Ivory Coast vs Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo against Didier Drogba
Every World Cup has at least one “Group of Death” – a group that involves at least three teams with legitimate shots at making a deep run in the tournament. At the 2010 World Cup, the general consensus is that the killer group is Group G – with the exception of North Korea, you could make a case for Brazil, Portugal or the Ivory Coast claiming one of the two spots into the knockout stage.
This means that every match is absolutely critical for teams looking to make it out of Group G. For the Ivory Coast and Portugal, the pressure starts immediately as they face each other in the opening match for the group on Tuesday. With group favorite Brazil expected to have an easy time against North Korea, neither team can afford a major blunder. Winning this match would be a huge boost for either team’s chances of advancing to the knockout round; however, the risk of being put into a serious hole with a loss is even more daunting.
Certainly, the Ivory Coast would prefer to be facing group minnows North Korea and that this match happen later in the tournament. As of Sunday, it was still unclear whether their star striker Didier Drogba would be available for the opening match of the tournament. Drogba was coming off of a career season at Chelsea and was pegged to help the Ivory Coast as they looked to be the best threat for an African country to make a deep run in the tournament. However, Drogba broke his arm in a warm-up match against Korea on June 4 and his health is in doubt. On Saturday, he sat out a training session in order to get treatment on his arm.
However, don’t count out the Ivory Coast if Drogba isn’t able to play. The team still has a host of highly talented players who are stars in the Premier League along with other top-flight leagues around the world. Brothers Yaya Toure (Barcelona) and Kolo Toure (Manchester City) team up along with Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal) to give the Ivory Coast a compelling back line and central midfield combination – this will be critical if they are forced into a more defensive game if Drogba can’t play. A key player for the Ivory Coast might be Gervinho. The 23-year-old Lille striker has been linked to a move to Arsenal, and he’ll be counted on to carry much of the workload if Drogba can’t play.
For Portugal, any World Cup match presents an opportunity for joy or heartbreak. No one questions the talent of the Portugese side – they’ve produced some of the most attractive soccer on the international stage for decades. However, what they’ve lacked is the ability to translate their artistry into great performances in major competitions. Names like Eusebio and Luis Figo have been unable to get Portugal over the hump in the past.
Now it’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s turn to take center stage. Certainly, a semifinal appearance in 2006 suggests that Portugal might be ready to make the big leap forward. Along with being one of the most famous athletes in the world, Ronaldo is also one of the best strikers, having finally made the same mark at Real Madrid as he did at Manchester United. Ronaldo will have help from the likes of Nene (Manchester United) and Raul Meireles (Porto). But Portugal will only go as far as their defense will carry them: Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea) is solid player but also prone to gaffes, and Pepe (Real Madrid) missed most of 2010 with injuries.
However, without Drogba in the line-up, it’s tough to imagine that the Ivory Coast is the team that can expose Portugal’s back four. The man of the match for Portugal might wind up not being Ronaldo but Deco. The Chelsea midfielder could have a field day picking apart the Ivory Coast’s defense if there is no pressure on the ball.
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