Group E (Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia)
- Thread starter Samid
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
The most boring group among the favorites.
Matic and SMS get some pre-season football together so that's good.. BRA / SRB go through..
As a brazilian, we should have no trouble getting out of that group. Costa Rica has the tools to grab second place.
How will Brazil probably line up?
There is no way we (Serbia) are getting out of group. Complete bottlers and none of them give 2 fecks about national team.
I don't care either. After SA debacle, I don't follow nor watch our games.
I think Brazil and Costa Rica will go through.
I don't care either. After SA debacle, I don't follow nor watch our games.
I think Brazil and Costa Rica will go through.
Costa Rica weren't great in qualifying. Massively overachieved last time and think it's pretty optimisic to think an ageing squad can do that again.
Brazil safe as houses. Swiss usually do enough to get second in these groups but I'll go for Serbia to beat them and get second as they have some good players, just whether they can keep things stable mentally which is always a problem with them and Croatia.
In group games:
Alisson
Danilo Marquinhos Miranda Marcelo
Paulinho Casemiro Coutinho
Willian Gabriel Jesus Neymar
Danilo Marquinhos Miranda Marcelo
Paulinho Casemiro Coutinho
Willian Gabriel Jesus Neymar
Against top NTs:
Alisson
Danilo Marquinhos Miranda Marcelo
Paulinho Casemiro Fernandinho
Coutinho Gabriel Jesus Neymar
Danilo Marquinhos Miranda Marcelo
Paulinho Casemiro Fernandinho
Coutinho Gabriel Jesus Neymar
Switzerland didn't really impress me in qualyfing either.
Not sure what to think about Serbia, Matic is their best player isn't he ? Although when he first started at United people liked him, he quickly got the Cafe's ''tough love''. My Costa Rica pick is based mainly on Navas performances..keep the ball out of the goal and hope for the best upfront.
Based on this season's form, Firmino deserves to start ahead of Jesus but I reckon Jesus brings more flair. Does Tite got a clear number one choice there ?
Brazil 9pts
Serbia
Switzerland
Costa Rica
Serbia vs Swiss is the big game here, if Serbia take it as expected, they're in.
Serbia
Switzerland
Costa Rica
Serbia vs Swiss is the big game here, if Serbia take it as expected, they're in.
Serbia have lots of experience and quality: Ivanovic, Kolarov, Nastasic, Tadic, Matic, Milivojevic and SMS (I presume he gets called up now under the new manager?). They came through a tricky qualifying group aswell.
Main problems are lack of strikers (Mitrovic is their best one) and as other poster said always plenty of tension around their squad on and off the pitch.
Gabriel Jesus will start. Firmino can take his place during the wc. In fact this Brazil under Tite will not rely on the 9 to decide games. The 9 will be more important to open spaces. So any of them could start.
Tite plays with basically 4 midfielders. He really needs the front two to pressure the defense and run behind them. Firmino likes to receive the ball at his foot, the team would become too ‘technical imo’.
SMS will play he already got called up by the new manager and played against China and South Korea the only reason he didn't play in the last friendlies was due to a slight injury and Lazio made a big cry cause they were challenging for CL and didn't want him to get further injured.
SMS looked really good in the friendlies he played in here's an assist he got:
To add to the players you named Serbia has Zivkovic from Benfica (apparently he might go to Arsenal) and Ljajic Torino's best player (fergie was trying to sign back when he was only 17/18yo) he's has had a great season scoring 6 goals and having 13 assists from 28 games this season.
In terms of Strikers Serbia has Mitrovic who got loaned out to Fulham due to issues with Rafa (mainly too many red cards) he scored something like 12 goals in his first 15 games for Fulham so he's in great form and looking to help Fulham get promoted clearly too good for the Championship. His goal scoring record for Serbia is great scoring twice against Nigeria in the last friendly. Serbia also has Prijovic Paok's striker who had a break through season scoring 27 goals in all competitions.
Serbia's biggest issue is its defence just been leaking silly goals, though in the last Friendly they played both Milivojevic (Crystal palaces player of the season along with Zaha) and Matic just in front as a shield and looked really good easily beating Nigeria. If they can fix the issues at the back i think they have enough talent to get second in the group also Kolarov has had a great season at Roma and is a great attacking option at left back, imo Serbia has clearly the second best team on paper.
The Swiss are always horrible to watch at major tournaments
Brazil tends to start tournaments slow so I’m guessing our first game will be unimpressive performance.
Yes I know Ljajic as seen plenty of Torino over last 18 months. Not a huge fan as think he's an incredibly selfish player who hardly ever passes in the final third and needs a team built around him.
Does Zoran Tosic still get called up to continue the United link?
Does Zoran Tosic still get called up to continue the United link?
Nah Tosic was phased out of the side like a year and half ago.
Does anyone know what Switzerland's starting XI will look like ?
What are the odds of Ivanovic injuring Neymar? I hope he rests this game.
--------------------------------- Sommer ---------------------------------------------
Lichtsteiner-------Djourou/Akanji-----------Schär------------------------Rodriguez
------------------------Xhaka---------Behrami/Zakaria-------------------------------
Shaqiri------------------------Dzemaili-------------------------------Mehmedi/Zuber
------------------------------Seferovic/Embolo----------------------------------------
As a Swiss, I guarantee you we'll play the most boring football of the tournament. Our front line is horrible. We'll still make it through the group stage I guess, we hardly ever concede (usually 9 players behind the ball, all despite Djourou in our defence) and Shaqiri tends to produce a moment of brilliance each game.
Switzerland are actually the favorites in this game (bookmakers). You certainly can't give a clear edge to any team in this game. More like 50/50.
Serbia's most likely XI will be
--------------------------------------Stojkovic
Rukavina-----------------Ivanovic-------------Nastasic-------------------Kolarov
---------------------------Milivojevic---------------Matic
------------------------------------------Savic
Tadic-------------------------------------------------------------------Ljajic/Kostic
---------------------------------------Mitrovic
Serbia has basically the opposite problem, We've played fairly attacking football and have scored goals in every game since qualifiers began only problem is we've conceded goals also.
One positive is that in the recent friendly against Nigeria Serbia continued to create a load of chances winning 2-0 (should of been more, Mitrovic was denied a hat-trick when a goal wasn't given even though ball crossed the line) but the most impressive thing was that the defence looked solid hopefully it continues cause if it doesn't I can see us continuing to concede goals.
Looking forward to matchday 3 in this group, Serbia vs Brazil and could potentially see SMS vs Fred in midfield.
Is Fred likely to start though?
That is exactly what Firmino does every game, this guy is absolutely amazing at opening spaces. Imo the worlds best in this category. If this is the main task for the 9 at Brazil, he should start.
Serbia could surprise this year. They finally look to have built an interesting national team.
Mehmedi just withdrew from the WC due to lack of fitness from his broken foot. Is Akanji's spot really in limbo? He's done pretty well since moving to Dortmund and I don't exactly remember Djourou in good shape.
Serbia is the favorite for the second place (they have better team than Switzerland) but I still favour Switzerland to go through. Boring as feck, but rarely manage to concede goals.
I won't be surprised at all to see Serbia defeating Brazil and then somehow manage to not qualify for KO in the end.
Costa Rica will get a single point, a boring 0-0 draw with Serbia.
My predictions:
Brazil 6 points
Switzerland 6 points
Serbia 4 points
Costa Rica 1 point
I won't be surprised at all to see Serbia defeating Brazil and then somehow manage to not qualify for KO in the end.
Costa Rica will get a single point, a boring 0-0 draw with Serbia.
My predictions:
Brazil 6 points
Switzerland 6 points
Serbia 4 points
Costa Rica 1 point
Brazil will not lose to Serbia, mate. Appart from a pointless game in 1998 with some alternative players against Norway(*), Brazil never lose to NTs with the status of Serbia.
The NTs that beat Brazil in the wc since the 70s are always the same: Italy, France, Argentina, Netherlands, Germany. Maybe Spain can join the club now. lets see. Look the list of NTs that defeated Brazil in last decades:
1974: Netherlands
1978: (no lost)
1982: Italy
1986: France
1990: Argentina
1994: (no lost)
1998: France and *Norway
2002: (no lost)
2006: France
2010: Netherlands
2014: Germany and Netherlands.
My prediction: Brazil is always slow in the first game and Switzerland can defend well. It wil be a draw and Brazil and Switzerland will qualify.
Neymar looks good to go. I think he will get another half of football in the next friendly, and start from game one in Russia.
Also, Brazil look a completely different team with Firmino in it as compared to Jesus. The linkup play, pressing, clever movement and aggression that he brings helps Brazil attack more often and more coherently. I think Jesus should be an impact sub, while Firmino should start every game along with Neymar.
Also, Brazil look a completely different team with Firmino in it as compared to Jesus. The linkup play, pressing, clever movement and aggression that he brings helps Brazil attack more often and more coherently. I think Jesus should be an impact sub, while Firmino should start every game along with Neymar.
I honestly don't see Brazil losing a single game in this group even if they spare some players to the next stage as they usually do. Tite owns many options in the bench and they are good enough to deal with everyone in this group. I'd like to see Costa Rica shining again and making it through as they did in the previous WC, but I think that Switzerland will qualify instead.
That is very true.
Costa Rica to go through in second place, Serbia and Switzerland winless.
My money is on Serbia and Brazil in this group. Looking forward to assessing Milinkovic-Savic.
Fred injured during training. could be out of the World Cup.
link : https://deportes.televisa.com/copa-...ias/alarma-en-brasil-por-lesion-grave-de-fred
link : https://deportes.televisa.com/copa-...ias/alarma-en-brasil-por-lesion-grave-de-fred
After seeing them tonight, don't see Costa Rica doing anything this World cup. Could well finish bottom of their group which was expected last time.
It was funny because in 2014 everyone expected Costa Rica to finish bottom, but surprisingly they won their group which consisted of 3 former world champions (England, Italy and Uruguay).
It's true. They topped the Group of Death and they were knocked out only on penalties in the quarter-finals.
At this time, they will face theorically an easier group, but they are still being seen as the dark horses.
I share your feelings. They're absolute valium for the senses.
Tough group this one. Brazil goes through but all the other 3 teams have a shot. I expect Serbia to just be slightly better than the other 2 with some healthy support from the locals.