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.
 

Group D

Group D-Italy...Uruguay....England....Costa Rica

This is one of the two toughest groups in the World Cup. I am picking Italy to come out on top. Last World Cup was a nightmare for the Azure. Not only did they under perform, but there were scandals in their  pro league. Match fixing  and financial misconduct. The performance was just the last straw. Since then, they have made changes and brought in a number of new young players. Now I think they are a real favorite to win the whole cup.
     My pick to also make it out of the group is England. I know that Uruguay is the more popular pick, but England have a number of new youngsters to go with  experienced stars. It has been 48 years since England won the World Cup. They seem to always under perform, but this year, expectations are not as high...and I think that works in their favor and they make a deep run. They won't win...but they will do well.
    Uruguay had a great tournament last cup, and they have talent, including Suarez, who might be one of the top 3 scoreres in all football, but the pressure, and team chemistry are not good. No sneaking up on anyone this year.
   Costa Rica have had a great year. They might be the second best team in Concacaf. There are several players from the MLS, and Ruiz, Costa Ricans best player plays his trade in England, but this group is just too tough, and Costa Rica will be short lived in Brazil.

Group C

Group - C.  Columbia......Greece.....Ivory Coast.....Japan...

  Compared to the first two groups, group C is pretty weak. Columbia is likely to come out on top. Some of this prediction is based on the fact they are playing in their home continent. This has always been an advantage for teams at the World Cup. The winning percentage for teams in their own continent in the history of the tournament is about 20% higher. Columbia has world class talent and a deep roster. I do not expect them to do much in the second round, but getting there should be easy.
  Ivory Coast is my choice for second in the group. They are a big physical team that plays with flair. In this group that will be enough. Depth and team unity are not the greatest...but they will be in shape and they have a bit of a chip on their shoulder. For years the soccer world has predicted great things from them, and to this point they have not delivered.
In years past, Japan has had a strong team. They play with a team chemistry and discipline to be admired. However the talent pool is not where it has been in the past. The striker Honda is a player to watch, but when the tournament is over the Japanese squad will not be in the knock-out round.
  It was not that many years ago the the Greek national team came out of nowhere to shock Europe and win the European championship. They pulled off that feet with a stifling defense that shut out and frustrated opponents and an offensive that out worked the other guy as they pounced on mistakes. It was one of the biggest underdog stories in world soccer history. That was then...not now. Greece will be home before July.

Group B

Group B-  Spain...Netherlands....Chile....Australia

  Defending Champion Spain has drawn Group B, which includes the other finalists from the last World Cup, but I am not convinced that either side is as dominate as they were last time around. Still, Spain are loaded with talent...relatively healthy, and since the majority of the squad play on just 3 of the top teams in Spain's La Liga, the players have a familiarity with each other of which other countries can only dream. I am picking them to get out of the group...after that we will see how age and injury leave the as to how far they will go.

The Dutch are a fun team to watch. They still have plenty of fire power and can score goals on even the best defensive teams in the world. They lost a few players from last cup but have brought in a number of young players, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Will the mix of young and old be enough to get out of the group and make a run? Their first match is against Spain, and if there is a loser in that match...that team will be in a struggle to make it out. I predict a tense first game and a boring draw, which often happens in the early games of the tournament. A draw will go a long way toward getting out of the group...a loss...and it might be a short visit for the Orange.

Chili is a team to watch. Playing in their home continent is a big advantage. They will be acclimated to the climate and the time zone. They have less pressure, which can allow a team to relax and play up to potential. The 2 biggest stars for Chile are midfielder Vidal, who plays in the Italian first division, and the forward Sanchez who plays for powerhouse Barcelona. They are as good as it gets in international football. If either Spain or the Netherlands falter, these are the players that will move Chile into the round of 16. If i had any guts...I would just pick them through now....but...

Australia is the 4th team in Group B. They have some decent players and they will be fit and work at a high rate, but they just do not have the talent to get out of such a deep group. The biggest soccer news in Australia, will be watching how the investigation goes to corruption in the awarding of the 2022 Cup to Qatar, and will it lead to a re-vote which could bring that tournament down under to Australia.

Group A

Group A - Brazil...Croatia....Mexico....Cameroon

 Brazil is the favorite to win the whole tournament. The group A competition should not give them much competition. Their toughest fight will be off the field. They will need to manage fans expectations, the protests that will be going on around Brazil,( more on that in a separate post), and criticism when they win ugly. Really, these should be warm up games for the next round.

  Croatia is my pick to win the second spot in this group. They have a deep squad with some experienced players who will not wilt under pressure. They are a big strong team and the sometimes physical nature of the World Cup will be an advantage to them. Get used to seeing their trademark red and white checkerboard jerseys till at least the knock out stages of the tournament.

  Mexico barely qualified and in fact, it was a late US goal in a meaningless match against  Panama in qualifying saw Mexico get fourth place and a game against New Zealand for the last spot. Ironic that Mexico owes its place in Brazil to a goal by their arch rivals the USA. I thought that they might pull things together and have a very strong World Cup. they have plenty of talent, but a few injuries and a lack of team chemistry lead me to believe they will be 3 and out.

  Cameroon shocked the world in 1990 by beating defending champion Argentina in the opening game of that years cup. It was so surprising that I was actually able to bet a South American friend on the outcome, even though he knew that I had already watched the game. He still refused to believe that this was possible. Could such an upset happen this year....of course. Will it happen....no.

WC warm-up games.

  So after the second round of warm up games, what have learned.? The US looked a little better against Turkey than they looked in their last game, at least on offense. Dempsey looked healthy and Altidore was a force all game, although he did seem to be missing that last touch. I am a little concerned about our central defense. They seemed out of place and a step slow. Still, fans need to remember that Turkey is a very good team. The might be the strongest side not going to Brazil. No injuries and a tough game next week against Nigeria. The US side needs to keep improving and they will have a shot.
  The real news is injuries and final rosters. Italy is my outside favorite to win the whole thing, but they left Giuseppe Rossi off the team and suffered an injury to another striker, Montalivo, that will have him missing the cup. They are now in danger of even getting out of the 1st round.
 Mexico has seen Montes break his leg, and Uruguay are unsure about the fitness of Liverpool striker Suarez. World footballer of the year Christian Rinaldo of Portugal is also nursing a sore leg. Who will be fit and in form when the tournament starts, because the WC is not just about who is best, but who can perform the best for 4 weeks in the summer, every 4 years.

We are a mere couple weeks away from the start of the World Cup. Over this time I will breakdown each group and make my predictions as to who will win soccer's ultimate prize. Remember last cup I selected Spain and Holland for the final. I got that right, but I predicted a Dutch victory...which I got wrong.
 Watch the warmup games over the next week. Players are fighting for starting spots, and you can also see who is playing well, and who is injured.