Group F is looks likely to be the most “blah” of all of the groups in this upcoming World Cup final. Italy headlines the group and expects to win. Paraguay and Slovakia won entry through tough trials in qualifying. New Zealand is happy to be there. However, after a few strange roster maneuvers by the Italian squad, this group is perhaps a bit more open than appears.
Italy:
Make no mistake about it, Italy is a team that should not be taken lightly. They won the whole thing in 2006, but this World Cup has seen less buzz for the Azzurri. They easily won their qualifying group with no bumps along the way. They are lead by their bulldog captain Fabio Cannavaro and their other worldy goalie Gianluigi Buffon. But on the attack the Italians left off several big time scorers. This Italian team is younger than most in the past, so question marks will be abound if this younger model will perform up to the ludicrous standards put forth on this team. On 6/3, Italy lost to Mexico 2-1. It’s not that Mexico is a bad team (certainly not), but beating a team like Mexico will be absolutely necessary in the knockout stages not once, but 4 times. The Azzurri didn’t just lose, they were one minute from being shut out and they were dominated for most of the game. As a result, Mexico’s stock rises at the cost of Italy’s stock. The Italians were considered “unfit” and “disinterested.” Those are not words you want a team who should contend for a final game berth. Italy should win the group, but not as handily as some think.
New Zealand:
It took New Zealand nearly 30 years to return to the World Cup finals thanks to the same plight Australia had: playoff-after playoff-after playoff. But unlike Australia, who bolted for Asian qualifying, New Zealand still had to play in one playoff to get in. They dominated qualifying over a bunch of Pacific Islands you’ve never heard of to get to a 2 leg playoff against Bahrain, which they took 1-0. The All Whites are rewarded by coming to the World Cup being ranked dead last by almost every single person who has an opinion on the matter. New Zealand is strong at the backline and looked quite competent as they beat Serbia 1-0 on the heels of the finals coming up in 2 weeks. But the question is, will they be able to hold off Paraguay and Slovakia’s physicality and will they be patient enough to handle the Italians’ methodical approach to the game. My bet: No. New Zealand may perform better than most expect, a draw with Slovakia or Paraguay is certainly possible. But in the end the All Whites will be a doormat on the way to the knockout stages.
Paraguay:
Paraguay has tasted success before. In 1998 and 2002 they got out of the group stages only to lose to teams on their way to the Championship games, which is bad luck more than anything. This time around, Los Guaranies electrified CONMEBOL qualifying tying for the most wins (10) and finished just behind Brazil and Chile and they won 7 of their home games. Sadly, they won’t have their best striker, Salvador Cabanas who was literally shot in the face in Mexico. He survived somehow, but won’t be joining the team on the field any time soon. But Roque Santa Cruz is an excellent backup plan, who is just off an excellent year in England. In 2006, Paraguay’s problem was scoring goals. They only scored 2 goals, both against little Trinidad and Tobago. That may not be a problem this time around, as they are better than ever up front and have a solid backline as well. Paraguay should take care of New Zealand and the game against Slovakia will be their tournament.
Slovakia:
Slovakia turned UEFA qualifying on its head this go around by winning group 3 over the Czech and Polish teams, who were expected to finished 1 and 2. That’s a big deal considering Slovakia’s battered history with the two other countries. Moving forward, Slovakia shows a team that is battle tested and won’t back down. On the last day of qualifying, the team beat Poland 1-0 to give them a win. A loss would have placed Slovenia on top of the group and sent Slovakia to Russia, another historic foe. While there isn’t a certain play would will attract legions of stories and reporters, Martin Skrtel of Liverpool is on a solid defense. We can’t really go on history for the team itself, as this is the first major international competition they’ve ever been in, but when combined with the Czechs, they were runners up twice and went to the quarterfinals in 1990. Slovakia will need to beat New Zealand and play Paraguay as well as they can in hopes of making it out of this group. Unfortunately for them, I don’t see it happening.
Predicted Tables:
Italy 2-0-1
Paraguay 2-0-1
Slovakia 1-2-0
New Zealand 0-3-0
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