Welcome everyone to our second 2010 World Cup Preview here on FA Daily, as today, we take a look at one of the most intriguing groups in the cup, Group B. Of course, in talking about Group B, it all starts with Diego Maradona and Argentina. But the other teams in this group, Nigeria, Greece, and South Korea are all capable of advancing to the Round of 16.
GROUP SCHEDULE
June 12, 2010
South Korea vs. Greece – 7:30 AM ET, ESPN
Argentina vs. Nigeria – 10 AM ET, ESPN
June 17, 2010
Argentina vs. South Korea – 7:30 AM ET, ESPN
Greece vs. Nigeria, 10 AM ET – ESPN
June 22, 2010
Nigeria vs. South Korea – 2:30 PM ET, ESPN2
Argentina vs. Greece – 2:30 PM ET, ESPN
*Times indicate actual game start times. 30 minute preview show before most games, so the actual coverage will begin a half hour earlier.
THE TEAMS
Argentina
Argentina is clearly the favorite in this group, though most of us probably don’t want that to be the case. Why? Ya know, because of the whole Maradona will streak if they win the cup thing. And in the YouTube era, that thing (the video) is bound to wind up online. Anyways, it would be a major disappointment if they didn’t come out as the top team in this group, since they are completely loaded with talent. Lionel Messi and Diego Molito will be the main factors this summer, and if both of those guys are playing at their highest level, no one will stop Argentina. Except for maybe Maradona himself. Managing is the only question mark for this team, so when they get into crunch time, that could be a huge factor. If Argentina fans are to be nervous, it will definitely be more about Maradona than about the makeup of their team.
Nigeria
This team is a hot pick right now, in terms of a possible sleeper that could make a deep run in this tournament. I’m on that bandwagon as well, as I think they should wrap up the second spot, and could possibly give Maradona’s squad some trouble. Of course, Nigeria would have preferred to be in a less competitive group, as every game in this group will be tough. There’s a ton of pressure on Lars Lagerback, who just took as manager of the squad in February. With the cup being in Africa, teams in the country are going to have a slight advantage mentally, but the added pressure could be detrimental to their success. Striker Obafemi Martins has to score goals, and this team has to be physical. Otherwise, they could be surprised by South Korea or Greece, and find themselves on the outside looking in.
South Korea
This team is hard to figure out. On one hand, they have had some nice wins in friendly competition (Ivory Coast), but have also had bad losses (Zambia). While I don’t think they have the goods to win this group, they have a legitimate shot to knock out Nigeria for that second spot. Park Ji-Sung will be the leader of this squad, and is undoubtedly the most recognized name on this team, as he plays for Manchester United. Argentina and Nigeria will tend to play an aggressive and physical style, which could cause some trouble for South Korea, but if they are able to manage that, and focus more on what they’re doing tactically, then they should be able to compete. They’ll look to recreate their success from 2002 (a spot in the semi-finals), but that’ll take a miracle this time around. They aren’t the host like they were in 2002, and this group is just too difficult for me to see them advancing.
Greece
Greece isn’t the most appealing team to watch of the 32 teams in the World Cup, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t win. They take a more defense-oriented approach than most, which could actually be to their advantage against a squad like Argentina, because of their iffy managerial style. If Greece is able to get their defense flowing early, and not give up a big goal in the early stages of matches, they will likely be able to just grind it out and look to force a draw. At their best, they could certainly beat Nigeria or South Korea, which could catapult them into the second spot. However, for that to happen, they’ll likely have to play flawlessly, and it’s just hard to see that happening against teams with loads of speed. Goal-scoring will not be easy for this team, but again, if they can lock the game down early and make it a defensive struggle, then they won’t need a lot of goals to have a chance to surprise a team, and possibly end up with a second-place finish in the group.
PREDICTIONS
*Winner in bold
South Korea vs. Greece – DRAW
Argentina vs. Nigeria – DRAW
Argentina vs. South Korea
Greece vs. Nigeria – DRAW
Nigeria vs. South Korea
Argentina vs. Greece
1. Argentina (7 points)
2. Nigeria (5 points)
3. Greece (2 points)
4. South Korea (1 point)
Well that’s all for the Group B Preview here on FA Daily!
What are your predictions for the group? Be sure to vote on our poll to the right, and let us know who you think will win Group B!
Previous Group Previews – Group A