World Cup Predictions: Part II of V

Today we cover groups C and D.

Group C:

1. Colombia—Radamel Falcao’s injury is a massive blow to the country’s overall chances, but not to its chances within group play. David Ospina in an underrated keeper, and the midfield, peopled by the likes of James Rodríguez, Juan Cuadrado, and Fredy Guarín is one of the tournament’s most undersung. With Falcao out, don’t be surprised if Jackson Martínez has a big showing, perhaps even big enough to make him a coveted target to leave Porto in the upcoming transfer window.
• Player to Watch: James Rodríguez
2. Greece—While rather highly ranked, Greece is a largely lifeless team. I know little-to-nothing about them and desire to know even less.
• Player to Watch: Who plays for them again?
3. Ivory Coast—To discuss Ivoirian football is mainly to discuss 2 players, Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré. Drogba was one of last decade’s best attackers and Yaya is still one of the best central midfielders in the game. But they’re getting old, and this is probably their final cup. The future actually looks somewhat bright for the squad. Serge Aurier and Wilfried Bony are promising, but they, along with Yaya’s older brother Kolo, will have a hard time elevating the team enough. And when Gervinho, fast but otherwise subpar, is a possible starting forward for your team, you may not be as well-off as you thought. They’ve been the class of Africa for a while but have failed to win tournaments when it counts. If Ivory Coast moves on past the group stage, it will be because their older players didn’t want to go out so quickly on what was likely their final chance at international glory.

• Player to Watch: Yaya Touré
4. Japan—Japan is one of the tournament’s hardest teams to predict. Many of its players play in professionally Japan or at lesser European clubs, which I think this will work to its advantage. Many will not have had the opportunity to play against them, so they may surprise. Plus, Keisuke Honda is a great player, and Shinji Kagawa is a terrific player with lots of potential (screw David Moyes for failing to realize what he had). The team will indeed be the tale of two men, but the unpredictability of the rest of the squad will serve them well too.

• Players to Watch: Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa

Group C Overall Thoughts:

Arguably the weakest overall group in the tournament (and most certainly its most boring), Colombia will easily get through. Greece’s lethargic play will cost them playoff qualification. In the end, Japan will overcome the Ivoirian “last time spunkiness” because they are underrespected and because Honda and Kagawa are not to be dealt with lightly.

1. Colombia: 2-1-0
2. Japan: 1-2-0
3. Ivory Coast: 0-2-1
4. Greece: 0-1-2

Group D:

1. Costa Rica—In this, the 2014 tournament’s second group of death alphabetically speaking (Group B being the first), Costa Rica is the weakest link. About half the squad plays domestically, never a great sign unless representing England, Spain, Italy, Germany, or France or a select few clubs in other European nations and Brazil. Most of the rest play for teams in the US or Scandinavia or for largely second-rate squads elsewhere in Europe. They have international experience, but on the bigger stages, they don’t have experience winning. They qualified 2^nd for the 4 CONCACAF WC spots (only because Mexico played so badly), which is just not good enough to expect further progress (while CONCACAF is probably the 3^rd strongest federation, CR is up against 3 members of the 2 stronger ones). They probably won’t win a game, though a tie against a potentially misfiring England (if the 3 Lions fails to find their form by then) is entirely possible

• Player to Watch: I can’t provide one if I’ve never heard of any of the players.
2. England—The progenitors of the sport’s popularity (its northern neighbors being the sport’s actual creators), the Three Lions haven’t won the Cup since they first were victorious while hosting in 1966. That squad featured players like Bobby Charlton, Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, and Geoff Hurst. No such world-dominating talent currently graces the squad. Sure, they have some really fantastic players, but against the likes of Uruguay’s strikers and Italy’s defense and midfield, they will have a rough go of it. Their youthful team looked incredibly promising in some later qualifying, but they’ve been suffering a somewhat poor run of form over the last friendlies (specifically tying this Cup’s worst team). That being said, if they find their form, they’re capable of excellent, expansive, explosive football. Joe Hart is a great, if somewhat overrated goalkeeper. Roy Hodgson, I think, muffed it up when choosing his backs, though. While Leighton Baines is great, he can’t hold down the fort all on his own. Sure, Glen Johnson, Phil Jagielka, Chris Smalling, and Phil Jones are all capable defenders, and Southampton 18-year-old Luke Shaw will probably become the greatest defender of his generation, but Ashley Cole’s absence leaves a relative lack of experience on the important international scale, and Kyle Walker and Kieran Gibbs could have made interesting inclusions in place of lesser known youngsters John Stones and Jon Flanagan. When looking at the midfield, though, it’s easy to say the England has a bright future ahead of it. Though he excluded the aging Michael Carrick, the promising Andros Townsend, and the unreliable Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young from the squad, Hodgson’s assemblage is impressive in both its strength and diversity of age. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are two of England’s best midfielders ever. They provide more than enough experience to lead a remaining corps of 7 with an average age of 22½. The underrated Adam Lallana and the somewhat overrated James Milner are the outliers in their mid-to-late 20s, but almost all of the rest, Jack Wilshere, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley, and Alex O-C, are not only incredibly promising, but are also already incredibly capable. Wayne Rooney has long been the face of English football and with good reason. He is talented and has a knack for finding the back of the net (his 55-yarder in ManU’s 2^nd West Ham fixture was one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen). Rooney’s goalscoring will be crucial if the Lions are to have a chance in hell of making it into the knockout rounds. Daniel Sturridge too will need to bring the same stuff to the pitch that he did in his explosive partnership with Luis Suárez this season that nearly won Liverpool the BPL. Danny Welbeck is rather promising and has a terrific frame for the game, but he is often inconsistent and will need to better utilize his height and strength is he is to contribute effectively. 32-year-old Rickie Lambert’s inclusion seems strange considering the mostly younger composition of Hodgson’s 23 and is made even more so by the likes of Andy Carroll and Wilfried Zaha (or even the inconsistent Theo Walcott) being left out. The England I just described sounds like a real force to be reckoned with, but it really isn’t. Despite the strength of many of its individual players, the team is remarkably inconsistent. If it can find some consistency it could be a spoiler (though not an eventual champion). Unfortunately I don’t think they will.

• Players to Watch: Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge
3. Italy—Italy has a long and storied tradition in the World Cup, having participated in 18 tournaments, winning 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) and finishing top 4 an additional 4 times. But they’re long-time stars are aging quickly, and their replacements have not really had the playing time they need to hold their own. But that doesn’t matter right now because the oldies but goodies are still in action. Gianluigi Buffon is one of the best keepers in history and this will be his 5^th WC. Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, and Leonardo Bonucci will lead a staunch defense and will be joined probably by either Ignazio Abate or talented youngster Mattia De Sciglio. The midfield, led by Andrea Pirlo (soon to retire both internationally and professionally), Claudio Marchisio, and Daniele De Rossi will be brilliant. The forwards are somewhat inexperienced, this being the first major international tournament for underrated Alessio Cerci and the young Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne, but Mario Balotelli is already so amazing that he will be able to lift them a few times when the team may need it. Considering how inexperienced the attacking portion is, the exclusion of young and talented Stephan El Shaarawy from the squad comes as a bit of a surprise, but perhaps head coach Cesare Prandelli’s scheme does not call for wingers. The Italians are a brilliant team who are capable of huge success this time around, but I think their first XI’s age and resultant relatively poorer fitness will eventually spell their downfall.

• Player to Watch: Andrea Pirlo (because he makes the game beautiful) and Mario Balotelli
4. Uruguay—I feel like most people have heard of Uruguay before, especially since the rather conservative country (at least compared to its South American neighbors) legalized marijuana last year. With just 3.5 million people, the country has won 2 WCs, the first in 1930 at the tournament’s inaugural, the second in 1950 when they upset host Brazil in the most highly attended game in football history. Despite its miniscule population, the country looks to play a major role in the upcoming tournament, just as it has in the past, placing 4^th or higher in 5 of the 12 WCs in which it has participated. The team is really strong and will only become stronger given the semi-home-field advantage they’ll receive. Fernando Muslera is one of the world’s best goalkeepers, though he’s not as well-known as, say, Joe Hart, Iker Casillas, or Manuel Neuer because he plays in Turkey (granted, he plays for the Süper Lig’s most famous club, Galatasaray). His supporting cast at the Istanbul club is not nearly as strong as the same for the national team, so he should have no trouble preventing a slaughter similar to that unleashed upon Galatasaray by Real Madrid in the Champions’ Cup. With Diego Lugano, Diego Godín, Jorge Fucile, Maxi Pereira, and Martín Cáceres at his defensive disposal, head coach Óscar Tabárez has a wealth of great options, not to mention José María Giménez, an extremely promising Atlético Madrid prospect (whom I recently signed in a FIFA 14 career mode). Liverpool’s Sebastián Coates is also nothing to scoff at. The midfield is Uruguay’s weakest part of the pitch, but Cristian Rodríguez and up-and-coming Nicolás Lodeiro should be able to hold down the fort well enough with the help of Walter Gargano. The class of the outfit, though, it its attacking corps. Edinson Cavani is one of the world’s absolute best strikers, and Diego Forlán was a co-Golden Boot winner in South Africa. Abel Hernández is a rising star, and if they make it far enough into the tournament, a Luis Suárez returning from injury could make an enormous impact.
• Players to Watch: Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlán

Group D Overall Thoughts:

This is most certainly a group of death, but I don’t think it’s the strongest group, Group B is even stronger. Costa Rica is the Australia-equivalent here. The jockeying for position by the other three teams in the group should make for probably the most interesting group of the tournament. I think Uruguay’s firepower, Italy’s experience and Andrea Pirlo, and England’s inconsistency will decide the group.

1. Uruguay: 2-1-0 (ahead on goal difference)
2. Italy: 1-2-0
3. England: 1-1-1
4. Costa Rica: 0-0-3