My expectations on seeing change in Greece's lineup and tactics Thursday against Nigeria are minimal at best. The spirits of the supporters are down but the players remain up beat, which is a positive sign. It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Greeks, moral within the camp is surprisingly high but the quality on the pitch must match. Nigeria was really impressive in the loss to Argentina, holding one of the favorites to a single goal in the opener. Much of the credit goes to keeper Vincent Enyeama's star studded performance, coming up with spectacular saves that kept the Super Eagles alive.
Waking up Thursday morning to see the starting XI include Sotiris Ninis, Dimitrios Salpingidis and Sotirios Krygiakos would help ease the nerves already beginning to fester. That would show Otto Rehhagel has decided to play for the victory and that Greece will throw caution to the wind. One more loss for either country will knock them out of the competition; both need a win to revive their World Cup ambitions. Another goalless loss will be devastating to Greek football after having such high hopes 6 years ago. I agree expectations are extremely high after winning the European Cup and a generous FIFA ranking (#13) doesn't help ease the pressure. For the first time my expectations are low, deployed to ease the blow I normally feel right after witnessing a gut wrenching loss. After seeing how Lars Lagerback's squad played against Maradona's Argentina, how can Greece's lack of offence compare to the juggernaut which peppered the Nigerian goal? My heart says Greece but my brain screams the opposite, luckily this is football and anything can happen.
Reports in the media suggest the players will go all out for the victory on Thursday as it's now or never, but Rehhagel's cautious tactical approach might prove to cut short Greece's tournament. Not having a superstar caliber player is no excuse to play uninspired football, something the German coach is trying to imply in recent interviews. It's fine to play defensive but you can't forget the other side of the game, eventually a goal is needed to earn the victory. Theofanis Gekas needs help up front, and shouldn't be expected to produce chances out of thin air. I wouldn’t mind seeing Georgios Samaras given the second strikers role where he can be more effective rather then out on the wing.
An early goal will certainly boost the player’s confidence, breaking the curse of scoring that elusive first goal at the World Cup can revive Greek hopes. The fans deserve to watch their heroes perform at the highest level, to do so the best players need to be on the field. The results so far in South Africa have been difficult to predict; Greece have the potential to win on Thursday if they go after the game. Sitting back to absorb pressure and trying to catch Nigeria on the counter won't work. Naturally I will go with my heart and pick Greece. Despite all the analysis, facts and stats I've looked at for the past five days, the Greeks were embarrassed by the Koreans and will want to prove all their critics wrong.
Prediction: Greece win 2-1
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