2010 World Cup: Group F Preview
June 13th 2010 12:55
The defending champions are once again in a relatively weak group but both Paraguay and Slovakia can cause surprises.
Overview
Leading up to the World Cup, there's been talk of Brasil, Spain, Argentina and Germany as favorites. Many seem to forget that Italy are the defending champs and will try to retain their title in the same fashion they had won it: slow and steady. Pirlo's absence in the first games though means that the young Montolivo will be assigned playmaking duties.
Full squad list
GK: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Frederico Marchetti (Cagliari), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli)
DEF: Christian Maggio (Napoli), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari)
MID: Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina)
FW: Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria)
Keep an eye on: Riccardo Montolivo
All of Italy's offense will rest on the shoulders of the Fiorentina playmaker in the absence of Pirlo.
Overview
I haven't seen much of Paraguay so I can't quite comment on their abilities in this tournament. They had the same number of wins as Chile during qualifying and gained their ticket with a 1-0 win over Argentina.
Full squad list
GK: Justo Villar (Valladolid [Spain]), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno), Aldo Bobadilla (Independiente Medellin [Colombia])
DEF: Dario Veron (Pumas UNAM [Mexico]), Claudio Morel (Boca Juniors [Argentina]), Denis Caniza (Leon [Mexico]), Julio Cesar Caceres (Atletico Mineiro [Brazil]), Paulo Da Silva (Sunderland [England]), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo [Argentina]), Antolin Alcaraz (Club Brugge [Belgium])
MID: Carlos Bonet (Olimpia Asuncion), Edgar Barreto (Atalanta [Italy]), Jonathan Santana (Wolfsburg [Germany]), Enrique Vera (Liga de Quito [Ecuador]), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul [Mexico]), Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors [Argentina])
FW: Oscar Cardozo (Benfica [Portugal]), Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City [England]), Edgar Benitez (Pachuca [Mexico]), Nelson Valdez (Borussia Dortmund [Germany]), Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund [Germany]), Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad)
Overview
It's hard to judge New Zealand as they easily dominated a weak Oceania qualification group and lost all but one preparation game (a 1-0 win against Serbia who have their own scoring issues). I don't see them picking up one point.
Full squad list
GK: Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory [Australia]), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington)
DEF: Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Winston Reid (Midtjylland [Denmark]), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers [England]), Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls [USA]), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town [England])
MID: Simon Elliott, Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell [Scotland]), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Dave Mulligan, Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay [USA])
FW: Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United [Australia]), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough [England]), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle [England]), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion [England]), Jeremy Brockie (North Queensland Fury [Australia])
Overview
Like Serbia in Group D, Slovakia may quietly sneak under the radar as they count on a talented side which finished first in their qualifying group ahead of Slovenia, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland and Poland. They have serious pace on the wings so defenders should beware.
Full squad list
GK: Jan Mucha (Legia Warsaw [Poland]), Dusan Pernis (Dundee United [Scotland]), Dusan Kuciak (Vaslui [Romania])
DEF: Peter Pekarik (Wolfsburg [Germany]), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool [England]), Marek Cech (West Bromwich Albion [England]), Radoslav Zabavnik (Mainz 05 [Germany]), Jan Durica (Hannover 96 [Germany]), Kornel Salata (Slovan Bratislava), Martin Petras (Cesena [Italy])
MID: Zdenko Strba (Xanthi [Greece]), Vladimir Weiss (Manchester City [England]), Jan Kozak (Timisoara [Romania]), Marek Sapara (Ankaragucu [Turkey]), Miroslav Stoch (Twente Enschende [Netherlands]), Marek Hamsik (Napoli [Italy]), Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague [Czech Republic]), Kamil Kopunek (Spartak Trnava)
FW: Stanislav Sestak (Bochum [Germany]), Robert Vittek (Ankaragucu [Turkey]), Filip Folosko (Besiktas [Turkey]), Martin Jakubko (FC Moscow [Russia]), Erik Jendrisek (Kaiserslautern [Germany])
Keep an eye on: Marek Hamsik
The Napoli playmaker is the key to Slovakia's attack. Only 22 years old, he has impressed at club level, twice finishing as Napoli's top scorer and twice elected best young Slovak of the year.
ITALY
Overview
Leading up to the World Cup, there's been talk of Brasil, Spain, Argentina and Germany as favorites. Many seem to forget that Italy are the defending champs and will try to retain their title in the same fashion they had won it: slow and steady. Pirlo's absence in the first games though means that the young Montolivo will be assigned playmaking duties.
Full squad list
GK: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Frederico Marchetti (Cagliari), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli)
DEF: Christian Maggio (Napoli), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari)
MID: Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina)
FW: Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria)
Keep an eye on: Riccardo Montolivo
All of Italy's offense will rest on the shoulders of the Fiorentina playmaker in the absence of Pirlo.
PARAGUAY
Overview
I haven't seen much of Paraguay so I can't quite comment on their abilities in this tournament. They had the same number of wins as Chile during qualifying and gained their ticket with a 1-0 win over Argentina.
Full squad list
GK: Justo Villar (Valladolid [Spain]), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno), Aldo Bobadilla (Independiente Medellin [Colombia])
DEF: Dario Veron (Pumas UNAM [Mexico]), Claudio Morel (Boca Juniors [Argentina]), Denis Caniza (Leon [Mexico]), Julio Cesar Caceres (Atletico Mineiro [Brazil]), Paulo Da Silva (Sunderland [England]), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo [Argentina]), Antolin Alcaraz (Club Brugge [Belgium])
MID: Carlos Bonet (Olimpia Asuncion), Edgar Barreto (Atalanta [Italy]), Jonathan Santana (Wolfsburg [Germany]), Enrique Vera (Liga de Quito [Ecuador]), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul [Mexico]), Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors [Argentina])
FW: Oscar Cardozo (Benfica [Portugal]), Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City [England]), Edgar Benitez (Pachuca [Mexico]), Nelson Valdez (Borussia Dortmund [Germany]), Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund [Germany]), Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad)
NEW ZEALAND
Overview
It's hard to judge New Zealand as they easily dominated a weak Oceania qualification group and lost all but one preparation game (a 1-0 win against Serbia who have their own scoring issues). I don't see them picking up one point.
Full squad list
GK: Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory [Australia]), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington)
DEF: Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Winston Reid (Midtjylland [Denmark]), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers [England]), Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls [USA]), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town [England])
MID: Simon Elliott, Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell [Scotland]), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Dave Mulligan, Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay [USA])
FW: Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United [Australia]), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough [England]), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle [England]), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion [England]), Jeremy Brockie (North Queensland Fury [Australia])
SLOVAKIA
Overview
Like Serbia in Group D, Slovakia may quietly sneak under the radar as they count on a talented side which finished first in their qualifying group ahead of Slovenia, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland and Poland. They have serious pace on the wings so defenders should beware.
Full squad list
GK: Jan Mucha (Legia Warsaw [Poland]), Dusan Pernis (Dundee United [Scotland]), Dusan Kuciak (Vaslui [Romania])
DEF: Peter Pekarik (Wolfsburg [Germany]), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool [England]), Marek Cech (West Bromwich Albion [England]), Radoslav Zabavnik (Mainz 05 [Germany]), Jan Durica (Hannover 96 [Germany]), Kornel Salata (Slovan Bratislava), Martin Petras (Cesena [Italy])
MID: Zdenko Strba (Xanthi [Greece]), Vladimir Weiss (Manchester City [England]), Jan Kozak (Timisoara [Romania]), Marek Sapara (Ankaragucu [Turkey]), Miroslav Stoch (Twente Enschende [Netherlands]), Marek Hamsik (Napoli [Italy]), Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague [Czech Republic]), Kamil Kopunek (Spartak Trnava)
FW: Stanislav Sestak (Bochum [Germany]), Robert Vittek (Ankaragucu [Turkey]), Filip Folosko (Besiktas [Turkey]), Martin Jakubko (FC Moscow [Russia]), Erik Jendrisek (Kaiserslautern [Germany])
Keep an eye on: Marek Hamsik
The Napoli playmaker is the key to Slovakia's attack. Only 22 years old, he has impressed at club level, twice finishing as Napoli's top scorer and twice elected best young Slovak of the year.
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