Portugal versus Ivory Coast; team status and strategy FIFA 2010
They are two teams that are continually on the rise towards the upper echelons of elite footballing nations. It was and is predicted that Portugal and the Ivory Coast will reach into the next stage of the FIFA World Cup. Well actually now one of them might progress as after their brilliant performance in the qualifying stages there was a shocker delivered to them.
They both had been drawn together in the same group and if that wasn’t enough Group G also included the five time world champions Brazil and another good football team belonging to North Korea. Considering these fast it is inevitable that one of them will progress to the next level and basically all that depends on the match between them on 15th June.
Furthermore the injuries are not helping both these teams either. The two teams will encounter each other for the first time at Port Elizabeth in a match that despite has brought setbacks from the teams but nevertheless will be as interesting as ever to watch.
The Portugal accomplished their goal of beating Bosnia and Herzegovina on a 2-0 aggregate in the qualifying stages to reach their 3rd straight appearance in the tournament this summer in South Africa. On the other hand Ivory Coast aced their second consecutive appearance by heading its table with a record tallying 5 (wins) -0 (defeats)-1 (draw).
Both teams have one of the best players in the world. The Selecção das Quinas feature Cristiano Ronaldo while Les Elephants star with Didier Drogba. The Portuguese are ranked at number 3 in the world and the Ivoirians are at the 27th position in that respect. Though what’s similar with both teams is that they both have the capacity to reach the later part of the tournament and perhaps even win it.
Ivory Coast saw a similar scenario just four years back in the World of 2006 in Germany. They were then too included in a difficult group that included Argentina, the Netherlands and Serbia and Montenegro.
What’s even further denting the aspirations of the Ivoirians is that their key in offence Drogba has broken his elbow. He is the nation’s highest scorer with 44 goals in 67 matches. The forward has gone under operation to after fracturing his inner bone in the arm ‘ulna’ and there is no assurance if the star will return in full form back on the field.
Still the forwards appearance is very important because of his superb form in the English Premier League, where he became the tournament’s leading goal and in addition to that, he helped his club Chelsea in winning the English title too. He has scored 29 goals with the Blues this season. His injury happened when the Japanese team and Ivoirians decided to give a chance for their second line up to play untraditionally. Drogba decided to take part in the 2-0 victory but got himself injured.
Still there are no doubts about who will lead the team as midfielder Didier Zokora expressed, “Even if he’s not playing with us every time, he’s the captain and he leads the team very, very well.” Ivory Coast coach Sven Goran Eriksson has stated that in the end the medical team and Drogba have the power to decide if it’s good idea for him to play but he hopes he does.
Ronaldo too was riddled with injuries especially during the qualifying stages, managing to just take part in 7 of 12 matches of Portugal. He didn’t score in any of them; his last goal coming in the 1-0 victory over Finland in February 2009 however he does seem in good form, being one of the top scorers in La Liga and netting 26 goals for Real Madrid past season.
Their winger Nani is already out of the race for glory because of a bruised collarbone, so now their fate heavily rests in the hands of the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, Ronaldo. In the World Cup of 2006 he had scored just 1 goal in the journey while team eventually fell to 1-0 victory against France.
Coach Carlos Queiroz told he had a plan for the Portuguese especially Ronaldo and advised media to, “Leave them kids alone. The more you leave the players in peace the more they’ll score.”
In the midfield Deco will be vital for Ronaldo’s success. He has 5 goals in 74 matches and an acute ability to place the ball impeccably for the striker. The rest of the team is star studded too and when Ronaldo wasn’t able to perform, they all stepped up in the qualifying stages.
That in essence will be exactly what will be expected by both teams in their match. Both teams will have other players filling the gaps managing out in the bigger boots that fate has left for them. They both will adopt a similar strategy of playing the ball along the wings and then driving it in, so as not to harm their key players in the middle. While that happens, their stars will rush in from the mid-field to become part of the plan and score. This will allow them open space and help them use their skill more easily in the offence in the midfield.
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