After a thrilling first match of Group E, the pressure is on the French to pick up three points against lowly Honduras in Porto Alegre. Casual fans will be expecting a cruise for France, who won the World Cup and European Championship back-to-back in 1998 and 2000. For a number of reasons, though, Honduras might present a serious problem for the Europeans.
What’s At Stake
In my preview for the first Group E match, Switzerland vs. Ecuador, I mentioned that the penalty for progressing from this group as runner-up (rather than group winner) is stiff: a probable Round of 16 date with Lionel Messi’s Argentina. For that reason, Switzerland’s last-minute winner against Ecuador heaped even more pressure on France to earn a victory and keep up with their fellow Europeans at the top of the group table. In fact, while teams are often happy to defend a 1-0 lead in important matches, France will probably keep going forward, with an eye on improving their goal difference, even if they take an early lead today.
Honduras, in the meantime, aren’t favorites to escape this group. But no team (except, apparently, the United States) enters World Cup play resigned to missing out on the knockout rounds. Honduras might hope to pick off an unsuspecting French side today and give themselves a chance next week against two sides who spent a lot of energy in Brasilia this afternoon.
Honduras play a defensive 4-4-2 and boast few stars widely known outside Central America, but they gave the USA nightmares in qualifying last year, when the North Americans struggled to break down the two Honduran banks of four and were caught out by the directness and athleticism of Honduras’s forwards. Carlo Costly is a speedy, tricky threat up front, and Premier League veteran Wilson Palacios is a powerful destructive force in midfield. Playing in Porto Alegre, the deep south of Brazil, Honduras will be able to impose their physical style on France in a way they probably couldn’t in the humid north.
France are missing their trickiest attacking midfielders, Franck Ribéry (injured) and Samir Nasri (left out). They still have Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema up top, and with three unusually attack-minded midfielders playing in the center of a 4-3-3 (Cabaye in a holding role!), they’ll be happy to go forward. The defense is solid, as well. The problem with France, as I mentioned in my preview for the other game in this group, is that they have had serious mental problems in the recent past. Not to indulge stereotypes, but the psyche of the French national team is particularly fragile; it’s hard to think of any team that has fallen apart more spectacularly than this one did in 2010.
I expect Honduras to go after France on the counterattack; if they have any success, the French might fall apart under the muscular onslaught of the Central Americans.
The commentators today are Daniel Mann and Kasey Keller. Kasey Keller has been accused of entering the commentary booth unprepared, but his USMNT experience means he knows all about CONCACAF-member Honduras, and he’ll surely be familiar with the French. Should be nice to listen to these two today.
Match-specific Drinking Games
Destroyer: Take a shot whenever Wilson Palacios is called for a foul. How drunk? You’ll be unable to stand by the end of the match (like Wilson’s French victims).
Missing Stars: Have a sip whenever the commentators mention the missing Franck Ribéry or Samir Nasri. How drunk? Fairly tipsy.
Brutal: Have a drink for every yellow card above three that has been given out by halftime. How drunk? This should keep you happy till the end of the game.
France: Red Wine, of course. Have a classy afternoon. (That means drinking it without staining your teeth, by the way.)
Honduras: Gifiti. A wildly spiced rum. If you’re unable to pick a favorite, mix some into your red wine for a special treat.
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: Switzerland vs. Ecuador
Picture credit: thecitizenng.com
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