World Cup Preview – Group F
Group F is, by far, the easiest group in South Africa, which means it’s a godsend for defending champion Italy, which always starts slowly. The fight for second will be between Paraguay and Slovakia; New Zealand is in the running to be the worst team ever to go to a World Cup tournament.
Only Brazil have a better World Cup record than Italy. The Azzuri have won the tournament four times – in 1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006 – and, yes, they’re the current holders, thanks to some great penalties, and an astonishing headbutt from Zidane. Qualification was a relative breeze, as Italy went unbeaten and outscored opponents 18-7. But critics will point to the Azzurri’s performances in last summer’s Confederations Cup, when a lethargic and uninspired Italian team underperformed, suffering a 3-0 rout by Brazil and then losing to Egypt to drop out in the first round. The 2008 European Championship was another disappointment, when the club fell out in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Spain (on penalty kicks, to be fair).
It is no secret, nor is it exaggeration, to make the claim that Italy flops (or dives). A lot. Even the Urban Dictionary defines “Italian soccer” as “A special kind of soccer in which the most important skill is the ability to writhe on the field in fake agony until the ref yellow/red cards an opposing player.”
In the land of South American giants, Paraguay is often overlooked. The Paraguay national side, nicknamed La Albirroja or white and red, after the colors of the national flag, is often overshadowed by the heavyweights of CONMEBOL, particularly Argentina and Brazil. Yet with the signing of Gerardo Martino as head coach in 2007, La Albirroja will be showing the world a different form of Paraguayan football.
In making its fourth straight appearance in the World Cup, Paraguay travels to South Africa without its leading goal scorer from qualifying. The absence of striker Salvador Cabanas — who was shot in the head outside a Mexico bar in January (Ahh!!) yet plans to return to action someday soon — might have initially dampened the team’s spirit, but it has also given some other talented forwards the chance to shine on the world’s stage this month.
Expect front men Oscar Cardozo and Nelson Haedo Valdez to be given opportunities on goal for Paraguay, which posted 10 wins during South American qualifying (tied with Chile and more than Argentina and Brazil). The Albirroja started strongly before faltering a bit in the later games of the region’s campaign, but a victory over Argentina last September sealed a World Cup berth with two games to spare.
Is bad karma stalking the team? Paraguayan fans remember that last time, keeper Justo Villar (Real Valladolid), played all of seven minutes of the first match before going off with an injury. The team needs him to stay a little healthier this time and it needs a little better luck all around too.
Slovakia, a World Cup newcomer (at least in its present form), is probably the least expected team in South Africa and it got here with a powerful offense that carried it to the top of a group that included arch-rival the Czech Republic, as well as Poland and Slovenia. So, if we’re talking surprises, put the whole squad on the list since even soccer aficionados don’t know most of the players on this team, much less the local squads for whom they play. They do have Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel, who gives the Slovaks a top-flight central defender to marshal the back line. The 6-foot-3 defender was also a promising ice hockey player, and has made 74 appearances for Liverpool in three seasons.
New Zealand made its only previous appearance at the World Cup in Spain 28 years ago. Over the course of three heavy defeats to Brazil, the USSR and Scotland, they scored twice and conceded 12 goals. Football has moved on in New Zealand since, but the All Whites’ path to the World Cup finals (assured by beating the likes of Fiji and Bahrain) doesn’t seem adequate preparation for the tests ahead.
There are three things to remember about this New Zealand side. Its best result in a major competition is a 0-0 draw with Iraq. Its top professional club side (Wellington Phoenix) plays in the Australian league. Its squad contains two veterans (Simon Elliott and David Mulligan) who are currently unattached to clubs. Take these facts together and it’s clear that a modest improvement on New Zealand’s 1982 results will represent a huge step forward.
Also, over the course of the past 18 months, the team has lost matches to Tanzania, Fiji and Thailand. New Zealand doesn’t simply have the worst team in this group. It’s very likely the worst team at the tournament and maybe, even, in the history of the World Cup.
Information for this preview was researched, and more team information is available, here, here, here, here and here.
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