World Cup 2018: Group C Preview
As the domestic season comes to a close attention is quickly turning to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
In order to get you ready for the month-long festival of football Marking The Spot will provide you with in-depth previews of each group highlighting the players to watch in Russia this summer.
Lets take a look at Group C.
FRANCE
France bring not only the all-round talents of a battle hardened squad of players but the pride of a nation that boasts a historic connection to football’s most prestigious tournament to Russia.
Frenchman Jules Rimet was the long-time FIFA President who oversaw the creation of the World Cup and ensured that France were one of the four European nations who contested the first finals. Not only that, but Lucien Laurent scored, in Uruguay in 1930, the first goal in World Cup history.
France were only the second European nation to play hosts, in 1938, and in Sweden, 20 years later, a centre forward Just Fontaine set a record that still stands of 13 goals in one tournament. His goals, the majority created by legendary partner Raymond Kopa, led France to third place.
A team led by Michel Platini finished third again in 1986 before their successors, inspired by coach Aimé Jacquet and captain Didier Deschamps, provided France with their first World Cup success in 1998. The hosts defeated Brazil 3-0 in the final at the Stade de France with two goals from Zinedine Zidane and one from Emmanuel Petit. Two years later, they added the European crown to their world title.
France reached the World Cup final again in 2006. They took an early lead through a Zidane penalty before being held 1-1 by Italy and losing a penalty shoot-out.
Coach Raymond Domenech departed in 2010, to be succeeded for a major rebuilding challenge by Laurent Blanc and then Deschamps. The latter guided France to the quarter-finals in Brazil losing to eventual champions Germany and then to the runners-up place as hosts at EURO 2016. The resurgent nucleus of that team then topped the table in European qualifying Group A to secure their ticket to Russia.
The group appeared a challenging one for Les Bleus, including as it did the Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria, Luxembourg and Belarus, who held France to a goalless draw in the opening match. Within just over two months, however, the team were back on track after a 4-1 win over Bulgaria and then a 1-0 win in the Netherlands thanks to a first-half goal from Paul Pogba, who struck again in a 2-1 home win over Sweden.
The only defeat suffered by Les Bleus was the visit to Sweden, whom they led by only one point approaching the last matchday. France seized the victory they needed over Belarus in Saint-Denis after first-half goals from Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud. Simultaneously, Sweden lost 2-0 in the Netherlands. France thus ended the campaign four points clear of the Swedes, who entered the play-offs.
Attacking partners Griezmann and Giroud were France’s joint leading marksmen, with four goals each in the qualifying campaign, followed by two apiece for Pogba, Kévin Gameiro, Thomas Lemar and Dimitri Payet. There was one goal each for Blaise Matuidi and Kylian Mbappé, the brilliant teenager for whom Paris Saint-Germain have agreed to pay Monaco €180m.
In Russia, France must cope with the weight of recent as well as past football history. Old heroes such as Laurent, Fontaine, Kopa and Platini set high standards subsequently emulated by the likes of Zidan, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieria and marksman Thierry Henry with a record 51 goals. Dechamps himself provides the perdect connection.
This French side boasts superstars across the pitch and they’ve already shown their pedigree at EURO 2016. Home support undoubtedly played a role in their route to the final but the exciting talents this team contains means Les Bleus have a real chance of lifting their second World Cup 20 years after their first. They should easily finish first in this group and will be bitterly disappointed with anything less than a quarter-final finish.
The Coach – Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps, 49, knows all about the pressures of a World Cup from his career not only as a manager but as a winning captain. The former Marseille, Juventus and Chelsea midfielder captained France to victory as hosts in 1998 and to European Championship success two years later. Retirement led to coaching appointments with Monaco, Juventus and Marseille before he took over Les Bleus in 2012. Deschamps guided them to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup and then to the runner-up slot, as hots, at EURO 2016. Known for his no-nonsense style, his mistrust of the press and an ability to make tough decisions, he signed a contract extension that will keep him in charge until 2020.
Record at previous tournaments:
- 1930 1st round
- 1934 1st round
- 1938 Quarter-finals
- 1950 Withdrew
- 1954 1st round
- 1958 3rd place
- 1962 Did not qualify
- 1966 1st round
- 1970 Did not qualify
- 1974 Did not qualify
- 1978 1st round
- 1982 4th place
- 1986 3rd place
- 1990 Did not qualify
- 1994 Did not qualify
- 1998 Champions
- 2002 Group stages
- 2006 Runners-up
- 2010 Group stage
- 2014 Quarter-finals
AUSTRALIA
Australia always seem to rack up the most air miles in qualifying for the World Cup and this time was no exception. They had to overcome Honduras in the intercontinental play-offs to reach Russia.
Australia’s World Cup consistency has helped raise football’s profile in a sports-crazy country amid competition from Aussie Rules, both codes of rugby and cricket. Football Federation Australia was founded only in 1963 (it was then called the Australian Soccer Federation) and their World Cup debut followed 11 years later in West Germany. Their best showing, in reaching the last 16, was in 2006, immediately before Australia transferred from the Oceania Football Confederation to its Asian football “neighbour”.
The Socceroos underwent a minor revolution after Ange Postecoglou took over in 2013. They lost all three of their games at the World Cup finals in Brazil a year later but progressed to win the AFC Asian Cup on home soil in 2015.
That set them up perfectly for the challenge of qualifying for Russia through the testing Asian system. Australia were seeded directly to the second round, in which they topped Group B ahead of Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Bangladesh. They won seven matches and lost only once, 2-0 away to eventual runners-up Jordan in Amman, scoring 29 goals and conceding a mere four.
Captain Mile Jedinak scored their opening goal in a 2-1 victory in Kyrgyzstan while veteran Tim Cahill was their leading goalscorer with eight goals. His tally included two in the concluding 5-1 win over Jordan, which confirmed Australia in top spot.
The third round was nothing like as straightforward in a difficult Group B. Of the five teams, only Thailand were novices; Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iraq were all previous finalists. On the last matchday, Australia needed to win at home to Thailand to clinch their passage to Russia and hope that Saudi Arabia did not beat the already qualified Japan in Jeddah.
Goals from Tomi Juric and Matthew Leckie brought a 2-1 win over Thailand, but the Saudis defeated Japan 1-0 to claim second place on goal difference. Third-placed Australia thus entered the Asian play-offs, where they needed extra-time in Sydney to overcome Syria 2-1 and thus 3-2 on aggregate. Cahill scored both goals to earn an intercontinental play-off against Honduras from CONCACAF.
Solid defending earned a goalless draw away in San Pedro Sula before a hat-trick from skipper Jedinak, including two penalties, earned a 3-1 victory back at the Stadium Australia. After 22 games all around Asia and across the world, Australia had made it to the finals for the fourth time in succession and fifth in all.
This team bears only a passing resemblance to the outfit on view in Brazil in 2014. The squad has been drawn from as far afield as England, Scotland, Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The “English contingent” included goalkeeper Matt Ryan (Brighton & Hove Albion), goalscoring captain Jedinak (Aston Villa), midfielders Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town), Massimo Luongo (QPR) and 38-year-old striker Cahill (who rejoined Milwall) while firepower in attach was generated by German-based Leckie (Hertha BSC) and Robbie Kruse (VfL Bochum).
Despite guiding the Socceroos to the World Cup Ange Postecoglou left his role as manager stating it had “taken a toll on me both personally and professionally. I have invested all I can knowing how important a period it was for Australian football. It is with a heavy heart that I must now end the journey.” Dutchman Bert Van Marwijk took over leaving Saudi Arabia who he had steered to qualification.
Australia have earned their place in Russia the hard way. There’s no doubting the determination of this team but serious questions must be asked when a 38-year-old is the sides leading goalscorer. The Socceroos have a faint chance of making it beyond the group stage but will have to be at their very best against Peru and Denmark if they are to avoid an early trip back to Oz.
The Coach – Bert Van Marwijk
Bert Van Marwijk, 65, was appointed in January to succeed Australian Ange Postecoglou, who stepped down after successfully managing the Socceroos’ qualifying campaign. As a player, he appeared once for the Netherlands, while his club career took him to Go-Ahead Eagles, AZ Alkmaar and MVV Maastricht. After retiring Van Marwijk guided Feyenoord to victory in the 2002 UEFA Cup and also worked in Germany and Saudi Arabia. He steered Saudi Arabia through the World Cup qualifiers but quit in order to take the reigns in Australia. The high point of his managerial career came in the 2010 World Cup where he guided the Netherlands to runners-up spot in South Africa.
Record at previous tournaments:
- 1930 Did not enter
- 1934 Did not enter
- 1938 Did not enter
- 1950 Did not enter
- 1954 Did not enter
- 1958 Did not enter
- 1962 Did not enter
- 1966 Did not qualify
- 1970 Did not qualify
- 1974 1st round
- 1978 Did not qualify
- 1982 Did not qualify
- 1986 Did not qualify
- 1990 Did not qualify
- 1994 Did not qualify
- 1998 Did not qualify
- 2002 Did not qualify
- 2006 Last 16
- 2010 Group stages
- 2014 Group stages
PERU
No nation with previous World Cup experience has been absent from the finals as long as Peru. Their last appearance came in 1982, so it was no wonder the government marked qualification with a national holiday.
Public sector workers were given the day off and schools were closed after goals from Jefferson Farfán and Christian Ramos provided a 2-0 victory over New Zealand in the second leg of the intercontinental play-off. “Thank you, warriors, for giving us such joy,” said state President Pablo Kuczynski in a tweeted message of congratulations to the players and their Argentinian coach, Ricardo Gareca. Fans thronged the squares and streets of Lima and other cities in celebration.
Lima and its clubs have dominated football in Peru ever since the football association was founded there in 1922. The local Lima league was always the strongest in the country and the top title-winners are Lima clubs Universitario (26), Alianza (22) and Sporting Cristal (18).
Peru’s international debut came in the South American Championship of 1927 and they won the event on home soil in 1939. They have won the Copa América on only one other occasion, in 1975, during the national team’s so-called “golden era” when they also qualified three times for the World Cup.
The first time Peru appeared in the World Cup finals helped to create history at the inaugural tournament in Uruguay in 1930. However, Peru failed to progress beyond the opening round, and did not appear on the grand stage for another 40 years. In Mexico in 1970 a fine side starring all-time Peruvian greats such as Teófilo Cubillas, Hugo Sotil and Héctor Chumpitaz achieved their finest finish by reaching the quarter-finals.
Chumpitaz, Sotil and Cubillas were still on hand when Peru achieved the second round mini-league in Argentina in 1978. But only Cubillas was still there when Peru faded out in the first round in Spain in 1982.
The latest generation of fan favourites first made their reviving presence felt at the Copa América in 2015, when they reached the semi-finals, and they maintained their momentum in the World Cup qualifying competition.
In goal was Pedro Gallese from Mexico’s Veracruz behind a defence marshalled by veteran captain Alberto Rodriguez from Universitario and supported by Christian Ramos and Luis Advíncula who, after more than 60 caps, ended the qualifiers still looking for his first goal in seven years if international football.
Similar levels of experience were provided in midfield by Yoshimar Yotún and Christian Cueva from Orlando City and Sao Paulo FC respectively. For its goals, the team depends, as it has done for more than a decade, on Paolo Guerrero and Farfán, who has lately been playing his club football in Russia with Lokomotiv Moscow.
Guerrero and Edison Flores were Peru’s leading marksmen in the South American qualifying campaign, with five goals. Peru were a modest 50th in the FIFA World Rankings when they began with defeats away to Colombia and at home to Chile.
Eventually they secured fifth place in the table and a play-off chance with a 1-1 home draw against Colombia in the last round of matches. Victory over New Zealand – 0-0 away, 2-0 at home – thus opened the door to Russia and ended a very long wait.
Peru have been rocked in the run up to the competition with captain Paolo Guerrero banned for a failed drug test. The forward insist he did not take cocaine and has successfully had his ban overturned freeing him to appear at the finals.
Peru carry the hopes of a nation to Russia. They proved themselves in the qualifying campaign and will battle it out for second place in this group. Targeting and achieving a win over Australia would provide them the necessary confidence to take on Denmark. If they manage to make it out of their group anything beyond the last 16 is highly unlikely.
The Coach – Ricardo Gareca
Ricardo Gareca, 60, is a former Argentina international centre-forward who took over Peru from Pablo Bengoechea in February 2015. Within weeks he had guided them to the semi-finals of the Copa América. This was “el Tigre’s” first national team appointment after club appointments in Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Brazil. As a centre-forward, Gareca scored, against Peru, the goal that qualified Argentina for the finals of the 1986 World Cup. However, he was omitted from the squad that would go on to win in Mexico. Gareca played for both Buenos Aires giants River Plate and Boca Juniors and won league titles with Independiente in Argentina and América de Cali in Colombia. His greatest virtue has been an ability to bring calm to an environment prone to despair. He has identified a young group of players with potential and stuck by them until poor results turned into good ones.
Record at previous tournaments:
- 1930 1st round
- 1934 Withdrew
- 1938 Did not enter
- 1950 Withdrew
- 1954 Withdrew
- 1958 Did not qualify
- 1962 Did not qualify
- 1966 Did not qualify
- 1970 Quarter-finals
- 1974 Did not qualify
- 1978 2nd round
- 1982 1st round
- 1986 Did not qualify
- 1990 Did not qualify
- 1994 Did not qualify
- 1998 Did not qualify
- 2002 Did not qualify
- 2006 Did not qualify
- 2010 Did not qualify
- 2014 Did not qualify
DENMARK
Resurgent Denmark approach the World Cup intent on making up for lost time after missing out on Brazil in 2014. Coach Age Hareide is seeking to rekindle the famed “Danish Dynamite” around Christian Eriksen.
The Danes emerged from the qualifying campaign via the play-offs with a squad benefiting from the experience offered by defender Simon Kjaer, and midfielders Eriksen and William Kvist, all veterans of the campaign in South Africa.
Kasper Schmeichel, has established himself in goal. The son of Peter Schmeichel provides a link back to the high point of Danish football, when they reached the last 16 at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and then proceded to win the 1992 European Football Championship in neigbouring Sweden.
Other senior members of the latest generation include defenders Andreas Bjelland and Peter Ankersen, midfielders Lasse Schone and Thomas Delaney as well as forwards Nicolai Jorgensen and Yussuf Poulsen.
Denmark was one of the first countries in continental Europe to take up football and has some of the oldest clubs in the world. In the years before the World Cup was established, they enjoyed early success at the Olympics. They were winners in 1906 and runners-up in 1908 and 1912, their outstanding players including Nils Middelboe, who later played for Chelsea.
A subsequent period of decline ended after a reorganisation of the domestic game was reward in the 1970s. Stars such as 1977 European Footballer of the Year Allan Simonsen were lured abroad but brought back their new-found experience to the benefit of the national team.
Players such as Simonsen, Preben Elkjaer, Morten Olsen and the Laudrup brothers Brian and Michael formed the nucleus of the “Danish Dynamite” side of the 1980s and early 1990s. Denmark were also impressive at the 1998 World Cup in France, reaching the quarter-finals before falling to Brazil. They reached the last 16 in 2002 but missed out in 2006, flew home after the group stage in 2010 and failed to qualify in 2014.
The campaign to make amends in Russia was undertaken in European Group E. Denmark lost only twice in their ten games, 3-2 away to Poland and then three days later 1-0 at home to Montenegro. However, those defeats made it impossible for Hareide’s men to make up lost ground on the Poles, who finished five points clear at the top of the table.
Denmark secured the runners-up spot and a play-off place by finishing five points clear of the Montenegrins. With eight goals conceded, they had the best defensive record in the group while Eriksen (eight goals) and Delaney (four) were their leading marksmen.
The play-offs draw matched pitted Denmark against the Republic of Ireland. They were held to a goalless draw in Copenhagen, but then struck a rich vein of form to win 5-1 in Dublin. The Irish were dreaming briefly of Russia when Shane Duffy headed them into an early lead, but Denmark soon levelled through an own goal. After that it was the Eriksen show: the Tottenham playmaker scored a superb hat-trick before Nicklas Bendtner rounded off the scoring with a late penalty.
Denmark were back in the finals – and back in style, prompting comparisons with the team who starred at the finals three decades ago.
This Danish side has quality across the field, Schmeichel is a competent keeper and the creativity Eriksen provides allows players such as winger Pione Sisto with opportunities in front of goal. If they can perform like they did in Dublin last November they should be able to secure second place in this group but if they don’t Peru will seize the opportunity. Anything beyond the last 16 is the stuff of fairy tales for this Danish team.
The Coach – Age Hareide
Age Hareide, 64, was a surprise choice to succeed Morten Olsen in 2016. The surprise came not only because he is Norwegian but due to his relative lack of success as coach of his homeland a decade ago. However, he is the only coach to win league titles with clubs in three Nordic countries: Rosenborg in Norway, Helsingborgs in Sweden and Brondby IF in Denmark. Hareide also coached Orgryte and Malmo in Sweden after five years as boss of Norway between 2003 and 2008. Earlier, Hareide had launched his playing career with Hodd and then Molde IK. He spent almost a decade in English football, playing in attack and midfield for Manchester City and Norwich City before ending his career back at Molde. Widespread scepticism from pundits from the “Dynamite” years has been washed away by a superb run of results in 2017, culminating in qualification. Nobody doubts now that he is worth his contract until July 2020.
Record at previous tournaments:
- 1930 Did not enter
- 1934 Did not enter
- 1938 Did not enter
- 1950 Did not enter
- 1954 Did not enter
- 1958 Did not qualify
- 1962 Did not enter
- 1966 Did not qualify
- 1970 Did not qualify
- 1974 Did not qualify
- 1978 Did not qualify
- 1982 Did not qualify
- 1986 Last 16
- 1990 Did not qualify
- 1994 Did not qualify
- 1998 Quarter-finals
- 2002 Last 16
- 2006 Did not qualify
- 2010 Group Stages
- 2014 Did not qualify
