GeekWeek World Cup Preview: Group C
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May 19 2010, 5:05 PM
Group C
GP W D L GS GA GD Pts 1 Algeria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Slovenia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 United States 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Algeria - After upsetting Egypt in the African zone play-off to reach the Finals, Algeria will bring a young squad to the World Cup riddled by injuries to key players like Hamer Bouazza and Yacine Bezzaz. Without a top notch striker, the team will be led in midfield by Captain Yazid Mansouri, whose play alongside Karim Ziani and Karim Matmour on the wing will be crucial if the Desert Foxes are to have any hope of building sustained attacking pressure. Defender Nadir Belhadj is suspended for the first match against Slovenia, which will take a toll on a back-line anchored by Glasgow Rangers' Madjid Bougherra. Many players in the side will be seeing their first taste of international football, and the manner in which they cope with the pressure will determine whether or not Algeria can defy expectations and advance out of the group stage. Their match-up with the United States on June 23rd will likely be a crucial clash for both teams.
Player to Watch: Karim Ziani
The Wolfsburg midfielder has made a steady rise to the top levels of club football after successful spells with Sochaux and Marseilles. The attack minded playmaker will look to get forward at every opportunity. His passing will be crucial to unlocking defenses.
England - After an impressive qualifying campaign which saw them finish as runaway group winners with a Euro Zone leading 34 goals, 9 of which came from on fire Wayne Rooney, confidence among Fabio Capello's men is high, and they will enter Group B as the prohibitive favorites to finish top. Experienced at every position, the biggest question mark that remains is whether or not they will bring their best form to a major tournament, especially one so far away from home. Fitness has often been a problem with the England team; the long and grueling Premier League season (which offers no winter break), can take its toll on the players in the summer. Controversy also seems to follow this team wherever it goes, and new team Captain Rio Ferdinand will have to provide leadership from the back alongside previous skipper, John Terry, who was forced to resign the captaincy earlier this year after the Vanessa Peroncel affair. Rooney is in imperious form though, and he should provide plenty of offensive spark. Peter Crouch will likely partner him up front, providing a big/small partnership for the record books. Capello also has speedy wingers galore to choose from, with Walcott, Lennon, and Wright-Phillips all in the squad. Or, will Capello opt for power over speed in the midfield with Milner and/or Huddlestone partnering Gerrard and/or Lampard? The team will also miss the tackling and cover of Gareth Barry, who misses out on the tournament due to an ankle injury. The irrepressible David Beckham will also be on the sidelines in a coaching role. Expectations are through the roof, and the Three Lions will do everything in their power to bring home the trophy for the second time in their nation's history.
Player to Watch: Wayne Rooney
An absolutely clinical finisher, Rooney will be looking to terrorize opposing defenses with the wide variety of skills at his disposal. Just as comfortable finishing with his head as with his feet, Rooney will run until his lungs burst, and he has an uncanny knack for always finding himself in the right place at the right time.
Slovenia - Slovenia bring a strong core group of players to South Africa albeit without a true star. Manager Matjas Kek will try to use this as an advantage rather than a drawback, and have his group play for each other as they did in their impressive qualifying campaign which saw them finish just behind group winners Slovakia, and ahead of heavily favored Czech Republic and Poland. Then, in a play-off against Russia where they were underdogs yet again, the team showed incredible resilience to come back from a 2 goal 1st leg deficit, and make the Finals. Slovenia are very strong at the back, having allowed only 4 goals in 10 qualifying matches leading up to the tournament. Goalkeeper Samir Handanovic is also a valuable asset between the posts. West Brom's Robert Koren will marshal the midfield, and striker Milivoje Novakovic will spearhead the attack. Slovenia will look to frustrate their opponents rather than overpower them, and do things their own way, with a minimum of flair, and an awful lot of heart.
Player to Watch: Samir Handanovic
Crucial to his teams's play-off victory over Russia, the 6'4 Handanovic has a flair for the dramatic, and is capable of producing some jaw-dropping saves. As one of the better known players on his team, he might raise his profile even further by keeping the ball out of the net, and leading his team into the next round.
United States - Like Algeria, the U.S. squad comes into the tournament with injury concerns affecting manager Bob Bradley's team selection. Defender Oguchi Onyewu's fitness will be assessed up until the first game to determine if he is ready to go after suffering a season ending knee injury while on duty with AC Milan last October. If "Gooch" can't go, look for veteran Jay DeMerit to partner Captain Carlos Bocanegra at the back. Bradley could also opt to play Bocanegra at left-back, but that would leave the team vulnerable to pacy wingers like Shaun Wright-Phillips on the wing in their first game versus England. Look for Joanthan Bornstein to retain his role there. Michael Bradley will partner either Ricardo Clark or Maurice Edu in midfield, the latter only recently coming back from a lengthy injury with Glasgow Rangers. Charlie Davies wasn't able to recover in time for the Cup, so Bradley is left with a big decision as to who, if anyone, will partner Jozy Altidore up front. Will it be in-form Edson Buddle of the LA Galaxy, or will he go with Brian Ching, who has a lot more international experience under his belt? Herculez Gomez has also been brought to camp to provide further competition. Bradley could choose to forego a second striker, and play Landon Donovan farther up the pitch, putting more pressure on Michael Bradley to initiate the offense. Tim Howard will provide vast experience between the posts, and Clint Dempsey is always dangerous on the wing. Some big questions remain unanswered, like what does he do with DaMarcus Beasley? The inconsistent performer doesn't seem to fit into Bob's current set-up, but his experience could come in handy. Bradley has tried out so many different looks, no one is quite sure what his starting eleven will look like. Whatever line-up he goes with, his players will have to gel quickly if the U.S. is to advance out of the group stage after failing to do so in 2006.
Player to Watch: Landon Donovan
Donovan will more than likely be called upon to pick up much of the scoring slack in the absence of Davies. Expect the Galaxy forward to have a free creative role behind Altidore, similar to the one Wayne Rooney enjoys with England. After a very successful with Everton in the Premier League, Donovan's confidence has never been higher, and his consistency has improved greatly. At 28, Donovan is in the peak of his career, and he will be desperate to prove once and for all that he has what it takes to win on the world stage.
Schedule:
Date Venue
Teams
12 June
Rustenburg
England
-
United States
13 June Polokwane Algeria -
Slovenia 18 June Johannesburg Slovenia -
USA 18 June Cape Town England
-
Algeria 23 June Port Elizabeth Slovenia -
England 23 June Pretoria USA -
Algeria
Visit the official FIFA World Cup site for all match schedules, team rosters, and up to the minute news.
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Group C
| GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | ||
| 1 | Algeria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | England | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Slovenia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Algeria - After upsetting Egypt in the African zone play-off to reach the Finals, Algeria will bring a young squad to the World Cup riddled by injuries to key players like Hamer Bouazza and Yacine Bezzaz. Without a top notch striker, the team will be led in midfield by Captain Yazid Mansouri, whose play alongside Karim Ziani and Karim Matmour on the wing will be crucial if the Desert Foxes are to have any hope of building sustained attacking pressure. Defender Nadir Belhadj is suspended for the first match against Slovenia, which will take a toll on a back-line anchored by Glasgow Rangers' Madjid Bougherra. Many players in the side will be seeing their first taste of international football, and the manner in which they cope with the pressure will determine whether or not Algeria can defy expectations and advance out of the group stage. Their match-up with the United States on June 23rd will likely be a crucial clash for both teams.
Player to Watch: Karim Ziani
The Wolfsburg midfielder has made a steady rise to the top levels of club football after successful spells with Sochaux and Marseilles. The attack minded playmaker will look to get forward at every opportunity. His passing will be crucial to unlocking defenses.
England - After an impressive qualifying campaign which saw them finish as runaway group winners with a Euro Zone leading 34 goals, 9 of which came from on fire Wayne Rooney, confidence among Fabio Capello's men is high, and they will enter Group B as the prohibitive favorites to finish top. Experienced at every position, the biggest question mark that remains is whether or not they will bring their best form to a major tournament, especially one so far away from home. Fitness has often been a problem with the England team; the long and grueling Premier League season (which offers no winter break), can take its toll on the players in the summer. Controversy also seems to follow this team wherever it goes, and new team Captain Rio Ferdinand will have to provide leadership from the back alongside previous skipper, John Terry, who was forced to resign the captaincy earlier this year after the Vanessa Peroncel affair. Rooney is in imperious form though, and he should provide plenty of offensive spark. Peter Crouch will likely partner him up front, providing a big/small partnership for the record books. Capello also has speedy wingers galore to choose from, with Walcott, Lennon, and Wright-Phillips all in the squad. Or, will Capello opt for power over speed in the midfield with Milner and/or Huddlestone partnering Gerrard and/or Lampard? The team will also miss the tackling and cover of Gareth Barry, who misses out on the tournament due to an ankle injury. The irrepressible David Beckham will also be on the sidelines in a coaching role. Expectations are through the roof, and the Three Lions will do everything in their power to bring home the trophy for the second time in their nation's history.
Player to Watch: Wayne Rooney
An absolutely clinical finisher, Rooney will be looking to terrorize opposing defenses with the wide variety of skills at his disposal. Just as comfortable finishing with his head as with his feet, Rooney will run until his lungs burst, and he has an uncanny knack for always finding himself in the right place at the right time.
Slovenia - Slovenia bring a strong core group of players to South Africa albeit without a true star. Manager Matjas Kek will try to use this as an advantage rather than a drawback, and have his group play for each other as they did in their impressive qualifying campaign which saw them finish just behind group winners Slovakia, and ahead of heavily favored Czech Republic and Poland. Then, in a play-off against Russia where they were underdogs yet again, the team showed incredible resilience to come back from a 2 goal 1st leg deficit, and make the Finals. Slovenia are very strong at the back, having allowed only 4 goals in 10 qualifying matches leading up to the tournament. Goalkeeper Samir Handanovic is also a valuable asset between the posts. West Brom's Robert Koren will marshal the midfield, and striker Milivoje Novakovic will spearhead the attack. Slovenia will look to frustrate their opponents rather than overpower them, and do things their own way, with a minimum of flair, and an awful lot of heart.
Player to Watch: Samir Handanovic
Crucial to his teams's play-off victory over Russia, the 6'4 Handanovic has a flair for the dramatic, and is capable of producing some jaw-dropping saves. As one of the better known players on his team, he might raise his profile even further by keeping the ball out of the net, and leading his team into the next round.
United States - Like Algeria, the U.S. squad comes into the tournament with injury concerns affecting manager Bob Bradley's team selection. Defender Oguchi Onyewu's fitness will be assessed up until the first game to determine if he is ready to go after suffering a season ending knee injury while on duty with AC Milan last October. If "Gooch" can't go, look for veteran Jay DeMerit to partner Captain Carlos Bocanegra at the back. Bradley could also opt to play Bocanegra at left-back, but that would leave the team vulnerable to pacy wingers like Shaun Wright-Phillips on the wing in their first game versus England. Look for Joanthan Bornstein to retain his role there. Michael Bradley will partner either Ricardo Clark or Maurice Edu in midfield, the latter only recently coming back from a lengthy injury with Glasgow Rangers. Charlie Davies wasn't able to recover in time for the Cup, so Bradley is left with a big decision as to who, if anyone, will partner Jozy Altidore up front. Will it be in-form Edson Buddle of the LA Galaxy, or will he go with Brian Ching, who has a lot more international experience under his belt? Herculez Gomez has also been brought to camp to provide further competition. Bradley could choose to forego a second striker, and play Landon Donovan farther up the pitch, putting more pressure on Michael Bradley to initiate the offense. Tim Howard will provide vast experience between the posts, and Clint Dempsey is always dangerous on the wing. Some big questions remain unanswered, like what does he do with DaMarcus Beasley? The inconsistent performer doesn't seem to fit into Bob's current set-up, but his experience could come in handy. Bradley has tried out so many different looks, no one is quite sure what his starting eleven will look like. Whatever line-up he goes with, his players will have to gel quickly if the U.S. is to advance out of the group stage after failing to do so in 2006.
Player to Watch: Landon Donovan
Donovan will more than likely be called upon to pick up much of the scoring slack in the absence of Davies. Expect the Galaxy forward to have a free creative role behind Altidore, similar to the one Wayne Rooney enjoys with England. After a very successful with Everton in the Premier League, Donovan's confidence has never been higher, and his consistency has improved greatly. At 28, Donovan is in the peak of his career, and he will be desperate to prove once and for all that he has what it takes to win on the world stage.
Schedule:
| Date | Venue | Teams | ||
| 12 June | Rustenburg | England | - | United States |
| 13 June | Polokwane | Algeria | - | Slovenia |
| 18 June | Johannesburg | Slovenia | - | USA |
| 18 June | Cape Town | England | - | Algeria |
| 23 June | Port Elizabeth | Slovenia | - | England |
| 23 June | Pretoria | USA | - | Algeria |
Visit the official FIFA World Cup site for all match schedules, team rosters, and up to the minute news.
Follow @Sham0ut on Twitter!
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