World Cup Group L Preview
Back-to-back Euros finalists England and back-to-back World Cup top three finishers Croatia highlight a very competitive group alongside a dangerous Ghana team and a Panama team that will be looking to build on its 2018 performance.
Group L fixtures (all kick-off times are in BST)
England vs Croatia 17th June 9pm
Ghana vs Panama 18th June 12am
England vs Ghana 23rd June 9pm
Panama vs Croatia 24th June 12am
Panama vs England 27th June 10pm
Croatia vs Ghana 27th June 10pm
England
The Gareth Southgate era is over, and Thomas Tuchel will endeavour to bring football home, and this is probably England's best chance to win the World Cup since 1990. The squad has Elite players at every level of the squad, and despite a few bizarre selection calls, the depth is also good enough in the key areas. Coming off back-to-back Euros finals and a narrow loss to France in Qatar, it kind of feels like, if not this tournament, when, because Harry Kane will be 36 at the next tournament and no young striker is appearing at any level close to good enough to get near this squad. With Kane at his peak, it's now or never.
The Attack is great and deep with Kane through the middle scoring at well over a goal a game this season for Bayern Munich, then Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford on the wings all having had good seasons for Arsenal, Newcastle and Barcelona and Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Jude Bellingham in the number 10 position plus Ollie Watkins off the bench has been in great form for Aston Villa as they won the Europa League this attack should put goals past Panama and a Ghana team who are bad defensively.
The midfield has a few questions: if either Elliott Anderson or Declan Rice get injured, if those two stay fit the whole tournament, only Portugal and Spain have a better midfield in my view, but if one does get injured, does Bellingham play deeper or can Kobbie Mainoo elevate to fill the shoes adequately? At the back, Marc Guehi and one of John Stones or Ezri Konsa is a good centre-back pair. Reece James is good at right back, and Nico O'Reilly has been Man City's breakout player of the season and is a good left back. The depth at full back in particular isnt great, and if Tino Livramento or Djed Spence have to play a significant amount of minutes, England could be in a bit of trouble. Finally, Jordan Pickford continues to be the most underrated goalkeeper in the world because he plays for Everton.
England should romp this group, but winning the group is imperative, given that if they do that, they avoid the possibility of playing France and Spain until the final, with Argentina and Portugal the biggest roadblocks to a potential Final. England can win this tournament. I think they will fall just short in the latter rounds, but I don't really see a world they don't get to the quarter-finals, given the route. If they top the group, there is a chance England could get like 4 points in the group, but I can't see how it is any less than that given how poor Panama and Ghana are talent-wise compared to this England squad.
Croatia
Croatia have finished 2nd and 3rd at the last two World Cups, and for a country of under 4 million people that is a remarkable achievement. While certain players like Luka Modric and the attackers are ageing, the narrative that this team is over the hill is simply not true; there are only 7 players in this squad who are 30 or older, and it includes a couple of really exciting younger players.
Modric is still the headline grabber, but despite being 40, he is currently beating Father Time and has still been excellent for AC Milan this season, and while his minutes in the group stage will need to be managed, the midfield depth is very good. Mateo Kovacic is still here, and while he has had an injury-hit season, he is still very reliable, and the same goes for Mario Pasalic, who can pair Modric nicely as a more defensive player, but the future midfield three of the next Croatian team is also in this squad in the shape of Martin Baturina of Como, Petar Sucic of Inter Milan and Luka Sucic of Real Sociedad these three are all 23 or younger and have at least 17 caps already despite the legendary midfield they're replacing still being in the squad whichever of these 5 guys take the two spots next to Modric the Croatian midfield will be excellent.
Defensively, this Croatian team doesn't have anyone over 30 apart from the goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who is 31, but judging by the age of plenty of the goalkeepers around this tournament, he could still have two more World Cups in him as the starter. Josko Gvardiol is an elite player who has had an injury-hit season but is great at both centre-back and left back. Josip Stanisic has started many games this season for Bayern, including in the latter stages of the Champions League at either side of the defence; he can play left or right back. Duje Caleta-Car and Josip Sutalo are both good centre-back options, plus the inclusion of 19-year-old Luka Vuskovic, who has been outstanding on loan at Hamburg this season, and I'm sure Spurs regretted letting him leave on loan given how their season went between those six; there is a great back four in front of Livakovic, who is a good keeper, especially in knockout games, because of his penalty record.
The problem for this team is in forward areas; this is the one bit of the pitch where the common ageing assessment is accurate, with Ivan Perisic being 37, Andrej Kramaric being 34, and Ante Budimir also being 34, and the younger guys in this group like Igor Matanovic are likely unproven. That being said, what Perisic and Kramaric provide is 270 caps and 74 goals for Croatia, so they have been in these great teams and know how to score important goals late in tournaments. While they might not have the speed they once did, if a chance falls to someone, it will be one of these two, and they will put it away.
Like England, I can't see Croatia not finishing in the top 2 with 4 points a minimum expectation and like England, there is a world where they win the whole thing despite the talent deficit they have in forward areas; Croatian teams just know how to win knockout games at a World Cup
Panama
Panama reaching their second World Cup is a huge milestone, and for a country of roughly 4.4 million people, that is a remarkable achievement. While certain players like Aníbal Godoy and Alberto Quintero are ageing, the narrative that this team is simply here to make up the numbers is not entirely fair; there are plenty of players in their prime in this squad, and they have enough experience to make life difficult for better teams.
Adalberto Carrasquilla is the headline grabber, although his fitness will need to be monitored after he picked up an injury in the Liga MX final shortly before the squad announcement. Godoy is still here at 36 and remains an important defensive organiser, even if his minutes will need to be managed. Carlos Harvey and Cristian Martínez are both good options alongside Carrasquilla, while Yoel Bárcenas, César Yanis and José Luis Rodríguez offer more creativity and width further forward. Alberto Quintero is now 38, but he can still provide experience from the bench.
Defensively, Panama are likely to rely on Orlando Mosquera in goal, with Luis Mejía and César Samudio providing experienced alternatives. Amir Murillo is the standout defender and is excellent at either right-back or wing-back, while Fidel Escobar can play at centre-back or step into midfield. Andrés Andrade and Edgardo Fariña are both solid options, plus the inclusion of José Córdoba, who has adapted well to English football with Norwich City. Eric Davis and César Blackman also give Thomas Christiansen options at full-back, so there is a decent defence in front of Mosquera even if there is no elite centre-back pairing.
The problem for this team is in forward areas; this is the one part of the pitch where the common assessment of Panama lacking top-level quality is accurate. Ismael Díaz, José Fajardo and Cecilio Waterman have largely played outside Europe’s strongest leagues, while Tomás Rodríguez is unproven at this level. That being said, Díaz and Fajardo have scored important goals for Panama and understand how to play together. If Panama create a chance on the counter-attack, it will probably fall to one of those two.
I cannot see Panama finishing in the top two ahead of England or Croatia, but the expanded format gives them a chance of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams. Their opening game against Ghana is crucial. A result there and a competitive performance in the other matches could be enough to keep them alive; Panamanian teams know how to dig deep and make better sides work for everything.
Ghana
Ghana have always been one of Africa’s strongest exporters of top-level talent, and for a country with four Africa Cup of Nations titles, that is a well-deserved reputation. However, this is not a full-strength Ghana squad. Mohammed Kudus is missing, Mohammed Salisu is out injured, and Alexander Djiku has also withdrawn with a hamstring injury. There is still plenty of talent here, but those absences significantly reduce their margin for error.
Antoine Semenyo is now the headline grabber. His power, pace and ability to create chances without needing Ghana to dominate possession make him the most dangerous player in this squad. Thomas Partey is still the key man in central midfield, and despite being 32, he remains a very useful player for Villarreal. Elisha Owusu and Kwasi Sibo can give him defensive support, while Augustine Boakye and Caleb Yirenkyi offer younger alternatives. Further forward, Abdul Fatawu and Kamaldeen Sulemana are wide players rather than central midfielders, and both can stretch defences with their speed.
Defensively, Ghana are weaker than they would have been at full strength, but there are still some good options. Lawrence Ati-Zigi is likely to start in goal, with Joseph Anang and Benjamin Asare providing cover. Alidu Seidu can play at right-back or centre-back, while Gideon Mensah and Baba Rahman give Ghana experienced options on the left. Without Salisu and Djiku, the centre-back pairing is less settled, but Abdul Mumin and Jerome Opoku are both solid options. Derrick Luckassen has been called up as Djiku’s replacement, while Jonas Adjetey is an exciting younger defender who could also get minutes.
The strength of this team is in forward areas. Semenyo gives Ghana a genuine Premier League-level threat, while Iñaki Williams can stretch teams with his movement and experience. Fatawu, Sulemana, Ernest Nuamah and Christopher Bonsu Baah provide pace and unpredictability in the wide areas, and Jordan Ayew is still capable of producing an important moment despite approaching the end of his international career. Ghana will miss Kudus’ creativity, but they still have enough attacking quality to hurt any team in this group.
I can see Ghana competing with Croatia for second place, although four points would be a good return rather than a minimum expectation given the injuries. Their opening game against Panama is essential because England and Croatia will be much harder tests. If Ghana win that first match and their new-look defence settles quickly, there is a realistic route into the knockout rounds; this is a dangerous team, but a less dependable one than it would have been with Kudus, Salisu and Djiku available.
Predictions
In my predictions, Ghana progresses as one of the 8 best third-place teams
Comments
Post a Comment