RealGM

Schedule:

09:00 Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth Côte d'Ivoire vs Portugal
15/06 13:30 Johannesburg - JEP Brazil vs Korea DPR
20/06 13:30 Johannesburg - JSC Brazil vs Côte d'Ivoire
21/06 06:30 Cape Town Portugal vs Korea DPR
25/06 09:00 Durban Portugal vs Brazil
25/06 09:00 Nelspruit Korea DPR vs Côte d'Ivoire

**All times CST

After the Drogba injury I don't see any way that Portugal doesn't advance.

Drogba just had surgery on his broken arm and hopes to still play. Uh so I guess the question is how broken was his arm? If it was a full break then no way he plays.

Doubt it was a full break, if it was, then it would've already been announced that he's out.

ESPN reported that ivory coast said he is definitely not out of the world cup...

How many goals will Korea concede?

Batu7 wrote:How many goals will Korea concede?

At least 2 a game with a 4 goal thrashing somewhere in the mix. So I'd say 8 I suppose.

and1GS wrote:

Batu7 wrote:How many goals will Korea concede?

At least 2 a game with a 4 goal thrashing somewhere in the mix. So I'd say 8 I suppose.

I'd say 11 to 15. Probably 11.

I say 8-9 as well

Foye wrote:

and1GS wrote:

Batu7 wrote:How many goals will Korea concede?

At least 2 a game with a 4 goal thrashing somewhere in the mix. So I'd say 8 I suppose.

I'd say 11 to 15. Probably 11.

No way they can get shellacked for 3 games straight by allowing 4 goals. No team in this WC is THAT bad.

i'll make a bold prediction that they won't even be the team that concedes the most goals in this group. i think they'll look to build a wall inside their 18 and suffocate the game.

^That's the only thing they can do. But they'll still concede a lot of goals, I doubt they have the discipline to stuff for 90 minutes like a Mourinho-led team.

and1GS wrote:No way they can get shellacked for 3 games straight by allowing 4 goals. No team in this WC is THAT bad.

I see them getting 5 or 6 goals against Brazil and at least two per game against Portugal/Ivory Coast

I guess I'm just hoping they don't get that embarrassed haha.

treiz wrote:^That's the only thing they can do. But they'll still concede a lot of goals, I doubt they have the discipline to stuff for 90 minutes like a Mourinho-led team.

I trust North Koreans and their discipline.

Really? Bare in mind they are pretty much will be in the backfoot for the whole 270 minutes of the group stages, that's got to take it's toll on any player. Also, what happens when they concede that first goal, they'll be more exposed and are more screwed.

treiz wrote:Really? Bare in mind they are pretty much will be in the backfoot for the whole 270 minutes of the group stages, that's got to take it's toll on any player. Also, what happens when they concede that first goal, they'll be more exposed and are more screwed.

THey've got a very defensive shape and they'll keep disrupting play even if they're down. I think expecting them to concede between 2 or 3 goals a game is about right so I'd guess that they concede 8, only one to portugal, 2 to the ivory coast and 5 to brazil.

goals allowed in group stages by some of the perceived worst teams of 06 World Cup,

Angola: 2
Trinidad Tobago: 4
Togo: 6
Saudi Arabia: 7

in fact only one team allowed double digit goals( ironically that was Serbia which was one of the best defensive teams in qualifying) and only two allowed 8 or more(+Costa Rica). world cup is serious business and more often than not teams do fight to the death to gain some kind of respect, i wouldn't too sure of NKR getting completely shell shocked. i say they allow 6 goals.

The last time a nation got really annihilated was Saudi Arabia in 2002. Most obvious reason? All players were playing in a weak domestic league and were totally unprepared for the speed and roughness of modern international football. Saudi Arabia in 2006 didn't have any players in one of the major leagues, either, but their own domestic league had become a lot stronger. Angola had quite a few players coming from the Portuguese league, while most of Trinidad's squad had experience from the English Championship or Div. 1.

That's obviously not enough to make it out of the group stage, but enough to not get steamrolled by players who are used to play on a top level. If something like the 8:0 of Saudi Arabia happens again, it'll be North Korea getting murdered by Brazil, just because these guys have never experienced soccer on this level. I don't think this'll will, as they'll pack the defense and just fight for every inch for the whole 90mons, but it's a major fact to NKs disadvantage.

Looks like Nani could be out