Evaluating the World Cup: Groups E-H

France

An indifferent World Cup for France was encapsulated by their 1-0 defeat in the quarter-finals against Germany, in one of the tournament’s most disappointing and uninspiring games. France had started the World Cup in blistering form, scoring eight goals in their opening matches against Honduras and Switzerland. Karim Benzema proved particularly impressive, scoring three of the goals and finding himself an early contender for the Golden Boot. But manager Didier Deschamps vacillated over his place in the starting eleven. Against Honduras he had started as the central striker in France’s 4-3-3, with Mathieu Valbuena and Antoine Griezmann as the wide attackers. Yet despite two goals, for the game against Switzerland he was moved out to the left, with Olivier Giroud brought in to head the attack. Needing only a draw from their final group game against Ecuador to guarantee their qualification for the next round, Benzema was restored as the team’s striker, the midfield was reconfigured, and both Benzema and France were flat as the game finished 0-0.

In the round of sixteen, France laboured against Nigeria with some poor play in the final third, before two late goals secured their passage: the first a header by Paul Pogba from a corner which Vincent Enyeama grossly misjudged, the second an injury-time own goal. Griezmann had replaced Giroud and Benzema was moved forward with half an hour remaining; and this brought a qualitative improvement so that, against Germany, Griezmann started the game while Giroud was on the bench. France, however, fell behind in the thirteenth minute and never looked like getting back into the encounter. Their performance was devoid of energy, urgency, and quality up against a strong German defence.

Perhaps Deschamps rotated too much in the group stage; or perhaps this French side is simply inconsistent, and struggled to raise its game when it most mattered. It was and remains a peculiarly inexperienced squad, the third least-capped in the tournament, with only two players possessing more than fifty caps. While France’s first-choice central midfield trio of Pogba, Yohan Cabaye, and Blaise Matuidi are all talented, they struggle to remain present for ninety minutes of games and currently lack the ability to excel at the very top of the sport.

Switzerland

Possessing one of the youngest squads in the tournament, with a host of capable youngsters competing for places in the attack, Switzerland’s proactive strategy was undone against France, but saw them progress as group runners-up after victories over Ecuador and Honduras. Boasting two of the most attacking full-backs on display in Ricardo Rodriguez and Stephan Lichtsteiner, and the midfield creativity of Granit Xhaka allied to the directness of Xherdan Shaqiri, Switzerland can be an engaging team to watch. Shaqiri scored a hat-trick in their final group match against Honduras, running off Josip Drmic in a more advanced role. Up against Argentina in the round of sixteen, Switzerland reverted to a more cautious style, and limited Argentina’s chances before succumbing to a goal – created by Lionel Messi, scored by Angel di Maria – deep into extra time, with only a minute to go before an otherwise impending penalty shooutout. Having managed Switzerland since 2008, this was Ottmar Hitzfeld’s last tournament before his retirement from coaching. Vladimir Petkovic is his replacement.

Ecuador

Ecuador’s play was focused down the flanks, with Antonio Valencia and Jefferson Montero meant to supply crosses for Felipe Caicedo and the emergent Enner Valencia. Establishing himself in the national side after an excellent season for Pachuca in Mexico, Enner Valencia scored all three of Ecuador’s goals during the group stage, and thus won for himself a move to West Ham, who are believed to have paid around £12 million to bolster their attack. His goals ultimately proved insufficient for Ecuador’s hopes: despite prevailing 2-1 against Honduras and drawing against France, their opening defeat against Switzerland proved decisive and they finished third in their group.

Honduras

Impressive two years ago at the Olympics, when their under-23 side played a fluid passing game before being cruelly beaten in the quarter-finals by Brazil, Honduras took an ageing squad to the World Cup, featuring such veterans as Maynor Figueroa, Victor Bernardez, Wilson Palacios, Oscar Boniek Garcia, and Carlo Costly. They conceded eight goals and scored only once as they departed with three defeats. Their manager, Luis Fernandez Suarez – who managed Ecuador to the last sixteen in 2006 – has subsequently resigned from his post.

Argentina

Much like their counterparts Brazil – and despite possessing a greater wealth of established attacking talent – Argentina were built around one man, in their case Lionel Messi. They began the tournament conservatively, as they played five across the back against Bosnia and left Fernando Gago out of the side. A fixture of Alejandro Sabella’s first eleven throughout qualification, Gago was widely perceived before the tournament began as crucial to this Argentine team. With Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Rodrigo Palacio, and Angel di Maria to choose from for the attacking positions, and utilising a front three which could readily become a front four with Di Maria breaking down the left, Gago was responsible for linking what could otherwise prove a disengaged defence and attack. Without Gago against Bosnia, Argentina struggled, their play improving after he was brought on at half-time. Reverting to a 4-3-3 with a flexible attack, Gago played against Iran and Nigeria; and twice more Argentina eked out narrow wins.

In the round of sixteen against Switzerland, Sabella retained the same setup, but Argentina were less convincing still as they won by virtue of a single goal scored in the last moments of extra time. Sabella changed things for the quarter-final game against Belgium. Gago was replaced in the midfield by Lucas Biglia and Federico Fernandez was replaced at centre-back by Martin Demichelis. The idea was for Biglia to sit alongside Javier Mascherano, and to provide defensive solidity just ahead of two deep central defenders; while in the attack, Messi became playmaker as well as goal threat, dropping into a number ten position to orchestrate Argentina’s attacking play. Argentina were still focused on counter attacking. But with defensive full-backs and Di Maria falling to an early injury, their play became increasingly narrow and reliant upon Messi.

Again they won through, holding on after an early goal scored by Higuain. Then in the semi-final against the Netherlands, both sides cancelled each other out before Argentina prevailed on penalties. Thus Argentina reached the World Cup final without particularly impressing, and without having beaten a team by more than a single goal. Despite bright moments at the beginning of both halves, in the final against Germany they were dominated throughout the midfield, and couldn’t respond after Mario Gotze’s goal in extra time. Aguero, suffering from an injury which had ruled him out beyond the group stage, was brought on after forty-five minutes, but couldn’t offer the width and running which had been provided by Lavezzi. Palacio and Gago came on in the last ten minutes of normal time, with Palacio spurning a chance early in extra time which would have given Argentina the lead.

Argentina took the oldest of all squads to the World Cup, but their key attacking players remain in their mid-twenties and ought to be available come 2018. While they will need to revitalise their midfield and defence, just as pressing is the need to forge a system that doesn’t result in Messi, Higuain and Aguero simply getting in one another’s way, or playing only as individuals in a limited counter-attacking side.

Nigeria

With Emmanuel Emenike consolidated at the head of the Nigerian attack, in their opening game they played in a fairly narrow 4-3-3, failing to break down the Iranian defence as the match finished 0-0. For their second game, against Bosnia, coach Stephen Keshi made some alterations: replacing central midfielder Ramon Azeez with the more offensive Michel Babatunde, and swapping Victor Moses for Peter Odemwingie, who was given license to stretch play down the right and provide an additional goalscoring threat. These changes worked well, with Odemwingie scoring the game’s winning goal. Despite falling to a 2-3 defeat in their final group game against Argentina – with Ahmed Musa scoring both of Nigeria’s goals – Nigeria progressed with four points and went on to meet France in the round of sixteen. Moses replaced Babatunde at the head of the midfield, but Nigera couldn’t capitalise in the attack and – after midfielder Ogenyi Onazi was forced from the game owing to a bad tackle by Blaise Matuidi – suffered two late goals.

Keshi’s position as Nigeria manager remains uncertain, but otherwise Nigeria’s future looks promising. Of the host of young midfielders and attackers already established within the national setup – including Onazi, Babatunde, and Azeez – Ahmed Musa would appear to be one of the best prospects in world football, a regular goalscorer for CSKA Moscow and having already won 41 caps at the age of just twenty-one.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

A disappointing tournament for the Bosnians, who beat Iran comfortably in their final group game, but exited in the group stage thanks to their defeat against Nigeria. Roma’s Miralem Pjanic impressed in the centre of the pitch, and Ferencvaros’s Muhamed Besic – a transfer target for Everton – worked effectively in a more defensive role beside him. However, in the attack they failed to take their chances. Pjanic is twenty-four and Besic twenty-one, but Bosnian captain Emir Spahic and playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic are in the twilight of their careers; and the side will have expected more from their long-established forwards, Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic.

Iran

Iran went into their final group match with one point, knowing that a win against Bosnia might see them through to the next round. Well organised by Carlos Queiroz, their hopes were high after securing a draw against Nigeria and holding out until the final seconds versus Argentina. After conceding twice, however, the prospect of a late comeback following Reza Ghoochannejhad’s goal in the eighty-second minute was dashed when, mere moments later, Bosnia scored their third of the game. The game finished 3-1 and the Iranians left the pitch distraught, feeling themselves to have come close to the second round for the first time in the country’s footballing history.

Germany

Rewarded for placing faith in Joachim Low – despite the considerable doubts raised by consecutive near misses across recent tournaments – the future looks prosperous for the new world champions. Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil, Mario Gotze, Andre Schurrle, Toni Kroos, Mats Hummels, and Jerome Boateng are all young; they have Marco Reus to return and Julian Draxler and Max Meyer waiting to establish themselves; and Ilkay Gundogan too, out with a back injury over the last year, who may prove the long term partner for and eventual successor to Bastian Schweinsteiger in the middle of the pitch. Schweinsteiger is still only twenty-nine, and likely to remain part of things through to the next World Cup.

Germany are not without issues. Though they have experimented with a false nine, played Muller at the head of the attack through the opening stages of the tournament, and won it by virtue of a goal scored by Gotze, still they looked a more coherent side once Miroslav Klose was restored in the quarter-final against France. As a traditional striker, lethal in the opposition penalty area, Klose maintains his position and forces opposition centre-backs to defend, allowing his teammates space. To excel without him, Germany will have to make the false nine equally effective, or they will have to turn back to Mario Gomez or to the youngsters Kevin Volland and Pierre-Michel Lasogga.

As Philipp Lahm’s stint in midfield during the tournament showed, Germany also lack quality in the full-back positions. This is a problem thrown into stark relief by Lahm’s shock retirement from international football. Just thirty, a model of fitness and intelligence on the pitch, Lahm could easily have played on through 2018. Without him, Germany will look for improvement from the likes of left-backs Erik Durm and Christian Gunter, and may toy with converting a midfielder to fill in at right-back.

For more on Germany, see: ‘Germany 1-0 Argentina: An Analysis of the 2014 World Cup Final’.

United States

Managed by Jurgen Klinsmann – who was responsible for one of the more contentious selection decisions prior to the World Cup, leaving out the USA’s all-time top goalscorer, Landon Donovan – the USA started strongly with a 2-1 victory over Ghana. After losing Jozy Altidore to injury in that match, they switched from a four to a five man midfield, leaving Clint Dempsey as their lone striker. Conceding an early goal in their second game against Portugal, they equalised and then took the lead thanks to Jermaine Jones and Dempsey, only for Portugal to agonisingly draw level in the fifth minute of injury time. Yet given Portugal’s 4-0 defeat against Germany, the USA could afford to lose marginally against the Germans in their final group game and still go through. And so it was, as they lost 1-0, allowing both sides to progress to the round of sixteen.

There the USA faced Belgium and defended valiantly, until they were undone by fresh legs in extra time. Dempsey, Jones, DaMarcus Beasley, Tim Howard, and Donovan too may have seen their last World Cup action. Michael Bradley and Altidore will remain pivotal to the team. Twenty-one-year-old DeAndre Yedlin impressed with bold and energetic runs from right-back.

Portugal

Thumped in their first match against Germany and fortunate to equalise late against the USA, Portugal were effectively out of the World Cup after their second game. Perpetually without a centre forward of note, their 4-3-3 formation was but a pretence, their attack wholly reliant upon Cristiano Ronaldo who was afforded the freedom of the pitch. Yet Ronaldo was some way off his best, and Portugal too short of ideas elsewhere to compensate. Their squad was the second oldest in the competition, and their exit suggested another generation of talented Portuguese footballers who have failed to reach their potential on the international stage. Looking beyond the collective age of their defence, even Ronaldo will be thirty-three by the time of the next World Cup.

Ghana

Ghana took the youngest squad to Brazil of all the thirty-two competing nations, and they were slightly unfortunate not to progress beyond the group stage. They were the only side throughout the competition not to fall to Germany, pulling ahead of the Germans before drawing their match 2-2; but ironically they fell just short against the USA and Portugal and ended at the bottom of a tough group. Still, with Daniel Opare and Jonathan Mensah in defence, Kwadwo Asamoah and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu in midfield, and the Ayew brothers and Christian Atsu in the attack, Ghana should be strong over the coming years.

Belgium

So much discussed, so widely tipped, possessing so many players who are established at top club sides throughout Europe, Belgium could hardly be classed as dark horses going into the World Cup. Reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Argentina, they picked up the results expected of them without ever excelling on the pitch. Like Argentina, they failed to win a game by more than a single goal; and they scored late in each of the matches they won. But their squad is still young, and capable of progressing intact through another four-year cycle. Their striking talents may be the envy of the world: Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke, and Divock Origi all look capable modern forwards, powerful and mobile and adept at bringing others into play; and they are supported in the wide positions by Eden Hazard, Kevin Mirallas, Nacer Chadli, and Adnan Januzaj. Kevin de Bruyne showed his ability playing as a number ten; but Belgium perhaps lack a deeper midfielder with a range of passing and composure on the ball. Aside from a player who can connect defence and attack and bring some control to their play, Belgium also struggle for options in both full-back positions.

Algeria

The highest ranked African side at the beginning of the World Cup, Algeria progressed to the round of sixteen with a 4-2 victory over South Korea and a 1-1 draw against Russia. Centre-back Rafik Halliche and star attacking midfielder Sofiane Feghouli were the only constants as manager Vahid Halilhodzic proved more than willing to change his line-up and alter his team’s style of play; but Algeria were most effective and most exciting to watch pressing through the midfield and playing balls in behind the opposition defence for Islam Slimani to attack. In the round of sixteen, their pressing and relentless pace on the counter caused Germany’s high defensive line problems, mitigated by Manuel Neuer sweeping up beyond the confines of his penalty box. They eventually lost the game, but only 2-1 after taking the eventual champions to extra time.

Though Halilhodzic has left Algeria to return to manage Trabzonspor – with Christian Gourcuff his replacement – Algeria possess a core of players in Halliche, Feghouli, Yacine Brahimi, Nabil Bentaleb, Saphir Taider, Slimani, and El Arbi Soudani who ought to be able to maintain the high standards they set in Brazil.

Russia

Russia are not as strong today as they were several years ago: though they failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2010, the squad which reached the semi-finals of Euro 2008 saw genuine competition up front, the magnificent talent of Andrey Arshavin playing behind whichever striker was picked to start, a strong midfield comprised of Konstantin Zyryanov, Sergei Semak, and Igor Semshov, and Yuri Zhirkov and Aleksandr Anyukov full of running at left and right full-back. Russia’s captain and key midfielder this time round, Roman Shirokov, was forced to withdraw from the squad prior to the start of competition with a knee injury. So Russia didn’t go into the World Cup full of confidence, but they still managed to disappoint with three lacklustre, overly conservative performances, which saw them manage only two goals and two draws. Perhaps most frustrating was manager Fabio Capello’s reluctance to use Alan Dzagoev, Russia’s most creative midfielder, as anything more than a late option off the bench. Capello blamed a lazer pen directed towards the eyes of goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev for his side’s elimination; but it was Capello’s own performance that was met with derision among the Russian media, politicians, and populace at large.

South Korea

Tidy through the midfield and looking to bring Son Heung-Min into play from the left side of the attack, South Korea struggled at both ends of the pitch, managing only a draw against Russia. They thereby compounded a poor showing at this World Cup from the Asian Football Confederation, whose sides – South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Australia – failed to win a single game.

South Korea are short of a goalscorer. Two of the strangest transfers in European football over recent years have seen Park Chu-Young sign for Arsenal and Ji Dong-Won sign this summer for Borussia Dortmund. Neither player produced the performances at their previous clubs which would seem to compel such moves; after signing in the summer of 2011, Park managed only one league appearance for Arsenal in three seasons before being released, and it will be interesting to view Ji’s progress over the coming season at Dortmund. Still, South Korea have a young squad, with a balance of players between the Asian, the German, and the English leagues, and they will look to build on their strategy for next time.