The Ivory Coast has a major injury concern heading into their Group C opening match against Japan, who have the quality to take advantage of any weaknesses the Africans have.
World Cup Odds: Ivory Coast +160, Japan +190, Draw +215
Why The Ivory Coast Can Win
The Ivory Coast is a bigger team than the Japanese, especially up front and in midfield. Didier Drogba is a battering ram of a forward, but he still has excellent touch and technique and at 36, he knows this is probably his last chance to make a statement at the World Cup before handing the team over to the next generation. But where the Ivorians can really dominate this game is in the middle of the pitch with Yaya Toure and Cheick Tiote, who is a monster as a defensive midfielder and he’ll allow Toure to roam forward to support the attack. However, Toure has been dealing with a muscle problem that he picked up with Manchester City and is racing to be fit for this match. A healthy Toure would mean the world to the Ivory Coast.
Boubacar Barry has 80 caps for his country and has played very well in the past at the World Cup. The Ivorians aren’t that stout defensively and he’ll need to be at his best, starting with this game.
Why Japan Can Win
What Japan lacks in size against the Ivory Coast, they make up for in speed and creativity. They have a group in Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki that can destroy the opposition on the counterattack. This trio plays all across Europe, so they are used to facing a high level of competition, and the duo of Honda and Kagawa are especially interesting as they have something to prove. Honda struggled at AC Milan, while Kagawa was almost forgotten at Manchester United, and they will want to show they can do a job for two of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Like their opponents, Japan isn’t that strong defensively, but they have a very underrated player in captain Makoto Hasebe, who will shield the back four and try to get the ball to the attacking players. He has played in Germany for six years now and he is very effective, but Hasebe must have a good game against the Ivorian midfield if Japan is going to win.
Outlook
Japan has two wins and a loss against the Ivory Coast, who beat Japan 2-0 in a friendly prior to the World Cup in South Africa. This is a very intriguing matchup of size versus speed, and the Japanese will have to use all of it at their disposal.
Luckily, Toure doesn’t seem to be at full strength and that turns the Ivory Coast from a dangerous team to average, and if he isn’t close to 100%, the Africans are in trouble. Look for Japan to hit them on the country and stage an upset in Brazil, although it isn’t a huge upset.
Pick: Japan
