Mexico v Cameroon, Spain v Holland, Chile v Australia
By Our Reporter
Mexico v Cameroon
Estadio das Dunas, Natal
Kick-off: 5.00 pm Local time
Mexico (Possible Line-up, 4-4-2): Talavera; Moreno, Layun, Reyes, Salcido; Vazquez, Herrera, Giovani dos Santos, Guardado; Pulido, Jimenez.
Cameroon (Possible Line-up, 4-4-2): Itandje; Assou-Ekotto, Djeugoue, Nkoulou, Enoh; Mbia, Song, Moukandjo, Matip; Eto’o, Webo.
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (Colombia).
Team News
Manchester United’s Mexico star Javier Hernandez will start on the bench for Friday’s World Cup game.
Hernandez, Mexico’s third all-time scorer, with 35 goals, has been struggling in front of goal of late.
Cameroon are without Mohamadou Idrissou, one of the five players to be dropped from Cameroon’s final squad for the World Cup.
The 34-year-old Kaiserslautern striker has struggled in recent times and missed a penalty in a 2-1 friendly loss to Paraguay recently.
Statistics of the game: Cameroon’s Fabrice Olinga, at 18 years and one month, is the youngest player at the finals and, if selected, will become the ninth-youngest in World Cup history.
Spain v Holland
Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador
Kick-off: 8.00 pm Local time
Spain (Possible Line-up, 4-2-1-3): Cassilas; Azpilicueta, Ramos, Pique, Alba; Alonso, Busquets; Xavi; Costa, Fabregas, Iniesta.
Holland (Possible Line-up, 5-2-1-2): Vorm; Jaanmat, De Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi, Blind; Claise, De Guzman; Sneider; Robben, Van Persie.
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy).
Team News
These teams have met nine times before, sharing four wins apiece and a draw.
This, of course, is a re-run of the 2010 World Cup final, when Holland’s tactics were dubious but could not prevent Spain from winning, in extra-time, thanks to a goal from Andreas Iniesta.
Diego Costa, set to sign for Chelsea, claims he has fully recovered from the hamstring injury that dogged him in the final weeks of the season and could get the nod over David Villa.
Statistics of the game: Wesley Sneijder will mark a major milestone when he wins his 100th international cap for Holland in Salvador.
Chile v Australia
Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba
Kick-off: 11.00 pm Local time
Chile (Possible Line-up, 3-4-3): Bravo; Jara, Medel, Gonzalez; Isla, Vidal, Diaz, Beausejour; Sanchez, Vargas, Fernandez.
Test: Vidal (knee).
Australia (Possible, 4-3-3): Ryan; Franjic, Spiranovic, McGowan, Davidson; Milligan, Jedinak, Bresciano; Halloran, Cahill, Oar.
Referee: Noumandiez Doue (Ivory Coast).
Team News
Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli favours an unorthodox but effective 3-4-3 formation, with Cardiff City’s Gary Medel recently drafted into the back three.
Arturo Vidal is important to Chile and the fact that he has strugged to complete training this week is a worry for Sampaoli.
After the 6-0 defeat in a friendly against France in October, Australia coach Holger Osieck was sacked and replaced by Ange Postecoglou.
It will be interesting to see whether he can turn around the general negativity back home over the Socceroos’ hopes of qualifying from such a difficult group.
Postecoglou will rely heavily on Mile Jedinak, crucial in Crystal Palace’s late season renaissance under Tony Pulis.
He relishes the physical battle, as does Australia’s top scorer of all time Tim Cahill.
Statistics of the game: Australia have scored just eight goals in 10 games at three World Cup final tournaments, winning only two.