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

Thomas Muller fires a hat-trick as Germany sweep aside Portugal. Nigeria and Iran both fail to find the net in a game to forget, while Clint Dempsey is amongst the goals as USA get the better of Ghana:

Muller Treble Tears Portugal Apart
The Bayern Munich man benefitted from a change of tactics as Germany coasted past Portugal 4-0. Joachim Low moved from his default 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3, with Mario Gotze, Mesut Ozil and Muller all interchanging in the front three positions, and the latter’s keen eye for goal saw him notch the first hat-trick of Brazil 2014 to strengthen his case for inclusion in our Fantasy squads.

Classified as a midfielder in some Fantasy games, Muller, who is now first-choice on spot-kicks, looks set for significant investment ahead of the remaining matches against Ghana and USA, though it remains to be seen if Low will continue with the same set-up –some reckon yesterday’s formation was merely to mirror Portugal’s, with suggestions the Germans could revert to 4-2-3-1 once again. Ozil’s owners, meanwhile, will be unhappy with his withdrawal just after the hour mark – the Arsenal man also looks to have dropped down the pecking order for set-pieces, corners and spot-kicks, as his appeal starts to diminish.

Lahm Handed Midfield Role
Low’s decision to field Jerome Boateng and Benedikt Howedes as full-backs allowed the Germany captain to continue the central midfield spot he’s recently occupied for Bayern Munich. With Boateng shifted to right-back to combat Ronaldo’s pace, Mats Hummels took his place in the heart of defence and racked up the points after serving up a goal and clean sheet. The Dortmund man was withdrawn with a knee problem during the second-half, however, and it remains to be seen whether the problem will place question marks against his start next time around – would-be suitors are perhaps best to steer clear until further prognosis is revealed.

Defensive Concerns for Portugal
Paulo Bento’s side have it all to do after a demoralising defeat yesterday evening. The Portugal boss looks set to be without two of his first-choice back-four for next Sunday’s showdown with USA– Pepe was dismissed for an altercation with Muller before Fabio Coentrao was stretchered off midway through the second period. In spite of the heavy loss, Portugal still have a schedule that suggest investment may yet pay off – with Cristiano Ronaldo and co set to face USA and Ghana, there’s still reason for optimism.

In the FIFA McDonald’s game, Lahm and Boateng led the way for recovered balls for the Germans with eight apiece, whilst Hummels (seven) and Per Mertesacker (six) also racked them up in the heart of defence. For the Portuguese, Pepe was the top performers with six prior to his red card, whilst Miguel Veloso, Fabio Coentrao and Joao Moutinho all managed five apiece.

Nigeria and Iran Disappoint
The first draw of the 2014 World Cup came courtesy of a poor goalless stalemate in the second match of Group F. Having chalked up the most clean sheets in qualifying, Iran – with a single effort on target all match – were happy to sit deep against a Nigeria side that simply lacked the quality to break them down. From a Fantasy perspective, the display of both sides will buoy Fantasy managers holding Argentina and Bosnia assets for the remaining group matches, with the latter two looking strong shouts to win their final two games. Victor Moses owners will already be looking elsewhere; the wide man was subbed off just six minutes into the second-half and his game time looks far from certain after an ineffectual display.

In the FIFA McDonald’s game, Iran centre-half duo Jalal Hosseini and Amir Hossein Sadaqi registered 10 and six recovered balls respectively, while central midfielder Javad Nekounam (eight) and right-back Pejman Montazeri (five) also produced plenty. Nigeria’s Ogenyi Onazi made an excellent 12, with Kenneth Omeruo (six) and John Obi Mikel (five) also impressing.

Mixed News for Klinsmann Up Front
The USA boss continued with his recent midfield diamond formation, which saw Michael Bradley tucked in Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore against Ghana. Dempsey needed less than 60 seconds to fire the opener and serve a reminder of his eye for goal, though Altidore was far less fortunate after being stretchered off with a hamstring injury midway through the first-half. Replacement Aron Johansson looks the obvious replacement if, as expected, the Sunderland man fails to recover in time, but bearing in mind their remaining games are against Portugal and Germany, investment in the USA may be limited, in spite of last night’s result.

Brooks Stakes a Claim
Climbing off the bench at half-time to replace the injured Matt Besler (another hamstring problem), the big centre-half grabbed a late winner to ensure the USA were off to the perfect start. Brooks may have done enough to earn himself a deserved start next time around and for those who feel Klinsmann’s side are capable of springing a surprise in the last two matches, their options are more than reasonably priced across the Fantasy games. Given that last night’s right-back Fabian Johnson can also be utilised in midfield, though, he still looks the best bet for those on the lookout for a punt.

Woeful Accuracy is Ghana’s Undoing
The Africans only have themselves to blame after last night’s loss. Kwesi Appiah’s side had 62% possession and fired 21 shots against the US – in spite of their overwhelming dominance, they managed a mere three efforts on target, with a solitary Andre Ayew effort to show for their toils. The Ghana boss made a handful of surprise alterations to his XI – dropping Michael Essien and Kevin Prince-Boateng, he opted for Christian Atsu and Jordan Ayew as two of the three attacking midfielders in a shift that forced Kwadwo Asamoah into the left-back berth. Up against a rampant Germany next, though, few Fantasy managers are willing to invest after a frustratingly inefficient display.

In the FIFA McDonald’s game, the Ghana back-four were all standout performers. Jonathan Mensah and Asamoah led the way with nine apiece, ahead of Daniel Opare and John Boye, with eight and seven respectively. Stoke defender Geoff Cameron (with seven) was the main man for the USA, with left-back DaMarcus Beasley next best on four.