World Cup Face Off: Valencia versus Evra
World Cup Face Off: Valencia versus Evra
World Cup Face Off: Valencia versus Evra
We look at the World Cup prospects for some Premier League teammates who will be on opposite teams during Brazil 2014. Who will finish on top?
Who are the players?
Antonio Valencia has won over 60 caps for Ecuador and has scored 8 goals for his country from his position on the right wing. He has played for Villareal in Spain and Wigan Athletic in the Premier League. Since 2009, he has played for Manchester United and has won 2 Premier League titles.
Patrice Evra has won more than 50 caps for France and was his country's captain during the 2010 World Cup, in South Africa. He used to be a midfielder, but is now one of the world's top left-backs. He has played for Nice and Monaco in his home country, but since 2006 has played for the 'Red Devils'. Evra has won 5 Premier League titles and 1 Champions League with Manchester United.
How important are the players to their national teams?
Antonio Valencia is the star and captain of this Ecuador team. Valencia was made captain after the tragic death of his Ecuador teammate 'Chucho' Benitez. Ecuador's coach, Reinaldo Rueda, said, "My new captain is Luis Antonio Valencia because Valencia was like Benitez' twin brother. They were very, very close so it was a way to get the group to come together and remember Benitez." Ecuador fans will be hoping that Valencia's direct running and accurate crossing will help Ecuador score goals and help the team and fans remember Benitez.
Patrice Evra is first choice left-back for France and will be in direct competition with Valencia. The Ecuadorian will be trying to get past him on that side of the pitch. Evra is an attacking defender, who likes to get to the byline and get lots of crosses into the box. The French fans will look to Evra's experience of big games and leadership qualities to get 'Les Bleus' into the next round.
Do they have any weaknesses?
Both Valencia and Evra are world class players, so there are very few weaknesses. But Evra will be 33 at the World Cup and he is not as quick as he used to be. He likes to get forward a lot, which could leave France exposed in defence. Valencia, as a forward player, maybe doesn't score as many goals as he should, he has 8 in over 60 for Ecuador and 13 in more than 120 for Man Utd.
What is our prediction?
There is no clear favourite in this match. The seeded team in the group is Switzerland (the other team in the group is Honduras), so this match could decide which team qualifies for the last 16. Ecuador have the advantage of playing in South America, but France have some fantastic players including Karim Benzema, Frank Ribery and Oliver Giroud.
We predict that Patrice Evra will help France to a 2-1 win, but both France and Ecuador will qualify from this World Cup group.
When and where is the match?
The match is on June 25th at 2100 GMT in the 75,117 capacity Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Read another World Cup Face Off article - Edin Džeko (Bosnia) versus Sergio Agüero (Argentina).
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Did you learn anything new about Manchester Utd's Patrice Evra and Antonio Valencia?
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Komentar
18/01/2023
points
Sentences
Youth's career prospects are always destroyed by the dinosaurs of the organization who "know how to do accurate way of work ".
This team hadn't been chosen as a seeded but they won trophy of tournament.
18/01/2023 17:16
Tottenham Hotspur
5560
Sentences
Youth's career prospects are always destroyed by the dinosaurs of the organization who "know how to do accurate way of work ".
This team hadn't been chosen as a seeded but they won trophy of tournament.
01/06/2021
points
I've just saw the match higlights and caught surprisingly by Valencia has been sent off.
01/06/2021 22:43
Arsenal
1512
I've just saw the match higlights and caught surprisingly by Valencia has been sent off.
19/06/2020
points
I love both players because they were legends at Old Trafford.
19/06/2020 17:29
Manchester United
6539
I love both players because they were legends at Old Trafford.
18/06/2016
points
Ecuador are a force to reckon with and I believe France wouldn't have it easy
18/06/2016 23:12
Manchester United
4779
Ecuador are a force to reckon with and I believe France wouldn't have it easy
18/06/2016
points
Evra's defensive prowess is undoubtable
18/06/2016 23:11
Manchester United
4779
Evra's defensive prowess is undoubtable
18/06/2016
points
Valencia is a great winger who can man the flanks
18/06/2016 23:09
Manchester United
4779
Valencia is a great winger who can man the flanks
18/06/2016
points
Great players
18/06/2016 23:07
Manchester United
4779
Great players
20/03/2016
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I think France will win.
20/03/2016 18:41
Leicester City
1761
I think France will win.
29/02/2016
points
It was fair.
29/02/2016 17:32
Liverpool
3705
It was fair.
27/11/2015
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I only know that Ecuador is a team with most constant performances in the S.American competiton. A team that is hard to beat away, harder than some teams with big names.
27/11/2015 19:52
Arsenal
3557
I only know that Ecuador is a team with most constant performances in the S.American competiton. A team that is hard to beat away, harder than some teams with big names.
26/10/2015
points
Very well.
26/10/2015 20:17
Chelsea
1339
Very well.
15/05/2014
points
Hi,guys!
Valencia's Ecuador will be the winner, I suppose.But the game is promising to be really difficult.
15/05/2014 19:54
0
Hi,guys!
Valencia's Ecuador will be the winner, I suppose.But the game is promising to be really difficult.
15/05/2014
points
Hi,evrybody.I'm Tural, from Azerbaijan.
I'm also looking forward to the World Cup.I think Evra's France will probably win.
My prediction about the World Cup is German team.
15/05/2014 19:33
0
Hi,evrybody.I'm Tural, from Azerbaijan.
I'm also looking forward to the World Cup.I think Evra's France will probably win.
My prediction about the World Cup is German team.
08/05/2014
points
Hello this is my first vist to this section of the british council website
08/05/2014 18:15
0
Hello this is my first vist to this section of the british council website
09/05/2014
points
Hi Ahmed
Welcome to Premier Skills English. I hope you enjoy the site and find the football texts and vocabulary activities fun, interesting and useful.
Best wishes
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
09/05/2014 00:14
0
Hi Ahmed
Welcome to Premier Skills English. I hope you enjoy the site and find the football texts and vocabulary activities fun, interesting and useful.
Best wishes
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
04/05/2014
points
well,for most of us or to the world france is likely to win just because of the fact that they have already won a world cup and the history says that they always get in the last stages of those tournaments,but football is football,11 against eleven in the pitch and everything could happen,u know,football is unpredictable.Now,of course as a south american guy I want ecuador to win,I'm peruvian and they are our neighboor(we limit each other XD).I guess they'll draw after full time.
04/05/2014 02:35
0
well,for most of us or to the world france is likely to win just because of the fact that they have already won a world cup and the history says that they always get in the last stages of those tournaments,but football is football,11 against eleven in the pitch and everything could happen,u know,football is unpredictable.Now,of course as a south american guy I want ecuador to win,I'm peruvian and they are our neighboor(we limit each other XD).I guess they'll draw after full time.
04/05/2014
points
Hi raulito
Thanks for your comments. You've predicted a draw for this match. In the previous comments there is one prediction for France and the other for Ecuador. I don't think this is an easy game to predict !!
Enjoy your football!
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
04/05/2014 20:05
0
Hi raulito
Thanks for your comments. You've predicted a draw for this match. In the previous comments there is one prediction for France and the other for Ecuador. I don't think this is an easy game to predict !!
Enjoy your football!
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
24/04/2014
points
France team is worldchampion and your footbal is better than equador team, but we can have a suprise or be equador can win the france team, I think so.
24/04/2014 05:44
0
France team is worldchampion and your footbal is better than equador team, but we can have a suprise or be equador can win the france team, I think so.
23/04/2014
points
I think France will win against Ecuador. Because France has many world-class players. Especially, Frank Ribery is one of the best players around the world. He will lead his team to win.
23/04/2014 16:28
0
I think France will win against Ecuador. Because France has many world-class players. Especially, Frank Ribery is one of the best players around the world. He will lead his team to win.