgos Karagounis/Kostas Katsouranis. The heart and soul of this Greek team, but with a combined age of 71, it's hard to see coach Fernando Santos sending both out at the same time. More likely is that whoever is on the bench comes in as a halftime substitute for the other. Karagounis is mre of an attacking threat than Katsouranis who is primarily a holding midfielder, both have the experience required to captain and direct the complicated Greek defence from the central midfield. Past their best playing days, but Greece will rely heavily on the leadership of both if they wish to escae the group.

Kostas Mitroglou. One of the most talked about selections in Europe, Mitroglou moved to Fulham in England and played just one Premier League game for the English side, hampered by injuries and poor form. Many questioned whether or not Mitroglou should be in this side as a result. Luckily for Mitroglou, there aren't many options after him. Samaras could be a central forward, but a dearth of wingers in the Greek squad have him stuck outside. The only other central forward is Theofanis Gekas, who at 34 faces the same problems as Katsouranis and Karagounis with fitness. Greece's goal-scoring will centre around Mitroglou, for better or for worse, and Greek fans are praying that Mitroglou can recover his pre-Fulham form in time for Brazil.

Dimitris Salpingidis. Mentioned him briefly earlier but Salpingidis may be the top play-maker for Greece and the source of where their scoring opportunities will come from. Short in stature with excellent quickness, Salpingidis is one of the few players with freedom to roam in the attacking zone for Greece, and has a great nose for the ball and getting in to open spaces. One of the most creative players on the field, look for him to be the one creating the few scoring chances Greece can obtain.

Other Name to Know

Theofanis Gekas. If Greece has scored a critical goal in the past decade, odds are it came from Gekas, or he was involved in some way. One of Greece's leading scorers all-time, the 34 year old has a knack for finding the back of the net when it is needed most. A decline in fitness over the years means he likely won't be starting in the hot Brazilian weather, but Gekas should make some appearances off the bench as an offensive catalyst late in the close games that will come with Greece.

Overall Impression

I'm very hesitant to count them out because they make me look foolish whenever I do. But they're too reliant in the midfield and up front on their aging generation of players that led them to this recent string of success. Offensively incompetent at the best of times, I don't think Mitroglou gets it done as a central forward and Samaras is completely wasted on the outside. They'll be competitive because of their defence but I just don't see where the goals come from. Unless they plan on tying their way to a World Cup final, I think Greece is outmatched here.

Ivory Coast

 

Bullets

• World Ranking: 23rd
• World Cup Appearances: 3 (Last in 2010)
• Best World Cup Finish: Group Stage (2006, 2010)
• Received bye for Round 1 of African qualifying. Finished 1st in Round 2:Group C, 5 points ahead of Morocco, to advance to Round 3. Defeated Senegal 4-2 in Round 3:Pairing 1 to qualify.
• 5-0-3, 19 Goals For and 7 Goals Against in qualifying
• Leading goalscorer in Qualifying: Salomon Kalou (5)
• 4-3-3, 19 Goals For and 17 Goals Against in last 12 months
• Manager: Sabri Lamouchi (FRA). Lamouchi took over as manager May 2012. This is his first managerial position.
• Captain: Didier Drogba. Forward, Galatasaray (TUR)
• Odds to Win World Cup (via Bodog): 125/1

Roster

Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (#1, Lokeren, BEL), Sylvain Gbohouo (#16, Sewe Sport), Sayouba Mande (#23, Stabaek, NOR)

Defenders: Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro (#7, Toulouse, FRA), Serge Aurier (#17, Toulouse, FRA), Sol Bamba (#22, Trabzonspor, TUR), Arthur Boka (#3, Stuttgart, GER), Constant Djakpa (#18, Eintracht Frankfurt, GER), Kolo Toure (#4, Liverpool, ENG), Ousmane Viera (#2, Caykur Rizespor, TUR), Didier Zokora (#5, Trabzonspor, TUR)

Midfielders: Serey Die (#20, FC Basel, SUI), Ismael Diomande (#14, Saint-Etienne, FRA), Cheick Tiote (#9, Newcastle United, ENG), Yaya Toure (#19, Manchester City, ENG), Didier Ya Konan (#13, Hannover 96, GER)

Forwards: Mathis Bolly (#6, Fortuna Dusseldorf, GER), Wilfried Bony (#12, Swansea City, WAL), Didier Drogba (#11, Galatasaray, TUR), Gervinho (#10, Roma, ITA), Max Gradel (#15, Saint-Etienne, FRA), Salomon Kalou (#8, Lille, FRA), Giovanni Sio (#21, FC Basel, SUI)

Possible Starting XI

 

Offence

One of the more fan-friendly teams in the world, Ivory Coast combine the fast, free-flowing African style of play with a generation of world-class players that have led Ivory Coast to their third straight Cup appearance. Led by Didier Drogba up front, Ivory Coast will be counting on their star striker to finally get the Elephants out of the group stage, having failed in the past 2 tournaments. Drogba is 36 and his career appeared over when he left Chelsea in 2012, but he has experienced a resurgence this past year with Galatasaray and again leads the African nation up front. Drogba is a rare combination of a large striker with surprising quickness and dribbling ability, and is a threat whenever he is near the ball in the opponent's zone.

Unlike other teams in the group, Drogba has the luxury of a group of elite players around him in attack. Yaya Toure will play in the attacking midfield and is the most complete player in the Ivorian side. Toure will be called on to float in the opponent's side of the field and use his size and strength on the ball to allow his teammates time to get open and create opportunities. Perhaps the biggest threat for Ivory Coast are on the wings. Kalou and Gervinho can both stretch the field vertically and horizontally and have the dribbling capabilities to beat defenders one-and-one, or make runs in to the area. With fullbacks also capable of pushing forward in attack, Ivory Coast have all kinds of options in attack and will experiment with different options throughout the game until they find what works.

Defence

As good as they are in attack, this is a team that can struggle mightily at times on the back end having surrendered nearly as many goals in the past 12 months as have been scored. Part of the problem is endemic to African soccer. The technical and strategic expertise at a junior level hasn't been established which is one of the reasons why Africa has never had a team past the quarterfinals. All of the skill is there, but the defensive organization and structure that you see from teams such as Greece doesn't exist. Too often, the Ivory Coast back line will lose track of their assignments which inevitably lead to goals.

Ivory Coast is expected to run a very experienced back line out in Brazil. Kolo Toure, Bamba, and Boka are locks to start, and average an age of 31. The last defender will either be the 21-year old Serge Aurier, or fellow veteran Dider Zokora (age 33). Experience is a blessing and a curse for this team. The veterans are more defensively aware for this team than the newcomers, but also may lack the top end speed and manoeuvring that the youngsters have. Colombia and Japan in particular are loaded with speed up front, and Ivory Coast's chances of advancing will depend heavily on the defence's ability to handle those 2 teams.

3 Key Players 

Salomon Kalou. As much as Didier Drogba is the focal point of the offence, Kalou has become the most dynamic player for Ivory Coast up front. Kalou will play the wing for Ivory Coast but may end up sliding in as a centre forward behind Drogba. Kalou has the ability to get lost in the defence, especially for Ivory Coast where Drogba draws so much attention up front. Kalou can be a playmaker on the outside, but look for his biggest impact to be inside and benefitting from the open spaces he'll be afforded by Drogba's presence.

Yaya Toure. Toure has suited up in big games throughout his career anywhere from a centre forward to a centre back and that versatility is crucial for Ivory Coast. They will put the younger of the Toure's (brother Kolo is a centre back) directly in the centre of the midfield and expect him to direct traffic in the offensive zone particularly. Not just a playmaker though, Toure has been known for some blistering strikes on goal from well outside the penalty area, and he'll have the Brazilian crowd on their feet in support if he can uncork one of those this tournament.

Cheick Tiote.The Newcastle midfielder tends to get overshadowed by the big names in front of him for Ivory Coast, but his contributions may be most important to their shot at advancing. Playing behind Toure in the central midfield, Tiote is the closest thing the Ivorians have to a defensive midfielder, and will asked to hang back while Toure and his midfielder partner (likely Serey Die) push forward. Japan in particular move the ball well through the midfield, and with the 2 teams likely competing for 1 spot in the Round of 16, Tiote will have to be in top form for his country to be able to advance.

Other Name to Know

Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro. Besides having an excellent name, Akpa-Akpro may end up filling a dual role in Brazil. Listed as a centre back, Akpa-Akpro plays defensive midfield for Toulouse and is one of the few players on this squad suited for that role. Just 21, with 1 cap to his name, Akpa-Akpro has the potential as a first off the bench type player, to either come in as an offensive-minded central defender, or bolster a defence if they have a lead.

Overall Impression

The antithesis of the last team we covered, Ivory Coast love to push in to the offensive zone in search of goals and will pay the price for that aggressiveness often. They're a big team up front which will help them in a relatively small group but I have to wonder if their recklessness will hurt them. This is probably the last chance for this core of players to make the knockout rounds, and you can be sure they'll give everything they can to get there. I just don't know if there's enough left in the collective tank to get to that point.

Japan

 

Bullets

• World Ranking: 46th
• World Cup Appearances: 5 (Last in 2010)
• Best World Cup Finish: Round of 16 (2002, 2010)
• Received byes for Rounds and 1 and 2 of Asian qualifying. Finished 2nd in Round 3:Group C, 6 points behind Uzbekistan to advance to Round 4. Finished 1st in Round 4:Group B, 4 points ahead of Australia to qualify.
• 8-3-3, 30 Goals For and 8 Goals Against in qualifying
• Leading goalscorer in Qualifying: Shinji Okazaki (8)
• 9-7-3, 36 Goals For and 32 Goals Against in last 12 months
• Manager: Alberto Zaccheroni (ITA). Zaccheroni took over Japan in August 2010 and led them to the 2011 Asian Cup title. His managerial career has been almost entirely at the club level in Italy, highlighted by winning Serie A with Milan in 1999.
• Captain: Makoto Hasebe, Midfielder, FC Nurnberg (GER)
• Odds to Win World Cup (via Bodog): 150/1

Roster

Goalkeepers: Shuichi Gonda (#23, FC Tokyo), Eiji Kawashima (#1, Standard Liege, BEL), Shusaku Nishikawa (#12, Urawa Red Diamonds)

Defenders: Masahiko Inoha (#19, Jubilo Iwata), Yasuyuki Konno (#15, Gamba Osaka), Masato Morishige (#6, FC Tokyo), Yuto Nagatomo (#5, Inter Milan, ITA), Gotoku Sakai (#3, Stuttgart, GER), Hiroku Sakai (#21, Hannover 96, GER), Atsuto Uchida (#2, Schalke 04, GER), Maya Yoshida (#22, Southampton, ENG)

Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama (#14, Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Yasuhito Endo (#7, Gamba Osaka), Makoto Hasebe (#17, FC Nurnberg, GER), Keisuke Honda (#4, Milan, ITA), Shinji Kagawa (#10, Manchester United, ENG), Hiroshi Kiyotake (#8, FC Nurnberg, GER), Hotaru Yamaguchi (#16, Cerezo Osaka)

Forwards: Yoichiro Kakitani (#11, Cerezo Osaka), Shinji Okazaki (#9, Mainz 05, GER), Yoshito Okubo (#13, Kawasaki Frontale), Yuya Osako (#18, 1860 Munich, GER), Manabu Saito (#20, Yokohama F. Marinos)

Possible Starting XI



Offence

Enigmatic may be the best word to describe Japan's offence. They can go from world-beaters to completely absent and vice-versa in the blink of an eye. Striker is also a very unsettled position for Japan. A post previously filled by Shinji Okazaki, he has moved out to the wing primarily and no one has been able to insert themselves as the go-to player up front. The primary battle for the position has been between veteran Yoshito Okubo and newcomer Yoichiro Kakitani. Having debuted just last year, Kakitani's 5 goals in 11 games have made him the favourite to be the head-man in the Japanese attack.

Regardless if who is up front for Japan, their offensive midfield boasts a trio of players who can all create and finish offensively and are the backbone of this team. In the centre of the field will be Keisuke Honda. Honda had a breakout tournament in the 2010 World Cup and the Milan midfielder is viewed as one of the top playmakers in the world. Honda's has perhaps the best vision and passing of any player in Group C and create scoring chances out of seemingly nothing. Joining Honda in attack will be Shinji Okazaki and Shinji Kagawa on the wings. Both players can stretch a defence outside with their ball control and get the ball to the centre of the field with ease. If Japan need an offensive burst, then Okazaki in particular is capable of shifting to a second forward role, having scored 8 times in qualifying from primarily that position.

Defence

Captain Makoto Hasebe will sit in the midfield as the the holding midfielder and direct traffic in both the offensive and defensive zones. Hasebe saw his season shortened by a knee injury, but will be a key part of Japan's defensive coverage in Brazil.

Similar to Ivory Coast, Japan's defence is full of question marks. Due as much to injury as anything else, right back Atsuto Uchida is recovering from a thigh injury and other starters are dealing with knocks picked up in the club season. Technically sound, the biggest fear with Japan is that they simply don't have world-class talent on the back end. Japan has surrendered exactly 2 goals a game in the past year against teams in the World Cup finals, an almost unbelievable figure for a team of their quality. You can fix awareness and formation to adapt to opponents, but making up for a poor team is gard to do. Japan have the coaching and skills to succeed but they need this defence to simply play as best as possible in order to advance.

3 Key Players 

Keisuke Honda. Rodriguez is the young star, Drogba is the big name, but Honda is probably the best player in this group. Honda can do everything in the midfield and has even played forward for Japan at times. Japan will need him desperately in this tournament. Honda makes goals happen, even if just from his presence on the field. He's a player that forces opposing defences to know where he is at all times, and even when they do, they may not be able to do anything about it. Deadly when facing goal with the ball, he can easily dump the ball off to one of his teammates, and is dangerous at all times from set pieces. A good Honda means a successful Japan, whereas their whole attack can fall apart if he is taken out of the game.

Shinji Kagawa. The Manchester United winger has all but gotten lost with his club since moving there in 2012, but is still a vital part of Japan's plans in Brazil. At the top of his game, Kagawa will give full backs a fit, as he can dribble through them towards the centre of the field or blow past them wide for a cross. In either case, it creates more space for Honda and the Japanese striker to operate and leads to increased chances for Japan. Kagawa was considered one of the top young wingers in the world at Borussia Dortmund. He hasn't shown that promise at United, but if on his game, he only adds to what is already a deadly Japanese midfield.

Makoto Hasebe. Gets none of the accolades that his midfield compatriots do, but the captain has an extremely important role in this squad, sitting between Honda and the central defence. Make no mistake about it, Japan is vulnerable on the back end and Hasebe has to do everything possible to slow down counter-attacks and force opponents to pull the ball up long enough for the Japanese defence to take shape. Hasebe will also be directing Honda and the other attackers in to position on the offensive end.

Other Name to Know

Masato Morishige. If Zaccheroni doesn't have a hair-trigger for making changes on defence then there's a problem for the Asian champions. Japan's central defence in particular has been porous in the last several (read: many) games and if Morishige isn't starting game 1, I'd be surprised if he doesn't later in the tournament. A late bloomer so-to-speak (9 caps at age 27), Morishige provides some variety in the defensive backfield, and while primarily a centre back, can shift outside as well if any of the Japanese defenders aren't up to par.

Overall Impression

If they had any semblance of a defence, I'd say Japan was likely to escape this group. But until they prove they do, I just don't trust them. Teams like Chile are built to be in back-and-forth shootout games. Japan is not, and yet that's a position they often find themselves in. Glorious when they get the ball moving in attack and lost when they don't they're another incredibly difficult team to predict. They'll give their opponents fits, that's a certainty, it's just a matter of how long they get to do that for.

FINAL THOUGHTS & PREDICTIONS



I dreaded trying to figure out this group for all the wrong reasons. Figuring out groups like B is fun. Loads of talent, 3 good teams, stylistic differences, etc. Group C is tough to predict, but mostly because there's no team that stands out as being very good. I look at this group and the knockout round opponents in Group D, and I'd be shocked if any of these teams get to the quarterfinals. But unfortunately, I made a format and I feel compelled to stick to it so here we go. PREDICTIONS!?

Colombia opens with Greece to start which hurts for the South Americans. Greece is beatable but I think they'll fade during the tournament and be at their strongest early on. Tough out for Colombia. The other opener might be the most entertaining of the group. The over in goals is set at 2 which is criminally low for 2 teams that feature prolific offences and porous back lines. Of the remaining games, I think Colombia gets through their last 2 games with a pair of wins, and who knows with the Greece encounters. I like Japan to have a better shot at beating the Greeks, but who knows?

Colombia - 7 pts
Japan - 4 pts
Ivory Coast - 4 pts
Greece - 1 pt

I've plugged Japan in as the tiebreak winner on goal differential. It's a crapshoot though, so in the event they're tied, Ivory Coast could very well be ahead of them.