GOONERSGUIDE WORLD CUP NEWS SECTION

This is our World Cup news section where we provide any news items that might have a significant effect on the matches being played - or sports betting in general.

World Cup News :: Group H Preview : Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan

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Posted on 2018-06-07 by Cruiser

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World Cup 2018 : Group H Preview

POLAND

FIFA Ranking :
Poland are currently ranked 10 in the world (on June 7th)

Previous World Cup Tournaments :
This will be the 8th time Poland are appearing in the World Cup Finals - but the first since 2006. They twice finished third which is in 1974 and 1982.

In the modern era, Poland failed to reach the knockout phase in 2002 and 2006 as they finished fourth and third in their group respectively.

The Coach :
Poland are led by Adam Nawalka who is 60 and is a former Poland midfielder who played at the 1978 World Cup and was capped 34 times.

He took over the national side in October 2013 but before that he was Leo Beenhakker's assistant at Euro 2008. After nearly five years at the helm he became the first coach to lead them to the European Championship and World Cup. His biggest achievement was reaching the Euro 2016 quarter-final.

Key Players :
Robert Lewandowski: Without a doubt the Bayern Munich striker was the leading scorer in Europe's World Cup qualifying campaign. He was also top scorer in the Bundesliga this season for the third time since he began playing in Germany in 2010, thus he became the first non-German to achieve the feat. Last year he became Poland's record scorer with 52 goals in 93 appearances, beating Wlodzimierz Lubanski's record. In the 2016 Euro finals, he had a poor showing and he blamed fatigue.

Kamil Glik: He has been dubbed by the French "the rock" and he plays for Monaco at the centre back position. The 30-year-old has a reputation as a rugged defender and he has scored some stunning goals.

Grzegorz Krychowiak: The 28-year-old defensive midfielder was a key player during Euro 2016. He plays well in front of defence and breaks up opposition attacks. However, after joining Paris Saint-Germain from Sevilla in June 2016, he struggled to establish himself to adopt to their attacking style of play.

Form Guide :
After Poland qualified for Russia, Nawalka switched from a back four to a three-man defence for more tactical flexibility. That was a difficult transition and that resulted in a goalless draw with Uruguay as well as 1-0 defeats by Mexico and Nigeria in friendlies. The Poles claimed their first victory with the new formation by beating South Korea 3-2 in March thanks to Piotr Zielinski's last-gasp winner.

Prospects :
After their strong performance at the Euro 2016, their fans are optimistic for a good showing in the World Cup in Russia. When they reached the quarter finals of Euro 2016 that was the team's best run in a tournament for decades.

Poland is not as strong compared to Euro 2016 but their target is to reach the last 16 for the first time in 32 years.

SENEGAL

FIFA Ranking :
Senegal are currently ranked 28 in the world (on June 7th).

Previous World Cup Tournaments :
Senegal's only prior appearance at the World Cup came in 2002 when they beat holders France in the opening game before going on to reach the quarter-finals. That ensured that they became only the second African country to progress that far in the World Cup.

The Coach :
Senegal are led by Aliou Cisse who is 42 years old. He was the Captain of the Senegal team at the World Cup in 2002.

Key Players :
Sadio Mane: He will be his country's main player in attack, the Liverpool player formed a crucial part of the Merseyside club's formidable attacking trio alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohammed Salah.

Kalidou Koulibaly: The defender has been a pillar of Napoli's Serie A title challenge and his strength lies in his speed and power, but he is also good when striding out from the back with the ball.

Cheikhou Kouyate: The Captain and gives them a physical presence in midfield. He plays for West Ham United and is a fan favourite there when he joined from from Anderlecht in 2014.

Form Guide :
Senegal's last three World Cup warm-up matches both ended in draws, which was a 1-1 with Uzbekistan and 0-0 with Bosnia and the last match was with Luxembourg and that also ended in a 0-0 draw. They are unbeaten in their last eight matches, however, and have conceded only twice in their last five games.

Prospects :
Senegal will hope to make it into the knockout round - but it's more hope than expectation.

COLOMBIA

FIFA Ranking :
Colombia are currently ranked 16 in the world (at June 7th)

Previous World Cup Tournaments :
This will be Colombia's fifth appearance in the World Cup. In the World Cup in 2014 they reached the quarter finals stage, which was their best performance as they lost to the home nation Brazil.

Colombia are best remembered for their 1994 team featuring characters such as eccentric goalkeeper Rene Higuita and blond-locked Carlos Valderrama.

The Coach :
Colombia are led by Jose Pekerman and the silver-haired Argentine has led Colombia since 2012 as he guided them out of a lean period and propelling them to their first consecutive World Cups appearances. He emphasizes on the squad's attacking talents and most notably kept faith in striker Radamel Falcao.

Key players :
James Rodriguez: He recently helped Bayern Munich to clinched their sixth successive Bundesliga title, the 26-year-old Rodriguez will be hoping to have a good run in Russia. He was top scorer at the 2014 World Cup and won over many in the public with his dazzling goals and dancing celebrations.

Radamel Falcao: Striker Radamel Falcao who plays for Monaco and is 32 years old, missed out on the 2014 World Cup due to a ligament injury.

Juan Cuadrado: He plays for Juventus and he is feared for his fast counter-attacks and goals from near-impossible angles. Cuadrado, 29, was out for three months due to a groin injury scored on his return against AC Milan.

Form guide :
Colombia had a disappointing qualifying campaign but their attacking style of play and ability to turn games has been their trademark since.

In March they were trailing France 2-0 in a friendly, but then they clawed back to beat "Les Bleus" 3-2 at the Stade de France to the surprise of everyone. However, were unable to beat Australia a few days later in a goalless draw that highlighted the South American team's tupsy turvy form.

Prospects :
With a good attack and a relatively group which they can manage, Colombia are favourites to make it to the next round.

JAPAN

FIFA Ranking :
Japan are currently ranked 60 in the world (on June 7th)

Previous World Cup Tournaments :
Japan have appeared in the World Cup a total of five times. They made their debut in the World Cup in France in 1998. Since then they have appeared in every World Cup finals.

Japan have reached the round of 16 on two occasions, most recently in South Africa in 2010. When they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with South Korea, they reached the second round, but lost to Turkey by 1-0.

The Coach :
Japan are led by Nishino, who took over as Japan head coach on April 9 after the surprise sacking of Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic, who had steered Japan to the finals in Russia.

Nishino who is 63 years old, made 12 appearances for the Blue Samurai as a player and he is most known for coaching the Japan side who defeated Brazil at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Key players :
Shinji Kagawa: He plays for Borussia Dortmund as a midfielder, but has struggled to emulate the form that made him Japan’s star man going into Brazil 2014. A recent injury has hindered his World Cup preparations but with 29 goals in 89 appearances for Japan, Kagawa remains the man most likely to get the goals for them and unlock defences in Russia.

Yuto Nagatomo: He is currently playing for Galatasaray as he is on loan from Inter Milan. He is the most experienced member of a resilient Japan defence that conceded only seven goals in their 10 qualifying games. The 31-year-old may have past his prime but Nagatomo’s wealth of top-flight European experience could be crucial to his team at the World Cup.

Keisuke Honda: He is known to be Japan'se most famous footballing export, and the 31-year-old midfielder is now playing for C.F. Pachuca in the Mexican top division. Honda will be a dangerous weapon for Nishino to call from the bench when needed.

Form guide :
After they have qualified for the Finals, Japan has struggled.

They lost to Ukraine, Belgium and Brazil and drew with Mali and Haiti in friendly matches. At the end of May, they lost to Ghana by 2-0 as well in Yokohama, Japan.

Prospects :
By being drawn in Group H, they can count themselves lucky to avoid the more dangerous top seeds - and qualification is a possibility.

The Betting Verdict

I expect Colombia to top the group and the second spot I think will be a battle between Poland and Japan. Senegal will finish in fourth spot.

A Group Forecast of Colombia first, and Poland second pays 4.50 at Bet365

 

Sourced From : Gooners Guide to World Cup Betting

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Group A Preview : Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay