Group F Preview

 

Group F	FIFA	ELO	Best Finish	WC 2010
Argentina	6	4	1st (twice)	5th
Bosnia Herz	25	24		DNQ
Iran	37	29	1st Round (3 times)	DNQ
Nigeria	45	30	2nd Round (twice)	27th

 
Argentina are two time Champions of the World. They're last hey day was under legend Diego Maradona. This edition has their own legend, Lionel Messi, but the current captain seems to fade with the national team. Poor performances at the end of his club season don't put too much faith behind this team, but club and country are different dogs. With a talented supporting cast and an exciting atmosphere in Brazil, Argentina can be a darkhorse to win. I consider them a top 5 team in the world. Four years ago they dominated their group winning every game against much weaker opposition. A quarterfinal loss to Germany by 0-4 seems to have put Argentina out of many people's minds, but a weak group this year means that Argentina should get another shot at a deep run.

Bosnia and Herzegovina have made it to their first World Cup ever. I don't see them giving Argentina a challenge at all. The only team I see them beating is Iran, but that's not a lock either. Nigeria are ranked lower, but the Super Eagles have been here before. It comes down to how well this team can handle the spotlight of playing on the biggest stage.

Iran are in their fourth World Cup. In a way, they got a decent draw. Argentina will make short work of them, and Nigeria should displace them easily. But maybe, just maybe, they can steal some points from Nigeria and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This group is Argentina and Company.

For Nigeria this World Cup is retribution. Four years ago they found themselves drawn with Argentina. An opening game loss 0-1 to the South Americans was supposed to be a positive showing for Nigeria. Losing to Greece and being held to a draw by South Korea resulted in a fourth place finish. That was disappointing. They open this tournament against Iran and should sink their talons into the opposition. Winning will set them up for a second place finish. A draw, and they could find themselves wishing they were back at the 2nd round.

Key Match:

It'll be the rematch between Nigeria and Argentina. A 0-1 loss will not be enough for Nigeria. They need a win or a draw to make it to the second round for sure. Of course, if they take care of business in games 1 and 2, this game won't be as important.