Group B has unpredictability written all over it. Pretty much anything could happen. Argentina will quite rightly be the favourites, but Nigeria, South Korea and Greece will all fancy their chances of progression.
Argentina famously sneaked though qualifying, prompting coach Diego Maradona’s foul mouthed outburst at the after match press conference. No one can doubt Maradona the player, but Maradona the manager is yet to reach anywhere near those heights. Many believe that when Argentina play well, it is despite their boss – rather than because of him.
You can’t help but be excited by some of the attacking talent on display when Argentina take the field. Messi, Milito, Tevez, Aguero. There are goals and entertainment there by the bucket load. Argentina’s main challenge will be to score more than they concede.
Their defence is probably the worst out of the tournament’s big names, and they don’t have a world class keeper which all top sides need. Martin Demichelis is the defensive key player, and despite winning the German double and getting to the Champions League Final, he’s not impressed this season.
Maradona has also plumped for several Argentina-based players, with the evergreen Juan Sebastian Veron still spraying the ball about in midfield. Newcastle wide man Jonas ‘Spiderman’ Gutierrez is in the squad as Maradona was impressed with him this season – I hope he understood that he was playing against the likes of Scunthorpe and Plymouth….Argentina will escape the Group, but I don’t think they will threaten the big sides. Not even Messi’s magic will be enough this time.
Greece, led by wily German manager Otto Rehhagel, haven’t got anywhere near the talent that the Argentineans, but will be solid and unforgiving. They select predominantly from the Greek league, with only 8 of the 23 man squad coming from outside their domestic league. I think they will struggle getting out of the Group, but then I thought they would struggle at Euro 2004, and look what happened there! You can’t write them off, and in a tight match they are liable to come up trumps.
Their performance at Euro 04, though, is past history, as they failed to qualify for the World Cup in Germany, and lost all three games at Euro 08. But in beating the Ukraine in the play offs, they showed that they can still perform on the big stage when the mood takes them.
Celtic striker Giorgos Samaras will lead their line, but you can’t see them scoring the goals they need. Rehhagel will be tactically sound, but he will know that it will take a lot to get out of the Group. It is the manager who holds the key to Greek success, but I think it may end in tragedy for them on this occasion.
South Korea were World Cup semi finalists in 2002, but it surely can’t happen again – in fact, it would be as likely Greece repeating their Euro 04 triumph! They lost 1-0 to Belarus in their final warm up game, and if that’s any indicator, then they will be on their way home early. They will be heavily reliant on Park Ji-Sung, but the United midfielder will be hard pressed to do everything by himself. Lee Chung-Yong had an excellent season at Bolton, and should be able to give valuable support, but it is going to be a big ask for them.
Making up the group is Nigeria, who many believe will be the most successful African nation at the Finals. That’s hard to argue with, as they will have a host of Premier League players and experience from all the big European Leagues. They have the pace and power to cause problems, and finishers who can capitalize on any weaknesses. They also have the mercurial and aged Kanu, who just might have something left in the tank.
What makes Nigeria a threat, especially in this Group, is that they are strong from front to back, and their physical presence alone will frighten teams. At the back Taye Taiwo, Joseph Yobo and Chidi Odiah are man mountains, and Jon Obi Mikel will have a big say in how they progress. Peter Odemwingie will have scouts drooling, and with Yakubu and Martins up front they will threaten from everywhere.
Nigeria are my favorites to progress from this Group, along with Argentina. How far they both will go after that will be the real question though.
Robert Critchley works in the City in OTC Derivatives. He is an avid Manchester United fan, and commentates at QPR for the Soccer Sight Project.
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