World Cup Preview - Group H

Group H

Poland (10)
Senegal (28)
Colombia (16)
Japan (60)

Poland - Going to their first World Cup since 2006, Poland will be glad they have been drawn in a group that gives them a strong chance of qualifying for the Last 16 for the first time since the 80's. In a group with Denmark, Romania and Montenegro, they qualified with ease, losing only one game away in Montenegro.

The squad has a good blend of youth and experience, but the bulk of the starting 11 is made of up experienced players who have played in the big leagues in Europe.

Lukas Piszczek and Jakub Blaszczykowski played together on the right hand side for Dortmund for many years and have a good understanding there. At 33 and 32 respectively they are likely going to their last tournaments. They used to have serious pace and cause trouble with that, but they are good footballers and can still be creative influences.

Two midfielders that are exciting members of the squad are Arkadiusz Milik and Piotr Zielinski. Both have been at Napoli for the last two seasons, with Milik being unlucky with knee injuries. He has had operations on both knees for separate injuries and it will be interesting to see how fit he is in Russia. Two years ago he was looking like a top prospect playing with Ajax. He has a beautiful left foot and great feet, but is also a threat in the air. Hopefully the injuries haven't slowed him down.

Zielinski is smaller, quicker and a skillful player. He likes running with the ball and is more of a creater of chances.

At central defense, Monaco defender Kamil Glik is strong and aggressive and a crucial part of the team. He has picked up an injury to his shoulder in training, doing an overhead kick, so if he is missing that will be a huge lose to Poland. Behind him, if fit, will be one of two former Arsenal keepers, Szczesny or Fabianski. Fabianski has been a regular this year at Swansea and that game time could well be the deciding factor over who is number one this tournament.

Poland finished third in 1974 and 1982, but they will be surprising everyone if they make it that far again. They have a great chance to progress from the group where they will face Belgium or England most likely. They are a strong team with some exciting players, they won't be easy to beat.

Star Man - 16 goals in qualification for Robert Lewandowski was 13 more than anyone else in the team. He has been one of the best goalscorers in world football for seven seasons now in the Bundesliga, and with 52 goals is the record scorer for his country. This will be his first World Cup and a chance to do it on the biggest stage of all. He is possibly looking for a move this summer, and a Golden Boot performance from him would drive up his price.


Senegal - The Lions of Teranga are going to the World Cup for the first time since they shocked France in 2002. Their only tournament to date resulted in a Quarter Finals place, something that will be hard to replicate here. They were given an easy group in qualification to help them through, with an unbeaten six games against Burkino Faso, South Africa and Cape Verde Islands.

The team relies on a strong base, with 3 defensive minded midfielders, allowing the three upfront to try and create chances. They only scored 10 goals in the six qualifying games, with top scorers Diafra Sakho and Cheikh N'Doye getting two each. Sakho was at West Ham for four seasons, but never looked like a regular goalscorer. His best season was 12 goals in the first year he arrived. He moved to Rennes in January and only managed four games, scoring three goals. He is likely to be used from the bench for Senegal.

The likely front three of Keita Balde, Sadio Mane and M'Baye Niang is very exciting for Senegal. They are all extremely quick, and are all interchangeable in a front three. They will be hard to deal with on a counter attack. Balde in particular has impressed since his move to Monaco last Summer, and with himself and Niang both only being 23 years old, the future could be bright for Senegal.
Sadio Mane has had another great season with Liverpool, especially in their Champions League run. He sometimes looks a little out of control, but his pace and directness are a real threat.

The choice of five midfielders all playing in England shows the team has a lot of quality. However the midfield is mostly strong against the ball and lack quality on it. They won't be readily joining the attack, and they are not generally considered a goal threat in open play. Set pieces however could be a big weapon for Senegal. With at least five players in the starting team over 6ft4in, they could be tough to deal with if delivery from corners and free kicks is good enough.

Star Man - Kalidou Koulibaly has been a rock at the heart of the Napoli defense this season as they tried to wrestle the Serie A stranglehold that Juventus have away from them. His stoppage time winner from a corner in Turin looked like the catalyst for it to happen, but they ultimately fell short. The French born 26 year old stands at 6ft5, is quick and strong, but also can read the game.

Nicknamed 'The Wall' by fans, he can also come out with the ball and pick a pass. He could be a big money mover this summer, and he has a chance to show off his qualities on the world stage.




Colombia - Four years ago in Brazil, Colombia were the team everybody enjoyed watching. They played attacking football and James Rodriguez emerged as one of the best players in the world. A controversial quarter final defeat by Brazil didn't stop the fans welcoming them home as heroes. Four years on and they arrive on the back of a qualifying campaign in which they struggled to score goals, and only just qualified in fourth place, on the last game day. The South American qualifiers are difficult, but it was the lack of firepower that really worries Colombia.

In January 2014, an ACL tear to star striker Radamel Falcao was a bitter blow to the squad. He wouldn't be back in time for the World Cup, and now it is great to see him back scoring goals and getting his opportunity to come to his first tournament. He didn't look fit at Manchester United or Chelsea, but since his return to Monaco he has almost looked back to his best. His 24 goals this season have helped Monaco to second place in Ligue 1, and I hope he can go on to have a big World Cup.
Two defenders that have come on to the international scene recently are Yerry Mina, who plays at Barcelona, and Davinson Sanchez at Spurs. Both are tall and quick, but definitely have mistakes in them. It will be interesting to see how they fair if Colombia are playing against stronger opposition.

Winger Juan Cuadrado is another player who didn't quite break in to the Chelsea team, but has been an excellent signing for Juventus. His pace running with the ball is a real threat, and he will be hoping to replicate his form of four years ago when he was the top of the assist charts at the tournament.
The squad has a nice blend of youth and experience, and they will be looking for inspiration from their star players to qualify from what is a tough group.

Star Man - Top scorer in Brazil 2014, and in qualifying for this tournament, James Rodriguez is the countries key player. He wasn't a regular at Real Madrid, but has been looking back to his best at Bayern Munich. He plays the role he loves for Colombia, behind the striker and with a free role, which gives him the chance to show his skills and eye for goal. He regularly scores important goals for his country, with five out of six of his goals in qualifying being the first goal of the game, and the other being an equaliser, against Chile. He could be set for another big tournament.


Japan - Normally regarded as the strongest team in Asia, Japan are definitely not expected to be such a threat this year. They just edged out Australia and Saudi Arabia by one point in the qualifiers, but arrive in Russia on the back of friendly defeats against Ukraine, Ghana and Switzerland. The Bosnian manager, Vahid Halihodzic led The Samurai to the tournament, but he was recently sacked, and the role given to Akira Nishino.

The Japanese Football Association technical director was given the job after Halihodzic was criticised for his direct and aggressive style of play. Now with a more attractive looking 3-4-3 in operation, they will try to return to the short passing and high pressing that made the team a danger in previous tournaments.

It will be difficult to change things in such short notice, but with the return to the squad of experienced players, Kagawa, Honda and Okazaki, the team looks stronger than it did 12 months ago.
The Bundesliga is where six of the current squad play, and they will be an important part of the managers plans. Hamburg have just been relegated, but captain and right wing back Goteku Sakai is a crucial player for his country. His energy on the right hand side is a good outlet, and he also helps out when required to defend.

Strikers Yoshinori Muto(Mainz) and Yuya Osako(just signed for Werder Bremen) will share central striker responsibilities. Muto has had a better season with Mainz, scoring ten goals, but Osako has been more prolific when playing for his country.
In qualifying, it was Genki Haraguchi that top scored. The winger played a key role in helping Fortuna Dusseldorf achieve promotion to the Bundesliga this season after going on loan there in January.

Japan are outsiders for the group, but with a new manager and some optimism back in the team, they could cause a surprise.

Star Man - Southampton defender Maya Yoshida was a regular in the Premier League again this season and he is the most important defender for Japan. He reads the game well and is aggressive, also providing a goal threat for his country with ten goals. He now has 80 caps for his country, and the 29 year old is hoping to be part of a back three that can keep clean sheets in Russia, against quality attacking opposition. He is likely to be busy and will have to lead the defense well for Japan to qualify.



Predictions - Group H is probably the hardest to predict given their is no clear favourite and no rank outsider. Colombia did so well four years ago, and they have James Rodriguez and Falcao to link up. They play Japan in game one, and a win would put them on their way to qualifying. I think they will top the group eventually, and be joined by Poland. The injury to Glik for Poland will be an issue, but with Milik, Zielinski and Lewandowski they are such a threat in attack, and I think they will be just too good for Senegal over the three games, maybe on goal difference.
Japan will finish 4th, I think, but Senegal could easily sneak in to the top two.

What to Bet on - Poland scored 28 goals in qualifying, dominating a tough group. I think they will beat Japan in the final game to qualify. They are 5/6 to beat Japan in that game.

World Klutz - It wouldn't be World Klutz without the most famous of them all in 2006. The last game of an illustrious career, the final of the World Cup, what a way to end it all on the biggest stage.

France went on to lose the shootout and Zidane retired in disgrace. I'll forever remember him for his goal at Hampden when I stood behind it on the track as a 15 year old. But this moment possibly cost his team, as they saw Italy lift the trophy.

People too young to remember 2002 will forever remember this as his most famous moment.

He went on to management and is doing not bad.

My blog is lasting longer than Moyes

Well, I didn't score, but don't worry loyal fans I am still writing this week as the World Cup does excite me with only 50 days to go. In other news, David Moyes won't be able to take my advice from my previous blog so it will be up to someone else to use my insight to fix Man United. I'm pretty certain they will be using it.

This weeks game we drew 2-2 with Elgin, somehow. I've never played a game when my team has missed 2 penalties, but just when we needed a win on Saturday it happened. We have only had 3 penalties this season, which is quite a low number, but we have missed them all now so I hope we don't have any shootouts if we make the playoffs. There was some easy chances missed and add to that a terrible goal lost on Saturday, so we have put ourselves under a bit of pressure, but I think we are good enough to get the points we need in the last 2 games to get into the playoffs. We have a good squad with lots of playoff experience, so it should hold us in good stead if we get there. It's at this time of season where it is important to be playing well and not making any mistakes, especially in playoffs where it can cost you promotion. Hopefully myself and Jordan can bag a few more goals before the season is done and get the team into League 1.

David Moyes grabbed the headlines this week again, but it was sadly the end of his 10 month tenure. Opinion seems to be split on whether he should have been given more time or if it was the right decision. For me it is the right decision, for some reason it just wasn't working. No doubt in my mind that Moyes is a top manager. For years at Everton he defied there financial situation to get them challenging for Champions League spots and competing against the best teams. Even this season I feel that Martinez is benefiting hugely from the solid base that Moyes built at Everton. Martinez is rightly getting a lot of praise, but if you look at his Wigan team, it was weak at the back, but good going forward. He has added that forward threat this season at Everton, but without the back 5 that Moyes will have coached defensively they would definitely be shipping more goals.
Sometimes a manager just doesn't fit a club, and that is Moyes at Man United. He never seemed to stamp his own personality on the team. He always wanted to try and please other people instead of being the same successful man he was at Everton. Perhaps the club was too big for him or the Fergie shadow was just too much for him to handle, but from day one, right through the transfer market, and every game at Old Trafford his team hasn't done what he has expected. Some people will blame the players who haven't performed for him. But there has to be a reason top players aren't performing and that must be down to the way they are being coached which has led to some poor results and that has bred a lack of confidence. Players have to be happy to perform, and if the training is not to their liking then the manager won't get the results he wants. I know his training must have been the same at Everton, but you have to remember that he was the main man at Everton for 11 years and therefore the players were used to it, they also knew it was successful, so they bought into it. Obviously the players at United have been trained completely differently under previous coaches and so they have found the adjustment hard, resulting in poor performances and disappointing results. Sure the squad isn't great, but they are seriously under performing and unfortunately for Moyes, something had to be done sooner rather than later.


The Weatherston World Cup Preview - Group C

Group C(FIFA Rankings)
Colombia(4)
Greece(10)
Ivory Coast(21)
Japan(47)

On paper(if not the FIFA rankings) this group looks wide open, so lets look at each team and see who looks likely to get through.

Colombia- Colombia qualified for the WC by finishing second to Argentina by only 2 points in the South American Qualifiers. It shows that they could be serious contenders in Brazil with the conditions that they will be used to. The major problem they have though is Falcao. There biggest star and top scorer in qualifying(9) is a serious fitness doubt after he suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage in January. It would be a seriously quick recovery if he makes it, so I doubt he will, and if he does he won't be fit. They do have 2 other strikers however that are in good form this season. Jackson Martinez has scored 27 goals with Porto whilst Adrian Ramos has 16 in the Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin and will move to Dortmund in the summer. Fredy Guarin is a very accomplished central midfielder at Inter and it will be his job for Colombia to pass the ball and start attacks.
Key Man - James Rodriguez. In the absence of a fully fit Falcao, his Monaco teammate will be the main threat from left wing. He has blistering pace, an eye for goal and can spot a good pass. With 10 goals and 11 assists this season for Monaco he has been in good form and will be hoping to have a huge tournament at only 22 years old.

 Greece - The European Champions of 2004 always seem to defy expectations in qualification for big tournaments. This time they beat Romania in a playoff after finishing second in a poor looking group to Bosnia. Their squad doesn't boast many if any big names, so it will be down to hard work and a solid defense if they are to get through this group. There squad is made up with quite a number of home based players that will know each other well and play together at club level which will help. Sokratis(Dortmund) at central defense will be a big player alongside Papadopoulos, and Torosidis(Roma) will be a big attacking threat from the left back position that he plays for Greece. Goals might be hard to come by if they are relying on the forever frustrating Samaras, especially if Mitroglou is still injured having hardly featured since a £12m move to Fulham in January.
Key Player - Giorgos Karagounis might be 37 years old, but the 132 capped midfielder is still the main playmaker in midfield. He has been a very good player for years if you can forget about his diving. His set piece delivery will be crucial for the Greeks if they are to progress. Will be interesting at his age if he can still have an impact on a big tournament.


Ivory Coast -

If any African team is going to win a World Cup this year it would potentially be this one, but I think it is asking too much to expect that. They have some top players in their squad but defensively they don't look strong enough and, as is often the case with African teams, they don't have a good goalkeeper. In attack there is no question of their quality, Didier Drogba might be 36 but he can still be a real handful with his strength and has proven he can score big goals. Wilfried Bony has been in great form for Swansea, as has Gervinho for Roma and Kalou for Lille. A big player however will be Cheick Tiote, who will be in charge of breaking up opposition attacks and getting the ball to all the threats in attack.
Key Man - Yaya Toure is one of the best players in the world. He can sometimes be quite lazy, but he has the ability to turn a game with a piece of brilliance, as he did in the Carling Cup Final this year. His strong runs from midfield with the ball can cause all sorts of problems for opposition defenses and hopefully he can produce the form he has been in for Manchester City this year. Will it be enough to take them to the Quarters and beyond though is a different question.

Japan - Japan qualified for their 5th World Cup in a row through the easiest continent to qualify by beating Australia, Jordan, Oman and Iraq in their group. They have been handed a relatively favourable draw in the groups which can give them a chance to go beyond the groups for the 3rd time. Most of their players now ply their trade in Europe, but there are still a few home based players such as 141 times capped Yasuhito Endō. They will always be hard working but they do have some quality in their squad too. Shinji Kagawa(Man United) and Keisuke Honda(AC Milan) are both really intelligent attacking midfielders who can spot a pass and know how to keep possession. Hiroshi Kiyotake(Nurnberg) is another one that can be a real goal threat from midfield. In defense they have Maya Yoshida(Southampton) at centre back and a very good attacking left back in Yūto Nagatomo(Inter). It will most likely be their hard work and attacking players that can get them into the next round.
Key Man - Shinji Okazaki is the main man upfront for Japan. He has been in good form for Mainz 05 this season scoring 13 goals, and has 38 in 73 appearances for Japan. He has good movement, is very sharp in the box and can finish. It will be up to him to finish chances created by their top attacking midfielders.

Teams to Progress -  Colombia and Ivory Coast


World Cuts

In 1994 the World Cup in USA will be remembered for a Diana Ross missed penalty, and a boring 0-0 final between Brazil and Italy. However, one man from the home nation was sporting an absolute classic ginger hair, beard, moustache combo. Alexi Lalas was part of the USA team that defeated a well fancied Colombia team thanks to Andres Escobar own goal, which sadly cost him his life. Unfortunately they lost their final game against Romania, so Lalas was only seen in the group stages but for me as an 8 year old his hair was never forgotten.