Group E

Group E -  Switzerland.......Ecuador......France.....Honduras

Group E is a very interesting one. Switzerland do not have a long history of being a world class power. Yet, in qualifying, they were very strong and in fact went undefeated. They will surprise teams with how well organized they are and the fact that they do not make mistakes. I think they will actually win this group, although the game with France will likely determine that.
  France are one of the most hot/cold teams in soccer. They won the whole thing in 1998 and came in second in 2006, yet in 2002 and 2010, the did not even get out of the group and failed to win a game. History would predict that this might be another year for a title run, and they have plenty of talent, but they have been bitten by injuries and they do not have a great deal of time playing together. I still think they get out of the group, but after that...we shall see.
   Ecuador is a very good team. They finished fourth in their qualifying group, but against the other South American powerhouses, that is not bad. Still the majority of the Ecuadorean roster play on clubs in South America, not the stronger European leagues. Antonio Valences, the Manchester United winger is the lone exception, but he will not be enough.
  Honduras is the final group team, and like many teams in the tournament, they are more a place holder than anything else. Teams will have to protect the ball against them, and of course this is soccer, so anything can happen, but Ecuador making it to the next round would be quite a miracle.