If the two German opponents Ivory Coast and Ecuador meet on Monday night, 0-0 could be a good tip. Both teams recently shone with strong defense. Who will be tougher for the DFB team to play against?
It wasn’t long ago that Ivory Coast alarmed a title contender. The Ivorians had made themselves scarce on the pre-World Cup stage and only played a single friendly appearance. He had even more oomph for it. With a 2-1 win in Nantes, the team around Leipzig’s young star Yan Diomande France spoiled the mood – really. “Too unfocused – Les Bleus still a long way from the World Cup”was the headline in the French newspaper afterwards “Le Parisien”.
The already self-confident Ivory Coast has been against it since the victory – or rather: statement still more confident. “We saw that we can keep up with teams like that”said Guy Demel, former fan favorite of Hamburger SV and now assistant coach of the West Africans, in a recent “Sky” interview. “A lot of trust” admit that. Because it wasn’t until against France that more than just the result was right. Demel & Co. are also confident in the way they play.
The assistant coach of Ivory Coast – Guy Demel
Demel: “Of course we’re thinking ahead”
The result? Simply surviving the group stage is no longer the only goal – even though Ivory Coast has never achieved this step in three World Cup participations so far. Unimpressed, Demel says: “Of course we think ahead. We are very ambitious and highly competitive.” The Ivorians have to do their first footballing deeds at the World Cup against Ecuador (Monday, June 15th, 1 a.m., in the Sportschau live stream).
And against a team they have never played against before. But which is similar to them – in an almost astonishing way. Similarly young: the players from Ivory Coast (25.9 years) and Ecuador (26.1) are on average just in their mid-twenties and are therefore the chicks of the World Cup. Similar in flow: While Ecuador has been undefeated in 19 international matches, Ivory Coast has at least won its World Cup test matches since March. Just as hungry for success: Like the Ivorians, who were not in the knockout phase, the Ecuadorians have not yet found great luck at the World Cup. The highest of feelings so far? A round of 16.
Defensive bulwarks with different Tests
However, this does not yet mention what the two teams have in common, which is probably the most important thing for Germany: they are similarly strong defensively. Ecuador conceded just five goals in 18 World Cup qualifying games. Ivory Coast didn’t even allow a single one in their somewhat easier Africa qualification.
These are impressive values, albeit with varying significance. While the Ecuadorian bulwark fought off Brazil, Argentina and Co., the Ivory Coast’s most stubborn opponent was Gabon – number 86 in the FIFA world rankings.
So it is not surprising that Lothar Matthäus predicted on “RTL/ntv” that every team – in short: including Germany – would have a difficult time, especially against Ecuador. Be it “a stable, compact team with individual quality”which have players from European teams, “in which you have to perform”. Which is phrased very cautiously. Because half of the Ecuador defense had an appointment in Budapest a few weeks ago. Willian Pacho (Paris Saint Germain) and Piero Hincapié (Arsenal FC) “performed” – to use Matthäus’ words – in the Champions League final.
The defensive names in the Ivory Coast are not that big, although – as in the case of Odilon Kossounou and Evan Ndicka – they are still well known in the Bundesliga. But it’s a whole team that follows a disciplined plan. He doesn’t exclude the highly gifted wingers Diomande and Amad Diallo. So it’s hardly surprising that Demel was less enthusiastic about Diomande’s offensive qualities than he was: “I especially appreciate his work against the ball. He always thinks about the collective, not about himself. He’s not selfish at all.”
But what’s actually going on offensively?
And yet the Ivory Coast will also need brilliant, perhaps even selfish moments from the 19-year-old, who – since the group draw – has lived rent-free as an arrow-fast Kimmich terror in the minds of many German fans. Of course, this concern can only be justified to a limited extent in quantitative terms. The two teams are similar in this respect too: as much as the defense shines, the offense struggles.
Elye Wahi, Ivory Coast international, in the friendly against France.
Ecuador scored just 14 goals in the 18 qualifying games, and almost half of the games ended 0-0. With this stormy minimalism, the Ivory Coast almost looks like a goal machine at first glance. But only at first. She scored 16 of her 25 goals in two games. The opponent? The 204th in the world rankings with no points in the World Cup qualification. Seychelles.
Last minute dressing change and an oldie
The problem in the center forward was so acute that Ivory Coast reacted before the World Cup. With striker Elye Wahi (in March) and Inter attacker Ange-Yoan Bonny (in May), who was more than unhappy in Frankfurt, two French national team players were convinced to make a last-minute change of association in order to fill the gaping gap between the noble wingers. In the top test against France, one started (Wahi), the other came after 68 minutes (Bonny).
Ecuador’s Enner Valencia celebrates his qualifying goal against Argentina.
So while the Ivory Coast is trying something new in times of need, Ecuador is – once again – hoping for an old friend: Enner Valencia. He is now 36 years old and in the first Mexican league. In 2014 he scored all three of Ecuador’s goals at the World Cup, and in 2022 it was three out of four. And even in the low-scoring World Cup qualifying, if anyone scored, it was Valencia. There is definitely talent behind and around it. But no one has yet pushed their way up or past.
Both teams will only be able to rely on defense if they want to alarm title candidates in the tournament. Before Germany and Co. wait, there is the premiere of the direct duel. It’s about important points for the knockout round, of course. But also the question: whose bulwark is harder?