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Examining Group A in the 2010 World Cup

Roar Guru
5th December, 2009
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Roar Guru
5th December, 2009
16

This is the first of an 8-part series looking at each group, one at a time, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, starting with Group A, which includes South Africa, Mexico, France and Uruguay.

South Africa

Current FIFA ranking: 86

Nick name: Bafana Bafana (The boys, the boys)

Main kit: Gold with green trim

Key players: Aaron Mokoena (captain) (Portsmouth); Benni McCarthy (Blackburn Rovers); Stephen Pienaar (Everton)

Route to 2010: qualified as host

Recent results:
17 November 2009: Jamaica, 0-0 draw, in Bloemfontein, South Africa
14 November 2009: Japan, 0-0 draw, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
13 October 2009: Iceland, 1-0 loss, in Reykjavik, Iceland
10 October 2009: Norway, 1-0 loss, in Oslo, Norway
19 September 2009: Madagascar, 1-0 win, in Kimberley South Africa

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Recent results against group opponents:
8 July 2005: Mexico, 2-1 win, in Carson, USA

Honours:
1996: African Cup of Nations, 1st place

World Cup history:
First round appearances in 1998 and 2002 for one win, three draws and two losses, 8 goals for, 12 goals against.

South Africa met France in the 1998 World Cup in the group stages, and went down to the host and eventual winner: 3-0.

Their only World Cup win was a 1-0 win against Slovenia in 2002.

Comments: The recent record and FIFA ranking do not lie – South Africa is ranked behind both North Korea and New Zealand. South Africa has failed to score a goal in its last four friendlies (all against weak football powers), and their last win was almost three months ago against the lowly ranked Madagascar.

South Africa has a few players in the Premier League, and another few in the Eredivisie, but most of the squad plays in the local Premier Soccer League.

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Its opponents are all ranked within the top 20 (a surprising statistic), meaning that Bafana Bafana will have its work cut out for it.

Their one saving grace is that no host nation has ever failed to get out of the group stage – and that statistic includes some fairly ordinary past hosts (but there’s always a first time).

The other factor Bafana Bafana supporters will be counting on, apart from home ground support, is that despite their high rankings, their rivals are not necessarily consistent performers in such tournaments (although Mexico has turned that around the last 15 years).

Mexico

Current FIFA ranking: 15

Nick name: El Tri

Main kit: Light green, white shorts, red socks.

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Key players: Carlos Vela (Arsenal); Carlos Salcido (PSV); Hector Moreno (AZ); Andres Guardado (Deportivo); Rafael Marquez (Barcelona); Guillermo Franco (West Ham)

Route to 2010: Came second to the USA in the CONCACAF final round of group matches. Managed home wins against all its other five opponents, including a 2-1 win against the USA. Most tellingly, it had a 3-0 away win against Costa Rica which helped set up its qualification.

Recent results:
5 September 2009: Costa Rica, 3-0 win, San Jose, Costa Rica
9 September 2009: Honduras, 1-0 win, Mexico City
30 September 2009: Columbia, 2-1 loss, Dallas, USA
10 October 2009: El Salvador, 4-1 win, Mexico City
14 October 2009: Trinidad and Tobago, 2-2 draw, Port of Spain, T&T

Recent results against group opponents:
15 October 2003: Uruguay, 2-0 loss, Chicago, USA
7 July 2004: Uruguay, 2-2 draw, Chicago, USA
8 July 2005: South Africa, 2-1 loss, in Carson, USA
14 July 2007: Uruguay, 3-1 win, Caracas, Venezuela

Honours:
CONCACAF champions in 1965, 1971 and 1977
CONCACAF Gold Cup: 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009
Confederations Cup: 1st place in 1999 and 3rd place in 1995

World Cup history:
South Africa will represent Mexico’s 14th appearance at the World Cup, which looks like a decent record on the face of it, except its record in the early years is nothing short of woeful.

In six appearances from 1930 to 1966, El Tri won only the one game and never went past the first round.

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Mexico managed to reach the quarter finals when they first hosted the event in 1970, and again when they next hosted it in 1986.

Since then, Mexico’s record has been reasonable, making it out of the group stage on four consecutive occasions from 1994 to 2006.

They were involved in one of the more memorable world cup games in 2006 against Argentina with Maxi Rodriguez scoring a stunning winner in extra time.

An interesting historical side note: Tunisia became the first African country to win a World Cup game when they defeated Mexico in 1978.

France defeated Mexico 4-1 in 1930 and 3-2 in 1950.

In 1966, all of France, Uruguay and Mexico found themselves in the same group as that of the host nation, England. Mexico managed draws against both France and Uruguay, and finished in 3rd place, above France.

Comments: As I mentioned above, after many barren decades in the World Cup (qualifying for many years as the only half decent North American country), Mexico have had a remarkably consistent run in the last four World Cups, getting past the group stage on each occasion.

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On two occasions, in 1998 and 2002, they had Italy’s measure.

It has to be remembered that in that time Mexico has engaged a bit more with the South Americans, and a few Mexicans have made their way to the top European clubs.

They would feel that they know all about Uruguay and their recent good record against La Celeste would give them confidence of gaining three points there, putting Mexico in the box seat to proceed to the next round for the fifth consecutive time.

Uruguay

Current FIFA ranking: 19

Nick names: Charruas; La Celeste Olimpica (The Olympic Sky Blue); La Celeste (The Sky Blue)

Main kit: Sky blue, black shorts and socks

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Key players: Diego Lugano (Fenerbahce); Diego Godin (Villareal); Maxi Pereira (Benfica); Martin Caceres (Juventus); Walter Gargano (Napoli); Sebastian Eguren (Villareal); Diego Perez (Monaco); Luis Suarez (Ajax); Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid); Sebastian Abreu (Thessalonik)

Route to 2010: For the third consecutive World Cup qualifier, Uruguay finished 5th in the CONMEBOL qualifiers resulting in a play off with Cost Rica, which they won on aggregate 2-1.

Uruguay didn’t fair too well against the top four teams, it’s best result being a home 2-0 win against Paraguay. La celeste scored some big home wins against the bottom two teams, 5-0 against Bolivia and 6-0 agaisnt Peru.

The most telling result was a 2-1 away win against the team that finished directly below them, Ecuador – the only game Ecuador lost on home territory.

Recent results:
14 November 2009, Costa Rica, 1-0 win, San Jose, Costa Rica
18 November 2009, Costa Rica, 1-1 draw, Montevideo, Uruguay

Recent results against group opponents:
15 October 2003: Mexico, 2-0 win, Chicago, USA
7 July 2004: Mexico, 2-2 draw, Chicago, USA
14 July 2007: Mexico, 3-1 loss, Caracas, Venezuela

Overall record against group opponents:
Uruguay has met South Africa twice, with one win and a draw.
Uruguay has met Mexico 17 times for 3 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses.
Uruguay has met France 5 times for 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss.

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Honours:
14 time winners of the Copa America
World champions on two occasions: 1930 and 1950
Olympic gold medal winners in 1924 and 1928

World Cup record:
Uruguay has the distinction, along with Italy, of being the only nations to win the World cup on their first two attempts (1930 and 1950).

On the other 8 occasions La Celeste has made the World Cup, they had a 4th placing twice (most recent in 1970), three quarter finals or second rounds, and went home early the other three occasions.

Uruguay defeated France 2-1 in the 1966 World Cup, where they also drew with Mexico in the same group.

In 2002, Uruguay drew with France in the group stage, 0-0.

The last time Uruguay managed a win in a World Cup game was a 1-0 win against South Korea in 1990.

Comments: Uruguay’s performance in the World Cup since 1970 (when they have made it) can only be described as abysmal.

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One key to guessing at Uruguay’s likely chances of proceeding into the next round is to look at their record in the last three qualifiers, having finished 5th on each occasion, a sure sign that they might lack that little something to get past both Mexico and France next year.

A failure to get the three points against the host nation would consign them to yet another early exit.

France

Current FIFA ranking: 7.

Nick name: Les Bleus (The Blues); L’Equipe tricolore (The Tri-colour Team)

Main kit: Royal blue with white shorts and red socks.

Key players: Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), William Gallas (Arsenal), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla), Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)

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Route to 2010: France finished second to Serbia in UEFA Group 7, managing to defeat Serbia at home, but dropping a game away to lowly Lithuania.

We all know what happened in the play off against Ireland.

Recent results:
5 September 2009, Romania, 1-1 draw, in Paris, France
9 September 2009, Serbia, 1-1 draw, in Belgrade, Serbia
10 October 2009, Faroe Islands, 5-0 win, in Guingamp, France
14 October 2009, Austria, 3-1 win, in Saint-Denis, France
14 November 2009, Ireland, 1-0 win, in Dublin, Ireland
18 November 2009, Ireland, 1-1 draw, in Saint-Denis, France

Honours:
World champions in 1994 and runners-up in 2006
Confederation Cup winners in 2001 and 2003
European Champions in 1984 and 2000

World Cup record:
France has appeared in 12 previous World Cups, with some great results punctuated by abysmal efforts (the most recent in 2002 where, as reigning champion, it failed to score one goal).

Les Bleus won the World Cup as hosts in 1998, were runners up in 2006 and finished 3rd in 1958 and 1986.

There have also been six round 1 exits.

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France famously missed out on an appearance in the final in 1982 when they lost the first ever World Cup penalty shoot out in a semi-final against West Germany. France was leading 3-1 in extra time, when the appearance of inspirational skipper, Rummenigge off the bench sparked a famous revival.

This game is also remembered for the shirt front by German goalkeeper, Schumacher, on Battiston that incredibly resulted in no foul of any description being paid, notwithstanding that Battiston was stretchered off unconscious.

Comments: Many look at France’s poor effort in their last game against Ireland, and assume they are a team incapable of threatening next year.

Don’t believe a word of it!

Look through the French squad, and the names are as big as any you will find in any other squad.

Look at the attacking third, and the names, in their totality, suggest plenty of strength.

However, as the reigning champion in the unfamiliar territory of Asia in 2002, they failed miserably.

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The unfamiliar territory of Africa will have a similar effect on some big European teams, make no mistake – does France have the mental toughness to make sure they are not one of them?

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