Brazil's football players pose for a picture after a training session, in Durban, South Africa. - AP Photo
Portugal vs Brazil
World Cup favourites Brazil clash with their former colonial masters Portugal in their final Group G match on Friday, with the five-time champions already qualified for the round of 16.
Brazil have racked up a 2-1 win over North Korea and a 3-1 victory over Ivory Coast to sit pretty on six points. A draw would see them top the group.
Portugal, on a run of 17 matches without defeat, drew 0-0 with the Ivorians before routing North Korea 7-0 to put them in second spot in the group and needing only a draw to advance to the next round.
Even if they were to lose against Brazil, Portugal’s goal difference is such that Ivory Coast, with one point, would have to win handsomely, and then some, to be close to threatening them for second spot.
“Brazil are going all out to win another important match – it is important to ensure top spot,” said Brazilian playmaker Kaka, who will miss Friday’s game after his red card against Ivory Coast.
“Okay, I know a draw will leave us top but a victory is good for confidence.”
Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz said he hoped his side would avenge a 6-2 friendly defeat to the Brazilians in 2008 – the last time they shipped six goals was in 1955.
“We don’t want the Brazilians to score against us this time – it is a question of honour,” said the Mozambique-born Queiroz, formerly Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United.
“We must not do Ivory Coast any favours in terms of letting it go down to goal difference.”Portuguese midfielder Tiago added: “Our sole interest is to beat Brazil and finish top of the group. After that we will see.
“We want to finish top of what is a very strong and difficult group.
“In the final match, our destiny is in our hands. We are going into the match with Brazil with the intention of winning and finishing top of our group.”
Brazil coach Dunga, who has led his side to victory in the Copa America and the Confederations Cup here last year, will likely field some reserves against Portugal.
“We are not sure who will replace Kaka for the next game, we will think about it over the next few days,” he said.
Dunga looks to have three options regarding his Kaka conundrum.
He can field Nilmar in attack and switch the on-form Robinho into a central role, send in Julio Baptista or push Daniel Alves forward into the engine room.
Dunga is also waiting on the fitness of Elano, who picked up a calf strain in the win over Ivory Coast, with Benfica’s Ramires on stand-by.
The winners of Group G will play the runners-up in Group H, currently topped by Chile, with Spain and Switzerland in second on three points and Honduras winless.
To date, the Brazilians have won 12 and the Portuguese four of 18 matches with two drawn.
North Korea vs Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast will make one last desperate bid to win a place in the World Cup last 16 on Friday when they face a North Korea side hoping to salvage some national pride in Friday’s Group G finale.
The West Africans are hoping for a miracle to get out of a tough group after Portugal whipped the Asian team 7-0, notching up an almost insurmountable goal difference that has left the Ivorians searching for divine intervention.
Ivory Coast must beat North Korea by a huge score and hope Brazil overcome Portugal in the other game in the group.
“If we remain in, it will be a great miracle,” said defender Arthur Boka. “Only God knows (if we can do it).”
The clash will pit the tournament’s fairest team against one of the most physical. North Korea committed only three fouls in the heavy defeat by Portugal while Ivory Coast were penalised for 23 fouls in their fiercely contested match with Brazil.
“If Portugal can beat them 7-0 why can’t we do the same?” said Boka, although neither he nor midfielder Gervinho – who said he held his head in despair watching the whitewash— looked very convinced.
“For us what is more important is to exit this tournament with our heads held high,” he repeated at least three times at a news conference in which both players seemed somewhat dejected.
North Korea’s place at the finals has propelled the reclusive nation into the international spotlight and they started well with a brave 2-1 loss to Brazil.
Suitably encouraged, their match against Portugal was broadcast live but it was a move the government probably regretted after the barrage of goals conceded.
Portugal lauded the fair play of the Asian side, who have committed only 13 fouls and picked up just two yellow cards.
Coach Kim Jong-hun has said he will adopt different tactics — probably strengthening his defence — for the game against African Footballer of the Year Didier Drogba’s team.
Already eliminated, North Korea are under no competitive pressure to win but, with their rivals South Korea reaching the second round, they will be keen to at least earn a point and salvage some pride after the tournament’s worst defeat.
“The only problem with the (North Korea) team is they have difficulty finishing,” said Ivory Coast’s Boka, a problem he hopes will continue in Nelspruit on Friday.
Chile vs Spain
Reigning European champions Spain will need a victory over Chile here on Friday to keep a much-fancied World Cup run on course with mighty Brazil or arch-rival Portugal likely waiting if they do advance.
The Spaniards must defeat Chile to seal a spot and to win the group must also hope Switzerland, which delivered a 1-0 shocker over Spain in their Group H opener, cannot overcome Spain’s goal-difference edge after facing Honduras.
“We still need to beat Chile,” Spanish star David Villa said. “There’s a long way to go before we can even think about being world champions, both in terms of time and matches.”
The two Group H qualifiers are set to face knockout matches against the Group G survivors, Brazil and almost-certain Portugal.
Either figures to be a tough match, with a large Portuguese population in South Africa set to support their favorites and Brazil’s playmakers alongside Spain as a choice of many to reach the World Cup final.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona summed up the consensus about Spain before the World Cup began, saying, “The way they started off, Spain was coming to pick up the World Cup and we were all playing for second place.”The Swiss loss derailed Spanish supremacy talk and not even a 2-0 victory over Honduras, new Barcelona signing Villa netting two goals, could change that. But a loss to Chile at Loftus Versfeld could send Spain home early.
“We have to prepare for a big pressure match against Chile,” Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. “But these players are used to dealing with pressure.
For them it’s another match in a very busy season.
“We know Chile are a good side. They are active and quite aggressive, they get to the goal quickly and don’t waste much energy.”Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa is taking nothing for granted despite six points from two matches, the first two Chilean victories at a World Cup since 1962.
“I don’t want to think about what could happen on Friday and what we can achieve against Spain,” Bielsa said. “I just hope these six points can act as the basis for our qualification – that’s our immediate objective.”
Chilean captain and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and Chilean attackers Humberto Bravo and Fabian Orellana play in the Spanish league and four other Chileans previously spent time on Spanish clubs.
But knowing what’s coming and stopping it are much different.
“Everyone deploys his own weapons and it is not a secret to anybody that ours consist of controlling the ball while at the same time stopping the Chileans from expressing themselves,” Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta said.
Del Bosque’s side could have made things a bit easier had they been able to run up the score more on winless Honduras, but they were able only to ensure that a victory over Chile would advance them.
“We lacked the finishing touch just as we did against the Swiss,” del Bosque said. “This was a more open team and a vulnerable side, we should have done better. We will suffer if we continue to play like that.”A loss to Chile and the suffering will last four long years.
Switzerland vs Honduras
Giant killers Switzerland go into their final group clash knowing a win by two clear goals against Honduras would seal a place in the last 16 of the World Cup.
The Swiss, sunk 1-0 by Chile on Monday, could also progress with a narrow win or a draw in Bloemfontein, depending on the result of Friday’s other game in Group H between Spain and Chile.
Chile have a maximum six points, with Spain and Switzerland both on three points. Honduras, appearing in only their second World Cup finals, are yet to get off the mark.
Chile have a goal difference of plus two, with Spain on plus one and the Swiss on zero.
The Swiss began the tournament in South Africa in style, shocking the European champions 1-0 in their opener before slipping to defeat to Chile.
In that game they were reduced to 10 men with coach Ottmar Hitzfeld laying the blame for midfielder Valon Behrami’s red card firmly at the door of Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal.
Hitzfeld said he would target the Honduras defence at the Free State stadium and would set his team up to play in a more attacking style than in the Spain game.
“We must present ourselves differently than we did against Spain where we knew that we would have to defend all of the match,” said Hitzfeld, one of just three coaches to win the Champions League with two different clubs.
“Honduras are a very technical side that possesses undeniable talent in attack,” said Hitzfeld.
“Players like (David) Suazo, (Roger) Espinoza, (Edgar) Alvarez or (Ramon) Nunez are very talented technically. However, their defence can sometimes be disorganised, which leaves holes in it. We must benefit from that.”Hitzfeld refused to say what his line-up would be although he will definitely be without Behrami after his sending off.
But despite the loss of the West Ham midfielder, Hitzfeld remained upbeat about their chances.
“We still have an excellent chance of qualifying, I’m sure if we beat Honduras we’ll go through,” he said.
Switzerland, who reached the knockout phase in Germany in 2006, will be looking to all-time top goalscorer Alexander Frei to lead from the front as they go in search of the goals they need.
Captain Frei was forced to sit out the Spain win after suffering an ankle injury four hours before his team boarded the plane for South Africa but started against Chile.
Honduras themselves are not out of the reckoning mathematically speaking, although qualification for the central American minnows would be a tall order, with a goal difference of minus three.
If Chile beat Spain in Pretoria and Honduras beat Switzerland, Chile will take top spot and goal difference will decide which of the other three teams takes second place.
Following their 2-0 defeat to Spain on Monday, Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda admitted his side were out-classed and would need to raise their game to stand a chance of a consolation win over Switzerland.
“It will be a tough match against Switzerland. They are a good side and we will need to play very well to beat them,” he said.
Honduras, whose side includes Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Wilson Palacios, are making only their second ever appearance at a World Cup finals, with their previous appearance coming in Spain in 1982.
