World Cup 2018: Group G 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 G.

BELGIUM 

Belgium return to the World Cup finals with a refreshed national team fulfilling their historic status: Les Diables Rouges or Red Devils, were among the four European nations at the initial finals in 1930.

On that occasion, Belgium were eliminated in the first round group stage after defeats by the United States and Paraguay. However, their most recent appearance was far more successful as Marc Wilmots’ squad reached the quarter-finals in Brazil four years ago.

The Belgian Football Association was founded in 1895, created the second-oldest league outside Great Britain, and was one of the pioneering forces behind the formation of FIFA in 1904.

Subsequently, the amateur nature of the Belgian domestic game hindered progress in terms of both domestic developments and national team results. Amateurism was only formally discarded in 1972, and the introduction of professionalism saw results immediately improve.

Belgium appeared at the World Cup finals on only two occasions between the 1950s and 1980s. However, between 1972 and 1984 they reached the last eight of four successive European Championships, finishing as runners-up to West Germany in Italy in 1980.

The class of 1980 represented Belgium for almost a decade and contained many of their most celebrated players, including goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff, full-back Eric Gerets and 96-cap striker Jan Ceulemans. Their finest hour came at the 1986 World Cup, where they lost to Argentina in the semi-finals, with the creative midfielder Enzo Scifo among their stars.

Fourth place marked the Belgians’ best ever World Cup. It was also the second of six successive appearances at the finals. Belgium missed out in 2006 and 2010 but returned in Brazil four years ago with a team refashioned by Wilmots around a rising new generation of highly talented youngsters.

Wilmots left after Belgium reached the quarter-finals of EURO 2016 in France. His work has been carried on by Roberto Martínez, only the second foreign coach since the late 1950s.

Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois has established himself as one of the most commanding goalkeepers in Europe. Premier League stalwarts Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen from Tottenham Hotspur have brought back a defensive consistency, that Belgium have lacked since the 1980s and the days of Eric Gerets and Walter Meeuws.

In midfield, Martínez has been spoiled for choice with the likes of Axel Witsel and England-based Marouane Fellaini, Nacer Chadli, Mousa Dembélé and Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne’s outstanding performances for Manchester City over the past two seasons have established him as one of the finest modern midfielders anywhere in the world game.

Belgium boast a balanced attack with Eden Hazard and Dried Mertens creating openings for Romelu Lukaku as well as Michy Batshuayi.

Martínez’s men launched their qualifying campaign positively, with 21 goals in four victories over Cyprus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gibraltar and Estonia before being held 1-1 at home by Greece. Those were the only points dropped. Belgium won their next five games to finish nine points ahead of the Greeks atop the final table for European Group H.

Lukaku was the qualifying group’s top scorer with 11 goals, while Hazard claimed six.

Belgium are one of the finest squads in Europe and boast household names across the pitch. This World Cup is the best chance this ‘Golden Generation’ will get at replicating the form of that 1986 side. They face a battle with England for top spot in this group and should at the very least feature in the quarter-finals.

The Coach – Roberto Martínez

Roberto Martínez, 44, is a former Spanish midfielder who has been in charge of the Belgian national team since succeeding Marc Wilmots in the summer of 2016. He began his playing career with Real Zaragoza, with whom he won the Copa del Rey, and moved to England to join Wigan Athletic in 1995. Later he player for Motherwell, Walsall, and Swansea City, whose manager he became in 2007. He guided Wigan to FA Cup victory in 2013 and then moved to Everton, before stepping into the arena of national teams with the Red Devils.

Record at previous tournaments:

• 1930 1st round
• 1934 1st round
• 1938 1st round 
• 1950 Withdrew
• 1954 1st round
• 1958 Did not qualify
• 1962 Did not qualify
• 1966 Did not qualify
• 1970 1st round
• 1974 Did not qualify
• 1978 Did not qualify
• 1982 2nd round
• 1986 4th place
• 1990 Last 16
• 1994 Last 16
• 1998 Group stages
• 2002 Last 16
• 2006 Did not qualify
• 2010 Did not qualify
• 2014 Quarter-finals

PANAMA

Panama will be appearing at the World Cup finals for the first time in their history after a dramatic climax to the qualifying campaign, rewarded by the government declaring a national holiday.

For many years, Panama, where baseball is so popular, was considered one of the least strong footballing nations in Central America. A football association was created in 1937 in time for the national team to make their competitive debut at Panama’s hosting of the Central American and Caribbean Games the following year.

Their only trophy success arrived in 1951 when, as hosts, they won the regional championship by topping a three-nation mini-league. They had stood aside from the World Cup qualifying competition for the finals in Brazil the previous year and remained on the sidelines for the next two decades.

Finally, on 4th April 1976, Panama played their first World Cup qualifying tie. Now, 94 ties and 11 tournaments later, they go to the finals for the first time courtesy of the United States’ home defeat by Trinidad & Tobago and a late goal from Román Torres, which defeated Costa Rica.

The journey launched by old heroes led by “Cascarita” Tapia is now being completed by a new generation led by the likes of Blas Pérez, Gabriel and Román Torres, Luis Tejada, Jamie Penedo, Felipe Baloy and Gabriel Gómez.

Panama competed in the 1978 qualifying campaign out of concern that their FIFA membership might be at risk if they maintained their long-running absence; they had joined world football’s governing body in 1938.

After warm-ups against club teams, Panama defeated Costa Rica 3-2 in front of a 7,000-strong crowd in the Estadio Revolución, now the Estadio Rommel Fernández. “Cascarita” Tapia was the only professional; all of his team-mates played in Panama’s regional leagues. He was one of the goalscorers along with Federico Ponce and Agustin Sanchez, but other results went against them.

It took Panama another 16 years to beat Costa Rica again. Then a team containing some of Panama’s finest – brothers Jorge and Julio Dely Valdés, Rommell Fernández and René Mendieta – defeated the Ticos 2-1. Some 25 years later, a further victory over Costa Rica has been Panama’s most important step forward.

The top six CONCACAF teams in the FIFA World Rankings were seeded directly to the fourth round of 2018 qualifying. Panama finished runners-up in Group B to Costa Rica and were thus propelled into the concluding six-team group.

They opened brightly with a win in Honduras and a home draw with Mexico. Further draws followed at home to the USA and away to Costa Rica before they arrived at the last matchday needing to beat already-qualified Costa Rica and needing the United States to lose away to Trinidad & Tobago, who could not qualify.

That was how it played out. In Panama City, Costa Rica led 1-0 at half-time. Then Lausanne forward Blas Pérez equalised shortly after the interval and Seattle Sounders defender Román Torres scored the winner two minutes from time. Simultaneously the USA lost 2-1.

Panama thus clinched the third CONCACAF place in the final table. Honduras, level on points with an inferior goal difference, went into the play-offs. Gabriel Torres, with three historic goals, was Panama’s leading marksman on the road to Russia.

Panama are certainly the underdogs in this group and in fact the tournament. Just reaching the finals was a victory in itself for Panama and it’s very hard to see them making it out of this group. Their best chance at picking up points looks certain to be against Tunisia but regardless they can hold their heads high with the achievement of making it to the finals.

The Coach – Hernán Darío Gómez

Hernán Darío Gómez, 62 is a Colombian who guided his home nation to France in 1998 and Ecuador to Korea and Japan in 2002. His success with debutants Panama is even more impressive. Gómez played for Independiente and Atlético Nacional of Medellín before his career was cut short by a knee injury. He was assistant coach to Francisco Maturana with Colombia at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and then led Atlético Nacional to the domestic league title. He coached Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala before taking up a fourth national team role with Panama in 2014.

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 enter
• 1970 Did not enter
• 1974 Did not enter
• 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 Did not qualify
• 2010 Did not qualify
• 2014 Did not qualify 

TUNISIA

Tunisia are appearing in the finals for the fifth time, ambitious to progress beyond the group stage. This was their sticking point in the finals on their debut in 1978 and then three times in succession between 1998 and 2006.

The Eagles of Carthage made history at the 1978 tournament by becoming the first African nation to win at the finals, when they defeated Mexico 3-1. That breakthrough helped persuade the world game to increase Africa’s presence at the finals from one to two in Spain in 1982.

Subsequent appearances saw Tunisia fall short in attack, managing only five goals in total in 1998, 2002 and 2006. However, they earned rich consolation by recording their only triumph in the Africa Cup of Nations. As hosts in 2004, they defeated Morocco 2-1 in the final.

The French first brought football to Tunis and a league was launched in 1921. Simultaneously, Tunisian clubs began competing in an annual North African Championship with sides from Algeria and Morocco. Racing Club (Tunis) won the inaugural event in 1919.

Racing were also the first domestic league champions. Espérance ST, destined to become one of the leading clubs only in Tunisia but also African football, won their first league title in 1938.

An unofficial national team competed against neighbours from Algeria, Oran, Constantine and Morocco in the 1930s and 1940s. National selections also played games against France B teams between 1928 and 1956, when Tunisia gained independence. The newly launched Tunisian FA joined both FIFA and CAF in 1960.

Tunisia subsequently became the first African nation after Egypt to appear at the Olympic Football Tournament. In 1962, they were the first French-speaking North African country to enter the Africa Cup of Nations, finishing third. Three years later, as hosts, they finished runners-up to Ghana.

The star player was captain and playmaker Abdelmajid Chetali, who was also coach of the team who made their World Cup finals debut in 1978. The next major era was in the mid-1990s, when Tunisia were African Cup of Nations runners-up and reached the finals of the 1998 World Cup under Polish coach Henryk Kasperczak. This was the first of their three successive appearances.

Kasperczak returned in 2015 to build a new team around stars such as goalkeeper-captain Balbouli, defenders Ali Maaloul and Syam Ben Youssef, midfielders Ferjani Sassi and Wahbi Khazri, and forwards Youssef Msakni and Fakhreddine Ben Youssef. A majority of the squad came from leading local clubs Espérance ST and Étoile du Sahel.

Tunisia began their quest for a place in Russia with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Mauritania in the second qualifying round. This propelled them into third round Group A, where Congo DR were their most difficult rivals. Tunisia were unbeaten yet led the table by a mere one point.

Decisive were last September’s ties against Congo DR. Nabil Maaloul, who has succeeded Kasperczak as coach, masterminded a 2-1 home win and then a 2-2 draw in Kinshasa four days later. Tunisia were 2-0 down at one stage but recovered thanks to an own goal and then a priceless equaliser from Lyon-born Anice Badri.

A hat-trick from Youssef Msakni brought a 4-1 win in Guinea, which meant a goalless draw at home to Libya on the last matchday was sufficient to take them to Russia.

Tunisia head to the World Cup having qualified from a group that lacked the real quality of African football. This could yet prove to be costly. Tunisia are in a similar position to Panama in that they are not expected to progress beyond the group stage. It’s highly unlikely they will but a win against Panama and a shock result against England could yet prove us wrong. Nevertheless, they look certain to compete with Panama for third place.

The Coach -Nabil Maaloul

Nabil Maaloul, 55, stepped in as manager for the decisive closing stages of the qualifying campaign in March 2017 in succession to Polish coach Henryk Kasperczak. He is in his second spell as national coach, having quit during the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign. He appeared 74 times in midfield for Tunisia between 1985 and 1995 and played at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Maaloul played his club football with Espérance ST, CA Bizertin and Club Africain as well as Hannovr 96 in Germany and Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. He worked as assistant to the former France boss Roger Lemerre when Tunisia last appeared at the World Cup in 2006. His coaching career also includes national team experience as boss of Tunisia in 2013 and of Kuwait from 2014 to last year.

Record at previous tournaments:

• 1930 Did not exist
• 1934 Did not exist
• 1938 Did not exist
• 1950 Did not exist
• 1954 Did not exist
• 1958 Did not enter 
• 1962 Did not qualify
• 1966 Withdrew
• 1970 Did not qualidy
• 1974 Did not qualify
• 1978 1st round
• 1982 Did not qualify
• 1986 Did not qualify
• 1990 Did not qualify
• 1994 Did not qualify
• 1998 Group stages
• 2002 Group stages
• 2006 Group stages
• 2010 Did not qualify
• 2014 Did not qualify

ENGLAND 

England head to Russia with fans hoping to see progress beyond the quarter-finals for only the second time since 1966. Their youngsters set a high standard with recent success in the FIFA U-17 and U-20 World Cups.

The seniors have compiled an outstanding record in qualifying tournaments. When the Three Lions won their last 2018 group qualifier 2-1 in Lithuania, they had tallied 39 preliminary matches without defeat in both World Cup and European Championship qualifiers.

However, a stream of managers and players have discovered the complication of converting qualifying command into positive results at the finals.

The Football Association holds a historic place in the game as the first governing body, founded in 1863. England and Scotland played out the first international match in November 1872 and the FA joined FIFA in 1906, two years after its formation.

Disagreements over matches against wartime opponents and then amateurism led to England’s withdrawal from FIFA and their absence from the World Cup finals in the 1930s. They were joint favourites on their finals debut in Brazil in 1950 but failed to progress beyond the first round.

Quarter-final progress followed in 1954 and 1962 before England won the World Cup as hosts with a 4-2 extra-time victory over West Germany in Wembley in 1966. Geoff Hurst made history as the only man to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final, for an England team that included legends Bobby Charlton and captain Bobby Moore.

Their World Cup defence ended at the quarter-finals stage in Mexico in 1970. England’s best subsequently was the 1990 World Cup in Italy, when they lost a semi-final on penalties to West Germany.

England have been present at the finals ever since 1998 under successive managers Glenn Hoddle, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson, who left after EURO 2016 in France.

Hodgson took England to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Losses to Italy and Uruguay as well as a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica saw the Three Lions head home at the group stage with their tails between their legs

Sam Allardyce was briefly in charge – he had one game before he was forced to resign amid a bribery scandal, which he was later cleared of – before Gareth Southgate took over in September in 2016. He made a winning start with a 2-0 defeat of Malta, thanks to goals from Daniel Sturridge and Dele Alli. A goalless draw in Slovenia was followed by a 3-0 home win over Scotland.

A goal in stoppage time from Tottenham centre-forward Harry Kane brought England a 2-2 draw away to the Scots at Hampden Park, Glasgow, in June 2017. Southgate’s men then won their next three to secure qualification for Russia with one match to spare. They finished eight points clear of second-placed Slovakia.

Kane was overall joint leading scorer in the group with five goals. Sturridge and Adam Lallana claimed two apiece. Goalkeeper Joe Hart was the most experienced member of the squad that secured a place in the finals with more than 70 international appearances to his name. Poor form with West Ham this season has however has seen Hart dropped by Southgate with Jack Butland set to start between the posts in Russia. Chelsea’s Gary Cahill was the only one of Hart’s defensive colleagues who could boast more than 50 caps.

The qualifying campaign saw Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Tottenham’s Eric Dier develop a solid partnership in front of defence. In attack, the Tottenham partnership of Kane and Alli was supplemented by Lallana, Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard.

Southgate, on qualifying, cautioned that England were “still a work in progress.” Now it is time to judge the pace of progress in Russia.

There’s no denying England’s qualifying form was impressive but they face bigger tests in Russia. They will compete with Belgium for top spot in this group and should be able to navigate the last 16. However, it looks as if England’s journey will end at the quarter-final stage once more.

The Coach – Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate, 47, took over the England job from Sam Allardyce after once match into the World Cup qualifying campaign – and emerged with top marks. The former midfielder-cum-defender benefited from his wide experience of international football having played 57 times for England between 1995 and 2004, including the finals of EURO 96 and the 1998 World Cup in France. At club level he played for Crystal Place, Aston Villa and finally Middlesbrough, with whom he also managed. Southgate then took on various roles with the Football Association, including the U-21 team manager.

Record at previous tournaments:

• 1930 Did not enter
• 1934 Did not enter
• 1938 Did not enter
• 1950 1st round
• 1954 Quarter-finals 
• 1958 1st round
• 1962 Quarter-finals
• 1966 Champions
• 1970 Quarter-finals
• 1974 Did not qualify
• 1978 Did not qualify
• 1982 2nd round
• 1986 Quarter-finals
• 1990 4th place
• 1994 Did not qualify
• 1998 Last 16
• 2002 Quarter-finals
• 2006 Quarter-finals
• 2010 Last 16
• 2014 Group stages