Great Britain and Korea close out the final day of the quarter finals in a matchup that will have all of London anxious.
Kick-off Date & Time:
Saturday, August 4, 2012
7:30 p.m. London Time
2:30 a.m. EDT
Great Britain
If not for Brazil's skill, Great Britain would easily be the best team in the tournament. They have been a cohesive unit that has demonstrated a propensity for big goals and solid defense. They don't do it with flash and trickery but with will and wits.
Craig Bellamy has been a decisive MVP candidate with incredibly adept playmaking, but Ryan Giggs, Daniel Sturridge, and Scott Sinclair have been equally dangerous.
Key Player: Craig Bellamy. His playmaking has made Great Britain an offensive threat. Ryan Giggs may be the brains of the operation, but Bellamy has been the executor.
Korea Republic
Korea came into a tournament as a supposed offensive force; something which has yet to materialize through three games. They scored twice in the span of seven minutes against Switzerland but have been shut out for the remainder of their three matches. There is however a glimmer of hope that this team has yet to wake up offensively and the biggest stage to date in the tournament may be what they need.
Defensively, they were supposed to be weak, but have been anything but that. They have only given up one goal in three games (during that same seven minute stretch in which they scored twice), but have otherwise tempered the offenses of Mexico, Gabon, and Switzerland.
Key Player: Park Chu-Young. He was tremendous against Switzerland and needs to perform at that same level to help jumpstart the lethargic Korean offense.
Great Britain Will Win If...
They control the pace of the match and control the sphere. They don't have the same level of talent as Korea, but they have the depth to keep them at bay. If Korea is allowed to run rampant through the pitch, then Korea could steal this one.
Korea Will Win If...
They put on the pressure. Great Britain has looked comfortable with the pressure entailed by the tournament, but that does not mean that it will not continue to exist or increase. If Korea is aggressive they will force a nervous British squad into mistakes. The longer the match goes 0-0, the higher the pressure on GB and the more it favors Korea.
Prediction: No upset here as Great Britain continues its solid play for another round. 1-0.
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