Bem-vindo ao Brasil (Welcome To Brasil) - The World Cup Is Here

The wait is over, the biggest party in the football calender is merely a few hours away. Every four years this extraordinary, magnificent and phenomenal spectacle captures the world's imagination. As a South African, I must be honest that I wish it could return, looking back I can't believe it was 4 years to the day we were getting ready to kick off the tournament. It is Brazil's turn now and I am sure they will deliver, as they supported us in 2010 we should rightly support them in 2014. 

This is how the groups look :

Group A

• Brazil
• Croatia
• Mexico
• Cameroon

(Prediction)

1. Brazil

2. Mexico 

Group B

• Spain
• Netherlands
• Chile
• Australia

(Prediction)

1. Spain

2. Netherlands

Group C

• Columbia
• Greece
• Ivory Coast
• Japan

(Prediction)

1.Ivory Cost

2. Columbia

Group D

• Uruguay 
• Cost Rica
• England
• Italy

(Prediction)

1. Uruguay

2. Italy

Group E

• Switzerland
• Ecuador
• France
• Honduras

(Prediction)

1. France

2. Switzerland

Group F

• Argentina
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Iran
• Nigeria

(Prediction)

1. Argentina

2. Nigeria

Group G

• Germany
• Portugal
• Ghana
• USA

(Prediction)

1. Germany

2. Portgual

Group H

• Belgium
• Algeria
• Russia
• Korea Republic

(Prediction)

1. Belgium

2. Russia

Without a doubt the biggest concern for the World Cup has been the injuries leading up to the tournament, but that is football unfortunately, each manager has had time to select appropriately. The World Cup in my opinion is the biggest intentional competition in the world, there is no greater opportunity. For every player out there, they know their country and millions around the world will be watching them. 

The pressure is on Brazil, their people expect...perhaps demand them to win the trophy. Brazil's record at home in international football is phenomenal, they have not lost a game since 2002 (which was a friendly), but to find a competitive game which matters...Brazil haven't lost one of those since 1975. Its a scary stat which makes the home team firm favorites for the crown, the crowd is behind them, history is behind them.     

Its not just form thats backing Brazil, the numbers don't lie either. Nate Silverman developed a algorithm with SPI (Sport Power Index) & ESPN during the 2010 World Cup, the system has been used to demonstrate why Brazil are the favorites once again. 

To check out the full article on the 'Its Brazil's World Cup to Lose' click on the link The Algorithm vs. The Market

Star Players : Who To Watch At The World Cup


Group A

Brazil: Neymar Jr.

Hosts Brazil will be hunting for their sixth World Cup title, but their first on home soil and second in South America, after their triumph in Chile in 1962.  Neymar, who became one of the highest paid players in the world while still a teenager at Santos, will be key to their success if they want to win. He already has 31 goals at international level, and he’s likely score many in a relatively easy group (for Brazil, at least). A joy to watch, he has endured a slightly erratic season at Barcelona, but has still managed to plunder 15 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions. Neymar will no doubt be looking  to prove his nay-sayers wrong at this tournament by powering Brazil to the title.

Croatia: Ivan Rakitic

Croatia’s best placing at the World Cup is the third place finish that they achieved in 1998, which was also their World Cup debut. Sevilla’s attacking midfielder Ivan Rakitic will be crucial if Croatia are to make it out of the group ahead of Mexico and Cameroon.  Rakitic was born in Switzerland, but chose to represent Croatia at international level. He is coming off the back of an impressive first season as captain at Sevilla, where the personal highlight was a mid-air back-heel  over Pepe’s head and then pass for Carlos Bacca against Real Madrid. Rakitic has been surrounded by rumours of a transfer to Barcelona, but is unlikely to let that get in the way of a successful tournament. His partnership with Luka Modric behind Mario Mandzukic (most likely Ivica Olic for the first game due to Mandzukic’s suspension) will be one of the better pairings to watch in this World Cup.

Mexico: Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez

Cameroon: Samuel Eto’o

Cameroon were once one of Africa’s strongest teams at the World Cup, but recently have lived up to expectations, despite consistently qualifying for the World Cup. This time around, however, they have a good chance of making it out of their group, and they will be relying on their captain and greatest player, Samuel Eto’o to do so. Eto’o will be appearing in a World Cup for the fourth, and possibly last time and has begun to wind down his club career. Eto’o can still do a good job as a striker, and at Chelsea he managed to score 12 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions, despite Jose Mourinho’s criticisms of his age. He intends to compete in 2018, though at 33, it is looking doubtful that he will be able to continue at club level for much longer, let alone another World Cup.

Group B

Spain: Andres Iniesta

Spain are world and European champions, and will be looking to retain their title and avenge their defeat in the Confederations Cup last year. This task is made all the more harder by their placement in the “Group of Death” with The Netherlands, Chile and Australia. With Xavi aging and not as imperious as he was 4 years ago, Andres Iniesta will be the man that the Spaniards look to to pull the strings in midfield. Iniesta is still one of the best passers in the game, and regardless of which striker (or false 9) he has ahead of him, he can still impact the game like few other players. The man who scored the winner in the final against The Netherlands 4 years ago, Iniesta is effective as both the holding player in the pivot or as more of a box-to-box player, and Vincente Del Bosque will probably use him in both roles.

The Netherlands: Robin Van Persie

3 times runners-up, The Netherlands will be hoping to finally get their hands on the trophy this time around, although they have to navigate a tough group and a potentially tough Round of 16 tie first. They’ll be looking to captain Robin Van Persie to get them through it, and Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal will be looking to him to show better form than he did for Manchester United last season. As he has shown (especially in his final season at Arsenal), Van Persie is more than capable of carrying a team and the importance of the World Cup is unlikely to affect him, as he has played in 2 previous World Cups. Expect him to mount a challenge for the Golden Boot should the Netherlands make it out of the group.

Chile: Alexis Sanchez

Australia: Tim Cahill

Group C

Colombia: Juan Cuadrado

Greece: Kostas Mitroglu

Ivory Coast: Yaya Toure

The Ivory Coast is perhaps Africa’s best chance to go far in this competition, with Ghana having been placed in a very tough group. Key to any success will be Yaya Toure. One of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world, Yaya Toure powered Manchester City to the Premier League title last season, but is currently embroiled in a dispute with the club over the apparent lack of celebration for his birthday. It is, however, doubtful that this will affect Yaya’s performances at the World Cup, and we can all expect some top drawer performances from him. Yaya’s ability in the centre of the park will make things easier for the likes of Didier Drogba and Gervinho to grab a few goals, and when the other players are unable to score, Yaya is more than capable of picking up the slack. Should the Ivory Coast reach the quarter finals, expect Yaya to be named in the Team of the Tournament.

Japan: Keisuke Honda

Group D

Uruguay: Luis Suarez/Diego Forlan

Uruguay will be looking to repeat the feats of their legendary 1950 side, who shocked hosts Brazil to win the World Cup. That loss prompted a certain 10 year old by the name of Pele to tell his father that he would win the World Cup for him one day. Luis Suarez is currently struggling with a meniscus injury and it is looking doubtful that last season’s Premier League top scorer will be able to play at the World Cup. Should he be ruled out, expect Diego Forlan to step in. Forlan is currently winding down his career at Cerezo Osaka in Japan, and despite his advanced age of 35, he is still one of Uruguay’s key players, especially in light of Edinson Cavani’s poor season at Paris Saint-Germain. Forlan was named the best player at the 2010 World Cup, and he still has enough quality to take his team far in this competition.

Costa Rica: Bryan Ruiz

England: Wayne Rooney

England will, as always, have high hopes that they can win a second World Cup, and they have some exciting young players, most notably Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling. Despite this, their key player will be one of the old hands, Wayne Rooney. Once hailed as the “English Pele,” Rooney has failed to perform well at any of the 4 international tournaments he has been to with the Three Lions and there are calls for him to be dropped from the starting XI for this tournament. However, it is unlikely that Roy Hodgson will do this, and should Rooney start, expect all of England’s play to go through him, especially since Gerrard is playing in a deeper role. England will be hoping that Rooney will finally show his club form for his country.

Italy: Andrea Pirlo

Italy will be aiming for their 5^th World Cup title, and after a dismal showing as champions 4 years ago, having gone out in the group stages, will be looking to at least reach the semi finals, if not the final. For this they will look to Jesus lookalike himself, Andrea Pirlo. Pirlo has found renewed form at Juventus after being released by AC Milan 3 years ago, and has remained one of the game’s best playmakers. Pirlo is a magician on the pitch, and he is still more than capable of producing the extra bit of skill necessary to win games, despite his advanced age of 35. Should Italy ever find themselves on the back foot in a game, expect Pirlo to provide the game changer. Containing him will be a tough ask for any player playing against Italy.

Group E

Switzerland: Xherdan Shaqiri

Switzerland are ranked 6^th in the world, and will be hoping to live up to that rank in the upcoming World Cup. They’ll be hoping that Xherdan Shaqiri can help they do this, with the Bayern Munich player’s runs at the opposition proving a great outlet for the rest of the team. Shaqiri is only 22, and is not a regular starter for Bayern, but is already one of the best players to come out of Switzerland. His pace makes it tough for defenders to deal with, and keep an eye out for his runs into the box or crosses in to Haris Seferovic and Josip Drmic.

Ecuador: Antonio Valencia

France: Paul Pogba

France’s main aim will be to avoid the melt down of the 2010 World Cup, and this aim has led to Didier Deschamps’ decision to drop Samir Nasri from the World Cup squad. Franck Ribery’s injury means that he wont feature at the World Cup, and that Paul Pogba will become the key man for the French. Pogba was let go by Manchester United in 2012, and has made them regret it ever since. He was one of Juventus’ key players in their last 2 title winning seasons, and when you watch him, you can see why. His vision and command of the pitch is remarkable for his age, and for France his partnership with Blaise Matuidi has proved very effective. France will be hoping that Pogba can replicate the form he showed a year ago at the u20 World Cup, where he was named Best Player and step up to the senior stage. He is tipped to be a future French captain, and his leadership in the middle of the park is evident in every game he plays. While Pogba has a penchant for the spectacular, and has scored many wonderful goals, he does however, have a slight discipline problem, and Deschamps will be hoping that he does not rule himself out of any matches through the accumulation of yellow cards.

Honduras: Andy Najar

Group F:

Argentina: Lionel Messi

Argentina are expected to make the semi-finals, and boasting a side including Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria and Ezequiel Lavezzi, it is not difficult to see why this is the case. Messi, undoubtedly one of the best footballers ever, has yet to really shine on the world stage. At 27, this may be his last opportunity. For many, the only thing stopping Messi from surpassing Pele and Maradona and becoming the best player ever is his poor World Cup form. With the team built around him, it will be difficult for Messi to not do well this year.

Bosnia: Edin Dzeko

Iran: Reza Ghoochannejhad

Nigeria: John Obi Mikel

Nigeria will be hoping to make it out of their group, especially considering that they’re African champions. They failed to make it out of their group 4 years ago, so reaching the round of 16 this time around will be a vast improvement. John Obi Mikel plays with more freedom and creativity than he does at Chelsea, and he powered Nigeria to the African Cup of Nations title last year. Mikel will be able to get forward more than he does for Chelsea, and that has been key for Stephen Keshi’s side. Mikel will be hoping that Mourinho watches him closely to see how good he is playing further forward, and hopefully that will lead to a new role for him at the London club.

Group G

Germany: Philipp Lahm

Germany will be aiming to win the title after 2 third-place finishes in a row preceded by a runners-up medal in 2002. Philipp Lahm  Will be headed to this World Cup as captain for a second time, and possibly in a third role for his country. Having played immensely well on the left side of the defence in 2006 (including a screamer in the opener against Costa Rica), then excelling at right-back in 2010, it is likely that Jogi Löw will use him in his new midfield role, where he has played for Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola. Lahm has shown over his career how versatile he is, and despite being a defender, he has only collected 2 yellow cards throughout his career. His leadership, versatility and discipline will all be key for Germany as they try to win their 4^th title.

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal will be hoping to make the quarters, and they have a decent team at their disposal, not least of whom is Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is undoubtedly the best player in the world at the moment, and like his “rival,” Lionel Messi, has never really shone at a World Cup.  Like Messi, his time is running out. At 29, he needs to show what he can do on the greatest stage of all. He is a doubt however, with tendonitis, which a Nigerian witch doctor has claimed to have caused. If Ronaldo manages to shake off his injury, expect him to be almost unstoppable.

Ghana: Kevin-Prince Boateng

Ghana were unlucky to be knocked out at the quarter-final stages in 2010, with Luis Suarez’s handball on the line followed by Gyan’s missed penalty leading to a penalty shoot-out which they lost. Suarez has since been persona non-grata in most of Africa. They will want to reach the semi-finals this time around (and become the first African side to do so), and Kevin-Prince Boateng will be crucial to their chances. Boateng was born in Germany, and as he did in 2010, will face his half-brother Jerome, who plays for Germany. Boateng excelled while at AC Milan, but after several racist incidents, he returned to Germany with Schalke. His play is immense, and it helped Ghana reach the quarters 4 years ago. He, and Ghana, will be hoping that he can emulate that success.

USA: Clint Dempsey

Group H

Belgium: Eden Hazard

Belgium are returning to the World Cup after failing to qualify for the last 2 tournaments. They go to the tournament as 5^th favourites to win. Their squad this time around is packed with loads of talent, from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to striker Romelu Lukaku, but their most talented player is Eden Hazard. Hazard is one of the best players in the Premier League, and he will be key if Belgium are to go far in this tournament. Many expect Belgium to reach the semi-finals, but personally I think that their lack of international tournament experience in the squad will let them down. Despite this, they should reach the quarters at least. Hazard is poised to light up the World Cup, and he should make the Team of the Tournament. Hazard’s play on the wing will most likely draw a few defenders and free up space for Lukaku to do some damage in. Hazard’s skill and decision making is almost unrivalled and he has been terrorizing Premier League defences for the last 2 years. His age means that we’ll be watching him for years to come, and hopefully, for Belgium, it means that they’ll win a world cup one day.

Algeria: Sofiane Feghouli

Algeria finished bottom of their group 4 years ago, and they will be hoping to avoid that fate this time around. Sofiane Feghouli, having played for France at youth level, will be hoping he can help his side get out of their group for the first time ever, and his abilities mean that while he does not score very often, he gets many assists for his team mates, most notably Islam Slimani.

Russia: Igor Akinfeev

South Korea: Son Hyueng-Min

By Samir Gelb

If You'd like to follow Samir during the World Cup you can do so by clicking on the link below

Twitter : SamirGelb

Once again thank you to all of you for your support, I really hope you enjoy the first few games of World Cup. Make sure to stay by for future blogs, regarding the knock out stages and group stage wrap up.

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