France V Nigeria Fifa World Cup 2014
After match synopsis in red!!
Top bets on today’s game: France V Nigeria
Nigeria showed in the last game that they will be no easy pushovers for France today. They are a team that scores goals, are physically imposing and have a top class goal keeper at the ready. I think France can still get through but maybe it might take till extra time to knock out a strong Nigeria team.
2-2 17/1
Benzema 10/11 a/t scorer
Giroud a/t scorer 13/10
All odds with PP
Really unlucky with Benzema as he had too good strikes that were both just about cleared away in time, otherwise not great tipping, damn!
Full betting previews, read here>
Beers: Round of 16 Beer World Cup:
http://thisdrinkinglife.com/world-cup-beer-last-16/
Who is set to win the battle of the beers? Luckily for Nigeria they topped their beer Group F, so its Quilmes of Argentina who get to take on Kronenbourg, who came first in their beer Group E, so it is Kronenbourg V Quilmes. Who will quench the thirst, set the mood, get me in the right spirit? Click on picture for a preview of the beers.
Get the beer result after, much after!
Kronenbourg V Quilmes: 0-1 to Quilmes, who just shaded it in a very tight contest between two beers who match each other very well. Kronenbourg is a nicer looking beer, with an appearance that is hard to beat, a lovely clear amber colour, with a nice frothy white head. Quilmes, although decent, cant beat the French beer here. Both beers smelt sweet. Quilmes probably more obvious than Kronenbourg, with a malty aroma. For taste which is, of course, the most important factor, Quilmes just edged it. Kronenbourg has a lot of very interesting and complex flavouring going on: from fruit, sweet caramel malts, honey, to a sweet malt taste at the start followed up with a mild hop bitterness. All in all a good variety of flavours. Quilmes had also an interesting mix. There’s a little corn and grain sweetness to open it up, a kind of sickly sweet. It does eventually settle down into a nice decent drink and there is a bitter aftertaste which grows on you. It’s this aftertaste that gets the victory for Quilmes, a more lingering memory.
PreGame:
France: Their last game ended in a rather dour nil nil stalemate with Ecuador exiting the tournament rather meekly and France getting to top the group. Didier Deschamps had made six changes in the the starting line-up of that game, and these new players didnt take their chance to impress. France were laboured throughout this game, not really stringing too many passes or moves together. They looked a bit disappointing when considering their two previous performances. But they got through, and that’s the important thing. .
There was chances in that game for both teams. The Ecuadorian goalkeeper Domínguez had to be alert to push a Pogba header just over the bar while at the other end Enner Valencia, like a gazelle, out jumped everyone in the French defence drawing a good save from a header by Hugo Lloris. Benzema had a few chances, Pogba had a few more, and, probably, for Ecuador they should have scored when Cristhian Noboa wasted a glorious opportunity from a 3v2 break that led to nothing.
France play Nigeria today in what will be a tough enough game. Nigeria wont be as easy a pushover as anything France have played so far. They are a team that attacks with pace, are very physical, and have a well drilled system in place. France will have to improve a lot from the Ecuadorian performance if they want to get to the last eight.
Nigeria defied all expectations to reach this stage, considering their rather insipid first game performance,. A big “thank you” must also go out to Bosnia who in beating Iran, helped Nigeria into the last eight, despite the Super Eagles losing to Argentina, 3-2.
Argentina and Nigeria played out a five goal thriller that saw both Messi and Musa score twice, and also seen both teams qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup. What Messi did Musa followed. Two goals, two great goals, certainly announced Musa’s arrival onto the world stage. It will be very interesting to see his performance today, as he played in the dour game with Iran and had an hour against Bosnia and showed very little in both games. So what player will turn up today?
Although Nigeria only needed a draw against Argentina to be assured of qualification, they still pressed up the pitch and took on the might of Messi and co. The Nigerian coach Stephen Keshi had got his tactics spot on. His team defended in numbers, broke with pace when needed and basically neutered Argentina. The Argentine’s found it very difficult to get past the very physical Nigerian defence with Onazi particularly solid at the back. Ambrose was also another player I thought played well, breaking from defence, and creating many good attacking opportunities on the wing. And if you do beat that defence then you also have to score something exceptional to get past the might of Vincent Enyeama in goals. He has had an excellent World Cup so far, a very good shot stopper, strong with crosses, and commanding his back line with efficiency. I heard him a few times, clearly shouting to the defenders in front of him, organising and maintaining discipline. Brilliant. Having said all that, Nigeria still let in three goals. But to be fair to them, Messi stepped up for Argentina, scored two brilliant goals, and the third Argentinian goal was a bit unlucky, a goal scored off a knee in a crowded box. So let the French beware, if they do want to get into the last eight, first they have to beat this very solid Nigerian defence and goalkeeper.
But for all the talk, here is one very interesting and rather telling stat that I have seen mention that for all the good play that Nigeria have had in previous World Cups, they still have only won one of their last 11 World Cup matches. Losing games can be a bad habit.
The teams preparations have also been hit by a row over win bonuses, that required the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, to personally guarantee that the players would eventually be paid some time in the future. Things like this might affect the players especially when the chips are down.
Nigeria will be a stern test for France. They are strong at the back and can score on the break, and will be a match for the free scoring French team. This is a game I am looking forward to seeing. Let the battle commence.
France scored twice in the final 11 minutes in Brasilia to beat Nigeria and reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
It all started off so promising for Nigeria, they bossed the early part of this match against France, getting chance after chance and controlling the rhythm of the game. All Nigeria in the first half. France looked bad.
Oshaniwa had Valbuena in his pocket, beating him to most of the balls to whip in crosses. Emenike was lively, running from deep, left and right, taking the odd pot shot on goal, and was unlucky to have his well taken strike called of for offside, another few inches and it was fine. Odemwingie also tested Hugo Lloris in the French goal, with a smart strike. Nigeria looked in the driving seat for much of this game. And yet they lost.
Didier Deschamps made a master substitution after about an hour of dour football from his team. He brought on Antoine Griezmann, taking off Giroud who had a poor game. This pushed Benzama into a more central position on the field, where he became more effective.
This changed the tempo of the game as France started to take more control of the match and impose their authority on the pitch. Pogba and Benzama had chances well saved by Enyeama, who was increasingly called into action in the Nigerian goals as his team appeared to lose energy and momentum.Then Victor Moses had to clear a Benzema shot off the line after Enyeama partially smothered the force of the shot which went under his body. Not long after Benzema had another shot that flew tantalizingly across the Nigerian penalty box, but luckily for them no one was there too tap it into the empty goals. As France continued to up the ante, Cabaye seen his excellent volley crash against the bar as Enyeama was stranded. The goal was coming.
And it came after a terrible blunder by the normally so reliable Enyeama, who rushed out for a corner only to completely miss the ball and see Pogba calmly head it into the empty net. France deserved the goal, for all their second half play and the positive introduction of Griezmann by Deschamps, willing to go for the win rather than play it out till extra time. Nigeria seemed to be willing to play for the draw, as they looked clueless in the second half, not willing to expend too much energy and sleepwalk on the pitch. Not good enough considering their first half performance.
To further compound the misery, Yobo diverted a Valbuena’s cross (he had a much better second half!) into his own net after Enyeama made another goalkeeping error. Another African team exit meekly, but at least they got their win bonus’
France now will go on to Germany, in a mouthwatering tie in the last eight, for the right to advance to the last four of the World Cup. What a clash that will be from the two border rivals.
Music to get you in the mood
V Cerrone
