Group H Thread

[Dagger5]

Group H hosts tournament favourites Spain, Switzerland, Chile and Honduras. I don't know much about Honduras but I would expect Switzerland and Chile to be fighting it out for 2nd spot. Spain has some well documented injuries to key players, but this isn't a bad group for those players to be brought up to speed.

Match times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Honduras vs Chile 16 June 21:30
Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

Spain vs Switzerland 17 June 00:00
Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban

Chile vs Switzerland 22 June 00:00
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Spain vs Honduras 22 June 04:30
Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg

Chile vs Spain 26 June 04:30
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria

Switzerland vs Honduras 26 June 04:30
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein

The winner here (Spain most likely) will face the runner up from Group G which will probably be either Cote d'Ivoire or Portugal. The runner up here will probably face Brazil.

 

[Dagger5]

Swiss Squad:

Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg/GER), Johnny Leoni (Zurich/SUI), Marco Woelfli (Young Boys/SUI)

Defenders: Mario Eggimann (Hanover/GER), Stephane Grichting (Auxerre/FRA), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Lazio/ITA), Philippe Senderos (Arsenal/ENG), Christoph Spycher (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Steve Von Bergen (Hertha Berlin/GER), Reto Ziegler (Sampdoria/ITA)

Midfielders: Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), Valon Behrami (West Ham/ENG), Gelson Fernandes (St Etienne/FRA), Benjamin Huggel (Basel/SUI), Goekhan Inler (Udinese/ITA), Marco Padalino (Sampdoria/ITA), Pirmin Schwegler (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Xherdan Shaqiri (Basel/SUI), Hakan Yakin (Lucerne/SUI)

Strikers: Eren Derdiyok (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), Alexander Frei (Basel/SUI), Blaise Nkufo (Twente/NED), Marco Streller (Basel/SUI)

Reserves: Fabio Coltorti (Racing Santander/ESP); Francois Affolter (Young Boys/SUI), Fabian Lustenberger (Hertha Berlin/GER), Albert Bunjaku (Nuremberg/GER), Nassim Ben Khalifa (Grasshopper/SUI), Valentin Stocker (Basel/SUI)

 

[GrandBlue]

Spain Squad:

Goalkeepers:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Pepe Reina (Liverpool FC)
Diego López (Villarreal FC)
Víctor Valdés (FC Barcelona)
David De Gea (Atlético de Madrid)

Defenders:
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid)
Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid)
Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona)
Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona)
Carlos Marchena (Valencia CF)
Joan Capdevila (Villarreal CF)
César Azpilicueta (Osasuna)

Midfielders:
Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)
Sergi Busquets (FC Barcelona)
Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona)
Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona)
David Silva (Valencia CF)
Juan Mata (Valencia CF)
Marcos Senna (Villarreal CF)
Cesc Fábregas (Arsenal)
Javi Martínez (Athletic de Bilbao)
Jesús Navas (Sevilla FC)
Santi Cazorla (Villarreal CF)

Forwards:
David Villa (Valencia CF)
Álvaro Negredo (Sevilla FC)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Dani G*iza (Fenerbahce)
Fernando Llorente (Athletic de Bilbao)
Pedro Rodríguez (FC Barcelona)

Gee that looks strong, assuming they're all fit and ready to start. Would they be going for a 4-3-3 or what?

 

[Bourky23]

Don't know exactly how they have been lining up lately but if I was in charge i'd go with

------------- Casillas --------------
-------------------------------------
--------- Puyol --- Pique -----------
Sergio Ramos -------------- Capdevila
------------------------------------
---------- Xavi ---- Alonso ----------
Iniesta ------------------------- Silva
---------------------------------------
------------------- Torres ------------
------------ Villa --------------------

 

[Dagger5]

Don't know exactly how they have been lining up lately but if I was in charge i'd go with

------------- Casillas --------------
-------------------------------------
--------- Puyol --- Pique -----------
Sergio Ramos -------------- Capdevila
------------------------------------
---------- Xavi ---- Alonso ----------
Iniesta ------------------------- Silva
---------------------------------------
------------------- Torres ------------
------------ Villa --------------------

Im pretty sure that is the team they have been playing most of the time recently but it wouldn't surprise me to see Senna start ahead of Xabi.

 

[GrandBlue]

Wouldn't Fabregas be more likely to start than any other mid not playing? That's what I would of thought unless he's unfit.

 

[timmah]

Watchout for the Chileans (Y). Probably are my darkhorse for the WC, bit of Chilean bias but oh well.

Have got a great footballing history and are very entertaining to watch. They definitely are capable of doing some damage and have some fantastic young players in their side. Humbero Suazo is probably their player to watch out for, gun player. He was linked to Tottenham eralier on in the year and is currently scoring for fun for Zaragoza.

Here is the Chile squad:
Chile squad
Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad/Spain), Miguel Pinto (Universidad de Chile), Luis Marin (Union Espanola)

Defenders: Roberto Cereceda (Colo Colo), Pablo Contreras (PAOK/Greece), Ismael Fuentes (Universidad Catolica), Mauricio Isla (Udinese/Italy), Gary Medel (Boca Juniors/Argentina), Gonzalo Jara (West Brom/England), Waldo Ponce (Universidad Catolica), Arturo Vidal (Bayer Leverkusen/Germany)

Midfielders: Charles Aranguiz (Colo Colo), Carlos Carmona (Reggina/Italy), Marco Estrada (Universidad de Chile), Matias Fernandez (Sporting Lisbon/Portugal), Gonzalo Fierro (Flamengo/Brazil), Jose Pedro Fuenzalida (Colo Colo), Manuel Iturra (Universidad de Chile), Rodrigo Millar (Colo Colo), Pedro Morales (Dinamo Zagreb/Croatia), Rodrigo Tello (Besiktas/Turkey), Jorge Valdivia (Al-Ain/United Arab Emirates), Jaime Valdes (Atalanta/Italy)

Forwards: Jean Beausejour (America/Mexico), Mark Gonzalez (CSKA Moscow/Russia), Hector Mancilla (Toluca/Mexico), Fabian Orellana (Xerez/Spain), Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo), Alexis Sanchez (Udinese/Italy), Humberto Suazo (Real Zaragoza/Spain)

 

[Bourky23]

Wouldn't Fabregas be more likely to start than any other mid not playing? That's what I would of thought unless he's unfit.

unlikely to play due to his fractured leg.

 

[Dagger5]

 

[belfast_bomber]

Fernando Torres, the only man in Spain who looks awkward in a suit.

 

[Dagger5]

Nando and Pepe seem a bit too cosy with Iker and Xabi. Looks like there off to Madrid.

 

[cesc fabregas]

unlikely to play due to his fractured leg.

He is back in full training, is expected to play a part in their last warm-up match. Trust me, he will play a big part in Spain's world cup.

 

[Dagger5]

Torres has come out and said he should be 100% fit for Spains first game, looks like they will be at full strength from the get go.

 

[Bourky23]

how sharp does Iker look!

 

[youngsaint]

how sharp does Iker look!

He has to with a mrs like this

 

[Dagger5]

 

[Bourky23]

not a massive fan of that strip to be honest..

also, something i find amusing..

for Barca, Iniesta wears 8 and Xavi wears 6.

yet for Spain Iniesta wears 6 and Xavi wears 8.

work that one out

 

[alfamito]

I think spain will go throw to the next round

 

[Yero]

All the Adidas-sponsored players in the front row. Nike in the other two lol.

 

[Dagger5]

 

[belfast_bomber]

Photos 1 and 5 straight out of Up The Arse Corner.

Seriously what's going on in photo 1?

And how much of a spanner does Busquets look in photo 6?

 

[Dagger5]

Photos 1 and 5 straight out of Up The Arse Corner.

Seriously what's going on in photo 1?

And how much of a spanner does Busquets look in photo 6?

Pepe: Hey is this far enough for you?

(I think its Villa): Na just stretch it out a bit further

 

[belfast_bomber]

It's Torres... Villa's wearing red socks in the other photos

 

[Godzke]

Spain will no doubt be very gracious in victory or defeat
[YOUTUBE]Q0V70sVe9pY[/YOUTUBE]

lol

 

[Godzke]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/794035/ce/uk/?cc=3436&ver=global

Injury concern for Iniesta after the final friendly against Poland.

Walloped Poland 6-0 (Silva x2, Villa, Torres, Cesc and PEDRITOOOOO). Spain started with Xavi-Xabi, Busquets behind, Iniesta on the left and Silva on the right with Villa up forward.

Wouldn't surprise me if Torres isn't in the starting XI.