FIFA World Cup 2014: Group G Review

GERMANY:

Being the recent underachievers of international football, Germany have failed to halt Spain’s dominance despite being rated as one of the strongest teams in the world. Losing 1-0 in the Euro 2008 final and in the 2010 semi-final of the World Cup to eventual champions Spain, the German squad, symbolic of efficiency, has been consistently halted by the European juggernaut.

Coach Joachim Loew’s squad cruised in their qualification, remaining undefeated and scoring 36 goals in 10 games. Regardless of the onslaught, the German fans are pessimistic about Die Nationalmannschaft’s chances, as the team’s recent endeavours have failed to live up to expectations. But qualifying for the knockout stage is almost inevitable, despite being in a difficult group.

Loew’s squad is a mix of extremely talented youngsters and some big-names who have what it takes to shine in the penultimate stage of the tournament. Germany’s record scorer, Miroslav Klose, has also been included to support striker Lukas Podolski.

But the man to watch will be the German captain Philip Lahm. Any chance of winning their first World Cup since 1990 rests on the shoulders of the experienced right back. His calm and collected leadership and consistent defending make him a valuable asset on and off the field.



Portugal

Paulo Bento’s Portugal had to go through an immense struggle to reach Brazil as a two-legged playoff against Sweden could have gone either way, if it wasn’t for star player Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored four goals in the two games.

An underachieving squad of players lacking raw physicality, the Seleccao Das Quinas has the potential to lift the trophy, but there is a feeling of inevitability that they will crash out before reaching even the last-four of the tournament. No competition in the side has given players like Nani, Miguel Veloso and Raul Meireles assurance of their inclusion as there is a lack of alternatives.

Captain and record scorer Ronaldo will be the obvious player under the spotlight, as the Ballon d’Or winning Real Madrid superstar is expected to carry the weight of his country on his back. Ronaldo will be looking at the Argentina squad of 1986 for inspiration, which was led to triumph singlehandedly by Diego Maradona, to guide his team in similar fashion to their first World Cup.

Perhaps Portugal’s chances of winning the tournament are scarce, but the 4-3-3 formation adopted by Bento can demonstrate their attacking potential in Brazil and will be looking to at least qualify to the knockout stage.

Ghana

After surprising everyone in the 2006 World Cup by reaching the last-16, and then taking it a step further in 2010 when they reached the quarters, Ghana’s expectations will be high in Brazil.

Pitted against two European powerhouses, the four-time African Cup of Nations winners can consider it an achievement to even reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

Ghana are in relatively good form, winning five of their six matches in qualifiers and being the top scorers from Africa with 25 goals. The experienced team will welcome back AC Milan holding midfielder Michael Essien, who will be crucial for the team’s success.

Coach and former captain James Kwesi Appiah knows the team well, being the first Ghanaian to lead his squad at the World Cup and having spent four years as assistant with the national side before his promotion.

Kevin-Prince Boateng will play the vital role of carrying his team in an extremely difficult group. The former Tottenham Hostpurs man has been involved in controversies, but the flair he brings on the pitch makes him the exciting player he is.

United States

The Americans have achieved their best performance of the World Cup when they finished third in the tournament’s first edition in 1930. Qualifying for every World Cup since 1990, The Yanks, who are led by German legend Jurgen Klinsmann, have been wrecking crew the past year, qualifying unbeaten with two games to spare.

Impressive victories over Italy and Germany since 2012 and boasting a squad full of experienced players performing in competitive leagues throughout the season, the United States (US) are no pushovers when it comes to the big stage.

The hopes will be pinned on the experience of captain Clint Dempsey and the solid partnership of Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley in the middle of the park, while the veteran goalkeeper Tim Howard will do his best to keep out the likes of Portugal’s Ronaldo and Germany’s Thomas Muller.

Summary

Group G can produce some cracking encounters as four well-equipped squads will battle it out to reach the knockout stage. But there is a realistic prediction that can be made on who is most likely to qualify. Germany will definitely be the favourites, followed closely by the Ronaldo-led Portugal.

Ghana and the US both have commendable squads of experienced players and a history of recently successful campaigns in the World Cup backing them to cause an upset against the two European giants, but only time will tell if they can shock the football world.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2014.

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