Olympics Preview
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Here is the Olympics preview, as promised – I hope you find it useful!
Group A
Great Britain
Goalkeepers – Butland, Steele
Defenders – Taylor, Richards, Dawson, Caulker, Rose, Bertrand, Tomkins
Midfielders – Cleverley, Giggs, Allen, Cork, Ramsey, Sinclair
Strikers – Sordell, Bellamy, Sturridge
Team GB has named a rather unusual squad, it has to be said. I daresay it was named more on who was made unavailable rather than who was made available, looking at some of the names in the squad. Still, this is quite a promising side with plenty of pace. Sturridge and Bellamy should be dynamite up fornt against the lesser sides and there’s plenty of creativity in midfield with Giggs, Ramsey, and Cleverley supporting them. Sinclair is a great player too but aside from him, this side lacks width, which could be a problem. Defensively, there are some promising players but Team GB are buggered if it really is Pearce’s intention to field Richards at centre-back. He’s a good right-back but he’s very clumsy at centre-back, as we saw against Brazil, and he will cost England in the end. We’ve got good goalkeepers but overall Team GB lack width, experience, and composure en mass. Should make it out of the group without any trouble but beyond that may be a struggle.
Senegal
Goalkeepers – Mane, Camara
Defenders – Toure, Gueye, Ba, Bindia, Ciss, Mbodj, Souare
Midfielders – Diame, I.Gueye, Badji, Mane, Kouyate
Strikers – M.Gueye, Balde, N’Doye, Konate
A lot of the Senegalese squad are local boys and little more. I think M.Gueye from Everton has potential but the star of their attack should be Copenhagen forward N’Doye, who has been great in Demark for some years. Well, having said that, he’s just withdrawn from the squad, according to reports, which is a hefty blow! Anderlecht’s Kouyate has plenty of creativity and Osasuna’s Balde is a real handful so as ever, the Senegalese attack still has plenty of potential and variety, even without N’Doye. Diame in midfield is a terrific engine, as we saw numerous times last season. He’s got a very powerful shot, too – he’ll be a problem for opposing sides in this tournament. Aside from that, though, this Senegal side is very bare when it comes to experience and ability. Their defence should be pretty shambolic and unless their attack turns it on then they’re going to be ruined by everyone they encounter. I doubt they’ll make it out of the group alive.
United Arab Emirates
Goalkeepers – Khasif, K.Eisa
Defenders – Sanquor, Al Kamali, Alamri, M.Ahmed, A.Hussain, Surour
Midfielders – Fardan, Esmaeel, Abdulrahman, R.Eisa, Fawzi, Al Hammadi
Strikers – Ali, Matar
This is the side that I know least about, rather shamefully. Lots of local players + the fact that they’ve only brought two strikers speaks volumes about this side, though. I think they’ll be defensive and look to use this tournament as more of an experience thing rather than actually trying to do well in it. I’ve not heard of anyone special emerging from UAE in recent times and I don’t see many familiar names so yeah – I expect poor displays from this team.
Uruguay
Goalkeepers – Campana, Gelpi
Defenders – Aguirregaray, Rolin, Albin, Coates, Polenta, Arias
Midfielders – Lodeiro, Ramirez, Calzada, Rodriguez, Viudez, Rios
Strikers – Suarez, Cavani, Hernandez, Urretaviscaya
I like this side an awful lot, you know. There’s a huge amount of talent in this team and they arguably possess the most dangerous strikers (overall) in the tournament. You don’t need me to tell you how good Cavani and Suarez are; they’re just world-class. Hernandez is well on his way to becoming a top finisher too, though, and grows in stature year after year in Serie A. Urretaviscaya is a very handy creative player when he’s not spitting his dummy out. Ramirez was easily Bologna’s best player of their campaign last time around and they’ve been forced to fend off interest from Juventus for him. Lodeiro is a very skilful player although I do think his recent move to Brazil is a step backward for the talent that he has. Rios has bags of experience and Uruguay have Coates to lead from the back. Their defence may not be as stable as usual but this side could and should do really, really well in this competition. I think they’ll make the semis but should lose to whichever of the two giants of the tournament that they encounter.
Group B
Gabon
Goalkeepers – Ovono, Mezui
Defenders – Ebanega, Manga, Nzambe, Dinda, E. N’Dong
Midfielders – Obiang, H. N’Dong, Poko, Madinda, N’Doumbou, Engongah, Boussoughou, Tandjigora
Strikers – Meye, Aubameyang
This Gabon side is similar to Senegal’s but lacks their firepower. Aubameyang was their hero at the African Nations and he’ll be their hero forever as it is. He’s by far the best player to wear their colours. Manga’s experience at the back will be essential if Gabon are to get anything from anyone. The rest are big question marks either for talent or experience and I’d be surprised if Gabon don’t finish bottom of their group as a result.
Mexico
Goalkeepers – Corona, A.Rodriguez
Defenders – Araujo, Ponce, Vidrio, D.Reyes, Chavez, Mier, Salcido, I.Jimenez
Midfielders – Aquino, Cortes, Herrera, Enriquez
Strikers – Fabian, R.Jimenez, G.dos Santos, Peralta
I like this side quite a lot although I fear for their defence. For all the experience that Ponce, Araujo etc. bring into this tournament, they look like they’ve never even met at times. Mexico’s defence at the Toulon Tournament was bloody awful, which makes Salcido’s inclusion all the more important here. You all know Giovani dos Santos and what he is capable of; he’ll be the focal point of their attack. My favourite by far would be Guadalajara striker Fabian, who should be playing in Europe by now. This guy has an awful lot of what it takes to be a top, top player as he can score from anywhere, carry the ball, and finish with composure. He’s a very complete player and dazzled at the Toulon Tournament so I expect more of the same here. Expect plenty of goals in Mexico’s games (for a change(!)) but they could and should do well themselves as long as they take their chances and don’t encounter many physical sides.
South Korea
Goalkeepers – Sung-Ryong, Beom-Young
Defenders – Chang-Soo, Seok-Ho, Kee-Hee, Young-Gwon, Suk-Young, Jae-Suk
Midfielders – Bo-Kyung, Sung-Yeung, Sung-Dong, Tae-Hee, Ja-Cheol, Jong-Woo, Kook-Young
Strikers – Hyun-Sung, Chu-Young, Dong-Won
The South Koreans will be very motivated to do well here. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a South Korean team show up without working hard – that’s just in their nature. Their national team boss has emphasised the importance of youth over the past 2 years, though – he’s been including them more in national team games as some of the older players step aside. That makes this tournament perfect for the young South Koreans to impress. I still think that there’s a lack of physical strength and finesse in this squad but there’s no shortage of tenacity. I think South Korea will lose most of their games but I doubt they’ll be annihlated in any of their games.
Switzerland
Goalkeepers – Benaglio, Siegrist
Defenders – Morganella, Schar, Klose, Rodriguez, Affolter, Daprela
Midfielders – Abrashi, Wiss, Buff, Hochstrasser, Kasami, Frei
Strikers – Dimic, Mehmedi, Emeghara, Zuber
Despite the absence of a couple of big names, this Swiss side is one of the more promising at the tournament, in my eyes. The Swiss have produced one of their strongest squads of all time in the last year or so. They’ve produced a lot of strong and capable players so it’s no coincidece at all that their U21 side and their national team are reaping the benefits. This Swiss side is capable of great things so I wouldn’t dismiss them at all. Hochstrasser and Emeghara are the ones to keep an eye on here – both very good players. I’m quite a big fan of Fulham winger Frei too – he’s a very clever player. With Benaglio in goal, I think this Swiss side could do better than most expect – they should make it out of the group at the very least.
Group C
Belarus
Goalkeepers – Hutar, Shcharbakow
Defenders – Vitus, Palitsevich, Kuzmyanok, Hawrylovich, Palyakow, Kazlow
Midfielders – Renan, Aleksiyevich, Gordeichuk, Baha, Dragun
Strikers – Kornilenko, Zubovich, Varankow, Khvashchynski
Despite Belarus not really struggling to replace the quality that is gradually ebbing away from their national team, they are still struggling in the same area; goalscoring. As far as organisation goes, this side can be very good – when it suits them. Their U21 side was immense in Denmark for the European U21 Championships but their team in France for the Toulon Tournament looked susceptible and ineffectual. It’s no surprise that they’ve included Kornilenko in their squad for this tournament because he’s at least an accomplished striker, as is Varankow. This is a big tournament for Renan as he’ll be the one making things happen along with BATE Borisov team-mate Baga and Dinamo Minsk’s Dragun. Those three are the only ones, though – nullify them and Belarus won’t score without set pieces/penalties/fortune. Again, this side can defend very well but they attack with little conviction. They could make it out of the group if they’re 100% tactically but without that, they simply won’t score enough goals. Very physically strong and good from set pieces – be careful with them!
Brazil
Goalkeepers – Rafael Cabral, Neto
Defenders – Rafael, Thiago Silva, Juan Jesus, Bruno Uvini, Danilo, Alex Sandro, Marcelo
Midfielders – Ganso, Oscar, Romulo, Lucas Moura, Sandro
Strikers – Neymar, Hulk, Leandro Damiao, Pato
Best team in the tournament by some distance, for my money. The majority of this squad would be found in the average national squad for a Brazil game, which speaks volumes. This is the only tournament that Brazil have never won and they look very keen to win it. They’re packed full of talented players with Thiago Silva leading from the back and Neymar dominating the attack. I don’t think you need me to introduce any of these players, really – the passing of Oscar, the acceleration and skill of Lucas Moura, the deft finesse and intelligence of Neymar, the movement of Pato/Damiao, the power of Hulk – need I go on? There’s something very wrong if Brazil don’t win this tournament.
Egypt
Goalkeepers – El-Shenawy, Bassam
Defenders – Samir, Ramadan, Ali Fathy, Hegazy, Gaber, Ahmed Fathy, El-Din
Midfielders – Ahmed, Aboutrika, Gomaa, Hassan, El-Nenny
Strikers – Motaeb, Salah, Mohsen, Magdi
Despite the inclusion of a couple of quality players, such as Motaeb and Aboutrika, it cannot be denied that this Egyptian side is in a transitional period right now. Their quality and efficiency levels have dropped massively and it’s evident both from their displays and their results over the past year or two. It’s a bit unusual that such a strong unit disintegrated so rapidly but that’s what we’re looking at. This side looks very experimental to me with very little quality. I was impressed at the new style that the Egyptians tried in the Toulon Tournament and I’m curious to see as to whether they implement it here or not. They looked good going forward then but were still susceptible at the back. Either way, as intrigued as I am by them, I suspect that they’ll be heading out of the competition earlier than most.
New Zealand
Goalkeepers – Gleeson, O’Keeffe
Defenders – A.Thomas, Musa, Nelsen, Smith, Myers, Hogg, Payne
Midfielders – Rojas, McGlinchey, Feneridis, Howieson, McGeorge
Strikers – Smeltz, Wood, Barbarouses, Lucas
I quite like this New Zealand squad in a strange sort of way. I especially like their attack, not least because of the excellent Shane Smeltz but also the highly-rated Barbarouses (who has finally left the A-League) and strong Wood. This New Zealand side is one that I will not be underestimating. A lot of their players play in the arising A-League and there are some good players in there. They’ve included talismanic centre-back Nelsen in their squad as one of their overage players, which is intelligent as he’s very good at organising their defence. New Zealand are a well-organised and well-oiled unit; it’ll be fascinating to see how good they could potentially be if their forwards are as good as I expect them to be. This side should go out in the group stage but if anyone is to cause an upset by progressing then I think it’ll be The Kiwis as they have enough of what is required to do so.
Group D
Honduras
Goalkeepers – Mendoza, Reyes
Defenders – Leveron, O.Peralta, Velasquez, Colon, Figueroa, Crisanto
Midfielders – Mejia, Martinez, A.Peralta, Garrido, Najar, Espinoza, Lopez
Strikers – Hernandez, Lozano, Bengtson
Young Andy Najar and Anthony Lozano carry the hopes of this Honduran side and both are good enough to cause problems in this tournament, especially hotshot Lozano. Maynor Figueroa is improving year after year with Wigan Athletic and thus it’s no surprise that there is constant talk over him moving to another club. He’s become very solid and consistent at the back, though, and that will aid the younger defenders around him massively. Calling up Espinoza is an interesting gamble but there are plenty of interesting players in this squad such as Hernandez and Leveron that makes me think that Honduras could spring a surprise or two. I don’t think that they’ll progress beyond the group stage but I certainly won’t be ruling it out. There’s more pace and skill in this side than they’re given credit for so don’t be surprised if they ruffle a few feathers.
Japan
Goalkeepers – Gonda, Ando
Defenders – Suzuki, D.Sakai, Yamamura, Yoshida, H.Sakai, Tokunaga
Midfielders – Higashi, Usami, Yamaguchi, Kiyotake, Muramatsu, Ogihara
Strikers – Otsu, Sugimoto, Nagai, Saito
There are more and more Japanese players making their way to Europe, which shows you how rapidly their football is improving. However, just as I said before the Toulon Tournament, I don’t quite feel that they’re ready to compete at such a level yet. Despite being pretty well-organised and pacey on the counter-attack in the Toulon Tournament, Japan still struggled because they lack quality, physical strength, and firepower. Usami is a terrific player, a real one to keep an eye on in this tournament. He’ll be the heartbeat of the team and if he’s not then they’re daft. He looks an exceptional talent and I look forward to seeing how he does on loan at Hoffenheim this season. He can win games for Japan but the problem again lies in the lack of quality around him. There’s plenty of tenacity and movement for him to work with but not much experience and not a good enough defence to keep sides out so I think that this Japanese side will bow out in the group stages.
Morocco
Goalkeepers – Amsif, Bounou
Defenders – Jebbour, Feddal, Bergdich, El Kaoutari, Abarhoun, Noussir
Midfielders – El Kaddouri, Kharja, Frikeche, Barrada, Fettouhi, Najah
Strikers – Bidaoui, El Hassnaoui, Labyad, Amrabat
Morocco’s boss Pim Verbeek is of the opinion that Morocco “could surprise” at this tournament. I don’t really share his optimism, to be honest. The problem Morocco have – and have had for some time – is scoring goals. The problem? They don’t do it! They usually have about two squads worth of good midfielders and almost never score goals due to inept forwards! I mean, Labyad, Kharja, Najah, El Kaddouri – all good midfielders. Look at their squad and tell me who will score the goals, though. It’ll take bad defending or an inspired Morocco display for them to score enough goals to do well in this tournament. Additionally, they’re a very temperamental side that don’t like things not going their way and thus they may be reduced to ten men more times than most. Morocco tend to deploy a stupidly high defensive line too – I’ve not seen their U23 side enough to know if they will but if they follow the trait of their senior team whilst playing in this group then they’ll get torn to shreds. A capable passing side that will damage you if allowed to but generally it’s rather easy to stop them doing what they want to do.
Spain
Goalkeepers – De Gea, Marino
Defenders – Alba, I.Martinez, Dominguez, Azpilicueta, Botia, Montoya
Midfielders – Muniain, J.Martinez, Mata, Koke, Oriol Romeu, Isco, A.Herrera
Strikers – Rodrigo, Adrian, Tello
Last, but not least – mighty Spain. This is probably the second strongest side in the tournament, for my money, and not by much. Indeed, had Brazil taken a more relaxed approach to winning this tournament (as Spain clearly have) then I would probably have favoured the Spanish as they integrate their squads far better than the Brazilians do. However, there are some big names absent from this Spain squad and despite the terrific quality on show, I do feel that when they meet Brazil (which I do expect them to) then they’re going to go out. This is a very attacking side with the capacity to score lots of goals. There’s plenty of familiarity in midfield with Javi Martinez, Ander Herrera, and Iker Muniain all of Athletic Club de Bilbao. Tello from Barcelona looks a terrific prospect and Mata – well, you all know how good he is. Rodrigo and Adrian are dangerous strikers and both have looked good over the last two years, demonstrating good improvement with their movement and finesse. Defensively, this side is a bit samba and will most likely concede goals. However, there are few sides in this competition that can outscore them and thus they really should be able to win the majority of their games without much ceremony.
Ante-post betting
There aren’t a lot of ante-post bets available but the ones below are those that interest me for this tournament.
Brazil to win the tournament – 3/2.
Uruguay to win a medal – 27/20.