2010 World Cup Preview: Group G

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for another 2010 World Cup preview here on FA Daily, and boy do we have an intriguing one this time around. It’s Group G in this edition, and in the eyes of most, this is the Group of Death. With Brazil, Ivory Coast, Portugal, and North Korea comprising this outstanding group, it’s hard to argue with that claim. Let’s get to the preview!

GROUP SCHEDULE

June 15, 2010

Ivory Coast vs. Portugal – 10 AM ET, ESPN
Brazil vs. North Korea – 2:30 PM ET, ESPN

June 20, 2010

Brazil vs. Ivory Coast – 2:30 PM ET, ABC

June 21, 2010

Portugal vs. North Korea – 7:30 AM ET, ESPN

June 25, 2010

Portugal vs. Brazil – 10 AM ET, ESPN
Ivory Coast vs. North Korea – 10 AM ET, ESPN2

*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

Brazil

For a group to be considered the “Group of Death,” it usually has to be led by one of the best teams in the world. Brazil is that team in this case, as they are probably getting most of the votes as the favorite to hoist the World Cup trophy in July. They’ve overtaken Spain as the number-one ranked team in the FIFA rankings, and will look to prove their spot at the top when they get things started on June 15. With the likes of Luis Fabiano, Kaka, and Robinho on this squad, why should we pick against Brazil? Well, again, it all goes back to this group. While they will probably defeat Portugal and Ivory Coast (North Korea is a no-brainer), it isn’t a “show up and win” type situation. Both of these other teams are capable of beating Dunga‘s team when they’re at their best, so Brazil can’t be overlooking either of these teams in the group stage. Because if they do, they could bow out in the group stage, which would be about as disappointing as it gets for this team. I don’t expect that though, as I believe this team will be ready, and will be looking at another deep run in this year’s event.

North Korea

Honestly, I’m not really sure what to say here. North Korea has been put in one of the toughest World Cup groups in recent memory, and I see no way that they even sniff a chance at advancing to the knockout stage. They don’t have the depth or skill to match up with the other three teams, and I can only imagine the thoughts going through their head when the group draw took place back in December. I’m not saying that they would have made some great impact in another group, but this is really a no-win situation for them. When you have to play against three teams in your group stage that all have a chance to win the entire tournament, that’s not exactly a recipe for success. On the positive side of things, a team with nothing to lose is often a team that can be the most surprising. I don’t think they’ll be overly intimidated, just because they know they are out-matched. If their defense can be physical enough early on, and keep the scoring low, they might have a small chance against Ivory Coast in their final game on the group schedule. But it would take a perfect game for them to beat any of these teams and pick up any points in this group.

Ivory Coast

I guess it’s a good thing that I’m writing this preview after the injury to Didier Drogba, which will likely knock him out of the World Cup. Even with Drogba, Sven Goran Eriksson‘s team was going to have a hard-fought battle with Portugal to try and wrap up the second spot in the group. But now, without their top scorer, it seems like Ivory Coast has taken a step back, and may be on the outside looking in when we get to the knockout stage. They still have impressive players like Kolo Toure and Salomon Kalou (just to name a few), but it’s simply impossible for them to replace the things that Drogba does scoring-wise. This is the worst possible thing that could have happened to this team, and before the injury, I thought they had the potential to make a deep run to the semifinals or finals. Now though, I don’t see how this team makes it that far, as goals are going to be much harder to come by in Drogba’s absence. It would be nice to see this team rally around the injury and make a run, but considering the depth of this group, it’s going to be a huge challenge. The game against Portugal is likely the one that will decide whether they advance or not.

Portugal

Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal isn’t going to struggle to bring some creativity offensively in their group matches. They should be able to score some goals, but the question really turns to their defense in terms of being able to stop the excellent attacks of both Brazil and Ivory Coast. Without Drogba, the Ivory Coast task will be a little easier, but isn’t a given by any means. But can Portugal generate enough physicality to stop Brazil? That’s the big question, and while it’s an important one, it may not necessarily be the most important one. Portugal really doesn’t have anything to lose in their contest with Brazil on June 25…..if they’ve already taken care of business by beating Ivory Coast in their opener. That game will decide who locks down the second spot (or maybe first if either or both are able to defeat Brazil), so that’s where the future of the tournament will lie for both teams. Ronaldo has to have some help though for them to be a factor overall in the tournament. Again, the defense has to be ready for the speed and skill that they are going to see from the other top teams in this group, and if they are unable to handle that, then this team may be in for a quick exit from the tournament.

PREDICTIONS

*Winner in bold

Ivory Coast vs. Portugal
Brazil vs. North Korea
Brazil vs. Ivory Coast
Portugal vs. North Korea
Portugal vs. Brazil
Ivory Coast vs. North Korea

1. Brazil (9 points)
2. Portugal (6 points)
3. Ivory Coast (3 points)
4. North Korea (0 points)

Well that’s all for the Group G Preview here on FA Daily! I would have went with Ivory Coast to maybe win this group before the Drogba injury, but now, I think that Portugal will edge them out for the second-place finish.

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 G!

Previous Group Previews – Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, Group E, Group F