Tournament News
Mind games begin at SWC
2009-12-05 12:16
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Cape Town - The scene is set for World Cup 2010 and already the mind games have begun.
Group of Death or not Group of Death, no easy draws, one match at a time - the 32 national team coaches were the most sought-after personalities in Cape Town after Friday night's draw.
England's Fabio Capello is a keen student of football past and present and, even though born in Italy, he is aware that one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history took place in 1950 when a ragtag team of Amercians defeated mighty England 1-0.
He will be determined to avoid any hints of complacency this time around with England drawn against the United States, Algeria and Slovenia which even the most wary of observers would grant is a tasty offering for any top-class side.
"The USA are strong physically and technically they are good enough. I saw the game against Spain when they won and it will be no easy game," he said.
Similar sentiments from Marcello Lippi, coach of defending champions Italy, who also knows something of World Cup catastrophe dating back to 1966 when they amazingly lost 1-0 to North Korea to crash out of the competition.
This time the danger comes in the not-too-frightening forms of Paraguay, Slovenia and minnows New Zealand.
"The more you think a group will be easy the more difficult it becomes," Lippi said thoughtfully.
"Paraguay were top of the South American qualifying group for a long time before being overtaken by Brazil at the end.
"Slovakia are improving, they have players we know well, also some who play in Italy and they beat some good teams to get here."
Nothing about New Zealand then, who won through by defeating the likes of Fiji and Vanuatu to take the Oceania crown before edging Bahrain in a playoff.
For others though the boot was on the other foot, with the underdogs talking up their chances of mixing it with the big boys.
Take hosts South Africa, the lowest ranking team qualified for the June 11-July 11 finals, and eager to avoid the ignominy of being the first home nation to fail to make it out of the group stages.
Their Brazilian coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, who has tasted the ultimate in World Cup glory by leading Brazil to the crown in 1994, must make it past Mexico, Uruguay and France to reach the hallowed land of the last 16.
"The greatest challenge is getting to the second phase. South Africa must work hard but I'm confident we will get there," he said.
"I hope that with the backing of home fans we will reach the quarter-finals and after that the sky is the limit."
Also looking to the sky was Slovenia skipper Robert Koren, who sounded non-plussed about the prospect of going up against England.
"We are very happy with this draw and very confident," he said. I can assure you that we will travel to South Africa full of confidence."
For some though what the draw threw up hardly mattered at least not that they would let on.
France's notoriously taciturn coach Raymond Domenech for one raised a bushy eyebrow when asked if he agreed that his side would be favourite to make it out of the South Africa group.
"It just isn't as simple as that. Everyone will have us down as favourites, but I don't know what they base that on. We will see how that stands when it is all over.
"The groups are well balanced and there is no real Group of Death this time. You can never be sure. We have seen so many surprises in the past."
The mind games have begun then and it is unlikely they will stop until South Africa kick the show off against Mexico in Johannesburg on June 11.