COLOMBIA’S World Cup hopes took a major blow when striker Radamel Falcao suffered a serious knee injury in January but the South Americans remain the standout side in Group C.
After naming Falcao in his provisional squad, coach Jose Pekerman waited until the last minute to finalise his 23-man selection as he closely monitored the fitness of his star man before ultimately having to concede defeat, admitting it was “the saddest day I’ve had since becoming Colombia coach”.
Despite Falcao’s absence Los Cafeteros can still rely on El Tigre’s Monaco teammate James Rodriguez to orchestrate attacks and they remain favourites to advance to the knockout stages in Colombia’s first finals appearance since France ’98.
In Jackson Martinez, Adrian Ramos and Carlos Bacca, Colombia have three viable candidates to replace Falcao and partner Teofilo Gutierrez up front, but as yet none have distinguished themselves at international level.
Their progression into the latter stages of the competition could also be severely hindered by an ageing backline where a lack of mobility could cost them dearly against stronger sides.
Pekerman has sought to freshen up the defence by discarding veteran centre back Luis Perea, a regular during qualifying, but 38-year-old Mario Yepes is likely to be targeted as a potential weakness for opponents to exploit.
The group is wide open, though, with Ivory Coast, Greece and Japan also harbouring genuine ambitions of advancing to the knockout phase.
Asian champions Japan will be playing at their fifth successive finals and coach Alberto Zaccheroni hopes exposing his team to strong opposition in the build up to the tournament will provide his players with greater confidence on the big stage.
The Blue Samurai have never been beyond the last 16 but will look to their European-based attacking trio of Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki to help Japan make a run into the tournament’s later stages.
Another player who could play a crucial role is goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima conceded only two goals in four matches at the last World Cup and has been playing in Europe with Standrad Liege since then, improving his experience.
Under Zaccheroni, Japan will be a disciplined and solid side at the back and if their front three can sparkle, they have a great chance of progressing from the group.
Ivory Coast were tipped to set a new benchmark for African teams at the past two tournaments but unfavourable draws resulted in the Ivorians falling at the first hurdle on both occasions.
With several of their key performers, notably captain Didier Drogba, the wrong side of 30, the finals in Brazil likely represent one last chance for the Elephants’ golden generation to leave their mark on the competition.
The combination of Yaya Toure, the country’s driving force in midfield, and a reinvigorated Gervinho as well as Salomon Kalou linking up with Drogba should pose a threat to any defence.
However, Ivory Coast have been unable to shed their tag of underperformers with their failure to win at least one African Cup of Nations with the current crop of players particularly mystifying.
Unfancied Greece stunned an entire continent a decade ago to win Euro 2004 but the Greeks have recorded just a solitary win at the World Cup in their only two previous trips.
Fernando Santos, who will step down as coach following the tournament, admitted the gritty Greeks will again likely deploy a cautious approach that saw them concede the second fewest goals in European qualifying.
Kostas Mitroglou steered the Greeks past Romania in the play-offs but the forward endured a miserable time after joining Fulham in January and made just one start due to persistent knee troubles.
That doesn’t bode well for a nation that managed just 12 goals in 10 qualifying matches against distinctly average opposition, but Greece have defied the odds before. AFP
