FIFA World Cup 2014 Preview: June 2014

Monday 16 June 2014

World Cup 2014 Preview:Group F

This is the sixth of 8 part series analyzing and previewing all 32 teams participating in 2014 FIFA World Cup.The previews focuses more on the current squad,tactics,formation and recent form. We continue with Group F consisting of Argentina,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Iran and Nigeria.

Another group that has all teams playing in different styles and approaches.Argentina are the favorites to make it out of the group but the place for second place is surely up for grabs

ARGENTINA

Two times World Cup winners have a stellar attacking line up with three of the best forwards playing together and in Alejandro Sabella they have pragmatic and disciplinary coach who is put in a system which is way more organized than Maradona's Argentina 4 years back.If Albiceleste's back four holds up then they are surely on of the favorites to win the cup

Qualification:

Argentina topped their group and lost only two matches in the process.The interesting thing about their qualification was they would easily beat top teams like Colombia,Ecuador and Uruguay but struggled against lesser opposition like Bolivia and Venezuela.Argentina scored the highest number of goals in the qualification phase and their highest goal scorer was Lionel Messi with 10 goals

Manager : Alejandro Sabella

A disciple of Carlos Bilardo, Alejandro Sabella was appointed as Argentina's head coach in 2011 after early exit in Copa America.Sabella has shown his cards early this World Cup and said he will be using 4-3-3 this World Cup.Also the players to be fielded are more or less known as Sabella is known to trust his players and doesn't change the winning combination often.Only few times he tinkered with formation choosing a 3-5-2 but it wasn't successful

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Monaco), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Agustin Orion (Boca Juniors).

Defenders: Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon), Jose Basanta (Monterrey), Hugo Campagnaro (Inter Milan).

Midfielders: Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Augusto Fernandez (Celta Vigo), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Maxi Rodriguez (Newell’s Old Boys), Ricardo Alvarez (Inter Milan), Enzo Perez (Benfica).

Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris Saint-Germain), Rodrigo Palacio (Inter Milan).

Formation/Expected Line up:

Albicelsete are going to setup as 4-3-3 but it's not a simple 4-3-3, many changes have been incorporated to ensure Messi can perform at his best.
The front three features the deadliest strikers in the world with Aguero,Higuain and Messi. Tactically Higuan has an important role to play he often pulls the defenders away to create spaces for Aguero and Messi.Aguero on left wing hardly plays the winger role and usually ends up in the penalty box,Sabella may sometimes select Lavezzi over him to provide more width to the team.On the right is the majestic Lionel Messi who again dribbles from right hand side to cut inside and create scoring opportunities.It is worth noting that previously under Maradona, Messi used to play very deep for Argentina and this hindered his goal scoring as we saw in 2010 World Cup, but that shouldn't be the case here as the work of linking midfield to attack isn't Messi's responsibility any more.
The above stated work is now done by the crucial Angel Di Maria,Although from midfield he can often drift towards left into the space left by Aguero by tactically he is much more mature and plays the shuttler role he used to play at Benfica.On the other side of Di maria is Gago,he plays an understated role keeping the ball rolling with simple passing.At the holding role is Mascherano and he holds the key if Argentina were to keep a good defensive record.
The defence is the biggest worry for Sabella,with Zabaleta being the only world class defenders.The center halves Garay and Fernanadez aren't bad just

Key Player: Lionel Messi

Arguably the world's best player and with a point to prove in the biggest international tournament .

Strength:

The front four of Di Maria,Higuain,Aguero and Messi have plenty of goals in them

Weakness:

The vast contrast in the quality of attack and defence

My Prediction:

Argentina have a pretty strong team and if Sabella gets the formation right they should easily progress to later half of the tournament.I'll predict a top of the group finish from them

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Bosnia are the debutant in this tournament and have a freshness about them.Even tough the they are making their first appearance the squad has the experience of playing in some of the top teams of Europe

Qualification:

Bosnia and Herzegovina topped their qualifying group dropping just 5 points in the process.They were one of the most attacking side in Europe during qualifying scoring 30 goals in 10 matches with Manchester city striker Edin Dzeko being the top scorer with 10 goals

Manager : Safet Susic

Voted the best player in Paris St-Germain's history, Safet Susic represented Yugoslavia at the 1982 and 1990 World Cups. He says of his cavalier approach: "We know that we expose ourselves too much and that there is a huge risk in the way we play - but that is the price we are willing to pay. In the end, we play to score more goals than the opposition, and it has paid off so far."

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Asmir Begovic (Stoke City), Asmir Avdukic (Borac Banja Luka), Jasmin Fejzic (VFR Aalen)

Defenders: Emir Spahic (Bayer Leverkusen), Sead Kolasinac (Schalke 04), Ermin Bicakcic (Eintracht Braunschweig), Ognjen Vranjes (Elazigspor), Toni Sunjic (Zarya Lugansk), Avdija Vrsajevic (Hajduk Split), Mensur Mujdza (Freiburg)

Midfielders: Zvjezdan Misimovic (Guizhou Renhe), Haris Medunjanin (Gaziantepspor), Miralem Pjanic (AS Roma), Sejad Salihovic (Hoffenheim), Senad Lulic (Lazio), Izet Hajrovic (Galatasaray), Senijad Ibricic (Erciyesspor), Tino Sven Susic (Hajduk Split), Muhamed Besic (Ferencvaros), Anel Hadzic (Sturm Graz

Strikers: Edin Dzeko (Manchester City), Vedad Ibisevic (VfB Stuttgart), Edin Visca (Istanbul BB)

Formation/Expected Line Up:

Safet Susic had a complete rethink in the formation just before the World cup,4-1-3-2 was the standard formation during qualification with Dzeko and Ibisevic upfront. Susic is now more likely to go back to 4-2-3-1 one and Ibisevic is the the likely one to be sacrificed for a defensive midfielder in Besic.
Upfront Edin Dzeko should start and having enjoyed a fruitful season at Manchester City should pose threat to opposition defenses.
In number 10 role is Miralem Pjanic another one coming into the team with great season at his club side AS Roma. Lulic and Izet Hajrovic will flank him on either side.Alternatively Susic can go for more attacking line up playing Misimovic in number 10 role and Pjanic at the base of midfield as sweeping playmaker.
Besic is the defesive midfielder and will look to shield a dodgy defence.
The fullbacks don't really like to attack much and are much better defensively than going forward.The center back pairing of Spahic and Bikcic is a cause for concern

Key Player: Miralem Pjanic

The creative general of this team.Needs to be at his best for Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance from this group

Strength:

Good attacking sides with intelligent footballers in midfield and attack

Weakness:

The defence especially the center back pairing can be caught out against pace

My Prediction

Bosnia and Herzegovina are playing their first world cup so expectation aren't that high but the fact that their team is filled with quality players can't be hidden and qualifying from this group is a very good possibility.The match against Nigeria should decide their fate.I'm going for a win and progess into knockout round for them.

IRAN

Iran squad is characterized by being organized and tough to beat.Under coach Carlos Queiroz the focus has always been defence and he has been largely successful with Iran having kept 10 clean sheets in qualification phase,more than any team in the World cup

Qualification:

Qualification was no place for the faint-hearted and was something of a roller coaster for fans -- Queiroz called it "a journey through hell." The first group stage was navigated fairly easily, but the final round was tense until the final second of the last match. Iran's first loss against Lebanon had Queiroz on the back foot. A subsequent home loss against Uzbekistan had Iran out of the automatic spots with three games remaining, and scoring just two goals in the first five matches summed up the issue.
Then, it all went right. In came goalkeeper Rahman Ahmadi, who didn't pick the ball out of the net once in the final three matches. In the first of those games, Ghoochannejhad scored the lone goal to give Iran a 1-0 victory against Qatar. Iran then avenged their previous loss to Lebanon with a 4-0 decision before a dramatic 1-0 win against South Korea (thanks to another Ghoochannejhad goal) sealed their trip to Brazil.

Manager : Carlos Queiroz

Carlos Queiroz has been outspoken in his criticism of Iran's Football Federation, which he described as "lethargic, lacking ambition" when he took over in 2011. Despite resistance from conservative elements, he has called up several players who grew up outside of Iran, including USA-born Steven Beitashour. Portugal's coach in 2010, he has praised the passion of Iranian fans but admits he doesn't have a "magic wand" to solve the side's flaws. He will leave his post after Brazil.

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).

Formation/Expected line up:

Iran are expected to play a counter attacking 4-4-1-1

The striker Ghoochannejhad is good in running at channels and is supported by Fulham's Ashken Dejagah
At the base of midfield are Teymourian and Nekounam and are good distributors of ball.They'll try to feed the wingers Shojaei and Heydari as much as possible.
The defence features players who don't like to come out with the ball much and try to maintain team's structure.

Key Player: Ashken Dejagah

His ability to link up with wingers and striker will be the key

Strength:

Great defensive organization.

Weakness:

Lack of goals upfront.

My Prediction:

Iran will try to avoid defeats in all 3 games and anything above that will be a bonus

NIGERIA

Nigeria are the reigning African cup of nations winner and are Africa's best hope to reach the knockout phase.Under Stephan Keshi they appear more organized and play fast counter attacking football

Qualification:

For the first time in what appears to be ages, Nigeria qualified for the World Cup with relatively little trouble. Kenya and Namibia threatened fleetingly, but failed to sustain their challenges. The Super Eagles looked in danger only once -- when Kenya visited in their first match after Nigeria made a triumphant return from capturing the 2013 African Nations Cup.The Harambee Stars were seconds away from claiming a seismic road victory at Nigeria's U.J. Esuene Stadium, until Nnamdi Oduamadi struck with virtually the last kick to rescue the Eagles.
From then on, it was smooth sailing. Victory at Kenya in the reverse fixture was followed by a draw and comfortable 2-0 home win against Namibia to seal progress to the playoffs. There, the draw pitted the Super Eagles against Ethiopia, the lowest-ranked team out of all the group winners.
A 2-1 win in the first leg all but guaranteed qualification, and Emmanuel Emenike's starring performance in the second leg was the finishing touch on a satisfying qualifying run

Manager: Stephan Keshi

Sacked as Togo coach a few months before the 2006 World Cup and likewise as Nigeria assistant in 2002, Stephen Keshi richly deserves the chance to finally test his managerial mettle on the grandest stage of all. He is considered a father figure by many players, but has had to fend off repeated criticism over his controversial focus on selecting youngsters ahead of bigger names. His contract expires after Brazil.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Lille), Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva), Chigozie Agbim (Gombe United)

Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (Monaco), 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).

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).

Formation/Expected Line up:

Nigeria are expected to play a counter attacking 4-3-3
Let's start with Nigeria's strength, Upfront Emenike is a deadly striker and was the highest goal scorer in African cup of nation.On the wings are Moses and the speedster Ahmed Musa.Moses is the key cutting in from left to become second striker.
The midfield three is little problematic with all three being similar type of players much like France.Mikel plays much more advanced role as compared to his club team but Keshi has tried variety of option of who will partner Mikel
The defence is more assured and organized under Keshi and will be tough to break down

Key Player: Victor Moses

His pace and dribbling should trouble opposition

Strength:

The front three are deadly on counter attacks

Weakness:

Lack of creativity from midfield

My Prediction:

The match against Bosnia and Herzegovina should decide Super Eagles fate.

Wednesday 11 June 2014

World Cup 2014 Preview:Group E

This is the fifth of 8 part series analyzing and previewing all 32 teams participating in 2014 FIFA World Cup.The previews focuses more on the current squad,tactics,formation and recent form. We continue with Group E consisting of host Ecuador,France,Honduras and Switzerland.

This among the weaker groups in the world cup featuring former world cup winners France,newly revamped Swiss,a physical Honduras and a very direct Ecuador side.None of these teams are expected to go far into the tournament,although France would like to have a say in that.

ECUADOR

Tactics don't have much of a say in this Ecuador side.They are quite often single minded and usually employ a monotonous strategy of playing to the wings and crossing from wider positions.This is La Tricolor's third appearance in the world cup and their best result was reaching round of 16 in 2006 where they got eventually eliminated by Engalnd

Qualification:

Ecuador finished fourth in South American qualifiers and this was largely due to their incredible home record where they just dropped two points, a draw against Argentina.Ecuador's away form was worrying winning zero games drawing 3 and losing 5 matches.Felipe Caicedo was Ecuador's highest goal scorer in qualification phase

Manager : Reinaldo Rueda

Colombian Reinaldo Rueda was appointed in 2010 after guiding Ecuador's Group E opponents Honduras to their first World Cup for 28 years in South Africa. Rueda's first year in charge of Ecuador was disastrous and he hurriedly reshaped the team after they failed to win a game at the 2011 Copa America.

Tactically Rueda's side is very basic and favors a simple 4-4-2.The emphasis is on wing play and midfielders look to spray the ball quickly to the wings as soon as possible

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Alexander Dominguez (Liga de Quito), Maximo Banguera (Barcelona, Ecuador), Adrian Bone (El Nacional).

Defenders: Gabriel Achilier (Emelec), Walter Ayovi (Pachuca), Oscar Bagui (Emelec), Frickson Erazo (Flamengo), Jorge Guagua (Emelec), Juan Carlos Paredes (Barcelona, Ecuador).

Midfielders: Segundo Castillo (Al Hilal), Carlos Gruezo (Stuttgart), Renato Ibarra (Vitesse Arnhem), Fidel Martinez (Tijuana), Edison Mendez (Santa Fe), Christian Noboa (Dinamo Moscow), Luis Saritama (Barcelona, Ecuador), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United).

Forwards: Jaime Ayovi (Tijuana), Felipe Caicedo (Al-Jazira), Jefferson Montero (Morelia), Joao Rojas (Cruz Azul), Enner Valencia (Pachuca), Michael Arroyo (Atlante).

Formation/Expected Line up:

As mentioned earlier Ecuador as expected to play 4-4-2 and doesn't have the tactical nuances to be considered a modern 4-4-2.The only thing that could catch out opponents tactically is that hardly any teams play this formation these days.
The front two are Caicedo and Enner Valencia.Caicedo is more of a poacher with Valenica as support striker but expect Valencia to fall back in midfield when they lose possession.
The center midfield has Noboa and young Gruezo.Noboa is the key player and has good understanding of the game,his ability to spray balls to wingers is essential to this formation.
Wingers are the real deal for Ecuador, on the left is Antonio Valencia who is a traditional winger and loves to get the byline an ping crosses. Montero on other side has more trickery up his sleeve but often can be frustrating with end product.
The full backs are nice and attacking and would join in attacks whenever they get a chance, especially Ayovi has very good crossing abilities.The center back are bit of a handicap and are not much comfortable on the ball.Erazo is much better passer than Guagua who can be exposed due to lack of pace.
The 4-4-2 formation often means that tactically sound teams will dominate middle of the park and hence the match

Key Player: Christian Noboa

If opposition shuts down his supply to wingers one can essentially shut down Ecuador's attacking play

Strength:

Ecuador's winger are aggressive and direct and will surely cause problems to opposition as we saw in their recent 2-2 draw against England

Weakness:

Team susceptible to be overrun in center midfield and that can often lead to center backs being exposed.Also Montero doesn't help much defensively on the right wing and opposition may create many 2 against 1 situation against Ayovi

My Prediction:

A weak group is the only silver lining for this Ecuador side.Should they upset one of the European side they'll have a chance to go through.I think the match against Switzerland will decide their fate but with Swiss being tactically better I think they'll edge it.

FRANCE

Les Blues World Cup preparation has been dominated by omission of Samir Nasri and recent injury to their star man Franck Ribery.The positive news for France is the group seems relatively easy and they'll look to atone for their showing in 2010 World cup

Qualification:

France finished second behind Spain in a 5 team group and were drawn against Ukraine.The Topsy- Turvy nature of this french side was brought the the fore in this encounter, France lost the 2-0 at Kiev and needed an extraordinary performance at home to win the tie,they did so wining 3-0 thus booking a berth in this years' World Cup.Franck Ribery was the highest goal scorer in the group phase with 5 goals

Manager : Didier Deschamps

The former french player captained his team to wins in World cup 1998 and Euro 2000.He was appointed the head coach in 2012 and since then trying to create harmony in the disorganized french side.

Tactically Deschamps doesn't believe a system has an advantage over other system but after lot of trial and error has settled on a fluid 4-3-3 system and employs physical and athletic midfielders at the center of the park.

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(Sothhampton), 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 (Montpelliar).

Formation/Expected Line Up:

Man for man France has excellent squad with most of the players playing in top European clubs.France are expected to play a 4-3-3 as Deschamps believes that this system will suit the players at his disposal.

The defence is strong and the four excellent defenders are plying for two places.Sakho,Varane,Koscielny and Mangala are all very good center backs and there is not much to separate them.In the full backs position too there are quality options for Deschamps to pick from.In left back position Evra should get nod over Lucas Digne.At right back position the experienced Bacary Sagna is vying for a spot against Debuchy who offers more in attacking sense.

The midfield trio includes Cabaye,Pogba and Matuidi and somehow all these players are very similar, they all are good technician,good passer,great energy and good tackling abilities.It will be interesting to see who plays the Regista role but Cabaye superb range in passing should make him the favorite.

In attack Griezmann should replace Ribery, on the other flank Mathieu Valbuena plays an interesting role, he isn't a typical winger and often comes inside to play the number 10 role.Valbuena is insanely talent and will hold key in unlocking defences in the absence of Ribery.

Upfront it's toss between Benzema and Giroud,although with his good recent form Benzema should get the nod.

Key Player: Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba is highly sought after central midfielder in Europe and it's easy to see why, he has great energy and often scores ridiculously brilliant goals

Strength:

The squad of 23 is very good and allows Deschamps to rotate players or tho change the game from the bench

Weakness:

The central midfielders look all the similar and rather functional leaving all the creative duties to Valbuena

My Prediction

France should make it out of the group phase easily with the talents they have.If the midfield trio and the attack links up well expect France to reach the later stages of tournament

HONDURAS

Firstly Honduras' achievement to qualify for second successive should be applauded and lot of the credit should go to manager Luis Fernando Suarez.This side is not known for the technical skill of the players but they more than make up for it by physicality and determination

Qualification:

Honduras finished 2nd in their final qualifying group ahead of Costa Rica and Mexico.The qualification phases included historic victory away from home against Mexico and also a 2-1 win against USA at home.

Manager : Luis Fernando Suarez

Colombian Luis Fernando Suarez has World Cup experience, having guided Ecuador to the last 16 for the first time in 2006 before they were knocked out by England.

Since taking charge of Honduras, he has led them to the semi-finals of the two most recent Gold Cups and coached the Olympic Games team that reached the quarter-finals at London 2012.

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).

Formation/Expected line up:

Just like Ecuador they play a basic 4-4-2 but they don't have the quality of wingers as Ecuador possess and it's tough to see from where Honduras will get a goal apart from set pieces.

The back four actually good with Figueroa and Izzaguire having experience of playing football in top league although same cannot be side of the right side center back and fullback

In the left side of midfield is Honduras' key player in Espinoza and with Palacios again have experience of playing in top league.Palacios is hard tackling midfielder at the center of the park.Garrido is more energetic and will be constantly moving up and down the field.

Upfront are Costly and Bengston.Bengston scored 9 goals for his team during qualifaction phase and represents the only goal threat for Honduras

Key Player: Roger Espinoza

If Honduras are to get any service to Bengston to score goal it will come through this guy.He is very energetic is the best technician in the team

Strength:

Physicality. They'll try to frustrate opponent to over commit and then hit them on counter

Weakness:

Lack of genuine talent in the squad

My Prediction:

Getting a world cup win will be considered good progress for this team but as far as qualification is considered they are ranked outsiders

SWITZERLAND

Along with Belgium, Switzerland are the dark horses from Europe in this World Cup and like Belgium they are a young side boasting of some fabulous players playing in the top leagues of the world.Switzerland have a lofty world ranking of 6 in no way it seems undeserved.This is their third straight appearance in world cup and would be looking to better their group stage exit last World Cup

Qualification:

Switzerland topped the group featuring Slovenia,Iceland,Norway,Albania and Cyprus.Surprisingly defender Fabian Schar was their highest goal scorer with 3 goals.Just goes to prove Switzerland are goal shy and discounting Spain they had scored the lowest number of goals in qualification phase compared to teams who have qualified.Their matches usually finished in 1-0 or 2-0 an exception being 4-4 against Iceland

Manager: Ottmar Hitzfeld

The German coach is one of the most decorated coaches in footballing history having won 18 major titles with his club side including wining Champions league with two different clubs.Ottmar Hitzfeld is very intelligent,pragmatic and a superb tactician.

This will be his last tournament with Switzerland having taken the reins in 2008 and completely changing the side and will looking for a grand farewell from his players

Tactically Hitzfeld likes to outnumber opponents in every possession and is a big fan of energetic pressing and high defensive line.

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 (Nuremberg), Mario Gavranovic (Zurich), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg), Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Formation/Expected Line up:

The Swiss are expected to start in 4-2-3-1 and Hitzfeld loves to use double pivot at the base of midfield.

The center back Schar and Von Bergen aren't the most famous center back in the world but are quite adequate in what they do,Hitzfeld fielded the ex Arsenal duo of Senderos and Djourou at the back but both are susceptible to errors.Switzerland might have the best full back pairing with Rodriguez and Lichsteiner as both are a potent mix of attack and defence. Lichsteiner is the world's best right back and constantly joins attack and has also scored quite often for Juventus and Switzerland.Rodriguez on other hand is much more technical and is a great crosser.

The double pivot at the center features two Napoli player Inler and Behrami and could easily feature another Napoli player Dzemaili replacing Behrami. Inler is a superb tackler and is range of passing is also pretty good and can hit superb long balls to flank.Behrami is more energetic and has flair to dribble around opponents.Ahead of them is Xhaka at trequartista role and is very important for playing the strikers and wingers through onto the goal.

On the right wing Xherdan Shaqiri should start and has built quite a reputation in Europe for his dribbling and shooting.Much like his Bayern team Robben,Shaqiri prefers left foot and from right wing cuts inside to shoot.On other flank Stocker is also quite direct in his play and would be looking to ping crosses into the box.

Number 9 has been an area for concern but with Drmic's recent rise in prominence he should start.Drmic scored incredible 17 goals for his club side Nurnberg and with excellent players playing behind him to offer goal scoring service in this Swiss side there is no reason why he won't score plenty for them too.

Key Player: Xherdan Shaqiri

In a goal shy team Shaqiri's talent for shooting and dribbling are indispensable

Strength:

A young organised team who don't let in many goals and has plenty of attacking flair.

Weakness:

The hot and humid weather will challenge them especially against two teams who are quite used to these conditions.Also will Drmic be able to replicate his club form remains to be seen

My Prediction:

As I said they're dark horses in my view and will surely cause one or two upsets this summer.Expect them to qualify from this group at the expense of Honduras and Ecuador

FIXTURE (timings in IST)

World Cup 2014 Preview:Group D

This is the fourth of 8 part series analyzing and previewing all 32 teams participating in 2014 FIFA World Cup.The previews focuses more on the current squad,tactics,formation and recent form. We continue with Group D consisting of Costa Rica,England,Italy and Uruguay.

A three horse race this group and all them being previous World Cup winners.The tactical astuteness of Cesare Prandelli will surely be tested against a new look England side and Uruguay who will try to continue their amazing run in major competition.As for Costa rica they could do a 2010 New zealand act with their ultra defensive tactics and spoil chances of others.The group kicks off with the mouth watering clash between Italy and England and should set the tone for the rest of the fixture.

COSTA RICA

Los Ticos don't have the array of talent as their esteemed opponents but as a unit they'll surely be very tough to beat.They had a phenomenal defensive record during qualifying and usually setup very defensively by conceding space to opponent and letting them have the ball but defend valiantly in around the penalty box.

Qualification:

Costa Rica finished a commendable 2nd behind only USA in their qualifying group.They won all five games at their home including a 3-1 win over USA and conceded just seven goals which was the least conceded by the team in CONCAF. Bryan Ruiz was the star man in qualifying scoring goal and raking up assists.

Manager : Jorge Luis Pinto

This is Pinto's second spell with Los Ticos after being sacked in 2005 in spite making sure Costa Rica qualified for 2006 World Cup.The Colombian coach returned to his home country to manage Corporación Nuevo Cúcuta Deportivo and lead them to 1st title in their history,then followed a brief spell with Colombian national team after being again called for Costa Rica.
Jorge Luis Pinto has instilled discipline in this Los Ticos side and there is very good cohesiveness in the defensive line with every player trying to cover spaces so as not to let any player free near the penalty box

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).

Formation/Expected Line up:

Costa Rica are expected to start in 5-4-1 formation,this would have surely been different had they not lost striker Alvaro Saborio and Bryan Oviedo through injury.
Upfront should now start Joel Campbell who is very pacey and can prove vital in counter attacks, the only thing negative about Joel is he is still very raw and his link up play is not as expected from a center forward.
In the midfield on the right wing is Bryan Ruiz,the talented midfielder often comes inside when in possession to give the team a 4-4-1-1 shape.On the other side is Bolanas who is very direct dribbler and can shoot from either foot.At the base of midfield are Borges and Tejada;Borges is more attacking of the two and loves to arrive late in the box to score goals, Tejada on the other hand shields the defence and is a ball winner
In defence there are three center backs in Gonzalez,Umana and Acosta.The right back Gamboa has attacking mentality and will occupy space left by Ruiz when he moves inside.On the other side Diaz is more conservative fullback and will tuck in to protect the space in behind.

Key Player: Keylor Navas

The Levante goal keeper is underrated and has kept 7 clean sheets in 14 qualification matches.Navas will have to be at his best to keep some of the best strikers in the world at bay.

Strength:

The team is very compact and will look to frustrate opponents by denying any clear cut scoring opportunities.Also the pace of Joel campbell will cause opposition defence some problem

Weakness:

There is lack of individual quality in the team and also once they go a goal behind it's tough to see how they'll make a comeback

My Prediction:

Costa Rica have nothing to lose and will surely give better than in 2006 World Cup but qualifying from a group featuring Italy,England and Uruguay is a dream too far

ENGLAND

This is probably the first time in recent history that England are going to a major tournament without the expectation to win it.Many of it's 'Golden generation' players have been left out or retired and the bold decision by Roy Hodgson seems to be the sign of things to come in future but make no mistake about it these young players have made to the team based on their talent rather than age.Underestimating this England side can be a grave mistake, this team his technical skills in midfield and pace upfront to cause problem to any team in the world

Qualification:

England went through the entire qualification unbeaten but they left it to the last two games against Poland and Montenegro to book their tickets for Brazil.Wayne Rooney with 7 goals was the top scorer in the group the defence was also solid with the Three Lions conceding only 4 goals.The only major concern was the dull in the listless manner in which England played it's away games against Ukraine,Montenegro and Poland

Manager : Roy Hodgson

The 66 year old veteran is a fatherly figure and his management experience few coaches can match.He has traveled around the world to manage teams in Sweden where had a large influence on Swedish football,Switzerland,Italy,United Arab Emirates,Norway,Finland and home country England.

Tactically Hodgson is pragmatic likes solid and compact formation and when they get possession to launch lightning quick counter attack before the opposition can get into good defensive shape.

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).

Formation/Expected Line Up:

After much tinkering with formation with the likes of 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 tried it it seems Roy Hodgson might prefer the pragmatic 4-2-3-1 this World Cup

The defence looks pretty solid with Cahill having a phenomenal season with Chelsea and Jagielka looked pretty decent in Everton too.The full backs look to bomb forward. Leighton Baines has the additional quality of being a great crosser and is deadly on direct freekicks.Johnson is less more technical but motors up and down the flank easily.

In the midfield Gerrard should play in his new Regista position where he was quite brilliant with Liverpool.The choice of his partner in midfield comes down between Wilshere and Henderson.Wilshere is much more technical and has better link up play but Henderson might be preferred due to his good form and better defensive skills.

Rooney will play in number 10 role with license to roam on either side of Sturridge.On the left wings Hodgson has a choices between Welbeck and Sterling.Sterling had a great season with Liverpool playing in variety of positions and has phenomenal pace up his sleeve, Welbeck on other hand brings more directness and can score vital goals, his game against Bayern Munich showed he can cause defences all sort of problems playing on the flanks.On the other side the highly rated Lallana should play.He is very un-English in his play,he is two footed and very calm on the ball with vision to cut open opposition defences.

Upfront Sturridge should continue to play after having a great season at Liverpool where he scored goals for fun.He is hardworker and loves to make run into the space behind the defenders.

Key Player: Wayne Rooney

After two disappointing World Cups Wayne Rooney will have a point to prove.His talent can never questioned but will he have the temperament to perform at the biggest stage remains the question.With Rooney a moment of magic is never away and is very important for this English team lacking individual brilliance.

Strength:

England has a solid defence and great pace on the counter attack which makes for a potent combination against possession based team.They'll fare better against higher rated teams than the teams defending deep

Weakness:

For many of England's young starlets this is their first World Cup and condition in Brazil will be challenging.Also without a proper defensive midfielder Gerrard and Henderson could be overrun

My Prediction

England needs to avoid defeat against Italy foremost.A win in that match will be a bonus but draw looks more likely to setup a knockout clash against Uruguay. England has the firepower to beat Uruguay and mand for man are better than any team in this group it all come s to collective performance.With playing condition having a big effect I think Uruguay will edge out England

ITALY

The Azzurri's form has oscillated over the World Cups.In 2006 when no one gave them a chance the became the World champion and in 2010 when they had a straightforward to negotiate they failed to win a single game.Although under Cesare Prandelli they have become much more consistent and since 2010 they've reached later part of every tournament being the finalist in 2012 EURO beaten by only Spain and finished 3rd in Confederation cup 2013.

Qualification:

Italians made light work of qualification qualifying with two games to spare.In those last two gmes Cesare Prandelli made some tactical tinkering and both ended in draws, Thus crucial ranking points were dropped and Italians came into the draw unseeded expecting a tough group and that's exactly what they got.One more interesting point about Italians qualification was the amount of tactical changes Prandelli made throughout the qualification phase, he used in all 9 attackers out of which none of them started more than 4 matches.Mario Balotelli was the highest goal scorer with 5 goals

Manager : Cesare Prandelli

Cesare Prandelli is an astute tactician and a great man manager but the most important thing is he is respected highly bu the Italian players and it's Football Association.Before being appointed as the head coach of Italian national team Prandelli coached Fiorentina for record 5 years with great success.
Prandelli is known for formation and tactics changes in games and throughout the course of tournament they hardly play with single formation.Apart from shape the style is also quite un-Italian with emphasis on taking the game to the opponent with possession based football

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).

Formation/Expected line up:

It's virtually impossible to predict the formation of this Italian side under Cesare Prandelli.Actually high profile coaches have often misread Italy's formation and struggled against them a case in point is the group stage match against Spain in Euro 2012.

A) 4-3-2-1

Prandelli used this formation in most of the qualifying and Euro 2012.The back four is pretty strong with Juventus duo Chiellini and Barzagli.Abate and De sciglio are two attacking full backs but their defensive qualities are very good too.

The three in the midfield includes the maestro Andrea Pirlo in Regista role.Flanked bu De Rossi and the energetic Marchisio on either side of him.

Upfront is the trio of mercurial Balotelli,adventurous Insigne and hard working Candreva.Instead of Candreva Prandelli may prefer Cerci who has great pace and good goal scorer.

B) 3-5-2

In this formation the Juventus trio of Chiellini,Barzagli and Bonucci make a formidable defensive unit.The major change from 4-3-2-1 is Insigne and Candreva would lose out on starting place replaced by Bonucci and young striker Immobile who fails to live up to his name to join Balotelli.

Another formation not mentioned is 4-1-3-1-1 which could feature Marco Verrati.The tactical changes that Prandelli has up his sleeve are unbelievable and all this without the services of versatile Montolivo who got injured just before the tournament and will surely be missed.

Key Player: Andrea Pirlo

A 35 year old being the key player of a squad shows the talent of this guy.He is a masterful orchestrator and dictates the tempo the game.His set piece delivery and freekicks are quite majestic.Andrea Pirlo has evolved his games through the years and makes it very difficult to man mark him out the game

Strength:

Italians are tactically the most versatile side and can surprise teams who might fail to read their formation.

Weakness:

Mario Balotelli can have off days where he looks peripheral figure in the game.His inconsistency in front of goal can cost Italians big time

My Prediction:

It's a tough group to predict with three world champions and considering the fact that Italians are traditionally slow starters.They won't have that luxury in this group and will need to be at their absolute best in all three games.I expect Italians to make it out of group phase and at the with good football can reach minimum quarterfinal stage or beyond.

URUGUAY

La Celeste's record in recent tournament's has been excellent.Finishing 4th in World Cup 2010,winning Copa America and reaching semi final in Confederation cup 2013.The only thing that goes against this team is it's ageing and many players from 2010 World Cup have made the squad.

Qualification:

Uruguay had to endure a tough qualification campaign losing 5 games in the process and included a hammering by Colombia.They had to rely on star strikers Edison Cavani and Luis Suarez to get them 5th spot and secure a play off match against Jordan.That match they won very convincingly scoring 5 goals away from home.Luis Suarez was in excellent form during qualification phase and scored the league highest 11 goals

Manager: Oscar Tabarez

Oscar Tabarez has completely revamped Los Celeste with success in major tournaments and bringing back the old glory days.He is highly respected in Uruguay with both players and crowd and has been coach of the national team since 2006

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).

Formation/Expected Line up:

Uruguay are expected to play a highly functional 4-4-2.

The defence is characteristically strong with Diego Godin who had a fabulous season with Atletico Madrid and can be key in defence as well as offence in set pieces.The other Diego is now more susceptible to errors and can give away penalties with rash tackles.The left back Caceras is right footed but versatile enough to play in any position and has attacking mindset.On other side Pereira is more defensive and is a hard tackler and very strong physically

The center midfield lacks creative player with both Rios and Perez being physical ball wining midfielders. Atletico's Rodriguez should play on left flank although he had a terrible season with them and just shows the lack of good creative players in this team.On right flank is Stuani is again pretty functional and doesn't have great crossing skills.

The attacking two is what makes opposition fear to play against Uruguay.Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani are highly sought out strikers and both are deadly in front of goal.Without Diego Forlan how these two combine will be key to Uruguay's success.

Key Player: Luis Suarez

If he is fit and firing on all cylinders then he is virtually impossible to stop.

Strength:

Uruguay are acclimatized to the conditions well and that will be a very important aspect in this tournament.Also the front two are the best in the tournament.

Weakness:

Lack of creative force in midfield.

My Prediction:

A lot depends on Luis Suarez's fitness.The match against England will be the key.I think they'll edge out the English team.

FIXTURE (timings in IST)

Tuesday 10 June 2014

World Cup 2014 Preview:Group C

This is the third of 8 part series analyzing and previewing all 32 teams participating in 2014 FIFA World Cup.The previews focuses more on the current squad,tactics,formation and recent form. Today we analyze Group C consisting of host Columbia,Greece,Ivory Coast and Japan.

One of the most open group in this years' World Cup with all four teams fancying their chances to qualify.Another interesting aspect is the clash of inter-continental styles of the teams and with them having never faced each other before in major competition there is sure to be some surprises

COLOMBIA

Los Cafeteros are everyone's dark horses at this year World Cup and looking at the quality in the side it's easy to see why.The loss of their outstanding striker Radamel Falcao who was fabulous during qualification phase will certainly have an impact on their chances but their are others who can step up and take this team to knockout phase of tournament and even beyond that.

Qualification:

Colombia began their qualification campaign under Leonal Alvarez but he was sacked after just three matches.In came the Argentine Jose Pekerman and his tactics unlocked the attacking verve in this side.Columbia finished 2nd behind Argentina in the qualifying phase and were irresistible with defeat to Argentina the only blemish. Radamel Falcao was their highest goal scorer with 9 goals

Manager : Jose Pekerman

Jose Pekerman is known for his tactical management style, often selecting the players that fit his style of coaching, thus he is less biased on how talented a player is.His previous managerial includes the Argentina's national team,he was in charge of Albiceleste during 2006 World cup.
Tactically Jose Pekerman wants quick direct football,involves aggressive pressing and good width.The focus is more on attack stemmed from the belief that the can always score more goals than the opposition. Having said that Colombia had the meanest defence in the qualification phase.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: David Ospina (Nice), Faryd Mondragon (Deportivo Cali), Camilo Vargas (Santa Fe).

Defenders: Mario Yepes (Atalanta), Cristian Zapata (AC Milan), Carlos Valdes (San Lorenzo), Eder Alvarez Balanta (River Plate), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven), Camilo Zuniga (Napoli), Pablo Armero (West Ham).

Midfielders: Carlos Sanchez (Elche), Fredy Guarin (Inter Milan), Abel Aguilar (Toulouse), Aldo Leao Ramirez (Morelia), Juan Fernando Quintero (Porto), Víctor Ibarbo (Cagliari), James Rodriguez (Monaco), Juan Guillermo Cuadrado (Fiorentina), Alexander Mejia (Atletico Nacional).

Forwards: Jackson Martinez (Porto), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Adrian Ramos (Hertha Berlin), Teofilo

Gutierrez (River Plate).

Formation/Expected Line up:

Jose Pekerman preferred a system of 4-4-2/4-2-2-2 in the qualifying phase but with the absence of Radamel Falcao he might have a tactical rethink and there are many who believe Colombia could switch to to 4-2-3-1.Of course there are players at his disposal to change the formation in between games but against team superior to them they might opt for a safer approach.
Depending on the formation Pekerman has variety of option upfront in spite of loss of Falcao, Porto’s Jackson Martinez, Sevilla’s Carlos Bacca, River Plate’s Teo Gutierrez and Adrian Ramos are a talented bunch of goal scorers.Of course with 4-2-3-1 means fielding just one of them. I think he'll go with two upfront with the physicality of Bacca or Martinez and Gutierrez who was superb in qualification support playing as second striker.
It won't be an exaggeration to say Columbia has the best winger's in this years' tournament with James Rodriguez of Monaco and Fiorentina's Cuadrado. Although James isn't a winger in the truest of sense and loves to come infield to play in the number 10 role,his dribbling,passing and shooting are brilliant and maybe the stars' of the tournament. Cuadrado is much more direct and has ability to score vital goals
With four attackers Pekerman has to shore up things at the center and may opt for the ultra defensive midfielder Sanchez whose usually positioned just in front of defence and hardly gets ahead of the ball.Alongside him Aguilar should start and has more freedom than Sanchez
In defence the full backs are again in attacking mold and usually play as wing back for their club teams.The biggest headache for Pekerman has to be defense with ageing Yepes to be the sure starter,who will partner Yepes in defence is the big question and Pekerman has tried all options namely Cristian Zapata, Carlos Valdes and Eder Alvarez Balanta in recent friendlies.
Colombia will arrive at the World Cup as one of the most technically talented, physically overbearing and tactically flexible sides in the competition, and their ability to switch speeds at which they play is a killer.

Key Player: James Rodriguez

He is trickery,vision,pace and a thunderous left foot are enough to put fear in the minds of opposing defenders.James Rodriguez represents the creative outlet for Los Cafeteros and will surely his form will be vital for their qualification from the group

Strength:

The front four are exciting to watch and surely should bring lot of goals and excitement to the tournament.Also another advantage Colombia has over other teams is that they're used to playing under hot conditions expected in Brazil and this could be a massive difference in critical games

Weakness:

Defense has to be a big worry for Jose Pekerman and with Colombia pressing high up the pitch the likes of Yepes will be susceptible to high balls over the defence in the space left behind

My Prediction:

They are a great and exciting team to watch but Falcao's injury must have surely lowered the expectation,still they should qualify from this group considering the quality they possess.

GREECE

Greece 10 years ago caused on the biggest upset in recent footballing history becoming the European Champion under the astute management of Otto Rehhagel. That Greece side used to be compact,defend deep and used to concede possession to the opposition and only press them in their own half.The new coach Fernando Santos tried to bring change in their style and bring more positive brand of football but ultimately he the Greeks settled in a style they are most comfortable to them.Although there are subtle changes especially with Santos fielding two attacking fullbacks but the characteristic that will define Greece is they are hard to defeat.

Qualification:

Greece finished second in the qualifying group behind Bosnia-Herzegovina and needed a 4-2 aggregate victory over Romania to qualify for World Cup.five of their eight victories were 1-0 and they kept in all 8 clean sheets.

Manager : Fernando Santos

The Portuguese coach has wealth of experience having started his coaching career in 1987.He took over the reins of Greece national team in 2010 and tried to move over from Otto Rehhagel brand of football but later himself conceded defeat as this quote suggest "an identity that is not easy to change. We've tried to play a different way [but] then we slipped back into our comfort zone, our defensive strength"

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).

Formation/Expected Line Up:

Greece are expected to play 4-3-3 with ball and compact 4-5-1 without it.Defense is pretty solid with Dortmund's Sokratis and tough tackling Manolas. The full backs Torosidis and Holebas are quite attacking to be told the truth and will provide overlapping runs and provide width to the team.

The midfield is quite compact with Tzioli in screening role in front of defence. Maniatis formerly a right back now provides energy at the center of the park. Karagaounis should play the number 10 role.

On the wings are where the creativity of this team lies with Samaras and Salpingidis. Samaras is a striker turned to winger but likes to drift centrally whereas Salpingidis is much more of a winger and has the pace to cause full backs problem.

The qualifying round hero Mitroglou should start upfront and is the only outlet for goals in this Greek side.

Key Player: Konstantinos Mitroglou

The chances of Greek's progression depends on which Mitroglou shows up, the one who struggled to get games at Fulham or the one who scored 21 goals in 23 starts for Olympiakos

Strength:

The solid defence is Greece's biggest strength and would be looking for nicking 1-0 wins against fancied opponents

Weakness:

The lack of goals are the biggest problem for this Greek side and this stems from the lack of creative players in the midfield.

My Prediction

They'll be definitely tough to beat but the question remains what if they concede first,do they have the ability to fightback? I think they'll miss out on qualifying from this group by a whisker maybe goal difference.

IVORY COAST

The highest ranked African team and the it's so called Golden generation has the last chance of proving themselves with failing to qualify from group phase in last two World Cup and having not won a single African Cup of Nation.It has a more easier group as compared to last two World Cup and have a great chance to qualify if they play to their potential

Qualification:

Les Elephants topped their qualifying group and were drawn against Senegal in the play-off match.After some early jitters in second leg secured a 4-2 victory over them to book a place in this years' tournament.

Manager : Sabri Lamouchi

Sabri Lamouchi former french international's appointment was controversial and bewildering with him having no prior management experience and having never participated in World Cup itself.Lamouchi dropped the mercurial striker Didier Drogba after disappointing African cup of nation in 2013 but recalled him last August

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)

Formation/Expected line up:

Sabri Lamouchi's formation should be 4-3-3 as it gets the best of the attacking talent in this team. Lamouchi's style of play is usually pragmatic with emphasis on pressing but once they get the ball the front three have the license to show their creative brilliance.

Upfront it's a toss between Drogba and Swansea's Bony.Technically and form wise Bony is a much better option and Drogba can be used as super sub but it seems Lamouchi has more faith in ex-Chelsea striker.

Wingers are the creative outlet for Ivory Coast with Gervinho in the form of his life with A.S Roma and on other flank Kalou can come inside and act as second striker.The center midfield includes the trio of Yaya Toure who is coming off from a brilliant season with Manchester City and the base includes Serey Die and the aggressive tackler in Cheick Tiote.

The full backs are quite adequate with Serge Aurier who had a great season with his club side Toulouse providing assists and scoring Goals.The center back is the problematic position and the coach has to select two out of Kolo Toure,Bamba and Zokora

Key Player: Yaya Toure

Manchester city's man mountain can do pretty much everything at center midfield position be it dribbling,passing,tackling or shooting.Watch out for his direct freekick if they get any near the penalty box

Strength:

This side has experience on it's side and having gone out meekly in previous two edition would like to prove a point to the world.Also it's attacking quartet of Drogba,Kalou,Gervinho and Toure are game changers.

Weakness:

The Kolo Toure and Bamba's partnership at center back have never played a game together in an competitive fixture.Also the center halves lack pace and can be found out against the likes of Columbia or Japan.

My Prediction:

They have a golden opportunity to reach the knockout round but with inexperienced coach and unorganized team it's unlikely they'll make it out of the group.Match against Japan is key for their qualification

JAPAN

This is the fifth World Cup appearance for Japan the Asian Champions. They reached the Round of 16 twice (2002, 2010) and finished ninth overall in both tournaments. In 2010 in South Africa, Japan pushed Paraguay to a penalty shootout, but lost and just missed out on a trip to the quarterfinals.Japan was the first team to qualify for this year's World Cup and under Alberto Zaccheroni have started to look the real deal.

Qualification:

The Samurai Blue breezed past the qualification campaign featuring heavy wins like 6-0 demolition of Jordan and 3-0 against Oman. Shinji Kagawa and Okazaki were the star performers throughout the campaign missing only 20 minutes of qualification matches.

Manager: Alberto Zaccheroni

Alberto Zaccheroni has managed all of the top teams in Italy and has wealth of managerial experience.Instead of going with 3 at the back Zaccheroni has preferred 4-2-3-1 with Japan and achieved quite success with it.Under Zaccheroni this Japanese side plays more through the middle and wing backs pushed high up to provide width

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)

Formation/Expected Line up:

This Japanese team is excellent in midfield and won't be an exaggeration to say apart from Spain they have the best midfield controlling forces and out pass many of the fancied opponent.The preferred formation is 4-2-3-1

The defence features two of the most attacking full backs in the tournament with Nagatomo and Uchida.The center back pairing of Konno and Yoshida is a concern although Yoshida has improved a lot in the later part of his Southampton career.

At the midfield base are Hasebe and Endo and both are a treat to watch. Hasebe usually has more defensive responsibilities whereas Endo has license to roam around the pitch.Ahead of them lies Japan's most potent weapon Keisuke Honda who is adept at playing at number 10 position as well as false 9.

Japan doesn't have any real wingers and play a playmaker and a striker on the wings.Kagawa's movement is really intelligent and his vision would be key to unlocking defenses. Okazaki was brilliant in qualifying scoring plenty of goals,he makes plenty of runs behind the defence and as compared to kagawa who likes coming in from wing to join midfield Okazaki runs in field to become secondary striker.

Not having a proper number 9 could be an issue for this team and it's not sure who will start upfront. Zaccheroni can make a tactical gamble to start Okazaki upfront and play Kakitani on the wings

Key Player: Shinji Okazaki

For a team shy of goals Shinji Okazaki is the only clinical finisher.He scored 15 goals in 32 matches at club level and would be looking to continue that good form this summer

Strength:

The midfield seems to be the obvious strength of this Japanese side and the build up play can be often lovely to watch.

Weakness:

Lack of clinical finisher upfront could be the undoing of this team,the exquisite build up play often lacks an end product.

The center back pairing of Yoshida and Konno are susceptible to lapses in concentration and Japanese team as a whole concede goals at the end of the halves when they're exhausted and lose concentration as we saw in Confederation cup

My Prediction:

If somehow they can convert all the good build up play into goals there would be no stopping this Japanese team but I still think they'll qualify from this group based on their midfield strength but round of 16 should be too tough a hurdle to cross.