World Cup Preview - Group G

Brazil

Coach: Dunga


Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Doni (AS Roma), Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur)

Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Lucio (Inter Milan), Juan (Roma), Luisao (Roma), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Michel Bastos (Lyon)

Midfielders: Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Josue (Wolfsburg), Elano (Galatasaray), Ramires (Benfica), Kleberson (Flamengo), Kaka (Real Madrid), Julio Baptista (Roma)

Strikers: Robinho (Santos), Nilmar (Villarreal), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Grafite (Wolfsburg).

Forget people telling you that this Brazil team are boring to watch, they're not, they play some beautfiul attacking football, usually on a fast paced counter-attack, they just have a bit more regard for defending nowadays too.

Four years ago, Brazil tried cramming all of their attacking superstars into their first eleven, and it ended in failure. This time around they have adapted their system, and realised that holding midfielders are key to the modern game, Brazil line up with 2 in their new system in Melo and Gilberto Silva.

This Brazil side is bigger, stronger and faster than ever before, and whilst it hasn't gone down too well with the Brazillian faithfulm who still dream of replicating the 1970's "Joga Bonito" style of play, but it is very hard to argue with the results.

With the 2014 world cup being hosted in Brazil, there will be an extra incentive, as they will no doubt want to be reigning champions as well as hosts.

Key Man

Kaka - The forgotten star to some extent. Whilst the world drools over the propect of Messi, Rooney, Drogba, Ronaldo, Torres etc, not many pundits are mentioning Kaka. Four years ago, he looking the ultiamte player, set to become an unstoppable force for both AC Milan and Brazil, but after a stop-start season for Real Madrid, he finished just 6th in the Balloon D'or voting this year. Kaka won the award in 2007.

Kaka insists the injury problems are behind him, and that he is ready to re-establish his credentials.

North Korea

Coach: Kim Jong-Hun


Goalkeepers: Kim Myong Gil (Amrokgang), Kim Myong Won (Amrokgang), Ri Myong Guk (Pyongyang City)

Defenders: Cha Jong Hyok (Amrokgang), Ri Jun Il (Sobaeksu), Ri Kwang Chon (April 25), Nam Song Chol (April 25), Pak Nam Chol (Amrokgang), Ri Kwang Hyok (Kyonggongop), Pak Chol Jin (Amrokgang)

Midfielders: Ji Yun Nam (April 25), Mun In Guk (April 25), Pak Sung Hyok (Sobaeksu), Ri Chol Myong (Pyongyang City), Pak Nam Chol (April 25), An Yong Hak (Omiya Ardija), Kim Kyong Il (Rimyongsu), Kim Yong Jun (Pyongyang City)

Strikers: Hong Yong Jo (FC Rostov), An Chol Hyok (Rimyongsu), Jong Tae Se (Kawasaki Frontale), Choe Kum Chol (April 25), Kim Kum Il (April 25)

For obvious reasons, there hasn’t been much media coverage about the North Korean team, who return to the World Cup after a 44 year absence (hopeful England fans will take this as an omen, seeing as the last world cup they were involved in was 1966)

Reports from their qualification suggest they play the most defensive gameplan imaginable, and that they play with a 6 man defence. But in their warm up game with Greece they played a 3-5-2 formation and showed good character to come back from behind twice.

Key Man

Jong Tae Se - Scorer of both goals in the friendly against Greece which UEFA.com describe as "eye-catching", The man dubbed "Rooney of Korea" could be a star of the tournament.








Ivory Coast

Coach: Sven Goran Eriksson

Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Daniel Yeboah (ASEC Mimosas), Aristide Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya)

Defenders: Sol Bamba (Hibernian), Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal), Siaka Tiene (Valenciennes), Kolo Toure (Manchester City), Guy Demel (Hamburg), Steve Gohouri (Wigan), Benjamin Angoua (Valenciennes)

Midfielders: Didier Zokora (Seville), Romaric (Seville), Cheick Tiote (FC Twente), Yaya Toure (Barcelona), Jean-Jacques Gosso (Monaco), Abdel Kader Keita (Galatasaray)

Strikers: Aruna Dindane (Lekhwiya), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow), Didier Drogba (Chelsea, Salomon Kalou (Chelsea), Gervinho (Lille), Emmanuel Kone (CFR Cluj)

For the second World Cup in a row, Ivory Coast are widely-regarded as the most fancied African team, unfortunately for them, for the second world cup in a row they have been drawn in a group with 2 other top class teams (in 2006 they faced Holland and Argentina)

Didier Drogba's broken arm is a big hinderence to Eriksson's men, as even if he does play it is hard to imagine that the injury won't impair the Chelsea frontman. His replacement is likely to be Aruna Dindane, add with the greatest repect to Dindane, he just isnt in the same class, and plays a completely different role due to being a lot smaller than Drogba.

With Drogba at full-fitness I expected Ivory Coast to push Portugal all the way for second spot in this group, now I see Portugal cruising through to the Second Round.

 Key Man

Didier Drogba - To describe Ivory coast as a one-man team would be very harsh, but with Drogba they pose much more of a threat. If he can recover and is able to play at full fitness he will be hard to stop, and it will lift the rest of the squad meaning they will perform better too




Portugal

Coach: Carlos Queiroz


Goalkeepers: Eduardo (FC Braga), Beto (FC Porto), Daniel Fernandes (Iraklis)

Defenders: Duda (Malaga), Bruno Alves (FC Porto), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), Miguel Brito (Valencia), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Rolando (FC Porto), Fabio Coentrao (Benfica), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Lille)

Midfielders: Deco (Chelsea), Tiago (Atletico Madrid), Raul Meireles (FC Porto), Pedro Mendes (Sporting), Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon)

Strikers: Nani (Manchester United), Simao Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen), Danny (Zenit St. Petersburg), Liedson (Sporting Lisbon)

For a team with all their attaching talent, Portugal make hard work of scoring goals, and because of this they made hard work of qualifying. Therefore what better way to enter a tournament than on the back of a confidence-boosting friendly against Cape Verde, which would surely see the likes of Ronaldo (without an international goal since Euro 2008 - Even Emile Heskey has scored for England since then) fill their boots.

Well that was the plan anyway. The actual result was an embarrassing 0-0, since that thought Potugal have scored 6 goals in two games against Cameroon and Mozambique

Key Man

Cristian Ronaldo  - If Ronaldo can get his scoring boots back, then Portugal will go far. Their strong defence should see them through this group, but to go further they need someone they can rely on to score goals consistently.

Ronaldo should be that man, but he has struggled to convert his club form to the national stage. If he scores one I fully expect him to go on and score a fair few more


Prediction

1. Brazil
2. Portugal
3. Ivory Coast
4. North Korea