South Korea and Algeria clash at the World Cup in Brazil on Sunday, and a loss will essentially end one team’s World Cup hopes. South Korea managed a point from their Group H opener with Russia, but Algeria may have played better as they gave the favorites from Belgium a battle until the final whistle.
World Cup Odds: South Korea +135, Algeria +225, Draw +220
Why South Korea Can Win
South Korea held fast defensively in a 1-1 draw and they were very disciplined, which they’ll have to be in order to make their finale against Belgium mean something. They committed just seven fouls to Russia’s 15, and the South Koreans know they can’t afford to give up many chances from set pieces, which is a smart way to go about their business, although they did manage to pick up three yellow cards somehow. Lee Keun-Ho might earn a starting role, even though his goal was as lucky as they come due to a mistake by Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev.
However, South Korea didn’t play that well against the Russians and they may not have even deserved the point they got. They will have to attack against Algeria, then we will really see how good their defense is.
Why Algeria Can Win
Algeria can take a lot of positives away in their 2-1 defeat to Belgium as Sofiane Feghouli’s penalty gave them their first goal in the World Cup since 1986, which was their last appearance here. They knew they were overmatched by Belgium, but that didn’t stop them from trying and frustrating the favorites for a major portion of the game, a game they led from the 25th minute to the 70th. Keeper Rais M’Bolhi made six saves and was pretty good when he was called upon for Algeria, and you can’t fault him for the two goals the team gave up.
Now, Algeria has to know they have to attack and go for the win, and they’ll need a big game from Feghouli, their best offensive player. South Korea isn’t nearly as good as Belgium and this game is very winnable for Algeria, and they’ll need Feghouli to be the attacking spark going forward. A draw isn’t going to do much for them; they need all three points and South Korea needs points as well, so there will be openings at the back.
Outlook
These two haven’t met since their first meeting in 1985, which ended in a 2-0 win for South Korea, but there will be far more on the line than there was in this friendly. Both teams had to sit back in their openers and now we’ll get to see how they are going forward in a critical Group H match. South Korea is favored, but they were quite dreadful against Russia and can you honestly say they’re that much better than an inspired Algerian team? Look for the upset in this Group H encounter.
Pick: Algeria
