Predicting any soccer tournament is always a guessing game especially this World Cup since we don’t know how some of the players will be affected by the heat or the arduous travel schedule.
There are also some other factors worth considering: First, it is going to be hard to beat Brazil because they are playing at home and are determined to avoid a repetition of the 1950 World Cup when they lost at home in the final to Uruguay.
Second, European teams historically do not play as well outside their continent and there is no reason to think it will be different this time.
Cameroon are making their seventh appearance at the World Cup but although some of their players have European experience the prospect of progressing out of the group is slim.
They don’t play as well abroad, their style of play- tika taka- has been found out and their best players are aging.
Netherlands have a young squad of mostly home based players and with not much international experience and a weak midfield third place is likely.
Radamel Falcao, their best player is injured but they have a deep squad and are expected to top the group.
They qualified from an easy European group and are too over-reliant on a handful of players.
They are technically gifted and play high intense soccer.
Their team is laced with gifted players like Honda, Kagawa and Endo and with 1.5 million Japanese Brazilians to support them it will be like playing at home.
The Ivory Coast were unlucky in the last two World Cups when they were drawn in the group of death but with their golden generation of players now aging Japan will edge them for second place.
Italy will benefit from their experience of playing in Brazil in last year’s Confederations Cup and with coach Cesare Prandelli promising a more attacking style anything short of a quarter-final place would be a disappointment.
Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are a formidable pair of strikers and with their knowledge of the playing conditions in Brazil top spot in the group is realistic.
ITALY GROUP E – Switzerland, France, Ecuador, Honduras Switzerland is the surprise seed of the competition and though they have some promising players and a lucky draw they need to play above themselves to reach the second round.
Honduras came third in qualifying and got to the quarter- final of the 2012 Olympics, losing in a close match against Brazil playing with 10 men.
With six British based players in their squad team ethic is key to their success.
Playing in their own backyard anything less than a place in the final will be a disappointment.
Portugal’s success will resolve around Cristiano Ronaldo current world player of the year but his international record is not impressive.
Manager Jurgen Klinsmann omitted their best player of all time-Landon Donovan- and without him they lack a natural match winner.
Chile vs Argentina – Argentina THIRD PLACE PLAY OFF Germany vs Chile – Germany FINAL Brazil vs Argentina – Brazil I chose Brazil over Argentina in the final because of home advantage and because there won’t be a repetition of 1950.
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