Out of 48 games to be played in the initial group stage there are a few in particular to look out for.
Brazil vs. Ivory Coast is set to be a mouth-watering tie in which the likes of Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure, Kaka and Robinho, to name but a few, will be going head to head to display their dominance. This fixture will match flair with sheer strength and brute force in which the team that comes out on top could possibly book their tickets to the next round, and be a strong contender for the finals. Make no bones about it, the Ivory Coast will not be taken lightly and Brazil, with all their historic records and superstars, will have a tough task at hand if they want to overcome this rising nation.
The Netherlands vs. Cameroon appears one-sided if qualifications are anything to go by. The Dutch team won all 8 games, scoring a mammoth 17 goals in the process, whilst only conceding a mere 2 goals. They have actually drawn the last 3/4 games post-qualification, perhaps bringing a little complacency into their game, suggesting over-confidence or lacking nerve. However, a team with the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, and Robin van Persie is not short of big names that can reproduce its qualification form. In contrast, Cameroon qualified through lucky results from the competing fixtures but have star players in Samuel Eto’o, André Bikey and Benoît Assou-Ekotto who are more than capable of turning up with their ‘A’ game to strive for a shock.
Also a fixture that may produce a thriller could undoubtedly be Germany vs. Australia. With Germany winning 8/10 qualification games, scoring 26 goals, and only conceding 5, they have plenty of scoring ability. With players like Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Ballack experience is certainly on their side. On the other hand Australia have star shot stopper Mark Schwarzer, Brett Emerton and free-scoring Tim Cahill who all, on their day, can churn out an infallible result.
You can be sure to expect a close encounter between Germany vs. Serbia, whose formation in 2008 after the 2004 split with Serbia and Montenegro, and prior to that the 2000 split from FR Yugoslavi, has meant that the nation is writing history of late. Having lost only 1 game in the last 11 appearances, their form is right up in the sharp end. This will undoubtedly test Germany’s strength to the limits, and adding the countries histories to the mix, this will be a game with more than just qualification on the respective nation’s minds.
Another game that will undoubtedly have more than ‘just football’ on the cards, will be USA vs. Algeria. Though based on recent achievements it may appear one-sided, Algeria cannot be underestimated, with many players firmly established in European teams, and plenty of caps to prove their experience. USA, on the other hand, reached new heights by being ranked 4th best in the world in 2006, and have enough talented players to field a strong team that can grind out results where necessary. Comprehensively out-qualifying their competitors in the pre-World Cup games could mean that strong form, once again, may prove to be the edge in enduring days of arduous opposition. With the likes of Jozy Altidore from Hull City representing the USA, and many more from the Premiership, craft will certainly not be absent, nor will pride or hostility. A game to watch for the football, and the added twist of politics!
Ketan Patel
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