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2014 World Cup: Why Mitroglou Is Greece’s Key to Reaching the Knockout Rounds
Published: May 19, 2014
They proved it in 2004, when they lifted the Euro Cup trophy on the back of a strong defense and a disciplined core of players who moved together like a well-oiled machine under manager Otto Rehhagel.
Since then, defense is still king, even under the more adventurous Fernando Santos. In World Cup 2014 qualification, Greece only conceded four goals in group-stage play, despite rotating the starting back four at times. However, the team will need to balance their defensive approach with attacking bite if they are to see off their World Cup opponents in order to advance to the round of 16.
Greece's defense was, unsurprisingly, particularly dominant during the World Cup 2014 qualifiers. The central-defensive leader Sokratis Papastathopoulos saw the lion's share of the minutes in qualification, only missing a single match due to injury. His club form has also been inspiring, with 27 Bundesliga matches under his belt this season for Borussia Dortmund.
Three of the four conceded goals in group-stage play came against a single opponent (Bosnia-Herzegovina), away, due to set-piece errors. From open play, the Greek defense never allowed attackers to penetrate, despite frequent rotation. In fact, Greece's only other conceded goal came against Latvia from the penalty spot.
Despite the brick wall in the back, it was offense, particularly from one man, that lifted Greece over Romania with a 4-2 aggregate score in the two-match playoff set for qualification. That man was Fulham striker Kostas Mitroglou, affectionately called "Mitrogoal" by the fans. Mitroglou scored three of Greece's four goals against Romania, and prior to his arrival to Fulham in January he was a man on fire for Olympiacos.
"Pistolero” scored 41 goals in 84 appearances for the Greek club prior t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
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