The FIFA World Cup Kickaround Thread #1 For 6/13/14: Day #2 Lineup Previews (First Game Version)

Photo from Fifa 

Mexico-Cameroon Pre-Match: 

The Formations: 

Cameroon

                              Itandje 

   

  Djeugoue-   N'Koulou - Chedjou -  Assou Ekotto 

                       Mbia    -    Enoh    

                               Song 

            Moukandjo          Choupo-Moting 

                               Eto'o           

------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   Dos Santos      Peralta 

       Guardado         Vasquez        Herrera 

Layun                                                           Aguilar 

                Moreno  - Marquez - Rodriguez 

Tactical Thoughts: 

1) With no midfield playmakers, Samuel Eto'o will do the #10 duties for Cameroon to be a layoff for young talents Choupo-Moting and Moukandjo to run onto his passes. As his pace has waned, link up play as become vital for Eto'o and will be the creative refuge for his side. 

Miguel Herrera will likely have a mix of Hector Herrera and Hector Moreno watching him the closes, allowing the mistake prone duo of captain Marquez and Rodriguez to drop off and not get caught out by the physical talents of the Lorient and Mainz 05 young stars. 

2) The dynamic of Gio Dos Santos playing up front again will take key focus, with much doubt about him being effective as a withdrawn striker.   It's a risk Herrera takes, but it also speaks to the lack of defense abilities of Dos Santos that his manager has decided to go with three behind him and Oribe Peralta once more. Dos Santos is much better served with Mexico when he has at least two players in front of him to pass, and will have to overcome the doubts of whether he can shine as a forward for country. 

3) Any creativity for either side in the midfield could be the difference, especially for Cameroon if M'bia can bring his great campaign form from Sevilla to here. The same can be said of California born Vasquez, who must provide something today in the middle on both ways while Herrera and Guardado stay compact on his side. 

4) Finke takes a massive risk by preferring Aurelien Chedjou and the much criticized Benoit Assou-Ekotto over solid performers Joel Matip and Henri Bedimo. Miguel Herrera's side have got to take advantage of that, just as much as Finke's side getting into the shaky tendencies of Rodriguez and Marquez. 

(Note, this will serve as the preview thread for all three matches today, so more to come here, stay tuned).