Hence, I have decided to preview the World Cup in a group by group manner. South Africa get a preview to themselves, which you can find somewhere in the archives of the blog. Hopefully, this style will be easier to keep track of, and will allow me slightly more time to do a slightly less bad job of studying. In fact, I may use these previews as a study aid...
Group A (minus the Saffers)
Mexico
Coach: Javier Aguirre. Experienced international manager, having previously led Mexico in 2002-2003. Last with Athletico Madrid, where he lasted 3 seasons, a truly phenomenal/ lucky achievement. On the whole, successful, a good man-motivator and astute, but has problems matching up against better teams or equally experienced managers.
Team: Mexico the 2009 Gold Cup, so at least have gelled to some degree, not that the Gold Cup is a particularly high pinnacle to scale. They have recovered to around the level the 2006 World Cup team exhibited prior to that tournament. Mexico played effective football in Germany 06, and pushed Argentina for 110 plus minutes in the knockout stages. At the end of the day though, they lost and Ricardo Lavolpe, the best coach they've had for many years, resigned, taking his space-age ties back to the Argentinian league.
Mexico's team has changed quite markedly since 2006. Gone are Guille Franco and Jared Borgetti up front and players like Jesus Arellano in the midfield. In their place come a new wave of talent, notably Andres Guardado, Patricio Aruajo and Carlos Vela. Older hands Marquez, Salcido and Osorio come in to provide some spine to the defence, and Pavel Pardo acts as a useful Mexican version of Scott Parker.
Ochoa in goals has excellent shot-stopping ability. His footwork is, however, non-existant. Ranked by Mexicans and FIFA 1o as one of the worlds best, if he was truly up there he would have left Mexico some time ago. Highlight reel goalkeeping may appeal in Central America, but it is undoubtedly a liability at international level.
Aguirre has desisted with playing antiquated 5 at the back formations, which served only to swamp the midfield. Mexico are talented with the ball at feet, yet relatively paceless and lacking in physical strength up front and at set pieces. Aerial duels will pose a problem as the tallest man on the team is 6 foot. In boots.
Prediction: Mexico are undoutedly more talented than either Uruguay or South Africa. To be honest, they are probably the equal of France and many of the European elite on their day, but their continued tactical faillings usually get the better of them. Things won't change. One of the safest predictions to make in any World Cup is for Mexico to come 2nd in their group and lose in thefirst knockout round. They just do not possess the necessary variation in execution and gameplan to progress any deeper. Expect some colourful, wrestling-based goal celebrations though.
If they were a medical condition: Swine flu. It originated in Mexico, spread to the rest of the world, but only really had an effect on the small and weak. Anyone possessing a bit of a backbone merely suffers from a little inconvenience.
Uruguay
Coach: Oscar Tabarez. Very experienced South American club tactician, having started out managing in the early 80's. Last club was Boca Juniors in 2002, and has been Uruguay coach since 2006. Coached Uruguay previously to a glorious 3 points in the 1990 World Cup.
Team: Can I just say that the Uruguayans have not a hope in hell of winning, and precious little chance of even getting out of thier group and leave it at that? No, you want to know about their team? Alright, if I must.
What really grates me about the Uruguayans is that they possess some genuinely talented attackers; Luis Suarez, star of the Dutch Eredivisie, Edinson Cavani of Palermo and of course Diego Forlan. They have these players, as well as competent defensive-minded ones like Walter Gargano at holding midfield and the Diego's Godin and Lugano at CB, and should thus have the makings of a strong, solid and dangerous team.
And yet they are content to amble their way through games, hacking blindly at the shins and knees of opponents, crumpling in heaps screaming for free kicks, and pursuing refs across the Rio de la Plata in a vain attempt to get the opposition carded. They play as if they have Paolo Montero waiting in the changing room to beat their heads into a wall unless they live up to his reputation.
It might seem stereotypical to brand the Uruguayans as dirty and violent, but it is true that they are one of the nations that gave us the Battle of Montevideo. The other being Italy, whose team included several gentleman born in Uruguay. It is also true that I have watched Uruguay in two of their World Cup Qualifiers because it happened to be on in the pub, and on both occasions they drove me to leave said pub, go home and pour burning petrol into my eyes in an attempt to forget what I saw. They truely are one of the most dull, thuggish and unfulfilling teams in existance today.
Predictions: Judging by what I've just written, I'm guessing knockout stages while playing fast-paced attacking football, with Suarez and Forlan bagging 5 each. Out at the group stages.
If they were a medical condition: Bowel cancer. Painful, unpleasant, debilitating and energy-sapping. Fear not, the group stages will soon remove the piece responsible.
France
Coach: Raymond Domenech. Mental. Just mental, and in the most part a liability. France should be ashamed that he is still in a job, even if he did get them to the 2006 World Cup final (or was it the stars, the tarot cards or the face of Jesus appearing on Thierry Henry's forehead that guided them). How did Euro 2008 go for them?
Team: The French really do have talent in depth. Only Brazil and possibly England and Germany can provide 2+ quality players at almost each position.
Hugo Lloris has been highly impressive this season, and could lay a claim to being the best goalkeeper in the world right now. He should be signed by someone bigger than Lyon this summer (how many hints do I need to give you Milan?). Agile and with good feet, he is undoubtedly an asset to Les Bleus.
Defensively, they are spoiled for options, particularly at left back with Abidal, Clichy, Evra, Tremoulinas and Cissokho. Right back could be Anthony Revelierre or Bacary Sagna. First choice centre halfs are usually Gallas and Mexes, who are fast but somewhat suspect. Mexes in particular isn't the strongest or most consistent option; I wouldn't be surprised to see the in form Bordeaux man Michael Ciani start, even though he has but one cap to date.
Midfield solidity is provided by a myraid of options, the best of which in my mind being Jeremy Toulalan and either Lass or Alou Diarra. Knowing Domenech, he'll probably play the past it Patrick Viera and recall Emmanual Petit. Or Jean Tigana. Other CM's in the squad are most likely to be Flamini and Diaby.
France will play two wide men, almost certainly Malouda and Ribery. The former has been on cracking form of late, the latter at least has proven his exceptional talent in the past. I'm not sold on him this season though, and if France play everything through him, and become increasingly reliant on him as they have before, I feel they will struggle.
Yoann Gourcuff is another in super form, and this World Cup could very well be the stage on which he wows the world. He should sit in the hole behind whoever Domenech goes for up top. Anelka would normally have the strongest shout, yet he has seen a lot of the Chelsea bench recently and Domenech is still distrustful of him. Thierry Henry has been, in my opinion, riding his Arsenal reputation at international level for some time. Name one recent match for France that he has stood out in? Other options are either out of sorts (Benzema, the man I would start for the simple fact that he can score out of nothing), or unproven (Gignac, Gomis, Briand, Ben Arfa- the French equivalents of Jermaine Defoe, Darren Bent et all. Effective domestically, but will never be the same internationally. You watch them and you just know. Or at least, I do).
Prediction: The group isn't exactly deadly, and so France should progress. Beyond that though, it becomes a balancing act between the fact that they failed miserably at Euro 2008 and the fact that they exceeded expectations in 2006. I would side them to reach the quarter finals and to be put out there, hopefully due to some catastrophic Domenech tactical blunder/ failure of Aquarius to intersplice with Taurus. Expect sulking.
If they were a medical condition: Tuberculosis, causing adrenal insufficiency. TB was always a popular disease for weakening French artists. In this case, read 'tuberculosis' as 'Domenech R.'. As for the adrenal insufficiency it is causing, symptoms include nausea, fatigue and weakness. These appear gradually and without warning. When will the Domenech effect manifest itself?
GM
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