World Cup Group Preview - Groups E & F - By Guest Writer Joseph Fry

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.

The Preparation - Switzerland have had the perfect preparation before they head to Brazil with comfortable victories over Jamaica and Peru in their pre-tournament friendlies. These followed an unbeaten qualifying campaign with the Swiss picking up seven victories and three draws leaving them top of their group. The success of the qualifying campaign was built on a solid defence that consisted of players such as Stephan Lichsteiner and Fabian Schaer, who played an important role with the Swiss only conceding six goals throughout the campaign. A problem that they faced during the qualifying was a lack of a talented goal scorer, as their top goal scorer was defender Fabian Schaer.

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 Team - Ecuador

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.

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 Team - France

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

World Cup Group Preview - Groups C & D

Group C

The Team – Colombia

The Squad - Goalkeepers: David Ospina (Nice), Faryd Mondragon (Deportivo Cali), Camilo Vargas (Independiente Santa Fe). Defenders: Mario Yepes (AC Milan), Cristian Zapata (AC Milan), Pablo Armero (West Ham, on loan from Napoli), Camilo Zuniga (Napoli), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven), Eder Alvarez Balanta (River Plate), Carlos Valdes (San Lorenzo). Midfielders: Fredy Guarin (Inter Milan), Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina), James Rodriguez (Monaco), Abel Aguilar (Toulouse), Juan Fernando Quintero (Porto), Carlos Sanchez (Elche), Carlos Carbonero (River Plate), Alexander Mejia (Atletico Nacional). Forwards: Victor Ibarbo (Cagliari), Jackson Martinez (Porto), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Adrian Ramos (Hertha Berlin), Teofilo Gutierrez (River Plate).

The Manager – Jose Pekerman – Argentine Pekermen is best known for his spell in charge of Argentina in which he took them to the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup. In terms of individual honours Pekermen has twice been named South American Coach of the Year.

The Preparation – Colombia’s build up to the World Cup has been disrupted by Falcao’s race to be fit for Brazil, which he ultimately failed. They have faced Senegal and Jordan in warm up matches, drawing 2-2 with the Senegalese and defeating Jordan 2-0. River Plate’s Carlos Carbonero has been called up to replace the injured Aldo Ramirez, while Edwin Valencia and Luis Perea have also been ruled out due to injury.

Falcao will be missed 

The Definitive Opinion – Despite the injuries that have ravaged Colombia’s squad, they still possess players that can make a huge impact at the World Cup. A back four of Zuniga, Zapata, Yepes and Armero still remain good enough for them to compete with the rest of Group C. The brilliance of the Colombian midfield was vital in seeing them qualify for their first World Cup since France 1998, players such as Inter’s Freddy Guarin, Fiorentina’s Juan Cuadrado and Monaco’s James Rodriguez are top draw and they’ll have many clubs watching their progress in Brazil. As much as Los Cafeteros will miss Falcao, they do have the quality to replace him, particularly in the form of Sevilla’s Carlos Bacca who scored 14 goals last season and was named by Spanish paper ‘Marca’ as the best signing of the 2013/2014 La Liga season. Colombia should certainly make it out of the group, whether the loss of Falcao will hinder any further progress, only time will tell.

The Team – Ivory Coast

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Sylvain Gbohouo (Sewe Sport), Sayouba Sande (Stabaek). Defenders: Kolo Toure (Liverpool), Sol Bamba (Trabzonspor), Didier Zokora (Trabzonspor), Serge Aurier (Toulouse), Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Ousmane Viera Diarrassouba (Caykur Rizespor), Constant Djakpa (Frankfurt), Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro (Toulouse). Midfielders: Yaya Toure (Manchester City), Cheick Tiote (Newcastle), Serey Die (Basel), Max Gradel (Saint Etienne), Diomande Ismael (Saint Etienne), Didier Ya Konan (Hannover), Mathis Bolly (Dusseldorf). Forwards: Gervinho (Roma), Didier Drogba (Galatasaray), Salomon Kalou (Lille), Wilfried Bony (Swansea), Giovanni Sio (Basel).

The Manager – Sabri Lamouchi – The appointment of the former France international Lamouchi was something of a surprise, as he had no previous managerial experience. He immediately came to blows with Didier Drogba dropping him from the squad, only to reinstate him a few months later. With only days before the tournament Lamouchi has warned the Galatasaray forward that he may not be in the starting line-up.

The Preparation – An Edin Dzeko double downed the Elephants in a 2-1 defeat to Bosnia in their first warm up game, this was followed by a 2-1 win over minnows El Salvador. Despite Lamouchi telling Drogba he may not be in the starting line-up, the former Chelsea star is in form having scored in both warm up games.

Drogba on target against El Salvador

The Definitive Opinion – The core basis of the Ivorian squad is made up of players that underachieved at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. They are easily Africa’s most talented squad and yet never seem to perform on the main stage.  If the likes of Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure, Tiote, Gervinho and Drogba can emulate what they do for their club sides on the international stage, then they will have a chance of going far in Brazil. It will be interesting to see if Swansea’s Wilfreid Bony starts in Brazil, if he does I would mark him down as a dark horse for the golden boot.

The Team – Greece

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Orestis Karnezis (Granada), Panagiotis Glykos (PAOK), Stefanos Kapino (Panathinaikos). Defenders: Kostas Manolas, Giannis Maniatis, Jose Holebas (all Olympiakos), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Borussia Dortmund), Giorgios Tzavellas (PAOK), Loukas Vyntra (Levante), Vasilis Torosidis (Roma), Vangelis Moras (Verona). Midfielders: Alexandros Tziolis (Kayserispor), Andreas Samaris (Olympiakos), Kostas Katsouranis (PAOK), Giorgos Karagounis (Fulham), Panagiotis Tachtsidis (Torino), Ioannis Fetfatzidis (Genoa), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (Bologna), Panagiotis Kone (Bologna). Forwards: Dimitris Salpingidis (PAOK), Giorgios Samaras (Celtic), Konstantinos Mitroglou (Fulham), Theofanis Gekas (Konyaspor).

The Manager – Fernando Santos – Prior to taking charge of Greece, Santos had managed some of the best club sides in both Portugal and Greece including FC Porto and AEK Athens. The Greeks hold him in some esteem, naming him as the best coach of the decade in 2010. At Euro 2012 he took Greece to the quarter-finals, where they were beaten 4-1 by an impressive Germany.

The Preparation – In standard Greek fashion they held both Portugal and Nigeria to 0-0 draws in their opening warm up games. Sensing blood against a weaker opponent in Bolivia, they managed to get out of their own half and defeated the South Americans 2-1, thanks to goals from Kone and Katsouranis.

Mitroglu kost Fulham a lot of money 

The Definitive Opinion – The feeling I sense with Greece is that they don’t believe they can ever match or even come close to their showing at Euro 2004. Winning the Euros with a squad of players that had no right to do so, should have worked as a catalyst for future Greek teams, however ten years on, Greece are in no stronger a position. Young starlets Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Sotiris Ninis are both noticeable absentees from the squad, with Santos again relying on the likes of Karagounis, Gekas, Salpingidis and Katsouranis to fire the team to glory. There is some hope in the form of Genoa playmaker Ioannis Fetfatzidis, however this all seems far too similar a squad in comparison to previous tournaments, and with this in mind I can’t envisage Greece progressing out of their group.

The Team – Japan

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Standard Liege), Shusaku Nishikawa (Urawa Reds), Shuichi Gonda (FC Tokyo). Defenders: Masato Morishige (FC Tokyo), Yasuyuki Konno (Gamba Osaka), Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan), Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Masahiko Inoha (Jubilo Iwata), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke 04), Hiroki Sakai (Hannover 96), Gotoku Sakai (VfB Stuttgart). Midfielders: Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Keisuke Honda (AC Milan), Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United), Makoto Hasebe (FC Nuremberg), Hiroshi Kiyotake (FC Nuremberg), Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka), Toshihiro Aoyama (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Manabu Saito (Yokohama F Marinos). Forwards: Shinji Okazaki (Mainz), Yoichiro Kakitani (Cerezo Osaka), Yuya Osako (TSV Munich 1860), Yoshito Okubo (Kawasaki Frontale).

The Manager – Alberto Zaccheroni – The veteran Italian has spent the majority of his career managing some of the best Italian club sides, including Udinese, A.C. Milan, Inter Milan, Lazio and Torino. With a win percentage of nearly 60% and having won the 2011 Asian Cup, Zaccheroni has so far been a success.

The Preparation – The Japanese have impressed in their warm up games, with wins over Cyprus, Costa Rica and Zambia. Star men Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda have been amongst the goals, and their form will be pivotal to Japan’s success in Brazil.

Shinji Kagawa

The Definitive Opinion – Every time I’ve watched Japan, I have been surprised at their level of technical ability and their passing. The aforementioned Kagawa and Honda are a big part of this, with Kagawa looking a different player in comparison to his performances in a Manchester United shirt. For Japan he is allowed the freedom he once had at Dortmund and he flourishes in this free role. They have also tightened up defensively, with Schalke’s Uchida and Inter’s Nagatomo offering both defensive stability and attacking potency. Japan will undoubtedly be competing with Ivory Coast for second place in the group.

Group D

The Team – Uruguay

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Vasco da Gama), Rodrigo Munoz (Libertad). Defenders: Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica), Diego Lugano (West Bromwich Albion), Diego Godin, Jose Maria Gimenez (both Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Coates (Liverpool), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Jorge Fucile (Porto). Midfielders: Alvaro Gonzalez (Lazio), Alvaro Pereira (Sao Paulo), Walter Gargano (Parma), Egidio Arevalo Rios (Morelia), Diego Perez (Bologna), Cristian Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Gaston Ramirez (Southampton), Nicolas Lodeiro (Botafogo). Forwards: Luis Suarez (Liverpool), Edinson Cavani (Paris St-Germain), Abel Hernandez (Palermo), Diego Forlan (Cerezo Osaka), Christian Stuani (Espanyol).

The Manager – Oscar Tabarez – Tabarez has been the most successful Uruguayan manager since the World Cup winning managers of 1930 and 1950. He led La Celeste to the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup where they were defeated by the Netherlands, and then the following year they defeated Paraguay to win the 2011 Copa America.   

The Preparation – The fitness of Luis Suarez has been a major concern for Uruguay throughout their preparation for Brazil, but thankfully for them (and not for England) he looks likely to be fit. Two clean sheets and two wins make for a perfect pair of warm up games for Uruguay. They initially beat Northern Ireland 1-0 thanks to a Cristhian Stuani strike, and then defeated Slovenia following goals from Stuani and Cavani.

Luis Suarez

The Definitive Opinion – Four years on from their superb showing in South Africa and the likes of Suarez, Cavani and Godin have matured into world class players. However the same can’t be said for Captain Diego Lugano, whose performances last season for West Brom did not inspire confidence. The focal point of Uruguay’s squad is undoubtedly Luis Suarez, but they will need creative midfielders Gaston Ramirez and Cristian Rodriguez to be at their best to supply the Liverpool forward. What Uruguay should be worried about is the spine of their team, forgetting the forwards momentarily, the keeper Muslera does have a mistake in him and is not a fan of coming for crosses. I’ve already mentioned Lugano’s limitations in defence and the same restrictions can be found in the centre of midfield, where they lack a player on the same level as Steven Gerrard or Andrea Pirlo. With all that said, I believe this is the tightest group in the tournament and Uruguay have a decent chance of getting out of the group.

The Team – Costa Rica

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (Levante), Patrick Pemberton (Alajuelense) Daniel Cambronero (Herediano). Defenders: Johnny Acosta (Alajuelense), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Columbus Crew), Michael Umana (Saprissa), Oscar Duarte (Bruges), Waylon Francis (Columbus Crew), Heiner Mora (Saprissa), Junior Diaz (Mainz 05), Christian Gamboa (Rosenborg), Roy Miller (New York Red Bulls). Midfielders: Celso Borges (AIK), Christian Bolanos (Copenhagen), Esteban Granados (Herediano), Michael Barrantes (Aalesund), Yeltsin Tejeda (Saprissa), Diego Calvo (Valerenga), Jose Miguel Cubero (Herediano). Forwards: Bryan Ruiz (PSV Eindhoven, on loan from Fulham), Joel Campbell (Olympiakos, on loan from Arsenal), Randall Brenes (Cartagines), Marco Urena (FC Kuban Krasnodar).

The Manager – Jorge Luis Pinto – Having won League titles in Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Costa Rica it is fair to say Pinto has some pedigree in South American football. As a native of Colombia and having managed them between 2007 and 2008, he must have his sights set of a meeting with them in the second round.

The Preparation – The Costa Ricans lost their first warm up game 3-1 to Japan, succumbing to a late Shinji Kagawa goal when it looked like they had earned a draw. This was followed by a morale boosting 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland, having played the second half with ten men.

Bryan Ruiz in action against Ireland 

The Definitive Opinion – Bestowed upon the Costa Ricans is an unenviably task that they’ve already been written off from completing. What works in their favour is that all the pressure will be on Uruguay, Italy and England, so they should be able to relax and play their football. They do possess a couple of potential match winners in the form of Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell, who along with Cristian Bolanos have Champions League experience. Nothing is expected of the Costa Ricans, but I can see at least one potential shock on the cards, hopefully not against England.

The Team – Italy

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St-Germain), Mattia Perin (Genoa). Defenders: Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorigo Chiellini (all Juventus), Gabriel Paletta (Parma), Ignazio Abate, Mattia De Sciglio (both AC Milan), Matteo Darmian (Torino). Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio (both Juventus), Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti (both Paris St-Germain), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Marco Parolo (Parma), Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina). Forwards: Mario Balotelli (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli).

The Manager – Cesare Prandelli – The former Fiorentina boss worked miracles at Euro 2012, taking an unfancied Italy side to the final. He’ll have a similar job on his hands in Brazil, with Italy struggling for form in recent games. He was given a boost in March of this year, when he signed a two year contract extension.

The Preparation – The Italians have suffered an uncharacteristic drop in confidence following a winless streak that stretches back to October 2013, and encompasses seven games. The most embarrassing of those results was the 1-1 draw to lowly Luxembourg, who had been beaten 5-1 by Belgium the week before. They did pick up a win in a hybrid friendly against Brazilian outfit Fluminense, with Ciro Immobile scoring a hat-trick.

Super Mario

The Definitive Opinion – The Italians do love coming into a tournament in disarray, only to turn it on and have an amazing run to the final. They did it in 2006 and 2012, but the feeling around the Azzurri at the moment, is comparable to their group stage exit in South Africa four years ago. Whether Italy decide to turn up or not, there are some brilliant footballers in their squad such as Pirlo, Balotelli, Buffon, Marchisio and Chiellini. A player that has come out of nowhere to challenge Balotelli for a starting spot is Torino’s Ciro Immobile, the former Juventus youngster scored 22 goals in 33 games for Torino last season and will sign for German giants Borussia Dortmund after the World Cup. It is fair to say that the Italians are not what the once were, however they still possess world class individuals, who they hope will inspire those around them to perform at the World Cup. For me Italy will make it out of the group.

The Team – England

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City). Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United). Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson (both Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal). Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).

The Manager – Roy Hodgson – This is the moment Hodgson’s career has been building to, taking his country to a World Cup. You’d be hard-pressed to find a prouder Englishman right now, and yet it could have been so different, had he not been given the chance by West Brom to redeem himself following his unsuccessful spell in charge of Liverpool. Hodgson earned many plaudits for taking a mismatch England squad to within a penalty shoot-out of the semi-finals of Euro 2012, and he’ll feel he can do better with his own squad in Brazil.

The Preparation – A knee injury to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but a dampener on England’s preparations, however he should be back in time for the group game with Uruguay. England defeated Peru 3-0 at Wembley and then drew with both Ecuador and Honduras in Miami.

#DareToWazza

The Definitive Opinion – For once no-one is expecting that much from England in Brazil, obviously that could all change after the first game against Italy, but as it stands the England players should be able to go and play their football without risk of being ridiculed (My Thoughts here are subject to change into loud expletives if we don’t make it out of the group). We do possess one truly world class footballer that everyone loves to hate, Wayne Rooney. If Rooney can perform to the level that he regularly does for Manchester United, we might just have a chance of progressing further in the tournament than is expected. My main worry is the back four, no-one is disputing Glen Johnson’s attacking prowess however his defensive positioning leaves a lot to be desired. I’m still yet to be convinced with the partnership of Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka, they both lack a yard of pace and can be awfully slow at distributing the ball. Despite these frailties, there is cause for optimism in the form of youngsters Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling. We should have enough to get out of the group.

World Cup Group Preview - Group B

The Team – Spain

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Napoli), David De Gea (Manchester United). Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Raul Albiol (Napoli), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Jordi Alba (Barcelona). Midfielders: Xavi (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Arsenal), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Javi Martinez (Bayern Munich). Forwards: David Silva (Manchester City), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Pedro (Barcelona), Juan Mata (Manchester United), David Villa (Atletico Madrid).

The Manager – Vicente Del Bosque – His role in Spain’s period of international dominance gets somewhat overlooked, for me it cannot be ignored. The Spanish have had promising squads in previous eras, but they’ve lacked the cohesion and mental strength to go on and win trophies. This lack of cohesion and mental strength was initially amended by Luis Aragones, but Del Bosque has shown his quality as a manager to carry this on, and you will now not find a tighter group of players than the Spanish.

The Preparation – Spain faced Bolivia and El Salvador in their warm games, defeating both by a 2-0 score line. David Villa came off the bench against El Salvador to bag a brace and put pressure on his former Atletico Madrid team mate Diego Costa, as competition for places in the starting eleven heats up.

David Villa at the double

The Definitive Opinion – To rule out the Spanish from making it back to back World Cup victories would be foolish, they have the squad, the experience and what some people are calling into question, the desire. Despite what Jose and Carlo may think, Iker Casillas is still a world class goalkeeper. Often the villain, Sergio Ramos appears to have added maturity to his game and is now the complete centre half, add to this his recurring trait of scoring vital goals and I don’t think there is a better pound for pound centre half out there. I’ve not seen a better selection of midfielders in any squad be that club or international, the problem Del Bosque faces is who to select, as you could argue a case for all of them in different formations and combinations. Two players that I expect to light up the World Cup are the Atleti duo of Koke and Diego Costa, these two have progressed over a number of years at the Vicente Calderon and are now much sought after by Europe’s elite. I’m certain Spain will progress to the latter stages of the competition and it will be at that stage where their experience should make the difference, if I had to stick my neck out and pick a winner it would be La Roja.

The Team – The Netherlands

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcastle), Michel Vorm (Swansea). Defenders: Daley Blind, Joel Veltman (both Ajax), Stefan de Vrij, Daryl Janmaat, Terence Kongolo, Bruno Martins Indi, (all Feyenoord), Paul Verhaegh (FC Augsburg), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa). Midfielders: Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Leroy Fer (Norwich), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV Eindhoven). Forwards: Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Jeremain Lens (Dynamo Kiev), Robin van Persie (Manchester United).

The Manager - Forget Manchester United for the time being, Louis Van Gaal has some unfinished business with the Oranje. His first spell in charge of the Dutch was a major disappointment, failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, the first time a Dutch squad had failed to do so since 1986. There are interesting parallels between then and now, following his sacking in early 2002, rumours were rife that he was to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as United manager, according to Van Gaal Ferguson decided against retiring and the deal fell through. That sub-standard period in charge of the Dutch was followed by failure to secure the United job, now however he has been appointed United manager and perhaps this will work as a positive omen as he takes his squad to Brazil.

The Preparation - Defeating Northern Ireland 6-0 prior to Euro 2012 proved a false dawn as the Netherlands exited the tournament at the group stage, in preparation for the World Cup they’ve drawn with Ecuador and beaten Ghana and Wales. Whilst they haven’t been as free scoring as we’ve come to expect from them over the years, a more meticulous Netherlands has emerged in time for Brazil. Rather than overly relying on their forwards to win them games, Van Gaal has taken the pressure off Van Persie and Robben by introducing a new system during these warm up matches, one that uses five at the back. Whether he sticks with this at the World Cup remains to be seen.

See you in Manchester boss

The Definitive Opinion – The Dutch were a decent centre half partnership away from beating the Spanish in the final four years ago, I’m doubtful as to whether they’ve been able to correct these defensive frailties in time for Brazil. As I previously mentioned Van Gaal has experimented with five in defence, perhaps to compensate for a lack of quality defenders. Aston Villa’s Ron Vlaar is almost a certainty to start and this alone should worry Dutch fans with Vlaar being part of one of the Premier Leagues’ worst defences last season. There are also many unknown quantities like the Feyenoord quartet of Janmaat, Kongolo, Martins Indi and De Vrij who have only ever played in the Eredivisie. For the likes of De Jong, Robben, Sneijder and Van Persie this World Cup could well be there last, this may work in the Dutch’s favour as Van Persie and co look to bow out in style. This is potentially one of the weakest squads the Netherlands have taken to a World Cup; they may even struggle to make it out of the group.

The Team – Chile

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad), Johnny Herrera (Universidad de Chile), Cristopher Toselli (Universidad Catolica). Defenders: Gary Medel (Cardiff City), Gonzalo Jara (Nottingham Forest), Jose Rojas (Universidad de Chile), Eugenio Mena (Santos), Mauricio Isla (Juventus). Midfielders: Jorge Valdivia (Palmeiras), Felipe Gutierrez (Twente), Jose Pedro Fuenzalida (Colo Colo), Francisco Silva (Osasuna), Arturo Vidal (Juventus), Charles Aranguiz (Internacional), Marcelo Diaz (Basel), Carlos Carmona (Atalanta), Miiko Albornoz (Malmo). Forwards: Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona), Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo) Eduardo Vargas (Valencia), Jean Beausejour (Wigan Athletic), Mauricio Pinilla (Cagliari), Fabian Orellana (Celta)

The Manager – Jorge Sampaoli – An experienced manager who has coached in Peru, Chile and Ecuador. His success with Universidad de Chile in which he won three league titles and the Copa Sudamericana, caught the attention of the Chile FA who appointed him as national team manager.

The Preparation – A spirited performance against Egypt saw the Chileans come from 2-0 down to win 3-2, thanks to a brace from forward Eduardo Vargas. Another Vargas goal saw them defeat Northern Ireland 2-0. Midfielder Arturo Vidal looks likely to miss the opening game against Australia with a knee injury.

Vargas and Vidal

The Definitive Opinion – There hasn’t been much talk about the Chileans chances of getting out of Group B, but they are not to be underestimated. From back to front that have quality individuals, starting with ever present Real Sociedad keeper Claudio Bravo who represented Sociedad in the Champions League last season. Full backs Gonzalo Jara and Jean Beausejour have Premier League experience with West Brom and Wigan, as does defensive midfielder Gary Medel, who will be on a lot of clubs wish list following Cardiff City’s relegation. The stars of this Chilean squad are the Juventus duo Mauricio Isla and Arturo Vidal, and Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez. Vidal, who is a ball playing central midfielder, earned rave reviews for his performances in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen and subsequently in Italy following his move to Juventus. Although he is much maligned in Spain, Alexis Sanchez is adored by the Chilean fans and with a record of one goal in every three internationals from the wing it’s not hard to see why. Having watched the South American La Roja beat England at Wembley last November, I see no reason why they can’t finish above the Dutch and get out of the group.  

The Team – Australia

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United), Mitchell Langerak (Borussia Dortmund), Mat Ryan (Club Brugge). Defenders: Jason Davidson (Heracles Almelo), Ivan Franjic (Brisbane Roar), Ryan McGowan (Shandong Luneng Taishan), Matthew Spiranovic (Western Sydney Wanderers), Alex Wilkinson (Jeonbuk Hyundai), Bailey Wright (Preston North End). Midfielders: Oliver Bozanic (Luzern), Mark Bresciano (Al Gharafa), James Holland (Austria Vienna), Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace), Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town), Matthew McKay (Brisbane Roar), Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory), Tommy Oar (Utrecht), James Troisi (Melbourne Victory), Dario Vidosic (Sion). Forwards: Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls), Ben Halloran (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Matthew Leckie (FSV Frankfurt 1899), Adam Taggart (Newcastle Jets).

The Manager – Ange Postecoglou – A Greek born Australian, Postecoglou’s managed the Australian Under 20’s for seven years between 2000 and 2007 before being replaced after failing to qualify for the 2007 Under 20 World Cup. He overcame this disappointment by leading Brisbane Roar to the A League title in his debut season as manager. After three years with the Roar, he managed Melbourne Victory for a season before taking the national team job in October 2013.

The Preparation – The Socceroos have warmed up for Brazil with a 1-1 draw with South Africa and a tight 1-0 loss to Croatia. The man that carries the hopes of a nation on his shoulders Tim Cahill, scored the equaliser against the Bafana Bafana.

Tim Cahill

The Definitive Opinion – I’m going to be extremely blunt, Australia will not get a single point or goal in Brazil. Their squad is up there with the worst to ever grace a World Cup, the days of Viduka and Kewell are long gone. They have dispensed with veterans Mark Schwarzer and Lucas Neill, whose experience could have been vital with the task that lies ahead. Centre half Bailey Wright of League One Preston was a late call up which smacked of desperation, if he couldn’t cope with Rotherham’s forwards in the Play-offs what chance has he got against Van Persie, Sanchez and Costa. Then there is the Aussies’ poster boy Tim Cahill who so much is expected of, well having watched him struggle to compete in the MLS for New York Red Bulls, I’m not sure he’s got much left in his legs. Apologies Australia but you could well break the record for the worst goal difference in a World Cup group stage. 

World Cup Group Preview - Group A

The Team – Brazil

The Squad – Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Toronto FC, on loan from QPR), Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Atletico Mineiro). Defenders: Marcelo (Real Madrid), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (AS Roma), Maxwell, Thiago Silva (both Paris St-Germain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Dante (Bayern Munich), Henrique (Napoli). Midfielders: Paulinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Ramires, Willian, Oscar (all Chelsea), Hernanes (Inter Milan), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Fernandinho (Manchester City). Forwards: Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk), Neymar (Barcelona), Fred (Fluminense), Jo (Atletico Mineiro), Hulk (Zenit St Petersburg).

The Manager – Luiz Felipe Scolari – ‘Big Phil’ is one of the most experienced International managers in the game, having won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil and managed Portugal at three major tournaments. He will be assisted by the 1994 World Cup winning manager Carlos Alberto Parreira.

The Preparation – Having played many high profile friendlies over the past two years, Brazil’s warm up games have had something of a low key feel to them. They beat Panama 4-0 with the highlight being a superb free kick from Neymar, they then laboured to a 1-0 win over Serbia. Despite a momentary scare when Neymar went down with a knock in training, Brazil have a clean bill of health going into the opener on the 12^th.

Neymar will be vital for Brazil

The Definitive Opinion - Ask any player, pundit or fan about the Brazilian squad and the name that will continuously come up is Neymar. The 22 year old has the weight of a nation on his shoulders, but following an indifferent debut season in La Liga with Barcelona, he will need the other stars in the squad to be at the peak of their powers. In terms of ability, potential and general hype surrounding him, Hulk is the next ‘best’ forward in the squad, both he and Neymar will hope to prove themselves on the main stage this summer. It is very easy to argue that the assortment of midfielders is as weak a group that has ever graced a World Cup, the likes of Oscar, Paulinho, Ramires, Fernandinho, Hernanes and Luis Gustavo are nowhere near the level of players such as Socrates, Zico, Dunga, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho or Kaka. In defence however it’s a different story, a starting back four of Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Dante and Marcelo would rival defences from any era. This Brazilian squad has several world class players, but they are perhaps lacking the quality in defensive midfield and crucially in attack that is needed as they progress deeper into the tournament. That’s not to undermine the job Fred and Jo do for the team, but against the world’s best, their individual limitations could count against Brazil. For me it’s the semi-finals at best.  

The Team – Croatia

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Oliver Zelenika (Dinamo Zagreb). Defenders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Dejan Lovren (Southampton), Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Gordon Schildenfeld (Panathinaikos), Danijel Pranjic (Panathinaikos), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev), Sime Vrsaljko (Genoa). Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dynamo Kiev), Ivan Perisic (Wolfsburg), Mateo Kovacic (Inter Milan), Marcelo Brozovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Mocinic (Rijeka), Sammir (Getafe). Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Bayern Munich), Ivica Olic (Wolfsburg), Eduardo (Shakhtar Donetsk), Nikica Jelavic (Hull City), Ante Rebic (Fiorentina)

The Manager – Niko Kovac – Kovac is a legendary figure in Croatian football having captained his country for many years, and most significantly at the 2006 World Cup. A classy defensive midfielder in his day, Kovac will want his team to mirror his style of play in Brazil.

The Preparation – Wolfsburg’s Ivan Perisic staked his claim for a place in Croatia’s starting eleven with a brace in the win over Mali. A much changed eleven went onto defeat Australia through a single Nikica Jelavic strike. Like Brazil, Croatia have yet to pick up any major injuries prior to the tournament.

Perisic on target against Mali

The Definitive Opinion – Despite their infancy as a nation, Croatia have built a reputation over past tournaments and are not to be underestimated. They have a very talented squad of players with the key individuals being Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic. The latter is something of an unknown quantity in this country, whereas in Spain he is highly valued, with both Madrid teams and Barcelona interested in securing his signature. They have an experienced keeper in Stipe Pletikosa (formerly of Spurs), with even more experience in the form of captain and marauding right back Darijo Srna who can also deliver a deadly set piece. The likes of Corluka, Lovren, Pranjic, Vukojevic, Perisic, Olic and Eduardo are well known, with each having Champions League experience, which at this level is extremely valuable.  Mario Mandzukic is the man the Croatians will turn to for goals, and the two time Croatian footballer of the year has been in rampant form since joining Bayern in 2012. Questions have been raised about his technical ability and the fact he’s only scored 13 goals in 50 games for Croatia, however his record at club level speaks for itself and he has scored goals at every level. At the age of 28, a World Cup in Brazil could be the stage for Mandzukic to cement his place as one of the world’s best strikers. The Croatian’s should at the very least get out of the group and I wouldn’t be surprised if they upset the hosts on opening night. If they proceed through the group, they have the talent to go as far as they want, perhaps even a repeat of the 1998 semi-final appearance. 

The Team – Mexico

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Jose de Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul), Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca). Defenders: Miguel Layun (America), Carlos Salcido (Tigres), Paul Aguilar (America), Andres Guardado (Bayer Leverkusen), Hector Moreno (Espanyol), Francisco Javier Rodriguez (America), Diego Reyes (Porto), Rafael Marquez (Leon). Midfielders: Miguel Angel Ponce (Toluca), Jose Juan Vazquez (Leon), Luis Montes (Leon), Hector Herrera (Porto), Isaac Brizuela (Toluca), Marco Fabian (Cruz Azul), Carlos Pena (Leon). Forwards: Oribe Peralta (Santos), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United), Giovani dos Santos (Villarreal), Raul Jimenez (America), Alan Pulido (Tigres).

The Manager – Miguel Herrera – Herrera’s managerial career has a somewhat underwhelming tone to it, having failed to win anything at two of Mexico’s biggest club sides, Atlante and Monterrey. However, having been appointed Club America manager in 2011, he led Las Águilas to a league title in 2013. The only competitive fixtures he has overseen as manager of Mexico, were both legs of the 9-3 play-off victory over New Zealand, consequently his capabilities as an international manager have yet to be tested.

The Preparation – Mexico can count themselves unlucky to have lost both their warm up games against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Portugal respectively. The Mexicans went down to a Izet Hajrovic goal just before half time against the Bosnians, then having seemingly secured a respectable draw against Portugal, Bruno Alves struck in the 93^rd minute to leave Herrera’s side winless going into the World Cup.

Will Hernandez find his form in time for Brazil? 

The Definitive Opinion – Having appointed three different managers in the month before Herrera took the job and qualifying through a play-off, many Mexicans will just be happy to be at the World Cup this summer. It is easy to forget that many of this squad were part of the side that won Gold at the 2012 Olympic Games, defeating a Brazil team that included Thiago Silva, Hulk and Neymar. The man that fired the Mexicans to glory that day, Oribe Peralta, is joined in the squad by Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez and former Spurs and current Villarreal playmaker Giovanni Dos Santos. The latter has had a superb season in La Liga, earning rave reviews and helping Villarreal to sixth place in their first season back at that level. The squad also includes two vastly experienced centre halves in Rafael Marquez and Francisco Rodriguez formerly of Barcelona and Stuttgart respectively, despite both being in the latter stages of their careers they have vital roles to play in Mexico’s 5-3-2 system, most significantly in terms of organisation. The Mexican’s will be vying with Croatia and Cameroon for second place in the group, anything more would be an unprecedented success. Due to the amount of players plying their trade in the Mexican League and Javier Hernandez not looking anything like the player that burst onto the international scene at the 2010 World Cup, I can’t foresee El Tri getting out of the group; they may even struggle to get a point. 

Team – Cameroon

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Loic Feudjou (Coton Sport), Charles Itandje (Konyaspor), Sammy Ndjock (Fethiyespor). Defenders: Benoit Assou-Ekotto (QPR, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Henri Bedimo (Lyon), Aurelien Chedjou (Galatasaray), Cedric Djeugou (Coton Sport), Nicolas Nkoulou (Marseille), Dany Nounkeu (Besiktas), Allan Nyom (Granada). Midfielders: Enoh Eyong (Antalyaspor), Jean Makoun (Rennes), Joel Matip (Schalke), Stephane Mbia (Sevilla, on loan from QPR), Benjamin Moukandjo (Nancy), Landry Nguemo (Bordeaux), Edgar Salli (Lens), Alex Song (Barcelona). Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (Lorient), Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting (Mainz), Samuel Eto'o (Chelsea), Fabrice Olinga (Malaga), Achille Webo (Fenerbahce).

The Manager – For a man that has spent the majority of his managerial career at Freiburg in Germany, it was something of a surprise that Volker Finke decided to delve into International management at the age of 65 and even more suprising that it was with Cameroon. His 16 years with Freiburg will stand him in good stead having used more African players than any German team during his reign. He doesn’t have the support of one of Cameroon’s greatest ever players however, with Roger Milla wanting Finke replaced by a local manager. 

The Preparation – A draw against a strong German side will have given the Indomitable Lions considerable hope for a strong campaign in Brazil, this was followed up by a tight 1-0 win over Moldova. A pay dispute had disrupted their preparation, but with this now resolved Finke’s men can concentrate on their opener with Mexico.

Eto'o finds the net against Germany

The Definitive Opinion – The Indomitable Lions will once again be led by one of the torchbearers of African football, Samuel Eto’o. At 33 he perhaps hasn’t got many years left at the top of the game, but he showed glimpses of his unerring talent at Chelsea this season and it could be argued that a year in the Premier League is the perfect warm up for a World Cup campaign. What this squad does contain is an array of strong central defenders and central midfielders, including Nicolas N’Koulou and Alex Song. They usually line up in a defensive 4-3-3 system with N’Koulou and Schalke’s Joel Matip at centre half with the defensive trio of Stephane M’Bia, Eyong Enoh and Alex Song in midfield. This defensive base should take pressure off the likes of Eto’o and prevent another poor showing at a World Cup, having lost all of their group games in South Africa four years ago. I’m positive that Cameroon will improve on the disappointment of 2010, whether they’ll have enough to take second place I’m not so convinced.