Alright guys, let's take a look at the first group of the World Cup. Group A is headed by the host nation Brazil, followed by Croatia, Mexico, and finally Cameroon. So what does each team bring to the table, and who should we keep our eyes on? That info and more is what I'm going to write about for each team. Leading up to my opinion on who I think will come out of the group stage and into the "Knockout Stage" where it's sudden death, and the loser goes home.
So the first team we will take a look at is Brazil. Five time World Cup winners, and soccer player factory, this team like many other teams in the Cup has a rich history of soccer and World Cup appearances. Brazil isn't just coming into this tournament as the host, but as one of the favorites to win the whole tournament. Packing a strong line-up and great players on the attacking end, as well as the defensive end. Brazil will have the likes of Barcelona star Neymar who is the player we all need to keep our eyes on this tournament for the Brazilian side. Big things are expected from the young forward and what better stage then the biggest. Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, or Felipao as he's affectionately known to be called said, "It will be a balanced first match (Croatia) but we live here, we work here and we know this country better than anybody." Clearly Brazil wants to start the tournament and I guarantee that they will. I see them as top seed of group A, easily advancing into the knockout stage of the tournament. Their only real test would be Croatia and even then I see them defeating them 3-1. My player to watch for the Brazilian side will be Neymar, keep an eye on his feet cause his ball handles are enough to give anyone a headache.
Next up we have Croatia, this is their sixth appearance. Their best showing at a World Cup was finishing third place back in the 98' final in France. Croatia qualified for the tournament by defeating Iceland in the UEFA play-offs. Croatia should be able to squeeze out of the group stage, I see them winning against Cameroon and Mexico, getting enough points to finish second place in group A thus pushing them to the knockout stage of the Cup. Croatia's man to watch would be play-maker Luka Modric, the Real Madrid mid-fielder will be crucial to keep his team in rhythm and maintain the flow of the game. Against Brazil, I don't see them coming out victorious (just my opinion, but anything can happen in soccer) but against Mexico and Cameroon, I see them controlling the tempo of the game and possibly the midfield as well. They should have a pretty good group stage showing and should finish second place of group A.
Moving on we have Mexico, now Mexico struggled way to much. More than they should have. They had a weak showing during qualifiers and only qualified thanks to a USA victory that put them in a playoff spot where they had to play against New Zealand. They've had multiple coaches leave them then join them, and currently they are being coached by Miguel Herrera. There's no real sense of balance in the team which means that the team plays with no confidence. To me, Mexico is the weakest team of this group, and I actually see them as finishing up in fourth place, thus leaving them out of the knockout stages of the cup. That doesn't mean that Mexico doesn't have any great players to keep an eye on, there's one that to me stood out during qualifiers and that's Oribe Peralta, the Mexican forward played well during qualifiers and even made me forget about Javier Hernandez at times. Keep an eye on the Mexican forward and his sudden quick runs to goal.
Finally we have Cameroon, although a small team, the Cameroon squad plays quick and if you guys don't prepare can actually surprise you with a quick counter-attack. Mix that speed with the goal scoring abilities of Samuel Eto'o and you have yourselves a recipe for some really great goals. The Chelsea player is my man to watch for the Cameroon squad. However, I can't see Cameroon defeating any opponents in their group except for Mexico with a minimum score of 1-0. I see them finishing up third in group A, not enough to continue on to the Round of 16 (knockout stages).
So there it is guys, again these are just my opinions, and like I said before, anything can happen in soccer. Which is why I love the game so much. Group A seems like David vs. Goliath, with Brazil being Goliath, but there's no guarantees in life or in soccer. If you guys want to give me your opinions or let me know something, or tell me of another player from any of these teams that you think we should keep our eyes on then let me know. And stay tune for Group B coming later on.
