World Soccer - One Shot 2014

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Every squad analysed by the experts

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England’s greatest World Cup moments

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Everything you need to know about Brazil 2014

GERRARD Face to face with England’s captain

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Rooney, Messi & Neymar get ready for the greatest show on earth

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Contents

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IPC MEDIA BLUE FIN BUILDING, 110 SOUTHWARK ST, LONDON SE1 0SU

TEL: 020 3148 5000 EDITOR

GAVIN HAMILTON

32

ART DIRECTOR COLIN HALLIDAY

PICTURES

DUNCAN BOND

24

EDITORIAL SECRETARY JUNE HISCOCK

CONTRIBUTORS

NICK BIDWELL, NICH HILLS, JOHN HOLMESDALE, HAYTERS, DEBBIE MILLETT

PHOTOGRAPHY ACTION IMAGES

MARKETING

SIMON NAINBY

ADVERTISING

KERRY EDMONDSON

PRODUCTION MANAGER TOM JENNINGS

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR HAMISH DAWSON

World Soccer ® is a registered trademark of IPC Media Ltd. © IPC Media Ltd 2003. Printed at Polestar, Colchester. Published by IPC Inspire, part of IPC Media Group of companies. Distributed by IPC MarketForce, IPC Media, Blue Fin Building, 10 Southwark St, London SE1 0SU

Classic images

6

World Cup heroes

36

This Just In

18

Neymar

44

Steven Gerrard

24

Roy Hodgson

46

Cristiano Ronaldo

26

World Cup stadiums

52

Wayne Rooney

56

Greatest England World Cup goals

28

Marco Reus

58

Lionel Messi

32

The teams

63

Daniel Sturridge

34

World Cup schedule


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HOLLAND page 98

GERMANY page 92

USA page 124

ENGLAND page 88

BELGIUM page 70

FRANCE page 90

SPAIN page 120

HONDURAS page 100

PORTUGAL page 114

ITALY page 104 COSTA RICA page 82

ALGERIA page 64 BRAZIL page 74 NIGERIA page 112

MEXICO page 110

IVORY COAST page 106

CAMEROON page 76

COLOMBIA page 80

GHANA page 94 URUGUAY page 126

ECUADOR page 86

CHILE page 78 ARGENTINA page 66

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The

TEAMS

SWITZERLAND page 122

CROATIA page 84

RUSSIA page 116 BOSNIAHERZEGOVINA page 72

IRAN page 102 JAPAN page 108

S KOREA page 118

GREECE page 96

AUSTRALIA page 68


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classic moments

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1966

England manager Alf Ramsey shakes the hand of Bobby Moore as the England captain prepares to lead his victorious team up the steps at Wembley to collect the World Cup after beating West Germany 4-2 in the 1966 Final. England won the game in extra-time after West Germany had scored a late equaliser. Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick in the Final was the first and only such feat in World Cup history.


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classic moments

1970

Pele holds aloft the Jules Rimet trophy after Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in the World Cup Final at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Brazil’s win gave them their third World Cup in four tournaments. Their manager Mario Zagallo became the first person to win the World Cup as a player (1958) and manager, while Pele became the first and, to date, only player to win the World Cup three times.

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classic moments

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1974

English referee Jack Taylor awards Holland a penalty in the first minute of the 1974 World Cup Final against West Germany, in Munich. Before the hosts had even touched the ball, Holland captain Johan Cruyff made a run into the German penalty area and was brought down by Uli Hoeness. Johan Neeskens scored from the resultant spot-kick, but the West Germans fought back to win 2-1.


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classic moments

1982

Paolo Rossi opens the scoring for Italy in the 1982 World Cup Final against West Germany in Madrid. The Italians had begun the tournament slowly, getting through their group with three draws from three games. But in the second group stage, they beat Argentina and Brazil, before defeating Poland in the semi-final. This was Rossi’s sixth goal of a tournament in which he would finish as leading goal scorer.

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classic moments

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WorldMags.net 2006

In the 2006 Final in Berlin, France midfielder Zinedine Zidane, playing in his last ever professional game, butts Italy defender Marco Materazzi. Zidane was sent off, leaving France with 10 men and although they held on to a 1-1 draw after extra time, the Italians won the penalty shoot-out to claim their fourth World Cup.


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classic moments 2010

In the last minute of extra-time of the 2010 World Cup quarter-final in Johannesburg, South Africa, Uruguay’s Luis Suarez deliberately handles the ball on the goal-line to prevent a certain winner for Ghana. Suarez was sent off and the resultant penalty was missed by Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan. Uruguay triumphed in the penalty shoot-out, leaving the African continent without its first ever semi-finalist.

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NEW KITS ON THE BLOCK

Here’s our selection of the best World Cup strips

ENGLAND All white on the night for captain Steven Gerrard and team-mates

CHILE Classic look for La Roja (the reds)

SPAIN Red all over for the world champions

URUGUAY Traditional sky blue for the South Americans AUSTRALIA Yellow and green for the Socceroos

ARGENTINA Stars in stripes for Messi’s hopefuls

UNITED STATES Red, white and blue for the American dream 18 WORLD CUP 2014


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IVORY COAST Orange glow for Africa’s finest

PORTUGAL Red alert for Ronaldo’s boys FRANCE Thin stripes and baggy shorts for Les Bleus

BRAZIL Traditional colours for Neymar and Co

SOUTH KOREA Red and blue for the Taegeuk Warriors

GERMANY Red chests, white shirts for Ozil and Co

GREECE White with a hint of blue


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THIS JUST IN... BRAZILIANS GET IN THE SPIRIT The London Olympic Games had the ‘games makers’, an army of volunteers who gave up their time for no cost to help the event run smoothly. With the next Olympics being held in Rio in two years’ time, the Brazilian people have got the perfect opportunity to practise by enrolling 14,000 volunteers at the World Cup. They will be on hand across the country at all the venues and host cities to help spectators with anything from directions to the stadium or where the nearest taxi rank is. At the recent unveiling of the volunteers uniforms, Brazil 2002 World Cup winning captain Cafu and his former international team-mate Juliano Belletti, modelled the outfits. They appeared on the catwalk at a fashion show in Rio de Janeiro, with Brazilian model Lais Ribeiro, who was recently voted the 15th sexiest model in the world.

BEETLE MANIA Nelson Paviotti is a Brazilian lawyer from Campinas in the state of Sao Paulo. Twenty years ago, in 1994, he promised that if Brazil won the World Cup, he would only ever wear clothes the colours of the national team. That he did after Brazil beat Italy in the final on penalties. And now, with a home World Cup to celebrate, Paviotti has gone one step further. Not only does he dress in just yellow, green, blue or white (home and away colours), but he eats food that is only green or yellow, has painted his house in the national team colours and emblazoned his two Volkswagen Beetles with the Brazilian national flag.

PUTTING THE HOUSE ON BELGIUM Another fan painting his house in his national team’s colours is Belgian Wilfried Thelen. The resident of St Vith, a small town near the border with Germany, has painted his house in the red, yellow and black of the Belgian flag in celebration of his country’s first appearance at the World Cup finals since 2002. However, his neighbours do not approve and have lodged formal complaints with the local authority. After several meetings with the authorities, it was agreed that Thelen could leave his house as it was until the end of the tournament, but as soon as the finals are over, he has to paint it plain white.

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THIS JUST IN… BRIAN GLANVILLE’S THE STORY OF THE WORLD CUP

CONVERSE WORLD CUP BAGS To celebrate the World Cup in Brazil, Converse have redesigned their iconic player messenger bags to incorporate the colours of the world’s most famous international teams. The new World Cup collection features some of the top national teams including England (red and white), Germany (black and yellow), France (blue and red) and host nation, Brazil (green and yellow). From USC.co.uk, £40.

The World Soccer columnist’s definitive history of the competition has been updated to include his account of Spain’s triumph in 2010. As Patrick Barclay has noted, “most football writers fall into two catagories: those who have been influenced by Brian Glanville, and those who should have been.” Faber & Faber, £14.99

RECOMMENDED PLUS LOOK OUT FOR

World Soccer’s World Cup special On Sale May 9

MINIATURE WORLD CUP SoccerStarz have a new range for the 2014 World Cup, featuring players from Brazil, Belgium, England, France, Germany and Uruguay. All in all, there are 120 players to collect. Competition, page 55. www.soccerstarz.com

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WorldMags.net PLAYER INTERVIEW

Steven Gerrard

CAPTAIN

Skipper Steven Gerrard will lead by example in Brazil. He believes England, with a little luck, can go a long way YOU’LL BE FACING LIVERPOOL TEAMMATE LUIS SUAREZ AT THE WORLD CUP. HOW DO YOU RATE HIM? He’s world class, he’s got everything and we are very lucky to have him in our club and we want him to stay for a long time. If Liverpool FC want to be successful for a long time to come, Luis Suarez is going to be part of that. He’s a very quiet guy in the dressing room and around the place. He’s a family man. I am quite close to him, sit next to him in the dressing room, and speak to him on the phone quite a bit and exchange text messages and so on, and every time you ask what he’s doing he is always with the family. He’s very quiet, a very good professional. But when he is on the pitch or the training ground he turns into a fighter, turns into a winner. When you are trying to win these big prizes against top players and top teams, Luis Suarez is someone you want in your team. I’d go so far as to say he’s the best player I have played with, which is some accolade, considering I have played with some fantastic players. HOW DO YOU RATE ENGLAND’S CHANCES AT THE WORLD CUP? I don’t want to raise expectations, but as I always say going into a major tournament, if you get that bit of luck, if the ball drops your way, you can achieve the impossible. I’ve done it with Liverpool

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before. I saw Chelsea do it [in the Champions League 2012]. It’s not all the time that the best team win these competitions, so we can go there with hope and belief. HOW IMPORTANT WILL YOUNG PLAYERS LIKE JACK WILSHERE BE? Jack’s going to play a big part. You look at his game, his personality and his character and he ticks all the boxes. He’s one of a batch of young players coming into the side, and they have time to grow and improve. WHAT ABOUT WAYNE ROONEY? He would say himself he hasn’t always hit his high standards at big tournaments, but knowing Wayne as a friend and as a player he’ll feel the disappointment we all shared at Euro 2012. He’ll be looking to shine in Brazil. HOW ABOUT ROY HODGSON? We’re all enjoying working under him. England are going in the right direction, we’re growing as a team, we have some tough games to come but we’re all in it together and will do our best to get the job done. HOW DID YOU FEEL AFTER SCORING IN THE QUALIFIER AGAINST POLAND AT


WEMBLEY TO SEAL QUALIFICATION? It’s difficult to put into words when you see the ball in the back of the net, and you know all the pressure you have been under over the past couple of years to qualify. It’s done. It was a great feeling and great satisfaction. It’s a great feeling but it’s important to stay grounded and humble. We got to Rio, and congratulations to everyone for their hard work and effort, but we need to keep trying to improve and keep moving forward because it is going to be a big challenge for this group in Brazil. AND NOW THE WORLD CUP... Knowing we will be in Rio is a fantastic feeling. We’ve had a journey of highs and lows over the campaign. There have been a lot of opinions outside the group and people talking about failures in the past but we were focused on the job, the manager had a game plan and I think we carried that out fantastically well. HOW WILL FEEL ABOUT CAPTAINING ENGLAND IN BRAZIL? I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve got friendly matches to prepare but this has been a collective effort. Many players have played a part over the two years so a big congratulations to everyone. Interview by John Holmesdale

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STAR PLAYER PROFILE

Cristiano Ronaldo

W

Portugal’s

ith two of Portugal’s greatest-ever players, Eusebio and Mario Coluna, passing away this season, how fitting it would be if current ‘Seleccao’ icon and captain fantastic Cristiano Ronaldo finally delivered this summer on the World Cup stage. For all CR7’s multiple achievements and dazzling displays at club level, the Ballon d’Or victor for 2013 has yet to truly turn on the style for his country at a FIFA showpiece. If he does manage to buck the trend in Brazil, who would bet

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against the Portuguese side going a long way? First picked for Portugal at the age of 18 back in August 2003 against Kazakhstan, Ronaldo’s decade-plus with the national team has proved anything but a non-stop stroll down the red carpet. Inevitably, the burden of carrying the team almost single-handedly has proved too much at times and frequent clashes with coaches have not helped either. During Luiz Felipe Scolari’s reign as Portugal boss (2003-08), he and Ronaldo never particularly saw eye-to-eye and it was the same old toxic story when Carlos Queiroz took over in


the technical area. Queiroz’s ultra-defensive tactics turned the free-spirited star into a mass of seething frustration and restricted him to just two goals in that most unhappy of periods. Wisely, present-day coach Paulo Bento sees absolutely no point in alienating his most valuable asset. The essence of every Bento gameplan is to create a framework for Ronaldo to express himself as only he can and in attacking terms, more or less everything goes through him. Although theoretically lining up on the left-flank in a 4-3-3, Cristiano effectively has licence to dance wherever the mood music takes him: to

WorldMags.net Success for Cristiano

diamond

Ronaldo would be a fitting legacy for the late Eusebio, Portugal’s greatest player. By Nick Bidwell

RONALDO’S WORLD CUP HIGHLIGHTS 2006 – Triumphant in Gelsenkirchen Ronaldo clashed with Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney but came off the better from their quarter-final encounter with England. Rooney was sent off and Ronaldo went on to score the winning penalty in the shoot-out. Portugal then lost to France in the semi-final.

2010 – Edged out in South Africa Ronaldo was on target when Portugal thrashed North Korea 7-0. Goalless draws with Brazil and Ivory Coast helped them to escape a tough group, but they lost to eventual world champions Spain in the second round.

2014 qualifiers – Sensational in Stockholm A brilliant virtuoso performance from Ronaldo, who scored a brilliant hat-trick in the second leg, helped Portugal overcome Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden in the play-offs.

accelerate inside or out, confound markers with pace and sublime skills, latch onto long balls, execute give-and-gos and spectacularly go for goal. It’s the way of the world when you have an attacker capable of piling up 200 goals these past four years. You give him his head and order everyone else to do his bidding. The one-man team tag is usually an uncharitable slur. But not here. Similar to Maradona’s Argentina, Hagi’s Romania and Stoichkov’s Bulgaria, the current Portuguese side is an alliance of once-in-a-lifetime talent and a good but not great supporting cast. When Ronaldo

is on song, Portugal are elevated to another plane entirely and this certainly was the case in the Brazil 2014 play-offs, CR7 netting all four of his team’s goals in their 4-2 aggregate win over Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sweden. So much for all the statisticians who were claiming before the tie that Ronaldo was twice as likely to shoot for Real than Portugal. “Cristiano Ronaldo is the one guy in our team who is irreplaceable,” says Portugal centre-back, Bruno Alves. “Ronaldo is just a super competitor, a player way, way above the average,” adds national team physio, Antonio Gaspar. “As a professional, he’s all

about excellence. He’s perfect in looking after himself and doing whatever is necessary for him to perform to the highest standard in every match.” At the peak of his powers as game-changer and marksman – he recently became Portugal’s all-time top goalscorer with 49 in 110 appearances – and rated even higher than Lionel Messi at the moment, Ronaldo only has one more summit to scale in his career. Come up with the goods for Portugal in the World Cup and the 29-year-old joins the ranks of the immortals, the Pele, Maradona and Cruyff club. It’s as simple as that.


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10 GREATEST ENGLAND WORLD CUP GOALS Duncan Bond selects the best goals scored by Englishmen at the World Cup finals

1

BOBBY CHARLTON

July 16, 1966 London, England World Cup Group A v Mexico, 37th minute

After England had drawn the opening game of their home tournament 0-0 with Uruguay, nerves were beginning to creep in until dynamic midfielder Bobby Charlton ran with the ball from the halfway line. Outstretching the Mexican midfield and swerving away from retreating defenders, he unleashed a right-foot shot that gave goalkeeper Ignacio Calderon no chance as it flew past him into the top corner.

2

BOBBY CHARLTON

July 26, 1966 London, England World Cup Semi-final v Portugal, 79th minute

In the second half, with England leading 1-0 thanks to a 30thminute goal from Charlton, George Cohen plays a long ball forward from just inside the Portugal half. Geoff Hurst runs onto it and holds off a Portuguese defender before laying it into the path of the on-running Charlton who hits it sweetly with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area for England’s second goal. Three minutes later Eusebio reduced the arrears from the penalty spot, but England held on to book their place in the Final.

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10 GREATEST ENGLAND WORLD CUP GOALS Duncan Bond selects the best goals scored by Englishmen at the World Cup finals

1

BOBBY CHARLTON

July 16, 1966 London, England World Cup Group A v Mexico, 37th minute

After England had drawn the opening game of their home tournament 0-0 with Uruguay, nerves were beginning to creep in until dynamic midfielder Bobby Charlton ran with the ball from the halfway line. Outstretching the Mexican midfield and swerving away from retreating defenders, he unleashed a right-foot shot that gave goalkeeper Ignacio Calderon no chance as it flew past him into the top corner.

2

BOBBY CHARLTON

July 26, 1966 London, England World Cup Semi-final v Portugal, 79th minute

In the second half, with England leading 1-0 thanks to a 30thminute goal from Charlton, George Cohen plays a long ball forward from just inside the Portugal half. Geoff Hurst runs onto it and holds off a Portuguese defender before laying it into the path of the on-running Charlton who hits it sweetly with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area for England’s second goal. Three minutes later Eusebio reduced the arrears from the penalty spot, but England held on to book their place in the Final.

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DAVID PLATT

June 26, 1990, Bologna, Italy, World Cup Second round v Belgium, 119th minute England rode their luck against a Belgium side inspired by Enzo Scifo, but substitute David Platt had the last laugh, in virtually the last minute. With a penalty shoot-out looking likely, England were awarded a free-kick some 50 yards from goal. Paul Gascoigne beautifully floated the ball over the Belgian defence and Platt peeled away from his marker, kept his eye on the ball, letting it drop over his shoulder, before turning and volleying into the far corner to secure England a quarter-final tie with Cameroon.

7

DAVID BECKHAM

June 26, 1998 Lens, France World Cup Group G v Colombia, 29th minute

The final game in Group G was a winner- take-all encounter. Whoever lost would be going home. Leading 1-0 from an early Darren Anderton strike, England were awarded a free-kick 35 yards from the Colombian goal. David Beckham stepped up and curled his shot up and over the wall and beyond the despairing dive of Colombian goalkeeper Farid Mondragon to secure a 2-0 win for Glenn Hoddle’s team.

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WorldMags.net JOE COLE 10

June 20, 2006 Cologne, Germany World Cup Group B v Sweden, 34th minute

Having already qualified to the knockout stage, this 2-2 draw in England’s last group game guaranteed that they avoided hosts Germany in the second round. England opened the scoring when Peter Crouch headed a deep cross back towards the Swedish goal. Further headers from Sweden’s Olof Mellberg and Niclas Alexandersson looked to have cleared the danger, but the ball bounced up to Joe Cole who was 30 yards out. The midfielder controlled it on his chest before allowing it to drop on to his right foot and then hit a first-time dipping volley beyond the diving Andreas Isaksson in the Swedish goal.

9

STEVEN GERRARD

June 15, 2006 Nuremberg, Germany World Cup Group B v Trinidad & Tobago, 90th minute

England made hard work of beating debutants Trinidad & Tobago in their second group match. An 83rd-minute goal from Peter Crouch eventually broke the deadlock before, in the final minute, Steven Gerrard received a short pass from England captain David Beckham just inside the right touchline. He then proceeded to wrong foot Trinidad’s Aurtis Whitley, before making space and hitting a powerful left-footed shot into the far top corner that gave goalkeeper Shaka Hislop no chance.

8

MICHAEL OWEN

June 30, 1998 Saint-Etienne, France World Cup Second round v Argentina, 16th minute

With the teams level at 1-1, each converting a penalty in the opening 10 minutes, Paul Ince won the ball just in front of England’s penalty area. He fed David Beckham who looked up and clipped a pass into the path of Michael Owen, just inside the Argentina half. Owen accelerated in breath-taking fashion, first holding off Jose Chamot before body-swerving Roberto Ayala and hitting an unstoppable shot across the face of goalkeeper Carlos Roa for one of England’s greatest ever World Cup goals.


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WorldMags.net STAR PLAYER PROFILE

Lionel Messi

Lionel L

ionel Messi continues to break records. A hat-trick in Barcelona’s 7-0 thrashing of Osasuna made him the club’s all-time top scorer, with 371 goals in all matches. The goals took his La Liga tally to 235, making him the Spanish league’s secondhighest scorer of all time, behind Telmo Zarra’s 251. And Messi is still only 26. So, with six Liga titles and two Champions League crowns to his name, just what else does Messi have left to achieve? How much more is there to come? The answer, of course, lies with the glaring gap in his CV: the World Cup. The trophy remains the one thing standing between Messi and confirmation of his status as the world’s greatest player. “I like Messi a lot, he’s a great player. Technically, we’re practically at the same level,” Pele said last year. “But when he’s scored 1,283 goals like me, when he’s won three World Cups, we’ll talk about it.” While debate rages over the identity of the world’s greatest player, there is consensus that Messi has yet to deliver for Argentina. “He’s a great player for Barcelona, but when he plays for Argentina he doesn’t have the same success,” said Pele. “Messi is the best player in the world,” said Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella in his defence. “He plays extraordinarily well for Barcelona, so then when he plays just well for Argentina it seems like he is underperforming.” The most tangible, and indeed impressive, aspect of Messi’s game is, of course, his scoring record. Since Frank Rijkaard handed him his debut with the Barcelona first team in 2004, his strike rate has continued to improve every year, and now stands at a remarkable 0.88 goals per game. That contrast with a rate of 0.50 per game for Argentina. In the past some supporters and the media in Argentina have questioned his commitment to the national side, suggesting he feels more Spanish than Argentinian, having emigrated at such an early age. His debt to Barcelona is evident as the club paid for the medical treatment he needed as a teenager when both Newell’s Old Boys and River Plate refused. There are also other broader issues that shed light on why his performance levels differ with Barcelona and Argentina. At Barcelona, Messi has played for just three first-team coaches: Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola and, this season, Gerardo Martino. As an institution, Barca have maintained a coherent playing style in the youth system for decades now. At the Camp Nou, Messi is surrounded by players such as Xavi and Andres Iniesta, who grew up playing the same way. With Argentina, Messi was handed his senior

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flair

The 2014 World Cup is a chance for Argentina’s captain to finally shine on the world stage. By John Holmesdale

MESSI’S WORLD CUP HIGHLIGHTS 2006 Became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he appeared as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute against Serbia and Montenegro, scoring late on in the 6-0 win. He started the 0-0 draw against Holland, was a late sub against Mexico but was left on the bench for Argentina’s quarter-final loss on penalties to Germany.

2010 A regular starter for Argentina, providing assists in the wins over Nigeria, South Korea, Greece and Mexico, but did not score. Argentina lost 4-0 in the quarter-finals to Germany.

debut in 2004 by Jose Pekerman, the former Under-20 supremo. But Pekerman soon left and since then Messi has worked under Alfio Basile, Diego Maradona, Sergio Batista and now Sabella. From Basile’s devotion to playing with a classic enganche (playmaker), to Maradona’s back line of four central defenders, to Batista’s aim to replicate the Barcelona system – but not push his full-backs past the halfway line – there has neither been continuity in the personnel nor the approach. Despite the merry-go-round of Argentina coaches, Messi soon became the central creative force for Argentina, especially after Juan Roman

Riquelme quit the national team. Yet in taking on greater responsibility for the team, his goalscoring suffered. Ironically, the player said to be Maradona’s natural heir produced his worst return under Maradona the coach, with just three goals in 16 appearances. In the aftermath of the 2011 Copa America embarrassment, when Argentina lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals, Sabella was handed the task of swiftly turning around the results, and focusing on building a team for the 2014 World Cup. One of his first decisions was to appoint Messi his captain. As Sabella himself has admitted, Messi is far

from being the tub-thumping caudillo, the charismatic leader, but he expects him to lead by example. “Messi is the key player,” he says. “Whenever he has the ball you expect something to happen.” With Argentina’s formation built to maximise Messi’s performance, the results have been impressive. Messi scored 10 goals in 14 qualifying matches as Argentina topped the South American qualifying section. Argentina’s supporters are suddenly much more optimistic. Not least because Messi is now the same age, 26, as that of Maradona in 1986, when Argentina last lifted the World Cup.


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WorldMags.net PLAYER INTERVIEW

Daniel Sturridge

DAYDREAM

BELIEVER

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has faith in God and his England team-mates HOW ARE ENGLAND GOING TO STOP LUIS SUAREZ AT THE WORLD CUP? I’m going to steal his boots before he gets there and then obviously he won’t be able to get there! On a serious note, he’s a great player and of course it’ll be difficult to play against him. It’ll be difficult for him to play against us as well. We’re just going to go out there and work as hard as we can as a team. It’s not about the individuals, Luis is playing with the likes of [Edinson] Cavani; and there’s other top players. It’ll be a great occasion for not just us as players but the fans also. YOU MUST BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WORLD CUP... The World Cup is something I’ve always wanted to be involved in. I’ve not been involved before and I haven’t been selected yet. God willing I’ll be there. I’ll be doing my best for Liverpool in order to get there. I’m looking forward to it. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of and if I can be there then that’ll be great. HOW WILL YOU PREPARE? I’ve got a lot of faith in God. I’ve been working hard on the training field and I think those two things are the main things. I’m playing my natural game and playing in a position and being given an opportunity by the manager, so those are the main reasons why I’ve been successful so far. YOUR CONFIDENCE MUST BE SKY HIGH AT THE MOMENT... To be honest with you, I just give God the grace,

give God the glory. That’s the most important thing. It is about the team, it is not about myself, not about me feeling amazing or anything. I am just humbled to be given the platform to play for my club and my country. I am happy with the way everything is going. THERE’S A GROUP OF GOOD YOUNG PLAYERS COMING THROUGH... There are not just the young players, the senior players have helped me so much and helped all the young players who have come into the squad. Without their experience, we don’t know what these occasions are like. They’ve been through all of this before us. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR PLACE IN THE SQUAD FOR BRAZIL? DO YOU THINK YOU’RE ALMOST THERE? For me, I am working every day, working as hard as I can. There are no guarantees I will be on the plane and I am working as hard as I possibly can to make sure I will be there. HAS PLAYING WITH LUIS SUAREZ HELPED? I’ve learned a lot from Luis, but I have been given the opportunities to play now and that is what is most important, more than anything else. If you’re not given an opportunity then you can’t produce. I just think it is about being given an opportunity. If you don’t play as a young player, it is difficult to progress. You see with Raheem [Sterling] now, he is getting the opportunities to play week in, week out, and is flourishing. For every young player it is important to play regularly. HOW HAS RAHEEM HANDLED HIS TIME WITH ENGLAND? Raheem is a great, great guy. We have a lot of banter, I get on with him very well. I think it was easy for him because he has the captain of his club playing for the country, he’s got Jordan

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[Henderson] on the same side as him, same with Jonno [Glen Johnson]. It probably felt like playing for Liverpool. The football he plays is exceptional and he is only going to get better. Everybody knows that. YOU’VE ALWAYS HAD UNBELIEVABLE BELIEF. HOW HAVE YOU MAINTAINED THAT? PEOPLE HAVE DOUBTED YOU... I don’t really know. I really don’t know. There have been times, of course, where it has been very difficult. I am not superhuman. I get down a lot, of course, and I have had a lot of moments when I have been upset with not playing and not getting opportunities. But that is all in the past and I give God the glory. It has been a long journey to get where I am now and I am humbled by it all. I am not getting too excited about anything that is going on, I am just humbled by it. YOU SAID YOU’VE GOT THE SENIOR PLAYERS LOOKING AFTER YOU. WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? There are a lot of inspirations for me. I have watched clips of so many players. I was watching Maradona’s clips to take pointers from the skills he was doing. Then I will be watching players like Michael Owen, Paul Gascoigne, Pele, Ronaldo all these older players who have done it before me. It is important that I improve, that I keep improving. I was watching [Dutch coach] Will Coerver’s dribbling skills at the training ground. For me, I can never stop improving no matter what age I am at, what club I am at. I have to push myself as hard as I possibly can to get as good as I possibly can. DO YOU RELISH BEING AN INSPIRATION FOR YOUNG PLAYERS? I think it is important that young players realise that it is not going to be an easy journey, not going to be an easy thing. You will have highs and lows. My journey has certainly not finished, I am not the complete player, I’ve got to keep improving, keep pushing myself. I am still young but young players have to realise that you can never stop improving. Everything is possible if you believe in yourself and have the opportunities to show what you can do. Interview by John Holmesdale

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WorldMags.net 1970 hero:

Pele

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WORLD CUP The game’s biggest names talk about their greatest World Cup achievements

PELE: “WE WERE JUST TOO GOOD” Edison Arantes do Nascimento – or Pele – played in four World Cups, winning the famous trophy three times. Blessed with a game devoid of any weaknesses, he is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time. Central to this legendary status is the 1970 World Cup, the first to be broadcast in glorious colour. Pele and his all-star Brazilian team-mates produced near-perfect performances, littered with moments of individual genius, allied with an instinctive team ethic that swept all before them. The Final versus Italy saw a thrilling encounter and Pele was at the heart of it. He opened the scoring with a header, assisted for Brazil’s third, and, in a move that included no less than eight outfield players, provided the final ball for Carlos Alberto to secure a 4-1 scoreline. The Jules Rimet Trophy was now Brazil’s to keep and Pele – in his final World Cup – saw his legend guaranteed. After the game Italian defender Burgnich, who marked Pele during the match, was quoted as saying: “I told myself before the game, ‘he’s made of skin and bones just like everyone else.’ But I was wrong.” IN PELE’S OWN WORDS “I was injured in 1966 and I thought that I would not play in the World Cup again. But later on I started thinking that I would have the chance to show to myself, to Brazil and to the world one more time – this will be the moment, my opportunity to be the best in the game. So, I started to prepare myself psychologically and physically. I think this was the principle reason why I became the one I was in 1970.” ON HIS SHOT FROM THE HALF-WAY LINE AGAINST CZECHOSLOVAKIA “It was a long-range effort – a little piece of audacity which would have been all the more

beautiful if the damn ball had gone in! I had noticed earlier that the Czech goalkeeper tended to drift off his line so I took my shot from 65 yards out. Journalists after the match asked me if I made this effort just to prove I wasn’t shortsighted. It was nothing to do with that! Even though it didn’t go in, it galvanized the team and from then on it was all Brazil.” ON BRAZIL’S MATCH AGAINST ENGLAND “They had a very good team and in Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Gordon Banks, three players who would have walked in to pretty much any Brazil side. We respected the English greatly but I did not fear them. We knew their defence would take some breaching and so it proved, especially with Banks’ save [pictured above]. It was phenomenal, the save of this and any other tournament. Eventually we got to 1-0 through a lovely team goal – and that’s the way it would stay.”

ON THE FINAL AGAINST ITALY “The side that would go on to be called the ‘beautiful team’, the best that ever played the game, was through to the World Cup Final to play Italy. The implacable force would meet the immovable object. We were favourites but 100,000 people in the Azteca Stadium and a TV audience of one billion were fascinated to see how it would turn out. Italy sat back and tried to soak up the pressure but we created too much. Too many of us were on form that day, me included – it was one of my best games in a Brazil shirt. We deserved the win and our special last goal, with so many players involved, showed perfectly what we were about.” ON WINNING THE WORLD CUP “At the final whistle there was pandemonium. People ran on to the pitch and in seconds our shirts and even our shorts had been whisked off by souvenir hunters. I was hoisted aloft on a sea of fans and it was several minutes before I was able to get to the dressing room to collect myself. “I managed a quiet moment in the shower to give thanks to God and to my family for what I had achieved. We then went back on to the pitch to collect the Jules Rimet trophy. The intensity of the emotion as Carlos Alberto lifted it was like nothing I had ever known. I just knew what it would mean to the people back home.”


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1974 hero: Beckenbauer

FRANZ BECKENBAUER: “THE DUTCH JUST GOT NERVOUS” WITH A CAREER OF TRUE GREATNESS – a player so good he re-invented a footballing position – the sight of Franz Beckenbauer lifting the 1974 World Cup in his home city of Munich seemed like a destiny fulfilled. Up to the dominance of “Der Kaiser”, sweepers were simply an added layer of defence, a tactic employed to ensure a clean sheet rather than as a counter-attacking option. Beckenbauer, however, was the puppet master, standing back and pulling the strings. The obstacle for this major prize in 1974 was Holland and their own particular brand of “Total Football”. It was billed as the organisational and anticipatory brilliance of Beckenbauer versus the instinctive and artistic genius of Dutch playmaker Johan Cruyff. In the Final, Holland attacked right from the kick-off and without West Germany touching the ball, Cruyff was fouled in the penalty area. Johan Neeskens converted the resulting spot-kick. But the Germans fought back, inspired by the 38 WORLD CUP 2014

constantly probing and inspirational Beckenbauer. They won a penalty of their own, which Paul Breitner slotted home, and two minutes before half-time, Gerd Muller scored the decider. This gave West Germany the distinction of being the only national team at the time to hold both the European and World Cup titles simultaneously. Meanwhile, Beckenbauer, a genuine leader of men, became the first captain to lift the brand new World Cup trophy. IN BECKENBAUER’S OWN WORDS “You are always under pressure in the finals but if you are the host team you feel it twice as much, because everyone expects you to win. Also in 1974 sport had become an entirely different world after the attacks on the Munich Olympics in 1972. From that time on, the players were not as free as they had been before. That was definitely a stress factor. “Initially we were lax in our approach and the result was defeat to East Germany. That woke us up and we finally started to work together as a team. “There were also many arguments about the


East Germany match and of course about bonuses. There were a lot of unpleasant scenes which I hadn’t experienced in my two previous World Cups. “As regards the Final, after Muller made it 2-1, I was relatively certain we’d protect our lead. Perhaps it was a good thing Holland took the lead in the first minute, perhaps they weren’t as focused for the rest of the match as they had been before. That gave us a chance to come back into the match. “It was a great psychological advantage for us to take the lead. Then Johan Cruyff was shown a yellow card for dissent. Those were all signs that made me think the Dutch were getting nervous and that we’d survive the second half. “Paul Breitner reckons the Dutch became arrogant after scoring the first goal and fell victim to overconfidence. I’m not sure. After taking that early lead, they may have thought things were going to plan and that it was their day. They weren’t as determined after that. “The old Jules Rimet Trophy had been stolen and never found, so FIFA had to replace it. So we knew the winning team would be the first to lift the new trophy. It was the icing on the cake.”

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GEOFF HURST: “IT LOOKS LIKE THE BALL DIDN’T CROSS THE LINE” FOR THE 1966 WORLD CUP FINAL, 93,000 spectators crammed into Wembley Stadium, and an estimated 400 million people tuned in on TV. They would not be disappointed. England 4 West Germany 2 provided goals galore, drama, controversy and a singular World Cup hero – Geoff Hurst, an unassuming West Ham player who had scored just one international goal and only made the starting eleven due to a quirk of fate. Star striker Jimmy Greaves was injured in the third group game against France and Hurst took his place, scoring the winner against Argentina in the quarter-final. Despite Greaves’ return to fitness, Hurst would keep his place right up to the Final and become a national icon in the process. The Germans took the lead through Helmut Haller after just 16 minutes, but England quickly struck back with a header from Hurst. Martin

Peters gave England the lead in the second half, but an 89th-minute Wolfgang Weber equaliser saw the match go into extra time. In the first period Hurst grabbed his second. His turn and shot saw the ball bounce down off the underside of the crossbar, land on or over the line and cleared away for a corner. Referee Gottfried Dienst was uncertain if it had been a goal and consulted Russian linesman Tofik Bakhramov in a now infamous scene. After much gesticulation, the goal was awarded to England. Finally, with the last kick of the game, Hurst broke forward latching onto a Bobby Moore long ball. As spectators streamed onto the pitch thinking the final whistle had sounded, Hurst unleashed an unstoppable left-foot drive to achieve an incredible hat-trick and seal the World Cup for England. IN HURST’S OWN WORDS “Alf Ramsey [the manager] had assembled a great bunch of players in terms of ability but he also brought together lots of hard-nosed professionals. In all honesty we never really felt that we were going to be

beaten. It showed itself at the end of normal time when the Germans equalised because a lot of normal teams would have buckled under the pressure. We didn’t. “Alf’s great words were, ‘You’ve beaten them already, just go out and beat them again.’ And that’s what we did. We were much the stronger team in extra-time and that attitude of professionalism, commitment and desire to win were essential ingredients in what we did. “Everyone talks about my second goal. We understood the frustration felt by the Germans. They believed they had been robbed of the most prestigious prize in world football. Perhaps they were. “Having listened to all the arguments over the decades and watched the replay hundreds of times on TV, I have to admit that it looks as though the ball didn’t cross the line. “My abiding memory at the final whistle was a sense of relief. Being in the squad was a relief, being in the team was a relief and then having scored the goals in the Final and to hear the whistle was an amazing sense of relief. “It was all a bit of a blur afterwards. But on the Monday afterwards I was back home cutting the lawn and cleaning the car. It was back to earth with a bump!”

1966 hero:

Hurst WorldMags.net www.atibook.ir

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JOHAN CRUYFF: “WE WERE MORE FAMOUS FOR LOSING” WORLD CUP 1974, WEST GERMANY: one instance of brilliance by Dutch star Johan Cruyff made everyone lucky enough to witness it truly believe that the future was indeed orange. Holland’s group game against Sweden will forever be remembered for Cruyff’s now legendary turn against full-back Jan Olsson. Faking to cross with his right-foot, Cruyff instead dragged the ball behind, turned 180 degrees and accelerated away from his utterly confounded opponent. The “Cruyff turn” had reached a worldwide audience. Moreover, Holland’s much-vaunted “total football” was indeed the real deal.

It was a fluid, free-moving style of play that captivated the tournament and Cruyff was the catalyst for much of Holland’s scintillating football. All 15 of their goals in the 1974 World Cup either started or ended with the captain. Ultimately, Holland would lose to Germany in the Final in Munich – a result that would earn them the title of the “best team never to have won the World Cup”. As for Cruyff, fittingly he was named the tournament’s best player. IN CRUYFF’S OWN WORDS “I am surprised that that team is still regarded so highly. The World Cup in 1974 made Dutch football famous – and we lost! So losing the final, is it so bad? We were more famous than ever for losing, because everyone said we should have won, and even 30 years later you ask the same question. “Winning isn’t everything, it’s how you play. If you win ten games and lose the 11th, so what? It doesn’t bother me that I never became world champion. We made a

1974 hero:

Cruyff

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great achievement. “Total football is to do with your way of thinking, character – everything is involved. The difference of what you do with your feet is to do with your head. The Dutch team at that time was made up mostly from Ajax players. We could change position easily, and that’s total football... the first defender was the centre forward, which was me. “We had a change of mentality on the field where we thought we could achieve anything. Football is about having the best offensive play possible. I always like to play offensive football and nobody will convince me otherwise. “I always greatly admired [coach] Rinus Michels’ leadership. He was always very clear in what he wanted and what he expected from you and sometimes in order to achieve that he overdid it a bit. Then when things started working, he would ease up and give you more freedom. “As a player and as a coach there is nobody who taught me as much as him. He put the Netherlands on the map in such a way that almost everybody still benefits from it. With him, as well as with me, results may have come first, but quality of soccer was number one. “Just winning is not enough.”


Maradona

DIEGO MARADONA: “THE REFEREE TOOK THE BAIT” THE QUARTER-FINAL between Argentina and England at Mexico 86 already had an added edge, coming just four years after the Falklands conflict. But the events at the Estadio Azteca would elevate this match to one of the most controversial ever seen at an international tournament. The match ended 2-1 to Argentina courtesy of two goals from Diego Maradona – the first a notorious hand ball, the second a glorious effort later voted FIFA’s Goal of the Century. But the reverberations from the contest – and Maradona’s disputed opener – exist to this day. Argentina would go on to win the World Cup, while England could only rue both the deception and genius of the little South American. Afterwards he described his infamous first goal as “a bit with the head of Maradona and another bit with the hand of God”. And referring to the lingering ill-feeling between the two countries so recently at war over disputed territory he added,

“whoever robs a thief gets a 100-year pardon”. IN MARADONA’S OWN WORDS “It seems to me that everyone was talking about the Falklands but we just wanted to play a football game. You’re not going to resolve anything by thinking about anything other than winning – winning that game against England. “Yes [the first goal]. It was my hand! This I have to admit. With this I don’t mean any disrespect for English fans. It was just the way things happened. I had scored many goals before in Argentina this way. I couldn’t reach the ball, [goalkeeper Peter] Shilton was already there but I couldn’t get my head on it, so I went with my hand. “The ball went in the net and as I was running away I could see that Shilton hadn’t realised what I’d done. It was the defender Terry Butcher who told him – and then the complaints began. “When I saw the linesman running [back to the half-way line] I started shouting ‘goal’, ‘goal’. I looked to see if the referee took the bait – and he had! That was it.

“I was waiting for my team-mates to embrace me and no one came. I told them, ‘Come on, come on, hug me, let’s do it properly, let’s go the whole way so the goal is allowed.’ Thank God it was. “I don’t think it’s cheating, it’s cunning. Is it cheating to handle the ball? Oh no, no, no. It’s not cheating. It’s a craftiness. Maybe we have a lot more of it in South America than in Europe, but it’s not cheating. “I said it was the Hand of God because God gives us the hand. And because it’s very difficult for it not to be seen by two people, the referee and the linesman. “But the second goal was a dream. Footballers always dream of scoring the best goal in history, we dream it and we have it in our heads. The truth is to score that goal, for me, was fantastic, and in the World Cup, incredible. “It was an amazing game and one that people always talk to me about. I suppose if I could apologise and go back and change history [for the first goal] I would do. But the goal is still a goal, Argentina became world champions and I was the best player in the world. This is the reality.”


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Ronaldo

RONALDO: “THE BEST TEAM I EVER PLAYED IN” THIS WAS A MAN ON A MISSION. Four long years previously, Brazil had reached the 1998 World Cup Final as keen favourites despite meeting host country France. They held all the aces – well one – in the shape of the best striker in the world, Inter Milan superstar Ronaldo. However, the Samba Boys lost in the most dramatic fashion as their star striker suffered a convulsive fit the night before the game and played well below par. One World Cup later – this time in Japan and South Korea – Ronaldo was back, not only motivated by the disappointment of 1998 but also keen to re-establish himself as the foremost goal-getter on the planet. The previous three years had been spent recovering from a serious knee injury, which not only resulted in three operations and painful rehabilitation but also led many to question whether he could recover the form that had made him a double World Player of the Year. They needn’t have worried. Ronaldo scored six 42 WORLD CUP 2014

goals on the way to the Final, registering against every opponent in the tournament, bar a nail-biting quarter-final against England. The Final against Germany at the International Stadium in Yokohama provided the perfect redemption. Two unanswered Ronaldo goals cemented Brazil’s fifth World Cup win, making them the most successful team in the competition’s history. On a personal note, Ronaldo’s brace gave him the Golden Boot and tied Pele’s Brazilian record of 12 career World Cup goals. A record he would break four years on. IN RONALDO’S OWN WORDS “I had endured a lot of difficulties with my knee injury and several operations. I remembered lying on my hospital bed, when blood was pouring from my knee, and tried to take strength from that. “My family, physiotherapists and doctors all encouraged me to persevere – and it was worth it. The birth of my son, Ronald, also gave me extra strength to endure the endless torture. “I have very strong willpower. And my passion for football is insatiable. No effort is too great for


me for this sport. I can suffer anything as long as I can play football again. I not only play football, I breathe football. “The goal was always to return as good as I ever was. To be the best striker in the world. Also to banish the memories of the final four years ago. “I thought about winning the World Cup every day during the weeks and months before the tournament. Every minute I used to visualise the trophy in front of my eyes and imagine what a wonderful feeling it must be to hold it up in the air. It was a fabulous feeling actually to hold it in my hands and kiss it. “We had a great team, the best I ever played in. Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, me… It was a team where we could find a goal in every minute in every way, and win every game. That’s why we won all seven games and that’s why we were world champions. “People ask me about my favourite career goals but I can only pick two. My choice is simple: the two goals I scored during this Final. Not only because they were good but especially for the value they had. It’s not every day you win the World Cup.”

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ANDRES INIESTA: “I WAS WAITING FOR THE BALL TO DROP” HE WAS the right man in the right place at the right time. The time was the 116th minute of the 2010 World Cup Final. The place was the right-hand side of Holland’s penalty area of Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. And the man was Andres Iniesta, scorer of the most important goal in Spain’s history. The score was 0-0 as Spain launched a counter-attack deep from their own half. As the ball was played through midfield, Iniesta ran on to a pass from Cesc Fabregas. He found himself in space on the edge of the area as he waited for the ball to drop before thumping it past Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg. A Final that had been heading for penalties was decided by a moment of cool-headed brilliance and Spain, the European champions, had won their first World Cup.

IN INIESTA’S OWN WORDS “When I got the pass I was thinking: ‘I have to score.’ I know where I am going to put it, more or less. The view was clear. You know what’s in front of you, your mind is clear. You’re focused on where you are, where the goal is…and nothing else. I was still and I just waited. “I was waiting for my friend Isaac Newton to appear. When I controlled it, I knew I was going to score. All I had to do was wait for the ball to drop to strike it. And why does it drop? Because of Newton’s Law, because of gravity. This time, the apple was the ball and Newton’s head was my foot. “I was injured a few months before the World Cup and I was worried. I wanted to play at the World Cup so much. I was afraid of not being there. There were two months and a bit to go for the World Cup to start and the injury was an eight-week injury. “I don’t want to play the martyr, but it was very hard. It was difficult to deal with,

knowing that there was a World Cup and that time was ticking...I was lucky that it wasn’t quite as long-term an injury as was first feared and I was able to get there. “I had just one idea in my head: get ready and be there, arrive in South Africa in the best possible shape. I knew that I might not be in my best shape, but I had to get as fit as I could and be as ready as humanly possible. “I spoke to the coach, Vicente Del Bosque. I spoke to Fernando Hierro [sporting director at the federation] and I spoke to lots of other people there. They knew what stage I was at and their support was very important. They had faith in me making it.”

2010 hero:

Iniesta WorldMags.net www.atibook.ir

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UNDER PRESSURE STAR PLAYER PROFILE

Neymar

Brazil’s star attacker has a lot on his mind as he prepares to carry the hopes of a nation on his slender shoulders. By John Holmesdale

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ast summer, Neymar da Silva Santos Junior stood at a crossroads. He was preparing to lead Brazil’s forward line at the Confederations Cup, the eight-team tournament that acts as FIFA’s warm-up for the full, 32-team World Cup. For some the Confederation Cup is merely a collection of friendlies with a trophy at the end; for Neymar it was far more serious. Two hundred million Brazilian people at home, and billions more around the world, placed Neymar under the microscope, examining his potential to go one step further than Zizinho and company did in 1950 by carrying Brazil to victory in front of the most demanding crowd on the planet. A few months earlier Neymar had been booed by the crowd in Belo Horizonte after Brazil had fumbled their way through an unimpressive 2-2 draw with Chile. “Neymar pipoqueiro,” was the popular chant, a slang expression for those who promise much but, when it really matters, are too weak to deliver. Huge expectations have been created around Neymar. He is booed when things go badly because his mere presence on the field is supposed to ensure that things go well. He has become the reference point of the team; but is the 22-year-old with the fragile build really ready to carry that weight? At the Confederations Cup, he answered

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the critics in emphatic style. From his superb second-minute volley in the opening game against Japan, Neymar had an excellent tournament, scoring four memorable goals and consolidating himself as an international star. Neymar’s talent is undeniable, with World Soccer picking him out in 2009 as the revelation of the Brazilian championship when he was just 17, and over the last five years he has conjured up some breathtaking moments. In 2011 he carried Santos to their first Libertadores Cup triumph since the heydey of Pele in the 1963. As flexible as a young George Best, he has the capacity to improvise at pace and glide past his marker on either side. More than just a dribbler, he can pass as well. His right-footed crosses, curled in from the left towards the far post, set up reams of chances. And, crucially, he is a natural finisher, remaining calm, precise and direct in front of goal. Three years ago, Santos coach Muricy Ramalho was insistent in claiming that Neymar was “the best player I have ever worked with. He has an incredible capacity for improvisation. He makes defenders suffer because they don’t know which side he’s going to dribble. He has everything to tip the balance in Brazil’s favour in the 2014 World Cup.” Neymar’s reputation in Brazil has been

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boosted by an economic boom that has bankrolled a multitude of commercial sponsorship tie-ups, with companies queuing up to be associated with him. “He has a rebellious profile, relevant to attracting adolescents,” said former Barcelona marketing director Esteve Calzada. “He shows solidarity, collaborating with UNICEF campaigns and charity games, and he is natural and down to earth, giving him a sympathetic air. Quite simply, he has it all.” But his advertising commitments and

appearances on the celebrity circuit lay him open to accusations of becoming a tropical David Beckham who is more famous for his supposed iconic status than for his football. “There is a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, but he seems more concerned with changing his hairstyle,” said Pele. His move to Barcelona last summer has not been without its problems. Sandro Rosell was forced to quit as president of Barcelona after it was revealed that a deal that had been reported

as costing the club 57million euros had actually cost nearer to 86million euros. Furthermore, only 17million euros had gone to Santos, while 40million euros had been paid to a company owned by Neymar’s father. Further payments were paid to the players as signing-on fees and to Neymar Senior for marketing services. As he returns home for the World Cup, Neymar has a chance to put the off-field distractions behind him and lead the Selecao to a record sixth World Cup. The whole of Brazil will be willing him on.


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ROY: KING OF THE CASTLE The 2014 World Cup marks a high point in the 40-year career of England manager Roy Hodgson. Gavin Hamilton looks at the South Londoner’s eventful CV for signs of how England might fare in Brazil

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or Roy Hodgson, managing England at this summer’s World Cup will mark the pinnacle of a 40-year career as a coach. He has worked across Europe, managing clubs in seven different countries, as well the national sides of Switzerland, Finland and UAE. But when he steps out in the Arena Amazonia in Manaus, Hodgson is confident it will mark the high point in his career. “I am sure it will be,” he told World Soccer. “You can’t tell until you’ve finished of course. It will depend on how the tournament goes. Qualifying for it was a major high, and something I am very proud of. I am really pleased to be there. It is a special honour to be there with your own country. “It was exciting and enjoyable to take Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup, but this is England and I am English. It is an extra special feeling. It would be wrong to deny it.” For Hodgson, the 2014 World Cup is the latest stage in an incredible journey that began in Crystal Palace reserves more than 40 years ago and has since taken him to countries across Europe and the Middle East. “I’ve had such a varied life,” Hodgson has acknowledged. “I’ve never been out of work for more than a month or two since January 1976. I have been very lucky.” Hodgson had long been favoured by FA insiders to be England manager, despite much support from the popular media for the then Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. Hodgson’s

46 WORLD CUP 2014

achievements with West Brom and Fulham, who he steered away from relegation and then led to the Europa League Final, helped to consolidate a reputation as a coach respected across Europe. Until his work with Fulham, Hodgson’s successes had come overseas, qualifying Switzerland for the 1994 World Cup and taking under-achieving Internazionale to the 1997 UEFA Cup Final. So how did this literature-loving son of a Croydon bus driver end up in charge of the England national side? To understand Hodgson’s methods – and what impact he might have at the World Cup – you have to go back to the very start of his career. As a teenager, Hodgson was on the books of his local club, Crystal Palace, but did not make the first team and drifted into non-league football while working as a PE teacher in south London. While playing for local sides such as Tonbridge, Gravesend & Northfleet and Carshalton United, Hodgson also made a concerted attempt to gain his coaching badges. He became one of the star pupils at FA coaching courses, organised by Allen Wade, the FA technical director who placed great emphasis on preparing for real match situations and on the collective performance of the team, rather than the individual. FA coaches such as Dave Sexton and Don Howe made a huge impression on the twentysomething Hodgson, who also went back to his old club Crystal Palace to observe the coaching methods of an up-and-coming manager by the name of Terry Venables.


A move to non-league Maidstone United also proved highly significant. It was there that he teamed up with Bobby Houghton, a former class-mate at John Ruskin Boys Grammar School, and it was Houghton who got Hodgson his first break as a professional coach. Houghton had moved to Malmo of Sweden, where made a big impression. When Halmstads, a smaller club at the wrong end of the Swedish first division, had asked Houghton if could recommend a coach, he had no hesitation in proposing Hodgson. Hodgson, still not 30, did not take long before accepting Halmstads’ offer. “Sometimes choice can be a dangerous thing,” he said. “No choice can be very good. Quite simply I was not well enough known as a player and I did not have contacts. It wasn’t a question of coaching the Arsenal or Birmingham reserves, it was continue playing non-league football or go to Halmstads.” Hodgson at Halmstads and Houghton at Malmo revolutionised Swedish football with tactics that came to be known as the “English style”. Their teams used a zonal defence (where previously a sweeper had been used), heavy pressing and a high offside line. They counterattacked with long passes played in behind opposition defences. “I’d qualified for my full coaching badge at 23 but that was my first season coaching adults. Halmstads had played a very different type of football to what I wanted, man-to-man across the field, with a libero. From the start it was: ‘Okay,

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WORLD CUP 2014 47

WorldMags.net

you lads know nothing, this is what we’re going to do’. I remember the turning point. “We had mixed results pre-season, understandably, because we were changing to a back four, attempting to push up and pressure the ball and were getting caught out. For the players, the jury was out, but we beat Hannover 96 4-0, and it was unheard of for Swedes to beat Germans. Then, the players believed in me. For years I wore a Hannover 96 pin in my jacket.” Halmstads won the title in Hodgson’s first season in charge, and again in 1979. “It was the biggest Cinderella story Sweden had ever experienced because the year before they had avoided relegation on goal difference and lost seven first-team players,” Hodgson recalled. The Hodgson/Houghton approach was taken up by a young coach at Orebro called Sven Goran Eriksson, but Sweden’s failure at 1978 World Cup – they finished bottom of their group – was blamed on the ‘English style’. Hodgson, though, was unrepentant. “If the criticism had come from the Halmstads management or the fans I would have been affected, but the club stood behind me. We also played attractive football. The criticism was really quite ridiculous and was probably a lot of jealousy.” Between them Hodgson and Houghton (at Malmo) won five out of six Swedish league titles and Houghton also took Malmo to the 1979 European Cup Final where they lost to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest But when the call came to return to England – to Bristol City in 1980 – the pair returned home, with Hodgson as Houghton’s number two at Aston Gate. City, just relegated from Division One, were soon engulfed in financial crisis after a number of years of overspending. Houghton and Hodgson, for all their innovative coaching skills, could do little to save the club from financial oblivion and the pair were eventually sacked. The experience back in England with Houghton would have a profound effect on Hodgson. In 1997, he told World Soccer: “We arrived at the club in September and by October they were talking about winding up the club. We survived a year of winding-up procedures, deadlines and people watching the clock for the bailiffs to call. That can’t be called a serious experience of English football.“ The need to find work necessitated a return to Sweden, where his reputation preceded him. Hodgson took jobs at second division clubs IK Oddevold and Orebro before a move to Houghton’s old team, Malmo. At Malmo, Hodgson proved highly successful, winning five successive league titles. From there, he moved on to Switzerland, where he worked at Neuchatel Xamax before the call came to take charge of the Swiss national team. Then Hodgson got the call to move to Internazionale and a coaching odyssey that has taken him to Denmark, Norway, the United Arab Emirates and Finland. “My greatest achievement would have to be the water-into-wine job at Halmstads in 1976, but taking Switzerland to the last 16 of a World Cup and reaching the Uefa Cup Final with Internazionale were good, and there were the five successive league titles with Malmo. Yet Fulham is something I’m just as proud of,” 48 WORLD CUP 2014


WorldMags.net HODGSON’S

HIGHLIGHTS

1976-80 Takes over at Swedish club Halmstads, steering them to the league title in 1976 and 1979

1980-82 Assistant to Bobby Houghton at financially-troubled Bristol City

1982-85 Returns to Sweden, taking charge of second division sides Oddevold and Orebro

1985-90 Moves to Malmo and wins five Swedish league titles in a row

1990 Moves to Switzerland and steers Neuchatel Xamax to runners-up in the Swiss league 1992 Appointed manager of the Swiss national side and guides them to the 1994 World Cup, their first major tournament for 28 years

1995 Appointed coach of Internazionale while staying on as advisor to Swiss side ahead of Euro 96 1997 Guides Inter to the 1997 UEFA Cup Final, where they lose on penalties to Schalke 1997-98 Takes Blackburn Rovers into the top six before being sacked after a poor start to the 1998-99 season

1999-00 Returns to Inter as caretaker manager, before a move to Swiss side Grasshopper 2000-01 Guides FC Copenhagen to the Danish league title

2001 Coach of Italian side Udinese 2002-04 National coach of the United Arab Emirates

2004-05 In charge of Norwegian club Viking Stavangar, who qualify for the UEFA Cup 2005-08 Takes charge of the Finland national team and comes close to qualifying for Euro 2008 2008-10 Saves Fulham from relegation, taking them to the UEFA Cup Final

2010-11 Appointed manager of Liverpool but leaves in January 2011

2011-12 Takes West Brom into the top half of the Premier League table before being head-hunted the Football Association


WORLD CUP 2014 49

ENGLAND WorldMags.net Hodgson said. player their role in the side. MANAGERS On the down side there have been “Everything was based on how to play the game,” disappointments at Blackburn and Liverpool. At says former Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia, who – THE RECORD Blackburn, where he steered them into the top-six played for Hodgson when he coached the Finland Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Win %

Fabio Capello January 2008-February 2012 42

28

8

6

67%

Glenn Hoddle September 1996-November 1998 28

17

4

7

61%

Sir Alf Ramsey February 1963-April 1974 113

69

27

7

61%

Ron Greenwood September 1977-July 1982 55

33

12

10

60%

Sven Goran Eriksson February 2001-July 2006 67

40

15

12

60%

Sir Walter Winterbottom Sep 1946-Nov 1962 139

78

33

28

56%

ROY HODGSON MAY 2012-PRESENT 25

14

8

3

56%

Terry Venables March 1994-June 1996 23

12

9

2

52%

Steve McClaren August 2006-November 2007 18

9

4

5

50%

Bobby Robson September 1982-July 1990 95

47

29

19

49%

position in his first season in charge, he became the victim of dressing-room discontent. Club captain Tim Sherwood, who had been agitating for a lucrative move to Tottenham, was a particularly disruptive influence. Hodgson is modest when he reflects on his role. “Coaches lead players to the water and the players either drink or decide they want to jump over the stream. “That’s what our job is. We prepare, orchestrate and direct but in the end it’s not the concert director who plays the violin. It’s the people themselves. A good director can help them by leading them the right way and getting their talent to the fore but coaches should never take credit for individual player performances. It is the players who have to take credit. “Of course it’s nice for people to believe some managers are born with a magical quality that will transform bad into good, but I don’t. It’s about leadership skills, practice, repetition and bloody hard work.” For Hodgson, the years of observing and learning from his fellow coaches has paid off. “I consider myself to be in the same position as a lawyer,” he told World Soccer. “I’ve studied to be a professional. I like to think I know my professional role and that I’m good at my profession. Just as if I was to go to a lawyer, I’d go to someone who was good and who know his job, even if I had to pay him a little bit more.” One word comes up again and again when talking to Hodgson about coaching: organisation. In a career spanning 40 years, he has gained a reputation as master organiser of teams. “You can organise a pub team not to let in six goals against Manchester United,” he said. “Give me six months and I’d organise them, if they had a half-decent goalkeeper and a couple of centrehalves who can get in the way of the ball.” Training-pitch preparations have been a hallmark of Hodgson’s teams over the years, with the coach going to great lengths to explain to each and every

Don Revie October 1974-June 1977 29

14

8

7

48%

Graham Taylor September 1990-Nov 1993 38

18

13

7

47%

Joe Mercer May 1974-June 1974 7

3

3

1

42%

Kevin Keegan March 1999-October 2000 18

7

7

50 WORLD CUP 2014

4

39%


national side. “Everyone knew their roles and in training we went through the team shape. He brought discipline into the team that you need to be successful nowadays.” Hodgson turns 67 in August, but he is contracted to carry on with England until the European Championship in France in 2016. He is well aware that for a number of the players in the England squad, such as Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling, Brazil 2014 will prove to be a valuable learning experience for France in two years’ time. “They have knocked on the door,” says Hodgson. “We do a lot of scouting for England and there is not a serious game played at a high level that we don’t have a report on. It has been a case of players like Lallana and [Rickie] Lambert, and Sterling and Sturridge at Liverpool, hitting you in the eye. And that’s how it should be. “If we are talking about the England national team, anyone should be able to watch a match and afterwards say, ‘Yes, that’s the player. This one is special.’ We are lucky that quite a few of the players we have brought in have shown that they have something very special. They do it consistently, and force you sit up and take notice.” Whether England can be a force to be reckoned with in Brazil remains to be seen. He is not worried about the bookmakers, who have place England way down the pecking order. “I’m not a great believer in the bookmaker’s odds. You could compare the World Cup to a horse racing event like the Festival or the Grand National. An expert might be able to identify technically the best horse – but will that horse actually win? I really don’t mind whether we are favourites or bottom of the list because we don’t pay any attention to that. We won’t be disheartened by the fact we are 11th favourites, no more than we might be boosted if we were considered top contenders to win the tournament. There might be 10 better teams than us at the World Cup. There might not. “It’s up to us to prove we are good enough.”

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WORLD CUP 2014 51

WorldMags.net

WORLD CUP STADIUMS

THE THRILLING BRASILIA Estadio Nacional do Brasilia Capacity: 68,009 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 15: Switzerland v Ecuador Jun 19: Colombia v Ivory Coast Jun 23: Cameroon v Brazil

Jun 26: Portugal v Ghana Jun 30: 2nd round – E1 v F2 Jul 5: Quarter-Final 4 Jul 12: 3rd/4th place play-off

RIO DE JANEIRO Estadio do Maracana Capacity: 76,804 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 15: Argentina v BosniaHerzegovina Jun 18: Spain v Chile Jun 22: Belgium v Russia

Jun 25: Ecuador v France Jun 28: 2nd round – C1 v D2 Jul 4: Quarter-Final 2 Jul 13: FINAL

CUIABA Arena Pantanal Capacity: 42,968 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 13: Chile v Australia Jun 17: Russia v South Korea Jun 21: Nigeria v Bosnia-

BELO HORIZONTE Estadio Minerao Capacity: 62,547 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 14: Colombia v Greece Jun 17: Belgium v Algeria Jun 21: Argentina v Iran

52 WORLD CUP 2014

Jun 24: Costa Rica v England Jun 28: 2nd round – A1 v B2 Jul 8: Semi-Final 1


Herzegovina Jun 24: Japan v Colombia

WorldMags.net

FIELDS

Take our tour of Brazil’s 2014 World Cup stadiums MANAUS Arena Amazonia Capacity: 42,374 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 14: England v Italy Jun 18: Cameroon v Croatia Jun 22: USA v Portugal

Jun 25: Honduras v Switzerland

CURITIBA Arena da Baixada Capacity: 41,456 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 16: Iran v Nigeria Jun 20: Honduras v Ecuador Jun 23: Australia v Spain

Jun 26: Algeria v Russia

NATAL Estadio das Dunas Capacity: 42,086 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 13: Mexico v Cameroon Jun 16: Ghana v USA Jun 19: Japan v Greece

Jun 24: Italy v Uruguay

FORTALEZA Estadio Castelao Capacity: 64,846 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 14: Uruguay v Costa Rica Jun 17: Brazil v Mexico Jun 21: Germany v Ghana

Jun 24: Greece v Ivory Coast Jun 29: 2nd round – B1 v A2 Jul 4: Quarter-Final 1


WORLD CUP 2014 53

WorldMags.net SALVADOR

Arena Fonte Nova Capacity: 48,747 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 13: Spain v Holland Jun 16: Germany v Portugal Jun 20: Switzerland v France

Jun 25: Bosnia-Herzegovina v Iran Jul 1: 2nd round – H1 v G2 Jul 5: Quarter-Final 3

PORTO ALEGRE Estadio Beira-Rio Capacity: 48,849 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 15: France v Honduras Jun 18: Australia v Holland Jun 22: South Korea v Algeria

Jun 25: Nigeria v Argentina Jun 30: 2nd round – G1 v H2

SAO PAULO Arena de Sao Paulo Capacity: 65,807 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 12: Brazil v Croatia Jun 19: Uruguay v England Jun 23: Holland v Chile

RECIFE Arena Pernambuco Capacity: 44,248 World Cup 2014 Matches: Jun 14: Ivory Coast v Japan Jun 20: Italy v Costa Rica Jun 23: Croatia v Mexico

54 WORLD CUP 2014

Jun 26: USA v Germany Jun 29: 2nd round – D1 v C2


Jun 26: South Korea v Belgium Jul 1: 2nd round – F1 v E2 Jul 9: Semi-Final 2

WorldMags.net COMPETITION

WIN WORLD CUP SOCCERSTARZ! We’ve teamed up with SoccerStarz to give you the chance to win some top prizes ahead of the World Cup in Brazil

FIRST PRIZE England 15 Player Team Pack & The official FIFA World Cup 2014 Video Game for PS3 or Xbox 360 SECOND PRIZE FIFA World Cup 2014 Game plus five England blister packs

THIRD PRIZE Five England Blister Packs To enter, please answer the following question: What is Wayne Rooney’s middle name? Send your answer, with your name, address and contact email, on a postcard to World Soccer Soccerstarz competition 7th floor, Blue Fin Building, 110 Stamford Street, London SE1 0SU


WORLD CUP 2014 55


Wayne Rooney

Wayne’s

Brazil 2014 offers Wayne Rooney the chance to finally prove his worth as a global star. By John Holmesdale

O

n June 17, it will be exactly 10 years since Wayne Rooney announced his arrival on the international scene with two goals against Switzerland at Euro 2004. Further goals by the then 18-year-old helped England to a 4-2 victory over Croatia in their final group game. Rooney’s precociousness was already well known. Five days before his 17th birthday, he had scored a spectacular volley for Everton against Arsenal in the Premier League. But his goals at Euro 2004 marked 56 WORLD CUP 2014

the emergence of a genuine international star. A decade later, it is hard to escape the feeling that Rooney has not fulfilled his promise – at international level, at least. At the 2006 World Cup, he was sent off after kicking out at his Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo during the quarter-final that England went on to lose on penalties to Portugal. England failed to qualify for Euro 2008, then imploded at the World Cup in South Africa two years later, with Rooney failing to score as England departed with their tails between their legs,


humbled 4-1 by Germany in the second round. Rooney was banned from the first two games of Euro 2012 as punishment for his sending-off against Macedonia in the qualifiers. He returned for the final group game, against Ukraine, and scored the only goal of the game. But it was a familiar story in the quarter-finals as England lost on spot-kicks, this time to Italy. It is beginning to look like Rooney is not the man for the big England occasion, but manager Roy Hodgson disagrees. “Maybe once or twice in the past I think I can

WorldMags.net

world tour

ROONEY’S WORLD CUP MOMENTS 2006 Face a race to be fit foe the finals after breaking a metatarsal bone in his foot. Sent off after kicking out at Cristiano Ronaldo in England’s quarter-final defeat to Portugal.

2010 Was top scorer in the qualifiers but failed to score in the finals. Accused of swearing at TV cameras following England’s disappointing 0-0 draw with Algeria in Cape Town.

say without fear of contradiction that on the world stage he hasn’t exploded as he has on our national stage, where we all accept him as an outstanding player,” Hodgson said. “We have been together for a couple of years, we are growing slowly and there will be an opportunity for him in Brazil to show he is not just a great star in the Premier League, but a world star.” Hodgson dismisses suggestions that Rooney will be exhausted after a difficult season with Manchester United. “I hope with Wayne, and certainly the message to him is: ‘This is your

chance. Sure, you’ll be a bit tired, but so will Luis Suarez and David Luiz and various other players, because they are also playing in the Premier League and playing every game, like you.’ “He is 28, a terrific age, and this is the world stage, the perfect opportunity for him to prove to people around the world what we already know – that he is a very, very gifted footballer, an all-round footballer capable of playing in many positions and someone who is a leading light in his team, which is one of the best in the world. It would be nice to see him reproducing that form

for England and I am confident he will.” Hodgson will travel to this summer’s World Cup with one eye on the European Championship in France in 2016, when many of the youngsters that Hodgson hopes to blood in Brazil, will be older and wiser. Hodgson has hinted that Rooney could be England captain by then. “Wayne I’m sure is a future captain of England because we are losing some of the famous players who have served England so well,” he said. “When the day comes for Steven Gerrard to hang up his boots, Wayne will be straight in there, I’m sure.”


WORLD CUP 2014 57


Marco Reus

58 WORLD CUP 2014


WorldMags.net

ROLLS

REUS

The Dortmund wing wizard could be Germany’s big star in Brazil. By Nick Bidwell

D

ortmund left-wing virtuoso Marco Reus was only on the pitch for 125 – mainly inspirational – minutes at the last European Championship, but he will be banking on making a much more substantial contribution to Germany’s campaign at Brazil 2014. Tricky and elusive play on the flanks has been a key ingredient of every successful West German/ German World Cup finals campaign and in the spiky-haired 24-year-old, the Nationalmannschaft boast one of the best in the ‘out wide’ business, a wizard of the dribble with the capacity to turn defenders inside out. Establishing himself as a regular starter for Germany during the qualifying process for this summer’s World Cup, Reus is very much the embodiment of coach Joachim Low’s attackconscious philosophy. Lightning-quick, dynamic, direct and a sensational dribbler, he can wreak havoc in all sorts of ways, punching holes in even the most reinforced of rearguards, leading the counter-attacking charge, providing a heads-up final ball or applying the coup de grace with his rocket-launcher shooting. Five times on the score-sheet as the Germans

went undefeated in qualifying Group C, ‘Rolls Reus’ stands for high-tempo play, impishness, two-footed brilliance and a great deal of versatility, able to run riot on either wing, jink, twist and create in the number ten role or even play through the middle up front. In one-on-one situations, there are few to match him and in the heat and humidity in certain parts of Brazil, his electrifying bursts and killer instinct in front of goal could prove just as dangerous as a spot of sunstroke or dehydration. No wonder some of Europe’s biggest, most prestigious clubs are ready and willing to trigger the 35 million euro release clause in his current contract. “Marco is the complete attacker,” gushes Dortmund general manager Michael Zorc, who claims that if he had his way, he would sign up the blond dasher for life. “He can make the difference through his individual class, his finishing or his speed.” Dortmund chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke agrees: “Marco is absolutely top-class, so important for us and one of the cornerstones of our club.” Handicapped this season by ankle and thigh injuries, Germany’s Footballer of the Year in 2012, has certainly not enjoyed the best preparation for the greatest football show on earth. So what a relief it was when he came roaring back to life with both goals in his club’s 2-0 victory over Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League

quarter-final (Dortmund lost 3-2 on aggregate). “The important thing is that I’m getting back into a good rhythm again,” smiles the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach magician. “I’m like all my teammates in the German squad. I want to arrive in Brazil in top physical shape and highly-motivated to become a world champion. Playing for your country at a World Cup is something special. “I feel I’ve made progress as a national team player. I’m starting much more often than I used to and it’s helped my confidence. That said, I can’t be complacent. The Bundestrainer has lots of class players to choose from. “When it comes to business end of the tournament, fitness will be vital and from what I know about our conditioning team, we will not have any problem on that score.” UNITED-BOUND? Reus has been linked with a summer move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United after United manager David Moyes watched the Dortmund star in the company of an agent from Reus’s management company. But Reus does not have a release clause in his contract, so it would take an almighty bid from United to persuade Dortmund to sell.


WORLD CUP 2014 59

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WORLD CUP 2014 55

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The

TEAMS Ghana Greece Holland Honduras Iran Italy Ivory Coast Japan Mexico Nigeria Portugal Russia South Korea Spain Switzerland Uruguay USA

Algeria Argentina Australia Belgium BosniaHertzogovina Brazil Cameroon Chile Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Ecuador England France Germany


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KEY INFORMATION GROUP H SCHEDULE June 17 v Belgium, Belo Horizonte June 22 v South Korea, Porto Alegre June 26 v Russia, Curitiba BETTING William Hill 1000/1 to win World Cup 1/8 to be eliminated at group stage WORLD CUP HISTORY 1982 First-round exit 1986 First-round exit 2010 First-round exit

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Madjid Bougherra Centre-back who plays his club football in the relative calm of Qatar these days, but even at 31 he is a crucial figure for Algeria. Scored the decisive goal in the qualifiers. Sofiane Feghouli A skilful playmaking midfielder who has been linked with Manchester United as a summer transfer target – a result of his reputation in La Liga with Valencia and across the African continent. The heartbeat of the side. Faouzi Ghoulam Joined Napoli for 5million euros in the January transfer window to plug a hole at left-back. He is yet another player raised in the French youth system who has opted to represent Algeria. ONE TO WATCH Tottenham teen Nabil Bentaleb (left) broke into the Spurs side this season. He was born in France but has pledged his international future to Algeria. 64 WORLD CUP 2014

ENGLISH CONNECTION Combative, French-born midfielder Adlene Guedioura (right) was signed by Premier League new boys Crystal Palace last summer, after spells with Wolves and Nottingham Forest. However, injuries have restricted his influence this season.

ANALYSIS How they qualified The Desert Foxes qualified for a second successive World Cup after edging past Burkina Faso over two legs in the final-round play-off. After a disappointing performance at last year’s African Nations Cup in South Africa, where they did not even make the knockout stage, they beat a strong Mali side to top their qualifying group. In the play-offs against Burkina Faso, they were unfortunate to go 3-2 down away in the first leg to a dodgy penalty call, but at 1-0 in the return they were set to qualify, hanging on precariously when the Burkinabe struck the woodwork in stoppage time. Had the ball gone in, the game would have ended 1-1 and the tie 3-2 in the visitors’ favour. But over the three hours of football, Algeria deserved their triumph on the away goals rule. Strengths Algeria have strengthened their squad by signing up lots of French-born youth internationals who


are of Algerian descent. They have a reasonable first-round draw. Weaknesses They lack a consistent goalscorer. Their previous finals form is not good. There is speculation that coach Halilhodzic may be ditched before the finals. World Soccer prediction Elimination at the group stage again.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Vehad Halilhodzic “We could have landed a much tougher group, but there’s no easy group or ‘group of death’. We’ll do our best to surprise them. We’re not going to Brazil as tourists, but it will be difficult. We have to be disciplined, strong and modest. We have nothing to lose but we can win something. Trust me, I will be going there with a lot of determination.” THE PUNDIT Mark Gleeson, World Soccer Africa correspondent “Algeria will carry the hopes of the Arabicspeaking world in Brazil. Yet while expectations will be greater than in South Africa four years ago, their chances of creating an upset on the same scale as their famous 1982 win over West Germany in Spain are slim at best.”

WorldMags.net LIKELY STARTING LINE-UP: 4-2-3-1

M’Bolhi

NACEREDDINE KHOUALED

RAIS M’BOLHI GOALKEEPER Club: USM Alger Born: 07.10.82 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 630 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: USM Alger Born: 16.04.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 180 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MADJID BOUGHERRA

ESSAID BELKALEM DEFENCE Watford (Eng) 4 app/360 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DJAMEL MESBAH DEFENCE Liverno (Ita) 6 apps/536 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Ajaccio (Fra) Born: 30.08.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 506 Goals in qualifiers: 0

YACINE BRAHIMI

EL ARABI HILLEL SOUDANI

PLAYMAKER Club: Granada (Spa) Born: 08.02.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 207 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Dinamo Zagreb (Cro) Born: 25.11.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 543 Goals in qualifiers: 3

RYAD BOUDEBOUZ

NABIL BENTALEB

MIDFIELD Bastia (Fra) 2 apps/125 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Tottenham (Eng) 0 apps in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Crystal Palace (Eng) 6 apps/382 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Taider Soudani

MEHDI LACEN MIDFIELD Getafe (Spa) 5 apps/365 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

HASSAN YEBDA MIDFIELD

Mostafa

Brahimi

FAOUZI GHOULAM LEFT-BACK Club: Napoli (Ita) Born: 01.02.91 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 199 Goals in qualifiers: 0

SOFIANE FEGHOULI ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Valencia (Spa) Born: 26.12.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 600 Goals in qualifiers: 3

ISLAM SLIMANI CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Sporting Lisbon (Por) Born: 18.06.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 472 Goals in qualifiers: 5

Udinese (Ita) 3 apps/204 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

THE COACH

ISHAK BELFODIL

15.10.52 (age 61) Guided Ivory Coast to the 2010 World Cup but was fired just months before the finals. Has had run-ins with the Algerian FA but looks to be holding onto his post until Brazil. A member of Yugoslavia’s side at the 1982 World Cup, he was born in Bosnia but is a long-time French citizen.

FORWARD Livorno (Ita) 1 app/1 min/0 goals in qualifiers

NABIL GHILAS FORWARD Porto (Por) 2 apps/106 mins/1 goal in qualifiers


Feghouli

Slimani

SAPHIR TAIDER CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Internazionale (Ita) Born: 29.02.92 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 456: Goals in qualifiers: 2

ADLENE GUEDIOURA

Ghoulam

CARL MEDJANI

MEHDI MOSTEFA

Medjani

Khoualed

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Valenciennes (Fra) Born: 15.05.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Lekhwiya (Qat) Born: 07.10.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 1

OTHER PLAYERS

Bougherra

VAHID HALILHODZIC

WORLD CUP 2014 65

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KEY INFORMATION

THE PLAYERS

GROUP F SCHEDULE June 15 v Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rio de Janeiro June 21 v Iran, Belo Horizonte June 25 v Nigeria, Porto Alegre

KEY MEN Lionel Messi Goalscorer, provider and captain, the Barcelona superstar instils fear in the opposition.

BETTING William Hill 9/2 to win World Cup 10/1 to be eliminated at group stage

Angel Di Maria One of Sabella’s favourite pupils, the Real Madrid wide man is just as important in attack as he is in defence.

WORLD CUP HISTORY 1930 Runners-up, 4-3 Final defeat by Uruguay 1934 First round 1958 First round 1962 First round 1966 Quarter-finals, defeat by England 1974 Second round 1978 WINNERS, 3-1 Final victory over Holland 1982 Second round 1986 WINNERS, 3-2 Final victory over West Germany 1990 Runners-up, 1-0 Final defeat by West Germany 1994 Second round 1998 Quarter-finals, defeat by Holland 2002 First round 2006 Quarter-finals, defeat on pens by Germany 2010 Quarter-finals, 4-0 defeat by Germany

Ezequiel Garay In the centre of a defence that is still settling down, he leads with strength and know-how.

66 WORLD CUP 2014

ONE TO WATCH Ezequiel Lavezzi The Paris Saint-Germain forward can’t get a place in the starting line-up but will be a useful weapon on the bench. ENGLISH CONNECTION Alejando Sabella Argentina’s coach was one of the first foreign stars to play in England, first for Leeds and then for Sheffield United.

ANALYSIS How they qualified Alejandro Sabella took over as Argentina coach after a poor Copa America performance in 2011. He appointed Lionel Messi as captain and built the team around him. There were setbacks along the way. They suffered a first-ever loss to Venezuela and drew at home to Bolivia, before a run of results that qualified them comfortably for the 2014 finals. They were unbeaten in 12 matches and scored three or more goals on five occasions. The strike

force of Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero gelled, and between them they made up half of the qualifying group’s top six goalscorers. Strengths A brilliant attack led by Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain. Carlos Tevez probably won’t even make the squad. Weaknesses Keeper Sergio Romero made a number of blunders in qualifiers and the defence is still a work in progress. World Soccer Prediction Finalists and, if Messi is on song, winners.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Alejandro Sabella: “I have about 80 to 90 per cent of the list for the World Cup and it’s going to be difficult for there to be any surprises, but not impossible. We’re always scouting; I’m very happy with the players we have from midfield and up.” THE PUNDIT Joel Richards, World Soccer Argentina correspondent “Messi, Aguero and Higuain make up arguably the most formidable forward line in the world… and steer attention away from question marks over the defence. Victories in friendlies against top European sides have also confirmed the side’s prospects for Brazil. At the last tournament held in Brazil, in 1950, Uruguay ruined the hosts’ plans to lift the trophy. Doing likewise and winning in Brazil this summer would eclipse Argentina’s two previous titles – something that is not lost on captain Messi and co.”



Romero

SERGIO ROMERO

PABLO ZABALETA

GOALKEEPER Club: Monaco (Fra) Born: 22.02.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1080 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Man City (Eng) Born: 16.01.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 875 Goals in qualifiers:

FEDERICO FERNANDEZ

EZEQUIEL GARAY

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Napoli (Ita) Born: 21.02.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 810 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Benfica (Por) Born: 10.10.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Sporting Lisbon (Por) Born: 20.03.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 697 Goals in qualifiers: 0

JAVIER MASCHERANO

FERNANDO GAGO

ANGEL DI MARIA

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD Club: Barcelona (Spa) Born: 08.06.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 970 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MIDFIELD Club: Boca Juniors (Arg) Born: 10.04.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 663 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MIDFIELD Club: Real Madrid (Spa) Born: 14.02.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 946 Goals in qualifiers: 3

LIONEL MESSI

SERGIO AGUERO

GONZALO HIGUAIN

FORWARD Club: Man City (Eng) Born: 02.06.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 488 Goals in qualifiers: 5

FORWARD Club: Napoli (Ita) Born: 10.12.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 859 Goals in qualifiers: 9

FORWARD Club: Barcelona (Spa) Born: 24.06.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1143 Goals in qualifiers: 10

OTHER PLAYERS

HUGO CAMPAGNARO DEFENCE Internazionale (Ita) 6 apps/473 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JOSE BASANTA DEFENCE Monterrey (Mex) 3 apps/270 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

NICOLAS OTAMENDI DEFENCE Atletico Mineiro (Bra) 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

LUCAS BIGLIA MIDFIELD Lazio (Ita) 4 apps/197 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MAXI RODRIGUEZ

Newell’s Old Boys 4 apps/19 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

RODRIGO PALACIO

EVER BANEGA

FORWARD Internazionale (Ita) 6 apps/288 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Newell’s Old Boys 6 apps/275 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

JOSE SOSA MIDFIELD Atletico Madrid (Spa) 6 apps/293 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Fernandez Zabaleta

EZEQUIEL LAVEZZI FORWARD Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) 7 apps/305 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

MIDFIELD


Gago

Garay

Rojo

Mascherano Di Maria Messi

Aguero

Higuain

MARCOS ROJO

THE COACH

ALEJANDRO ‘ALEX’ SABELLA 05.11.54 (age 59) Won eight caps as a player. Coached Estudiantes to success in the 2009 Libertadores Cup before taking charge of the national side two years later. Previously worked with Argentina as assistant to Daniel Passarella, and also had a spell in the same capacity with Uruguay.

WORLD CUP 2014 67

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP B SCHEDULE June 13 v Chile, Cuiaba June 18 v Holland, Porto Alegre June 23 v Spain, Curitiba BETTING William Hill 750/1 to win World Cup 1/20 to be eliminated at group stage WORLD CUP HISTORY 1974 First round exit 2006 Second round, defeat by Italy 2010 First round exit

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Tim Cahill Though the former Everton midfielder is now at New York Red Bulls in the USA, he still has a fabulous scoring rate. He became Australia’s all-time top goalscorer in March with two goals against Ecuador. Mark Bresciano The former Parma, Palermo and Lazio midfielder (right) is now a veteran playing out his days in Qatar. But he was Australia’s most creative player in the qualifiers and could be called upon to help the youngsters in Brazil. Mile Jedinak The Crystal Palace midfielder was appointed captain after coach Ange Postecoglu dropped long-time skipper Lucas Neill. ONE TO WATCH Midfielder Tom Rogic, who is on loan at Melbourne Victory from Celtic, has been hailed as 68 WORLD CUP 2014

one of Australian football’s new stars and will be a key creative force in Postecoglu’s new-look side. ENGLISH CONNECTION Young defender Curtis Good (right) who made his Socceroo debut in March, is currently on loan at Dundee United after finding opportunities limited at Newcastle.

ANALYSIS How they qualified The Socceroos rode their luck in the Asian qualifiers, struggling against low-tier opponents such as Jordan, Oman and Thailand. They secured their place in Brazil with a 1-0 win over Iraq but German coach Holger Osieck was criticised for sticking with old guard players such as Harry Kewell, Lucas Neill and Mark Schwarzer. He paid the price for not blooding a new generation of younger players when he was sacked following a 6-0 friendly defeat to France last October. New man Ange Postecoglou immediately set about introducing some young blood into the squad.


Strengths Coach Postecoglou has reinvigorated the squad with youngsters who will play without fear because of the lack of expectations in Brazil. Weaknesses Injuries to key men Tim Kruse and Rhys Williams. Their inexperience could prove costly in a tough first-round group. World Soccer Prediction Bottom of the group, but with invaluable experience gained for Russia in 2018.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Ange Postecoglou “I have absolute belief in what we can do, in what our young players can do.” THE PUNDIT Simon Hill, World Soccer Australia correspondent “Expectations aren’t high, which is understandable given the almost impossible nature of Australia’s group. Hopes rest more on performances than results. If the Socceroos can give a good account against heavyweights such as Spain and Holland, the football fraternity will be in forgiving mood of Ange Postecoglou and his recalibrated squad.”


Ryan

LUKE WILKSHIRE

MAT RYAN GOALKEEPER Club: Club Brugge (Blg) Born: 08.04.92 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Dinamo Moscow (Rus) Born: 01.10.81 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1162 Goals in qualifiers: 2

MILE JEDINAK

TOM ROGIC

DEFENCE Brisbane Roar 0 apps in qualifiers

ALEX WILKINSON DEFENCE Jeonbok Hyundai (SKo) 0 apps in qualifiers

JOSH KENNEDY

DEFENCE Shandong (Chn) 0 apps in qualifiers

OLIVER BOZANIC

FORWARD Nagoya Grampus Eight (Jap) 6 apps/457 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MATT MCKAY

DARIO VIDOSIC MIDFIELD Sion (Swi)

LEFT-BACK Club: Heracles (Hol) Born: 29.06.91 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 0

TOMMY OAR LEFT MIDFIELD Club: Utrecht (Hol) Born: 10.12.91 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 264 Goals in qualifiers: 1

TIM CAHILL CENTRE-FORWARD Club: New York Red Bulls (USA) Born: 06.12.79 (aged 34) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 691 Goals in qualifiers: 3

RIGHT MIDFIELD Club: FSV Frankfurt (Ger) Born: 04.02.91 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 0

2 apps/21 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Brisbane Roar 13 apps/1144 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JASON DAVIDSON

MATHEW LECKIE

RYAN MCGOWAN

MIDFIELD Luzern (Swi) 0 apps in qualifiers

MARK BRESCIANO MIDFIELD Al-Gharafa (Qat) 8 apps/531 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

ADAM TAGGART FORWARD Newcastle Jets 0 apps in qualifiers


Oar

Cahill

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Melbourne Victory Born: 04.08.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 404 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Melbourne Victory Born: 16.12.92 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 40 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Milligan

Rogic

MARK MILLIGAN

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Crystal Palace (Eng) Born: 03.08.84 (ages 29) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 584 Goals in qualifiers: 1

IVAN FRANJIC

Leckie

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Dundee United (Sco) Born: 23.03.93 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Western Sydney Wanderers Born: 27.06.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 608 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Spiranovic Davidson

Jedinak

CURTIS GOOD

MATTHEW SPIRANOVIC

OTHER PLAYERS

Good Wilkshire

THE COACH

ANGE POSTECOGLOU 27.08.65 (age 48) Replaced German Holger Osieck at the end of last year. The most successful coach in domestic Australian football, with four league titles. Has already ditched many of the old guard. Coached Australia’s Under-20 side at four FIFA tournaments.

WORLD CUP 2014 69

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KEY INFORMATION

THE PLAYERS

GROUP H SCHEDULE June 17 v Algeria, Belo Horizonte June 22 v Russia, Rio de Janeiro June 26 v South Korea, Sao Paulo

KEY MEN Axel Witsel Russia-based midfield general who was ever present in the qualifiers. His disciplined approach was a major factor in the successful campaign.

BETTING William Hill 14/1 to win World Cup 33/1 Lukaku tournament top scorer WORLD CUP HISTORY 1930 First-round defeat 1934 First-round defeat 1938 First-round defeat 1950 Group stage exit 1970 Group stage exit 1982 Second-round defeat 1986 Semi-finalists, fourth place 1990 Round of 16, defeat by England 1994 Round of 16, defeat by Germany 1998 Group stage exit 2002 Round of 16, 2-0 defeat by Brazil

Eden Hazard The Chelsea star (left) has put his past differences with the national team behind him and will play a crucial role in Brazil. Vincent Kompany Although he missed the last three qualifiers through injury, the Manchester City defender is a key player. A natural leader, he is the team’s captain on and off the pitch. ONE TO WATCH Kevin De Bruyne Although he failed to shine at Chelsea, the midfielder is likely to be given a crucial creative role for Belgium in Brazil. ENGLISH CONNECTION As well as Hazard and Kompany, Belgium could field an entire team of Premier League players: Simon Mignolet, Marouane Fellaini, Mousa Dembele, Kevin Mirallas, Christian Benteke (right), Nacer Chadli, Romelu Lukaku, Jan Vertonghen and Thomas Vermaelen.

ANALYSIS How they qualified Belgium beat Croatia 2-1 on a rainy night in Zagreb to 70 WORLD CUP 2014

qualify for their first major tournament since 2002. After opening with a comfortable win over Wales, there followed crucial results against Croatia (1-1 draw at home) and Serbia (a 3-0 victory). Five further straight wins followed and then it was on to Zagreb, where qualification was ensured with a game to spare. Under Marc Wilmots, the team were unbeaten and the coach was never afraid to leave players of the calibre of Hazard, Fellaini and Dembele on the bench. Strengths Belgium have players performing on a regular basis at some of Europe’s top clubs. They have plenty of attacking talent, but conceded only four goals in their 10 qualifying games, with keeper Thibaut Courtois making a major contribution. The group draw in Brazil has been kind. Weaknesses The current team has not yet beaten any of the world’s top sides, Full-back is a problem position, with both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen happier in central defence. World Soccer Prediction Quarter-finals.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Marc Wilmots “We’re in an interesting group. There are no world-class players within our opponents. I’m not saying it will be easy, but our first aim, to reach the round of 16, is still the same.” THE PUNDIT John Chapman, World Soccer Belgium correspondent “Belgium have a group of talented players with sufficient experience to become a real force in world football, having gone from 71st in the FIFA rankings in July 2007 to a current position of fifth.”



Courtois

THIBAUT COURTOIS

TOBY ALDERWEIRELD

GOALKEEPER Club: Atletico Madrid (Spa) Born: 11.05.92 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Atletico Madrid (Spa) Born: 02.03.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 0

VINCENT KOMPANY

THOMAS VERMAELEN

JAN VERTONGHEN

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Manchester City (Eng) Born: 10.04.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 2

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Arsenal (Eng) Born: 14.11.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 630 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Tottenham (Eng) Born: 24.04.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 828 Goals in qualifiers: 1

AXEL WITSEL

MAROUANE FELLAINI

DRIES MERTENS

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Manchester United (Eng) Born: 22.11.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 455 Goals in qualifiers: 1

RIGHT MIDFIELD Club: Napoli (Ita) Born: 06.05.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 352 Goals in qualifiers: 0

EDEN HAZARD

ROMELU LUKAKU

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD Club: Zenit St Petersburg (Rus) Born: 12.01.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

KEVIN DE BRUYNE

SIMON MIGNOLET GOALKEEPER Liverpool (Eng) 0 apps in qualifiers

NICOLAS LOMBAERTS DEFENCE Zenit St Petersburg (Rus) 2 apps/166 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DANIEL VAN BUYTEN

STEVEN DEFOUR

DEFENCE Bayern Munich (Ger) 5 apps/432 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Porto (Por) 3 apps/238 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

MOUSA DEMBELE MIDFIELD Tottenham (Eng) 10 apps/535 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

NACER CHADLI MIDFIELD Tottenham (Eng) 8 apps/479 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

TIMMY SIMONS

KEVIN MIRALLAS FORWARD Everton (Eng) 9 apps/324 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

MICHY BATSHUAYI FORWARD Standard Liege 0 apps in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Club Brugge 0 apps in qualifiers


Vermaelen

Alderweireld

Vertonghen

Witsel Mertens

Fellaini

De Bruyne

Hazard

Lukaku

LEFT MIDFIELD Club: Chelsea (Eng) Born: 07.01.91 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 607 Goals in qualifiers: 2

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Wolfsburg (Ger) Born: 28.06.91 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 730 Goals in qualifiers: 4

OTHER PLAYERS

Kompany

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Everton (Eng) Born: 13.05.93 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 210 Goals in qualifiers: 2

THE COACH

MARC WILMOTS Born 22.02.69 (aged 45) Former national team striker who had modest success as coach of Schalke and St Truiden but has been a popular choice as national coach with players and fans.

WORLD CUP 2014 71

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THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Edin Dzeko The Manchester City striker (left) is paired up front with Vedad Ibisevic and, between them, they contributed 18 goals in 10 matches during qualification. He is the vital component in Susic’s attacking philosophy. Emir Spahic The captain is a true leader and Bosnia’s strength at the back. At 33, the Bayer Leverkusen defender has huge experience but the World Cup will be the highlight of his playing career. Miralem Pjanic The team’s most creative player is destined to be a future leader. Only 24, he has already been capped 46 times and is the key supply line to the strikers.

KEY INFORMATION GROUP F SCHEDULE June 15 June 21 June 25 BETTING William Hill 150/1 to win World Cup 13/2 to win Group F WORLD CUP HISTORY No previous participation

72 WORLD CUP 2014

v Argentina, Rio de Janeiro v Nigeria, Cuiaba v Iran, Salvador

ONE TO WATCH Young defender Sead Kolasinac has impressed for Schalke in the Bundesliga. The former Germany Under-21 international switched nationality last year. ENGLISH CONNECTION Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic (right) was born in Canada but opted to play for Bosnia.

ANALYSIS How they qualified A close-range shot from striker Ibisevic against Lithuania sealed Bosnia’s place in the finals of a major tournament for the first time and sent hundreds of thousands of delirious supporters out on to the streets to celebrate. Victory over Lithuania confirmed qualification after Bosnia had gone mightily close in two previous campaigns – for the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 – only to lose play-offs to Portugal on both occasions. With attacking tactics, Bosnia secured key results against group favourites Greece, a 0-0 away draw followed by a 3-1 victory in Zenica. A 1-0 loss at home to Slovakia put them on the verge of blowing everything but they recovered four days later to beat the same opponents away from home. A home victory over Liechtenstein then set up the Lithuania game in Kaunas, in which Bosnia struggled to score until the 68th minute and Ibisevic’s goal. Strengths Bosnia will score goals: they averaged three per


game during qualifying. They have an exceptional keeper in Begovic. Expectations will be extremely low, but the players will still be hugely motivated. Weaknesses An inexperienced squad that lacks depth, so an injury or suspension could be disastrous. They are weak at the back, with no defensive midfielder to protect the backline. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Safet Susic “Argentina are the favourites in our group. For us, it will be a great occasion to open up the World Cup against them, especially at a stadium such as Maracana. We should compete with Nigeria for the second place in the group, and hopefully survive to the next round. However, we should not underestimate Iran. In any case, our chances are good.” THE PUNDIT Sasa Ibrulj, World Soccer Bosnia correspondent “Can they compete with the big boys? Since Susic took over in March 2010, Bosnia have played 10 teams that will be in Brazil and won against only three (Algeria, Ghana and Greece), losing easily to Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, Portugal and USA. “With no previous experience of playing such important matches in such a short period of time, the narrow selection of quality players and limited alternatives could be a huge problem.”

WorldMags.net LIKELY STARTING LINE-UP: 4-4-2

Begovic

ASMIR BEGOVIC

MENSUR MUJDZA

GOALKEEPER Club: Stoke City (Eng) Born: 10.06.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Freiburg (Ger) Born: 28.03.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 463 Goals in qualifiers: 0

EMIR SPAHIC

ERMIN BICAKCIC

SEAD KOLASINAC

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Eintracht Braunschweig (Ger) Born: 24.01.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 360 Goals in qualifiers: 1

LEFT-BACK Club: Schalke (Ger) Born: 20.06.93 (aged 20) Apps in qualifiers: 0 Mins in qualifiers: 0 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) Born: 18.08.80 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

OTHER PLAYERS

AVDIJA VRSAJEVIC DEFENCE Hajduk Split (Cro) 7 apps/412 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

OGNJEN VRANJES DEFENCE Elazigspor (Tur) 5 apps/450 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

SEJAD SALIHOVIC

MIRALEM PJANIC

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD Club: Hoffenheim (Ger) Born: 08.10.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 777 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MIDFIELD Club: Roma (Ita) Born: 02.04.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 657 Goals in qualifiers: 3

ZVJEZDAN MISIMOVIC

VEDAD IBISEVIC

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Guizhou Renhe (Chn) Born: 05.06.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 773 Goals in qualifiers: 5

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Stuttgart (Ger) Born: 06.08.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 892 Goals in qualifiers: 8

HARIS MEDUNJANIN MIDFIELD Gaziantepspor (Tur) 8 apps/551 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

ERVIN ZUKANOVIC MIDFIELD Gent (Blg) 3 apps/95 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

IZET HAJROVIC

MIDFIELD Galatasaray (Tur) 3 apps/49 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

EDIN VISCA MIDFIELD Istanbul BB (Tur) 3 apps/66 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ADNAN ZAHIROVIC MIDFIELD Bochum (Ger) 7 apps/498 mins/0

goals in qualifiers

MIROSLAV STEVANOVIC MIDFIELD Alaves (Spa) 5 apps/75 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

SENIJAD IBRICIC MIDFIELD Kayseri Erciyesspor (Tur) 4 apps/66 mins/0 goals in qualifiers


Mujdza

Spahic Bicakcic

Kolasinac

Salihovic Pjanic

Lulic

Misimovic Ibisevic

Dzeko

SENAD LULIC MIDFIELD Club: Lazio (Ita) Born: 18.01.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 652 Goals in qualifiers: 1

EDIN DZEKO CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Manchester City (Eng) Born: 17.03.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 10

THE COACH

SAFET SUSIC 13.04.55 (aged 59) Taking Bosnia to their first major tournament is the biggest achievement of his career for the man once voted the country’s best-ever player. Has previously worked in France and Turkey but he lacks real coaching experience and summer 2014 will be a huge test of his abilities.

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KEY INFORMATION

THE PLAYERS

GROUP A SCHEDULE June 12 v Croatia, Sao Paulo June 17 v Mexico, Fortaleza June 23 v Cameroon, Brasilia

KEY MEN Thiago Silva Team captain and immaculate centre-back who, alongside David Luiz and two attacking full-backs, will need to impose calm discipline on the defensive line.

BETTING William Hill 3/1 to win World Cup 13/8 to reach the Final WORLD CUP HISTORY 1930 First round exit 1934 First round exit 1938 Semi-finals, defeat by Italy 1950 Runners-up 1954 Quarter-finals, defeat by Hungary 1958 WINNERS, 5-2 Final victory over Sweden 1962 WINNERS, 3-1 Final victory over Czechoslovakia 1966 First round exit 1970 WINNERS, 4-1 Final victory over Italy 1974 Fourth place 1978 Third place 1982 Second round 1986 Quarter-finals, defeat on penalties by France 1990 Second round, defeat by Argentina 1994 WINNERS, Final victory on penalties over Italy 1998 Runners-up, 3-0 Final defeat by France 2002 WINNERS, 2-0 Final victory over Germany 2006 Quarter-finals, defeat by France 2010 Quarter-finals, defeat by Holland

74 WORLD CUP 2014

Luiz Gustavo Tall holding midfielder whose inclusion did much to tighten up the team. The fact that he is left footed makes it easier for him to protect the weaker side of the defence. Oscar Midfielder (left) who belies a frail, sloping shoulders appearance with a versatility that is of great use to the team. Can work back and mark, organise from deep, create higher up the field and get beyond the attacking line to score. Neymar The poster boy of the tournament and his team’s great attacking hope. Has pace, unpredictability, dazzling skill and already 30 international goals to his name. The World Cup, though, will be his big test. ENGLISH CONNECTION David Luiz The defender is one of a number of Chelsea players in the squad, alongside Oscar, Ramires and probably Willian.

ANALYSIS After the last World Cup, when an ageing Brazil side were knocked out by Holland in the quarter-finals, Mano Menezes was appointed coach with instructions to introduce new blood and a more attack-minded style of

play more in keeping with Brazil’s status as World Cup hosts. Menezes succeeded in making the changes, building a team around star forward Neymar. But friendly results were disappointing, especially against the big nations, and in November 2012 Brazil turned to former coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, boss of the victorious 2002 World Cup winning side. Scolari kept faith with the players introduced by Menezes, and steered Brazil to success in last summer’s Confederations Cup. Strengths A settled squad in tip-top physical condition will be backed by a vociferous home crowd. Weaknesses Brazilian football is still haunted by the ghost of 1950, when they lost on home soil to Uruguay. Brazil face a tricky second-round tie against either reigning champions Spain, Holland or Chile. World Soccer Prediction Finalists.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Luiz Felipe Scolari “If I feared challenges, I wouldn’t have achieved anything in my career. Winning or losing in 2014 will not erase the title I helped Brazil win in 2002. The players know they will have to win the World Cup. We can’t play a tournament in Brazil and think that second place will do.” THE PUNDIT Tim Vickery, World Soccer Brazil correspondent “Almost everything Scolari has done has worked. He is full of options which he will have to whittle down to a squad of 23. The players have already received Brazil’s planning schedule for the World Cup – it goes all the way to the Final.”



Julio Cesar

JULIO CESAR

DANI ALVES

GOALKEEPER Club: Toronto (USA) Born: 03.09.79 (aged 34) Caps: 78 Goals: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Barcelona (Spa) Born: 06.05.83 (aged 31) Caps: 74 Goals: 5

THIAGO SILVA CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) Born: 22.09.84 (aged 29) Caps: 45 Goals: 2

LUIZ GUSTAVO DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD Club: Wolfsburg (Ger) Born: 23.07.87 (aged 26) Caps: 17 Goals: 1

OTHER PLAYERS

DANTE DEFENCE Bayern Munich (Ger) Caps: 11 Goals: 2

RAFINHA DEFENCE Bayern Munich (Ger) Caps: 2 Goals: 0

MAXWELL DEFENCE

Thiago Silva

David Luiz

Dani Alves Ramires

Marcelo Luiz Gustavo

Hulk

Fred

Oscar

Neymar

DAVID LUIZ

MARCELO

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Chelsea (Eng) Born: 22.04.87 (aged 27) Caps: 34 Goals: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Real Madrid (Spa) Born: 12.05.88 (aged 26) Caps: 30 Goals: 4

RAMIRES

OSCAR

RIGHT MIDFIELDER Club: Chelsea (Eng) Born: 24.03.87 (aged 27) Caps: 41 Goals: 4

LEFT MIDFIELD Club: Chelsea (Eng) Born: 09.09.91 (aged 22) Caps: 29 Goals: 9

HULK

NEYMAR

FRED

FORWARD Club: Zenit St Petersburg (Rus) Born: 25.07.86 (aged 27) Caps: 33 Goals: 8

FORWARD Club: Barcelona (Spa) Born: 05.02.92 (aged 22) Caps: 47 Goals: 30

CENTREFORWARD Club: Fluminense Born: 03.10.83 (aged 30) Caps: 32 Goals: 16

Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) Caps: 7 Goals: 0

MARQUINHOS DEFENCE Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) Caps: 1 Goals: 0

PAULINHO MIDFIELDER Tottenham Hotspur (Eng)

Caps: 25 Goals: 5

FERNANDINHO MIDFIELD Manchester City (Eng) Caps: 6 Goals: 1

WILLIAN MIDFIELD Chelsea (Eng) Caps: 5 Goals: 1

HERNANES

THE COACH

MIDFIELD Internazionale (Ita) Caps: 23 Goals: 2

LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI

JO FORWARD Atletico Mineiro Caps: 15 Goals: 5

ROBINHO FORWARD Milan (Ita) Caps: 89 Goals: 28


Born 09.11.48 (aged 45) Led Brazil to triumph in the 2002 World Cup. The haste of his appointment in late 2012 was to kill off a campaign for Pep Guardiola – which has since been forgotten as Scolari’s work has restored Brazil’s self-confidence.

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP A SCHEDULE June 13 v Mexico, Natal June 18 v Croatia, Manaus June 23 v Brazil, Brasilia BETTING William Hill 750/1 to win World Cup 13/5 to beat Mexico in opening game WORLD CUP HISTORY 1982 First round 1990 Quarter-finals 1994 First round 1998 First round 2002 First round 2010 Group stage exit

THE PLAYERS

ANALYSIS

KEY MEN Samuel Eto’o Maybe on the wrong side of 30 but he remains extremely important and gives Cameroon an edge up front. Eto’o (right) has won more than 100 caps and competed at three previous World Cups, and with three UEFA Champions League winners medals he is among Africa’s greatest sporting exports.

How they qualified The Indomitable Lions qualified for an African record seventh World Cup appearance when they beat Tunisia in the African play-offs. But for most of the campaign they were riven by internal intrigue and infighting, had three different coaches and saw their football association president jailed for fraud. They played poorly on the road and were only gifted a place in the play-offs by an administrative error by one of their opponents, Togo. They had lost to Togo but were awarded all three points after their opponents fielded a suspended player.

Alex Song Eto’o’s great rival in the team, he has regularly clashed with his captain in the past and even boycotted the team at one point. Performs a sturdy midfield role for his country, but a lack of playing time at club level has been evident in recent performances for the national side. Jean Makoun Had a brief sojourn in England with Aston Villa, but is much appreciated in Ligue 1, where he returned to play for Rennes. He has been in the Cameroon side for a decade and has proven most useful of late in an attacking right-sided midfield role. ONE TO WATCH An old-fashioned dribbling left-winger, Benjamin Moukandjo is highly effective cutting in from the touchline and taking on defenders. Currently with Nancy in Ligue 1, he is seen as a pretender to Eto’o in his homeland. ENGLISH CONNECTION Full-back Benoit Asso-Ekotto (left) is now a regular in the Championship for QPR after joining on loan from Tottenham.

76 WORLD CUP 2014

Strengths Under Finke, Cameroon will be more disciplined than they have been in the past, with a more attacking outlook. Weaknesses A ponderous defence is a particular worry. Cameroon’s camp remains subject to internal and external interference. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Volke Finke “As a coach you don’t need to deliver any motivation because for any player to get a chance to play against Brazil is a real highlight in their career. It is a really good adventure, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” THE PUNDIT Mark Gleeson, World Soccer Africa correspondent “The influence of new coach Finke proved decisive in the play-offs. Group rivals Croatia and Mexico did not have the most inspirational qualifying campaigns, so Cameroon are capable of finishing second to Brazil.”



Itandje

CHARLES ITANDJE

ALLAN NYOM RIGHT-BACK Club: Granada (Spa) Born: 10.05.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 1 Mins in qualifiers: 68 Goals in qualifiers: 0

GOALKEEPER Club: Konaspor (Tur) Born: 01.11.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Chedjou

Nyom

Asso-Ekotto Enoh

Song

Choupo-Mating Makoun Moukandjo Eto’o

NICOLAS N’KOULOU

AURELIEN CHEDJOU

BENOIT ASSOEKOTTO

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Marseille (Fra) Born: 27.03.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 630 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Galatasaray (Tur) Born: 20.06.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 630 Goals in qualifiers: 1

LEFT-BACK Club: QPR (Eng) Born: 24.03.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 180 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ALEX SONG

EYONG ENOH

JEAN MAKOUN

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Barcelona (Spa) Born: 09.09.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 630 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Antalyaspor (Tur) Born: 23.03.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Rennes (Fra) Born: 29.05.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 346 Goals in qualifiers: 2

BENJAMIN MOUKANDJO

MAXIM CHOUPOMATING

FORWARD Club: Nancy (Fra) Born: 12.11.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 422 Goals in qualifiers: 1

FORWARD Club: Mainz (Ger) Born: 23.03.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 300 Goals in qualifiers: 2

OTHER PLAYERS

HENRI BEDIMO DEFENCE Lyon (Fra) 4 apps/360 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

GAETEN BONG DEFENCE Olympiakos (Gre) 1 apps/90 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

N’Koulou

JEAN-ARMEL KANA-BIYIK DEFENCE Rennes (Fra) 2 apps/112 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

STEPHANE MBIA DEFENCE Sevilla (Spa) 7 apps/420 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JOEL MATIP MIDFIELD Schalke (Ger) 5 apps/405 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

LANDRY NGUEMO MIDFIELD Bordeaux (Fra) 4 apps/196 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

VINCENT ABOUBACAR FORWARD

SAMUEL ETO’O CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Chelsea (Eng) Born: 10.03.81 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 326 Goals in qualifiers: 2

Lorient (Fra) 3 apps/197 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

THE COACH

MOHAMADOU IDRISSOU

Born 24.03.48 (aged 66) The German took over last year from Jean-Paul Akono, but has an array of forces lined up against him as he tries gamely to do a difficult job, not least the influential Roger Milla, who does not want a foreigner in charge of the national side. He spent 16 years as coach of Bundesliga side Freiburg.

FORWARD Kaiserslautern (Ger) 1 app/14 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ACHILLE WEBO FORWARD Fenerbahce (Tur) 2 apps/151 mins/1 goal in qualifiers


VOLKER FINKE

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KEY INFORMATION

THE PLAYERS

GROUP B SCHEDULE June 13 v Australia, Cuiaba June 18 v Spain, Rio de Janeiro June 23 v Holland, Sao Paulo

KEY MEN Marcelo Diaz Deep-lying playmaker who was the brains of Sampaoli’s Universidad de Chile side. He now organises possession with the national team.

BETTING William Hill 40/1 to win World Cup 9/2 to top Group B WORLD CUP HISTORY 1930 First round exit 1950 First round exit 1962 Semi-finals, 4-2 defeat by Brazil 1966 First round exit 1974 First round exit 1982 First round exit 1998 Second round, 4-1 defeat by Brazil 2010 Second round, 3-0 defeat by Brazil

Arturo Vidal Strong, versatile and talented, Vidal (right) was often used at the back but is now the team’s powerhouse in midfield. Alexis Sanchez Once a winger with tight dribbling skills, he has blossomed into an all-round attacking talent, often popping up in the centre-forward position. ONE TO WATCH Mauricio Isla Rampaging right-back or wingback who is typically the team’s “out ball”, forever looking to burst beyond the opposition’s defensive line. ENGLISH CONNECTION Gary Medel The combative midfielder (left) has had a tough season battling relegation with Cardiff but will probably feature in defence for Chile in Brazil.

ANALYSIS How they qualified This is the first time Chile have qualified for back-to-back World Cup tournaments. They played some wonderful attacking football, but there were some bumps along the way. Under Argentinian coach Claudio Borghi, they made a reasonable start and after a third of the campaign they were top of the South American qualifying group. But 78 WORLD CUP 2014

three successive defeats later, they were sixth, outside even the play-off spot, and Borghi was replaced by compatriot Jorge Sampaoli. Sampaoli re-introduced the tactics of 2010 World Cup coach Marcelo Bielsa – an attacking, high-tempo pressing game – and Chile closed the campaign as South America’s form side with five wins and a draw. Strengths Chile have a clear way of playing with a group of players who have been together since they were semi-finalists at the 2007 World Youth Cup and are now reaching their peak years. Weaknesses With the balance of the team tipped towards attack, the defence will be vulnerable against pace and height. The side has had disciplinary problems. World Soccer Prediction Second round.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Jorge Sampaoli “I believe that the only way to succeed is by uniting players with a love of playing. You try to inspire in them a love of the shirt derived of enjoyment, not obligation. That allows everybody to come together; the social or cultural background of the people involved doesn’t matter.” THE PUNDIT Tim Vickery, World Soccer South America correspondent “Chile’s form over the past year has created the expectation that 2014 could be their finest hour, perhaps even matching 1962 when, with home advantage, they reached the semi-finals. ”



Bravo

CLAUDIO BRAVO

MAURICIO ISLA RIGHT-BACK Club: Juventus (Ita) Born: 12.06.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1103 Goals in qualifiers: 0

GOALKEEPER Club: Real Sociedad (Spa) Born: 13.04.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1260 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Mena Diaz

Vidal

MARCELO DIAZ

Aranguiz

Valdivia Vargas

EUGENIO MENA LEFT-BACK Club: Santos (Bra) Born: 18.07.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 884 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Flamengo (Bra) Born: 09.06.80 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1093 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CHARLES ARANGUIZ

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Basle (Swi) Born: 30.12.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 961 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ARTURO VIDAL CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Juventus (Ita) Born: 22.05.87 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 985 Goals in qualifiers: 5

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Internacional (Bra) Born: 17.04.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 527 Goals in qualifiers: 2

JORGE VALDIVIA

ALEXIS SANCHEZ

EDUARDO VARGAS

ATTACKING MIDFIELDER Club: Palmeiras (Bra) Born: 19.10.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 401 Goals in qualifiers: 0

FORWARD Club: Barcelona (Spa) Born: 19.12.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1071 Goals in qualifiers: 4

FORWARD Club: Valencia (Spa) Born: 20.11.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 925 Goals in qualifiers: 5

OTHER PLAYERS

JOHNNY HERRERA GOALKEEPER Universidad de Chile 0 apps in qualifiers

FRANCISCO SILVA

Isla

MARCOS GONZALEZ

GARY MEDEL

GONZALO JARA

M Gonzalez

Sanchez

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Cardiff City (Eng) Born: 03.08.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1024 Goals in qualifiers: 2

DEFENCE Nottm Forest (Eng) 8 apps/666 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Medel

Osasuna (Spa) 2 apps/59 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JEAN BEAUSEJOUR MIDFIELD Wigan Athletic (Eng) 10 apps/518 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

FELIPE GUTIERREZ MIDFIELD Twente (Hol) 2 apps/21 mins/1 goal

in qualifiers

FABIAN ORELLANA

MATIAS FERNANDEZ

MIDFIELD Celta Vigo (Spa) 0 apps in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Fiorentina (Ita) 11 apps/729 mins/3 goals in qualifiers

CARLOS CARMONA

MAURICIO PINILLA

MIDFIELD Atalanta (Ita) 5 apps/267 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

FORWARD Cagliari (Ita) 3 apps/63 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DEFENCE


THE COACH

JORGE SAMPAOLI Born 13.03.60 (aged 54) An Argentinian who made his name at Universidad de Chile, having also worked in Peru and Ecuador. He once famously reacted to being sent off by watching the rest of his team’s game perched in a tree outside the stadium.

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP C SCHEDULE June 14 v Greece, Belo Horizonte June 19 v Ivory Coast, Brasilia June 24 v Japan, Cuiaba BETTING William Hill 24/1 to win World Cup 4/5 to win Group C WORLD CUP HISTORY 1962 Group stage exit 1990 Round of 16, beaten by Cameroon 1994 Group stage exit 1998 Group stage exit

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Radamel Falcao The Monaco striker (right), top scorer in qualifying with nine goals, is facing a race against time to be fit for the World Cup after suffering a knee injury in January. James Rodriguez The revelation of the qualifying campaign and the rightful heir to Carlos Valderrama’s number 10 shirt. Provides the creative thrust that is central to Colombia’s attacking play.

Strengths Even without Falcao, Colombia have an abundance of attacking talent. They qualified with the best away record in South America and should have little trouble adapting to Brazil’s different meteorological challenges.

David Ospina The Nice goalkeeper kept seven clean sheets on the road to Brazil and provided a steadying influence on what was at times a very wobbly back line.

Weaknesses Colombia’s centre-backs Mario Yepes and Luis Perea will have a combined age of 73 at the World Cup. Key players are not regulars at their clubs.

ONE TO WATCH The 21-year-old Porto playmaker Juan Quintero (left) is one of the most coveted young players in the European game. ENGLISH CONNECTION Full-back Pablo Armero joined West Ham on loan from Napoli in January but has found opportunities limited.

ANALYSIS How they qualified Colombia are back at the World Cup for the first time in 16 years after a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes was engineered by coach Jose Pekerman. The Argentinian took over after Hernan Dario Gomez and Leonel Alvarez were sacked within the space of three months and with just one point from the opening two 80 WORLD CUP 2014

home games of the qualifying campaign. He immediately imposed an iron discipline on the squad. The new-look side took time to gel but then embarked on an astonishing run of victories. Colombia racked up convincing back-toback wins against Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia, and managed a goalless draw away in Argentina. Against Chile, Colombia trailed 3-0 with 20 minutes to go but came back to steal the point they needed.

World Soccer Prediction Quarter-finals.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Jose Pekerman “We have managed to become one of the best countries in the world because we have competitive and hardworking players who understand international football.” THE PUNDIT Carl Worswick, World Soccer Colombia correspondent “Eight years ago, Pekerman’s Argentina were just 10 minutes away from knocking out Germany in the quarter-finals before being turfed out on penalties. This time around, if the Argentinian can sort out Colombia’s creaking defence, his adopted country could be a good outside bet to go even further in the finals.”



Ospina

SANTIAGO ARIAS

DAVID OSPINA GOALKEEPER Club: Nice (Fra) Born: 31.08.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 16 Mins in qualifiers: 1440 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: PSV (Hol) Born: 13.01.92 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 1 Mins in qualifiers: 90 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LUIS PEREA

MARIO YEPES

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Cruz Azul (Mex) Born: 30.01.79 (aged 35) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 972 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Atalanta (Ita) Born: 13.01.76 (aged 38) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1035 Goals in qualifiers: 2

EDWIN VALENCIA MIDFIELDER Club: Fluminense (Bra) Born: 29.03.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 444 Goals in qualifiers: 0

JAMES RODRIGUEZ

RADAMEL FALCAO

MIDFIELDER Club: Monaco (Fra) Born: 12.07.91 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 15 Mins in qualifiers: 1262 Goals in qualifiers: 2

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Monaco (Fra) Born: 10.02.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1091 Goals in qualifiers: 9

CARLOS VALDES

CRISTIAN ZAPATA

DEFENCE San Lorenzo (Arg) 5 apps/424 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

DEFENCE Milan (Ita) 2 apps/117 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JUAN CAMILO ZUNIGA DEFENCE Napoli (Ita) 12 apps/1046 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

ABEL AGUILAR MIDFIELD Toulouse (Fra) 11 apps/820 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

CARLOS SANCHEZ MIDFIELD Elche (Spa)


JACKSON MARTINEZ

JUAN CUADRADO

FORWARD Porto (Por) 7 apps/314 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Fiorentina (Ita) 11 apps/642 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

TEOFILO GUTIERREZ FORWARD River Plate (Arg) 11 apps/859 mins/6 goals in qualifiers

VICTOR IBARBO FORWARD Cagliari (Ita) 0 apps in qualifiers

JUAN QUINTERO FORWARD Porto (Por) 1 app/24mins/0 goals in qualifiers


Yepes Armero

Arias Guarin Valencia Falcao

Torres Rodriguez Bacca

PABLO ARMERO LEFT-BACK Club: West Ham (Eng) Born: 02.11.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 15 Mins in qualifiers: 1273 Goals in qualifiers: 1

FREDY GUARIN MIDFIELDER Club: Internazionale (Ita) Born: 30.06.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 521 Goals in qualifiers: 1

OTHER PLAYERS

Perea

MACNELLY TORRES MIDFIELDER Club: Al Shabab (Sau) Born: 01.11.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 637 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CARLOS BACCA CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Sevilla (Spa) Born: 08.09.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 103 Goals in qualifiers: 0

THE COACH

JOSE PEKERMAN Born 03.09.49 (aged 64) Fastidious in his preparation, the Argentinian has rejuvenated Colombia since 2012. He will be hoping to add to the three world youth titles he won when boss of his native Argentina.

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP D SCHEDULE June 14 v Uruguay, Fortaleza June 20 v Italy, Recife June 24 v England, Belo Horizonte BETTING William Hill 2500/1 to win World Cup 12/1 to qualify from Group D WORLD CUP HISTORY 1990 Round of 16, 4-1 defeat by Czechoslovakia 2002 Group stage exit 2006 Group stage exit

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Bryan Ruiz Despite a disappointing stint at Fulham, he is still considered Costa Rica’s star turn. His playmaking ability and knack for important goals have been instrumental for the national team, although injuries have hampered his career in recent years. Joel Campbell A quick striker, in the mould of former Costa Rican front man Paulo Wanchope, he was signed by Arsenal after a scintillating performance in the 2011 Under-20 World Cup but has spent this season on loan at Olympiakos. Keylor Navas The best Costa Rican goalkeeper since Luis Gabelo Conejo, he has been in great form for Levante in La Liga after becoming first choice near the end of last term. ONE TO WATCH Striker Alvaro Saborio, who once had a loan spell at Bristol City, has been a revelation for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer. ENGLISH CONNECTION Everton midfielder Bryan Oviedo (left) is facing a race to be fit in time for the finals after breaking a leg in January.

ANALYSIS How they qualified The Ticos qualified for the World Cup finals for only the third time after finishing second in the final CONCACAF qualifying section. They finished behind leaders United States, but ahead of Honduras and traditional continental 82 WORLD CUP 2014

heavyweights Mexico. They punched above their weight for most of the qualifying campaign, but their success was not really a surprise. For the first time, Costa Rica have had established players in major European leagues. From playmaker Bryan Ruiz and striker Joel Campbell, to Everton left-back Bryan Oviedo and goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who has been key for Levante’s progress in La Liga, Costa Ricans are making waves in European club football. Strengths A core of experienced, foreign-based players. Coach Pinto has brought stability to the squad. They will be under no pressure in Brazil. Weaknesses They’re in a tough group, where their rivals are all former world champions. The squad has little big-match experience. Pinto has few options on the bench. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Jorge Luis Pinto “We’ll have to find ways to mark Rooney, Balotelli, Suarez. That will be one of Costa Rica’s weapons, our tactical order, efficient marking of those players, and I think that’s how we can get something.” THE PUNDIT Martin del Palacio Langer, World Soccer Central America correspondent “Pinto’s side are a team that favours defensive order – they conceded only seven goals in 10 qualifying games – and despite a lack of international experience they won’t be pushovers. In addition, their fast counter-attacking style might cause problems for teams with slow defenders.”



Navas

KEYLOR NAVAS

CRISTIAN GAMBOA

GOALKEEPER Club: Levante (Spa) Born: 15.12.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1260 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Diaz Tejeda

Borges

Bolanos

Ruiz Campbell

MICHAEL UMANA

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Alajuelense Born: 21.07.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 544 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Columbus Crew (USA) Born: 08.02.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1260 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Saprissa Born: 16.07.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1053 Goals in qualifiers: 1

JUNIOR DIAZ

BRYAN RUIZ

CELSO BORGES

LEFT-BACK Club: Mainz (Ger) Born: 12.09.83 (aged 20) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 360 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT MIDFIELD Club: PSV Eindhoven (Hol) Born: 18.08.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 840 Goals in qualifiers: 3

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: AIK (Swe) Born: 27.05.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 3

YELTSIN TEJEDA

CHRISTIAN BOLANOS

JOEL CAMPBELL

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Saprissa Born: 17.03.92 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 437 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT MIDFIELD Club: Copenhagen (Den) Born: 17.05.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 951 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Olympiakos (Gre) Born: 26.06.92 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 15 Mins in qualifiers: 1026 Goals in qualifiers: 3

ROY MILLER

MIDFIELD Everton (Eng) 9 apps/792 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DEFENCE Club Brugge (Blg) 0 apps in qualifiers

Gamboa

GIANCARLO GONZALEZ

BRYAN OVIEDO

OSCAR DUARTE

Umana

JOHNNY ACOSTA

OTHER PLAYERS

DEFENCE New York Red Bulls (USA) 7 apps/544 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

RIGHT-BACK Club: Rosenborg (Nor) Born: 24.10.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1000 Goals in qualifiers: 1

Gonzalez Acosta

JOSE MIGUEL CUBERO MIDFIELD Herediano 9 apps/608 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

DIEGO CALVO MIDFIELD Valerenga (Nor)

6 apps/189 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

MARCO URENA

MICHAEL BARRANTES

FORWARD Kuban Krasnador (Rus) 0 apps in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Aalesund (Nor) 10 apps/645 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ALVARO SABORIO FORWARD Real Salt Lake (USA) 15 apps/982 mins/8 goals in qualifiers

RANDALL BRENES FORWARD Cartagines 8 apps/367 mins/3 goals in qualifiers


THE COACH

JORGE LUIS PINTO Born 16.12.52 (aged 61) Having failed in his first spell in charge of Costa Rica, from 2004 to 2005, the Colombian – who also coached his homeland’s national side – returned in 2011 and oversaw qualification for Brazil 2014. He has extensive tactical knowledge.

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP A SCHEDULE June 12 v Brazil, Sao Paulo June 18 v Cameroon, Manaus June 23 v Mexico, Recife BETTING William Hill 200/1 to win World Cup 5/6 to qualify from Group A WORLD CUP HISTORY 1998 Semi-finals, 2-1 defeat by France/Third place, 2-1 win over Holland 2002 Group stage exit 2006 Group stage exit

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Dario Srna Midfielder and captain who leads by example. He is very reliable in his defensive duties while offering a threat when going forward. Luka Modric The team’s playmaker, he inspires confidence in his team-mates and Croatia are greatly weakened without the Real Madrid star’s creativity. Stipe Pletikosa Experienced goalkeeper who, along with Srna, is the player whose opinion coach Kovac values most. ONE TO WATCH Youngster Mateo Kovacic pulls the strings in midfield. Inter Milan were so sure of his talent, they let Philippe Coutinho join Liverpool. ENGLISH CONNECTION Hull City striker Nikica Jelavic (left) could step into the starting line-up for the opening match because first-choice striker Mario Mandzukic is suspended.

ANALYSIS How they qualified Croatia have only failed to reach a major finals tournament twice since independence in 1995 – for Euro 2000 and the 2010 World Cup – so confidence was high when coach Igor Stimac’s side began with 16 points from a possible 18 in their first six games on the road to Brazil. However, three losses and a draw in the remaining four fixtures saw Croatia condemned to the play-offs and Stimac replaced by under-21s boss Niko Kovac. 84 WORLD CUP 2014

Fortunately, normal service was resumed in the play-offs and, after a potentially tricky away leg ended goalless, Iceland were dispatched 2-0 in the return. But the victory was soured by the actions of defender Josip Simunic, who shouted a fascist slogan at the crowd after the game. He was punished with a 10-match ban by FIFA and will miss the World Cup. Mandzukic, sent off during against Iceland, was handed a one-match ban. Strengths Croatia feel confident they can qualify for the knockout stage, behind hosts Brazil. The side are well drilled and have plenty of experience playing together. Weaknesses Kovac is very much a coaching novice. The suspension of left-back Simunic is a worry and Croatia lack quality in both full-back positions. Croatian players will not be used to the heat and excessive humidity in Brazil. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Niko Kovac “We are the only team in our group not used to such conditions. Brazil are the hosts, Mexico are from Latin America, Cameroon often play in the same conditions. But we can not change the situation, we cannot use climatic conditions as an excuse for any poor performances.” THE PUNDIT Zdravko Reic, World Soccer Croatia correspondent “With Pletikosa and Olic over 34, and Srna, Eduardo, Vukojevic and Kranjcar all in their 30s, Brazil 2014 presents one final opportunity for many of the side to perform on the big stage.”



Pletikosa

DARIO SRNA

STIPE PLETIKOSA

RIGHT-BACK Club: Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) Born: 01.05.82 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 990 Goals in qualifiers: 1

GOALKEEPER Club: Rostov (Rus) Born: 08.01.79 (aged 35) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1080 Goals in qualifiers: 0

VEDRAN CORLUKA

Corluka Srna

Pranjic Rakitic

Perisic

Modric

Kovacic

Olic

Mandzukic

DEJAN LOVREN

DANIJEL PRANJIC

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Southampton (Eng) Born: 05.07.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 415 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Lokomotiv Moscow (Rus) Born: 05.02.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 810 Goals in qualifiers: 1

Lovren

LEFT-BACK Club: Panathinaikos (Gre) Born: 02.12.81 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 180 Goals in qualifiers: 0

IVAN RAKITIC

LUKA MODRIC

IVAN PERISIC

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Sevilla (Spa) Born: 10.03.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 828 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Real Madrid (Spa) Born: 09.09.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 982 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT MIDFIELD Club: Wolfsburg (Ger) Born: 02.02.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 691 Goals in qualifiers: 1

IVICA OLIC

MARIO MANDZUKIC

MATEO KOVACIC

LEFT MIDFIELD Club: Wolfsburg (Ger) Born: 14.09.79 (aged 34) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 436 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Internazionale (Ita) Born: 06.05.94 (aged 19) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 376 Goals in qualifiers: 0

OTHER PLAYERS

DANIJEL SUBASIC

DEFENCE Panathinaikos (Gre) 4 apps/270 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

GOALKEEPER Monaco (Fra) 0 apps in qualifiers

DOMAGOJ VIDA

SIME VRSALJKO DEFENCE Genoa (Ita) 1 app/90 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

GORDON SCHILDENFELD

DEFENCE Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) 6 apps/314 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

OGNJEN VUKOJEVIC MIDFIELD Dynamo Kiev (Ukr)


NIKO KRANJCAR MIDFIELD Queens Park Rangers (Eng) 6 apps/203 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

ALEN HALILHOVIC MIDFIELD Dinamo Zagreb 0 apps in qualifiers

NIKICA JELAVIC FORWARD Hull City (Eng) 6 apps/184 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

EDUARDO FORWARD Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 7 apps/431 mins/2 goals in qualifiers


CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Bayern Munich (Ger) Born: 21.05.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 994 Goals in qualifiers: 4

THE COACH

NIKO KOVAC Born 15.10.71 (aged 42) Born and raised in Germany, he was captain of Croatia’s national side until his retirement in January 2009. He stepped up from coaching the national under-21s to take charge of the seniors in October last year and is assisted by his younger brother, Robert.

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP E SCHEDULE June 15 v Switzerland, Brasilia June 20 v Honduras, Curitiba June 25 v France, Rio de Janeiro BETTING William Hill 150/1 to win World Cup 10/11 to qualify from Group E WORLD CUP HISTORY 2002 First round exit 2006 Round of 16, 1-0 defeat by England

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Antonio Valencia The Manchester United winger (right) provides pace, power and composure down the right flank. The 28-year-old is also a key figure in the side’s rapid transitions between attack and defence. Jefferson Montero Plays wide on the left, where, on his day, he can undress the opposing defence with his capacity to glide past the full-back on either side. Inconsistent, but has it in him to become a global star. Christian Noboa Based in Russia with Dynamo Moscow, the midfielder knits the team together and his range of passing from the centre brings Ecuador’s talented wingers into play. ONE TO WATCH Young winger turned striker Enner Valencia has impressed for Mexican club Pachuca and the national team recently. ENGLISH CONNECTION Striker Felipe Caicedo was on Manchester City’s books for three years, between 2008 and 2011, spending time on loan at Sporting Lisbon, Malaga and Levante.

ANALYSIS How they qualified After a disappointing 2011 Copa America coach Reinaldo Rueda came under renewed pressure when his team were thrashed 4-0 by Argentina early in the qualifying 86 WORLD CUP 2014

campaign. Rueda made a host of changes, including a recall for striker Felipe Caicedo, which kickstarted a run of four wins and two draws that carried the team from sixth place in the table to second. The visit of Uruguay in the penultimate round proved crucial. Ecuador won by a single goal – but that was enough to go through on goal difference, condemning Uruguay to the play-offs. Strengths Ecuador stretch defences when they attack down the flanks and can do serious damage on the counter-attack. The group draw gives them a decent chance of progress. Weaknesses They’ve not found a replacement for classy centre-back Ivan Hurtado. Goalkeeper is also a problem position. Ecuador struggled to convert chances in qualifying. World Soccer Prediction Second round.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Reinaldo Rueda “The young players have good skills but there’s been a generational gap and we only have [Segundo] Castillo and [Antonio] Valencia left from the 2006 World Cup because the players who reached the finals in Germany were above the average age and have fallen out of contention.” THE PUNDIT Tim Vickery, World Soccer South America correspondent “The tragic death last July of Christian Benitez robbed the squad of one of its most popular members. He was a striker of class and versatility, who could also drop back to balance out a team that can look very open.”



Dominguez

OTHER PLAYERS

JOHN NARVAEZ DEFENCE Emelec 0 apps in qualifiers

OSCAR BAGUI DEFENCE Emelec 0 apps in qualifiers

GABRIEL ACHILIER DEFENCE

ALEXANDER DOMINGUEZ

JUAN CARLOS PAREDES

GOALKEEPER Club: LDU Quito Born: 05.06.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1080 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Emelec Born: 08.07.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1225 Goals in qualifiers: 0

JORGE GUAGUA

FRICKSON ERAZO

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Emelec Born: 28.09.81 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 585 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Flamengo (Bra) Born: 05.05.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 15 Mins in qualifiers: 1297 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ANTONIO VALENCIA

SEGUNDO CASTILLO

CHRISTIAN NOBOA

RIGHT MIDFIELD Club: Manchester United (Eng) Born: 04.08.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 15 Mins in qualifiers: 1310 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Al Hilal (Sau) Born: 15.05.82 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1054 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Dynamo Moscow (Rus) Born: 09.04.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 983 Goals in qualifiers: 0

JEFFERSON MONTERO

FELIPE CAICEDO

ENNER VALENCIA

WINGER Club: Morelia (Mex) Born: 01.09.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 861 Goals in qualifiers: 3

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Al Jazira (UAE) Born: 05.09.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 626 Goals in qualifiers: 7

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Pachuca (Mex) Born: 11.04.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 210 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Emelec 7 apps/523 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

LUIS FERNANDO SARITAMA MIDFIELD Barcelona 11 apps/693 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

EDISON MENDEZ MIDFIELD Santa Fe (Col) 5 apps/136 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

RENATO IBARRA

FERNANDO GAIBOR

MIDFIELD Vitesse (Hol) 10 apps/196 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Emelec 0 apps in qualifiers

FORWARD

HENRY LEON

Guagua Paredes Castillo A Valencia

Erazo Ayovi Noboa Montero

Caicedo E Valencia

WALTER AYOVI LEFT-BACK Club: Pachuca (Mex) Born: 11.08.79 (aged 34) Apps in qualifiers: 16 Mins in qualifiers: 1440 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Independiente del Valle 0 apps in qualifiers

THE COACH

JOAO ROJAS

Born 16.04.57 (aged 57) A serious, methodical figure who made his name in his native Colombia, taking the under-20 team to third place in the 2003 World Youth Championship. Promoted to the senior side, he narrowly failed to make Germany 2006, but qualified for the finals four years later with Honduras. He took charge of Ecuador after the 2010 finals.

FORWARD Cruz Azul (Mex) 10 apps/446 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

FIDEL MARTINEZ FORWARD Tijuana (Mex) 1 app/7 mins/0 goals in qualifiers


REINALDO RUEDA

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KEY INFORMATION

THE PLAYERS

ANALYSIS

GROUP D SCHEDULE June 14 v Italy, Manaus June 19 v Uruguay, Sao Paulo June 24 v Costa Rica, Belo Horizonte

KEY MEN Wayne Rooney England’s only genuine world-class performer but yet to repeat the outstanding form he showed as a teenager at Euro 2004.

How they qualified After a bright start (a 5-0 win in Moldova), Hodgson’s side ran up a series of draws (home to Ukraine, away in Poland, Montenegro and Ukraine) that left them needing wins over Poland and Montenegro in their final matches at Wembley to guarantee automatic qualification. Ultimately, they were helped by their rivals taking points off each other. But England can take heart from the fact they ended the qualifying campaign unbeaten.

BETTING William Hill 33/1 to win World Cup 11/10 to be eliminated at group stage WORLD CUP HISTORY 1950 First round exit 1954 Quarter-finals, defeat by Uruguay 1958 First round exit 1962 Quarter-finals, defeat by Brazil 1966 WINNERS, 4-2 Final victory over West Germany 1970 Quarter-finals, defeat by West Germany 1982 Second group phase 1986 Quarter-finals, defeat by Argentina 1990 Semi-finals, defeat on penalties by West Germany 1998 Second round, defeat on penalties by Argentina 2002 Quarter-finals, defeat by Brazil 2006 Quarter-finals, defeat on penalties by Portugal 2010 Last 16, defeat by Germany

Steven Gerrard Appointed captain by Hodgson ahead of Euro 2012 and now plays a more settled role in deep midfield, having reigned in his more cavalier instincts. Joe Hart First-choice goalkeeper despite a brief lapse in form that resulted in him being dropped as Manchester City’s first choice earlier this season. Daniel Sturridge The former Chelsea and Man City striker has enjoyed an exceptional season with Liverpool.

Weaknesses Other than Rooney and Gerrard, there is little quality in the squad. The extra games played in England and the lack of a winter break could take their toll as players stagger into June. Theo Walcott is already been out with a knee injury. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Roy Hodgson “Everyone’s excited by this tournament. I would be expecting every player who is selected to be viewing this as the most exciting period in his life so far. This is an England team in transition.” ONE TO WATCH The left-sided attacking midfielder Adam Lallana (above) has starred for Southampton throughout their rise from League One to the Premier League. Made his senior England debut in November 2013 and has been linked with a move to a bigger Premier League club this summer.

88 WORLD CUP 2014

Strengths England will travel to Brazil with no pressure, and with an experienced manager who will get the best from the squad.

THE PUNDIT Gavin Hamilton, World Soccer Editor “Hodgson has rung the changes since taking over from Fabio Capello, with plenty of new faces. He must now decide whether to risk the youngsters in Brazil in a bid to gain experience for the real target: Euro 2016 in France.”



Hart

JOE HART

GLEN JOHNSON

GOALKEEPER Club: Manchester City Born: 19.04.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Liverpool Born: 23.08.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 360 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Cahill

Jagielka

Johnson

Baines

Gerrard

Carrick Lallana

Sturridge Rooney

GARY CAHILL

PHIL JAGIELKA

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Chelsea Born: 19.12.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Everton Born: 17.08.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 630 Goals in qualifiers: 0

STEVEN GERRARD

MICHAEL CARRICK

ADAM LALLANA

MIDFIELDER Club: Liverpool Born: 30.05.80 (aged 34) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 670 Goals in qualifiers: 2

MIDFIELDER Club: Manchester Utd Born: 28.07.81 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 387 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MIDFIELDER Club: Southampton Born: 10.05.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 0

DANIEL STURRIDGE

WAYNE ROONEY

ALEX OXLADECHAMBERLAIN

FORWARD Club: Liverpool Born: 01.09.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 228 Goals in qualifiers: 2

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Manchester Utd Born: 24.10.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 471 Goals in qualifiers: 7

FORWARD Club: Arsenal Born: 15.08.93 (aged 20) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 324 Goals in qualifiers: 2

OTHER PLAYERS

JAMES MILNER

CHRIS SMALLING

MIDFIELD Manchester City 8 apps/453 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

DEFENCE Manchester United 3 apps/270 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

PHIL JONES DEFENCE Manchester United 0 apps in qualifiers

OxladeChamberlain

RAHEEM STERLING MIDFIELD Liverpool 0 apps in qualifiers

JORDAN HENDERSON MIDFIELD

Liverpool 0 apps in qualifiers

RICKIE LAMBERT

JACK WILSHERE

FORWARD Southampton 2 apps/160 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Arsenal 4 apps/168 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ROSS BARKLEY MIDFIELD Everton 1 app/30 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DANNY WELBECK FORWARD Manchester United 8 apps/523 mins/4 goals in qualifiers


LEIGHTON BAINES LEFT-BACK Club: Everton Born: 11.12.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 568 Goals in qualifiers: 1

THE COACH

ROY HODGSON Born 09.08.47 (aged 66) The former Switzerland and Internazionale coach has brought organisation and a quiet self-confidence to a job that was in danger of becoming impossible. Under contract until 2016.

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP E SCHEDULE June 15 v Honduras, Porto Alegre June 20 v Switzerland, Salvador June 25 v Ecuador, Rio de Janeiro BETTING William Hill 21/1 to win World Cup 4/5 to win Group E WORLD CUP HISTORY 1930 First round exit 1934 First round exit 1938 Quarter-finals, defeat by Italy 1954 First round exit 1958 Semi-finals, 5-2 defeat by Brazil 1966 First round exit 1978 First round exit 1982 Semi-finals, defeat on penalties by West Germany 1986 Semi-finals, 2-0 defeat by West Germany 1998 WINNERS, 3-0 Final victory over Brazil 2002 First round exit 2006 Runners-up, Final defeat on penalties by Italy 2010 Group stage exit

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Franck Ribery At 31, he is at the absolute height of his powers. His box of tricks seems to get bigger; his enthusiasm and workrate never wane. His country’s most potent threat. Hugo Lloris The country’s goalkeeper and captain, he is a commanding presence between the sticks. Never flashy, the Tottenham stopper has the ability to make even difficult saves look easy. Karim Benzema His form for France has been patchy but the Real Madrid striker remains France’s most effective attacking weapon. ONE TO WATCH Paul Pogba (right) only made his international debut in March of last year, but the 21-year-old Juventus midfielder has already shown that he’s an exceptional talent. He could easily be one of the stars of Brazil 2014. ENGLISH CONNECTION Full-back Mathieu Debuchy was one of a number of Newcastle players who played a key role in the qualifiers.

ANALYSIS How they qualified Following an opening 1-0 away win against Finland in Helsinki and a comfortable 3-1 victory at home to Belarus, France travelled to Madrid to take on Spain. An excellent performance resulted in a deserved 1-1 draw that saw France level on points with Spain after three games. 90 WORLD CUP 2014

After seeing off Georgia at home, the return against Spain proved to be a disappointment. Pedro scored the only goal of the game for the visitors, which put them top of the group. France dropped further points in a goalless draw in Georgia, before finishing the campaign with two wins: 4-2 away to Belarus and 3-0 at home to Finland. France finished in second place, three behind Spain, to tee up a double-header play-off with Ukraine. They suffered a 2-0 defeat, in Kiev, in the first leg and needed a miracle in the return in Paris. With a passionate crowd behind them in the Stade de France, the home side turned on the style and cruised to a 3-0 win. Strengths An abundance of naturally gifted players throughout the side, led by Ribery, Pogba and Varane. An interesting mix of youth and experience. A decent group draw. Weaknesses Lack of a real goal machine in attack. World Soccer Prediction Quarter-finals.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Didier Deschamps “We can’t pretend to be among the World Cup favourites because there are teams who have been posting results that are way better than France’s for four or five years now.” THE PUNDIT Howard Johnson, World Soccer France correspondent “In the play-off against Ukraine, France played the kind of football that made people sit up and take notice. Drawn in a group with Ecuador, Honduras and Switzerland, France will fancy their chances of progressing to the knockout stage of the World Cup.”



Lloris

HUGO LLORIS

MATHIEU DEBUCHY

GOALKEEPER Club: Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) Born: 26.12.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Newcastle (Eng) Born: 28.07.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 348 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RAPHAEL VARANE

LAURENT KOSCIELNY

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Real Madrid (Fra) Born: 25.04.93 (aged 20) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 270 Goals in qualifiers: 0


PAUL POGBA

BLAISE MATUIDI

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Juventus (Ita) Born: 15.03.93 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 529 Goals in qualifiers: 1

OTHER PLAYERS

BACARY SAGNA DEFENCE Arsenal (Eng) 3 apps/192 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MAMADOU SAKHO DEFENCE Liverpool (Eng) 5 apps/450 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

Varane

Koscielny

Debuchy

Evra

Pogba Nasri

Matuidi

Cabaye

Ribery

Benzema

PATRICE EVRA LEFT-BACK Club: Manchester United (Eng) Born: 15.05.81 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 0

SAMIR NASRI ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Manchester City (Eng) Born: 26.06.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 182 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Paris SaintGermain Born: 09.04.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 618 Goals in qualifiers: 0

YOHAN CABAYE

FRANCK RIBERY

KARIM BENZEMA

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Paris SaintGermain Born: 14.01.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 418 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Bayern Munich (Ger) Born: 07.04.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 876 Goals in qualifiers: 5

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Real Madrid (Eng) Born: 19.12.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 613 Goals in qualifiers: 2

ELIAQUIM MANGALA


DEFENCE Porto (Por) 0 apps in qualifiers

MATHIEU VALBUENA

GAEL CLICHY DEFENCE Manchester City (Eng) 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MOUSSA SISSOKO MIDFIELD Newcastle (Eng)

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Marseille 10 apps/615 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

ANTOINE GRIEZMANN ATTACKING MIDFIELD Real Sociedad (Spa) 0 apps in qualifiers

LOIC REMY

THE COACH

FORWARD Newcastle (Eng) 3 apps/105 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DIDIER DESCHAMPS

OLIVIER GIROUD FORWARD Arsenal (Eng) 9 apps/491 mins/2 goals in qualifiers


A World Cup winner as a midfielder with France in 1998, the former Monaco, Juventus and Marseille boss took on the France job in July 2012, just before the World Cup qualifying campaign began. His reward for getting the team over the line was a contract extension that takes him up to 2016.

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP G SCHEDULE June 16 v Portugal, Salvador June 21 v Ghana, Fortaleza June 26 v United States, Recife BETTING William Hill 11/2 to win World Cup 4/7 to win Group G WORLD CUP HISTORY 1938 First round exit 1954 WINNERS, 3-2 Final victory over Hungary 1958 Semi-finals, 3-1 defeat by Sweden 1962 Quarter-finals, defeat by Yugoslavia 1966 Runners-up, 4-2 Final defeat by England 1970 Semi-finals, 4-3 defeat by Italy 1974 WINNERS, 2-1 Final victory over Holland 1978 Second round exit 1982 Runners-up, 3-1 Final defeat by Italy 1986 Runners-up, 3-2 Final defeat by Argentina 1990 WINNERS, 1-0 Final victory over Argentina 1994 Quarter-finals, defeat by Bulgaria 1998 Quarter-finals, defeat by Croatia 2002 Runners-up, 2-0 Final defeat by Brazil 2006 Semis, 2-0 defeat by Italy 2010 Semis, 1-0 defeat by Spain

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THE PLAYERS

ANALYSIS

KEY MEN Philipp Lahm Excellent for Bayern Munich this season in a new deep-midfield role, the 30-year-old (right) is likely to remain at right-back for the national team, who rely enormously on his wonderful overlapping, intelligence and leadership qualities. Grittier than his choirboy looks suggest.

How they qualified Germany had few problems getting through the qualifiers, winning their group ahead of Sweden, Austria and the Republic of Ireland. The phenomenal attacking-third talent of Thomas Muller, Marco Reus, Mario Gotze, Mesut Ozil and Julian Draxler, and the utter reliability of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, midfield controller Bastian Schweinsteiger and striker Miroslav Klose all combined to produce an easy qualification, which was achieved without losing a single game. They was the odd scare: defensive frailties were exposed in a 4-4 World Cup draw with Sweden in Berlin. And there were some poor results in friendlies: a 4-3 loss to the USA on tour last summer and a 3-3 draw at home to Ecuador in August.

Marco Reus In the post-mortems that followed Germany’s semi-final elimination at Euro 2012, a popular school of thought was that the Nationalmannschaft would have gone further if Low had shown more faith in this “wizard of the dribble”. He has been even more effective since he joined Borussia Dortmund from Borussia Monchengladbach a year ago. Thomas Muller Brilliant attacking all-rounder from Bayern Munich who won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup thanks to five goals and three assists. Pacy, incisive and blessed with an uncanny ability to find space, he will run all day for his team but never haphazardly. ONE TO WATCH Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil (left) suffered a dip in form this spring after a bright start to his club career in England and was also booed by Germany fans at a home friendly. But he remains a gifted playmaker. ENGLISH CONNECTION Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker is Germany’s first choice in central defence.

World Soccer Prediction Quarter-finals.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Joachim Low “On paper, we have a top team, but reality sees it differently. We have some players who have been injured for months. We have some players who are not playing regularly for their clubs. We have some players who are struggling for form and others who are fighting little injury concerns.” THE PUNDIT Nick Bidwell, World Soccer Germany correspondent “Low still has to contend with those who see him as a perennial faller at the last hurdle. He will only be truly accepted into Germany’s leadership pantheon if he can strike gold next summer.”



Neuer

MANUEL NEUER

PHILIPP LAHM RIGHT-BACK Club: Bayern Munich Born: 11.11.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 810 Goals in qualifiers: 0

GOALKEEPER Club: Bayern Munich Born: 27.03.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Schmelzer

Schweinsteiger Kroos Muller

Ozil

Reus

PER MERTESACKER

MARCEL SCHMELZER

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Bayern Munich Born: 03.09.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 630 Goals in qualifiers: 0


LEFT-BACK Club: Borussia Dortmund Born: 22.01.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 495 Goals in qualifiers: 0

TONI KROOS

THOMAS MULLER

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Bayern Munich Born: 04.01.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 585 Goals in qualifiers: 3

MESUT OZIL

MARCO REUS

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Arsenal (Eng) Born: 15.10.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 887 Goals in qualifiers: 8

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Borussia Dortmund Born: 31.05.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 468 Goals in qualifiers: 5

OTHER PLAYERS

ROMAN WEIDENFELLER

DEFENCE Borussia Dortmund 3 apps/270 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Lahm

JEROME BOATENG

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Bayern Munich Born: 01.08.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MATS HUMMELS

Mertesacker

Klose

BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER

GOALKEEPER Borussia Dortmund 0 apps in qualifiers

Boateng

KEVIN GROSSKREUTZ DEFENCE Borussia Dortmund 0 apps in qualifiers

SAMI KHEDIRA MIDFIELD Real Madrid (Spa) 8 apps/658 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

LUKAS PODOLSKI ATTACKING MIDFIELD

Arsenal (Eng) 5 apps/128 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JULIAN DRAXLER

ANDRE SCHURRLE

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Schalke 5 apps/109 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Chelsea (Eng) 6 apps/240 mins/4 goals in qualifiers

MARIO GOTZE

MARIO GOMEZ FORWARD Fiorentina (Ita) 0 apps in qualifiers

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Bayern Munich 7 apps/385 mins/4 goals in qualifiers


ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Bayern Munich Born: 13.09.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 802 Goals in qualifiers: 4

MIROSLAV KLOSE CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Lazio (Ita) Born: 09.06.78 (aged 35) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 472 Goals in qualifiers: 4

THE COACH

JOACHIM LOW Born 03.02.50 (aged 54) Throughout the Nationalmannschaft’s 105-year history, no Bundestrainer has a better win percentage than “Jogi”, who can boast a 69 per cent success rate. However, after a hat-trick of big tournament near misses, he has to deliver this summer.

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THE PLAYERS

ANALYSIS

KEY MEN Michael Essien Came under some scrutiny when he returned to the fold late last year. However, he delivered a colossal performance in the win over Egypt.

How they qualified Despite a disappointing performance at last year’s African Nations Cup, Ghana kept faith with coach Kwesi Appiah, who has a low profile and has had to battle to prove his worth in a country where there remains a strident debate over the merits of a foreign coach against the strengths of a local. Ashanti-born Appiah has been strengthened by the recent decisions of Michael Essien and Kevin-Prince Boateng to return from their self-imposed periods of exile. Essien made a remarkable return in a driving midfield role in the play-off against Egypt, allowing Sulley Muntari and Kwadwo Asamoah to adopt more creative roles out wide. The Black Stars ran out 8-2 winners on aggregate, leaving Appiah to talk of leading the Ghanaians into history as the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.

Asamoah Gyan The striker (right) might have swapped the competitiveness of the English Premier League for easy petrodollars in the United Arab Emirates, but he still has great finishing ability. Kevin-Prince Boateng Seen as opportunistic, the jury is out. Played at the last World Cup then “retired” from international football to avoid going to the 2012 and 2013 African Nations Cups. Suddenly, now that the World Cup beckons, he is back. ONE TO WATCH The presence of Kwadwo Asamoah on the left-hand side is a vital component of Ghana’s attack. He remains much underrated. ENGLISH CONNECTION Middlesbrough winger Albert Adomah is a likely squad member.

Strengths High on self-confidence after an impressive qualifying campaign. They beat USA in both the 2006 and 2010 tournaments. Weaknesses Drawn in arguably the toughest first-round group. Attacking prowess contrasts starkly with worries at the back and the lack of a top-class goalkeeper. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

KEY INFORMATION GROUP G SCHEDULE June 16 v United States, Natal June 21 v Germany, Fortaleza June 26 v Portugal, Brasilia BETTING William Hill 200/1 to win World Cup 10/1 to win Group G WORLD CUP HISTORY 2006 Second round, defeat by Brazil 2010 Quarter-finals, defeat by Uruguay

94 WORLD CUP 2014

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Kwesi Appiah “Looking at the players we’ve got, I believe they can go far and that’s why I keep saying that we may surprise the world.” THE PUNDIT Mark Gleeson, World Soccer Africa correspondent “One driving force for the team will be the residual anger at being denied that semi-final spot at the last World Cup, when Luis Suarez’s cynical handball kept out Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header. That whole episode created a deep wound and for a while hindered Ghana’s progress. Now it could become a motivating spur for the west Africans.”



Kwarasey

ADAM KWARASEY

DANIEL OPARE RIGHT-BACK Club: Standard Liege (Blg) Born: 19.10.90 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 304 Goals in qualifiers: 0

GOALKEEPER Club: Stromsgodset (Nor) Born: 12.12.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 180 Goals in qualifiers: 0

HARRISON AFFUL DEFENCE Esperance (Tun) 7 apps/630 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

SAMUEL INKOOM DEFENCE Platanias (Gre) 5 apps/374 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Essien A Ayew

Addy Muntari Asamoah Boateng Gyan

JERRY AKAMINKO

JONATHAN MENSAH

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Eskisehirspor (Tur) Born: 02.05.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 270 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Evian (Fra) Born: 13.07.90 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 270 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ANDRE AYEW

MICHAEL ESSIEN

SULLEY MUNTARI

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Milan (Ita) Born: 03.12.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 215 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Milan (Ita) Born: 27.08.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 498 Goals in qualifiers: 3

KWADWO ASAMOAH

KEVIN-PRINCE BOATENG

ASAMOAH GYAN

LEFT MIDFIELD Club: Juventus (Ita) Born: 09.12.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 595 Goals in qualifiers: 1

FORWARD Club: Schalke (Ger) Born: 06.03.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 1 Mins in qualifiers: 12 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Al Ain (UAE) Born: 22.11.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 487 Goals in qualifiers: 6

RIGHT MIDFIELD Club: Marseille (Fra) Born: 17.12.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 230 Goals in qualifiers: 0

OTHER PLAYERS

Mensah

Akaminko Opare

ALBERT ADOMAH MIDFIELD Middlesbrough (Eng) 1 app/79 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

EMMANUEL AGYEMANG BADU MIDFIELD Udinese (Ita) 8 apps/307 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

CHRISTIAN ATSU MIDFIELD Vitesse Arnhem (Hol) 5 apps/199 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

MUBARAK WAKASO MIDFIELD Rubin Kazan (Rus) 5 apps/231 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

DOMINIC ADIYIAH FORWARD

Without club 3 apps/209 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

JORDAN AYEW FORWARD Sochaux (Fra) 2 apps/180 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

ABDUL MAJEED WARIS FORWARD Valenciennes (Fra) 4 apps/348 mins/3 goals in qualifiers


DAVID ADDY LEFT-BACK Club: Vitoria Guimaraes (Por) Born: 21.02.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 0

THE COACH

KWESI APPIAH Born 30.06.60 (aged 53) He was promoted from his position as assistant after Serbian coach Goran Stepanovic was fired in March 2012, having already served as caretaker for several games after the 2010 World Cup. An international defender in his playing days with Asante Kotoko, he came through the Ghanaian FA’s coaching structures and led the under-23s to the gold medal at the 2011 All-Africa Games.

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THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Kostas Mitroglou The multi-talented 26-year-old striker (right) scored three of the four goals against Romania in the qualification play-off and notched up four hat-tricks for Olympiakos this season, three in the domestic Super League and one at Anderlecht in the Champions League. Joined Fulham in January but injuries have restricted his impact.

KEY INFORMATION GROUP C SCHEDULE June 14 June 19 June 24

v Colombia, Belo Horizonte v Japan, Natal v Ivory Coast, Fortaleza

BETTING William Hill 250/1 to win World Cup 6/4 to finish bottom of Group C WORLD CUP HISTORY 1994 2010

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First round exit First round exit

Giorgos Karagounis When the national team’s engine starts to fail, Santos calls on his spark plug, the 37-year-old veteran, who now plays for Fulham. He has been the inspiration for the team since his debut in 1999 and has now made a record number of appearances. He is known for his excellent ball control, deadly free-kicks from distance and for drawing fouls.

secured with another Mitroglou goal in a draw in Bucharest. Greece only missed out on automatic qualification on goal difference; the advantage swung Bosnia’s way when they beat Greece 3-1 in Zenica following a goalless draw in Athens five months earlier. Those were the only points Greece dropped all campaign.

Jose Holebas The German-born defender performed well during qualification, making numerous attacking runs down the left flank and providing useful crosses for his team-mates.

Strengths The likes of Mitroglou, Gekas, Samaras and Salpingidis are all capable of goals. Tight defence. Great team spirit generated by Santos.

ONE TO WATCH Olympiakos defender Kostas Manolas was one of the stars of his club side’s run in this season’s Champions League. ENGLISH CONNECTION Former Manchester City striker Giorgos Samaras (right), who has been at Celtic since leaving City in 2008, plays out wide as part of Greece’s five-man midfield.

ANALYSIS How they qualified After finishing second to Bosnia in one of the weaker qualifying groups, Greece secured their third appearance at a World Cup with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Romania in the play-offs. Two goals from Kostas Mitroglou, plus one from Dimitris Salpingidis, set them on their way with a 3-1 victory in the home leg, and Greece’s place at a fifth major tournament in the last 10 years was


Weaknesses Defence can switch off at vital moments. Tendency to take things easy against lesser opponents. One or two players are prone to losing their cool. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Fernando Santos “I have a target which is for the team to make it past the group stage. We have three strong opponents, but everything is possible. At Euro 2012, no one thought we could get through the group stage, especially, after the first games. Who would have thought that we could knock out Russia?” THE PUNDIT Lou Economopoulos, World Soccer Greece correspondent “Kostas Mitroglou turned a once very defensive side into an attacking threat at the end of 2013,


Karnezis

ORESTIS KARNEZIS

VASILIS TOROSIDIS

GOALKEEPER Club: Granada (Spa) Born: 11.07.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1080 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Roma (Ita) Born: 10.06.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 972 Goals in qualifiers: 0

KOSTAS MANOLAS

SOKRATIS PAPASTATHOPOULOS

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Olympiakos Born: 14.06.91 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 190 Goals in qualifiers: 0

POSITION Club: Borussia Dortmund (Ger) Born: 09.06.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 990 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ALEXANDROS TZIOLIS

GIORGOS KARAGOUNIS

GIANNIS MANIATIS

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Kayserispor (Tur) Born: 13.02.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 783 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MIDFIELD Club: Fulham (Eng) Born: 06.03.77 (aged 37) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 459 Goals in qualifiers: 1

MIDFIELD Club: Olympiakos Born: 12.01.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 818 Goals in qualifiers: 0

GIORGOS SAMARAS

KOSTAS MITROGLOU

DIMITRIS SALPINGIDIS

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Celtic (Sco) Born: 21.02.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 809 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Fulham (Eng) Born: 12.03.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 656 Goals in qualifiers: 5

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: PAOK Born: 18.08.81 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 631 Goals in qualifiers: 4

OTHER PLAYERS

GIORGOS TZAVELLAS DEFENCE PAOK 3 apps/164 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

AVRAAM PAPADOPOULOS DEFENCE Olympiakos 1 app/90 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DIMITRIS SIOVAS DEFENCE Olympiakos 0 apps in qualifiers

PANAGIOTIS KONE MIDFIELD Bologna (Ita) 2 apps/90 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

LAZAROS CHRISTODOULOPOULOS MIDFIELD

Manolas Torosidis

Holebas Tziolis

Mitroglu

JOSE HOLEBAS LEFT-BACK Club: Olympiakos (Gre) Born: 27.06.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 585 Goals in qualifiers: 0


THE COACH

SOTIRIS NINIS

ANDREAS SAMARIS

FORWARD PAOK 6 apps/346 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

FERNANDO SANTOS

KOSTAS KATSOURANIS MIDFIELD PAOK 10 apps/895 mins/0

FANIS GEKAS FORWARD Konyaspor (Tur) 7 apps/405 mins/2 goals in qualifiers


Maniatis

Salpingidis Karagounis Samaras

Bologna (Ita) 6 apps/296 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Olympiakos 3 apps/65 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Papastathopoulos

Born 10.10.54 (aged 59) He has overseen an exceptional run of form since joining in the summer of 2010 and led the side to the quarter-finals of Euro 2012. The Greek federation wanted to keep him after the World Cup in Brazil but he has decided not to renew his contract.

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KEY INFORMATION

THE PLAYERS

GROUP B SCHEDULE June 13 v Spain, Salvador June 18 v Australia, Porto Alegre June 23 v Chile, Sao Paulo

KEY MEN Rafael Van der Vaart For years he was Wesley Sneijder’s understudy, but he has now surpassed his former Ajax team-mate as the national team’s midfield creator. Chips in with important goals.

BETTING William Hill 28/1 to win World Cup 2/1 to win Group B WORLD CUP HISTORY 1934 First round exit 1938 First round exit 1974 Runners-up, 2-1 Final defeat by West Germany 1978 Runners-up, 3-1 Final defeat by Argentina 1990 Second round defeat by West Germany 1994 Quarter-final defeat by Brazil 1998 Semi-final defeat on penalties by Brazil 2006 Second round defeat by Portugal 2010 Runners-up, beaten 1-0 in Final by Spain

Arjen Robben The only player Van Gaal will make an exception for when it comes to his dogmas on fitness and match practice. The 30-year-old can still create havoc among opposing defences. Robin Van Persie The absolute leader of the pack. One of the few regulars left in the national team, he was decisive in qualifying on more than one occasion. ONE TO WATCH Born in Portugal to parents from Guinea Bissau, Bruno Martins Indi (left) arrived in Holland as a toddler. A physically strong defender who has never let Van Gaal down and has even scored a few goals. ENGLISH CONNECTION Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar (right) will play a crucial role in the back four.

ANALYSIS How they qualified Expectations were not exactly high when the qualifiers started. Holland had experienced a disastrous Euro 2012 – three group-game defeats and an early exit – and new coach Louis Van Gaal had to virtually build a new team from scratch. 98 WORLD CUP 2014

However, the opener against Turkey proved vital. A 2-0 win gave the team and the charismatic Van Gaal a major confidence boost, and wins away against Hungary and Romania, plus a home victory over minnows Andorra, put Holland in pole position. They suffered a hiccup in Estonia, where they were lucky to clinch a 2-2 draw, but a 2-0 win in Andorra was enough to qualify unbeaten, with two games to spare. Strengths Van Gaal is the ideal man to get the best out of a young squad, with a new generation of players emerging. Weaknesses The defence lacks a leader. The majority of the squad is made up of inexperienced Eredivisie players. Key midfielder Kevin Strootman will miss the World Cup because of injury. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Louis Van Gaal “We will go to the World Cup with mainly young players. Our goal will be to survive the group phase. There are at least eight teams better than us.” THE PUNDIT Klaas-Jan Droppert, World Soccer Holland correspondent “The big question is who will be in the team. Up until now, Van Gaal has selected his side on fitness and form, using a crop of inexperienced Eredivisie players and often changing the team from one game to the next. A star like Wesley Sneijder, who was stripped of the captaincy during the qualification campaign, is not guaranteed a place.”



Cillessen

JASPER CILLESSEN

DARYL JANMAAT

GOALKEEPER Club: Ajax Born: 22.04.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 1 Mins in qualifiers: 90 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Feyenoord Born: 22.07.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 675 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RON VLAAR

BRUNO MARTINS INDI

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Aston Villa (Eng) Born: 16.02.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 544 Goals in qualifiers: 0

De Jong Van der Vaart

Fer Lens

Van Persie Robben

DALEY BLIND LEFT-BACK Club: Ajax Born: 09.03.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 360 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Feyenoord Born: 08.02.92 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 649 Goals in qualifiers: 2

LEROY FER

NIGEL DE JONG

MIDFIELDER Club: Norwich City (Eng) Born: 05.01.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 139 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MIDFIELDER Club: Milan (Ita) Born: 30.11.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 270 Goals in qualifiers: 0

JEREMAIN LENS

ROBIN VAN PERSIE

ARJEN ROBBEN

FORWARD Club: Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) Born: 24.11.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 747 Goals in qualifiers: 5

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Manchester United (Eng) Born: 06.08.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 688 Goals in qualifiers: 11

FORWARD Club: Bayern Munich (Ger) Born: 23.01.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 3

OTHER PLAYERS

JOEL VELTMAN

Paris Saint Germain (Fra) 0 apps in qualifiers

DEFENCE Ajax 0 apps in qualifiers

DAVY KLAESSEN

TERENCE KONGOLO

MIDFIELD Ajax 0 apps in qualifiers

DEFENCE Feyenoord 0 apps in qualifiers

WESLEY SNEIJDER

GREGORY VAN DER WIEL

MIDFIELD Galatasaray (Tur) 6 apps/474 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

DEFENCE

Janmaat Vlaar Martins Indi Blind

JORDY CLASIE MIDFIELD Feyenoord 5 apps/245 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

STIJN SCHAARS MIDFIELD PSV 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MEMPHIS DEPAY FORWARD

PSV Eindhoven 1 apps/1 min/0 goals in qualifiers

DIRK KUYT FORWARD Fenerbahce (Tur) 5 apps/128 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

KLAAS-JAN HUNTELAAR FORWARD Schalke (Ger) 2 apps/135 mins/2 goals in qualifiers


RAFAEL VAN DER VAART MIDFIELDER Club: Hamburg (Ger) Born: 11.02.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 371 Goals in qualifiers: 5

THE COACH

LOUIS VAN GAAL Born 08.08.51 (aged 62) One of the world’s most successful coaches, he has won league titles with Ajax, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich. He was in charge of Holland once before but stepped down after failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. He leaves after the World Cup.

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THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Maynor Figueroa The team’s best player at the moment and the only one who has had a good season in England. At 30, he seems to be at his best, while his stability and calm at the heart of the defence will be essential in Brazil. Roger Espinoza The Wigan Athletic midfielder’s positional awareness and never-say-die attitude make him irreplaceable for the national team.

Carlo Costly Underwhelming with almost every club he has played for outside of Honduras, but every time he puts on the national shirt he exceeds expectations. He has scored 30 goals in 68 internationals, including the winning goal against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. ONE TO WATCH Jonathan Mejia, a Spanish-born striker who has been outstanding with second-tier Spanish side Real Jaen this season.

KEY INFORMATION GROUP E SCHEDULE June 15 June 20 June 25

v France, Porto Alegre v Ecuador, Curitiba v Switzerland, Manaus

BETTING William Hill 2500/1 to win World Cup 16/1 to win Group E WORLD CUP HISTORY 1982 2010

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ENGLISH CONNECTION Stoke City midfielder Wilson Palacios (left) was a regular during the qualifying campaign but his lack of playing time in this season’s Premier League could jeopardise his World Cup place.

ANALYSIS First round exit First round exit

How they qualified Honduras defied all expectations during the qualifying campaign. With a squad that lacked star names and made up of many players who seemed to be past their prime, the best hope had been to pip Panama to fourth place in the qualifying CONCACAF section, and a play-off with the champions of Oceania. But Colombian coach Luis Fernando Suarez crafted a team that punched above their weight. They qualified directly for their second World Cup in a row, beating Mexico in the Estadio Azteca – a first in the history of “La H” – along the way.


Strengths A reasonable group draw. The core of the side played at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and will not be star-struck in Brazil. Valladares is a very consistent goalkeeper, while Bernardez and Figueroa have played together for years at the heart of the defence. Weaknesses Few attacking options if Costly or Bengtson is unavailable. No true match-winner. An ageing squad with few first-team players under the age of 28. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Luis Fernando Suarez “Honduras has for five or six years, maybe a little bit more, been showing progress in its football and is logically well regarded for that in Central America. But I realise that in the world as a whole few know about Honduras as a football team so it would be good for what has already been seen in Central America to be seen at the World Cup.” THE PUNDIT Martin Del Palacio Langer, World Soccer Central America correspondent “Honduras are a modest team, inferior in quality to the one that played in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but one that is much more united and with a better spirit. Looking at the quality at Suarez’s disposal, they should consider themselves lucky if they manage to improve on their one-point tally from four years ago.”


Valladares

NOEL VALLADARES

ARNOLD PERALTA

GOALKEEPER Club: Olimpia Born: 03.05.77 (aged 37) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1260 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Rangers (Sco) Born: 29.03.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 858 Goals in qualifiers: 0

VICTOR BERNARDEZ

MAYNOR FIGUEROA

EMILIO IZAGUIRRE

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: San Jose Earthquakes (USA) Born: 24.05.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 15 Mins in qualifiers: 1350 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Hull City (Eng) Born: 02.05.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1170 Goals in qualifiers: 1

LEFT-BACK Club: Celtic (Sco) Born: 10.05.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1128 Goals in qualifiers: 0

DEFENDER Olimpia 3 apps/270 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JUAN CARLOS GARCIA DEFENDER Wigan Athletic (Eng) 8 apps/386 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

Garrido

Espinoza Garcia

Claros Costly

Bengtson

JORGE CLAROS

LUIS GARRIDO

OSCAR GARCIA

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Olimpia Born: 05.11.90 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 957 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Houston Dynamo (USA) Born: 04.09.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 16 Mins in qualifiers: 1252 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CARLO COSTLY

JERRY BENGTSON

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Real Espana Born: 18.07.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1095 Goals in qualifiers: 7

LEFT MIDFIELD Club: Wigan Athletic (Eng) Born: 25.10.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1079 Goals in qualifiers: 0

BRAYAN BECKELES

Izaguirre

Peralta

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Motagua Born: 08.01.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 408 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ROGER ESPINOZA

OTHER PLAYERS

Bernardez Figueroa

WILSON PALACIOS MIDFIELDER Stoke City (Eng) 11 apps/839 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

ANDY NAJAR MIDFIELDER Anderlecht (Blg) 5 apps/263 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MARIO MARTINEZ MIDFIELDER

Real Espana 9 apps/689 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

EDDER DELGADO MIDFIELDER Real Espana 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MARVIN CHAVEZ MIDFIELDER Colorado Rapids (USA) 6 apps/177 mins/1

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: New England Revolution (USA) Born: 08.04.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 891 Goals in qualifiers: 9

goal in qualifiers

THE COACH

JONATHAN MEJIA

LUIS FERNANDO SUAREZ

FORWARD Real Jaen (Spa) 0 apps in qualifiers

Born 23.12.59 (aged 54) Colombian who sprang to fame when he took Ecuador to the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup, where they narrowly lost to England. He’s better known for his effective motivational skills than his tactical acumen. Led Atletico Nacional to the Colombian championship.

GEORGIE WELCOME FORWARD BEC Tero Sasana (Tha) 4 apps/142 mins/0 goals in qualifiers


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THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Javad Nekounam An inspirational leader and captain with a knack of scoring crucial goals. The former Osasuna midfielder’s know-how is vital to a team not used to the big stage. Ashkan Dejagah The ex-Germany Under-23 (left) was badly missed in the final three qualifiers. After a fruitful debut season with Fulham, he was a vital factor in Iran’s qualifying campaign with his flair and stamina. Reza Ghoochannejad The unexpected hero whose sharp finishes in each of the last three games gave the perfect reply to his local critics.

KEY INFORMATION GROUP F SCHEDULE June 16 v Nigeria, Curitiba June 21 v Argentina, Belo Horizonte June 25 v Bosnia-Herzegovina, Salvador BETTING William Hill 750/1 to win World Cup 1/10 to be eliminated at group stage WORLD CUP HISTORY 1978 First round exit 1998 First round exit 2006 First round exit

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ONE TO WATCH American-born right-back Steven Beitashour recently accepted an invitation to play for Iran after giving up on a call-up from the USA. Known in Iran by his Persian name, Mehrdad. ENGLISH CONNECTION Midfielder Andranik Teimurian (right) is now back playing club football in Iran after spells with Premier League clubs Bolton Wanderers and Fulham.

ANALYSIS How they qualified Iran’s road to Brazil started with a two-legged victory over the Maldives and then followed with a 6-0 thrashing of 10-man Bahrain as they topped their first group stage. The next hurdle was a group with Lebanon, Qatar, South Korea and Uzbekistan. A late win in Uzbekistan was followed by a home draw with Qatar and an embarrassing defeat in Lebanon. The pressure was mounting on coach Carlos Queiroz before the crucial home game against South Korea but, as is so often with Iran, the need to get a result brought out the best in them. Despite going down to 10 men, a goal from captain Javad Nekounam secured a vital win in front of 100,000 fans. However, a home defeat by Uzbekistan in the next game drastically reduced their chances of automatic qualification. It all came down to the final three qualifiers in June 2013: at home to Lebanon, and away to Qatar and South Korea. Against all the odds, Iran won all three games to top their group. The hero of the hour was Reza Ghoochannejad, a 25-year-old forward raised in Holland by Iranian


parents and now known as “Gucci” by an adoring nation. He scored in all three games, crucially in both of the 1-0 wins in Qatar and South Korea. Strengths Hosseini and Montazeri are a solid central defensive partnership. Queiroz has introduced tactical discipline. As underdogs, they will be under no pressure in Brazil. Weaknesses Only a handful of the first team are playing abroad. Goal-shy in the qualifiers. An ageing team, with an average age of 29.7. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Carlos Queiroz “Iran is not a fake country in terms of football. Iran is one of those countries where football is in the DNA, the blood of the people, like in Brazil, Argentina or Portugal. The people live the game. It is one of the few counties in the world where you still see a stadium with more than 100,000 crammed in to watch a game. The night we qualified for the World Cup, we had 65million on the streets celebrating.” THE PUNDIT Adel Ferdowispour, World Soccer Iran correspondent “Sixteen years after Iran beat Australia to qualify for France 98 history has repeated itself. But do Iran have enough flair? With Ali Karimi having retired, and Masoud Shojaei’s inconsistency, a lack of creativity in midfield is a worry.”


Davari

KHOSRO HEIDARI

DANIEL DAVARI GOALKEEPER Club: Eintracht Braunschweig (Ger) Born: 06.01.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 0

OTHER PLAYERS

RAHMAN AHMADI GOALKEEPER Sepahan 3 apps/270 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

AMIRHOSEIN SADEGHI DEFENCE Esteghlal 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

RIGHT-BACK Club: Esteghlal Born: 14.09.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1097 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Hosseini

Montazeri

Beikzade Heidari Nekounam Teimurian Shojaei Jahanbakhsh

Dejagah

Ghoochannejad

JALAL HOSSEINI

PEJMAN MONTAZERI

HASHEM BEIKZADE

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Persepolis Born: 03.02.82 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 15 Mins in qualifiers: 1350 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Umm Salal (Qat) Born: 06.09.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 630 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Esteghlal Born: 22.01.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 260 Goals in qualifiers: 0

JAVAD NEKOUNAM

ANDRANIK TEIMURIAN

ASHKAN DEJAGAH

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD Club: Al Kuwait (Kuw) Born: 07.09.80 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1207 Goals in qualifiers: 6

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD Club: Esteghlal Born: 06.03.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 971 Goals in qualifiers: 1

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Fulham (Eng) Born: 05.06.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 306 Goals in qualifiers: 2

MASOUD SHOJAEI

ALIREZA JAHANBAKHSH

REZA GHOOCHANNEJAD

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Las Palmas (Spa) Born: 09.06.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 389 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: NEC (Hol) Born: 08.10.93 (aged 20) Apps in qualifiers: 0 Mins in qualifiers: 0 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Charlton Athletic (Eng) Born: 20.09.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 431 Goals in qualifiers: 3

EHSAN HAJSAFI DEFENCE Sepahan 8 apps/312 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MEHRDAD PULADI DEFENCE Sepahan 10 apps/872 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

STEVEN BEITASHOUR

DEFENCE Vancouver Whitecaps (USA) 0 apps in qualifiers

GHASEM HADADIFAR MIDFIELD Zob Ahan 3 apps/250 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MOHAMADREZA KHALATBARI MIDFIELD Persepolis


KARIM ANSARIFAR FORWARD Tractor Sazi 10 apps/566 mins/3 goals in qualifiers

SARDAR AZMOON FORWARD Rubin Kazan (Rus) 0 apps in qualifiers


THE COACH

CARLOS QUEIROZ Born 01.03.53 (aged 61) Portuguese, former assistant to Alex Ferguson and one-time boss of Real Madrid. Missed the 2002 World Cup after falling out with the South African FA, then led unconvincing Portugal in 2010.

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KEY INFORMATION

THE PLAYERS

GROUP D SCHEDULE June 14 v England, Manaus June 20 v Costa Rica, Recife June 24 v Uruguay, Natal

KEY MEN Gigi Buffon As national team captain, he is not shy of standing up to be counted at key moments. As goalkeeper, he remains the very rock on which Cesare Prandelli’s team is founded.

BETTING William Hill 28/1 to win World Cup 7/4 to be eliminated at group stage WORLD CUP HISTORY 1934 WINNERS, 2-1 Final victory over Czechoslovakia 1938 WINNERS, 4-2 Final victory over Hungary 1950 First round exit 1954 First round exit 1962 First round exit 1966 First round exit 1970 Runners-up, 4-1 Final defeat by Brazil 1974 First round exit 1978 Semi-finals, defeat 1982 WINNERS, 3-1 Final victory over West Germany 1986 Second round, defeat by France 1990 Semi-finals, defeat by Argentina 1994 Runners-up, Final defeat on penalties by Brazil 1998 Quarter-finals, defeat by France 2002 Second round, defeat by South Korea 2006 WINNERS, Final victory on penalties over France 2010 Group stage exit

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Giorgio Chiellini Another foundation stone of the side, he brings true central-defensive grit, left-back versatility and a huge understanding with his Juventus team-mate Buffon. Daniele De Rossi Prandelli converted the midfielder into a central defender at Euro 2012. In either position, he provides vision as well as ball-winning and distribution skills. ONE TO WATCH Alessio Cerci is the closest thing to a genuine winger in today’s Italian football. Outstanding for mid-table Torino, he has pace as well as dribbling and shooting skills.

it took the team to equalise after going 2-0 down in their opening 2-2 draw away to Bulgaria. That draw set up a highly successful autumn 2012, climaxed by a 3-1 win at Milan’s San Siro against Denmark. Against the Czechs in Turin, the Azzurri conceded a counter-attacking goal to the Czechs, but stuck to their task, equalised through Giorgio Chiellini and then wrapped it all up through, appropriately, Balotelli. Mission accomplished, well ahead of time. Strengths Coach Prandelli is a clever tactician and motivator. Italy are a tournament team. Their positive showing at last summer’s tournament in Brazil was a huge morale boost. Weaknesses Striker Giuseppe Rossi is unlikely to be fully recovered from a knee injury. Balotelli’s temperament. Some younger squad members may not get enough club football. World Soccer Prediction Quarter-finals.

WHAT THEY SAY

ENGLISH CONNECTION Former Man City striker Mario Balotelli is the ace in Prandelli’s pack. The coach will now be hoping that he plays every game “as he did in the semi-final in Poland”. So does the whole of Italy.

THE COACH Cesare Prandelli “This is a tough first-round group with three former World Cup winners [England, Italy & Uruguay] but our tradition is that, if we’re in a difficult group, then we go to the tournament in the right frame of mind, mentally prepared.”

How they qualified By beating the Czech Republic 2-1 in Turin last September, Italy qualified for the 2014 World Cup with two matches still to play. Cesare Prandelli’s side did it in style, dominating their group from start to finish. Arguably, their only real moment of worry lasted just six minutes: the length of time

THE PUNDIT Paddy Agnew, World Soccer Italy correspondent “Under Prandelli Italians have enjoyed anxiety-free qualifying groups but also quality football. Performances at the 2013 Confederations Cup – a penalty shoot-out defeat by Spain in an epic semi-final – was proof that this is, in the words of Prandelli, ‘a serious team’. ”

ANALYSIS



Buffon

GIANLUIGI BUFFON

CHRISTIAN MAGGIO

GOALKEEPER Club: Juventus Born: 28.01.78 (aged 36) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Napoli Born: 11.02.82 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 280 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ANDREA BARZAGLI

GIORGIO CHIELLINI

DOMENICO CRISCITO

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Juventus Born: 08.05.81 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Juventus Born: 14.08.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Zenit St Petersburg (Rus) Born: 30.12.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 1 Mins in qualifiers: 90 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ANDREA PIRLO

RICCARDO MONTOLIVO

DANIELE DE ROSSI

MIDFIELD Club: Milan Born: 18.01.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 611 Goals in qualifiers: 1

MIDFIELD Club: Roma Born: 24.07.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 2

MARIO BALOTELLI

LORENZO INSIGNE

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Milan Born: 12.08.90 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 373 Goals in qualifiers: 5

FORWARD Club: Napoli Born: 04.06.91 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 199 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Juventus Born: 19.05.79 (aged 35) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 776 Goals in qualifiers: 1

ALESSIO CERCI RIGHT-WINGER Club: Torino Born: 23.07.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 27 Goals in qualifiers: 0

OTHER PLAYERS

LEONARDO BONUCCI DEFENCE Club: Juventus 8 apps/720 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

IGNAZIO ABATE DEFENCE Club: Milan 5 apps/440 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

GABRIEL PALETTA DEFENCE Club: Parma 0 apps in qualifiers

MARCO VERRATTI MIDFIELD Club: Paris SaintGermain (Fra) 0 apps in qualifiers

CLAUDIO MARCHISIO MIDFIELD

Club: Juventus 7 apps/593 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ANTONIO CANDREVA MIDFIELD Club: Lazio 7 apps/346 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

THIAGO MOTTA MIDFIELD Club: Paris SaintGermain (Fra) 3 apps/184 mins/0

Barzagli

Criscito

Maggio Montolivo

Pirlo

De Rossi

Cerci

Balotelli

Insigne


THE COACH

SEBASTIANO GIOVINCO

CESARE PRANDELLI

FORWARD Club: Juventus 4 apps/186 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Born 19.08.57 (aged 56) No one seems to get better performances out of Mario Balotelli than Prandelli. That is a tribute not just to his immense coaching skills, but even more so to his broadminded vision.

PABLO OSVALDO FORWARD Club: Juventus 7 apps/505 mins/4 goals in qualifiers


Chiellini

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THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Didier Drogba Still has a talismanic influence on the side and continues to score regularly at international level, even if he is nearing the end of his career. The pace and power might have diminished, but his role these days is more one of influence, encouragement and, at times, just scaring the opposition. Yaya Toure Named African Footballer of the Year for a third successive time in January, the Manchester City midfield colossus is the engine room of the Ivorian side.

KEY INFORMATION GROUP C SCHEDULE June 14 June 19 June 24

ONE TO WATCH Disappointing during his time at Arsenal, Gervinho has been finding his form again at club level with Roma. For the national team he has been a consistently creative force with his devastating runs and high-tempo approach. ENGLISH CONNECTION Liverpool’s Kolo Toure (right), Yaya’s older brother, is likely to feature in the centre of defence.

ANALYSIS v Japan, Recife v Colombia, Brasilia v Greece, Fortaleza

BETTING William Hill 150/1 to win World Cup 10/11 to qualify from Group C WORLD CUP HISTORY 2006 Group stage exit 2010 Group stage exit

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Salomon Kalou Despite inconsistent club form for Lille, his five goals in qualifying showed his worth in the national set-up. His pace, with Drogba’s power, remains a very effective combination.

How they qualified Ivory Coast may be the highest-ranked African side in Brazil this summer, but that position reflects the team’s potential rather than their performances. Instead of building a reputation as the continent’s dominant force, they have become better known for falling short when it really matters. In the preliminary qualifying round for Brazil 2014, Sabri Lamouchi’s side went about their business with the usual air of efficiency. Despite a relatively tough qualifying assignment, which saw them drawn in the same group as Morocco, they went through unbeaten and then ousted fellow west Africa heavyweights Senegal in the play-offs. National coach Lamouchi, who had no formal experience prior to being appointed in May 2012,


has tried to inject some new talent into a squad fast approaching its sell-by date. However, there is still a big reliance on veterans Didier Drogba and Didier Zokora, while the pressure is on Yaya Toure to help lead and develop a new generation of emerging players. Strengths Senior players will be heavily motivated by probably their last chance at a big tournament. Coach Lamouchi is well prepared. Weaknesses Never far from a major argument within the squad. Too many older legs in the first team. Weighed down by expectations from Ivorian public. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Sabri Lamouchi “For us to get out of the group stage is an objective. Ivory Coast have not done this before, so that would be a perfect result for us.” THE PUNDIT Mark Gleeson, World Soccer Africa correspondent “Ivory Coast have yet to reach the knockout stage at the finals, but this year’s draw gives them their best chance yet. Yet here is still a feeling that this team has a penchant for snatching ‘defeat from the jaws of victory’. To succeed this summer, they must overcome such thoughts.”


BARRY

BOUBACAR BARRY

SERGE AURIER RIGHT-BACK Club: Toulouse (Fra) Born: 24.12.92 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 394 Goals in qualifiers: 0

GOALKEEPER Club: Lokeren (Blg) Born: 30.12.79 (aged 34) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 0

KOLO TOURE

BOKA

ROMARIC

TIOTE

GERVINHO Y TOURE

KALOU

ARTHUR BOKA LEFT-BACK Club: Stuttgart (Ger) Born: 02.04.81 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 360 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Trabzonspor (Tur) Born: 14.12.80 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ROMARIC

CHEICK TIOTE

YAYA TOURE

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Bastia (Fra) Born: 04.06.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 218 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Newcastle United (Eng) Born: 21.06.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 495 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Manchester City (Eng) Born: 13.05.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 4

GERVINHO

DIDIER DROGBA

SALOMON KALOU

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Galatasaray (Tur) Born: 11.03.78 (aged 36) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 429 Goals in qualifiers: 3

FORWARD Club: Lille (Fra) Born: 05.08.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 550 Goals in qualifiers: 5

OTHER PLAYERS

SEREY DIE

CONSTANT DJAKPA

MIDFIELD Basle (Swi) 4 apps/319mins/0 goals in qualifiers

SIAKA TIENE

AURIER

DIDIER ZOKORA

FORWARD Club: Roma (Ita) Born: 27.05.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 556 Goals in qualifiers: 0

DEFENCE Montpellier (Fra) 3 apps/236 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ZOKORA

DROGBA

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Liverpool (Eng) Born: 19.03.81 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 282 Goals in qualifiers: 1

DEFENCE Eintracht Frankfurt (Ger) 0 apps in qualifiers

K TOURE

ISMAEL DIOMANDE MIDFIELD Saint-Etienne (Fra) 0 apps in qualifiers

JEAN-JACQUES GOSSO MIDFIELD Genclerbirligi (Tur)


WILFRIED BONY

MAX GRADEL

FORWARD Swansea City (Eng) 5 apps/189 mins/3 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Saint-Etienne (Fra) 3 apps/50 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MATHIS BOLLY FORWARD Fortuna Dusseldorf (Ger) 1 app/45 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

SEYDOU DOUMBIA FORWARD CSKA Moscow (Rus) 0 apps in qualifiers


THE COACH

SABRI LAMOUCHI Born 09.11.71 (aged 42) The former France midfielder only took control the week before the qualifiers began, succeeding Francois Zahoui, who led the side to the Final of the 2012 African Nations Cup without conceding a goal. He has since carved out his own role, dropping Drogba last year and putting together an impressive run of results.

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THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Keisuke Honda An inspirational player with outstanding vision and physical strength. Japan are so much more dangerous when he is on the field.

ONE TO WATCH Attack-minded Shinji Okazaki (right) played in every qualifier, scoring four goals, and could be the beneficiary of Honda’s creative passing in Brazil.

Yuto Nagatomo A fine attacking full-back whose game has grown enormously in Italy playing for Internazionale.

ENGLISH CONNECTION Shinji Kagawa is still only 25 and he keeps getting better. The Manchester United midfielder’s ball skills, passing and eye for goal are crucial to Japan’s gameplan.

Makoto Hasebe Japan’s captain starts many of the best attacks from his holding position in midfield and also fills a vital defensive role.

ANALYSIS KEY INFORMATION GROUP C SCHEDULE June 14 June 19 June 24

v Ivory Coast, Recife v Greece, Natal v Colombia, Cuiaba

BETTING William Hill 125/1 to win World Cup 3/1 to win Group C WORLD CUP HISTORY 1998 First round exit 2002 Second round, defeat by Belgium 2006 First round exit 2010 Second round, defeat on pens by Paraguay

108 WORLD CUP 2014

How they qualified Japan neither waltzed through the qualifiers nor did they struggle. If qualification for a fifth consecutive World Cup wasn’t a foregone conclusion, at least nobody was surprised when they became the first team to qualify from the Asian section for the second time in a row. Entering from the third round, Japan started well in qualification, but losses at the finish to North Korea and Uzbekistan put them through in second place. They may have been fortunate with the fourth-round draw, but they hit the ground running and looked set to clinch their passage with three games to spare until a shock defeat in Jordan. By the time they did qualify it was such a mathematical certainty that the 2013 Confederations Cup was the only tournament that mattered. That produced a mixed report card. They lost


3-0 to the hosts but then a 4-3 defeat to Italy showed Japan’s vibrancy in attack and restored some battered pride. Strengths Most of Japan’s players now play in Europe and won’t be overawed. Their hard-running, shortpassing game can threaten most opponents. Weaknesses Vulnerable at set-pieces. Get hit on the counterattack when the attacking full-backs get caught upfield. World Soccer Prediction Second round.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Alberto Zaccheroni “I do believe the team has grown through the experience of the Confederations Cup. A child who never falls, never learns how to fall.” THE PUNDIT Mike Plastow, World Soccer Japan correspondent “The Asian champions have class – in veteran Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni, in players such as Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa, and indeed throughout a team whose players are now mostly regulars in the top leagues of Europe. Japan have the potential to either produce a major upset in Brazil or flop badly. Whichever the case may be, the world is learning to respect Japan as a rather special opponent.”


Kawashima

OTHER PLAYERS

MASATO MORISHIGE DEFENCE FC Tokyo 0 apps in qualifiers

HIROKI SAKAI DEFENCE Hanover (Ger) 4 apps/280 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

EIJI KAWASHIMA

ATSUTO UCHIDA

GOALKEEPER Club: Standard Liege (Blg) Born: 20.03.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1170 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Schalke (Ger) Born: 27.03.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 731 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MAYA YOSHIDA

Yoshida

Konno

Uchida

Nagatomo Endo

Okazaki

Hasebe

Honda

Kagawa

Osako

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Southampton (Eng) Born: 24.08.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 944 Goals in qualifiers: 1

YASUYUKI KONNO

YUTO NAGATOMO

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Gamba Osaka Born: 25.01.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1152 Goals in qualifiers: 1

LEFT-BACK Club: Internazionale (Ita) Born: 12.09.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 803 Goals in qualifiers: 0

YASUHITO ENDO

MAKOTO HASEBE

KEISUKE HONDA

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Gamba Osaka Born: 28.01.80 (aged 34) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1165 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Nuremberg (Ger) Born: 18.01.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1142 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Milan (Ita) Born: 13.06.86 (age 27) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 507 Goals in qualifiers: 5

SHINJI KAGAWA

SHINJI OKAZAKI

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Manchester United (Eng) Born: 17.03.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 11 Mins in qualifiers: 989 Goals in qualifiers: 4

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Mainz (Ger) Born: 16.04.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1223 Goals in qualifiers: 8

GOTOKU SAKAI DEFENCE Stuttgart (Ger) 2 apps/105 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

TOSHIRO AOYAMA MIDFIELD Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0 apps in qualifiers

HOTARU YAMAGUCHI

0 apps in qualifiers

HAJIME HOSOGAI MIDFIELD Herth Berlin (Ger) 6 apps/218 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

HIROSHI KIYOTAKE MIDFIELD Nuremberg (Ger) 11 apps/515 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

YOHEI TOYODA FORWARD Sagan Tosu 0 apps in qualifiers

YUYA OSAKO FORWARD Club: 1860 Munich (Ger) Born: 18.05.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 0

THE COACH

ALBERTO ZACCHERONI Born 01.01.53 (aged 61) The Italian managed most of the big clubs in Italy and has led Japan on a long unbeaten run.

MASATO KUDO FORWARD Kashiwa Reysol 0 apps in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Cerezo Osaka


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KEY INFORMATION GROUP A SCHEDULE June 13 v Cameroon, Natal June 17 v Brazil, Fortaleza June 23 v Croatia, Recife BETTING William Hill 150/1 to win World Cup 11/10 to qualify from Group A WORLD CUP HISTORY 1930 First round exit 1950 First round exit 1954 First round exit 1958 First round exit 1962 First round exit 1966 First round exit 1970 Quarter-finals, defeat by Italy 1978 First round exit 1986 Quarter-finals, defeat by West Germany 1990 Banned 1994 Second round, defeat by Bulgaria 1998 Second round, defeat by Germany 2002 Second round, defeat by US 2006 Second round, defeat by Argentina 2010 Second round, defeat by Argentina

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Oribe Peralta The Santos Laguna striker is probably the only indispensable player in Herrera’s side. He has scored some key goals for the national team, including two in the 2012 Olympic Final and five in the play-off against New Zealand. Rafael Marquez He suffered a major slump of form after leaving Barcelona for MLS, which cost him his place in the national team, but he has been back in favour since returning to Mexico and playing for Leon. Giovani Dos Santos After failing to deliver at Tottenham Hotspur, he regained his form in Spain, first with Mallorca and now with Villarreal. He hasn’t been as effective with the national team of late, but that is mostly because he is played out of position. ONE TO WATCH Midfielder Hector Herrera (left) was one of the stars of Mexico’s 2012 Olympic triumph and was also best player at last year’s Toulon Under-21 tournament. ENGLISH CONNECTION Javier Hernandez has fallen out of favour at Manchester United and has also dropped out of Mexico’s starting line-up.

ANALYSIS How they qualified Olympic champions Mexico endured the worst year in their recent footballing history in 2013 and could easily have missed out on this summer’s World Cup. 110 WORLD CUP 2014

After their worst finish in the CONCACAF qualifying group – they were fourth, just ahead of Panama and Jamaica – “El Tri” are only travelling to Brazil because they faced weak opposition all the way. They won a solitary game at the Estadio Azteca and changed coaches three times in the process, before facing New Zealand to book their place via the Inter-continental play-off. Coach Herrera risked a split between himself and his European-based stars when he left them of the play-offs against New Zealand. He has since stated that he wants to re-integrate them. Strengths Plenty of quality players. The return of captain Marquez has brought composure to the defence and dressing room. Weaknesses Still recovering from a traumatic qualifying campaign. Ageing defence that lacks pace. Few options at right-back. World Soccer Prediction Second round.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Miguel Herrera “In a World Cup, any of the 32 teams can be champions. We are one of them. Mexico have won titles at the Under-17 World Cup and Olympic Games recently. Why not us?” THE PUNDIT Martin del Palacio Langer, World Soccer Mexico correspondent “Mexico have enough quality to be a good international side. But there are many issues to be resolved after a disastrous qualifying campaign. With a relatively easylooking group, the round of 16 is not beyond them, but don’t rule out a meltdown if the problems persist.”



Corona

JOSE DE JESUS CORONA

PAUL AGUILAR RIGHT-BACK Club: America Born: 06.03.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 1

GOALKEEPER Club: Cruz Azul Born: 26.01.81 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

DIEGO REYES CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Porto (Por) Born: 19.09.92 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 360 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MIGUEL LAYUN LEFT-BACK Club: America Born: 25.06.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CARLOS PENA

FRANCISCO JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ DEFENCE America 15 apps/1350 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JUAN CARLOS VALENZUELA DEFENCE America 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ISAAC BRIZUELA

MIDFIELD Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 14 apps/1148 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Toluca 1 app/17 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Villarreal (Spa) 11 apps/708 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ALONSO ESCOBOZA MIDFIELD Santos Laguna 2 apps/58 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JESUS ZAVALA

Layun Medina

Herrera

Pena

Dos Santos

Peralta

RAFAEL MARQUEZ

HECTOR MORENO

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Leon Born: 13.02.79 (aged 35) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Espanyol (Spa) Born: 17.01.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1080 Goals in qualifiers: 1

JUAN CARLOS MEDINA

HECTOR HERRERA

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: America Born: 22.08.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 180 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Porto (Por) Born: 19.04.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 202 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ORIBE PERALTA FORWARD Club: Santos Laguna Born: 12.01.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1049 Goals in qualifiers: 10

FORWARD Club: Villarreal (Spa) Born: 11.05.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 743 Goals in qualifiers: 1

ANDRES GUARDADO

JAVIER AQUINO

Aguilar

GIOVANI DOS SANTOS

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Leon Born: 29.03.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 547 Goals in qualifiers: 1

OTHER PLAYERS

Marquez Reyes Moreno

Monterrey 12 apps/1072 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

MARCO FABIAN MIDFIELD Cruz Azul 3 apps/53 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JAVIER HERNANDEZ FORWARD Manchester Utd (Eng) 16 apps/1226 mins/5 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD


THE COACH

MIGUEL HERRERA Born 18.03.68 (aged 46) A colourful character who has the potential to do big things but is often betrayed by his temper. He masterminded the return to prominence of America in the Mexican league, taking them to a clausura title last June and reaching the apertura Final in December.

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THE PLAYERS KEY MEN John Obi Mikel Seen as one of the elder statesmen in the team even though he only turned 27 in April. Largely sidelined by Chelsea, he is once again a first choice at international level after past problems with the national team set-up. Emmanuel Emenike Has overcome arrest and accusations of

KEY INFORMATION GROUP F SCHEDULE June 16 v Iran, Curitiba June 21 v Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cuiaba June 26 v Argentina, Salvador BETTING William Hill 250/1 to win World Cup 6/1 to reach quarter-finals

involvement in match fixing in Turkey to become his country’s key forward. Injury meant he spent most of last year sidelined, but when he did play for Nigeria he scored vital goals in important matches. Vincent Enyeama Recently came close to setting a new record for minutes unbeaten in the French top flight, keeping a clean sheet for Lille for 1,062 minutes. Has more than a decade’s experience with Nigeria. ONE TO WATCH The pace of Russian-based winger Ahmed Musa makes him an important part of Nigeria’s attack. Two formative years at VVV Venlo in the Dutch league helped add some technique to his raw power and energy. ENGLISH CONNECTION Chelsea winger Victor Moses (left) may not be a regular for Liverpool, where he has spent the 2013-14 season on loan, but he will be a likely stater for Nigeria in Brazil.

WORLD CUP HISTORY 1994 Second round, defeat by Italy 1998 Second round, defeat by Denmark 2002 First round exit 2010 First round exit

ANALYSIS How they qualified Nigeria won last year’s African Nations Cup after coach Stephen Keshi completely overhauled the squad, gambling on young, untested players. They struggled in last year’s Confederations Cup in Brazil, starting with an easy tie against Tahiti but proving out of their depth in their two subsequent 112 WORLD CUP 2014


games, against Uruguay and Spain. In the World Cup qualifying campaign, Nigeria benefited from a soft draw. Kenya and Namibia provided no opposition, and after beating Malawi in their final game they won both home and away play-off games against Ethiopia – who were the weakest of the 10 group winners. Strengths Attacking, high-tempo tactics make Nigeria exciting to watch. They demonstrated their steely determination to win with victory at last year’s African Nations Cup. Weaknesses The defence remains short on experience and has long been a liability. Disorganised pre-tournament preparation usually impacts on the team’s performance. World Soccer Prediction Second round.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Stephen Keshi “I like people to come to the stadium and enjoy the way my team is playing. Intelligent play, having fun. I want my players not to worry about ‘do or die’ but to have fun with a purpose.” THE PUNDIT Mark Gleeson, World Soccer Africa correspondent “Pace is a trademark of Keshi’s team, but he also insists on a good defensive shape, with a tight, compact approach to both defence and midfield – in stark contrast to many past Nigeria sides.”


Enyeama

VINCENT ENYEAMA

EFE AMBROSE RIGHT-BACK Club: Celtic (Sco) Born: 18.10.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 630 Goals in qualifiers: 0

GOALKEEPER Club: Lille (Fra) Born: 29.08.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 0

KENNETH OMERUO

GODFREY OBOABONA

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Middlesbrough (Eng) Born: 17.10.93 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 337 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Caykur Rizespor (Tur) Born: 16.08.90 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 1

DEFENCE Warri Wolves 5 apps/383 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JUWON OSHANIWA DEFENCE Ashdod (Isr) 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Elderson

Ambrose Onazi Musa

Mikel

Ideye

Moses

ELDERSON LEFT-BACK Club: Monaco (Fra) Born: 20.01.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 0

OGENYI ONAZI

AHMED MUSA

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Lazio (Ita) Born: 25.12.92 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 522 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: CSKA Moscow (Rus) Born: 14.10.92 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 517 Goals in qualifiers: 1

BROWN IDEYE

VICTOR MOSES

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) Born: 10.10.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 241 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Liverpool (Eng) Born: 12.12.90 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 399 Goals in qualifiers: 2

EMMANUEL EMENIKE

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Chelsea (Eng) Born: 22.04.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 0

AZUBUIKE EGWUEKWE

Oboabona

Emenike

JOHN OBI MIKEL

OTHER PLAYERS

Omeruo

NNAMDI ODUAMADI MIDFIELD Varese (Ita) 5 apps/339 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

SUNDAY MBA MIDFIELD CA Bastia (Fra) 4 apps/267 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JOHN UGOCHUKWU MIDFIELD

Academica (Por) 3 apps/103 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

REUBEN GABRIEL MIDFIELD Waasland-Beveren (Blg) 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

EJIKE UZOENYI MIDFIELD Enugu Rangers


VICTOR OBINNA FORWARD Chievo (Ita) 1 app/12 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

SHOLA AMEOBI FORWARD Newcastle (Eng) 1 app/7 mins/0 goals in qualifiers


CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Fenerbahce (Tur) Born: 10.05.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 262 Goals in qualifiers: 3

THE COACH

STEPHEN KESHI Born 23.01.62 (aged 52) A father figure to his young players, he captained the first Nigeria side to go to a World Cup – USA 94 – and has since become only the second man to win the African Nations Cup as both player and coach. Coached Togo when they qualified for the 2006 finals, but lost his job before the tournament.

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KEY INFORMATION

THE PLAYERS

GROUP G SCHEDULE June 16 v Germany, Salvador June 22 v United States, Manaus June 26 v Ghana, Brasilia

KEY MEN Cristiano Ronaldo Increasingly heralded as the greatest Portuguese player of all time in his homeland, if Ronaldo can emulate Eusebio’s performance in 1966, the evidence will be overwhelming.

BETTING William Hill 33/1 to win World Cup 5/2 to win Group G WORLD CUP HISTORY 1966 Semi-finals, 2-1 defeat by England 1986 First round exit 2002 First round exit 2006 Semi-finals, 1-0 defeat by France 2010 Second round, defeat by Spain

Pepe The rock at the centre of Portugal’s defence, his height, strength and physicality are crucial to a team comprised mostly of technically adept but short-of-stature players. Joao Moutinho The “Portuguese Xavi” remains one of Europe’s most underrated midfielders. His metronomic consistency is often put in the shade by Ronaldo’s brilliance, but he is arguably just as important to the team. ONE TO WATCH Midfielder William Carvalho (right) has been the revelation of the Portuguese season. Linked with a move to the Premier League. ENGLISH CONNECTION Winger Nani (left) is a first-team regular for his country despite not starting for Manchester United.

ANALYSIS How they qualified On the back of an impressive showing at Euro 2012, hopes were high that Portugal would make light work of a straightforward World Cup qualifying group. However, it did not take long for those hopes to be dashed. After beating Luxembourg and Azerbaijan, defeat in Russia was followed by successive draws, at home to Northern Ireland and in Israel, raising the spectre of 114 WORLD CUP 2014

missing out on a major tournament for the first time in 16 years. By the time Portugal took on Russia in Lisbon, a win was imperative. A strong performance and a Helder Postiga goal put the team back on track. However, a draw with Israel condemned Portugal to a third successive qualification play-off, this time against Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden. It was billed as a battle between Ronaldo and Zlatan but Portugal’s captain came out on top, scoring with header in Lisbon to give Bento’s side the edge going into the return in Stockholm. A brilliant hat-trick settled matters and capped an astonishing individual display by Ronaldo. Strengths Portugal’s historical, cultural and linguistic ties with Brazil. Recent record (two semi-finals and a Final in the last five major tournaments). Cristiano Ronaldo’s sparkling form. Weaknesses Poor record against Germany and the USA. Limited options on the bench. Conservative tactics from Bento. World Soccer Prediction Second round.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Paulo Bento “Ronaldo is a great player, a huge name in world football, but I have to worry about the whole team. I’ll be working with a 23-man squad, and not just one player.” THE PUNDIT Tom Kundert, World Soccer Portugal correspondent “Portugal rely on the exceptional technical ability of their players and a slick passing game to overcome their opponents. But against physical opponents, a lack of physical prowess could prove costly in Brazil.”



Patricio

RUI PATRICIO

JOAO PEREIRA

GOALKEEPER Club: Sporting Lisbon Born: 15.02.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1080 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Valencia (Spa) Born: 25.02.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 884 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RICARDO COSTA DEFENCE Valencia (Spa) 3 apps/156 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

Ronaldo

Coentrao

Veloso

Moutinho

Nani

PEPE

BRUNO ALVES CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Fenerbahce (Tur) Born: 27.11.81 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 884 Goals in qualifiers: 4

RAUL MEIRELES

MIGUEL VELOSO

JOAO MOUTINHO

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) Born: 11.05.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 942 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Monaco (Fra) Born: 08.09.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 1080 Goals in qualifiers: 0

NANI

HELDER POSTIGA

WILLIAM CARVALHO

RUBEN MICAEL


MIDFIELD Sporting Lisbon 1 app/17 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Braga 4 apps/202 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

RICARDO QUARESMA

RUBEN AMORIM MIDFIELD Benfica 4 apps/76 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

FABIO COENTRAO LEFT-BACK Club: Real Madrid (Spa) Born: 11.03.88 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 777 Goals in qualifiers: 1

FORWARD Club: Manchester United (Eng) Born: 17.11.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 757 Goals in qualifiers: 1

FORWARD Club: Real Madrid (Spa) Born: 05.02.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 8

DEFENCE Zenit St Petersbrg (Rus) 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Meireles

Alves

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Real Madrid (Spa) Born: 26.02.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CRISTIANO RONALDO

LUIS NETO

Pepe

Postiga

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Fenerbahce (Tur) Born: 17.03.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 583 Goals in qualifiers: 0

OTHER PLAYERS

Pereira

FERNANDO MIDFIELD Porto 0 apps in qualifiers

HUGO ALMEIDA FORWARD Besiktas (Tur)

FORWARD Porto 0 apps in qualifiers

SILVESTRE VARELA FORWARD Porto 7 apps/295 mins/2 goals in qualifiers


CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Lazio (Ita) Born: 02.08.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 797 Goals in qualifiers: 6

THE COACH

PAULO BENTO Born 20.06.69 (aged 44) The no-nonsense former midfielder has his critics, who cite a series of high-profile bust-ups with senior players and cautious tactics as serious failings. But he can point to his results and an ability to get the best out of Ronaldo.

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THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Igor Akinfeev By far the best Russian goalkeeper of recent times, he made his debut for CSKA Moscow at the age of 16 and has been named the country’s keeper of the year seven times since. Became the youngest Russian to play for his country when called up as an 18-year-old. Sergei Ignashevich CSKA Moscow’s 34-year-old centre-back

KEY INFORMATION GROUP H SCHEDULE June 17 June 22 June 26

v South Korea, Cuiaba v Belgium, Rio de Janeiro v Algeria, Curitiba

BETTING William Hill 66/1 to win World Cup 7/4 to be eliminated at group stage WORLD CUP HISTORY 1994 2002

116 WORLD CUP 2014

Group stage exit Group stage exit

(right) may lack pace, but he is noted for his great vision, reliability, long-range passing, shooting and strength in the air. Roman Shirokov Took over the captaincy from Igor Denisov during the qualifying campaign. A playmaker with high technical skill and goalscoring ability, he is known for his frank and controversial Twitter comments. Alexander Kokorin The striker (left) joined Anzhi but returned to Dynamo Moscow without playing a single game due to the Makhachkala -based club’s financial collapse. A rarity in the Russian league, where most of the centre-forwards are foreigners. ONE TO WATCH Alan Dzagoev was one of the best performers for Russia at Euro 2012, but has slipped out of the first team under Fabio Capello.

points out of nine made Russia look the most likely group winner. Despite 1-0 defeats in Lisbon and Belfast, Capello’s side made good use of largely unexpected flops by their closest rivals Portugal. That was especially true of Portugal’s 1-1 draw at home to Israel in October. If it hadn’t been for that result, Russia’s own draw in the last game of the campaign, against Azerbaijan in Baku, would have cost them first place in the group. Strengths Experienced squad. Underdogs in Brazil, so low public expectations. Capello’s reputation. Weaknesses Overly physical approach could get punished. Poor technical skills. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY

ANALYSIS

THE COACH Fabio Capello “It’s really important the physical condition that the teams arrive in at the World Cup. England are always tired because they play too many games. I hope we will arrive fresh.”

How they qualified Twelve years after their last appearance at a World Cup finals, Russia were helped on their way to Brazil 2014 by a strict Italian coach and an unyielding Israeli team. Under Fabio Capello, who replaced Dick Advocaat as boss of the national team in the summer of 2012, they started their qualification campaign with wins against Northern Ireland at home, Israel away and Portugal at home. Nine

THE PUNDIT Victor Gusev, World Soccer Russia correspondent “Capello has spent most of his time in Russia and made trips all over the country to watch games, including unsafe places such as Makhachkala. He’s introduced younger players, which has gone down well with fans, who also have one eye on the 2018 tournament that is being held on home soil.”



Akinfeev

ANDREI YESCHENKO

GOALKEEPER Club: CSKA Moscow Born: 08.04.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Anzhi Born: 09.02.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 155 Goals in qualifiers: 0

VASILI BEREZUTSKI

SERGEI IGNASHEVICH

DMITRI KOMBAROV

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: CSKA Moscow Born: 20.06.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 810 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: CSKA Moscow Born: 14.07.79 (aged 34) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 810 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Spartak Moscow Born: 22.01.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 895 Goals in qualifiers: 0

DENIS GLUSHAKOV

ALEXANDER SAMEDOV

VICTOR FAIZULIN

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD Club: Spartak Moscow Born: 27.01.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 479 Goals in qualifiers: 2

RIGHT MIDFIELD Club: Lokomotiv Moscow Born: 19.07.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 459 Goals in qualifiers: 2

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Zenit St Petersburg Born: 22.04.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 662 Goals in qualifiers: 3

YURI ZHIRKOV

ALEXANDER KOKORIN

ROMAN SHIROKOV

ALEXANDER ANYUKOV DEFENCE Zenit St Petersburg 5 apps/351 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

VLADIMIR GRANAT DEFENCE Dynamo Moscow 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

GEORGI SCHENNIKOV DEFENCE CSKA Moscow 1 app/5 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ALEXEI KOZLOV DEFENCE Dynamo Moscow 5 apps/419 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

IGOR DENISOV MIDFIELD Dynamo Moscow 8 apps/675 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ALAN DZAGOEV MIDFIELD CSKA Moscow 4 apps/159 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

OLEG SHATOV MIDFIELD Zenit St Petersburg

1 app/45 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ALEXANDER KERZHAKOV FORWARD Zenit St Petersburg 10 apps/819 mins/5 goals in qualifiers

ARTYOM DZUBA FORWARD Rostov 1 app/45 mins/0 goals in qualifiers


V Berezutski

Yeschenko

Kombarov Glushakov

Faizulin

Shirokov

Samedov

Zhirkov Kokorin

LEFT MIDFIELD Club: Dynamo Moscow Born: 20.08.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 110 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Krasnodar Born: 06.07.81 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 893 Goals in qualifiers: 3

OTHER PLAYERS

Ignashevich

IGOR AKINFEEV

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Dynamo Moscow Born: 19.03.91 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 503 Goals in qualifiers: 4

THE COACH

FABIO CAPELLO Born 18.06.46 (aged 67) A former coach of several top clubs and national teams, notably England, Milan, Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid. “Don Fabio” became the first man to take Russia to the World Cup finals since 2002.

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KEY INFORMATION

THE PLAYERS

GROUP H SCHEDULE June 17 v Russia, Cuiaba June 22 v Algeria, Porto Alegre June 26 v Belgium, Sao Paulo

KEY MEN Koo Ja-cheol The 2012 Olympic captain has struggled with injuries since the London Games, but his aggression, hard work and ability to get forward could be crucial.

BETTING William Hill 500/1 to win World Cup 15/8 to progress from Group H WORLD CUP HISTORY 1954 First round 1986 First round 1990 First round 1994 First round 1998 First round 2002 Semi-finals, defeat by Germany 2006 First round 2010 Second round, defeat by Uruguay

Kim Young-gwon Italian Marcello Lippi, his boss at China’s Guangzhou, says versatile defender Kim (left) is good enough to play for Manchester United. He could be the man to finally solve the central defensive problems.

Strengths The players are young but are also full of European and tournament experience. The nucleus of players won bronze at the 2012 Olympics.

Ki Sung-yeung Currently seen as a potential threat to team spirit but, at his best, the Swansea City midfielder, who has spent 2013-14 on loan at Sunderland, makes South Korea tick.

Weaknesses The centre of defence is weak, with set-pieces a particular problem. They lack a senior figure on the pitch, following Park Ji-sung’s retirement. Scoring goals can be a problem.

ONE TO WATCH Son Heung-min joined Bayer Leverkusen from Hamburg for 10million euros last summer and now needs Hong to give him the chance to replicate his club form for his country.

World Soccer Prediction Second round.

ENGLISH CONNECTION Coach Hong has kept faith with striker Park Chu-young (right), who is on loan at Watford from Arsenal, despite a run of poor form.

ANALYSIS How they qualified The celebrations that greeted South Korea reaching an eighth successive World Cup finals weren’t muted just because a 1-0 defeat at home to Iran meant the “Taegeuk Warriors” had only qualified ahead of Uzbekistan on goal difference; the entire road to Brazil had been, to say the least, a bumpy one. A 2-1 defeat to Lebanon in November 118 WORLD CUP 2014

2011 cost coach Cho Kwang-rae his job, and although his replacement Choi Kang-hee began well enough, with two convincing wins in the final group phase, he also struggled. Choi seemed more comfortable with domestic players and he looked unsure about how to use Son Heung-min, who had been scoring regularly in the Bundesliga. Choi vowed to go if South Korea lost their final qualifier against Iran and, sure enough, the day after the 1-0 loss, he quit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Hong Myung-bo “There should be no fear. In the remaining time we have left, we have to use the time wisely and we have to help our young players believe in themselves. Korean football has shown over the years that it can achieve great things.” THE PUNDIT John Duerden, World Soccer South Korea correspondent “Hong inherited an unhappy team, with rumours of splits within the squad. He needs to tighten the defence, restore team spirit, introduce some creativity and find a leader and a goalscorer. A tough task, but the Korean public believes that if anyone can do it, Hong can.”



Jung Sung-ryung

JUNG SUNG-RYUNG

LEE YONG RIGHT-BACK Club: Ulsan Hyundai Born: 24.12.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 0

GOALKEEPER Club: Suwon Bluewings Born: 04.01.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1260 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Kim Yong-gwon Lee Yong

Hong Jeong-ho Kim Jin-soo

Lee Chung-yung Park Jung-woo Ki Sung-yeun Kim Bo-kyoung Koo Ja-cheol Park Chu-young

KIM YOUNG-GWON

HONG JEONG-HO

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Guangzhou Evergrande (Chn) Born: 27.02.90 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 270 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Augsburg (Ger) Born:12.08.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 431 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEE CHUNG-YUNG

PARK JUNG-WOO

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Bolton Wanderers (Eng) Born: 02.07.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 345 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Guangzhou R&F (Chn) Born: 10.03.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 167 Goals in qualifiers: 0

KIM BO-KYOUNG

PARK JOO-HO DEFENDER Mainz (Ger) 3 apps/270 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

KWAK TAE-HWI DEFENDER Al Hilal (Sau) 10 apps/891 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

KIM CHANG-SOO DEFENDER Kashiwa Reysol (Jap) 2 apps/180 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

HAN KOOK-YOUNG MIDFIELD Kashiwa Reysol (Jap) 1 app/50 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

KI SUNG-YEUNG ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Sunderland (Eng) Born: 24.01.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 688 Goals in qualifiers: 0

KOO JA-CHEOL

PARK CHU-YOUNG

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Mainz (Ger) Born: 27.02.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 613 Goals in qualifiers: 2

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Cardiff City (Eng) Born: 06.10.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 422 Goals in qualifiers: 2

OTHER PLAYERS

KIM JIN-SOO LEFT-BACK Club: Albirex Niigata (Jap) Born: 09.07.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 0

JI DONG-WON MIDFIELD Augsburg (Ger) 11 apps/491 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

HA DAE-SUNG MIDFIELD Beijing Guoan (Chn) 2 apps/96 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

KIM SHIN-WOOK FORWARD Ulsan Hyundai


LEE KEUN-HO FORWARD Sangju Sangmu 12 apps/773 mins/5 goals in qualifiers

SON HEUNG-MIN FORWARD Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 9 apps/365 mins/1 goal in qualifiers


CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Watford (Eng) Born: 10.07.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 526 Goals in qualifiers: 6

THE COACH

HONG MYUNG-BO Born 12.02.69 (aged 45) Played in four World Cups, reaching the semi-finals in 2002, so the highly-rated coach is loved by players and fans alike, but this is by far his biggest challenge.

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP B SCHEDULE June 13 v Holland, Salvador June 18 v Chile, Rio de Janeiro June 23 v Australia, Curitiba BETTING William Hill 7/1 to win World Cup 8/11 to win Group B WORLD CUP HISTORY 1934 Quarter-finals, defeat by Italy 1950 Fourth place 1962 First round exit 1966 First round exit 1978 First round exit 1982 Second round 1986 Quarter-finals, defeat by Belgium 1990 Second round, defeat by Yugoslavia 1994 Quarter-finals, defeat by Italy 1998 First round exit 2002 Quarter-finals, defeat by South Korea 2006 Second round, defeat by France 2010 WINNERS, 1-0 in Final v Holland

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Xabi Alonso People doubted whether Spain should play with two deep-lying midfielders, but Del Bosque’s decision to stick with Busquets and Alonso has been totally vindicated. Few players have the tactical awareness and range of passing. Sergio Ramos Scorer of that “Panenka” penalty at Euro 2012 and a real leader within the dressing room. Ramos (right) has 114 caps at the age of just 27 and his central defensive partnership with Pique will be fundamental. Cesc Fabregas For a player who has rarely been a guaranteed starter, his impact on Spain’s history has been huge, with winning penalties against Italy in 2008 and Portugal in 2012, and assists for Iniesta in the 2010 Final and Silva in 2012. Andres Iniesta The man that Ramos calls “the enlightened one”, he was the scorer of the winning goal in 2010 and universally popular. “When he has the ball, it is like everything else stops,” says Fernando Torres. ONE TO WATCH Young midfielder Koke (left) has broken into the senior national side this season and could play an important role in Brazil.

ANALYSIS How they qualified An injury-time goal by Olivier Giroud at the Vicente Calderon in Madrid and a 79th-minute strike from Teemu Pukki at Estadio El Molinon in Gijon had threatened to complicate Spain’s qualification for the 2014 World Cup. 120 WORLD CUP 2014

Although, those two games were five months apart, Spain had suffered two consecutive 1-1 draws and they trailed France by two points. Just two wins in four games – against Georgia and Belarus – left them on edge and four days after drawing with Finland they travelled to Paris in desperate need of a victory. In the end, Pedro’s goal clinched a 1-0 win at the Stade de France that took Spain back to the top of their group. Three more wins followed to take them to Brazil. Spain’s qualification campaign did not always have the authority that supporters had got used to, but in Paris they had been recognisably Spain again. Strengths A solid defence. Confidence – no team has shown such an aptitude for tournament football as Del Bosque’s side. Weaknesses If Spain don’t win their group, it’s likely they will face Brazil in the next round. Casillas’ lack of games. Xavi’s fitness. World Soccer Prediction Second round exit to Brazil.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Vicente Del Bosque “We don’t brag about anything. Compliments are always dangerous. ‘Favourite’ is a word we don’t like.” THE PUNDIT Sid Lowe, World Soccer Spain correspondent “Possession football stands at the heart of everything Spain do, acting as a means of protection as well as progression. It is the formula on which Spain’s historic success has been built, and the world and double European champions will travel to Brazil looking for a unique run of four successive tournaments.”



Casillas

IKER CASILLAS

JUANFRAN

GOALKEEPER Club: Real Madrid Born: 30.05.81 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Atletico Madrid Born: 09.01.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 2 Mins in qualifiers: 130 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Sergio Ramos

Pique

Juanfran

Jordi Alba

Xabi Alonso Busquets Pedro

Fabregas

Iniesta

Diego Costa

SERGIO RAMOS

GERARD PIQUE

JORDI ALBA

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Real Madrid Born: 30.03.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 699 Goals in qualifiers: 2

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Barcelona Born: 02.02.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Barcelona Born: 21.03.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 450 Goals in qualifiers: 2

XABI ALONSO

SERGIO BUSQUETS

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Real Madrid Born: 25.11.81 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 4 Mins in qualifiers: 360 Goals in qualifiers: 0

OTHER PLAYERS

JAVI MARTINEZ DEFENCE Bayern Munich (Ger) 0 apps in qualifiers

XAVI MIDFIELD Barcelona 7 apps/591 mins/1 goals in qualifiers

THIAGO ALCANTARA

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Barcelona Born: 16.07.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 597 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CESC FABREGAS

ANDRES INIESTA

FORWARD Club: Barcelona Born: 04.05.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 435 Goals in qualifiers: 0

FORWARD Club: Barcelona Born: 11.05.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 593 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MIDFIELD Bayern Munich (Ger) 0 apps in qualifiers

ISCO MIDFIELD Real Madrid 1 app/8 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

KOKE MIDFIELD Atletico Madrid 3 apps/120 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

PEDRO FORWARD Club: Barcelona Born: 28.07.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 562 Goals in qualifiers: 4

DAVID SILVA MIDFIELD Manchester City (Eng) 5 apps/314 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JUAN MATA MIDFIELD Manchester United (Eng) 3 apps/48 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

SANTI CAZORLA MIDFIELD

DIEGO COSTA FORWARD Club: Atletico Madrid Born: 07.10.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 0 Mins in qualifiers: 0 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Arsenal (Eng) 5 apps/247 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

THE COACH

JESUS NAVAS

Born 23.12.50 (aged 63) For a man who once admitted that he did not expect to become a head coach, and had expected to spend his career in youth development, Del Bosque has not done too badly. Twice a European Cup winner, he has led Spain to success in both the European Championship and the World Cup.

MIDFIELD Manchester City (Eng) 3 apps/154 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ALVARO NEGREDO FORWARD Manchester City (Eng) 4 apps/167 mins/3 goals in qualifiers


VICENTE DEL BOSQUE

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP E SCHEDULE June 15 v Ecuador, Brasilia June 20 v France, Salvador June 25 v Honduras, Manaus BETTING William Hill 100/1 to win World Cup 7/1 to finish bottom of Group E WORLD CUP HISTORY 1934 Quarter-finals, defeat by Czechoslovakia 1938 Quarter-finals, defeat by Hungary 1950 First round exit 1954 Quarter-finals, defeat by Austria 1962 First round exit 1966 First round exit 1994 Second round, defeat by Spain 2006 Second round, defeat by Ukraine 2010 Group stage exit

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Xherdan Shaqiri The 23-year-old is deadly from long range with his left foot and has a wonderful ability to weave his way past opponents and thread passes between defenders. Stephan Lichtsteiner Never one to shy away from a confrontation, the feisty right-back’s boundless energy and forays upfield have made him hugely influential. Gokhan Inler Turned up for his presentation at Napoli wearing a lion mask, but there is more to the 29-year-old than his fearsome tackling and never-say-die attitude. His long-range passing, shooting from distance and surging runs make him the complete midfielder. ONE TO WATCH Haris Seferovic is the latest Swiss youngster to make an impact, scoring an important goal in the qualifiers. ENGLISH CONNECTION Fulham midfielder Pajtim Kasami (left) has made the step up from the Under-21s to the senior Swiss squad this season.

ANALYSIS How they qualified Switzerland made a perfect start to the qualifiers with 2-0 victories away to Slovenia and at home to Albania. Ottmar Hitzfeld’s team dropped their first points and conceded a first goal in a 1-1 draw at home to Norway. They then survived several near misses in a physical encounter in Iceland before winning 2-0 with goals from Tranquillo 122 WORLD CUP 2014

Barnetta and Mario Gavranovic. That was followed by two matches against Cyprus – a goalless draw away and 1-0 win in Geneva. Two goals from defender Fabian Schar gave them a 2-0 win in Norway, which meant victory in Albania would secure qualification for a third successive World Cup. Shaqiri, Xhaka and a third Kosovan, Valon Behrami, had to endure insults and jeering from the home crowd in Tirana as the Swiss triumphed 2-1. A 1-0 home victory over Slovenia put the icing on the cake as Switzerland ended Group E unbeaten. Strengths A vibrant youth policy that keeps producing quality players. The vast majority of the squad play in Europe’s biggest leagues. They’re not afraid to mix it, and won’t be bullied. Weaknesses Defence is prone to alarming lapses in concentration. They often need an awful lot of chances to score a goal. They’ve not been tested against top-quality opposition. World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Ottmar Hitzfeld “Twenty per cent of the Swiss population are immigrants and over half of our team. Without immigrants, we would not have a team.” THE PUNDIT Brian Homewood, World Soccer Switzerland correspondent “The Swiss have very little experience of playing outside Europe and have ventured further only three times in the last decade: the 2010 World Cup and friendlies in Tunisia and Morocco. Their last South America trip was in 1985.”



Benagalio

DIEGO BENAGALIO

STEPHAN LICHTSTEINER

GOALKEEPER Club: Wolfsburg (Ger) Born: 08.09.83 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Juventus (Ita) Born: 16.01.84 Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 2

FABIAN SCHAR

STEVE VON BERGEN

RICARDO RODRIGUEZ

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Young Boys Born: 10.06.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 810 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Wolfsburg (Ger) Born: 25.08.92 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 810 Goals in qualifiers: 0

VELON BEHRAMI

XHERDAN SHAQIRI

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Napoli (Ita) Born: 19.04.85 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 755 Goals in qualifiers:

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Bayern Munich (Ger) Born: 10.10.91 (aged 23) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 746 Goals in qualifiers: 2

Born: 20.12.91 (aged 22) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 270 Goals in qualifiers: 3

GOKHAN INLER CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Napoli (Ita) Born: 27.06.84 (aged 29) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 810 Goals in qualifiers: 2

GRANIT XHAKA

PHILIPPE SENDEROS DEFENCE Valencia (Spa) 3 apps/128 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

JOHAN DJOUROU DEFENCE Hamburg (Ger) 7 apps/593 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Ein’t Frankfurt (Ger) 6 apps/330 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

GELSON FERNANDES MIDFIELD Freiburg (Ger) 4 apps/46 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

BLERIM DZEMAILI

Lichtsteiner

Rodriguez

Inler Behrami Shaqiri

VALENTIN STOCKER

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Borussia Monchengladbach (Ger) Born: 27.09.92 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 9 Mins in qualifiers: 745 Goals in qualifiers: 2

TRANQUILLO BARNETTA

Von Bergen

Xhaka

Stocker

Drmic

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Basle

OTHER PLAYERS

Schar

JOSIP DRMIC CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Nuremberg (Ger) Born: 08.08.92 (aged 21) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 87 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Basle Born: 12.04.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 468 Goals in qualifiers: 0

MIDFIELD Napoli (Ita) 9 apps/248 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

PAJTIM KASAMI MIDFIELD Fulham (Eng) 0 apps in qualifiers

HARIS SEFEROVIC FORWARD Real Sociedad (Spa) 6 apps/447 mins/1

goal in qualifiers

THE COACH

EREN DERDIYOK

OTTMAR HITZFELD

FORWARD Bayern Leverkusen (Ger) 5 apps/303 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Born 12.01.49 (aged 55) The German led Switzerland to the 2010 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the first round, and is one of Europe’s most successful coaches, having won the Champions League with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and claiming a total of seven Bundesliga titles. He will stand down after this summer’s tournament.

ADMIR MEHMEDI FORWARD Freiburg (Ger) 4 apps/141 mins/0 goals in qualifiers


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KEY INFORMATION GROUP G SCHEDULE June 16 v Ghana, Natal June 22 v Portugal, Manaus June 26 v Germany, Recife BETTING William Hill 150/1 to win World Cup 10/1 to win Group G WORLD CUP HISTORY 1930 Semi-finals, 6-1 defeat by Argentina 1936 First round exit 1950 First round exit 1990 First round exit 1994 Second round, defeat by Brazil 1998 First round exit 2002 Quarter-finals, defeat by Germany 2006 First round exit 2010 Second round, defeat by Ghana

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Landon Donovan This will be his fourth World Cup and the 32-year-old’s return to the squad – he did not play in the early qualifiers as he took a four-month break from the game – will give the team a huge boost. Scorer of vital goals.

Four days earlier, Jurgen Klinsmann’s side had been soundly beaten, 3-1, by Costa Rica. The USA’s campaign had a no-frills, workmanlike air to it, with the team winning games by slim margins. This was a primarily defensive side, with 12 goals conceded in 14 games and only 21 scored. In the eight games played in the final round before qualification, the USA never managed to score more than twice.

Michael Bradley The classy midfield anchor of the team. While hardly a speedster, he is quick to intercept passes and equally prompt at getting forward to join in attacking moves.

Strengths Tim Howard and Brad Guzan are both top keepers. Growing optimism in the USA that the team is on the edge of a breakthrough. No pressure to succeed.

Clint Dempsey Given the captain’s armband by Klinsmann, he was the only player to play in all of the 14 games of the qualifying campaign. He scored eight goals, but it is his creativity and skill that rattles opposing defenders.

Weaknesses Too reliant on the keeper to save them. Lack of a strong central defensive partnership. Jermaine Jones’ indiscipline.

ONE TO WATCH Young striker Aron Johannsson has been a prolific scorer in the Dutch league. He was called up to play for Iceland in the World Cup qualifiers but did not play because of injury and opted last year to represent the USA. ENGLISH CONNECTION Stoke City defender Geoff Cameron (right) was a regular during the qualifying campaign, filling in across a number of positions.

ANALYSIS How they qualified The USA clinched early World Cup qualification with two games to spare but they were not at all convincing in their final key game. The decisive win, a 2-0 victory over Mexico, owed more to the collapse of the opposition than anything the US did. 124 WORLD CUP 2014

World Soccer Prediction Group stage exit.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Jurgen Klinsmann “Our goal is to get out of the group, and we believe we will do that. In the knockout phase, we hope to surprise some of the top teams in the world.” THE PUNDIT Paul Gardner, World Soccer USA correspondent “There remains much work for Klinsmann to do. In qualifying, his team never turned in a dominant performance. Despite conceding less than a goal per game, the defence, particularly in the centre, always had a precarious edge to it. Of the 36 players used by Klinsmann, half played four or fewer games. The team-building that should surely have progressed during qualifying looks like a work in progress that has barely begun.”



Howard

TIM HOWARD

MICHAEL PARKHURST

GOALKEEPER Club: Everton (Eng) Born: 06.03.79 (aged 35) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 1170 Goals in qualifiers: 0

RIGHT-BACK Club: Columbus Crew Born: 24.01.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 225 Goals in qualifiers: 0

OMAR GONZALEZ

BRAD GUZAN GOALKEEPER Aston Villa (Eng) 3 apps/270 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

NICK RIMANDO GOALKEEPER Real Salt Lake 0 apps in qualifiers

CLARENCE GOODSON

Besler

Parkhurst

Beasley

Bradley

Jones

Bedoya

Donovan Dempsey Altidore

MATT BESLER

DAMARCUS BEASLEY

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Sporting Kansas City Born: 11.02.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 540 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Puebla (Mex) Born: 24.05.82 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 7 Mins in qualifiers: 607 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ALEJANDRO BEDOYA

JERMAINE JONES

MICHAEL BRADLEY

MIDFIELD Club: Nantes (Fra) Born: 29.04.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 3 Mins in qualifiers: 263 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Besiktas (Tur) Born: 03.011.81 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 12 Mins in qualifiers: 936 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Toronto Born: 31.07.87 (aged 26) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 900 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LANDON DONOVAN

CLINT DEMPSEY

JOZY ALTIDORE

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Los Angeles Galaxy Born: 04.03.82 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 404 Goals in qualifiers: 1

FORWARD Club: Seattle Sounders Born: 09.03.83 (aged 31) Apps in qualifiers: 14 Mins in qualifiers: 1260 Goals in qualifiers: 8

FORWARD Club: Sunderland (Eng) Born: 06.11.89 (aged 24) Apps in qualifiers: 13 Mins in qualifiers: 799 Goals in qualifiers: 4

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Los Angeles Galaxy Born: 11.10.88 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 8 Mins in qualifiers: 720 Goals in qualifiers: 0

OTHER PLAYERS

Gonzalez

DEFENCE San Jose Earthquakes 7 apps/585 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

GEOFF CAMERON DEFENCE Stoke City (Eng) 13 apps/991 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

KYLE BECKERMAN MIDFIELD Real Salt Lake


ARON JOHANNSSON

FABIAN JOHNSON

FORWARD AZ (Hol) 3 apps/118 mins/1 goal in qualifiers

MIDFIELD Hoffenheim (Ger) 9 apps/729 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

GRAHAM ZUSI MIDFIELD Sporting Kansas City 12 apps/766 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

EDDIE JOHNSON FORWARD DC United 10 apps/579 mins/4 goals in qualifiers


THE COACH

JURGEN KLINSMANN Born 30.07.64 (aged 49) A surprisingly cautious approach to the qualifiers should not hide the major achievements in friendlies: a first win over Mexico, a first win over Italy in Italy, and a stunning 4-3 win over Bosnia. His World Cup experience with Germany in 2006 will have real value this summer.

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KEY INFORMATION GROUP D SCHEDULE June 14 v Costa Rica, Fortaleza June 19 v England, Sao Paulo June 24 v Italy, Natal BETTING William Hill 28/1 to win World Cup 4/9 to qualify from Group D WORLD CUP HISTORY 1930 WINNERS, 4-2 Final victory over Argentina 1950 WINNERS, 2-1 victory over Brazil in final game 1954 Semi-finals, 4-2 defeat by Hungary 1962 First round exit 1966 Quarter-finals, defeat by West Germany 1970 Semi-finals, 3-1 defeat by Brazil 1974 First round exit 1986 Second round, defeat by Argentina 1990 Second round, defeat by Italy 2002 First round exit 2010 Semi-finals, defeat by Holland

THE PLAYERS KEY MEN Luis Suarez Fiery, often controversial striker who is now at the peak of his immense talents. A one-man forward line capable of twisting the blood of the opposing defence and scoring any type of goal imaginable. Edinson Cavani A box–to-box striker who places his capacity for work and spirit of sacrifice at the disposition of the team, together with his considerable goal threat. Described by Tabarez as “the perfect son-in-law”. Egidio Arevalo Little midfield hitman who is the symbol of the side. Always plays unselfishly and within his limitations, protecting the defence, winning the tackles and getting out of the way. Diego Godin Experienced, combative centre-back who has to take on extra responsibility to compensate for captain and defensive partner Diego Lugano’s lack of pace. ONE TO WATCH Midfield playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro (left) had a disappointing spell in Europe with Ajax but has found his feet again with Botafogo in the Brazilian league.

ANALYSIS How they qualified As newly crowned Copa America champions, Uruguay came roaring out of the blocks when South America’s World Cup qualifiers got under way in October 2011. They 126 WORLD CUP 2014

won three of their opening five games and were unbeaten, second in the qualifying table. They suffered a 4-0 thrashing in Colombia, the first of four heavy away defeats which left qualification hanging in the balance. But Uruguayans are often at their best with their backs to the wall, and so it proved again. Victories over Venezuela, Peru and Colombia, followed by a last-day triumph over Argentina, meant Uruguay finished behind Ecuador on goal difference and went into the play-offs. As it turned out, they romped past Jordan winning 5-0 away followed by a goalless draw in Montevideo. Strengths One of the world’s most dangerous strikeforces in Suarez and Cavani. They will be desperate to emulate their 1950 predecessors. Victory over Costa Rica will allow them to cover up and counter against England and Italy. Weaknesses An ageing defence. Uruguay will not be used to the scorching summer heat of Fortaleza and Natal. Quite a few players are substitutes at their clubs. World Soccer Prediction Quarter-finals.

WHAT THEY SAY THE COACH Oscar Tabarez “Brazil’s objective of winning at home won’t be easy. When they meet teams that aren’t favourites, like Uruguay, the games can be tough and these teams can surprise.” THE PUNDIT Tim Vickery, World Soccer Uruguay correspondent “This will be the international swansong for many of the team. Do they still have it in them to go all the way, or is it one tournament too many?”



Muslera

FERNANDO MUSLERA

MAXI PEREIRA RIGHT-BACK Club: Benfica (Por) Born: 08.06.84 (aged 30) Apps in qualifiers: 16 Mins in qualifiers: 1301 Goals in qualifiers: 2

GOALKEEPER Club: Galatasaray (Tur) Born: 16.06.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 16 Mins in qualifiers: 1440 Goals in qualifiers: 0

Caceres

M Pereira Arevalo Stuani Cavani

Lodeiro Rodriguez Suarez

DIEGO LUGANO

DIEGO GODIN CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: Atletico Madrid (Spa) Born: 16.02.86 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 16 Mins in qualifiers: 1440 Goals in qualifiers: 0

LEFT-BACK Club: Juventus (Ita) Born: 07.04.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 10 Mins in qualifiers: 892 Goals in qualifiers: 0

CHRISTIAN STUANI

EGIDIO AREVALO

NICOLAS LODEIRO

RIGHT MIDFIELD Club: Espanyol (Spa) Born: 12.10.86 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 5 Mins in qualifiers: 329 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CENTRAL MIDFIELD Club: Morelia (Mex) Born: 01.01.82 (aged 32) Apps in qualifiers: 17 Mins in qualifiers: 1423 Goals in qualifiers: 0

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Botafogo (Bra) Born: 21.03.89 (aged 25) Apps in qualifiers: 6 Mins in qualifiers: 401 Goals in qualifiers: 1

CRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ

EDINSON CAVANI

ATTACKING MIDFIELD Club: Atletico Madrid (Spa) Born: 30.09.85 (aged 28) Apps in qualifiers: 17 Mins in qualifiers: 951 Goals in qualifiers: 3

CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Paris SaintGermain (Fra) Born: 14.02.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 18 Mins in qualifiers: 1512 Goals in qualifiers: 6

JOSE MARIA GIMENEZ DEFENCE Atletico Madrid (Spa) 3 apps/181 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DEFENCE Nacional 3 apps/206 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

Godin

CENTRAL DEFENCE Club: West Brom (Eng) Born: 02.11.80 (aged 33) Apps in qualifiers: 15 Mins in qualifiers: 1312 Goals in qualifiers: 2

OTHER PLAYERS

ANDRES SCOTTI

Lugano

ALVARO PEREIRA DEFENCE Sao Paulo (Bra) 12 apps/836 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DIEGO PEREZ MIDFIELD Bologna (Ita) 10 apps/713 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

ALVARO GONZALEZ MIDFIELD

Lazio (Ita) 12 apps/633 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

WALTER GARGANO MIDFIELD Parma (Ita) 8 apps/462 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

GASTON RAMIREZ MIDFIELD Southampton (Eng) 12 apps/491 mins/0 goals in qualifiers

DIEGO FORLAN FORWARD Cerezo Osaka (Jap) 15 apps/947 mins/2 goals in qualifiers

ABEL HERNANDEZ FORWARD Palermo (Ita) 1 app/9 mins/0 goals in qualifiers


MARTIN CACERES

LUIS SUAREZ CENTRE-FORWARD Club: Liverpool (Eng) Born: 24.01.87 (aged 27) Apps in qualifiers: 16 Mins in qualifiers: 1416 Goals in qualifiers: 11

THE COACH

OSCAR TABAREZ Born 03.03.47 (aged 67) Veteran who, in his second spell in charge of the national team, has overseen the return of Uruguay to world football’s top table. “El Maestro” has thoughtfully guided his men to fourth place in South Africa 2010 and a record 15th Copa America win a year later, as well as restructuring the youth sides.

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WORLD CUP 2014

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BRAZIL 2014 FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

GROUP A &VE^MP'VSEXME1I\MGS 'EQIVSSR 12.06.14 Brazil v Croatia Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, (9pm, ITV) 13.06.14 Mexico v Cameroon Arena das Dunas, Natal (5pm, ITV) 17.06.14 Brazil v Mexico Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza (8pm, BBC) 18.06.14 Cameroon v Croatia Arena Amazonia, Manaus (11pm, ITV) 23.06.14 Cameroon v Brazil Estadio Nacional, Brasilia (9pm, ITV) 23.06.14 Croatia v Mexico Arena Pernambuco, Recife (9pm, ITV)

GROUP B 7TEMR,SPPERH'LMPI%YWXVEPME 13.06.14 Spain v Holland Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (8pm, BBC) 13.06.14 Chile v Australia Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba (11pm, ITV) 18.06.14 Spain v Chile Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (10pm, BBC) 18.06.14 Australia v Holland Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (5pm, ITV) 23.06.14 Australia v Spain Arena da Baixada, Curitiba (5pm, ITV) 23.06.14 Holland v Chile Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (5pm, ITV)

GROUP C 'SPSQFME+VIIGI-ZSV]'SEWX .ETER 14.06.14 Colombia v Greece Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (5pm, BBC) 15.06.14 Ivory Coast v Japan Arena Pernambuco, Recife (2am, ITV) 19.06.14 Colombia v Ivory Coast Estadio Nacional, Brasilia (5pm, BBC) 19.06.14 Japan v Greece Arena das Dunas, Natal (11pm, BBC) 24.06.14

130 WORLD CUP 2014

Japan v Colombia Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba (9pm, BBC) 24.06.14 Greece v Ivory Coast Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza (9pm, BBC)

GROUP D 9VYKYE]'SWXE6MGE)RKPERH -XEP] 14.06.14 Uruguay v Costa Rica Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza (8pm, ITV) 14.06.14 England v Italy Arena Amazonia, Manaus (11pm, BBC) 19.06.14 Uruguay v England Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (8pm, ITV) 20.06.14 Italy v Costa Rica Arena Pernambuco, Recife (5pm, BBC) 24 .06.14 Italy v Uruguay Arena das Dunas, Natal (5pm, ITV) 24.06.14 Costa Rica v England Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (5pm, ITV)

GROUP E 7[MXÎVPERH)GYEHSV*VERGI ,SRHYVEW 15.06.14 Switzerland v Ecuador Estadio Nacional, Brasilia (5pm, ITV) 15.06.14 France v Honduras Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (8pm, BBC) 20.06.14 Switzerland v France Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (8pm, ITV) 20.06.14 Honduras v Ecuador Arena da Baixada, Curitiba (11pm, ITV) 25.06.14 Honduras v Switzerland Arena Amazonia, Manaus (9pm, BBC) 25.06.14 Ecuador v France Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (9pm, BBC)

GROUP F %VKIRXMRE&SWRME,IVÎKSZMRE -VER2MKIVME 15.06.14 Arg v Bosnia-H Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (11pm, BBC) 16.06.14 Iran v Nigeria Arena da Baixada, Curitiba (8pm, BBC)

21.06.14 Argentina v Iran Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (5pm, ITV) 21.06.14 Nigeria v Bosnia-H Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba (11pm, BBC) 25.06.14 Nigeria v Argentina Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (5pm, ITV) 25.06.14 Bosnia-H v Iran Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (5pm, ITV)

GROUP G +IVQER]4SVXYKEP+LERE 9RMXIH7XEXIW 16.06.14 Germany v Portugal Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (5pm, ITV) 16.06.14 Ghana v USA Arena das Dunas, Natal (11pm, BBC) 21.06.14 Germany v Ghana Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza (8pm, BBC) 22.06.14 USA v Portugal Arena Amazonia, Manaus (11pm, BBC) 26.06.14 USA v Germany Arena Pernambuco, Recife (5pm, BBC) 26.06.14 Portugal v Ghana Estadio Nacional, Brasilia (5pm, BBC)

GROUP H &IPKMYQ%PKIVME6YWWME7SYXL /SVIE 17.06.14 Belgium v Algeria Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (5pm, ITV) 17.06.14 Russia v South Korea Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba (11pm, BBC) 22.06.14 Belgium v Russia Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (5pm, BBC) 22.06.14 South Korea v Algeria Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (8pm, ITV) 26.06.14 South Korea v Belgium Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (9pm, ITV) 26.06.14 Algeria v Russia Arena da Baixada, Curitiba (9pm, ITV)


SECOND ROUND 28.06.14 (2R1) Winner Gp A v Runner-up Gp B Est Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (5pm) 28.06.14 (2R2) Winner Gp C v Runner-up Gp D Estadio do Maracana, Rio (9pm) 29.06.14 (2R3) Winner Gp B v Runner-up Gp A Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza (5pm) 29.06.14 (2R4) Winner Gp D v Runner-up Gp C Arena Pernambuco, Recife (9pm) 30.06.14 (2R5) Winner Gp E v Runner-up Gp F Estadio Nacional, Brasilia (5pm) 30.06.14 (2R6) Winner Gp G v Runner-up Gp H Est Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (9pm) 01.07.14 (2R7) Winner Gp F v Runner-up Gp E A. de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (5pm) 01.07.14 (2R8) Winner Gp H v Runner-up Gp G Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (9pm)

QUARTER-FINALS 04.07.14 (QF1) Winner 2R1 v Winner 2R2 Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza (9pm) 04.07.14 (QF2) Winner 2R5 v Winner 2R6 Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (5pm) 05.07.14 (QF3) Winner 2R3 v Winner 2R4 Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (9pm) 05.07.14 (QF4) Winner 2R7 v Winner 2R8 Estadio Nacional, Brasilia (5pm)

SEMI-FINALS 08.07.14 Winner QF1 v Winner QF2 Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (9pm) 09.07.14 Winner QF3 v Winner QF4 Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (9pm)

THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF 12.07.14 Estadio Nacional, Brasilia (9pm)

FINAL 13.07.14 Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (8pm) All kick-off times BST

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World Soccer - One Shot 2014

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