The Pulse Files covers Group H today, thanks to our friends at Guardian Sport. Paddy Power Index and SportTrades Group Predictions follow.Taking in full from the World Cup 2010 Guide by Kevin McCarra in The Guardian. If you can get a copy as you can read below, well worth it.
CHILE
History lesson
Won two games at the first World Cup in 1930 and registered a best-ever third place on home soil in 1962. This, though, is their first finals appearance since 1998 when a bright start to their second-round match against Brazil swiftly turned into a 4-1 defeat. Only qualified for the 1974 World Cup after the Soviet Union refused to play off in the national stadium in Santiago which had been used by General Pinochet to torture and murder opponents following the 1973 coup.
Tactics board
Under coach Marcelo Bielsa Chile favour a 3-3-1-3 formation borrowed from the Dutch maestro Louis van Gaal. Possession as high up the pitch as possible is the watchword. Argentina-born Matías Fernández pulls the strings from behind the front three and regularly gets on the scoresheet, hence his nickname, Matigol.
Grudge match
Chile's first international in 1910 was against Argentina but it took them until October 2008 and the recent qualifying series to win their first competitive match against them – shutting out the likes of Messi and Agüero. A repeat performance against their rivals from across the Andes in South Africa would be sweet – especially for their Argentinian coach.
Also known as
La Roja, for the banal reason that they play in red. The name sticks even if the away kit gets an outing.
The players
Vuvuzela superstar
Bullet-headed Humberto Suazo was South America's top scorer in qualification with 10. Currently on loan at Real Zaragoza after helping Monterrey win the title in Mexico.
There's always Bolton
Former Anfield touchline-hugging misfit Mark González would welcome release from his gilded cage at CSKA Moscow. The winger's well-placed to shine in South Africa – he was born there, after all.
Laager lout
No-nonsense defender Pablo Contreras was banned for 20 games for an alcohol-fuelled incident at the team hotel in 2007. He was allowed back after 10 having signed a letter of apology. He holds a Spanish passport, replacing the fake Italian passport he received a two-year ban for in 2000 while with Monaco.
The coach
Body double
Known as El Loco – the Nutter – Marcelo Bielsa is an obsessive with a collection of football videos that borders on the pervy. In short, Prof Yaffle.
Big game hunter
After success with Newell's Old Boys, Bielsa took his native Argentina unbeaten to the 2002 finals but they crashed and burned in Japan and Korea. An attack-minded coach who likes to give his players responsibility, he has found a squad receptive to his ideas.
Loved or loathed
National hero. MPs have called for him to be granted honorary Chilean citizenship for restoring pride to the national team.
The country
Commentators' kit
From the Atacama desert in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south, Chile is 2,880 miles long but a monument marking the country's mid-point is sited a few miles from Cape Horn. That's because Chile craftily claims a large slice of Antarctica.
They gave the world
Those Easter Island statues. OK, the giant moai were carved centuries before Chile existed but these days they stare out from beneath the Chilean flag.
National monument
Chile has a national cocktail, the pisco sour, made of (grape-based liquor) pisco, egg white, lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters. Unfortunately Peruvians insist the drink is theirs and point to the fact that it is named after one of their major cities, Pisco. Decades of conflict have ensued.
Qualifying
Finished second in the South American group, just one point behind Brazil, beating Argentina 1-0 and winning in Paraguay for the first time in 30 years. Rounded off with a splendid 4-2 win in Colombia.
The Triesman tapes ... what he didn't say
"Bird crap hoarders, no-good pan-pipe parpers and new age babble facilitators. The country's so skinny it could hula-hoop a Cheerio."
Statistics
World Cup record: 7 finals
P25 W7 D6 L12 F27 A40
Highest finish: Third place in 1962
2: The friendlies against Costa Rica and North Korea cancelled in February in the wake of the earthquake that struck Concepción
Fixtures
Honduras, 16 June, Mbombela Stadium, 12.30pm
Switzerland, 21 June, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, 3pm
Spain, 25 June, Loftus Versfeld, 7.30pm
The verdict
The revival has been vigorous and even in defeat the forward Humberto Suazo scored twice during the qualifier in Brazil. The young line-up do not act like a country that has been missing from the finals for 12 years. The manager, Marcelo Bielsa, is still to release himself from the shame of early elimination in 2002 while in charge of Argentina.
HONDURAS
History lesson
Finalists for the first time since 1982, when they were eliminated in the first round despite creditable draws with the hosts, Spain, and Northern Ireland. They were also involved in the "Football War" with El Salvador in 1969 after losing to them in a play-off for Mexico 1970.
Tactics board
Reinaldo Rueda tended to play 4-4-2 in qualifying with the veteran Carlos Pavón and Internazionale's David Suazo, who spent last season on loan with Genoa, up front. Switched to 4-5-1 in the away games and usually included an extra defensive midfielder alongside Wilson Palacios and Hendry Thomas.
Grudge match
The Swiss are the only non-Spanish speakers in the group but the tournament favourites Spain will be aware of the Hondurans and keen to right the wrong of 1982, when they dropped a point to them after a draw in the group which ultimately saw Spain beaten to first place by Billy Bingham's Northern Ireland.
Also known as
Los Catrachos, a corruption of the name given to the Honduran general Florencio Xatruch's troops by Nicaraguan soldiers after both had been fighting the US in the 1800s. The team bus is adorned with the slogan "One Country, One Passion, 5 Stars in the Heart" in reference to the national flag, which also gives rise to their other nickname, La Bicolor.
The players
Vuvuzela superstar
The charismatic Carlos Pavón finished as top scorer in the Concacaf group with seven goals and was somewhat improbably voted the most popular player in the world in an online poll conducted by Fifa. Made his international debut in 1993 and is comfortably their all-time top scorer.
There's always Bolton
Emilio Izaguirre is a pacy defender who has tried out for Ipswich and has since featured on the radar of Wigan, fast becoming a Hispanic finishing school.
Laager Lout
Torino's attacking midfielder Julio César de León fell out with Rueda over the standard of medical care available to treat an injury. Was sent back to Europe on the next plane but returned to the squad four months later and has kept his counsel ever since.
The coach
Body double
Reinaldo Rueda has the greying bristles and slighty superior air of a Hispanic David Dein.
Big game hunter
A Colombian academic who has never managed at club level, Rueda just missed getting his country to the 2006 finals and after he took over Honduras in 2007 quickly managed to put them on the right road. Has now been made a citizen of Honduras.
Loved or loathed
Absolutely adored. A national holiday was declared the day after they qualified and the open-top bus was rerouted past the national palace so the president could have his picture taken with the team.
The country
Commentators' kit
Maynor Figueroa is married to Sandra Norales, who plays handball for the Honduras national team and Sheffield when they are in England.
They gave the world
Baleada – a wheat flour tortilla stuffed with beans, cheese and sour cream. A local chef is going to SA to knock up such delights.
National monument
Last June's military coup coincided with the final straight in the qualifiers and the national team's games became a great cause in reuniting families. "The people were able to free their tension, embrace each other, as if finding each other again," Reinaldo Rueda said. "Hondurans recovered their nationalistic mystique, their self-esteem, motivation and their pride in their flag and their country."
Qualifying
Came through thanks to the USA managing a 94th-minute equaliser against Costa Rica to finish third in the Concacaf group, their own 4-0 win over Costa Rica in August and 3-1 win against Mexico being key.
The Triesman tapes ... what he didn't say
"Tegucigalpa sounds like a fart in a bath and the people are obsessed with the size of their bananas. Not that there's anything wrong with that."
Statistics
World Cup record: 1 finals
P3 W0 D2 L1 F2 A3
Highest finish: First round in 1982
3: The Hondurans playing for Premier League clubs – Spurs' Wilson Palacios and Wigan's Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa
Fixtures
Chile, 13 June, Mbombela Stadium, 12.30pm
Spain, 21 June, Ellis Park, 7.30pm
Switzerland, 25 June, Free State Stadium, 7.30pm
The verdict
Reinaldo Rueda has greater means than expected. When Maynor Figueroa was suspended for the key match, away to El Salvador, the side brought in the less experienced Erick Norales and showed conviction. It is natural to look to men such as Wilson Palacios but the team's resolve was obvious when beating El Salvador 1-0.
SPAIN
History lesson
Long perceived to be the perennial bridesmaids of world football after flattering to deceive at the past nine tournaments. Semi-finalists in 1950 they should have matched that in 1994 against Italy before Mauro Tassotti's vicious elbow poleaxed Luis Enrique and left him with a nose resembling Charlie Magri's. Brilliant in the group matches in Germany four years ago, they were undone by an ageing France in the last 16, a result which finally allowed them to draw a line under the Raúl era. Without their supposed talisman they won Euro 2008 with a brand of exuberant purist football that has made them many people's favourites (again).
Tactics board
Vicente Del Bosque has used 4-1-4-1, 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta pivotal in midfield in front of Sergio Busquets, David Silva teeing up chances from the wing and David Villa and Fernando Torres (when fit) combining with brilliant effect up front. Doubts persist about the defence, where Carles Puyol lacks pace and height and Sergio Ramos has yet to grasp positional discipline.
Grudge match
Portugal will be gunning for them in a neighbourly feud and they owe Italy a gubbing after 1994's bloodbath.
Also known as
La Furia Roja – The Red Fury – named after the singer Billy Fury because they used to leave their fans halfway to paradise.
The players
Vuvuzela superstar
Take your pick from midfielders with exquisite touch, scintillating widemen in Jesús Navas and David Silva or either of two sadistically destructive strikers. Even among this array of talent, however, Villa stands out. Magnificent at Euro 2008 he is even better now after scoring 58 goals for Valencia and 18 for Spain in the two seasons since. Combines lethal finishing with feet and head (despite being stumpy) with superb ball skills and positioning.
There's always Bolton
In their dreams. They will have to wait till one of them is past it in La Liga, as they did with Fernando Hierro, to have a sniff.
Laager lout
Sergio Ramos likes to taunt opposition players then hides behind his hair and the referee when someone stands up to him.
The coach
Body double
With that sparsely-furnished pate and "I'm still virile" luxuriant tache, he could twin with the BBC's senior political correspondent John Pienaar.
Big game hunter
Vicente Del Bosque won five titles with Real Madrid as a player, two as a coach as well as a pair of European Cups. The only man to make the gálacticos policy work successfully, he took the Spain job after the Euro 2008 triumph and promptly won every qualifier.
Loved or loathed
Admired for his humility and light-touch style but expectation is onerously high.
The country
Commentators' kit
Manuel Cáceres, better known as Manuel el del Bombo, the team's self-styled No12, has been following Spain and banging "that fucking drum™" since the 1982 World Cup. The rotund Valencia bar owner returned from supporting the side in 1987 to find his family had walked out on him, a bittersweet timpani if ever there was one.
They gave the world
Tapas, potatoes in omelettes, most of the new world even though it was already there, the Armada, the language spoken by Dora the Explorer among others and the fiendish torture ordeals of the Inquisition, not including the comfy chair.
National monument
Old Spanish women rocked the goth look long before the snakebite-supping hordes of West Yorkshire adopted widow's weeds.
Qualifying
Played 10, won 10 and had to break sweat only when Turkey and Bosnia held them to tight 1-0 victories on the peninsular. David Villa scored seven and Gerard Piqué became a defensive linchpin.
The Triesman tapes ... what he didn't say
"Disciples of the Bernard Manning school of race relations and serial bull tormentors in league with the Russians."
Statistics
World Cup: record 12 finals
P49 W22 D12 L15 F80 A57
Highest finish: Fourth place in 1950
6: In February 2009's match against England, David Villa became the first Spain player to score in six consecutive games
Fixtures
Switzerland, 16 June, Moses Mabhida Stadium, 3pm
Honduras, 21 June, Ellis Park 7.30pm
Chile, 25 June, Free State Stadium, 7.30pm
The verdict
They have been a joy with their intricate yet incisive passing style. The speed of Fernando Torres' recovery from a knee operation is debatable but with Xavi and others on the scene they ought to cruise through the group. Spain won Euro 2008 and any concerns reflect the workload of the players. Can they still be fluent? Semi-finalists.
SWITZERLAND
History lesson
Three quarter-finals in eight appearances suggests the Swiss are not to be sniffed at, although those achievements did take place in 1934, 1938 and, as hosts, in 1954. Their run in modern times has been less Toblerone and more stale digestive, getting no further than the second-round, including last time out in Germany.
Tactics board
Deploy a refreshingly classic 4-4-2 which encourages the wingers, including West Ham United's Valon Behrami, to get forward and support the strikers, one of which will be the all time top-scorer Alexander Frei. There are goals in this side – they bagged 18 in qualifying.
Grudge match
With a reputation for neutrality, it is hardly a shock that the Swiss do not have a fierce rival. A clash with Germany in the knockout stages could, however, be interesting given their manager, Ottmar Hitzfeld, is German. The natives will be crying conspiracy from the top of the Alps should their men succumb to the 2006 hosts without a fight.
Also known as
Die Eidgenossen, which in Swiss-German means The Oath Comrades and refers to the three cantons which formed Switzerland in 1291. The Swiss are proud people but given its dryness and roots in ancient history, don't expect to hear this moniker being sung in late-night bars across Durban this summer.
The players
Vuvuzela Superstar
Alexander Frei may have been cleared of spitting at Steven Gerrard during Euro 2004 but the striker is a Swiss sporting deity and a gift for newspapers - "Alexander the Great", "Frei-ing tonight" .
There's always Bolton
Udinese's Gökhan Inler has been rumour-mill fodder for ages and having been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, could finally move to England this summer.
Laager lout
Stephan Lichtsteiner, dubbed Forrest Gump for the boundless energy he shows when running from right-back for Lazio, has a growing reputation for losing his rag, seen best during an exchange of head-butts with Roma's Christian Panucci during a Rome derby last season. Bet on the 26-year-old getting sent off.
The coach
Body double
Ottmar Hitzfeld, or Der General, may not be pleased to know that he resembles Gerard Kelly, the Scottish actor best known for his roles in Rab C Nesbitt and, recently, Extras, where he played Ian "Bunny" Bunton.
Big game hunter
The 61-year-old is one of only three managers to have won the European Cup with two different clubs – Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
Loved or loathed
Only Roger Federer gets more longing glances around Zurich than Hitzfeld. The Swiss love him for bringing a sense of adventure to the national side.
The country
Commentators' kit
The footage may have been grainy and the commentary more wooden than Pinocchio's backside but the 1954 World Cup, which Switzerland hosted, was the first ever to be televised.
They gave the world
Few things compare with the satisfaction of eating a just-unwrapped Jaffa Cake and for that we must thank Jacques E Brandenberger, the Swiss chemist who invented Cellophane.
National monument
Given their motto is Y'en a point comme nous - there are none like us - it is fair to say the Swiss are rather smug about their standard of living. With the lowest unemployment rate of all industrialised countries and tax breaks, it's clear why Phil Collins refuses to come home.
Qualifying
Topped their group but only after suffering the eye-watering shame of losing 2-1 to Luxembourg at home. Five straight wins followed but they only secured qualification with a goalless draw against Israel.
The Triesman tapes ... what he didn't say
"Neutral, Heidi-worshipping, noise abatement loons who are so rich they can spend valuable time punching superfluous holes in cheese."
Statistics
World Cup record: 8 finals
P26 W8 D5 L13 F37 A51
Highest finish: Quarter-finals in 1934, 1938, 1954
40: Goals scored in 73 appearances by Alexander Frei, the Swiss captain and record poacher who bagged three in Germany 06
Fixtures
Spain, 16 June, Moses Mabhida Stadium, 3pm
Chile, 21 June, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, 3pm
Honduras, 25 June, Free State Stadium, 7.30pm
The verdict
They got the unthinkable out of the way when beaten at home by Luxembourg early in the qualifiers and struck forceful form after that. Switzerland will continue to look to men like the striker Alexander Frei. They beat Greece home and away. There is new blood and Eren Derdiyok scored with his first touch against England two years ago.
PADDY POWER INDEX
Spain 4/1 Chile 70/1 Switzerland 200/1 Hondurus 1000/1
SportTrades Group Prediction:
1 Spain
2 Switzerland
3 Chile
4 Hondurus
Tomorrow, we will return to Group C. We will highlight the teams England will play and include Paddy Power Index and SportTrades Group Predictions. Wednesday will be the final Pulse File and will highlight England.
No comments:
Post a Comment