- Chile : Good attacking game. Strong defense. The only team to have not conceded a goal yet in this group. They have the South American flair to their game. With 2 wins in 2 matches they have already qualified to the Knockout stage. Their next match is against the struggling Spanish team. Spain desperately needs to win this match to qualify for the next stage, while Chile would be looking to go to the next stage with a clean sheet. This match has all the ingredients for entertainment.
- Spain : Rooted as the best in-form team this year and a probable finalist in this World Cup, surprisingly went down to Switzerland in their opening match. This setback has placed them in a must win situation against the group leaders Chile. They have a very good attack. Very fast in movement. They were rusty and unlucky in the first match to have not converted any of their attempts into goals. They showed their true colors in their second match against Honduras where they beat them by 2 goals. This win has given them a one goal advantage over Switzerland who share the same 3 points with them. They are hurt and desperate in need of a win and their match against Chile has been hyped as a battle royale.
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| Matches in Group H |
- Switzerland : Surprise package of this group. They stunned everyone and almost produced the first upset shock of this World Cup when they beat the in-form Spanish team. They defended very well in their first match to deny Spain any goals. They were lucky to score one goal and managed to maintain that lead till the end. They fought gallantly against Chile, but could not defend as well as against Spain. They are one win away from qualifying into the next stage. They now need to beat Honduras by more than 2 goals to upset Spain and qualify for the Knockout stage.
- Honduras : Its only their second appearance in World Cup and they looked nervous and rusty in their opening match. They lacked cohesion and could not create goal scoring opportunities. They definitely defended well, since they conceded only 3 goals in their 2 matches. With 2 losses in 2 games, they are certainly out of contention for the Knockout stage from this group.
A big over confident blunder by the Chilean goalkeeper helped Spain score the first of their 2 goals. Spain were desperate for a win and they showed lot of class and finesse in their victory against the slightly rough playing Chile.
ReplyDeleteSwitzerland and Honduras were a good match to each other. Both created plenty of openings for themselves but lacked any quality finishers. Watching these teams make blunders in the final moments of an attack makes you realise the worth of having players like Ronaldo, Rooney, Robinho, Messi, et al. Both teams ended up with a tame goalless draw and will exit this World Cup campaign.
Spain, rightfully top Group H on goal differences and will meet Portugal from Group G in the Knockout stage.
Chile will have to battle it out with their South American counterparts, Brazil, for a place in Quarter Finals.