Tuesday brings the two remaining matches of the first round, as Group H finally takes the field. First up are Belgium and Algeria, to be followed tonight by Russia and South Korea. Group H may be among the weakest groups in the tournament, but should provide as much excitement as any other. This match will fit that pattern – both Belgium and Algeria are bursting with young players eager to make a name for themselves on the biggest stage.
What’s At Stake
While this is considered a weak group, that’s mostly because there’s no proven superpower present. But there’s also no real minnow; Belgium are the bookkeepers’ eighth-favorite to win the Cup, Algeria are loaded with European players and dominated opponents throughout qualification, South Korea are playing in their eight straight World Cup, and Russia won their qualifying group ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
That means a surprise loss for Belgium today would put them in real danger of missing out on the second round or at least of coming second in the group, which would set up a second-round match with the terrifying Germans from Group G. Belgium really need to win today to avoid Germany and give an inexperienced squad confidence.
Though Algeria would happily take a point today, the Africans might hope their skillful wingers cause enough problems for Belgium’s strange back four to make a win possible.
Belgium play 4-2-3-1, with Wolfsburg Kevin de Bruyne pulling the strings as the attacking midfielder (the center of the “3”). The Europeans ought to see a lot of the ball today, which might not suit striker Romelu Lukaku’s game; he thrives on having space behind defenders into which to make clever runs. If Belgian coach manager Mark Wilmots has any sense of style at all, the defensive midfielders will be Afrotastic duo Axel Witsel and Marouane Fellaini playing side by side. The Twin Towers of Flower Power may look like Jimi Hendrix impersonators, but their style is more physical than technical.
Algeria will set out in a similar system, with two strong central midfielders (probably Nabil Bentaleb and Saphir Taïder) behind a pacy, skillful front four. Unfortunately, we might not get to see much of Algeria’s two talented wingers, Al Arabi Soudani and Sofiane Feghouli, because they’ll be tucked in defending for long periods alongside Bentaleb and Taïder. If they do get a chance to motor forward, though, watch out: Belgium are using centerbacks at the fullback positions, and their mobility might be a problem.
The man to watch for Belgium is Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, an insanely skillful winger who will play on the left wing. For Algeria, keep an eye on Madjid Bougherra; how he deals with Lukaku’s movement will determine how bad things get for Algeria today.
Adrian Healey and Efan Ekoku. Ekoku had the misfortune to be assigned to the Nigeria vs. Iran game yesterday, so he’ll be thrilled to be watching two teams that can play. Should be a good match, commentary-wise.
Match-specific Drinking Games
One-On-One: Drink every time Eden Hazard dribbles past someone with the ball. How drunk?: Dizzy – at least partly from Hazard’s dazzling maneuvers.
Afro Thunder: Take a shot whenever you mix up Axel Witsel and Marouane Fellaini. Be honest. How drunk? Tipsy if they both play, but you’ll get the hang of it.
Brave, or…: Have a sip any time a Belgian defender, especially Vincent Kompany, rushes out to make an early tackle and gets caught out. How drunk? You’ll be fine. Belgium shouldn’t be under much pressure.
Belgium: Westvleteren 12. Perhaps the best quadrupel in the world, and tough to find. Anything Belgian will do, but you might as well go for at least a good monastery-brewed dubbel or trippel.
Algeria: Hamoud Boualem, another non-alcoholic drink from a majority-Muslim country. Enjoy your Belgian beer.
For more:
– Read my general World Cup watching guide.
– Check out Zonal Marking, my favorite tactics website.
– See a commentary schedule or a review of each commentator.
– See where I’m getting my national drink recommendations.
– Check out other match previews from this group:
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