An American’s Guide to the World Cup 2014

By: Jack Kavanagh
 

               First I will say the talent in each squad at this World Cup will be tremendous.  Soccer is a sport where underdogs can compete with the giants at any stage (Northern Ireland earned a draw in Portugal during qualifiers so don’t write off any team).  Accurate predictions are near impossible to do especially because of the number of sides with a real chance to compete all the way up to the final.  There is probably ten to twelve teams if not more that could be crowned champions if everything fell their way.  When ESPN conducts a poll on which group is the group of death, as a fan you know you’re in for a good World Cup.  Criticize me all you like for my predictions but it’s very difficult to pick everything correctly and as we know anything can happen (Greece won Euro 2004).  Also don’t read too far into the FIFA Rankings as they do a poor job judging teams (how many of us truly believe Switzerland is a stronger side than the Brazilians? No one? Oh that’s what I thought).

 

 

GROUP A

-        Brazil should take the group rather easily.  Mexico looked terrible in qualifiers and Croatia is constantly overlooked.  I wouldn’t write off Cameroon either as these are four quality sides.  Second place in the group will be a good competition and Cameroon stealing a point from Croatia or Mexico could decide who goes through.

               -Brazil

Best Previous Finish: Five-time Champions

FIFA Ranking: 10
Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari
Names to Know: Everyone but most importantly Neymar
Expectations: Very High
Prediction: Champions

               -Croatia

Best Previous Finish: 3^rd place finish

FIFA Ranking: 16
Coach: Igor Stimac
Names to Know: Modric, Srna, Mandzukic
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Round of 16 loss to Spain

               -Mexico

Best Previous Finish: Quarterfinals

FIFA Ranking: 21
Coach: Miguel Herrera
Names to Know: Hernandez, dos Santos, Peralta, Marquez
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Third in the group

               -Cameroon

Best Previous Finish: Quarterfinals

FIFA Ranking: 50
Coach: Volker Finke
Names to Know: Eto’o, Song, Makoun
Expectations: Low
Prediction: Fourth in the group

 

GROUP B

-        This is a tough group to predict especially with three strong sides and one somewhat weaker side similar to Group A.  Spain should win the group but they definitely dread a group like this one.  Netherlands and Chile can hang with the best of them.  Australia could be the key factor in this group if they are able to fight for a draw or even a win against any of the others.  In the end I think Spain wins the group and Chile beats Netherlands in their matchup to get through.  Interesting note: This group features a rematch of the 2010 World Cup final between reigning champions Spain and the Dutch runners up.

               -Spain

Best Previous Finish: One-time champion

FIFA Ranking: 1
Coach: Vincent Del Bosque
Names to Know: All 23 players
Expectations: Very High
Prediction: Semifinal loss to Argentina

               -Netherlands

Best Previous Finish: 2^nd place finish

FIFA Ranking: 9
Coach: Louis van Gaal
Name to Know: van Persie, Robben, Sneijder, Jan Huntelaar, and more
Expectations: High
Prediction: Third in the group

               -Chile

Best Previous Finish: 3^rd place finish

FIFA Ranking: 15
Coach: Jorge Sampaoli
Names to Know: Sanchez, Bravo, Fernandez, Beausejour
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Round of 16 loss to Brazil

               -Australia

Best Previous Finish: Round of 16

FIFA Ranking: 56
Coach: Ange Postecoglou
Names to Know: Cahill, Kruse, Jedinak
Expectations: Low
Prediction: Fourth in the group

 

GROUP C

-        One of the weaker groups that seems rather boring for the normal fan.  Colombia should win the group but second place anything can happen.  Japan, Greece, and the Ivory Coast have enough talent to advance to the knock out stages.  Ivory Coast has more world-class players than the Japanese and the Greeks so I see them sneaking through.

               -Colombia

Best Previous Finish: Round of 16

FIFA Ranking: 4
Coach: Jose Pekerman
Names to Know: Falcao, Rodriguez, Cuadrado, Zapata, Guarin
Expectations: High
Prediction: Quarterfinals loss to Brazil

               -Greece

Best Previous Finish: Group stage

FIFA Ranking: 12
Coach: Fernando Santos
Names to Know: Mitroglou, Samaras, Karagounis, Papastathopoulos
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Fourth in the group

               -Ivory Coast

Best Previous Finish: Group Stage

FIFA Ranking: 17
Coach: Sabri Lamouchi
Names to Know: Toure brothers, Drogba, Gervinho, Tiote
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Round of 16 loss to England

               -Japan

Best Previous Finish: Round of 16

FIFA Ranking: 48
Coach: Alberto Zaccheroni
Names to Know: Kagawa, Honda, Nagatomo
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Third in the group

 

GROUP D

-        This group and Group G are competing for the toughest groups in the competition.  Sorry Costa Rica no chance of making it out of this one but they can possibly influence the points if they can find a draw somewhere.  Italy always seem ready for the challenge when it matters most, while England does not and we cannot forget Uruguay’s breathtaking run to the semi-finals in South Africa.  This time around I see England’s loaded talent finally learning to play together under the guidance of Roy Hodgson and they go on to win the group.  Italy advances after Uruguay drops a vital two points against Costa Rica. 

               -Uruguay

Best Previous Finish: Two-time champions

FIFA Ranking: 6
Coach: Oscar Tabarez
Names to Know: Suarez, Cavani, Forlan, Rodriguez
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Third in the group

               -Costa Rica

Best Previous Finish: Round of 16

FIFA Ranking: 32
Coach: Jorge Luis Pinto
Names to Know: Ruiz, Oviedo, Campbell
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Fourth in the group

               -England

Best Previous Finish: One-time champions

FIFA Ranking: 13
Coach: Roy Hodgson
Names to Know: Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, Hart, Baines
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Quarterfinals loss to Spain

               -Italy

Best Previous Finish: Four-time champions

FIFA Ranking: 7
Coach: Cesare Prandelli
Names to Know: Balotelli, Buffon, Pirlo, Rossi (Born in New Jersey), El Shaarawy
Expectations: High
Prediction: Round of 16 loss to Colombia

GROUP E

-        Toughest group to predict out of them all in my opinion.  Switzerland really does not have the strongest squad but they are currently ranked in the top ten in the world.  I would not be surprised if they won the group or on the contrary finished with 0 points.  France will have the strongest squad in the group and should be the favorites to win.  Ecuador, like the other South American teams, is loaded with talent and will use that to claim a spot in the knockout rounds.  It seems unfair to give nothing to Honduras but in this group I don’t see them doing too much as they will fail to get out of the group.

               -Switzerland

Best Previous Finish: Quarterfinals

FIFA Ranking: 8
Coach: Ottmar Hitzfield
Names to Know: Shaqiri, Inler, Dzemaili, Senderos, Xhaka
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Third in the group

               -Ecuador

Best Previous Finish: Round of 16

FIFA Ranking: 23
Coach: Reinaldo Rueda
Names to Know: Caicedo, Valencia
Expectations: Low
Prediction: Round of 16 loss to Argentina

               -France

Best Previous Finish: One-time champion

FIFA Ranking: 20
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Names to Know: Ribery, Benzema, Lloris, Pogba, Giroud, plenty more
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Round of 16 loss to Nigeria

               -Honduras

Best Previous Finish: Group Stage

FIFA Ranking: 43
Coach: Luis Fernando Suarez
Names to Know: Palacios, Izaguirre
Expectations: Low
Prediction: Fourth in the group
 

GROUP F

-        Argentina should clean up this group with no trouble with Iran being one of the weakest sides in the tournament.  The most important match will be when the Bosnians face off against Nigeria.  Although the unaccurate FIFA rankings may not support this, Nigeria wins this game and goes onto the knockout stages.

-Argentina

Best Previous Finish: Two-time champions

FIFA Ranking: 3
Coach: Alejandro Sabella
Names to Know: Messi, Aguero, Messi, di Maria, Messi, Higuain, and Lionel Messi
Expectations: High
Prediction: Runners up to Brazil

-Bosnia and Herzegovina

Best Previous Finish: First Time Participant

FIFA Ranking: 19
Coach: Safet Susic
Names to Know: Dzeko, Begovic, Pjanic
Expectations: Low
Prediction: Third in the group

               -Iran

Best Previous Finish: Group Stage

FIFA Ranking: 34
Coach: Carlos Quieroz
Names to Know: Ghoochanejhad, Teymourian, Dejagah
Expectations: Low
Prediction: Fourth in the group

               -Nigeria

Best Previous Finish: Round of 16

FIFA Ranking: 41
Coach: Stephen Keshi
Names to Know: Mikel, Enyeama, Ambrose, Onazi
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Quarterfinals loss to Germany

GROUP G

-        Group G has given us the highly anticipated Group of Death.  All four of these teams advanced to the knockout stage in 2010.  Unfortunate for the United States to get this draw and I just don’t see them competing against the likes of Ronaldo, Essien, or Ozil.  Germany and Portugal are the two strongest sides in the group and I see them advancing in that order.

               -Germany

Best Previous Finish: Three-time champions

FIFA Ranking: 2
Coach: Joachim Low
Names to Know: Schweinsteiger, Muller, Ozil, Neuer, Podolski, and others
Expectations: High
Prediction: Semifinals loss to Brazil
 

               -Portugal

Best Previous Finish: Third Place

FIFA Ranking: 5
Coach: Paulo Bento
Names to Know: RONALDO, Nani, Moutinho, Coentrao, Pepe
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Quarterfinals loss to Argentina

               -Ghana

Best Previous Finish: Quarterfinals

FIFA Ranking: 24
Coach: Akwasi Appiah
Names to Know: Muntari, Essien, Gyan, Ayew brothers
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Third in the group
 

               -USA

Best Previous Finish: 3^rd place finish

FIFA Ranking: 14
Coach: Jurgen Klinsman
Names to Know: Bradley, Altidore, Donovan, Dempsey, Howard
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Fourth in the group

 

GROUP H

-        Weakest group in the entire tournament with Belgium being the heavy favorites and they should win the group.  Algeria and South Korea are two of the weakest squads and I don’t see too much quality in the current Russian side.  In the end South Korea represents Asia well by squeezing out of the group past Russia.

               -Belgium

Best Previous Finish: Fourth place

FIFA Ranking: 11
Coach: Marc Wilmots
Names to Know: Hazard, Vertonghen, Fellaini, Lukaku, Kompany, and many more
Expectations: High
Prediction: Round of 16 loss to Portugal

               -Algeria

Best Previous Finish: Group Stage

FIFA Ranking: 27
Coach: Vahid Halilhodzic
Names to Know: Feghouli
Expectations: Low
Prediction: Fourth in the group

               -Russia

Best Previous Finish: Fourth place

FIFA Ranking: 22
Coach: Fabio Capello
Names to Know: Shirokov, Akinfeev
Expectations: Medium
Prediction: Third in the group

-South Korea

Best Previous Finish: Fourth Place

FIFA Ranking: 53
Coach: Hong Myung-Bo
Names to Know: Lee Chung-Yong, Ki Sung-Yeung, Park Chu-Young
Expectations: Low
Prediction: Round of 16 loss to Germany