Abdullah719
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World Cup 2018: France faces Peru in fun Group C
While there are no weak links in Group C, the 2018 World Cup draw could not have worked out much better for France, who avoid getting matched up against another giant. Denmark, Peru, and Australia are formidable opponents who will think they have a very good shot of advancing to the Round of 16, but they’ll have a lot of trouble getting past Les Bleus.
France
A squad that, on paper at least, has the talent necessary to win a World Cup Final. The central midfield especially, built around Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, and Adrien Rabiot (with Blaise Matuidi, Tiémoué Bakayoko, and Moussa Sissoko, among others, all available), has the tenacity, verve, and skill to boss any game against any opponent.
Ahead of them, they’ll have the breathtaking talent of PSG’s Kylian Mbappé, already looking like a world-beater at age 18, along with Antoine Griezmann and, well, take your pick: Manager Didier Deschamps will have Anthony Martial, Kingsley Coman, Olivier Giroud, Alexandre Lacazette, and Ousmane Dembélé to choose from, all top talents playing at top clubs around the world. If Hugo Lloris is good enough in net, and the defense comes together around Raphael Varane, and there isn’t a total team meltdown (always a possibility with France), there’s no stopping this team.
Key player: Paul Pogba
Pogba is Manchester United’s midfield dynamo, a player who can cover acres of ground, score goals, hit a 50-yard pass on a dime, dribble, defend, you name it. He’s a complete player, one whose talent is sort of hard to comprehend, and therein lies the danger with him -- Managers can sometimes ask Pogba to do too much. It’s why France is so lucky to have N’Golo Kante next to him … he should cover the ground defensively to allow Pogba to thrive all over the field.
Australia
Australia may have made it to their fourth successive World Cup, but they cut it extremely fine. Awkward results in the second group stage — including draws against Thailand, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia — meant they had to negotiate two extra playoff rounds. First they needed an extra-time goal from Tim Cahill, now age 273, to overcome Syria. Then a Mile Jedinak hat-trick — own goal, penalty, penalty — saw them past Honduras.
Following that playoff win, coach Ange Postecoglou, who took charge in 2013, took a young team to the World Cup in 2014, and oversaw the victory in the Asian Cup in 2015, resigned his position. The Australian FA have announced that they will be taking their time over appointing a replacement, but whoever gets the job will inherit a tactically flexible, attack-minded team. Albeit one that could do with a little work on the defence. They played 22 games on the way to Russia, yet despite being one of the strongest teams in Asia, kept just nine clean sheets.
Key player: Aaron Mooy
Tempting as it was to go with Tim Cahill, who scored 11 goals in qualifying, we should probably look to somebody younger. Mooy has turned in a number of eye-catching performances in the early stages of Huddersfield's Premier League campaign, and if Australia's new manager can find a way to harness his talents, perhaps the team won't have to lean so hard on their veteran attacker.
Peru
Peru are set to be a fun and exciting underdog story, and a team that’s drawn a lot of neutral support as they made their late charge for World Cup qualification, an effort that came good in their inter-confederation playoff qualifying win over New Zealand. They’ve evolved into one of the more fun teams in South America over the last year, and now they’re headed to the biggest tournament in the sport for the first time since 1982.
They’ve done a good job of meshing an aging core of their team with young, exciting stars like Renato Tapia, Andy Polo, Yordy Reyna, and Edison Flores. They have every intention of making this a tournament to remember, and they’re going to fight hard for every bit of glory that they can get.
Key player: Christian Cueva
Cueva may not have the goalscoring pedigree of Paolo Guerrero or Jefferson Farfan, but his playmaking credentials are the best on the team, and he’s shown over the last few years that he’s well capable of scoring some great goals of his own. Cueva’s playmaking skills will be at the heart of any successes Peru have, but his defensive efforts in their wonderfully effective high press will be just as crucial.
Denmark
Denmark’s golden generation got them to the quarterfinals in 1998 and the round of 16 four years later, but they’ve only made one World Cup since and they managed just three points in three matches in South Africa. They’re back now, at Ireland’s expense and on the back of Christian Eriksen. The Tottenham talisman scored a hat trick to put Denmark in the World Cup and they have dreams of another knockout stage appearance with a good defense that they can lean on against the world’s best teams.
The Danish back line conceded just eight goals in 10 matches of World Cup qualifying before jumping into the playoff and allowing just one more. A good defense with a brilliant man pulling the strings for an attack that will throw bodies into the final third from anywhere? It can be worse.
Key player: Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen is Denmark’s best player by a mile. The question is whether he’s their best player ever. He was put in the spotlight as a teenager and has lived up to the hype at every step, starring for country, Ajax, and now Tottenham. The only thing holding him back is a questionable hairline, but so long as he’s embarrassing defenses with passes that leave opponents baffled, we won’t make fun of him for that.
Predictions
France is the clear favorite, but the race for second place behind them is wide open. I’m picking Denmark just because Christian Eriksen is the top player on any of the three teams, but this group should be very close, and Denmark could finish last as well.
France
Denmark
Peru
Australia
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/201...up-draw-group-c-france-australia-peru-denmark
While there are no weak links in Group C, the 2018 World Cup draw could not have worked out much better for France, who avoid getting matched up against another giant. Denmark, Peru, and Australia are formidable opponents who will think they have a very good shot of advancing to the Round of 16, but they’ll have a lot of trouble getting past Les Bleus.
France
A squad that, on paper at least, has the talent necessary to win a World Cup Final. The central midfield especially, built around Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, and Adrien Rabiot (with Blaise Matuidi, Tiémoué Bakayoko, and Moussa Sissoko, among others, all available), has the tenacity, verve, and skill to boss any game against any opponent.
Ahead of them, they’ll have the breathtaking talent of PSG’s Kylian Mbappé, already looking like a world-beater at age 18, along with Antoine Griezmann and, well, take your pick: Manager Didier Deschamps will have Anthony Martial, Kingsley Coman, Olivier Giroud, Alexandre Lacazette, and Ousmane Dembélé to choose from, all top talents playing at top clubs around the world. If Hugo Lloris is good enough in net, and the defense comes together around Raphael Varane, and there isn’t a total team meltdown (always a possibility with France), there’s no stopping this team.
Key player: Paul Pogba
Pogba is Manchester United’s midfield dynamo, a player who can cover acres of ground, score goals, hit a 50-yard pass on a dime, dribble, defend, you name it. He’s a complete player, one whose talent is sort of hard to comprehend, and therein lies the danger with him -- Managers can sometimes ask Pogba to do too much. It’s why France is so lucky to have N’Golo Kante next to him … he should cover the ground defensively to allow Pogba to thrive all over the field.
Australia
Australia may have made it to their fourth successive World Cup, but they cut it extremely fine. Awkward results in the second group stage — including draws against Thailand, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia — meant they had to negotiate two extra playoff rounds. First they needed an extra-time goal from Tim Cahill, now age 273, to overcome Syria. Then a Mile Jedinak hat-trick — own goal, penalty, penalty — saw them past Honduras.
Following that playoff win, coach Ange Postecoglou, who took charge in 2013, took a young team to the World Cup in 2014, and oversaw the victory in the Asian Cup in 2015, resigned his position. The Australian FA have announced that they will be taking their time over appointing a replacement, but whoever gets the job will inherit a tactically flexible, attack-minded team. Albeit one that could do with a little work on the defence. They played 22 games on the way to Russia, yet despite being one of the strongest teams in Asia, kept just nine clean sheets.
Key player: Aaron Mooy
Tempting as it was to go with Tim Cahill, who scored 11 goals in qualifying, we should probably look to somebody younger. Mooy has turned in a number of eye-catching performances in the early stages of Huddersfield's Premier League campaign, and if Australia's new manager can find a way to harness his talents, perhaps the team won't have to lean so hard on their veteran attacker.
Peru
Peru are set to be a fun and exciting underdog story, and a team that’s drawn a lot of neutral support as they made their late charge for World Cup qualification, an effort that came good in their inter-confederation playoff qualifying win over New Zealand. They’ve evolved into one of the more fun teams in South America over the last year, and now they’re headed to the biggest tournament in the sport for the first time since 1982.
They’ve done a good job of meshing an aging core of their team with young, exciting stars like Renato Tapia, Andy Polo, Yordy Reyna, and Edison Flores. They have every intention of making this a tournament to remember, and they’re going to fight hard for every bit of glory that they can get.
Key player: Christian Cueva
Cueva may not have the goalscoring pedigree of Paolo Guerrero or Jefferson Farfan, but his playmaking credentials are the best on the team, and he’s shown over the last few years that he’s well capable of scoring some great goals of his own. Cueva’s playmaking skills will be at the heart of any successes Peru have, but his defensive efforts in their wonderfully effective high press will be just as crucial.
Denmark
Denmark’s golden generation got them to the quarterfinals in 1998 and the round of 16 four years later, but they’ve only made one World Cup since and they managed just three points in three matches in South Africa. They’re back now, at Ireland’s expense and on the back of Christian Eriksen. The Tottenham talisman scored a hat trick to put Denmark in the World Cup and they have dreams of another knockout stage appearance with a good defense that they can lean on against the world’s best teams.
The Danish back line conceded just eight goals in 10 matches of World Cup qualifying before jumping into the playoff and allowing just one more. A good defense with a brilliant man pulling the strings for an attack that will throw bodies into the final third from anywhere? It can be worse.
Key player: Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen is Denmark’s best player by a mile. The question is whether he’s their best player ever. He was put in the spotlight as a teenager and has lived up to the hype at every step, starring for country, Ajax, and now Tottenham. The only thing holding him back is a questionable hairline, but so long as he’s embarrassing defenses with passes that leave opponents baffled, we won’t make fun of him for that.
Predictions
France is the clear favorite, but the race for second place behind them is wide open. I’m picking Denmark just because Christian Eriksen is the top player on any of the three teams, but this group should be very close, and Denmark could finish last as well.
France
Denmark
Peru
Australia
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/201...up-draw-group-c-france-australia-peru-denmark
