World Cup 2014 – Scout Notes – Matchday One, Day Three

James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado deliver the Fantasy returns as Colombia chalk up a comfortable win over Greece. Joel Campbell steers Costa Rica to a shock triumph over Uruguay, Mario Balotelli nods Italy to victory over England and Serge Aurier serves up a pair of assists as Ivory Coast overcome Japan 2-1:

Rodriguez Shines in Colombia Cruise
A popular pick amongst Fantasy managers, the Monaco man was handed a change of position as Jose Pekerman shuffled his options to cope with the loss of Radamel Falcao. Rodriguez was mainly utilised on the left in a 4-2-2-2 during qualifying but was afforded a central role in a switch to 4-2-3-1 for the South Americans against Greece and caught the eye with a performance that bristled with attacking intent. Firing six efforts on goal (twice the number of any player on the pitch) the 22-year-old grabbed his side’s late third in a comprehensive win and looks pivotal to Colombia’s prospects in the attacking third, with more investment on the way ahead of games against Ivory Coast and Japan.

Cuadrado and Gutierrez Also in the Points
Many had selected Juan Cuadrado over Rodriguez as a route into the Colombia midfield after the former came in at a cheaper price in most Fantasy games. Cuadrado arrived on the back of a season which saw him score 11 goals and provide five assists for Fiorentina and his creativity came to the fore with a pair of assists from a role on the right to eclipse his fellow midfielder for Fantasy returns. Up top, Teofilo Gutierrez seems to have won the race to lead the line on Falcao’s absence. Handed the lone forward role ahead of Porto’s Jackson Martinez, Gutierrez vindicated Pekerman’s decision by firing the second in a 3-0 rout, though his withdrawal on 76 minutes suggests he could be replaced late on in games as the South Americans look for fresh legs up front.

Greeks Offer Little in Disappointing Defeat
Considering they scored a mere 12 goals over 10 qualifying games, yesterday’s failure to find the net was hardly surprising. Indeed, the 3-0 reverse means Fernando Santos’ side have now lost six of their last seven World Cup games and have failed to score in any of those defeats – in terms of lessons learned, steering clear of Greece’s assets seems a sensible move, with upcoming opponents Japan and Ivory Coast looking good value options at both ends of the pitch.

Santos may well choose to freshen up his side after such a lethargic display. Fulham’s Kostas Mitroglou and veteran Giorgos Karagounis both featured as subs late on and may well be called upon for the upcoming clash with the Japanese as Greek attempt to avoid an early exit.

In the FIFA McDonald’s game, only one player from each side managed five or more recovered balls – Colombia right-back Juan Zuniga, with seven, and Greece central midfielder, Konstantinos Katsouranis, with five.

Campbell Inspires Shock Costa Rica Win
The Arsenal forward sparked a stunning second-half turnaround as Jorge Luis Pinto’s side shook Group D by sweeping aside Uruguay 3-1. Fielded as a lone striker in a 5-4-1 formation, Campbell’s pace and strength on the break troubled the South Americans time and again – a 54th minute equaliser was followed by the assist for Marcos Urena’s late strike, after Campbell was moved to the right to accommodate his fellow forward. While the youngster’s display underlined his ability to produce on the big stage, upcoming games against Italy and England will perhaps deter Fantasy managers to invest in Costa Rica’s options, with other sides set for far favourable fixtures in the final two group games.

Suarez Absence Stifles Uruguay
Hot favourites to sweep aside their underdog opponents, the South Americans only had a converted Edinson Cavani spot-kick to show for their efforts in a shock 3-1 defeat. Uruguay turned in a lacklustre display that seemed devoid of any urgency – after the break, in particular, they were second best in every department and looked sluggish at both ends of the pitch. Undoubtedly, Luis Suarez’ failure to feature was key. With his side trailing in the second period, Oscar Tabarez’ decision to leave the Liverpool forward on the bench certainly indicates he is not yet ready to return to action after recently undergoing minor knee surgery, and with only four days until a showdown with England, another absence for Suarez could be critical. One player who Tabarez will definitely be without is Maxi Pereira – the right-back is suspended after receiving his marching orders in the dying minutes for a shocking challenge on Campbell.

In the FIFA McDonald’s game, three Uruguay player registered seven recovered balls apiece –centre-back Diego Godin, central midfielder Arevalo Rios and left-back Martin Caceres. Centre-half Giancarlo Gonzalez, with six, was the standout performer for the victors.

Italy Front Three in the Points
Cesare Prandelli ditched his preferred 3-5-2 formation and rolled out a 4-3-3 for last night’s win. Mario Balotelli led the line, with Claudio Marchisio and Antonio Candreva on the flanks, and all three delivered the points for their Fantasy owners – the former two bagged a goal apiece, whilst Candreva, who delivered 12 goals and six assists for Lazio last term, provided an assist in a narrow 2-1 victory and looks a decent shout as a budget-friendly option across the Fantasy games.

Prandelli’s selection certainly raised a few eyebrows. With Gianluigi Buffon injured, Salvatore Sirigu was handed a rare start between the posts, whilst three of the expected defensive starters – Ignazio Abate, Leonardo Bonucci and Mattia De Sciglio – warmed the bench. The Italy boss opted for Matteo Darmian, Gabriel Paletta and Andrea Barzagli instead, as Giorgio Chiellini shifted over to left-back – with so much uncertainty, it’s likely we will steer clear of the Italy defence, with Chiellini perhaps the only nailed-on option right now.

Sturridge Strike Not Enough for Three Lions
Roy Hodgson made one surprise selection in the England starting XI, with Raheem Sterling preferred ahead of Adam Lallana. The Liverpool man was fielded in “the hole” behind Daniel Sturridge, with Wayne Rooney moved to the left, before a half-time reshuffle allowed the United man to shift centrally and Sterling wide right. In spite of his out of position berth for the first 45 minutes, Rooney still managed to provide the assist for Sturridge’s strike and looks more likely to be kept in the centre next time around, having improved after the break. Sturridge limped off towards the end of the match after a hefty challenge and his owners will be anxiously awaiting the prognosis ahead of a vital midweek match with Uruguay, as both sides look to recover from opening defeats.

In the FIFA McDonald’s game, Jordan Henderson was England’s main man for recovered balls, with seven to his name. Three of the back-four also impressed – Phil Jagielka managed six and full-backs Leighton Baines and Glen Johnson registered four apiece, whilst Chiellini (six) was Italy’s more impressive performer.

Aurier the Creator Ivory Coast
The highly-rated right-back played a pivotal part as Ivory Coast came from behind to get the better of Japan in the early hours of this morning. Aurier provided the assist for both goals in a 2-1 win – with Wilfried Bony and Gervinho supplying the finishing touches to the youngster’s raids down the flank – and underlined his capabilities as a cut-price option across the Fantasy games ahead of upcoming clashes with Colombia and Greece.

As expected, the Ivorians started the game in a 4-3-3 formation, though Sabri Lamouchi’s decision to opt for Wilfried Bony as the lone striker ahead of Didier Drogba was somewhat surprising. The veteran’s introduction, allied with a switch to 4-4-2 proved the turning point, however – the Africans scored both goals within four minutes of Drogba appearing from the bench to secure the points.

Honda Strike Not Enough for Japan
Alberto Zacherroni’s side have it all to do now after letting their lead slip. Milan’s Keisuke Honda – playing in “the hole” in a 4-2-3-1 – fired Japan into the lead in 15 minutes courtesy of an assist from left-back Yuto Nagatomo before their second-half capitulation. With just seven shots on goal compared to their opponents’ 21 efforts, they can count themselves fortunate to only have lost by such a narrow margin and with a victory over Greece in midweek vital to their prospects, the likes of Honda and Mainz’ Shinji Ozazaki will need to step up, whilst Zacherroni may freshen up his options for the lone striker role, with Yoichiro Kakitani offering an alternative to Yuya Osako up top.

In the FIFA McDonald’s game, Ivory Coast were very consistent when it came to recovered balls, with eight of their starting XI managing four or more. Aurier and Chieck Tiote were the most impressive, with eight apiece, whilst Yaya Toure also caught the eye with five. For Japan, all of the back-four registered five or more, with full-backs Atsuto Uchida and Nagatomo the main men, producing eight and six respectively.