In Argentina, a player who covers the defensive midfield position just in front of the defenders, if he gains enough notoriety, becomes known as a ‘Pac-Man’.  This refers to the way certain players gobble up loose balls in midfield like life-sized Pac-Men chomping on the white dots.  The analogy falls a little flat when you add in colourful predator/prey ghost villains, but hey, it’s still good. Here are five of the best Pac-Men (or Pacmans as they are known in Argentina) in football at the moment.

1. Fernando Gago

Once hailed, perhaps prematurely, as the ‘new Redondo’, the Real Madrid player is a thinking man’s defensive midfielder.  He uses guile more than brawn to snuff out opposition attacks, and possesses considerable skills on the ball as well as a fine passing game.  This ex-Boca star had an average time with Madrid and lost his place in the national team last season, but keep in mind he is still only 23 years old, and has plenty of time to improve.

2. Ever Banega

Following in the footsteps of Gago, this hard man with a timeless name is another Boca Juniors graduate who is now plying his trade in Spain.  Banega looks equally graceful whether he’s whisking the ball off opponents’ toes or pirouetting around them to launch an attack.  He was very unlucky to miss out on a spot in Argentina’s World Cup squad after a fine season with Valencia and should become even more of a dominating midfielder as he matures in the next couple of years.

3. Esteban Cambiasso

The type of player that Gago and Banega can dream of becoming, ‘El Cuchu’ is a coach’s dream. Relying on rat cunning rather than physical intimidation, Cambiasso always seems to be in the right place to cut out a pass, hassle an opponent, or link an attack.  He even scores a few fine goals with some regularity. He may look like an unassuming IT consultant, but at heart he is still a midfielder warrior of the very highest class.

4. Franco Zuculini

Already a star for the national team at U17 and U20 levels, this 19-year-old is so highly rated he has earned himself the same nickname as legendary hardman Diego Simeone, ‘El Cholo’ — and it’s easy to see why.  Zuculini may be pint-sized, but he makes up for a lack of height with the unerring commitment of a madman.  Displaying boundless energy as he tears about the field, he is both a destructive and creative force for his team.  After starring for that perennial talent factory, Racing Club in the 2008 Apertura, he made his foray into Europe last season with TSG Hoffenheim.  Don’t expect him to stick around long, though, as some of Europe’s bigger clubs are already expressing an interest in the youngster.

THE Quintessential: Javier Mascherano

The Argentinian national team is “Mascherano plus ten” according to coach Diego Maradona. ‘El Diego’ may be a bit light on tactical nous, but even he can see how valuable the Liverpool midfielder is to a team. Like all great defensive players, Mascherano invests just the right amount of violence into a game, i.e. enough to not quite get himself sent off (well, usually). A rabid tackler with good positional sense, he snaps at attackers like a terrier. On the odd occasion that somebody gets past him, he is almost always nipping at their heels again before they can contemplate their next move. Also has the rare ability to herd opponents around the field like helpless sheep.  The world’s best Pac-Man — he’s even better than the little yellow guy with the big mouth.

Argentina Soccer Website

With 40% of teams deploying a clear 4-2-3-1 at some point during the tournament, the system really has managed to spread to all areas of the footballing globe. Added to this, a higher percentage of teams played a variation of a one-man striker system (even Sven gave up his playing a 4-4-2 for a 4-3-3) further illustrating the paradigm shift in world football.

In the 2006 World Cup, the most popular system was still the regimented 4-4-2 with eight teams using it as their primary system. In fact, only two teams, Portugal and Ivory Coast, used the 4-2-3-1 as their preferred formation throughout their World Cup campaign. Seemingly, within four years a coup d’état has taken place, removing the once popular 4-4-2 with a violent surge to a 4-2-3-1.

So why is the 4-2-3-1 popular now? Well, it offers the opportunity for teams to dominate the midfield area, getting extra numbers in midfield and subsequently are able to control possession. The importance of keeping possession is becoming more and more of a mainstream belief in management, and by playing one-striker up-front, it allows a team to do this.

HOLDING MIDFIELD PLAYER

It also allows for players to play between the lines, floating around the midfield and defence, able to roam between full-backs and centre-backs – positions which make him hard to track in a 4-4-2 due to its rigidity.

What this leads to is the necessity for a holding midfield player, someone who can sit and close down the space available for that roaming attacking midfielder. The implication is that this holding midfielder is the second-striker, resulting in teams playing a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-2-3-1.

However, when playing only one holding midfielder as Argentina did, this midfielder can be moved around by the attacking midfielder, leaving acres of space for the opposition’s central midfield to push forward and find lots of space. This happened during Germany vs. Argentina, where Mascherano, in his tracking of the impressive Mesut Özil (1) was pushed to the flanks, allowing the opportunity for the German central midfielders to control the game and push forward (2). >>>

CRAZY CHILE

These trends led to there being little innovation at the 2010 World Cup, with only a few sprinklings of wing-back systems that usually spice things up a little. With the tournament being devoid of anything fresh, everyone’s eyes were firmly locked on Marcelo Bielsa’s Chile team, whose 3-3-1-3 system was anticipated with much gusto.

They did not disappoint, their hard-pressing and youthful energy impressed pundits and bloggers alike. “Finally, something different!” they said, then against Spain these words  quickly transformed to “Wow, they’re extremely aggressive aren’t they?” as Marco Estrada got sent off and ultimately sent the Chile side back home as they played a defensively- strong Brazil side in the second round, where they inevitably lost.

This was a shame, since they were causing Spain great problems in midfield, always looking to ‘hunt in packs’ without the ball, closing down in two’s and three’s, making life difficult for Spain to pass the ball around midfield as they like to do.

Bielsa’s system was a fresh breath of air, momentarily removing the stale heat produced by the prevalence of 4-2-3-1’s in the tournament.

MEXICO MOVEMENT

Another Latin American country offered viewers a different system, this time it was Mexico, whose fluid changes from a back-four to a back-three must have had viewers startled and confused, resulting in shock, “What, how can this be? How can you change from a flat-back four to a flat-back three at a blink of the eye? What is this? Some Latin American voodoo football?”

It’s not actually magic at all; just simple movement (something supporters of England this summer may not be aware of). With Rafael Márquez just playing in-front of the back-four, this allowed him to comfortably drop deep behind the centre-backs when they had the ball (a reverse libero perhaps?). This gave great defensive protection as well as having extra numbers in midfield. This was best illustrated against South Africa in the first match of the tournament, where the marauding runs of Aguilar and the impressive Carlos Salcido were fantastic to watch.

Their runs were complemented by the two wingers / attacking midfielders, Vela and dos Santos, who looked to both run between the midfield and defence and cutting inside. By starting out-wide and then cutting inside, it brought the South Africa full-backs in following them, making their defence very narrow. Subsequently this allowed Salcido and Aguilar to exploit the space in-front of them to great effect.

2014

All in all, it was pretty dull but this was to be expected given the visible trends in football these days. This World Cup was very much about the 4-2-3-1, even Brazil’s lopsided system can be placed in the 4-2-3-1 ‘box’ – but there is (optimistically) hope on the horizon.

With Dunga leaving after this World Cup, surely the Brazilian footballing bodies would want a manager who empowers and sticks to the traditional Brazilian footballing traditions of flair and creativity in the next World Cup. Also, with Maradona having now just extended his contract to work the next World Cup, you never know what he could devise and put in place for Brazil 2014. They’ll all want to impose a footballing style and legacy that will trouble Spain’s recent successes, hopefully leading to tactical variations and originality that will hopefully breathe fresh air into tactical innovation in the future.

1. A four-ce to be reckoned with..

Wow. What a display from Germany. Not content with securing the biggest win of the first round of matches, or embarrassing England in Bloemfontein, Joachim Lowe’s side sent one of the favourites in Argentina packing in emphatic style. The Germans edged out the South Americans on penalties four years ago, but it was a different story this time round as Bastian Schweinsteiger put in a performance deserving of a candidate for player of the tournament. It was a dominant box-to-box display from a player who had already guided his club to a Champions League final, yet Schweinsteiger has shown no sign of fatigue from his domestic exertions in making us forget about the absence of Michael Ballack. Mesut Ozil may have stolen the headlines earlier in the tournament, but Schweinsteiger put in a performance that highlights his importance to Germany as the man that makes them tick as he controlled the game for them today – both defending and going forward with class. He kept it simple, retaining possession for his side (under very little pressure it has to be said) and breaking up whatever Argentina had to offer in reply, exactly what Germany will need from him in a mouth-watering semi-final clash with Spain. (Click here to see a mini-compilation of Schweinsteiger’s best bits from today).

Above: Schweinsteiger (yellow indicator) going forward for Germany (left), and helping out in defence just 15 seconds later (right).

2. How do you solve a problem like Messi?

Simple – have Bastian Schweinsteiger snapping at his heels for 90 minutes. It was a glorious day in Cape Town as the sun threw itself over the pitch today, but Lionel Messi will be forgiven for not noticing, as the Barcelona playmaker never escaped the imposing shadow of Schweinsteiger. From as early as the first minute, Germany’s talisman was a nuisance to Messi all over the pitch, who had to resort to dropping deep below the halfway line to see possession of the ball. Even then, Schweinsteiger was in constant pursuit, as he was when Messi’s team mates looked to give him the ball, or when Messi made darting runs into the box (right).

Above: Schweinsteiger’s (yellow indicator) attention prevents Messi (light blue indicator) from receiving the ball (left), even when dropping deep to collect it (right).

3. Team Spirit

Germany and Argentina were polar opposites today, with the Europeans defending in numbers and closing down their Argentine counterparts at every opportunity. Thomas Muller and Lucas Podolski became effective wing backs whenever Germany surrendered possession, as seen below. Khedira fell back to partner Schweinsteiger in a defensive midfield role in front of the back four, with Ozil just ahead of them hassling the Argentine defence alongside Klose. In contrast, Diego Maradona’s holy trinity of Messi, Tevez and Higuain were isolated figures up front, rarely getting time on the ball and tracking back very little. As a result, Argentina often found themself out-numbered and out-hustled, with many of their attacks being broke up through interceptions or misplaced passes.

Left: The German back four (light blue) were supported by a midfield partnership of Schweinsteiger and Khedira (yellow), with Muller and Podolski offering support to the wing backs (red). Argentina’s front three found it difficult to create space as a result, with Gonzalo Higuain’s offside goal being the only real time they played through the middle succesfully. Even then, it took a great pass from Heinze to unlock the German defence. Per Mertesacker was dominant at the back, winning almost everything that came into the box, and throwing himself in front of the ball with little regard for his own well-being. Jerome Boateng had his most impressive game of the tournament so far, marshalling the left side of the pitch with supreme confidence – something that will have no doubt pleased Man City fans.

With regard to Argentina’s fullbacks, Nicolas Otamendi and Gabriel Heinze were poor, particularly the former.  Otamendi was drawn out of position far too often which left Podolski in acres of space out left for Germany (below). Thomas Muller was afforded the space to drift in centrally by Gabriel Heinze, as he was against England last week and was yet again rewarded with getting his name on the scoresheet. He will be a big loss to Lowe’s side as another yellow card rules him out of the showdown with Spain. Argentina’s defence was abysmal, particularly their handling of set pieces as was evident in Muller’s opening goal. Germany were far too often allowed have a numerical advantage going forward, and their last three goals all came from a wide player being able to centre the ball to an unopposed team-mate.

Above: Otamendi (light blue) has Muller in his sights (left), but is drawn to the ball too easily, leaving Muller in too much space (right).

4. I’m not cocky – I’m confident

Germany look a very assured team who are well aware of what they are capable of. They were happy to let Argentina have the greater share of possession, as they did England last week, safe in the knowledge that they were more than able to cope with what the opposition had to offer. An aggregate victory of 8-1 over those two games goes a long way to justifying this approach, and with Spain – another team who like to control possession of the ball – around the corner, Lowe’s tactics could topple the Spanish bandwagon.  The Spaniards struggled to break down the Swiss, but in Germany they face a far tougher task and while bookies might argue different, I fancy Lowe’s team as the favourites.

]]> http://backpagefootball.com/world-cup/talking-points-argentina-0-4-germany/feed/ 6 http://backpagefootball.com/world-cup/quarter-final-preview-germany-v-argentina-spain-v-paraguay/ http://backpagefootball.com/world-cup/quarter-final-preview-germany-v-argentina-spain-v-paraguay/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:53:59 +0000 Kevin Coleman http://backpagefootball.com/?p=7267 Argentina v Germany

Cape Town, Saturday at 3PM

Of all the quarter-final showdowns, this is the one that has attracted most interest from football fans. Diego Maradona’s Argentina, fueled by unity and togetherness, against Joachim Loew’s Germany, built on structure and efficiency.

Like Brazil today, this will be the strongest opponent Argentina have come across so far in the competition. After comfortably pushing Mexico aside in the last sixteen, the Argies face a formidable opponent who played England off the park last Sunday. It has been clear from Argentina’s performances that the side relies heavily on the unity in the camp, held together by the colourful character of their manager. This will put Maradona’s tactical and organisation ability as a coach up to the task. A man who only ever won twice in twenty-odd club games as a manager, must pull off the correct tactical decisions against Germany – a nation known for it’s stalwart effectiveness and structure on the field.

One thing is for sure, Maradona won’t venture far from the system that has worked well so far – the 4-3-3 diamond. He could stick with the same side that beat Mexico, but he may ask questions of the midfield  three. Mascherano, the captain, is a certainty – the other two places could be any of Juan Veron, Angel Di Maria, Jonas Gutierrez, Maxi Rodriguez or even Mario Bolatti. I believe he will replace Angel Di Maria – who hasn’t fulfilled his true ability in this World Cup – with Veron. Maxi might play on the left hand side of the diamond, and use his versatility to cover Gabriel Heinze in marshalling both Thomas Mueller and Philip Lahm down Germany’s right hand side.

The final midfield place should go to Veron, primarily a central midfielder but his passing ability and assurance on the ball adds so much to this Argentina side. His central awareness will also help cover Mesut Ozil, and if needs be – Lukas Podolski out on the left. The centre half pairing is another talking point, but he will most likely stay with Burdisso and Demichelis. If he decides to change that, Walter Samuel will start.

Germany will play the same line-up that beat England, if Podolski is fit. Their main attacking outlet is of course Ozil, but their direct running from each wing is also very potent. The movement of Miroslav Klose up front gives space to these three players, who can all score goals and create chances. It’ll be mouth watering to see Javier Mascherano, one of the world’s best defensive midfielder, go toe-to-toe with the summer’s shining light – Mesut Ozil. Lahm will provide an attacking threat from right back.

That’s not the only clash of the titans in the game – let’s not forget Lionel Messi. Who will have the monumental task of keeping an eye on the world’s best player? That’ll be handed to Bastian Schweinsteiger, who’s switch to a centre midfield role while at Bayern Munich this season has been nothing short of genius. Schweinsteiger has been Germany’s most important player, a little overlooked due to the form of Ozil. He, and Sami Khedira, controlled the midfield in each game thus far, but Khedira will have more freedom to make forward runs. Schweinsteiger will square with Messi.

In conclusion, it’s fair to say that this will be one of the games of the tournament, which it already is on paper. Argentina have been playing lovely football, creating plenty of chances and proving the doubters wrong – but will harmony and concord be enough for them to overcome Germany? Diego Maradona isn’t a good tactical manager, but he has instilled a fantastic feeling of unison in the side. Germany have been everything Germany personifies; efficiency, superb tactical nous and structure, with the added mixture of quality, skill, youth and pace. Hold on tight, it’ll be good!

Prediction: Argentina 2-3 Germany

Paraguay v Spain

Ellis Park, Saturday at 7:30PM

Spain couldn’t have a more favourable path into the last four of the World Cup. After overcoming Portugal in a tight game, they face Paraguay who beat Japan on penalties. Paraguay are a decent side, but it must be said they topped a pretty weak group; a poor Italy side, Slovakia and New Zealand. This matched them with Japan, and they played out one of the dullest games of the tournament.

Spain have played a similar system throughout the tournament after their loss against Switzerland, operating David Villa from the left side of the field to devastating effect. A system that could be regarded as a lopsided 4-2-3-1, with Torres spearheading the attack and Andres Iniesta, rather than Jesus Navas, playing on the right of the three. This gives freedom to Xavi, and assurance in the two holding midfielders Xavi Alonso and Sergio Busquets, a surprising regular in the team.

Paraguay play varying styles. Now that they’re in the knockout stage, you may see some consistency and Gerardo Martino may stick to a side similar to the one against Japan, with three central midfielders and Lucas Barrios spearheading the attack, leaving Roque Santa Cruz operating mostly on the right and Edgar Benitez or Oscar Cardoza playing in from the left. The Paraguayans won’t have much expectation going into the game, they played to overcome Japan – happy to settle on penalties – and their World Cup mission is complete having reached the final eight.

Spain will surely play a side similar to the one against Portugal. Del Bosque will be reluctant to pull Fernando Torres for Fernando Llorente, who put in a good performance up front on his own after coming on against Portugal. Apart from that, the Spanish side should name itself.

Paraguay will have to deal with the phenomenal David Villa, playing in from the left. Carlos Bonet is an experienced defender, but will be no match for the class of Villa. If Santa Cruz operates from the right hand side, Bonet may need Enrique Vera to stay back and help him out. Paulo da Silva and Antolin Alcaraz again will also face the tough task of marshalling the power and pace of Torres. Nestor Ortigoza, an out-and-out defensive midfielder, will need to keep an eye on the passing and creativeness of Xavi in the hole.

Out of all the quarter-final clashes, this is the one that takes least consideration. Spain may have got off to a bad start, but the pre-tournament favourites will have too much in quality – both offensively and defensively – than Paraguay can handle.

Prediction: Spain 2-0 Paraguay

On Sunday, England and Germany meet in a mouth watering clash between two of the world’s biggest footballing countries, while Diego Maradona’s unbeaten Argentina play Mexico in a bid to progress to the final eight.

Germany -v- England
Bloemfontein, 16:00 local time

Germany – exciting new look side have been impressive – Despite going through a bit of a blip in the final two games of their group stage, their 4-0 demolition of Australia made us take note of how formidable they can be. A loss against Serbia (no thanks to the harsh sending off of Miroslav Klose) meant Germany went into their final game against Ghana needing a win, and duly delivered albeit in a cagey 1-0 win over a good side.

Germany’s main threat comes from that of Mesut Özil. The Werder Bremen has been one of the brightest players in the World Cup. Against Ghana or Australia he wasn’t picked up, and all the space led to goals being conceded. He is incredibly creative and dangerous on the ball, and England will need have him well reigned to stand any chance. From a Germany perspective, Loew will want Özil to target the weakened England defence. Thomas Müller is another player who can cause damage, from England’s lopsided left hand side of Ashley Cole and Steven Gerrard. In the middle, Germany have been terrific in their ball retention and efficiency, with Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger managing comfortable footholds in each of Germany’s three games. Schweinsteiger is a doubt, and his absence would be a huge boost to England’s hopes but Toni Kroos and Marko Marin are fine replacements.

England – will need to improve hugely to stand any chance – We’ve read enough about England over the past weeks so I’m not going to go into much detail. Capello will probably stick with more or less the same line-up that beat Slovenia rather unconvincingly, although King or Carragher will start at the back instead of Matt Upson. It looks like James Milner will also start after a better game against Slovenia, however I wouldn’t count on as much time on the ball as he did, against the young Holger Badstuber (or Jerome Boateng, if fit).

They will also have to keep tabs on Özil, obviously. This will be suit Gareth Barry but mean Frank Lampard will spend less time where he enjoys being most, attacking the opposition half. Gerrard’s movement will leave a lot of space for Philip Lahm and Mueller to attack, but this is often beneficial to the attacking instincts of Ashley Cole at left back. Up front, anything could happen, however I’d be surprised if Jermain Defoe didn’t start up top with Rooney after his vital goal against Slovenia.

Prediction: Germany 2-1 England

Argentina -v- Mexico
Johannesburg (Soccer City), 20:30 local time

Argentina – should we ever have doubted them? – Many felt Maradona’s men would implode this summer, and even more thought Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, would underperform. For shame. Argentina cruised through Group B, albeit against much lesser opposition. A comfortable 1-0 win over Nigeria, followed by the 4-1 hammering of South Korea and the completing the group with a 2-0 victory over Greece.

Their line-up is even more interesting. Maradona’s decision to return Juan Veron to the line-up, at thirty-six, was a masterstroke. So, he may have been forced to leave Juan Roman Riquelme out on the cold but Veron has been nothing short of superb, flexing his incredible passing ability like the days of old. The attacking trident of Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain has been equally shrewd and formidable. Originally rumoured to be leaving Tevez out, Maradona has stuck with the hardworking Man City man from the beginning alongside the spearhead of Higuain and the awe-insprining Messi.

Their weakness unfortunately comes in defence. They haven’t been tested yet, but the counter-attacking style of Mexico will cause problems. The centre-half pairing is brittle, while Maradona’s persistance with Jonas Gutierrez is a liability to the team at the back.

Mexico – quick, counter-attacking and creative – After France’s implosion, Mexico deservedly helped themselves to second place in Group A just behind Uruguay. They began slowly, which is to be expected when your in the opening game of the tournament against the hosts, but managed at 1-1 draw with South Africa. That was followed by a fully deserved 2-0 victory over France, where they pressed and pushed Les Bleus intensely before cracking the vault in the second half. They finished with a loss against Uruguay, but thanks to their greater goal difference over Bafana Bafana, bagged themselves a spot in the next round.

Mexico have shown to be a fun attacking team to watch, but with a solid defence. Much like Uruguay, they like to play with an attacking trident of Giovani Dos Santos, Franco and Carlos Vela (or Guillermo Blanco or Barrera, with Vela injured). Javier Aguirre then makes the required changes in the second half where Mexico come to the fore, particularly through Javier Hernandez, a bright attacker who recently signed for Manchester Utd. It’s no surprise all of Mexico’s goals have come in the second half, after the “Little Pea” came on.

Mexico are one of the sides who can switch effectively into a 3-4-3 formation, depending on whether or not they have possession. When they’re on the back foot, they play a back four with Rafa Marquez sitting in front, making them very difficult to break down. When they have the ball, they convert neatly to a 3-4-3, as the fantastic Carlos Salcido at left back and his right back counterpart Ricardo Osorio attack up the flanks. This is explained in more detail here.

Prediction: Argentina 3-2 Mexico

Increasingly unpredictable matches mean that there is plenty of value in these markets. I have managed to find, what I think are some very good bets in a number of games over the next few days.

Portugal V North Korea

North Korea’s resilient display against Brazil in their first match was extremely impressive. And given Portugal’s poor preparation, the remarkably off-colour Cristiano Ronaldo and the increasing trend for shocking results in this World Cup. There is good value in a punt for them to win this one at 8/1.

More realistically however, is to say that their unbridled commitment and sheer passion might see them poach a goal. Portugal are, on paper, by far the better team, and after a nervy 0-0 draw in their first match against the Ivory Coast, I expect them to improve and win this one.

One thing we can be sure of is that North Korea will make it very difficult by parking the bus in a truly regimented fashion. For this reason I would be wary of predicting a thrashing. Value for a draw (7/2) can be extended by backing a 1-1 scoreline in the correct score market. This returns odds of 17/2.

However, the same odds are offered for Portugal to win 2-1, which in all honesty looks like  a more sensible bet.

Ronaldo

Without wishing to overuse ‘bus’ cliches, the old London bus expression is worth a mention in terms of Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring potential. Having not scored for his country in a competitive match since Euro 2008, this is just the sort of game where he might fancy a couple.

Ronaldo is 7/2 to score a brace, and 16/1 to score a hat-trick, although the latter seems slightly optimistic against a likely 11 man defence. Better value can be found in an ambitious punt for Ronaldo to score in the first ten minutes. At 17/2, you have to believe that an early tester from distance might just find the net.

Maybe I am getting overexcited. If you fancy this one to be another tight and cagey stalemate, a 0-0 draw returns fantastic odds of 9/1. I cannot see this one being goalless but if you can, snap up the odds.

My bets:

Portugal to win 2-1 (@ 17/2)

Christiano Ronaldo to score in the first ten minutes (@ 17/2)

France V South Africa

France’s tournament went from bad to worse this week after striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home for his half time altercation with coach Raymond Domenech. The French camp is now deeply and publicly divided and their hopes of qualifying for the last 16 stage of the tournament are hanging from the thinnest of threads.

South Africa on the other hand are as good as out of the World Cup, but the hosts are not going to disappear quietly. The host nation has been a non-stop party since the tournament kicked off ten days ago and you can be sure that Bafana Bafana will give everything they have got to ensure they leave their mark on the pitch as well as off it.

France have not only failed to score in their first two games, but have looked decidedly uncreative and wholly uninterested. For this reason a South African victory is by no means out of the question. A 1-0 win is priced at 9/1 whilst a 2-0 victory is 20/1. Both of these prices are extremely good value considering the difference in mindset of these two teams.

With South Africa’s defence not entirely water tight, the main question is whether France can regroup and perform to potential. This one could be an uninspiring goalless draw as both teams lack attacking flair in current form. But, the optimist in me is hoping poor defence on both sides contributes to a more thrilling encounter.

My bet:

South Africa to win 1-0 (@ 9/1)

Greece V Argentina

Diego Maradona’s Argentina side are already through to the last 16, and they might be forgiven for fielding a slightly under strength team against Greece on Tuesday. However, there are three things which should be remembered. The first is that with an abundance of attacking talent, an ‘under strength’ team for Argentina still possess the capability to score freely. The second is that Argentina have not yet actually won the group and will be keen to secure another three points. And the third is that, on the evidence of their performances so far Argentina simply do not have a clue how to play in a more restrained fashion.

With all that in mind, I fancy Argentina to win this one comfortably. However, they do have a defence which is prone to leaking goals, and for that reason a Greece goal is not out of the question.

Odds of Argentina to win 3-0 (10/1), 3-1 (14/1) and 4-1 (33/1) are all extraordinary value. I’ll leave it for you to pick your result.

Good luck!

This is the thinking behind this new series of articles for back page tips. The idea is to highlight good accumulator bets covering every three days of the World Cup. This will give you a vested interest in some of the less appealing games, and keep you glued to your television routing for teams you have never previously cared much for.

So here are my selections for the next three days. Select the teams in CAPITALS to win.

BRAZIL v North Korea

The five time world champions should ease past North Korea on Tuesday. There is no easier way of explaining how one sided this game should be than to quote the odds themselves. Brazil are 1/9 for the win, whilst the North Korea side, appearing in their first World Cup since 1966 are priced way out at 22/1. Should they win, we can safely say, it will be the biggest upset in the history of the tournament.

With Brazil trading at such a short price, you might think that it is not worth having a bet at all. However, these are exactly the types of matches you need to include in your accumulators. Without this result selected, the cumulative odds of all your selections winning will drop dramatically.

If you are confident that Brazil will win by quite a few goals, why not replace a simple bet for Brazil to win, with a handicap bet in your accumulator. Brazil are evens to run out with a victory by more than two goals. Again, it does not look like there is much value in this, but once it is selected as part of a larger accumulator, it’s value will increase.

IVORY COAST v Portugal

This one is extremely difficult to call. Ivory Coast are well fancied to finish above Portugal in group G, but it will probably all come down to their head-to-head. It would be easy to leave this one out of an accumulator if you really could not call it, but, by taking a bit of a risk, you can find extra value.

I am more inclined to back the Ivory Coast to win. They have quality all over the pitch and represent Africa’s best hope in the tournament alongside Ghana and, possibly Cameroon. The fact that the tournament is on home turf and the now customary buzz of the Vuvuzelas will help the Ivory Coast’s cause.

Alongside Portugal’s poor form coming into the World Cup, the statistic that sold this result for me is that Christiano Ronaldo has not scored a competitive goal for Portugal since Euro 2008.

SPAIN v Switzerland

Spain are favourites for the competition and I expect them to take care of Switzerland without too many problems. The European champions are a team in their absolute prime and have immense quality throughout their squad. If they can reproduce anything like the form they did during Euro 2008, they will ease past the Swiss and sail to victory in group H.

ARGENTINA v South Korea

This is an interesting one. Both teams won their opening games and played reasonably well, although there is room for improvement in both camps. Argentina looked shaky at the back against Nigeria on Saturday and it would not surprise me if South Korea scored. However, with arguably the most attacking prowess in the competition and a front three who combined to score over 100 goals for their club sides last season, I cannot see Argentina being so wasteful in front of goal against South Korea. Overall I think Argentina will get enough chances to win this one and they will continue to improve as the tournament progresses.

CHILE v Honduras

These are two teams I confess to knowing little about. However, having done a bit of research, I have selected Chile to win for the following reasons. After playing 18 qualifying games, Chile finished the South American group as runners up to Brazil. This is an impressive achievement given they were competing against strong teams including: Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina (albeit that Argentina had a very patchy qualifying campaign).

In contrast, Honduras scraped into the World Cup finals on goal difference ahead of Costa Rica after playing only 10 games in the North, Central American and Caribbean qualifying group campaign against opposition which, in my view are not as strong as those in the top half of Chile’s qualifying group.

MEXICO v France

France looked very poor in their World Cup opener against Uruguay on Friday night and barely had a shot on goal in the nil-nil stalemate. In contrast, Mexico have looked good going forward in recent weeks, most notably against England at Wembley at the back end May.

Although they could only manage a 1-1 draw with South Africa, they showed signs of good attacking flair in what was avery tough, and understandably highly pressured tournament opener against the hosts. Geovanni Dos Santos looked lively, and has both the pace and creativity to cause confusion and a breakdown in communication in what is a very publicly disunited French side.

Overall odds: 30/1

Good luck!

Whilst he did not score, Messi looked extremely lively and could have netted a hat-trick if it were not for a number of extraordinary saves from Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama who thoroughly deserved his man of the match award.

Although the early signs are that the World Footballer of the Year could take this World Cup by storm, Argentina looked out of shape at the back and should really have been punished for some sloppy defending. Playing Jonas Gutierrez at right back was a strange decision by Argentina coach Diego Maradona. The Newcastle United winger looked very uncomfortable throughout. Against better opposition Argentina could have conceded two or three goals.

For Messi to win the golden boot, Argentina need to improve their defending and progress to the latter stages of the competition, otherwise there is the risk that Messi will not have enough games to score the goals required. However, judging from his fine attempts on goal against Nigeria, and the form we have seen him produce for Barcelona in recent seasons, he could easily stake a claim for the golden boot within two or three matches.

‘The greatest footballer on the planet’

Messi will have taken encouragement from a shambolic defensive display by Greece who were lucky to only concede two against South Korea on Saturday lunchtime. And he will certainly be looking to fill his boots against Greece a week on Tuesday.

The good news is that the odds of Messi winning the golden boot have not changed since the beginning of the tournament and so early skeptics (myself included) have not missed out on any value. He is priced at 12/1. This is outstanding value and is surely worth a cheeky fiver.

At the end of the day Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer on the planet, who has just had the greatest season of his life, and looks to be playing in his favoured, free-roaming role in an Argentina side where he is surrounded by world class players. Despite the defensive worries which may see them take a slightly early exit from the competition, odds of 12/1 for a man who scored 30 goals in 35 starts this domestic season, and four against a none-to-shabby Arsenal side just nine weeks ago should be snapped up without a second thought (or a third thought if you count my omission of him in my overall World Cup markets post).

I am not saying it is definitely going to happen. But I am saying that you will kick yourself for not backing him if he suddenly repeats his four goal masterclass and sets this World Cup alight.

One more thing, if you have been inspired to back the humble little man to win the golden boot, do not waste any time in getting your money on. Good value like this does not usually last long.

Best of luck!

1. Cometh the Hour…

Cometh the man. The world was watching as Lionel Messi took the pitch in Johannesburg today, and the little wonder did not disappoint. Messi was at the centre of almost everything Argentina did going forward, and his personal duel with Nigeria ‘keeper Vincent Enyeama was a delight to watch. Granted, Messi did not replicate the meteoric high performances we’re used to fawning over at Barcelona, but he was Argentina’s best player today and a variety of delicious dribbling and sizzling attempts at goal were a pleasure to watch. It’s common knowledge that if Argentina are to go far this summer, Maradona will have to get the best out of the World Player of the Year. So far, so good.

2. In-Vince-ible

Arsenal were reported to have pulled out of a deal for Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, apparently unimpressed by his £2 million price tag. After witnessing him come out on top against Messi and co today (everywhere except the scoreline that is), Arsene Wenger must be kicking himself. Enyeama was in scintillating form. It takes the very best saves for a goalkeeper to capture the viewer’s imagination, but today Enyeama made three world class stops, and looked assured on almost every occasion. £2 million? An absolute bargain, but you can be sure the ‘keeper’s stock will have risen dramatically after this display. With that, so has his price tag.

3. No Gut = Glory?

I don’t like picking on a player after one match, but Jonás Gutiérrez looked uncomfortably poor at right back before he came off today despite the relatively poor opposition. It’s understandable – not many left sided winger’s are capable of putting in a shift at right back. What’s baffling is that Maradona has a dependable Nicolás Burdisso and a highly-rated Nicolás Otamendi – both natural to the position – on the bench. Nigeria’s only real threat came down the left in the first half. Coincidence? Not really, Gutiérrez was caught out several times leading to Nigerian chances. Surely Maradona will make a change for their next match against a highly organised South Korea.

4. All Eyes On Me

All eyes may have been on Leo Messi today, but all cameras were on Diego Maradona. With José Mourinho on holiday for the summer now that his future has been sorted, the media need a new controversial managerial figure to focus on, and it’s in this role that Maradona thrives. Looking incredibly dapper in a designer suit, Maradona was flashed on our screens countless times during the match today. Despite a more or less comfortable victory, the fiery Argentina was seen barking at the fourth official on numerous occasions. A highly competitive South Korea await, and with tougher fixtures ahead in Argentina’s inevitable forray into the knock-out stages, Maradona’s temper will be tested. As a result, a sneaky trip to the bookies on Diego to see red and be sent to the stands may be in order.

5. Fallen Angel

Just a quick word on Angel Di Maria, who has been predicted by many – myself included – to steal the show this summer. It wasn’t the best of World Cup births. Di Maria was anonymous for the majority of his 85 minutes on the field. Rather than the youthful exuberance of the Benfica winger, it was the masterful veteran touch of Juan Veron that dictated Argentina’s approach. With Seba pulling the strings in the middle of the pitch and Javier Mascherano patrolling behind, Messi, Tevez and Higuain were allowed to flaunt their stuff up front. Despite the solitary goal, Argentina’s attacking options will pose a lot more problems for teams later on in the tournament than they did against Nigeria today.

6. No Need For Stereotype

One thing you can be sure of, or so we’re told, is the energetic and relentless athleticism from the African nations this summer. With that cliché, I raise you another: there are no sure things in football. Nigeria looked tired, if not lazy against an Argentine side who were content to stroke the ball around the pitch and make the Super Eagles work for possession – a task that was, for the most point, beyond them. Keeping up with our watch on how teams get around the pains of the Jubilani football, Argentina kept their passes short and – more importantly – relatively low. It worked, with Maradona’s side controlling 58% of the possession today and rarely surrendering possession poorly.

7.  Threat as a Threat

One thing we noticed about Argentina today was their main weapon. Not Lionel Messi, but their potential. With a relatively straight forward 4-3-3 formation, Maradona relaxed any defensive responsibilities to his front three. Lukman Haruna rarely got forward as a result – the threat of Messi, Tevez and Higuain’s capabilities on any potential counter attack firmly outweighine the assistance Haruna could offer those ahead of him. This mentality hampered a lot of Nigeria’s attacks today, with their forwards being vastly outnumbered on the break, but it worked a treat for Argentina. It may also come off against South Korea and Greece, but with potential knock out clashes ahead where they may be underdogs against the likes of England and Spain, sticking with this approach for the whole tournament may be ill advised.

It was very much a case of ‘job done’ for Argentina following their 1-0 win over Nigeria today, but there were plenty of holes to pick for the critics.

Maradona’s men looked set to run riot after Gabriel Heinze’s header gave them a sixth minute lead but what followed was 84 minutes of mediocrity with the odd moment of individual excellence thrown in.

Talisman Lionel Messi looked threatening from the word go but the end product was never really there, and Gonzalo Higuain had a very poor night in front of goal.

Another player who was expected to shine was Angel Di Maria but the Benfica winger did little to justify all the hype that has been surrounding him as of late.

Jonas Gutierrez simply does not look comfortable at right back and his presence gives the team a very unbalanced look.

It would be unfair not to give Nigeria some credit however as they stifled their opponents throughout and goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, once a target for Arsenal, was in superb form with a number of world class saves.

Indeed, the Super Eagles should have made Argentina pay for some lacklustre defending with left back Taye Taiwo going close with a low drive across goal, while substitute Kalu Uche squandered a golden opportunity to square things.

It will be interesting to see how the Argentines cope against a free flowing South Korea side when the two teams meet next Thursday, and it is most likely that the game will decide who finishes first and second in Group C.

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