What: Greece vs. Argentina
When: Tuesday, June 22, 2:30 pm ET
Where: Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
TV: ESPN, Univisión
After suffering an early scare against Nigeria, Greece were able to turn the game around and walk away with an important 2-1 victory. However, no game has been more crucial for the Greeks than Tuesday’s match against Argentina. The Europeans need nothing less than a win against La Albiceleste, who showed an impressive attacking display in their 4-1 victory against South Korea.
Greece
The Pirate Ship are clearly happy at earning their first win ever at a World Cup after defeating Nigeria. The victory gave the Greeks three valuable points going into the final group match, one in which they cannot hold back against Argentina. Although a draw—and even a loss—might be enough to see them into the next round, but they can’t afford to depend on a favorable result in the other Group B match.
Undoubtedly, Greece’s toughest test will come against La Albiceleste, and head coach Otto Rehhagal doesn’t seem so confident about his team’s chances. Or maybe he’s just playing head games.
“Argentina are…far superior to Greece,” said Rehhagal. “They will clearly be better than us and we have got to see how to cope with them.”
To win on Tuesday, Greece have to play a flawless game. They must shut down Argentina’s vaunted offense and outperform La Albiceleste’s questionable defense. A tough task for sure, but one that will be easier considering Argentina head coach Diego Maradona’s plans of resting most of his starters.
Argentina
La Albiceleste finally mustered the fireworks everyone had been waiting for when, led by a Gonzalo Higuaín hat trick, they routed South Korea 4-1, all but ensuring their appearance in the second round of the World Cup.
It seems that one of the keys to Argentina’s early success has been how relaxed the team is, a state of being that Maradona summed up in three words: “Everything is OK.”
Although Argentina don’t need a victory against Greece, they want to keep their momentum going and will still look to bag three points and sweep the group stage like they did in France 1998.
There will likely be some lineup changes for the South Americans. Sebastián Verón is back from injury and should retake his role in the midfield, and strikers Diego Milito and Sergio Agüero could see some significant playing time. Players who might be left off of the starting 11 are Javier Mascherano (to avoid getting a second yellow card), defender Wálter Samuel (nursing a sore leg) and Carlos Tévez (rest).
Final Analysis
Greece have a dilemma on their hands: They need a win and should come out looking for it, but they also know they can’t neglect their defense. The match will end up being a battle between Greece’s strong defense and weaker offense against Argentina’s strong offense and weaker defense. It’s safe to say that La Albiceleste have the upper hand.
What: Nigeria vs. South Korea
When: Tuesday, June 22, 2:30 pm ET
Where: Durban Stadium, Durban
TV: ESPN 2, Telefutura
Nigeria basically saw their dreams of seeing the second round come up in flames as Greece came back to score two goals and take three points in a 2-1 defeat for the Super Eagles. South Korea, on the other hand, had come to terms with the fact that they would likely lose against Argentina (which they did, 4-1) and are focused on winning on Tuesday.
Nigeria
All is not over for Nigeria. If the Super Eagles manage to show a glimpse of their former attacking selves and beat South Korea 1-0, and Argentina beat Greece 1-0, then Nigeria could go through based on goal differential.
Although no team in World Cup history has been able to advance from the group stage after losing the first two matches, Nigeria are hoping they can be the first.
“We need a fresh start, and we'll do that by beating [South Korea],” said head coach Lars Lagerback.
Further incentive for the Super Eagles is a promise by the Nigerian Football Association to award each player $30,000 if they can win on Tuesday.
Nigeria will go into their last group match without Sani Kaita, who earned a red card in their last match. Although they will miss the talented defensive midfielder, the team will see the return of captain Nwanko Kanu after missing the first two games with an injury.
South Korea
The Taeguk Warriors were pretty sure that they couldn’t beat Argentina and, since the beginning of the tournament, have set their hopes on beating Greece and Nigeria to get the six points that would likely see them through to the next stage. Now, the only team left between South Korea and the Round of 16 are Nigeria.
South Korea don’t want to rely on a favorable result from the other Group B match, which is why they’ll come out guns blazing.
“Some people are talking about a draw being enough, but we want to win,” midfielder Kim Jong-Woo said. “We’ll have to be highly organized from the start to the finish.”
South Korea are expected to go back to the 4-4-2 formation they used in their surprisingly easy victory over Greece to open the tournament and the one they moved away from to try to stifle Lionel Messi in their loss to Argentina.
Final Analysis
Both Nigeria and South Korea need a win, which means that both teams will come out looking for the goal, leaving holes in the back that each can exploit in what is bound to be a high-paced, back and forth event. Unlike Nigeria, South Korea have proved that they can take advantage of those defensive lapses and capitalize on their opportunities, so it’s not difficult to believe that it will be the Taeguk Warriors who join Argentina in the Round of 16.
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