The Football World Cup is well and truly underway, and floodgates seem to have opened after Germany’s 4-0 mauling of Australia last night.
The thumping win ended a sequence of low scoring dour games that did not provide pulsating action yet kept die-hard fans glued to the games, in some keenly fought encounters.
The fifth day of the competition has two mouth-watering games in prospect, as five time champions Brazil make their first appearance in the tournament with a group G game against North Korea, followed by a possible humdinger between Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Ivory Coast.
The Brazilians will be playing their opener in Johannesburg, and the five-time champions would be hoping to get their campaign to a positive start, especially as they have two potentially tough games against Ivory Coast and Portugal after the group opener.
Brazil’s coach Dunga, who captained the team to the 1994 title, has been subjected to widespread criticism over the selection of his squad.
The most contentious decision by Dunga has been the formation of his team’s defence, with seven defensive midfielders making it to the tournament at the expense of creative and attacking midfielders Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato.
However, Dunga has defended his decision, claiming that the critics’ difference of opinion does not bother him, saying, "I wouldn't say it's an injustice, I think it's a point of view, a squad that scored more than 100 goals has to have some creativity, we've conceded only 30 goals so we're a balanced team."
Dunga added that football experts had similar complains with Germany's playing style, but their triumph over Australia on Sunday was evidence that a defensive approach does not stop a team from scoring.
"Germany doesn't play a spectacular game but they scored four goals, which is the best so far for any team. It's not about what we like and what we don't like, that's what we show on the pitch. It's a World Cup and the players must be ready for criticism and for the adrenaline”.
Meanwhile, the Ivory Coast Elephants held a training session at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Monday, as they prepare to face the strong Portugal team in their Group G encounter.
The coach of the African side, Sven-Goran Eriksson, said that he was not sure if striker Didier Drogba will play in their World Cup opener or not. The influential goal scorer is recovering from a fracture to his right arm sustained in a pre-tournament friendly match against Japan on June 4.
"I don't know - honestly, I really don't know," Eriksson told reporters, adding, "Probably we'll take the decision a couple of hours before the game. He had a very good practice session yesterday and hopefully will be ok, but the only one who can make that decision is Didier."
The match, set to take place in Port Elizabeth, can have a huge bearing on the results of the group, with the winner of the match doing its chances of qualification to the next round no harm.
The group, also labelled as the “Group of Death”, also features five-time winners Brazil and the largely unknown North Korea.
On the other hand, Portugal has a lot to prove after a topsy-turvy qualification process to the finals.
There are injury doubts in their ranks, especially over their mainstay Pepe, who has returned after a lengthy injury layoff.
The Ivory Coast camp remains confident that even in the absence of Drogba, the team has enough ammunition to go past their European rivals.
Kolo Toure, who will captain the team if Drogba pulls out of the match, believes that younger players in his squad like Salomon Kalou and Seydou Doumbia have the ability to rise to the occasion and help the Africans record a win.
"In our team we have high quality players Gervinho Aruna Dindane, and even if Drogba doesn't make it to the team tomorrow we have people who play in major clubs and high profile clubs and can deliver good and I think it will be great game and you will enjoy and we will be happy with the outcome," Toure said.
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