World Cup 2018 Group C
GROUP C
[Team Jersey Images © Soccerphile]
France
France, 2016 European Championship runners-up on home soil, will be looking to go one better in Russia. France are one of the pre-tournament favorites and have an embarrassment of riches compared with other nations. A squad containing Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe and N'Golo Kante should win the group at a canter. However, the loss of Dimitri Payet and Laurent Koscielny to injury and a lack of leadership in the team, without Koscielny, could mean France missing out on the ultimate prize. Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris is also prone to the odd blunder.
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France Kit 1 |
France Kit 2 |
France v Australia 16 June; Kazan
France v Peru 21 June; Yekaterinburg
France v Denmark 26 June; Luzhniki
Coach
Didier Deschamps (age 49)
Record
Winners 1998; Runners-up 2006; Semi-Final 1958, 1982, 1986; Quarter-finals 2014; Second Round 1982; First Round 1930, 1934, 1954,1966, 1978, 2002, 2010
Men to watch
Antoine Griezmann has scored 19 goals in just over 50 appearances so far for Les Bleus. He will carry the main goal threat supported by Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe.
France will make it out of the group along with probably Denmark but the quarterfinals or semis seem the limit of their chances.
How they qualified
France qualified automatically from European Qualifying Group B ahead of Sweden. They lost just once - away to the Swedes.
On the sidelines
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema remains on the sidelines after the "sex tape" incident with Mathieu Valbuena back in 2015. France will base in Istra, 50 km from Moscow at the Hilton Garden Inn Moscow New Riga.
Analysis
Squad
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain)
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Adil Rami (Marseille), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Steven N'Zonzi (Sevilla), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
Strikers: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Florian Thauvin (Marseille)
Australia
Australia do not seem to have one of their stronger squads of recent World Cups. They lost all three group games in 2014 and a similar fate could befall them in 2018. 38-year-old Tim Cahill, now back at Millwall in the Championship, is in the squad and a lack of quality strikers means it is difficult to see Australia out-scoring any of their opponents. Lucerne's Tomi Juric will be the lone striker and though he is a good link up player he is not a prolific striker.
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Australia Kit 1
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Australia Kit 2
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Australia v France 16 June; Kazan
Australia v Denmark 21 June; Samara
Australia v Peru 26 June; Sochi
Coach
Bert van Marwijk (age 65)
Record
1974, 2010, 2014 First Round. 2006 Round of 16
Men to watch
We had Mile Jedinak, then of Crystal Palace as our man to watch back in 2014. Now at Aston Villa a lot rests on the captain's shoulders. The veteran TIm Cahill will be hoping to score at his 4th consecutive World Cup.
We predict Australia will not get out of the group.
How they qualified
Australia beat Honduras in an inter-confederation play-off thanks to a hat-trick from captain Mile Jedinak.
On the sidelines
Experienced Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk guided The Netherlands to the final of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Analysis
Squad
Goalkeepers: Brad Jones (Feyenoord), Mat Ryan (Brighton), Danny Vukovic (Genk)
Defenders: Aziz Behich (Bursaspor), Milos Degenek (Yokohama F. Marinos), Matthew Jurman (Suwon Samsung Blue Wings), James Meredith (Millwall), Josh Risdon (Western Sydney), Trent Sainsbury (Grasshopper Zurich)
Midfielders: Jackson Irvine (Hull City), Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa), Robbie Kruse (VfL Bochum), Massimo Luongo (QPR), Mark Milligan (Al-Ahli), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield), Tom Rogic (Celtic), Tim Cahill (Millwall)
Strikers: Jackson Irvine (Hull City), Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa), Robbie Kruse (VfL Bochum), Massimo Luongo (QPR), Mark Milligan (Al-Ahli), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield), Tom Rogic (Celtic), Tim Cahill (Millwall)
Peru
Peru would have struggled without talisman, captain and all-time leading scorer, Paolo Guerrero, but his doping ban, which would have meant missing the World Cup, has been lifted at the last minute. The Peru squad is ageing but has come together under their Argentinian coach, Ricardo Gareca. Peru usually play a 4-2-3-1 system Feyenoord's Renato Tapia and Orlando City's Yoshimar Yotun, the holding midfielders.
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Peru Kit 1
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Peru Kit 2
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Peru v Denmark 16 June; Saransk
Peru v France 21 June; Yekaterinburg
Peru v Australia; 26 June; Sochi
Coach
Ricardo Gareca (ahe 60)
Record
1930, 1982 First Round; 1978 Second Round; 1970 Quarter-finals
Men to watch
Jefferson Farfán plays his club football in Russia for Lokomotiv Moscow so should feel at home.
A team of journeymen will not break the European stranglehold on this group. We predict a first round exit.
How they qualified
Peru finished fifth in South American qualifying and defeated New Zealand in an intercontinental play-off.
On the sidelines
Peru are nicknamed La Blanquirroja - the "white and red." The team are based at the Sheraton Moscow Sheremetyevo just 800 meters from the airport. Are the team considering their exit strategy in advance? Now that Paolo Guerrero has been re-instated maybe not. The captains of France, Australia and Denmark wrote a letter to Fifa asking for clemency for Guerrero.
Analysis
Squad
Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese (Veracruz), Carlos Caceda (Deportivo Municipal), Jose Carvallo (UTC)
Defenders: Aldo Corzo (Universitario), Luis Advincula (Lobos Buap), Christian Ramos (Veracruz), Miguel Araujo (Alianza Lima), Alberto Rodriguez (Atletico Junior), Anderson Santamaria (Puebla), Miguel Trauco (Flamengo), Nilson Loyola (Melgar)
Midfielders: Renato Tapia (Feyenoord), Pedro Aquino (Lobos Buap), Yoshimar Yotun (Orlando City), Paolo Hurtado (Vitoria Guimaraes), Christian Cueva (Sao Paulo), Edison Flores (Aalborg), Andy Polo (Portland Timbers), Wilder Cartagena (Veracruz)
Strikers: Andre Carrillo (Watford), Raul Ruidiaz (Morelia), Jefferson Farfan (Lokomotiv Moscow), Paolo Guerrero (Flamengo)
Denmark
Denmark came through a play off against the Republic of Ireland after finishing behind Poland in European Qualifying Group E. The squad is solid and drawn from mostly mid-ranking European teams. Teamwork and togetherness are the team's obvious strengths with Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur the stand out individual. Goals are a problem and Feyenoord's Nicolai Jorgensen will hope to provide them from the lone striker role. The opening game against Peru in Saransk will be key.
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Denmark Kit 1 | Denmark Kit 2 |
Denmark v Peru 16 June; Saransk
Denmark v Australia 21 June; Samara
Denmark v France 26 June; Luzhniki
Coach
Age Hareide (age 64)
Record
2010 First Round; 1986, 2002 Second Round; 1998 Quarterfinals
Men to watch
Christian Eriksen in midfield and Simon Kjaer, the experienced captain, now in Spain with Sevilla, at the back.
How they qualified
Denmark came through a play off with Ireland after finishing second in their group behind Poland.
On the sidelines
Denmark have a similar nickname to Peru. The Danish national team is known as De Rød-Hvide ("The Red-White"). Norwegian coach Age Hareide is the only man to win club titles in three Scandinavian countries: Sweden (Helsingborg, Malmo), Norway (Rosenborg) and Denmark (Brondby). Denmark will base in the Black Sea resort of Krasnodor Krai in the four star Beton Brut Resort.
Analysis
Squad
Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Frederik Ronnow (Brondby), Jonas Lossl (Huddersfield)
Defenders: Simon Kjaer (Sevilla), Mathias Jorgensen (Huddersfield), Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Henrik Dalsgaard (Brentford), Jannik Vestergaard (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jens Stryger Larsen (Udinese), Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich)
Midfielders: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham), Lasse Schone (Ajax), Michael Krohn-Dehli (Deportivo La Coruna), Thomas Delaney (Werder Bremen), William Kvist (FC Copenhagen), Lukas Lerager (Bordeaux)
Strikers: Andreas Cornelius (Atalanta), Kasper Dolberg (Ajax), Martin Braithwaite (Middlesbrough), Nicolai Jorgensen (Feyenoord), Pione Sisto (Celta Vigo), Viktor Fischer (FC Copenhagen), Yussuf Poulsen (RB Leipzig)