Country: Greece
Nickname: NA
Rankings: 12 (FIFA), 36 (SPI)
Elite Players: NA
Key Players: Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Giorgos Karagounis, Kostas Katsouranis, Theofanis Gekas, Giorgios Samaras, Sotiris Ninis
History: Qualified 1994
Odds to Win: 125-1

“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free.” – Nikos Kazantzakis

Whether it’s ouzo, bouzouki music, flaming cheese or smashing dishes, exuberance tipifies Greek culture. Greek soccer, however, channels a different tradition. It echoes the Greece that responded to Mussolini’s occupation demand with the curt “Ohi” (No), the Greece that fought the Italian troops back into Albania, forced the Nazis into an invasion and prolonged occupation and chose to starve rather than surrender. The Greek team is seldom the most talented team, but they are resilient enough to make that team miserable.  Paradoxically, the brainchild of this determined spirit is a German.

Qualification: Greece had an easy qualifying group. The one tricky team was Switzerland, to whom Greece lost both home and away by a combined score of 4-1. The Greeks dispatched the lesser teams to finish second. Playing Ukraine in the playoff, their gutsy away goal was the difference.

Rankings: The chasm between Greece’s FIFA ranking (12) and SPI ranking (36) shows the difference between the systems. FIFA rankings look backward, assessing past accomplishment. Greece has a high FIFA ranking, because of a dominant qualifying run for Euro 2008. SPI rankings project the potential for future accomplishment. The Greeks underwhelmed since Euro 2008. Nothing suggests they’re an impending juggernaut.

Tactics: Under Otto Rehhgal’s system, Greece plays a notably defensive formation. Crediting them, we’ll call it a 5-4-1, with eleven men behind the ball. They defend at all costs. Devoid of creativity, they rely on counterattacks and set-pieces. It’s not romantic, but it’s effective and, given the talent in the squad, pragmatic. Rehhgal won Euro 2004 with the Greeks, and has qualified them for two of three major tournaments since.

Squad: Greece’s frontline is flaccid. Theofanis Gekas led Europe with 10 qualifying goals, but four came in one match against Latvia. Gekas is a near nonentity at club level. He has never solidified a starting place since moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2007. Veteran Angelos Charisteas has just one goal in 19 appearances or Nurnberg this season. Georgios Samaras has skill, but rarely delivers for the national team. He has a decent strike-rate of 10 in 26 appearance for Celtic, but that’s in Scotland.

The veteran Panathinaikos duo Giorgos Karagounis and Kostas Katsouranis will anchor the midfield. Karagounis will play an “advanced” role to breakup opposing possession. Katsouranis will play further back in a sweeper position, protecting the defense. Generally, there is not much invention or linkup play in the Greek midfield, but Eintracht Frankfurt winger Ioannis Amanatidis ruled himself out of the tournament. His absence could open a space for 20-year-old starlet Sotiris Ninis, a rumored target of Man United.

Liverpool’s Sotirios Kyrgiakos leads the back line with his poise and excellent aerial ability. The fullbacks could be an issue. Vasilis Torosidis and Giourkas Seitaridis, first-choicers who played excellently at Euro 2008, have injury concerns. Greece had trouble finding a regular keeper, using three during qualifying. However, Alexandros Tzorvas, the starter in the playoff against Ukraine.

Conclusion: Greece needs to be flawless. If they go a goal behind, they will struggle to adjust. They had the Midas touch in 2004, but it’s hard to see them reliving that glory with this limited, aging squad.

Random Fact: Never in the history of Model United Nations, has a simulation not had at least one joke resolution calling for Greece to enter Djibouti.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
Group C: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile