GROUP OF DEATH
Wednesday, June 14, 2006GROUP OF DEATH
Group C
Argentina | Cote D'Ivoire | Serbia and Montenegro | Netherlands
It does not get any deathly than a group consisting of Argentina, Ivory Coast, Serbia and Montenegro and Holland.
Argentina has really been unlucky. During the last world cup it was drawn in another group of death. It performed miserably under Jose Peckerman… and spelt the end of the careers of Gabriel Batistuta and to a certain extent Juan Sebastian Veron…
Full squad
Goalkeepers: Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors), Leonardo Franco (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Oscar Ustari (Independiente)
Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan/ITA), Gabriel Milito (Zaragoza/ESP), Juan Pablo Sorin (Villarreal/ESP), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna/ESP), Leandro Cufre (Roma/ITA), Roberto Ayala (Valencia/ESP), Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United/ENG)
Midfielders: Maximiliano Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan/ITA), Juan Roman Riquelme (Villarreal/ESP), Lionel Scaloni (West Ham/ENG), Luis Gonzalez (Porto/POR), Javier Mascherano (Corinthians/BRA), Pablo Aimar (Valencia/ESP)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona/ESP), Hernan Crespo (Chelsea/ENG), Carlos Tevez (Corinthians/BRA), Javier Saviola (Sevilla/ESP), Julio Cruz (Inter Milan/ITA), Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors)
Remarkably despite an abundance of talent, they are not seen as strong as Brazil. They are grossly underestimated. People forget they are perhaps the only team capable of consistently beating Brazil, (a full strength Brazil mind you!). They have done once recently in the Confeds Cup and are likely to do so.
A lot has been focused on the teenage prodigy Lionel Messi. I am sure he is an excellent player but I think the driving forces behind Argentina’s rise are Villareal duo Sorin and Riquelme.
Meanwhile, we have Serbia and Montenegro. For those not familiar with Serbia, it is the former Yugoslavia. The Slavs, before the Balkan War is a world force in football. Their players gifted with such technical capabilities that they were called the Brazil of Europe (long before Portugal was dubbed so, although quite fairly). The only reason they have not been able to win many things is because of political and social instability. Although they do not really have household names on their teams, their technical capabilities far exceeds their fame.
Full squad
Goalkeepers: Dragoslav Jevric (Ankaraspor/TUR), Oliver Kovacevic (Zeleznik), Vladimir Stojkovic (Nantes/FRA)
Defenders: Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United/ENG), Mladen Krstajic (Schalke 04/GER), Goran Gavrancic (Dinamo Kiev/UKR), Milan Dudic (Red Star Belgrade), Ivica Dragutinovic (Sevilla/ESP), Dusan Basta (Red Star Belgrade), Nenad Djordjevic (Partizan Belgrade)
Midfielders: Igor Duljaj (Shakhtar Donetsk/UKR), Albert Nadj (Partizan Belgrade), Ivan Ergic (FC Basel/SUI), Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan/ITA), Predrag Djordjevic (Olympiakos/GRE), Zvonimir Vukic (Partizan Belgrade), Ognjen Koroman (Portsmouth/ENG), Danijel Ljuboja (VfB Stuttgart/GER), Sasa Ilic (Galatasaray/TUR)
Forwards: Savo Milosevic (Osasuna/ESP), Mateja Kezman (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Nikola Zigic (Red Star Belgrade), Mirko Vucinic (Lecce/ITA)
The Netherlands have underachieved in all competitions save for the 1998 European Championships and the 74, 78 World Cups because of their tendency to self destruct. Contrary to the teams of recent years, Marco Van Basten has built a team based on unity to add to their technical and tactical brilliance. No doubt, scheming through the full squad, only a handful are real stars but we know, what each players are capable of.
Full squad
Goalkeepers: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United/ENG), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax) and Henk Timmer (AZ Alkmaar)
Defenders: Khalid Boulahrouz (SV Hamburg/GER), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Barcelona/ESP), Tim de Cler (AZ Alkmaar), Kew Jaliens (AZ Alkmaar), Jan Kromkamp (Liverpool/ENG), Joris Mathijsen (AZ Alkmaar), André Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven), Johnny Heitinga (Ajax)
Midfielders: Mark van Bommel (Barcelona/ESP), Phillip Cocu (PSV Eindhoven), Denny Landzaat (AZ Alkmaar), Hedwiges Maduro (Ajax), Wesley Sneijder (Ajax) and Rafael van der Vaart (SV Hamburg/GER)
Forwards: Ryan Babel (Ajax), Dirk Kuijt (Feyenoord), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United/ENG), Robin van Persie (Arsenal/ENG), Arjen Robben (Chelsea/ENG) and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (PSV Eindhoven)
It has a very strong, experienced spine in Van der Sar, Ooijer, Cocu, van der Vaart, and Nistelrooy. Plus, the legendary Marco Van Basten is at helm.
Everyone has doubted me on the capability of Holland to do something to this world cup, well, doubt me at your own peril.
