Looking to buy your favorite team’s World Cup jersey? Click on the team name for more information.
Here’s a quick preview of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Group B.
Argentina: No surprises here. Argentina is loaded with talented strikers including Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Diego Milito, Kun Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain. Argentina should not have any problems scoring goals. This teams weakness is in the midfield and at the back. Oh yeah, they also happen to have an eccentric, if not sometimes crazy, head coach by the name of Maradona.
Failing to pick players likes Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti, could prove to be critical mistakes for a team that needs to find a way to release Lionel Messi. Being a great player does not necessarily make you a great coach, but if Maradona can get the right combination of players on the field, and get them to perform at their best, they should not only dominate this group, but have an excellent chance of winning it all.
Greece: Only a shadow of their former selves their main goal will be to break their World Cup drought of both goals scored and points. Coach Rehhagel will need all the magic he can muster, but there may not be enough fairy dust to get Greece out of this Group.
Nigeria: Although talented, the Nigerian team lacks cohesion. Part of this is instability at th ehead coaching position, a mess they made after qualifying for the tournament and then replacing their coach. Led by John Obi Mikel, he simply does not have the creative spark necessary to kickstart the team. Talented players such as Yakubu, Oba Martins and Peter Odemwingie all have enormous potential, but they have not exactly lit up the scoreboard in their respective leagues, leading up to the World Cup. All will need to stay healthy in order to play their way out of this group.
South Korea: South Korea ihas been looking strong over the past few years. Although they have added plenty of young talent, expect the usual characters , such as Park Ji-Sung, to lead the way. A solid, athletic squad that consistently performs in every part of the game, their youth and athleticism should be enough to get them past the Group round.
Schedule:
June 12, 2010
- Match #3 Korea Def Greece ; 2 – 1
- Match #4 Argentina Def Nigeria ; 1 – 0
June 17, 2010
- Match #18 Argentina Def Korea, 4 – 1
- Match #19 Greece Def Nigeria, 2 – 1
June 22, 2010
- Match #35 Nigeria vs Korea, DRAW, 2 – 2
- Match #36 Argentina Def Greece, 2 – 0
Pick: Argentina
Standings: (ADVANCE TO KNOCKOUT ROUND)
Argentina 9 pt
South Korea 4 pt
Greece 3 pt
Nigeria 1 pt
I think the world cup final will be a big battle in the midfield. The problem here is that if Spain win that battle, I don’t think the Dutch defense can stop Villa, Iniesta, Xabi, Ramos and Pedro. On the other hand, I do think that the Spanish defense can stop the dutch offense, but if Sneidjer, Robben or even Van Bronckhorst shoot from 40 metres on target, there is not really much the Spanish defense can do!I don’t think either team has been tested to its maximum potential yet and both are thirsty for a first World Cup title.As I said, they still need to be fully tested: Germany really didn’t play their usual football (Muller was missed) and the Dutch quite simply dominated the Uruguayans, although the result doesn’t show that.My bet would be on Spain, because they have a better defense than the dutch and I don’t expect the Oranges to win every single battle in the midfield thus creating large opportunities for Villa’s creativity, Pedro’s skill and Iniesta’s great football vision.