World Cup 2018 Group H
GROUP H
[Team Jersey Images © Soccerphile]
Poland
Of all the teams that finished top of their qualifying group in Europe, Poland conceded the most goals. Although leading marksman Robert Lewandowski is gaining something of a reputation as a flat track bully, the core of the team is strong especially in midfield. Also Poland are well represented in the goalkeeping position with a choice between Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny, who may suceed Buffon at Juve.
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Poland Kit 1
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Poland Kit 2
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Poland v Senegal 18 June; Sochi
Poland v Colombia 23 June; Moscow (Spartak)
Poland v Japan 28 June; Kazan
Coach
Adam Nawalka
Record
1938, 2002, 2006 First Round; 1978, 1986 Second Round; 1974, 1982 Third place
Men to watch
Piotr Zielinski netted seven times in Napoli's largely successful season as they finished second in Serie A.
Poland on paper should make it out of this group but we are predicting they will lose out to Senegal and Colombia.
How they qualified
Poland topped European Qualifying Group E five points clear of second placed Denmark.
On the sidelines
Wojciech Szczesny has taken up meditation to help him cut out errors in his game.
Analysis
Squad
Goalkeepers: Bartosz Bialkowski (Ipswich), Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea City), Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus)
Defenders: Jan Bednarek (Southampton), Bartosz Bereszynski (Sampdoria), Thiago Cionek (SPAL), Kamil Glik (Monaco), Artur Jedrzejczyk (Legia Warsaw), Michal Pazdan (Legia Warsaw), Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund)
Midfielders: Jakub Blaszczykowski (Wolfsburg), Jacek Goralski (Ludogorets Razgrad), Kamil Grosicki (Hull City), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Paris St-Germain), Rafal Kurzawa (Gornik Zabrze), Karol Linetty (Sampdoria), Slawomir Peszko (Lechnia Gdansk), Maciej Rybus (Lokomotiv Moscow), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli)
Strikers: Dawid Kownacki (Sampdoria), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli), Lukasz Teodorczyk (Anderlecht)
Senegal
Senegal have a fast and exciting team led by Liverpool's Sadio Mane. Quite a few of the squad are based in England including Armand Traore, Mame Biram Diouf, Pape Alioune Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye. Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli marshals the defence and a successful World Cup could see him move on to a "bigger" club.
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Senegal Kit 1
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Senegal Kit 2
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Senegal v Poland 18 June; Moscow (Spartak)
Senegal v Japan 24 June; Ekatarinburg
Senegal v Colombia 28 June; Samara
Coach
Aliou Cisse
Record
2002 Last 16.
Men to watch
Sadio Mane has had an excellent season with Liverpool scoring in the Champions League Final loss to Real Madrid.
In a tight group we predict Senegal will make it through to the next round along with Colombia.
How they qualified
Senegal won African Qualifying Group D ahead of Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and South Africa.
On the sidelines
Former Liverpool and Rangers "bad boy" El Hadji Diouf is now a pundit on local TV.
Analysis
Squad
Goalkeepers: Khadim Ndiaye (Horoya AC), Abdoulaye Diallo (Rennes), Alfred Gomis (Torino)
Defenders: Kara Mbodji (Anderlecht), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Moussa Wague (Eupen), Saliou Ciss (Angers), Youssouf Sabaly (Bordeaux), Lamine Gassama (Alanyaspor), Armand Traore (Nottingham Forest), Salif Sane (Hannover 96)
Midfielders: Pape Alioune Ndiaye (Stoke), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Cheikhou Kouyate (West Ham), Cheikh N'Doye (Birmingham)
Strikers: Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Diao Balde Keita (Monaco), Ismaila Sarr (Rennes), Diafra Sakho (Rennes), Moussa Konate (Amiens), Mame Biram Diouf (Stoke), Mbaye Niang (AC Milan)
Colombia
Colombia reached the Quarter Finals last time out in 2014 and many of that squad remain with the addition of Radamel "Tiger" Falcao, who missed out with injury four years ago. Stars of the team will be James Roderiguez and Falcao
Other familiar faces for Premier League fans are Davinson Sanchez at Tottenham, Juan Cuadrado now at Juventus but once of Chelsea and Jose Izquierdo at Brighton.
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Colombia Kit 1 |
Colombia Kit 2 |
Colombia v Japan 19 June; Saransk
Colombia v Poland 23 June; Kazan
Colombia v Senegal; 28 June; Samara
Coach
Jose Pekerman
Record
2014 Quarter Finals; 1990 Second Round; 1962, 1994, 1998 First Round
Men to watch
Juan Cuadrado has established himself at Juventus after a difficult time at Chelsea. His pace and direct running will be a threat. James Rodriguez has found a home at Bayern where he is now a regular starter rather than the bit-part player he was at Real Madrid.
We predict Colombia will progress from the group.
How they qualified
Colombia came through South American qualifying in 4th place behind Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
On the sidelines
Jose Pekerman was also the coach that led Colombia at World Cup 2014. He was awarded citizenship after taking Colombia to Brazil in 2014.
Analysis
Squad
Goalkeepers: David Ospina (Arsenal), Camilo Vargas (Deportivo Cali), Jose Fernando Cuadrado (Once Caldas)
Defenders: Cristian Zapata (Milan), Davinson Sanchez (Tottenham), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven), Oscar Murillo (Pachuca), Frank Fabra (Boca Juniors), Johan Mojica (Girona), Yerry Mina (Barcelona)
Midfielders: Wílmar Barrios (Boca Juniors), Carlos Sanchez (Espanyol), Jefferson Lerma (Levante), Jose Izquierdo (Brighton), James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich), Abel Aguilar (Deportivo Cali), Mateus Uribe (America), Juan Fernando Quintero (River Plate), Juan Cuadrado (Juventus)
Strikers: Radamel Falcao (Monaco), Miguel Borja (Palmeiras), Carlos Bacca (Villarreal), Luis Fernando Muriel (Sevilla)
Japan
Expectations are low for the Samurai Blue in Russia. Japan changed manager in April and the team's Fifa rankings have fallen of late. Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki are stars in Europe but scoring goals remain a problem. Japan has good technical players in all positions with many of them active in Europe. However, the defence is also a problem with no partner identified to fit alongside Southampton's Maya Yoshida at center back.
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Japan Kit 1
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Japan Kit 2
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Japan v Colombia 19 June; Saransk
Japan v Senegal 24 June; Ekatarinburg
Japan v Poland 28 June; Volgograd
Coach
Record
1998, 2006, 2014 First Round. 2002, 2010 Round of 16
Men to watch
Hiroki Sakai the right back at Marseille was probably the best Japanese player in Europe last season and reached the Europa League Final with the French team. Energetic and skillful, Sakai will be a threat on the right against any team.
Japan are not expected to progress and were humbled by Colombia in Brazil four years ago. This is a tough group and the Samurai Blue are the lowest ranked of the four teams. Japan changed their coach in April which is often the sign of team in crisis.
How they qualified
Japan won Asian Qualifying Group B ahead of Saudi Arabia.
On the sidelines
Akira Nishino was in charge of the 1996 Japan Olympic team that defeated Brazil in the "Miracle of Miami." The Brazil team on the day contained the likes of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos. Nishino enjoyed success with Gamba Osaka. His latest job in the J-League was at Nagoya Grampus.
Analysis
Squad
Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Metz), Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka), Kosuke Nakamura (Kashiwa Reysol)
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Galatasaray), Tomoaki Makino (Urawa Reds), Wataru Endo (Urawa Reds), Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Hiroki Sakai (Marseille), Gotoku Sakai (Hamburg); Gen Shoji (Kashima Antlers), Naomichi Ueda (Kashima Antlers)
Midfielders: Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt); Keisuke Honda (Pachuca), Takashi Inui (Eibar), Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund), Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka), Genki Haraguchi (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Takashi Usami (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Gaku Shibasaki (Getafe), Ryota Oshima (Kawasaki Frontale)
Strikers: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester), Yuya Osako (Werder Bremen), Yoshinori Muto (Mainz)
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