Group E
The Team –
Switzerland
The Squad -
Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Roman Buerki (Grasshopper), Yann
Sommer (Basel). Defenders: Johan Djourou (Hamburg), Michael Lang (Grasshopper),
Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer
(Basel), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys), Reto
Ziegler (Sassuolo). Midfielders: Tranquillo Barnetta (Eintracht Frankfurt),
Valon Behrami (Napoli), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli), Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg),
Gokhan Inler (Napoli), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Valentin Stocker (Basel).
Forwards: Josip Drmic (Bayer 04), Mario Gavranovic (Zurich), Admir Mehmedi
(Freiburg), Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad), Granit Xhaka (Borussia
Monchengladbach).
The Manager -
Ottmar Hitzfeld - The upcoming World
Cup in Brazil will be the last for Ottmar Hitzfeld as Switzerland manager after
he announced he is retiring following the tournament, with Bosnian Vladimir
Petkovic set to take the reins come July 1st. The former Bayern Munich manager
has bounced back from the disappointment of failing to qualify for Euro 2012,
by taking Switzerland to the World Cup in excellent form and that will be
expected to continue when their campaign begins on June 15th against Ecuador.
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| The Swiss celebrate after another Schaer goal |
The Definitive
Opinion - Switzerland have a poor record at recent major tournaments, with them
never getting out of the group stages at a European championship and not reaching
the quarter finals of the world cup since 1954. However, they are benefiting
hugely from an influx of talented youth players such as Xherdan Shaqiri, Fabian
Schaer and Granit Xhaka who are all products of Basle’s youth system. Combine
this with the experience and quality provided by players such as Diego Benaglio
and Stephan Lichsteiner, this leaves Switzerland in their best shape ever
before heading to a major championship. The blend of youth with experience that
the current squad has makes them a good shout for being a surprise package this
year, and with a striker like Josip Drmic who recently secured a move to Bayer
Leverkusen after an impressive season with Nurnberg (17 goals), being called up
to his first major tournament to lead the line, they may have solved their striker
problem at the perfect time.
The Squad - Goalkeepers:
Maximo Banguera (Barcelona SC), Alexander Dominguez (LDU Quito), Adrian Bone
(El Nacional). Defenders: Frickson Erazo (Flamengo), Jorge Guagua, Oscar Bagui,
Gabriel Achilier (all Emelec), Walter Ayovi (Pachuca), Juan Carlos Paredes
(Barcelona SC). Midfielders: Segundo Castillo (Al-Hilal), Carlos Gruezo
(Stuttgart), Renato Ibarra (Vitesse Arnhem), Cristian Noboa (Dynamo Moscow),
Luis Saritama (Barcelona SC), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Edison
Mendez (Independiente Santa Fe), Fidel Martinez (Tijuana), Michael Arroyo
(Atlante). Forwards: Felipe Caicedo (Al-Jazira), Jefferson Montero (Morelia),
Joao Rojas (Cruz Azul), Jaime Ayovi (Tijuana), Enner Valencia (Pachuca).
The Manager -
Reinaldo Rueda - Reinaldo Rueda has led Ecuador to only their third World Cup
finals ever after they failed to qualify for the 2010 finals in South Africa
much like Switzerland. Rueda has experience in international management having
also managed Colombia and Honduras taking the latter to the world cup in 2010.
The
Preparation - Ecuador had a mixed start to their qualifying campaign recording
good wins over Chile and Colombia but lost in emphatic style to Argentina. However on July 29th 2013, shocking news
broke that star striker Christian ‘Chucho’ Benitez had died following a cardiac
arrest in Doha, Qatar. Following this, Ecuador lost three of their last four
games which saw them squeeze into the automatic qualifying position ahead of
Uruguay on goal difference. Former Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo
starred in qualifying with seven goals. Ecuador have definitely had the most
turbulent qualification campaign, but will hope to use the tragic death of
Benitez for motivation when they begin their campaign in Brazil.
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| Arroyo scores against England |
The Definitive
Opinion - Ecuador find themselves in a tough group with France, Switzerland and
Honduras which will be difficult to get out of. They will rely heavily on the
goals of Caicedo and the experience in midfield of Antonio Valencia and
Christian Noboa to help get them through the group. I feel that Ecuador do not
have the same level of talent that Switzerland and France have and they will
find it difficult to match the performance from 2006 where got to the round of
16.
The Squad - Goalkeepers:
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Stephane Ruffier (Marseille), Mickael Landreau
(Bastia). Defenders: Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle), Lucas Digne (Paris
St-Germain) Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna
(both Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool), Raphael
Varane (Real Madrid). Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye, Blaise Matuidi (both Paris
St-Germain), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Paul Pogba
(Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille). Forwards:
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Antoine Griezmann (Real
Sociedad), Loic Remy (Newastle, on loan from QPR), Remy Cabella (Montpellier).
The Manager -
Didier Deschamps - Deschamps took charge of the French national team following
the resignation of Laurent Blanc after Euro 2012. He managed to see France
through a tough qualifying group which included current European and world
champions Spain. He will hope to have an improved performance from the 2010 World
Cup which was shrouded in controversy and left France finishing bottom of their
group after picking up only one point from their three group games.
The
Preparation - After being drawn in a group containing Spain, Finland, Belarus
and Georgia, the race for an automatic qualifying position became a two horsed
one between France and Spain. The group was neck and neck for the majority with
both sides going unbeaten leading up to a decisive game between the two front
runners at the Stade de France in March 2013. A tightly contested game was
settled by a goal from Spain winger Pedro which gave Spain a three point lead
over France and put them on course for automatic qualification. This was all but
confirmed when France drew with Georgia in their following game which meant Les
Blues would have to settle for a play-off. They were drawn against Ukraine in
the play-offs and although a tough opponent, many expected France to qualify
with ease. However, in the first leg in Kiev, they suffered a shock two goal
defeat which put France on the brink of failing to qualify. But in the second
leg, a brace from Mamadou Sakho and a goal from Karim Benzema gave France a 3-0
win over a ten man Ukraine side and they were on the plane to Brazil. France
have looked impressive in pre-tournament friendlies picking up an emphatic 4-0
win over Norway and a steady 1-1 draw against Paraguay.
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| Didier Deschamps |
The Definitive
Opinion - France are in better shape than they were four years ago with a
younger and more hungry squad that aren't as high maintenance as the Anelka’s
and Gallas’ from 2010. Players like Paul Pogba of Juventus and Antoine
Greizmann from Real Sociedad will be at their first World Cups and I expect
them to be stand-out stars for the French. Whether France could go all the way
and pick up their second world cup is another matter. Now that Franck Ribery
has been ruled out with injury, the furthest I see France getting is to the
quarter finals as I feel they lack the influence and ability of a truly world
class player such as Platini, Zidane or Henry which would set them apart from
other teams.
The Team –
Honduras
The Squad - Goalkeepers:
Noel Valladares, Donis Escober (both Olimpia), Luis Lopez (Real Espana). Defenders:
Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Juan Carlos Garcia
(Wigan), Maynor Figueroa (Hull), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Osman
Chavez (Qingdao Janoon), Juan Pablo Montes (Motagua). Midfielders: Edder
Delgado (Real Espana), Luis Garrido (Olimpia), Roger Espinoza (Wigan), Jorge
Claros (Motagua), Wilson Palacios (Stoke), Oscar Garcia (Houston Dynamo), Andy
Najar (Anderlecht), Mario Martinez (Real Espana), Marvin Chavez (Chivas USA). Forwards:
Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution), Jerry Palacios (Alajuelense), Carlo
Costly (Real Espana), Rony Martinez (Real Sociedad).
The Manager -
Luis Fernando Suarez - Suarez is a man with a lot of experience in managing in
South America much like Rueda of Ecuador. At club level, he won the Colombian championship
with Atletico National in 1999 but he is better known for his performance at
the 2006 World Cup in Germany as the manager of Ecuador. He led them to their
best ever performance at a World Cup reaching the second round before being
knocked out by England. He will be keen to repeat this performance in 2014 with
Honduras.
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| Jorge Claros in action against England |
The
Preparation - Honduras received a bye to the third round of qualifying in which
they were drawn with Panama, Canada and Cuba and easily progressed through as
winners particularly impressing in an 8-1 win against Canada. This placed them
in the final qualifying round with the USA, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama and
Jamaica. Honduras made it through the final qualifying stage automatically
along with the USA and Costa Rica after picking up impressive wins over USA and
Mexico adding to the fact that the favourites to qualify Mexico under-performed
leaving them in the play-offs. The strike partnership of Carlo Costly and Jerry
Bengtson impressed with a combined goal return of 16 goals between them.
The Definitive
Opinion - Honduras have a tough group and are widely excepted to go out at the
group stages and I can’t see anything to provide a different opinion. The level
of quality they possess is below that of the three other sides in their group
and can only see a first round exit for them.
Group F
The Team -
Argentina
The Squad -
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Agustin
Orion (Boca Juniors). Defenders: Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Federico
Fernandez (Napoli), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon),
Hugo Campagnaro (Inter Milan), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City), Jose
Basanta (Monterrey). Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Fernando Gago
(Boca Juniors), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Ricardo Alvarez (Inter Milan), Augusto
Fernandez (Celta Vigo), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Maxi Rodriguez (Newell's
Old Boys), Enzo Perez (Benfica). Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo
Higuain (Napoli), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Rodrigo Palacio (Inter
Milan), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris St-Germain).
The Manager -
Alejandro Sabella - After Sabella retired from a successful playing career, he
first moved into coaching rather than directly to management. He was on the
coaching staff at various different clubs and national sides such as
Corinthians and Uruguay as well as being a coach at Argentina when the
controversial Daniel Passarella was the manager there in the nineties. Sabella
moved into management with Estudiantes in 2009 and won the Copa Libertadores
with them the same year. He resigned from the club in 2011 despite players and
management wanting him to stay on. He was appointed as the new Argentina
manager the same year and since has a win percentage of 59% having lost only
four games in 32. Though inexperienced, Sabella’s performance since he took
over as manager cannot be overlooked and with the strength of the squad he has
brought together, he could take Argentina a long way in Brazil.
The
Preparation - Argentina’s preparation for this world cup couldn’t have gone any
better. They finished top of the CONMEBOL qualifying group only losing twice in
the sixteen games played along with having two of the top four goal scorers in
qualifying with Lionel Messi (10) and Gonzalo Higuain (9). They are also clear
of any injury issues unlike many of the other nations leading up to this and
have capped it all off with friendly victories over Trinidad and Tobago and
Slovenia.
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| Messi in action against Trinidad and Tobago |
The Definitive
Opinion - Argentina’s chances this year are high in my opinion. When you look
at the squad, you can see the large arsenal of attacking options that they have
at their disposal such as Messi, Higuain and Aguero, it’s no surprise really.
Normally however, they are let down by the strength of their defence but this
is a position which has got stronger since the last World Cup. The signs are
there with them only conceding fifteen goals during qualifying which is down on
the total from 2010. With the stronger defence and the continued attacking
ability, I see Argentina as serious contenders for the trophy this year.
The Team -
Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Squad -
Goalkeepers: Asmir Begovic (Stoke City), Asmir Avdukic (Borac Banja Luka),
Jasmin Fejzic (VFR Aalen). Defenders: Emir Spahic (Bayer Leverkusen), Toni
Sunjic (Zorya Lugansk), Sead Kolasinac (Schalke), Ognjen Vranjes (Elazigspor),
Ermin Bicakcic (Eintracht Braunschweig), Muhamed Besic (Ferencvaros), Mensur
Mujdza (Freiburg). Midfielders: Miralem Pjanic (Roma), Izet Hajrovic
(Galatasaray), Haris Medunjanin (Gaziantepspor), Senad Lulic (Lazio), Anel
Hadzic (Sturm), Tino Susic (Hajduk), Sejad Salihovic (Hoffenheim), Zvjezdan
Misimovic (Guizhour Renhe), Senijad Ibricic (Erciyesspor), Avdija Vrsaljevic
(Hajduk). Strikers: Vedad Ibisevic (VfB Stuttgart), Edin Dzeko (Manchester
City), Edin Visca (Istanbul BB).
The Manager -
Safet Susic - Susic began coaching a few years after retirement at club level
with Cannes. Following numerous spells at various different clubs, Susic was
appointed to his first national job as the manager of Bosnia. Susic took over
the Bosnian national team in 2009 after they had failed to qualify for Euro
2012 having lost in a play-off against Portugal. He led them to another second place finish in
the qualifiers for Euro 2012 but they were to succumb to the same fate that
they had two years previous as they were beaten by Portugal once again in a
play-off. Susic stayed on as manager for the World cup qualifiers and following
an impressive campaign where they only lost once, they finished top of their
group meaning Susic had led Bosnia to their first major tournament ever since
the country separated from Yugoslavia.
The
Preparation - Much like Argentina, Bosnia have had a smooth preparation for the
World Cup with no play-off to go through this time, and no noticeable absentees
from the squad. They have had an impressive qualifying campaign in which they
finished top only losing once and winning eight times. They have continued that
form into pre-tournament friendlies picking up wins over the Ivory Coast and
Mexico. Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic could prove to be a fruitful partnership
having bagged 18 goals between them in qualifying.
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| Miralem Pjanic |
The Definitive
Opinion - On the chances of Bosnia and realistically how far they could go, I
would say that it is a difficult one to predict. I feel Argentina will win the
group fairly comfortably and so with that in mind, it’s a battle for second
between Bosnia and Nigeria because I don’t see Iran causing many issues for the
other three teams. I am siding slightly with Bosnia on this one as I feel the fire power they possess in Dzeko
and Ibisevic along with the creativity from Misimovic and Pjanic will be too
much for the Nigerian defence which has also recently lost Elderson Echiejile
through injury. However I feel the quarter finals will be the limit for them as
their defence, although able to cope with the attacking threat they face in
qualifying from teams like Greece and Slovakia, will not be able to cope with
the increased quality that they could face in the quarters should they make it
that far.
The Team –
Iran
The Squad - Goalkeepers:
Daniel Davari (Eintracht Braunschweig), Alireza Haghighi (Sporting Covilha, on
loan from Rubin Kazan), Rahman Ahmadi (Sepahan). Defenders: Hossein Mahini
(Persepolis), Steven Beitashour (Vancouver Whitecaps), Pejman Montazeri (Umm
Salal), Jalal Hosseini (Persepolis), Amir-Hossein Sadeghi (Esteghlal), Ahmad
Alenemeh (Naft), Hashem Beikzadeh (Esteghlal), Mehrdad Pouladi (Persepolis). Midfielders:
Javad Nekounam (Kuwait SC), Andranik Teymourian (Esteghlal), Reza Haghighi
(Persepolis), Ghasem Haddadifar (Zob Ahan), Bakhtiar Rahmani (Foolad), Ehsan
Hajsafi (Sepahan). Forwards: Ashkan Dejagah (Fulham), Masoud Shojaei (Las
Palmas), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (NEC Nijmegen), Reza Ghoochannejhad (Charlton),
Karim Ansarifard (Tractor Saz, on loan from Persepolis), Khosro Heydari
(Esteghlal).
The Manager -
Carlos Queiroz - In Carlos Queiroz, Iran have one of the most experienced
managers in the tournament. He’s managed at clubs such as Sporting Lisbon and
Real Madrid along with being Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United
for numerous years. He also has a number of international managerial jobs under
his belt such as the UAE, South Africa and his own nation Portugal which he has
managed twice. With such a long list of established clubs and nations that
Queiroz has worked at, it would be fair to wonder why he is the manager of
Iran. The answer to that is really that he has not been successful at any of
the clubs or nations he has managed. In his one season with Madrid, he won the
Super Cup and nothing else along with steering a team with the likes of Zidane,
Ronaldo and Figo to fourth place in La Liga. At Portugal the second time
around, he only just managed to get them into the play-off position after a
poor start to the qualifying campaign. They made it to the second round of the
tournament until they were knocked out by Spain and Queiroz was sacked in the
following September. He joined Iran in 2011 and though his recent record had
been poor, he led the team to the top of qualifying ahead of South Korea and so
to the tournament in Brazil.
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| Ashkan Dejagah |
Preparation - Iran
had a fairly simple route through to their final qualifying stage having
received a bye to the second round, they beat the Maldives 5-0 over two legs
which lead to them being place in a group along with Qatar, Bahrain and
Indonesia. Over the six games, Iran won three and drew three finishing top of
the group taking them to the fourth round. This placed them in a group with
South Korea, Uzbekistan, Lebanon and once again Qatar. There was an element of
controversy in this round though as a fierce rivalry between Iran and Korea
broke out after the Korean coach complained about the facilities provided to
his team by Iran when they played them in qualifying. The coach said that Korea
would beat Iran to prevent them from qualifying for the tournament. Queiroz
criticised Choi Kang Hee for those comments and after Iran defeated South
Korea, Queiroz celebrated in front of Choi sparking a minor touchline bust up
in which Iranian goalkeeper Sosha Makani was suspended for the first game of
the world cup. Iran finished top of that group leading to a fairly comfortable
road to the world cup. Iran’s top scorer in qualifying was midfielder and Captain
Javad Nekounam who they will look to as one of their key players this year
along with Fulham’s Ashkan Dejagah.
The Definitive
Opinion - In my opinion, Iran have been drawn in a tough group and I do not
expect them to better their previous three performances in the competition and
see a group stage exit likely due to the gulf in quality between Iran and the
other three teams.
The Team –
Nigeria
The Squad - Goalkeepers:
Vincent Enyeama (Lille), Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be'er Sheva), Chigozie Agbim
(Gombe United). Defenders: Efe Ambrose
(Celtic), Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor), Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves),
Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough), Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod), Joseph Yobo (Norwich,
on loan from Fenerbahce), Kunle Odunlami (Sunshine Stars). Midfielders: John
Mikel Obi (Chelsea), Ramon Azeez (Almeria), Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio), Reuben
Gabriel (Waasland-Beveren), Michael Babatunde (Volyn Lutsk), Ejike Uzoenyi
(Enugu Rangers, on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns). Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA
Moscow), Shola Ameobi (Newcastle), Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce), Michael
Uchebo (Cercle Brugge), Peter Odemwingie (Stoke), Victor Moses (Liverpool, on
loan from Chelsea), Uche Nwofor (Heerenveen).
The Manager -
Stephen Keshi - A former Nigeria player, Keshi became the manager of the
national team in 2011 following previous jobs at fellow African nations Togo
and Mali. After taking the job, Keshi led Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations
(AFCON) which they went on to win for the third time in their history.
Following that victory, Keshi handed in his resignation to the NFF but
retracted it the day after and stayed on as manager to manage the team through
the confederations cup, in which they went out at the group stage, and through
their world cup qualifying campaign. Keshi will hope to repeat and even better
the heroics of the Ghana team in 2010 which went the furthest any African team
had gone before and add to the victory at the AFCON from one year ago.
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| Big Shola will be hoping for some game time in Brazil |
The
Preparation - Nigeria go into this world cup unbeaten in competitive games
having received a bye to the second round of qualifying, Nigeria won their
group comfortably overcoming Kenya, Malawi and Namibia. This put them in a
two-legged play-off against Ethiopia for a place at the finals in which Nigeria
won 4-1 on aggregate to secure their spot at the tournament in Brazil. They
have not looked in great form though in their pre-tournament friendlies with
two draws against Greece and Scotland and a 2-1 defeat to the USA and will hope
to put this form behind them before they head out to Brazil.
The Definitive
Opinion - As I stated in my preview of Bosnia, I see Nigeria as just falling
short at the group stages to Argentina and Bosnia. Despite their recent success
at the AFCON,I don’t think they have the defensive strength to deal with the
attacks of the two previously mentioned teams so I see a valiant fight, but
ultimately ending with Nigeria bowing out at the group stage.
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