Group G

Get is for Get it Over With, which is pretty much how I feel about this group. I have heard a lot of people floating the idea that this is a group of death, but that is wrong. There is one legitimate doormat in North Korea, and as attractive as some of the names in the Ivorian squad are, Brazil and Portugal will only fail to advance if they give less than they are capable of.

Group G

Brazil, North Korea, Portugal, Ivory Coast

Brazil- All the plaudits go without saying. They are a machine and should cruise through the group. I will add that this team may not thrill the fans back home as much as previous editions but are superior to most Brazilian squads on set pieces and counter attacks, making them even more dangerous. Dunga also has his team buying into running, tackling, and defending in a way not many (or any that I can remember) Brazilian national teams have before. There is very much a "take the right players, not the best players" approach at work here.

If you are looking for a clue that a stumble is possible you can probably find it in their track record. Dunga took the reins of Brazil's olympic team in 2008 which included some heavy-weights as their 3 age exempt players and they looked dreadful. Early in qualifying this team looked very boring and dropped points they normally would have won in their sleep. That said they are one of the two or three best teams in the world and most of the players on their subs bench are in the first 11 at elite clubs in Europe.

*I hate them more than any national team in the world. So much so that a few months ago I told someone, "if North Korea and Iran fielded a joint national soccer team, I would pull for them against Brazil." And as it works out I will get the chance to do half of that this coming summer. Probably the only time I will be cheering for North Korea in anything.
PTW- Luis Fabiano. Since the begining of this European season he is looked like the most lethal striker in the world at times. It seems he is level-headed and humble, something that can be rare in Brazilian goal scorers, and that probably meshes well with Dunga's philosophy. If Luis Fabiano does not tear it up Brazil have no lack of firepower, but I get the feeling he could walk away from this tournament having put his name among the Cristiano Ronaldos and Lionel Messis as a global superstar.

North Korea- Seriously. Who knows? It is next to impossible to find any information on their players and, obviously, I have spent zero hours watching an actual North Korean match. This manager profile from ESPNsoccernet is somewhat informative and extremely entertaining. It appears they are a defensively-focused side. Maybe that will allow them to exit the group stage with some dignity but realistically against the three opponents they have drawn no hunkering down is going to spare them. Read the profile, it is intriguing.
PTW- I can't even find their names.


Portugal-
To me they are clearly not as good as Brazil but just as clearly better than rest of the group. Carlos Quieroz is a very good tactician and football mind but just has something missing when it comes to being a manager. This was evident in Portugal's difficulty in qualifying. Be that as it may, there is no bigger stage in sports than the World Cup and I am sure his players will find it within themselves to rise to the occasion. In some ways this team can be seen as a superstar with pieces around him but a closer look reveals a much more complete side. Bruno Alves, Ricardo Carvalho, Ferriera, and Pepe are a very solid defense. Nani, Deco, and Assuncao are legitimate midfielders in their own right and will enhance Cristiano Ronaldo's play. Up top they might be a little thin but Liedson is a reliable if generic striker. I think Portugal and the Ivory Coast will both beat North Korea and both lose to Brazil, so second place will come down to either a) their opening game against each other or b) goal difference. In the head to head I like Portugal's well rounded squad and if it comes down to it I think Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Didier Drogba.
PTW- The Greasy One. Like Messi with Argentina, it is hard to pick someone over Ronaldo.


Ivory Coast-
This team is the darling of many football fans around the world and you can understand why. They are a good team, arguably the best on their continent, but the opponents in this group will make passage extremely difficult. This team has an exceptional spine with Kolo Toure in central defense, Yaya Toure anchoring the midfield as a ball-winner, and Didier Drogba threatening up top. Ultimately I think they will make an early exit because the other players around them don't match up with the supporting casts of Portugal and Brazil. That the squad will be taxed with the additional games and travel of the African Cup of Nations this month does not help.
PTW- Didier Drogba. Everyone has seem him do his thing in Europe for the last few years. One of the best and most exciting strikers in the world. He is deadly up close but much more than that. With a powerful and accurate shot Drogba is capable of putting in a freekick that makes the difference in a tight match and can also fire on the run from 20-25 yards out. That is the good. The (maybe?) bad is his fitness. Drogba is on the far side of thirty and although not a "man of glass" he has been hampered by injuries in recent years. Factor in that between today and their match against Portugal he will have played in the African Cup of Nations, the Premiership, the FA Cup, and the Champions League and there is a good chance he will not be at his absolute peak.


Group G predictions:
1. Brazil (9)
2. Portugal (6)
3. Ivory Coast (3)
4. North Korea (0)