World Cup Group E Preview: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

Um so yeah, please come along. I think it'll be special. We've done our best to keep the ticket prices as low as we can. So, Kooligans will be there. Tom Bogart, Paul Tenorio. It'll be good fun. TSSWorldCup.com for a ticket.

I'm gonna talk a little bit about the Ivory Coast for you. And then Joe is gonna explain all about Curacal. We're gonna go through the story of each of these teams heading into the World Cup. Their nickname two will throw in there for fun. Uh we'll get their manager, their tactics, their key players, and their very specific prediction for every single team. Taylor, why don't we kick it off with uh one of the powerhouses of World Cup history Germany, please?

DFB Team, there is D National Elf, there is DFB Elf, there is Demanschaft, but all of them, I think, are largely creations. But mine is the best one. My nickname for them is Choripoyo. Uh because that is my go-to order at Mexican restaurants about ninety-nine percent of the time. Grilled flattened chicken breast, chorizo, queso on top, beans and rice. It is excellent. It is always good. It is consistent. It is occasionally excellent.

But you know what you're getting and you know it's gonna be pretty pretty good every single time, and that is the German national team, except for recent history. Uh because the story of this team has basically been one of concern in different ways, but generally concern. Twenty twenty two World Cup, they have a group stage exit for the second straight time, which is also the first time that's ever happened for a German national team.

They finished behind Japan and Spain, lost to Japan in the opener, and poor results followed from there, culminating in Hanzi Flick being sacked as national team manager. That's the first time that has ever happened in German football history. Oliver Bierhoff Bierhoff also steps away as managing director of the DFB. He'd been So it is a little bit of a reset, and the person chosen to helm that reset is Julian Nogglesman, who strips down the squad, becomes re less reliant on certain players.

And then now we have the roster released and people are criticizing him for being too reliant on certain players that he wasn't reliant reliant upon in the first place. It's a little bit murky, it's a little bit confusing, but we'll talk more about that when we get to manager and tactics. But for now, it's a German team that I think should be feeling optimistic and does seem pretty strong to me.

But I think also there is just concern about the squad build itself, about recent World Cup performances, and about can they kind of spring back or is this a larger marker of decline that needs to be done?

That that was the reason I went looking for other facts was that that's kind of less interesting. Um but the other stuff, the bird stuff and the Panama Hat thing, interesting. Also interesting, Ecuador's national team, and I expect they'll be interested at this World Cup. This is their fifth World Cup appearance, but only the second time they've ever qualified for back to back World Cups after making it to Qatar in twenty twenty two.

And the reason I think that's important to mention is it highlights how this is a soccer nation on the rise. Um there was disappointment that they didn't get out of the group in twenty twenty two. But they're only getting stronger with the number of talented youngsters they're producing. I'll mention some of those players later on. But Ecuador have one of the most vibrant youth soccer landscapes anywhere on in world soccer at the moment.

Scouts from the the biggest and richest clubs are paying more attention and Independiente del Valle is the club driving a lot of that. They are the talent factory of Ecuadorian football. I make it that there are seventeen players on Ecuador's twenty six man World Cup roster who have come through Independiente del Valle, which is incredible. Taylor and I did a uh an episode on the Ecuadorian League and and the youth system uh there a few weeks ago.

If that sounds interesting, look for it on the Soccer one oh one feed, it's not that long ago, you won't have to scroll that far back. Um but other clubs are now following Independiente uh DeVaya's And Ecuador really is flourishing as a hotbed of young talent. It's kind of amazing how they have been been unleashed in the last five years or so. And I think a lot of people are now starting to look at them as

uh the third force in South American football behind Argentina and Brazil. They're very much in that tier with like I guess Uruguay and traditionally Chile, although Chile are pretty poor at the moment. So it's a a sensational rise for Ecuador. And they had an excellent qualification campaign. They finished second in Connumball, which was their best ever showing in a in a World Cup qualification campaign.

They conceded five goals in eighteen qualif qualifiers, which is just unreal, and that defensive basis is is one of the key reasons a lot of people believe Ecuador can make a real impact at this World Cup. Um you will read about them in Dark Horses articles, not just those written by me.

Uh which I may have one coming out coming out later this week. Um it's and they also finished their campaign with an unbeaten run of eleven games. Um so yeah, just to reiterate the point, this is a team in a soccer nation riding the crest of a wheel.

Are nicknamed Les Elephants. It means the elephants. Their official language is French. They were colonized colonized, colonized by France. Excuse me, in the nineteenth century, as was much of Africa, of course, has some recent political unrest in its history as well. Two civil wars in the last millennia alone. Uh the greatest love of this country on a sporting perspective is the beautiful game of soccer.

Of course. Uh heading into this World Cup, this is the fourth time we'll see the Ivory Coast on this stage. They debuted in two thousand six. I I kind of was surprised that they've yet to clear the group stage of the World Cup. So that's gonna be a target aim for this group.

at this tournament. They've got just three World Cup wins in their history, one at each of the tournaments they have been in thus far. They did come very, very, very close in twenty fourteen. Uh it was a controversial late Greece penalty that pushed them out of the knockout versus They've become they've come within inches of getting to the next stage. uh at this tournament I should say. But

Their fortunes far superior in AFCON, the Africa Cup of Nations, a very different story there. They are three time champions on the Continental Tournament. They won it in twenty twenty three on home soil and hit the quarterfinals last year.

Well, six and a half out of ten nations go this time around. But now there's nine slots, so there's a bit more uh a quality uh in calf. There's a second round for second place finishers and an intercontinental playoff as well, so it's a little bit easier for CAF teams to get. Which is a good thing. Uh Ivory Coast went through top of group group F undefeated. They played ten, they won eight, they drew two.

They got two pretty big wins. They got a nine nil against the Seychelles. The Seychelles is a little uh African Island popular vacation destination. And then they got a seven nil win over the Seychelles. So sixteen nil over the Seychelles in total.

ten games and zero goals conceded in qualification as well. So sim maybe perhaps a similar story to what Graham was talking about with the Ecuadorians with a good solid defensive basis. But you know, the the Didier Drogborough and the Torrey era is gone. Can this new generation make an impact? This is a good chance, as I mentioned, for Ivory Coast to get out of the groups for the first time at this tournament. More on them a little bit later.

But first, let's hear a little bit about Curacle, please, Joe.

It's kinda nice, isn't it? I don't know. Makes me want to go frolic. Let's listen to the anthem and frolic while we hear about the the boulder and the sea. They've also got that cool bridge, Taylor, what's the bridge floats, right? In Curaçao, or does it open? Yeah, they got that floaty bridge that they can move out of the way.

Just elite level infrastructure, frankly. Big fan. Uh a story of of Kirasa heading into the World Cup. Yeah, Ryan, Lyon looks confused, but that was a T S quiz question. It's a TSS quiz question. I don't know how it works, I'm not a scientist or an engineer, but I do know that it's real. Uh curious out story heading into this tournament. It's our first time with the party. Let's have a good time.

maybe not think too much about where they're gonna finish in in in this group. Kirisa will be playing in their first ever World Cup this summer. They're the smallest nation by both population and area to ever qualify for a

It's pretty it's pretty special. Man, a hundred and fifty six thousand people in Kiracao and they'll be at the World Cup. They finished unbeaten in World Cup qualifying in CONCACAF. Granted, this was a World Cup qualifying that did not feature the US, Mexico, or Canada, so sort of on easy mode there. They topped their group though in the final round, even with Jamaica present. And Jamaica is a team that sort of we would expect to to maybe be higher up the pecking order than Curacao.

But between expansion and uh of that tournament and an aggressive recruiting of players by Kirisau who are over in the Netherlands, you have a team in new territory. By getting to World Cup this summer, they're one of the stories of the tournament, at least leading to the

I think they're gonna bring good vibes to this tournament even if they're results.

of twenty, goes to university, works as a scout, returns to soccer as a youth coach. He starts with the eighteen sixty Munich U seventeens as an assistant. That's where he had been a player. Then he goes to Hoffenheim, coaches various youth teams. Works his way up until they ultimately win the U nineteen Bundesliga, and then he gets the senior gig at Hoffenheim at the age of twenty eight, becoming the youngest coach in the Bundesliga.

But he doesn't get it the way that was intended, and this is a part of the story that I completely forgot. He was named as the Hoffenheim's successor in October of twenty fifteen. And the idea was that he would basically study under Hoop Stevens, who was then the manager for the rest of that season. Then he would take over to start the twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen meeting.

Hoob Stevens steps away in February, citing health reasons, with Hoffenheim seventeenth, seven points from safety very much mired in the relegation battle. So there's this feeling that they've appointed this young kid who's gonna take over and This could implode spectacularly, instead they win seven of their remaining fourteen games, they finish one point above the relegation places, so they stay up, and then next season he gets them into the championship.

League. They finish fourth in the Bundesliga, they make it the Champions League qualifying. Next season after that he becomes the youngest ever manager in the Champions League. And then I think has a couple bites of the apple, and it's like three seasons two seasons later I think he gets his first win and becomes the youngest manager to ever win a Champions League game, because that's how young he is when he takes over.

He goes to Leipzig where he gets them into the late stages of the Champions League, has them comfortably near the top of the table, but not top of the table. And then he jumps ship for Bayern Munich, and he is there for a season and a half.

He does win the Bundesliga with them. He is sacked in uh midway through his second season or a little bit past midway through his second season with Bayern, with them still in the quarterfinals, with them one point behind Dortmund in the Bundesliga title race. And it just kind of seemed to be a personality issue that he clashed with Bayern, that maybe he wanted to do things differently, that he wasn't doing things exactly the way they wanted them to be done, and so he is out the door

Uh and he takes over Germany in September of twenty twenty three. He's been in charge since then. He's already been extended through Euro twenty twenty eight, uh, because largely I think of their performance in qualifying and their performance in the last Euros.

Where they are knocked out, but they're knocked out to eventual champion Spain on penalties. So I think there's a little bit of leeway there. Uh and then qualifying is is pretty much a breeze. They lose their opener to Slovakia 2-0 on the road.

They conceded three goals total in qualifying in six games, so two thirds of them are in the first game. They concede one in the remaining five games. They score sixteen in those remaining five games. They comfortably top the group ahead of Slovakia and Northern Ireland. Uh and Luxembourg and then also cremenense, weirdly enough. Uh but it's a German team that I think should be feeling confident.

There is concern about the roster, there is concern about the squad, we'll get to it in a little bit, but I will just spoil it and say some of that dialogue feels a little bit overblown and in my opinion a little bit anti non. Still, but we'll get there when we get there. But for now, Julian Nagglesman is the manager who'll have them in a four two three one as the base shape.

Uh but that changes a lot, can be very fluid, is very possession-oriented, they will have the majority of the b ball the majority of the time. They will shoot often, they will score some goals, they will be fun, is my

I think Big Acheche has you beat with his straightened long hair and like solid attempt at blue steel. I've yet to see you nail that, Ryan Bailey. But um he has been in charge since two thousand twenty four and he has an interesting background in that he never played professional. But he has a really long coaching career dating back to two thousand and three. He was Jorge Sampoli's assistant for a long time. Um he followed him around a a a number of teams.

And uh the story with Piccacechi is that Marcelo Bielsa wanted him to be his assistant when he was uh Chile manager. So he's someone who has has been highly rated within the game for for a long time. In terms of how Ecuador play, they are quite defensive minded as as their kind of defensive record and qualifying suggest.

Um I would say their base formation is a four four two or a four four one one, but it can go into a back five against the ball or it become it can become a four two three one in other phases. But defensively they are always compact and they want to deny the opposition any sort of uh in between the lines. They are quite happy to force the ball wide and then defend the the central areas of of of the pit.

Um they are smack bang in the middle for average possession uh or they were smack bang in the middle, I should say, for average possession share per match in qualifying, uh fifth out of ten teams. So they're not necessarily a team that wants to have a lot of the ball. I'd imagine a lot of that in qualifying was down The talent advantage that they have.

And one central midfielder, one star central midfielder in in particular, who I'll mention m more about later on. Um and having a deep defensive line, they tend to have quite a low line of competition. That means then that they can create the space to to burst into on the counterattack, which tends to be when Ecuador are most active. As a team. When they turn the ball over, they are lightning quick to get forward. They will commit bodies into the final thirds quickly. They can be quite direct.

Um which manifests itself in a in a couple different ways. So you don't really see them lumping it forward in the air that often. I wouldn't say it's like a key part of how they play. But they will go from back to front on the ground really quickly. They will punch passes into the middle to get um the forwards on the ball quickly and then it's about getting turned and running towards goal.

The other thing they do or the other uh the other thing they do to to get forward quickly is they'll cross from deep. So that usually means the ball being set back to the fullback. rather than like the winger getting to the byline and cross them in, it tends to be a set back, pass to the full back and then an early ball in for

the forwards to attack to attack in the air. Um and the way that Ecuador used the fullbacks in general is really interesting because in build up they will they will often both fullbacks will go high and central at the same time. To the point where they're actually the deep midfielders ahead of the central the of of the centre backs as they're building out and then that moves the actual midfielders further on to create overloads. So I found that a really interesting quirk of how how they play.

Um but I'd be lying if I if I didn't say Ecuador's main attacking threat is going to be on the counter. Um they're gonna defend deep, stay compact, then hit you on the break. And I reckon they could be one of the best counterattacking teams at this entire

Got brought up to the big leagues for AFCON in twenty four was interim coach. And in his first three weeks in the job won the title. Did a Roberto Di Matteo at Chelsea situation there. So very good Fahe step up there. Very well liked in the Ivory Coast. Scotland's the World Cup for the first time in twelve years on the final day of qualification.

Uh regarded as a smart tactician, got a patient approach, like a four three three or a four two three one, or some variations upon that. It's used quite a few different formations. in uh the the build up to this tournament. Likes a fast winger and getting the balls crossed in and that's lucky'cause he's got some good wingers. He's got Diallo and Diamond and some players I'm going to talk about a bit later on.

this preview. Uh so this team naturally is quite dangerous in transition when they've immediately won the ball is when they are the most dangerous. Um they're not slow in the build up, shall we say. They like to get their uh get the jets on pretty quick once they win back the ball.

Uh they can be comfortable holding the ball or playing without it depending on the setup. They're quite flexible in that respect, as they are flexible to um formations as well. Um Fay uh Fay has used a few different formations as I noted, including uh A completely different one, I think, against Scotland. They played Scotland back in March, didn't they, as well? Did the Ivory Coast. Team can struggle against low blocks.

Seen that a few times in qualification. They struggle w when a team tends to bunker. They've got some man narrow wins in that kind of circumstance. But uh three clean sheets out of four so far in twenty twenty six for the Ivory Coast. As noted they went uh uh without conceding a a goal in qualification as well. So very disciplined back four we have from this team. Very aggressive in closing the channels and getting the ball back as well. Tend to do quite well under pressure.

So maybe that's a another potential Germany upset, I'm just uh thinking ahead uh in this group as well. And they've had some key moments in qualification and AFCOM where they've performed well. under pressure. The Ivory Coast, ladies and gents, I'll tell you a bit more about them. But first Joe is gonna tell us about uh A non dick advocat manager for Circell and his taxes?

After World Cup qualifying when this team had made history, he resigned. That was in February to be closer to his ill daughter, apparently. So sixty three year old Dutch coach Fred Ruten takes over for him. Ruten had coached in the Netherlands at uh PSV in Fineord. He coached Anderluck, he'd coached Maccabi Haifa. Uh he he had been at some big posts as well. The two met apparently to talk about the transition and and that transition had been made.

And then with less than a month, uh until the World Cup was slated to begin, Rutin stepped down and Avocat came back in and stepped down might be disguising the chaos of the situation a little bit. There are reports in the Dutch media that suggested

Avocat was open to returning to his former role and and maybe just wanted to finish the job. The BBC noted that throughout Rutin's uh two game make that two game tenure, didn't even didn't even come against the Seychelles twice. Other other opponents there. The Curaçao Federation have been under pressure from players and sponsors to reinstate Avocat. So

Makes you feel like there's more to the story than just Advocat wanted to come back in. The Fed put out this statement, uh quote A climate that damages professional relationships among players and staff must not be allowed to emerge. I don't know. That doesn't seem like everything was going great under Rutin, so he is not in this post anymore. I Jurgen Lucadia, this team striker, telling CBS

Quote, I don't even care who's going to lead us to the World Cup. You had Eloy Room, uh this team's goalkeeper, saying, quote, A lot of things have been going on in the past few days, but I think the most important thing is we need to make sure that we can focus on the World Cup.

Doesn't sound like it's been very easy for Kirosao, however, to focus on the World Cup with all this nonsense going on in the background. Dick Avocat at seventy eight will be the oldest coach uh at at a World Cup ever, I I believe, or or at least uh he would be prior to this summer's tournament.

He'll also become the first coach to manage three different countries at a World Cup, apparently. He's coached the Netherlands in ninety-four, South Korea in two thousand six, and now Curaçao in twenty six. It's been a lot on the sidelines for the Skirosao team. I do think though we are going to see a team that plays in the world.

the same way regardless of who had been their manager. This team has played a lot of back four throughout qualifying in CONCACAF. We have seen though more recently, and Gram, we saw this against Scotland in that in the game of the weekend, a back three, back five from this team. We saw that against Australia in the last window as well. they are going to end up absorbing a lot because they just don't have the talent, which I'll get

to go in and really hang toe to toe in games that are gonna be more open. They are gonna have to constrict space. So we see a lot of of mid block and low block, although with the occasional bit of pressing out of a three four three sort of structure. And then possession

They're not totally opposed to having the ball, but they will not keep it under pressure. Like if they are being pressed, they will look for an opportunity to play long into a striker and then go in and progress from there or to play over the lines to a runner uh going in behind. It's gonna be a lot of direct play fighting for second balls which

It it's gonna be rough for Kirisel. Like there are there there is not a clear definable strength of this team tactically when you think about the other teams that are in this group. I do think we will see them mostly put numbers behind the ball. Uh it it's nice that it seems like they have the managerial stuff sorted out so they

And it's now being accused of being loyal to maybe too many quote unquote veteran players. But keep in mind, this is the same Germany that after the Euros, the most recent Euros, lost. Manuel Neuer, Ilkai Gundwan, Thomas Muller, and Tony Cruz to international retirement. More on Manuel Neuer in a little bit. But with this World Cup roster, I think he has made pretty logical choices. Maybe there's like one outlier there.

And it seems like it's a lot of frustration rooted in what people wanted instead of what made sense. It feels like a lot of the frustration we see with US rosters, where there's like young players that maybe could have made a difference, that maybe could have broken through, that maybe could have been a little bit more electrifying, and those are the players we wanted to see.

Antonio Rudiger, thirty three year old center back. We wanted Jan Oral Basek, uh the twenty five year old center back for Inter Mil Inter Milan, not Inter Miami. That would be very different, though you never know with their rough. uh regulations as they are. Leon Goretzka, thirty one years old, out of contract at Bayern. It seems like a lot of people wanted Tom Bischoff, who's twenty years old at Bayern, only has the one cap for Germany. And then maybe the one of the more

Controversial inclusions would be Leroy Sana of Galtasarai, he's thirty years old. He's in there maybe at the expense of somebody like Said El Mala, who had a really strong breakout campaign in the Bundesliga this year with Colm, but he's a nineteen year old winger with zero caps. So You're bringing three players with a ton of caps, a ton of experience, and you left off three players who have a combined two caps for Germany.

Now that might feed the idea that maybe Nogglesman could be playing younger players. It should be giving younger players more of an opportunity, but given that he's already extended through the Euros, maybe that's after this World Cup. In terms of other key absences for Germany, uh Serge Ganabry is probably the biggest one. He was key in a lot of games for Germany of late, got a lot of minutes, but is out with injury. He's gonna miss the World Cup.

We do still have plenty of young talent though with everything I've said. Jamal Musiala had the bad bag leg break uh in the Club World Cup last year. He finishes his season strong. He's going to be a key part of this team. So is Florian Verts for Liverpool. Not the season he would have been hoping for, five goals and three assists in almost twenty four hundred minutes.

But he is likely g gonna start on that left side of a four two three one and for Germany pulls a lot of strings, scores a lot of goals, plays a lot of solid balls. Uh two other youngsters to note, Maxi Bayer for Dortmund. I've really enjoyed him this season. He's a twenty three year old tricky winger who also has like grit to him.

He will like run you over, but then also maybe beat you with a step over. He has a a good amount of like effort and fitness and intensity, but then also technical ability. And Nathaniel Brown, the twenty-two-year-old left back for Frankfurt and not the United States. Sadly. Uh but he might end up being a starter. There's a few different like possibles for who starts in that back line, but Nathaniel Brown has started more recently and has been very good for Frankfurt and pretty good for Germany.

You still have veterans in there, like some of the ones I've already mentioned in Goretzka and Rudiger. Uh Joshua Kimmick is probably the veteran player who plays as a right back for this German team, but has Almost limitless positional freedom. Sometimes he's a right back, sometimes he becomes a right winger, sometimes he's a central midfielder. They use him all over the place.

depending on the gain state. Uh you've got some more veteran presences, at least in terms of maybe age, if not experience. Nick Voltamata and Kai Havertz uh are your two most likely players to start up top. It's Ben Voltamata Pretty consistently, but then sometimes it's Kai Havertz. Uh rarely is it both of them.

Uh but I have a feeling we'll see a lot of Voltamata in this one and then Kai Havertz playing, maybe when you need somebody who can just be a little bit trickier or score opportunistic goals from a tight angle, like we saw in the Champions League final.

Very strong defensive core for this Germany team, uh Jonathan Ta had a very good season at Bayern Munich, Antonio Rüdiger, experience, experience, experience. And then the Dortmund center back pairing of Valdemar Anton and Nico Schlosterbeck, uh who is A really underrated player in my mind and has an unexpected howitzer of a shot, uh, he can unleash one from like thirty five yards out. Yeah.

confidant and friend. Um and so after the Euros, Neuer steps down, there's the existing beef, Mark Andre Terstegen takes over and is going to be Germany's number one for a very long time. Until he falls off at Barcelona and has multiple long term injuries. He has not played for Germany in over a year.

And the expectation was that that would open the door for Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann, uh who had a very strong season. Uh and he was saying as recently as a few weeks ago that he had assurances that he was Germany's number one Uh but then it comes out that Nagelsmann has been quietly having conversations with Manuel Noyer, then a meeting in which he allegedly guaranteed Manuel Noyer the starting job at this World Cup.

Neuer called back in and is in the roster, so it seems we'll be the starter. A little bit of controversy there, maybe Oliver Bauman not loving the way things have played out for him, so we'll see how that plays out overall. But in the end, my VSP is just going to be that I think Germany will be very good, because they have been in the past, less so in the last two World Cups.

But this feels like a team that has plenty of talent, has plenty of reps together, has a young coach who still has a point to prove, but can still Like play very like good attacking football, but then can throw like different looks uh at his team or different players and personnel in different spots, and I think they will just be an engaging team to watch and in a relatively relatively weak group, excuse me, with Curacao. A slightly weak ivory coast.

My VSP is that Germany will have at least three multi goal scorers after the group stage. Um I think there will be rotation by Nogglesman as well. I think different players are gonna fit in different roles or fill into different roles.

I think Voltamada could get a couple. I think maybe uh I'm not sure who their penalty taker will be, but maybe you get a few penalties in there, some set pieces, uh some headers from defenders, maybe Schlaughterback unleashes one. And then Jengi's uh Udav has been in Like ridiculously good form.

Denny's endove uh has been in ridiculously good form for Stuttgart this season. He's one who I enjoyed every time I watched, and it and really enjoyed because he can score the goals himself, but he's also very unselfish even even as he is chasing a spot on this trip.

he was dishing out assists when I think a lot of strikers would have shot, but he's really kind of scrappy and physical and hold off defenders, but then can also kind of like pull off a little like trick out of nowhere to create a goal scoring opportunity for himself or those around him.

So I just feel like they've got a lot of different attacking options. They've got a lot of different players who can score. Uh undov himself has scored three in the last two uh and so I think in the end we see a good number of goals for Germany scored by a good

Uh would you want it to be four Joe? Do you want me to go fully ridiculous and say that they're gonna have eight?

Ecuador, please. And p for for goodness' sake, Graham, I know you want to spend a lot of time on Charlotte F. C. Legends, Annan Franco and Julia Arceval, but just devote some time to some

they bring speed to the attack. Um and they will it seems like they'll actually be favoured over Kendry Pays, um, who is more talented and is someone that listeners might have heard of, has obviously been on the books at Chelsea. I think he's still on the books at Chelsea actually. Um but as I say, Ecuador rely on the verticality that Angula and Uboa provides.

Um and then they have the nimbleness and creativity of Paez to bring off the bench. So it works quite well for them. Ener Valencia will probably be the starting centre forward. Yes, that's thirty six year old former West Ham striker Ener Valencia who is still playing for Pachuca.

Ecuador have tried more than once to move away from Valencia given the fact he's old as anything, but he remains their most reliable player in that position. Only three players scored more goals in Calm the Ball qualifying than Enna Valencia. And two of them were Leno Messian uh uh Leno Messian and Luce Diaz.

So he is somehow still doing the business for this team. He's also the captain and the natural leader. Everything I read about him says he organizes like team meetings and Becca Che is quite happy for him to take some of the team. the management aspects within the dressing room as well. Um he's sometimes the one who takes the team talk with before games. So he's not just important on the field but off the field as well.

The brightest star in this team, um, I think most people would agree is Moises Caicedo. Listeners know all about him, Chelsea midfielder, one of the most expensive Premier League signings of all time. He is an excellent two way midfielder, which is really important for Ecuador considering the way that they play, right? He gives them plenty of the defensive side of the ball. He's tenacious. He gets stuck in, he's positionally aware.

But then he's also a valve going in the other direction. He can carry the ball, he can pick a pass, um he's just an excellent all round central midfielder. Pedro Vite, um former MLS player, looks like being the player alongside Caicedo in in central midfield.

But the real collective strength, as I've already referenced, of this Exodor team is in the defensive line. They will start Purbus Estepunan at left back, then it will be William Pacho and Piero and Capier at centre back, and then Joel Ordonez at right back.

I think this is gonna be one of the best defensive lines in the entire World Cup. Uh Estepunan he'll be adventurous down the left side, possibly not as adventurous as he is at club level, where he's pretty much a fully blown winger at club level. He has held back a little bit more for Equ uh for for the national team for Ecuador.

Encape is obviously a high level player, and Pacho is legitimately one of the best the best pure defenders in the sport at the moment. I still I still feel like even as a two time Champions League winner, he's somehow gets overlooked, William Pacho. He's he's outstanding. um as as a pure defender, he he's perfect for this team.

He's only he's only twenty two and I think a lot of people expect him to be in a big five league soon enough as well. Um he plays as a centre back for Bruges and when Estepunan um does go forward down the left side or Don S will come inside to make a three at the end. From his right back position he makes the the back So he's excellent as well. That back line is incredible.

So to round things off I am going to focus on that defensive line um because as I say, while we Ecuador do have some attacking quality, I mean I hope we see a decent amount of Kendry Pays'cause he's'cause he's fun and when Ecuador do open up a bit he tends to be

involved in some way. Like when they have more of the ball, he tends to be the guy doing something. But if Ecuador do well at this World Cup, which I think there's a good chance of of them doing, it will be because of that defence. And so my VSP is that there will be at least one match

when William Patchell makes eight or more defensive contributions as defined um by by Fotmob. So for context, that is a lot of defensive contributions in one match. Um I could only find one match in qualifying where William Patchell had done that.

Um but I reckon Ecuador are gonna get through to the knockout rounds. I reckon they're gonna come up against they're g they're they're gonna face Germany in this group. Uh uh Ivory Coaster is a decent team as well. I think they're gonna be put under a lot of pressure in the knockout rounds and I think Pacho is gonna He's gonna be a brick wall in those games because that's what he does. So as I say, eight defensive contributions.

Anchor, uh, you'll know from his time at Milan and Barcelona. He now plays in Saudi. Obviously a very reliable head they've got in the middle of the field in front Cassier. But the front line and the wings is where I think this team is really gonna catch your eye. So on one flank you've got Amadialo. Big threat in transition, obviously. Um, probably be part of that four three three if that's the uh formation that they choose there. And on the other side to him, complimenting here in Yundiamunde.

uh probably the most, if not the most exciting winger in Europe this season. Uh RB Leipzig talent there, one of the most talked about players in Europe. Tipped to be a breakout star at this World Cup by me just now. That's what I'm doing.

Obviously playing for Palace on no pro villa. Congrats to him. Will he get another trophy this summer? No, but he'll have a lovely time. Indeed. Might even get into the knockout rounds. Also, fun fact, Nicholas Pepe still knocking around. Depth option for them as well at the IB.

Very good indeed. Uh my very specific prediction of this team though may not suggest that the front line is going to be too fruitful, maybe apart from in one game they play in this group stage. I think I imagine they're going to be battling for second spot with whom?

I will put that up to you guys. But I think there's gonna be some tight games for the Ivory Coast in this. I'm gonna say my VSP is they're gonna have the lowest goals per game of any side in this group. And now I've said that out loud I realise Curacelle are in this group, so I'm

I might not get that one. But I think it's gonna be a lot of one nils and nil nils. Uh no I all the other three teams with all due respect to Curacell are gonna run up some goals. I've just realised I'm not gonna get this because Curacell is probably not gonna

Diamante, Amadialo, even someone like Simon Adingra has has qualities. So Nicholas Pepe is still kicking around as you say, Ryan, so that feels like we're the the strength of the team.

And uh rounding out on Curacelle, please, Joe.

There are lots of Air Divisie ties because of the ties between the Netherlands and Kiracao, of course. Uh their back line for Kiracao is made up entirely of players in the Dutch first and second divisions, Turkey and the Saudi second divisions. You have twenty seven year old Dutch born center back Armando Obispo who played about a thousand minutes for PSV this past year. He's likely to start for Kirasad this summer and and he's one of their highest level players. At defensive midfield.

It's looking like it's gonna be Livano Comencia uh in this team. Twenty-two year old right back uh club level plays more as a defensive midfielder for Curacao. PSV youth player was in the Juventus setup, came through the Dutch youth national team setup, and then accepted a call to Kirasawit in twenty twenty four when the Netherlands stopped calling. He is now a regular, he plays for Zurich at club level, but he is expected to start in midfield along with

Central midfielder Leandro Bakuna, who is the captain of this team, thirty four years old, plays in the Turkish second division. He uh has played over a hundred times for Aston Villa earlier in his career, Granagin before that, along with other stops in England.

Leandro's brother, uh Juninho Pacuna, is also a regular starter for this team in midfield, twenty eight years old, center mid, has played for Gronigan, Huddersfield, Rangers, Birmingham City, spent the sat past season on loan in the Air Divisi as well. Their wingers play in Greece, Israel, the Champo, and Belgium just to really drive home that uh comparison with the Ivory Coast.

Uh they do have Taheath Chong, who wasn't really on my radar, but I know all three of you know very much know who that is. Former Manchester United youth product uh was in the Dutch youth national team system, I think probably regarded as a wonder kid at one point. that hasn't exactly paid off. But he he scored recently for Curacao and and he will it looks like get some real minutes for them on the right side.

Their striker, Jurgen Lucadia, a former Brighton striker, spent some time at Hoffenheim, cup of coffee with FC Cincinnati, he also plays in Miami, not that one. He's bounced around since the end of his time in MLS. There are other striker options, Curisao play in Malaysia and in the Netherlands.

Th this is just a team that is gonna have to scrap to make their way through. And that's not an impossibility, right? Especially in a thirty two team World Cup. You get a red card for one of these other teams and and you grab a couple of goals and all of a sudden you've got three points and and maybe you can scrape out a draw against another team.

It's exceedingly unlikely, but is it impossible? No. Like this this is not a team that doesn't know how to play soccer, right? This is just a team that when I look at this group seems very clearly destined to finish at the bottom. But I I don't really know that that's what this has to be about for Curacao. And I I don't think that's probably how fans would would think. Tournament either.

Relates to Gerald Margarita, baby. Ryan mentioned his name before me, which is not a bit big of a card. This is former Phoenix Rising winger Joe Margarita, who was electric in the USL championship with Phoenix. Ends up getting sold to the Belgian second division and now has been promoted along with Beveryn to the top flight. Really, really fun story from a Phoenix perspective, which of course I

of sympathies for. Uh he is a dribbly boy. He looks like you guys know what Kevin Durant looks like or Victor Wanbanyama looks like. Like just very, very stick like. Margarita is that build but for someone who is a normal height. Like he is incredibly slight. So he is not a guy who's going to go and battle for fifty fiftys a whole lot or go and compete for second balls.

But he is a guy who's got sauce. He has not met a player, I think, on planet Earth that he is not willing to go and take on. I do not think Joe Margarita's gonna start for this team, or at least not not starting regularly in the group stage. I do think we will see a few minutes of him off the bench. My prediction in that span, he will end up with the most dribbles per ninety minutes of any player at the World Cup. Not total, because he ain't gonna play for very long, but per ninety minutes.

He is gonna get a whole bunch of dribbles attempted. I need to see Joe Margarita on the field this summer. That would make me.

talented enough for that to be a possibility. I I just I just don't believe that they have enough quality in the areas that matter most as you at least advance further in this tournament. They could have enough to get it done on the group stage and d to sneak past Germany. That would not totally shock me.

But I've got I've got Germany one, Ecuador two, Ivory Coast and then Curacao. And a group that really does doesn't this feel like the most World Cup group so far? Like the World Cupyest of all the World Cup groups? A team from every uh excuse me, teams from different confederations across the board. I don't know just something about Ivory Coast from Ecuador being in there just feels very world cup to me. I'm I'm

If they're able to carry that into the World Cup, like they very much could take a point against Germany. I just think Germany have got more threats to unfortunately for Curaçao rack up the score line against them in a way that I don't

Early 2000s slash maybe late 90s reference. We appreciate that very much. Graham. Alright, that's Group E done. Coming next on the feed, Group F, which has gotten the Netherlands and Japan and Sweden and Tunisia. They'll be on the feed very shortly, but for now.