FRANCE v TOGO, SWITZERLAND v SOUTH KOREA MATCH PREVIEW
Andy Morgan

Group G Permutations

No-one has yet definitely qualified from this group. If Switzerland win or draw with South Korea they are definitely through. If South Korea win then they are definitely through and will finish in top spot. If both sides draw then France could qualify at the expense of South Korea if they can beat Togo.

If France win by two then they will top the group with Switzerland finishing second, eliminating the Koreans. France need to beat Togo to have any chance of qualifying. If they win and the Switzerland versus South Korea game does not end in a draw then France will qualify in second place at the expense of the losing team. If they only win by one however, goals scored will be taken into account to split the French and the Koreans.

Switzerland v South Korea

Second favourites for winning the group going into this tie, Switerland can go one better if they avoid defeat here. They will have to do it the hard way however with midfielder Daniel Gygaz out with bruised stomach muscles. Despite his undoubted influence, he has played less than ninety minutes for his country during this tournament, being substituted after forty-five against Togo and coming on for the final half hour against France.

With over twenty caps the Lille midfielder is certainly accomplished in the midfield but in Hakan Yakin they have a player to replace him who has twice the amount of international experience as Gygax. He also has scored ten more goals for his country as Swiss coach Koebi Kuhn risks playing a more attacking formation. Kuhn will set his stall out to attack in this game and hopes that his young squad will come of age in this tie. With two World Cup games relatively undisturbed together, Kuhn will stick with the same side that beat Togo 2-0 in their last game.

Experience may be the key in this game however as Switzerland has a very young squad and have not reached the Second Round since 1994. Before then you have to go back to the Fifties to reach a time they weren't eliminated at the first stage of the competition. South Korea in contrast reached the semi-finals in 2002 and many of their squad have picked up vital World Cup knowledge by playing in these games.

South Korea, like Switzerland have few injury worries and Dick Advocaat is expected to play the same team that drew 1-1 against France. He has a headache however in trying to accommodate Duisburg striker Ahn Jung-Hwan into the starting line-up after he came off the bench and scored the late equaliser against the French. He is Korea's top scorer in their current squad. He has yet to start a game in this World Cup after replacing Jin-Kyu Kim at half time in their opening match against Togo. He scored in this game too and surely it would be folly for Advocaat not to accommodate his star frontman.

This is particularly true when it is considered that Advocaat is determined to win this game and make history for the Koreans - as they are yet to finish top of their group. He believes tactics are the key against the Swiss particularly in rocking their strong defence with their movement. He cites the Swiss as being more experienced however with the European based element of the majority of their players being to their advantage. South Korea however are more experienced when it comes to international games and this is ultimately a battle to see whether international caps or top-class club football can win the day. It should be an interesting contest.

France v Togo

France have been disappointing in this tournament so far and are set to bow out of the World Cup at the first stage for the second successive time if they fail to beat the already eliminated African side. Two draws out of two and only one goal has seen the pressure increase on France coach Raymond Domenech but with their passage in their own hands against the group's poorest team he remains upbeat about his side's chance of progression.

Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has stated that the reason that the French got eliminated last time was due to their poorer attack, believing that they are stronger in this department this year. He also cites their improved performance against Togo but you have to be concerned for a side that has only scored one goal in two games to get the two goals required here to definitely secure qualification.

The role of Henry you feel is pivotal to the success of the French here. He scored their only goal of their World Cup so far and with an average of one goal every two games he will need to increase this if France are to secure a smooth passage into the next round. He is confident however that he can turn his fortunes around. But you fear for an attack that was so wasteful against South Korea and that should have seen their side too far ahead by half-time. He is yet to show his club form for his country and at twenty-eight years old, he is at the optimum age to shine here. If he leaves it much longer, he may be too old to be the dazzling player on the World Stage that we know he has been for Arsenal.

Partnering Henry in attack will be one of David Trezeguet or Louis Saha. The former is the best for experience but is starting to lose his pace, which is something Saha can inject into the side alongside Henry. Trezeguet's goalscoroing record is on a par with Henry's however and he is a potent threat. A youthful Saha is also on fire for his country though and all these options will allow Domenech to change his system midway through if it is found to be failing.

Zinedine Zidane is suspended for this game and he will be greatly missed in the centre of midfield. Expect Franck Ribery to stand in for him. He is a striker so expect him to sit just behind the front two, feeding balls into them and also taking shots himself in what is a daring attacking formation.

Defensively you have to be worried because of the nature of the goal they conceded against South Korea. This was the only time they were really tested but it must be remembered that they played against a dominant Swiss attack and managed to keep a clean-sheet. Manchester United's Mikael Silvestre is expected to fit into the left-back birth in place of the suspended Eric Abidal and will provide more experience in the backline. This may give them more strength at the back to deal with Togo's powerful centre-forwards.

Togo go into this game looking for pride - with no points and no chance of qualifying they will not want to leave their first ever World Cup having achieved nothing. Jean-Paul Abalo is back for the African side that sorely missed him in their 2-0 defeat to Switzerland. It was his foul that led to the free-kick and ultimately South Korea's equaliser that resulted in his red card but the African side collapsed once he left the field. Their defence looked weakened without the sixty-six times capped man against Switzerland and his return will bolster their back four.

The African side can consider themselves unlucky however as they have had sustained pressure in both games and have been thwarted by a combination of good goalkeeping and poor finishing. For their spirited attacking play they do not deserve to go home with nil points but that is exactly what will happen if they lose against France. The pay disputes surrounding the Togoan FA have taken their toll and this above any other footballing reason is why they have failed to qualify for the next round.

Togo are quietly confident of succeeding against France however and aim to put one over their former colonial masters. They will be going out to win, with Otto Pfister wanting success in his home city of Cologne and Togo's star striker Emmanuel Adebayor aiming to out-score his Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry.

Defensively they have conceded three in two games and the French have the power to hurt them. They will probably start with the same defence as the one that conceded two against Switzerland except with Abalo's presence in the centre of the back four. This will give them greater tightness and they may be able to thwart France's progress because of it. The defences are the key here - both have played well yet both have also been weak. Whichever defence will come out top will be the one that wins the game here.

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