Copa América Centenarío

Probably my least favorite group at this Copa América Centenarío and for good reason. The
competitiveness in this Group B will be a little off. At the top you have Brazil who is absolute world class and on the other end of the spectrum we have the lowly but spirited Haitians. These two nations are flanked by the other two competitors in the group, the South American duo of Ecuador and Peru. So here we have Brazil, Ecuador, Haiti and Peru and you can see where my frustration comes from. I want to see Brazil playing in difficult games. I want to see Haiti be competitive and be able to do well and this group won't really allow that. As for Ecuador and Peru I would rather not see them play if I am being honest. I don't hate them but seeing middle of the road CONMEBOL teams isn't going to stop me watching new episodes of the PowerPuff Girls on Cartoon Network. I feel I'm going to be robbed of at least three competitive fixtures when Brazil squares up against rest in the group. I'm betting that Brazil's games in this group phase are going tough viewing and I don't envy Haiti, Peru or Ecuador. I've said all I said say on this and now it's time for the review.

Group B
Brazil
Ecuador
Haiti
Peru

Brazil

Stacked, powerful, privileged and more importantly pissed off. Brazil come to this thing as favorite along with the likes of Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia and to a lesser extent Mexico and the United States. Like Jürgen Klinnsman of the United States, Dunga has to be on his last legs as well. Brazil isn't in a transition like the United States they are expected win things every time and with Dunga at the helm they haven't looked very victorious in past tournaments. I'm actually surprised the Brazilian FA haven't axed him after the shortcomings of the "Selecão," at the World Cup at home and last year's Copa America in Chile. When Brazil don't bring home titles it's a problem! This review will be super short because even if you aren't a soccer fan you know about the mystique of Brazilian football. The last time they lifted a major trophy was back in 2013 and that was a Confederations Cup the precursor to the World Cup they hosted. In now his second term with Brazil Dunga has brought with him the best he could. The two notable omissions being Neymar and Kaká. The latter a recent pull out, the other due to agreements between club and country. No reason to fear though Brazil will still have plenty of razzle dazzle left on the pitch as the likes of Ganso, Philippe Coutinho, Hulk and Lucas Lima are all in the ready. This is a great opportunity for Brazil to flex on everyone else. They will definitely accomplish that in this group and I want to see 7-0 score lines from Brazil. Hopefully the savagery of Brazil will return because the world deserves an overpowering Brazil.

Key Man- Strange to say that a defender is Brazil's leading man but that is the case. Dani Alves is a winner. Flat out and I don't have to go any further. I hope he lifts the trophy comes the tournament's end.

Ecuador

Going to try to be nice here when it comes to Gustavo Quinteros' men and give them a fair and just evaluation despite what I said about them in the past and most recently at the top of this page. Ecuador come into this tourney looking to leave a mark and capitalize on yet another prized tournament. To Ecuador's credit they have been making it to the big dance (World Cup) pretty often since the start of the decade. Last World Cup in Brazil they gave a good account of themselves even though they didn't get out of the group stages. Going against France and Switzerland was always going to tough ask but they did manage to be competitive which is always a nifty pick-me-up. Copa America in Chile in 2015 saw Ecuador lumped together with host Chile, Bolivia and Mexico in Group A. A scenario that saw them flounder resulting in a third place finish behind the host and surprise package Bolivia. Given Ecuador's fortunes in recent tournaments it doesn't really stir up too much confidence but they have to dream. However a plus for them is the return of easily their best player Antonio Valencia. The Manchester United winger wasn't available in Chile after undergoing surgery last off season but he is healthy now. Valencia didn't feature a lot for his club side this past term so that could be a concern. If he gets back to his best Quinteros and Ecuador could receive a shot in the arm.

Key Man- As I just mentioned Antonio Valencia is the guy here. The bouncy winger will look to use his old school wing play to teach lessons and peg back the opposition's fullbacks.

Haiti

When the fixture list came out for the Copa I looked at where the advantages lied for some teams. Obviously the United States hosting the event will be welcomed at every turn, that's a given. Mexico has huge support in America and their fans will no doubt turn out especially in the South Western states like California, Arizona and Texas. Having massive crowds accompany your team is a huge morale boost and a team could play better. It's simple human logic. If you are loved and supported you will be more relaxed! Haiti I think have a pretty good gig in at least two of their three group matches. Their first encounter is against Peru in Seattle, Washington in the North West of the country. I don't expect to find any Haitians except the players themselves up there so that's a write off but after that it gets interesting. Haiti's second game is against Ecuador in New Jersey's Red Bull Arena. Their is a sizable Haitian population in the New York/New Jersey Metro area and they could come out in numbers. Something that could only raise their spirits. The icing on the cake is when Haiti plays Brazil in Florida. More than likely Brazil will absolutely smack them but playing so close to home has to be such a mental high for them. Such is the Haitian populous in Florida that there is a Haitian enclave called Little Haiti in the state. I don't expect much from Haiti not just yet at least so highlighting their potential advantages albeit massive crowd support can only add to their feel good story. On the footballing aspect of things I honestly do think they are the quickest team man for man in the tournament. I saw them in last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup and they showed real dynamism moving forward and a genuine willingness in the tackle. If only they could learn how to shoot but they did have nice ball retention something I was not expecting. Haiti is led by Frenchman Patrice Neveu a man who has a reputation of taking on embattled football nations and making something out of them...just look at the jobs he has had over the past few years. He took charge of Guinea , DR Congo and now he has Haiti is in his possession. Neveu has called upon players like veterans Jean Sony Alcénat and Kim Jaggy who hold blocks of experience. I could only hope Haiti spring a quick surprise on Ecuador and Peru and see what they can bring to Brazil in Florida.

Key Man- Johnny Placide is a showman of a goalkeeper and "Les Grenadiers," need him to put on a   show because he will be called on a lot especially against Brazil. If he doesn't get frustrated Haiti could find their footing in this group stage.

Peru

Peru has had a great Copa America last year in Chile. Coming third overall overcoming Paraguay in the 3rd place game. They had great individual performances none more so than frontman Paolo Guerrero when he notched four goals in the competition. Peru were in one of the most entertaining games of that tournament when they squared up against Chile in the semis where they were defeated 2-1. This is success is new found, seeing that they haven't qualified for a World Cup since Spain 82'. The last time they snatched up the Copa was in 1939 when they hosted the darn thing. So we have a country in Peru that is looking to build on the small success they stumbled upon. South American qualifying for the World Cup and the Copa America can be daunting on the likes of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. So anything this trio can get they'll take because we know Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay will take the cake most of the time. Peru's chances in the United States this summer are slim. Their coach Ricardo Gareca brought a Peru side that is very homogeneous with most of his squad playing their careers in Peru. Which isn't a bad thing because you could have a harmony and style of play conducive to a league and could translate better to a national team but we have to ask ourselves how strong is the Peruvian league really? Also are Peru's better players not good enough to travel abroad and play? We'll have to wait and see what "Los Incas," conjure up and if they are on an upward tilt.

Key Man- He is getting up there in age now but Paolo Guerrero is still serviceable and I hope he carries on his good form in international play. If he starts to percolate Peru can be dangerous.

Predictions- There is a gap here clearly and Brazil is the elephant in the room. Brazil 1st, Peru 2nd, Ecuador 3rd, Haiti 4th. First place for me isn't shock nor should it be for anyone. I was up and down for who advances with Brazil and I think Peru will pip Ecuador just because of Paolo Guerrero's presence...I had to give it from the men from Lima. I am a blog so I can afford to be bias and be a little emotional and as much as I appreciate Haiti's efforts in all regards I can't see them winning a game. I would be rather shocked if they get a win and it would make me a smile a lot too.

Copa America 2015

With summer fast approaching here in the Northern Hemisphere that only means one thing.
Unfortunately the demise of the European football season. Titles are being wrapped up, the losers are being sucked into the abyss, literally, just ask Parma and frankly the only thing to look forward to is the transfer market. I get excited like everybody else for the summer window because really there is not much going on. So for months I have the pleasure of wondering if my favorite Tahitian player Marama Vahirua will retire, a thought that will have the powerhouse of Tahitian football AS Pirae sick to it’s core, while divisional rivals AS Sport Central salivating and pondering on it’s next assault like Mandark from Dexter’s Laboratory. Outside of my weekly Major League Soccer fix things look grim or so I thought! Last year around this time we all were gearing up for the World Cup in Brazil and to be honest it was a great show. It had every thing. Color, what else should we expect from place like Brazil. It had surprises. Who could forget Spain’s capitulation, Brazil’s humiliation and Costa Rica and coach Jorge Luis Pinto’s manipulation of the tournament to shock everyone. It was a terrific time in Brazil. Shoot...Luis Suarez even bit someone! That is must see TV my friends. All of that happened last summer...that is a hard high to come down from. Fast forward to this year around the same time and everything looks passive until I realized something. Something that completely slipped my mind and that was the Copa America. I’m a little embarrassed to admit it too. For a guy who prides himself of being a football snob forgetting something like that is unforgivable. So here we are. This is me bringing to you a group and team breakdown. Let me give some information in case you guys haven’t heard. the tournament will be held in Chile from June 11th to July 4th. It features all 10 CONMEBOL teams and this edition of the tourney will sport two guests sides in Jamaica and Mexico from the neighboring CONCACAF region, thus taking the field up to 12. With that 12 divided into three groups of four. That being said I think I’m ready to get started with the crux of the article which is this breakdown and preview. My fixation and fanatical following of the Tahitian superstar Vahirua will just have to take a back seat...well at least for a month.



Group A
Chile
Bolivia
Ecuador
Mexico


Chile

I’m pretty meticulous and not starting this little preview in alphabetical order is kind of killing me. But for the sake of trying something new and expanding my editorial range I carry on. I even just started a sentence with the word “but,” and that’s something I don’t believe in. Anyway, I just feel it right that since Chile are the host of this edition of Copa America that they go first. Bolivia will just have to wait her turn. So what can we expect from the Chileans? Well, if last summer’s World Cup is any measuring stick we are looking at a dynamic and gifted team that definitely has a puncher’s chance. Led by the same man that guided then to a Round of 16 spot in Brazil, Jorge Sampaoli. The Chileans look to figuratively and literally press their opposition. The host energetic game will only be buoyed by their home field advantage making them a tentative contender to Uruguay’s crown. Which will be difficult since Chile has never won the tournament and have been losing runner ups four times. Hearing that makes me really feel for them and this the seventh time hosting the tournament so you never know this maybe lucky No.7. At least Sampaoli will certainly hope so. The intense Argentine will rely heavily on the duo of Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal who are having seismic seasons over in Europe. Especially Vidal, a player that Sampaoli didn’t have at the peak of his powers at the World Cup due to injury. He will be key to what the host do. I full expect Chile to boss their group with Mexico in tow. I’ve never bought what Ecuador is selling and well...Bolivia are keen but not ready. What I find really interesting is the timing and location of this tourney. Chile and Argentina are the only two nations on the continent that experience a winter and in this time of the year Chile will be going through her cooling months. This might not count for much because a lot of South Americans play in Europe but I just have the feeling these dip in temperatures will only help the Chileans and Argentines. That energetic and pressing game Chile loves to play doesn’t have to fear the sapping powers of the sun and this can make them very dangerous.

Key Man- Although I put Arturo Vidal and key in the same sentence earlier I really think Chile will get their heat from one Alexis Sanchez. Bad jokes aside I think he will have a big say in Chile’s performance.

Bolivia

Let’s be honest if Bolivia had to qualify for the Copa America it probably would not had made it. I love to research, so that when I come on here I don’t look like a fool but the lack of content that Bolivia drums up will have me looking like bozo. Of course they have a long history in the game but simply there is not much in the way success to convey. The biggest accolade I can give the Andean state is that she won what was the old Copa America, the South American Championship back in 1963 when they defeated Paraguay. In 1997 sneakily Bolivia made it all the way to the finals but loss to eventual winners Brazil. On those two occasions Bolivia played host. Sounds harmless enough, right? Maybe they played well and with the home crowd whipping the national side into a frenzy maybe the guys brought their best. All possibilities but I know Bolivia’s dirty little secret and I feel it had a lot to do with their Herculean performances. Bolivia is a nation literally in the clouds. The capital La Paz sits above sea level and many tourist when they visit this mystic city often complain of altitude sickness. So guess where Bolivia play their international fixtures? You guessed it La Paz. Now imagine you were an opposing team playing against an acclimatized Bolivian side for 90 mins. You can’t breathe, you want to throw up and dizziness is your only companion. Teams that have played here have been subjected to these conditions for years and frankly it’s not safe so much so that FIFA has been in Bolivia’s ear about it. It is an advantage. An advantage that they won’t have when they play in Chile this summer. Bolivia will be looking to have a tidy campaign at the tournament and will have to put out the ole stone wall if they are thinking out of their group. The man tasked with leading the men from La Paz is Mauricio Soria. I read somewhere he had plans on spying on his opponents. I don’t know if this is true or not but it should be worth looking into because Bolivia isn’t very good. So Soria’s tactics has to be precise. I think it will be more about his coaching skills and chess work than the actual talents of his troops. Soria does not have star power at his disposal. What he does have is work horses like captain Ronald Raldes. Who at even at 34 has the lungs to breathe life into Bolivia. We talked a lot about the respiratory system this paragraph...but in all seriousness if Bolivia are even to get a point her boys will have exhibit real character.

Key Man- Having a 34 year old center back as your fulcrum going into a major tournament is worrying but currently Ronald Raldes is the best Bolivia has got. Who knows he pay be able to channel is inner Javier Zanetti or Carles Puyol, men who played well into their 30s and made a huge impact for their sides.

Ecuador

Emotion is a powerful thing. For me personally I have yet to harness it properly. It can cripple me and embolden me. Even to write a simple post like this one I have to me beaming with confidence or down in the doldrums. Never in between. When the confidence is there I feel like a Demi god but when it is not, well you know the rest. Dwelling on the dark side...I know how it feels to be thrown away, not given a chance and forgotten. Where others don’t even consider your dreams and if they did they would count for nought in their eyes. So why am I saying all this? Truth of the matter is I see a lot of myself in Ecuador. Here you have a side in Ecuador placed among giants like Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay and time after time has to prove itself and scrap for it’s existence. Ecuador tries and uses what it has to the best of her ability but the cold and nasty reality is that she will come up short and what hurts even more is that this little country knows it will fail again and again but still it gets up and sticks to it’s task. It is given no applause. No credit. Just hurt. Well as long as I’m alive I will stand with Ecuador each time because I take it personally. Anyway, this is a football website and I should start talking about sport so let me dive into it. Unfortunately me plunging into Ecuador’s Copa history leads me down a path of despair, it’s a good thing I lavished them with praise early because what is to come is not pretty. Ecuador’s resume in the Copa America has a bushel of first wrong exits to go along with tons of fifth, sixth and seventh place finishings. Their best performances came in 1959 and 1993 when they finished fourth that is when they hosted the tourney. Which is great but the cup is being held in Chile not Ecuador so they will not have home comforts to rely on. As I said although I applaud Ecuador’s workman like attitude and the ilk of players it has in it's ranks I can’t see any of them dazzling the crowds in Chile or flattening the opposition. What makes their plight even harder is that captain and probably best player Antonio Valencia will not be there after undergoing surgery in the off season. Another notable absentee is striker Felipe Caicedo who too is sidelined through injury. Coach Gustavo Quinteros will have to find the right mix in order to even get Ecuador out of the group because I can see a tussle between themselves and Mexico for that second place spot.

Key Man- No Antonio Valencia means someone has to fill the void and though I hate to say it.That man has to be Enner Valencia. It’s not that I have a problem with him it’s the fact he can be a bit sporadic in front of goal. If he does find a scoring touch it will definitely aid in Ecuador’s chances of success.

Mexico

My dark horse! I’m not going to get all mushy and gushy like I did about Ecuador, with Mexico it will be short and sweet. Before I rattle off stats and other facts and truths let me start off by saying that I have sneaky feeling that the Mexicans could actually win this thing. I mean realistically only Brazil and Argentina are the true contenders with the likes of Colombia and Chile close but not quite there. While a Uruguay without Luis Suarez doesn’t quite have the bite. (That was a really bad joke... I’m sorry) You get what I’m saying though...no doubt. So then you are left with sides like Mexico. Who really can just fly under the radar and pick off it’s targets. The past few games for “El Tri,” have been exciting and there is now more than ever a feel good atmosphere to the Mexican national team. All down to the charismatic Miguel Herrera. The Mexican coach's antics, comical facial expressions and gesticulations on the sidelines make him one of the most watchable figures in the world game. Plus the dude is downright funny. For me he is up there with the NBA and the San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich when it comes down to coaching personalities. All jokes aside Herrera has brought his CONCACAF team south to not just enjoy in festivities but take some bragging rights back to Central America. For me, I have always seen Mexico a tricky ordeal for South American sides and they will be sticky this time around. Join by their CONCACAF counterpart Jamaica as invitees, so no qualification needed. Mexico’s Copa America history is actually a very illustrious one and is certainly better than the likes of Ecuador and Venezuela. Mexico have been worthy runner ups twice, three third place finishes are under their belts and have made the quarterfinals twice. The only time they have failed to reach deep into the belly of the contest was in the last Copa America in Argentina in 2011. What makes it even more impressive is that this is their 9th Copa. This Mexican side Herrera has chosen is very homogenous. I only count four European based players and one of them is the aging Rafael Marquez. There is no Javier "Chicharito," Hernandez, Giovani Dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Hector Moreno, Diego Reyes, Andres Guardado (big shock), Guillermo Ochoa, Miguel Layun or Hector Herrera. These all are really good players but Herrera has proven he knows what he is doing. So I trust him.

Key Man- Tough to nail down a stand out figure due to the side that Miguel Herrera has chosen. He has gone for an older squad probably because he has the Gold Cup coming up and is saving his young European tested stags for that. Call it my Eurocentrism or my obsession with youth but I have gone with Atletico Madrid’s Raúl Jiménez as Herrera’s go to guy. He played recently in a friendly against Peru so maybe coach is posturing to start him but he is a tall goal hound.

Predictions- Host Chile 1st, Mexico 2nd, Ecuador 3rd, Bolivia 4th. Chile are the class act here and their at home so good things are bound to happen. Mexico has a great track record in this tournament and I fully expect them to keep that up. The Ecuadorians will huff and puff like they usually do but they will not by pass the above mentioned. Bolivia...no thanks. A complete write off.

World Cup Brazil 2014

As I reach the half way point of my World Cup preview I have to say how much fun I have been having. When I started this blog I wanted to more than anything have fun. I wanted to have my own space so I could put all my thoughts into a tangible place. As time progressed the website became more than a pet project and I actually found that I got a little buzz from a few established media outlets. Although some of my ventures didn’t work out I was still chuffed by the fact that me a guy who just wanted to share his thoughts about a little football got the notice from serious employers. That says something. I guess the theme of this introduction is fun and hard work. It’s no doubt that hard work is reason that all the teams at this World Cup are here but I want to believe that fun was with them along the way.  Now some teams at this tournament will not find it so fun getting picked apart by superior opposition and the knockout rounds won’t be enjoyable for those shown the door but the experience of just being there must be euphoric. In all progression is what I'm eluding to in my little speech and that is what all 32 teams at the World Cup are looking for.

Group E
Ecuador
France
Honduras
Switzerland


Ecuador

  







Probably the weakest of South American nations at the tournament Ecuador will look to surprise a few sides as they look to advance. This will be Ecuador’s third World Cup appearance and the men from Quito will look to better on their Round of 16 finish in Germany eight years ago. Ecuador’s World Cup birth was sealed when they came fourth in CONMEBOL assuring that they would qualify automatically. The South Americans are coached by Colombian Reinaldo Rueda who took the job after he guided interestingly enough Honduras to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Rueda has a bunch of players playing in Mexico’s Liga MX, seven to be exact at his service. The rest are made up of home based players most of which come from local sides Emelec and Barcelona. The two names worth mentioning in Rueda’s squad is the powerhouse striker Felipe Caicedo who played for Manchester City and Sporting Lisboa and Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia. The latter and team captain has really shouldered most of the burden for the Ecuadorians in terms of chances created over the years. A fact that lends to my uncomplimentary opinions on Ecuador.  Watching Ecuador is like watching pigeons eating bread...very boring I think they are very basic. There is nothing special about them and I would rather much prefer to see Paraguay playing this summer. I really do try to watch their games but I just end up leaving around the 60th minute. As for their prospects at the World Cup I certainly don’t rate them very highly. If they get out of Group D that would come as a shock to me.

Key Man- Of course it’s Antonio Valencia. Currently the only Ecuadorian playing in Europe he is vital to Rueda’s squad.

France

A friend of mine had an interesting theory about the French national team that I want to share. He said since 1998 the French either do great at a World Cup or tank. In 1998 France hosted the World Cup and won the World Cup. Four yours on in Asia when Japan and South Korea hosted the tournament the French were embarrassed and failed to make it out of the group stage. At the next World Cup this time in Germany the French bounced back amazingly by reaching the final only to be beaten by eventual winners Italy. Then finally at the last World Cup in South Africa the French crashed out in the group stage yet again. What made matters worse was the well documented mutiny of some of the French players in South Africa.  Interesting theory I think my friend maybe onto something and if his observation is spot on the French should be due a good one. All theories aside, it has to be said that the French have worked extremely hard to rectify the shame they faced in Africa. The mutiny by seniors on the French side will forever be a shame on the national team. Four years on from the debacle, France have retooled and found a new unity under coach Didier Deschamps. Deschamps guided France to her 14th World Cup by navigating through UEFA’s Group I. The French had to do battle with Spain, Finland, Georgia and Belarus. As to be expected had the true tussle  came with Spain for dominance of the group with the Spanish coming out on top in the end. This meant France had to play a two legged play off with the Ukraine and let’s just say the French made it hard for themselves. In Kiev the French were blanked 2-0 by a Ukrainian side who were hot after co-hosting Euro 2012. With all the drama attached France rallied a little late to record a 3-0 win thus booking their passage to Brazil. The French will be looking for their only second World Cup crown and Didier Deschamps has picked strong side to challenge. Deschamps have gone for the likes of Hugo Lloris, Raphaël Varane,  Yohan Cabaye, Franck Ribéry, Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Karim Benzema in his squad. I fully expect France to run away with this group. Winning the World Cup is another matter. Don’t think the French will win the cup but I do think they will have a good tournament. Where they end up remains to be seen.

Key Man- When I say Paul Pogba is literally everywhere. I mean he is literally everywhere. I did a preview of him in my Generation 90 series and I raved about him. I ask how Manchester United could had ever let him go. Reports from the French camp are saying Franck Ribéry is ailing due to back injuries. If he was fit he would had been the key for France but he isn’t 100%. So I am picking Pogba to drive France forward.

Honduras

I am trying to figure out who is the worse team at the World Cup. I’ve narrowed it down to three. Australia, Costa Rica and finally Honduras. I am not going to lie here. Honduras are remarkably outclassed. The only thing that saves Costa Rica is their great qualifying campaign and having a legitimate star in Bryan Ruiz. The Aussies are not that good but they have a toughness to them which counts for a lot in tournament situations like this. Honduras basically has nothing. They had an okay qualifying campaign and their best players are not world beaters but they are here and need to prove appoint. The Hondurans got to Brazil by advancing to CONCACAF’s Hexagonal from Group C in the second round. The Hondurans topped the group above Canada, Cuba and Panama to get to the Hexagonal. While there the Central Americans finished third behind Costa Rica and the United States to qualify automatically for the tourney. This will be a third World Cup for Honduras the first of which came in 1982 in Spain. The Hondurans have never moved beyond group play a fact that their coach Colombian Luis Fernando Suárez will look to put to rest. Suárez has a number of foreign based players. Most notable are Maynor Figueroa, Jeremy Bengston, Andy Jara, Roger Espinoza, Marvin Chávez and Wilson Palacios. Whether Suárez can manufacture decent results with this group is another thing. I think Honduras is capitalizing on the vacant spots behind USA and Mexico that other nations in the region can not fill. It is such a huge drop off from those two nations and the rest of CONCACAF it’s really jaw dropping. Even more worrying is the distance between teams like Honduras, Panama and Jamaica and the rest of the federation. All in all Honduras is a team that qualified from a slightly below average region that are fortunate to be there.

Key Man- Roger Espinoza is a my go to guy for Honduras. He is a clever player and although he plays for Wigan he has achieved some success. He never seems pressured on the ball. Honduras will need his cool if they are to pick up a few points in this group.

Switzerland

One of my favorite international sides, Switzerland has to be one of the most exciting teams in Brazil that no is talking about. The Swiss have not altogether moved away from their traditional style of defend first ask questions later but now they have some bite in attack and dare I say flair. Coached by the calculated Ottmar Hitzfeld, the Swiss will look to go deep into tournament and cause some headaches for the opposition. Hitzfeld has guided the Alpine nation to their ninth World Cup. The Swiss got here by dominating UEFA’s Group E. A group that contained Iceland, Norway, Cyprus, Slovenia and Albania. A few names I want to mention in the Swiss squad are as followed. Captain Gökhan Inler, veterans Philippe Senderos, Tranquillo Barnetta,  Valon Behrami, Steve von Bergen, Stephan Licthsteiner and Reto Ziegler make up the core of the Swiss squad. The excellent Diego Benaglio is back in goal for the “Schweizer Nati.” While youngsters Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka and Ricardo Rodriguez have come to play. The Swiss have a good coach. Experienced players and promising youngsters. That sounds like a good mix. I don’t think the Swiss have anything to fear from Ecuador or Honduras. France maybe a problem but I do fancy the Swiss to give them a good fight. It would be a great surprise if the Swiss won the World Cup but it wouldn’t be crazy.

Key Man- Xherdan Shaqiri is amazing. The kid is legit. I look forward to seeing him this summer.

Predictions- I will go France, Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras in that order. I’m sticking with my friend. I do believe the French are due a good run. Switzerland are a close second I like the blend they have going. Although this World Cup is in South America I just am not buying what Ecuador are selling. Too one dimensional for my taste. Honduras are awful!

Switzerland