Daily World Cup Tips & Predictions – Friday, 19th June

It’s only up from here for these two Group A combatants.  

South Africa’s World Cup campaign got off to a horror start when suffering a 2-0 defeat to Mexico last week, the lowlight being a pair of red cards to leave the Bafana Bafana shorthanded. 

Czech Republic managed to find the scoresheet in their 2-1 loss to South Korea, but some undisciplined play and a clear lack of possession has left Miroslav Koubek’s side with a lot of work to do if they wish to make it past the Group Stage.  

On a more positive note, Czech Republic fans should feel confident in their side making amends after rattling off a six-game unbeaten streak before the World Cup kicked off. 

That, plus the fact South Africa is left even more shorthanded following suspensions to Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane – two key attacking players – makes this a very favourable spot to back the Czech Republic with a bit of value on offer. 

Group B has been the most fascinating group to kick-start the World Cup with all four sides registering a single point with respective draws. 

The Swiss dominated possession and looked incredibly composed with the ball at their feet during their 1-1 draw with Qatar, ruing a late equalising goal in stoppage time after going ahead early in the first half thanks to a penalty.  

Bosnia Herzegovina, meanwhile, clung to an early 1-0 lead themselves against Canada, before the dam wall finally burst deep into the second half with the hosts leveling up the score in the 78th minute. 

Sergej Barbarez’s side will draw confidence away from a fourth consecutive draw across all competitions, but Bosnia and Herzegovina will be sweating the health of key defender Sead Kolasinac, compounded even further by Nidal Celik’s absence across the tournament.  

For Switzerland, this is a vital spot in their campaign with a tricky game ahead next week against Canada. 

Bosnia Herezegovina’s stingy defensive style of play will keep this interesting, but all in all, staying away from an outright result and backing the Under is probably the way to go. 

Canada continues to prove a frustrating watch on the world stage, although there were some promising signs to draw from their opening draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week. 

The Reds controlled possession and had the bulk of the scoring chances, just lacking the composure and quality when it mattered most. They eventually brokethrough in front of their home crowd for a well-deserved equaliser, but the fact they’ve now given up the opening goal in each of their seven World Cup games remains a problem. 

Qatar shared the points and frustrated the Swiss to no end, registering only five shots and three on target. They were happy dropping back to set up defensively, so much of this game will boil down to how patient Canada can be.  

The fact Qatar has averaged less than a goal across its last seven games suggests the scoreboard won’t get much action, but until we see Canada really turn their chances into goals, the Draw does feel like a genuine value play. 

Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez had their fingerprints all over Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa last week, encouraging signs for the Group A favourites heading into what is arguably their trickiest assignment against a feisty Korean outfit.  

Korea kicked off its campaign with a well-earned 2-1 win over the Czech Republic, a result that appeared unlikely after falling behind in the 59th minute.  

Encouragingly, Hong Myung-Bo’s responded with two quick goals to put the game to bed not long after, extending their winning streak to three.  

These two sides met in a friendly in early September last year, and the pair could not be separated, instead settling for a 2-2 draw. 

Korea’s resiliency makes them a tough out for anyone across the tournament, and with Mexico’s attacking flare on full display in the first game, everything points towards a thrilling, high-scoring match.