Group D - CRC, ENG, ITA, URU

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FIFA Ranking: 10

Most Caps: Peter Shilton 125
Most Goals: Bobby Charlton 49/106 games

Coach: Roy Hodgson



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England come to Brazil unfettered from any of the delusions that have afflicted the nation and the gutter media in the past but with an optmistic eye to the future under the guidance of an experienced and quietly spoken coach.

Qualification was a relatively straightforward affair with a dose of luck against Ukraine and rather unremarkable performances inside the vilified 4-4-2 which at the time of guaranteeing passage to Brazil was associated with Woy's refusal to change tack.

However the success of Liverpool under Mr.Integrity with his 4-3-3 saw the same formation implemented in the last competitive game against Denmark. The results of this effort from the national side were ersatz in comparison to the multiplicity of chances and goals being banged in at Anfield. Nonetheless it looks likely Hodgson may well adopt this as his preferred strategy in Brazil and hope that a youthful squad short of experience but lacking fear will bring it to life.

The choice of goalkeepers was relatively straightforward given the paucity of top class keepers within the domestic game. Forster edged out the unfortunate Ruddy despite his heroic efforts for the Canaries.

The centre of defence was also pretty much unchallenged given the imperious form of Cahill and the tightness of both the Chelsea and Everton defences. Cahill in particular is a vital cog in the team with his ability to pass and carry the ball out of defence should the opposition as is very likely press high on the defence and midfield with Uruguay. Jagielka was in good form in the early part of the season as Everton hit their straps but the latter part of his season marred by injury was much less impressive. His lack of pace is also a route for the opposition to exploit.

The back ups have also had less than what could be described as great seasons reflecting the troubles their club Manchester United have suffered. Smalling is a decent option only for his aerial prowess should it be required to stick three at the back late on. Otherwise his footballing abilities which have stalled in their development are not really suited for a ball playing centreback required to make a 4-3-3 work.

England will be hampered by the non selection of Cole whose form at the end of the season returned him to being the best option for the national side. Strangely Hodgson decided to omit him and recruit Shaw. While the youngster is great at going forward and throwing crosses into the box his link up play and defensive abilities are far behind Cole so that will be a cause for concern should Baines be injured. Baines himself has been consistent throughout the season popping up with assists and goals and a useful set piece taker. Defensively he has been solid although caught once or twice upfield.

On the other flank Glen Johnson while rather good going forward and providing options for overlaps and long passes from deep is a liability. His discipline positionally is poor and making up for it by conceding cards is a recipe for trouble. If necessary Phil Jones could slot into this position although this is really a sticking plaster given that Jones is far from a natural fullback.

For his midfield trio Roy is likely to settle upon two of the pillars of Liverpool's ultimately unsuccessful attempt to win the Premier League. Gerrard can be expected as at Liverpool to anchor the midfield given his age and legs and act as a regista /deep lying playmaker. He however will need to keep his wits about him as he will be sat upon and simple passes until he can find the space are the order of the day. From here he can launch long passes for the expected counter attacks England should rely on and retain possession to allow the side to progress up the field. One must bear in mind the climate which means this is a prerequisite.

Hodgson is most unlikely to adopt a diamond in midfield given that it would expose the fullbacks and also Gerrard who when played in the same formation has committed several gross errors again compensating for them by conceding cards. And given the technical level of the squad he is most unlikely to opt for two attacking midfielders but prefer central midfielder who can sit in when required to provide the legs and movement that a 4-3-3 requires in terms of options for Gerrard and the necessary defensive coverage.

It surely has to be Henderson who occupies this role rather than Lampard who's role should be to deputize for his erstwhile colleague of former tournaments. Henderson has enjoyed a phoenix like resurrection this season and from being maligned as another overhyped expensive young English flop has matured considerably this season. His confidence, passing and tenaciousness as well as a willingness to come forward when the opportunity presents itself indicate he will be the successor to Gerrard when he retires. As of now he provides the perfect combination of defence and attack to help his team mate.

As to the other player in midfield on form alone and in a free role it has to be Lallana who can create chances out of nothing from either side of the field and score when the chance presents itself. Wilshere in comparison has had a season once again ruined by injury and those performances he has put in particularly against the top teams have hardly been convincing. Even if he has trained well this week in Portugual Lallana should be the creative spark that Roy chooses.

His reserve will be Ross Barkley blessed with very good technique and the ability to pull something out of thin air he has improved as the season has gone on with a couple of eye catching goals against Newcastle and Manchester City highlighting an ability that while not on the level of Gascoigne offers real hope to a future England midfield as he develops.

Upfront is a slight quandary for Hodgson. It revolves around Rooney. Will he be prepared to drop the talisman albeit a rather ineffectual one in previous international competitions ? There is no doubt technically and creatively Rooney is the best player available to him. He went with him as the centre forward against Denmark but this does marginalize Sturridge who has been in scintillating form at the spearhead of the Liverpool attack. Roy might be best advised given Rooney's lack of pace to go for Sturridge, go like the clappers early on to try and get a lead and then bring someone like him to retain the ball dropping deep when required into midfield.

Sturridge can if needed play down the left and is quite a creative player in his own right so perhaps this is what Roy will go with. Sterling is the first choice down the right wing with his pace and ability to create chances. Despite his efforts this season his shooting can be wild and woolly along with his decision making but that will improve for him with time and that raw pace will terrify defenders. In conjunction with Johnson this could be a profitable point of attack with Sterling cutting in to release Johnson into his vacated flank.

Lambert an extremely intelligent player would be an able replacement for Rooney should it be needed or a targetman although he would prefer the ball into feet. His ability to pull out wide and find space and touches in and around the box are more than useful and his natural chemistry with Lallana an added bonus should Roy be brave enough to choose him.

Oxlade-Chamberlain another who has suffered a injury plagued season which has been rather dismal for him can cover both wing forward roles and his pace and desire to get to the goal should provide some decent impetus as other teams tire. And should anyone come unstuck in any of the midfield roles or out on the wing there is the experience and resoluteness of the rather underrated James Milner to provide a steadying hand.

Despite the plethora of attacking options and a defence which is an upgrade of that seen in 2010 this group will be an almighty hard one to escape from. Should luck and the chances fall at the right times the team may squeak through. Italy however despite questions raised at their age have the advantage of a commodity that cannot be neglected in a World Cup experience. Uruguay even without Suarez are a dogged unit with a more than decent midfield capable of holding the ball and the pace and trickery of Hernandez to release late on. Costa Rica are also a pretty durable team that is very well organized and a keeper who is one of the world's best at present.

A successful tournament should be the development of the younger players in the team as the old guard pass on with an eye to Russia 2018 and at the very least an effort to play a modicum of possession based football with a willingness to attack even if it is on the counter.

My favourite player (a local lad who escaped us) who should be given the reins to control midfield:

[video=youtube;6ciINTmjzXs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ciINTmjzXs[/video]

FIFA Team Profile:


National Anthem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN9EC3Gy6Nk
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FIFA Ranking: 7

Most Caps: Diego Forlan 108
Most Goals: Diego Forlan 36/108 games

Coach: Oscar Tabarez



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Uruguay has a rather rough ride in qualification and have been on a downward slope since their efforts at the last World Cup and a fortune success in a rather mediocre Copa America 2011.

The side has aged and with it has lost some of it's vibrancy and edge. Tabarez can be regarded as guilty in not promoting some of the promising youth players including those from the successful u20 World Cup runners up. It is most unlikely he can coax the side to another run that saw them finish fourth in 2010 and they will be heavily reliant on the mercurial talents of Luis Suarez probably the best player to emerge from Uruguay since Walter Gomez was a famed member of River Plate's mini maquina back in the late 1940's.

This side however does not play with the verve and grace of the early Uruguayan teams that bestrode the world stage but instead are filled with the garra spirit of later editions that bruised and harried their victims no matter the outcome of matches. It was this team ethic that saw Uruguay succeed in 2010 and despite the tribulations of qualifying rally around the beleaguered manager to eventually round off a trip to Brazil in a 5-0 aggregate thumping of Jordan in a playoff.

The goal will be in possession of one of the world's best keepers in Fernando Muslera and unless injury intervenes Martin Silva and at times rather unreliable decision maker can watch from the bench.

Tabarez has at last cut some veterans from his team in the aged Mauricio Victorino and Andres Scotti from defence given that their speed has almost completely gone but as I mentioned he has not blooded enough youngsters. This is partly an issue with most young South American players who are plucked from their domestic leagues taken to Europe and often left to rot in the reserves or bench.

Guillermo Varela, Sebastian Coates and reserve centre back Jose Gimenez are victims barely playing two competitive games between them all season. Therefore Tabarez will hope the great experience of his captain Diego Lugano and the star man at the back Diego Godin can hold firm. If they disappear to injury or suspension they will be in trouble. Martin Caceres could deputize if required but is far from an adequate replacement and still prone to disciplinary issues.

Tabarez is most unlikely to repeat the experiment with three at the back despite the opportunities it affords wingbacks given the horror show La Celeste experienced against Colombia. He has never used it since.

The full back berths are well covered with players that know their roles are hard working and quite happy to build play in the 4-4-2 Tabarez uses. These are Jorge Fucile who can play either flank, and the two unrelated Pereira's Maxi and Alvaro.

Tabarez is quite pragmatic and always prefers to counter attack. Against sides that sit deep as shown against even relative minnows (no offence Norn)such as Jordan and Northern Ireland there was difficulty in opening up the opposition, Suarez or no Suarez. The players simply do not allow for posession football and as a result the coach is quite content to play three defensive midfielders if so required. The preferred pairing is the aggressive Diego Perez who has lost a little speed alongside either Arevalo Rios or Walter Gargano who can offer a little more in terms of his passing.

Tabarez will even field a defensively minded midfielder out wide if he sees fit as he has done with Alvaro Gonzalez in several games. The attacking thrust is normally down the other flank in the form of Cristian Rodriguez or Nicolas Lodeiro. The latter a neat passer and dribbler generates play out wide and prefers to drift in to create overlaps for Alvaro Pereira and feed the two forwards.

Very rarely Tabarez uses Lodeiro in his natural role that of playmaker which is where Nicolas shot to prominence at Nacional. He like his fellow left footed creative playmaker Gaston Ramirez unfortunately for Tabarez have stalled in their development and their ability to dictate games or create enough/score chances at club level. Nonetheless the national team environment may see them show some of the abilities that attracted covetous eyes from some of Europe's elite.

Upfront Luis Suarez is the talisman of this team. Two footed, inventive, with a speed of thought to match he can create chances from nothing to win a match and lift the spirits of those around him. His partner will be Edinson Cavani an intelligent striker who despite his stature prefers the ball to feet who can create opportunities for others and whose work rate matches the others in the side and fulfils Tabarez's desire to defend hard from all across the front.

There are some signs that he and Suarez were building an understanding which has flickered into life a few times before such as the final goal in the Copa final against Paraguay.

Nonetheless Suarez seems to share a better understanding with Forlan. Forlan should Suarez be fit is expected to come off the bench. While his intelligence and set piece abilities are still intact, his lack of pace and stamina preclude him from a full ninety minutes. He could be a useful option to drop in behind the two should Uruguay be chasing a game.

As would the sheer pace of Abel Hernandez who promised much in his early career and has been in fine form for Palermo in serie B playing as normal off the shoulder of defenders and using his speed to good effect. The other forward selected Christian Stuani is more reflective of a pragmatic player that Tabarez prefers. His goal scoring record while not prolific is not what he is being chosen for. The fact that he can play out wide as he does at Espanyol to attack the box while containing the opposition fullbacks is a determining factor in his selection.

Uruguay may be far from their peak and the next few years will see a rebuild as the graduates from the successful age group teams are bled into the team but they still pose a formidable threat upfront although lacking a true playmaker to unlock a massed defence.

The midfield is still more than solid as is most of the defence. They will be a tough nut to crack and they will expect to qualify from the group albeit by the tightest of margins boosted by facing Costa Rica early on to allow Suarez more time to recover.

Star player is without any shadow of a doubt Luis Suarez. But still not a patch on Walter Gomez.

[video=youtube;Pg6J7TvdE3g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg6J7TvdE3g[/video]

National Anthem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc6L_0NZlqk

FIFA TV profile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELyHuqYlsU​

 

FIFA Ranking: 9

Most Caps: Gianluigi Buffon 139
Most Goals: Luigi Riva 35/42 games

Coach: Cesare Prandelli



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Italy's passage to Brazil was extremely straightforward without a single loss in qualification. Prandelli's tenure has been marked as at the Euro 2012 tournament by a move to more forward thinking creative side that relies on possession of the ball as the prime method of defence and a high press to try and force errors and win the ball.

However he is an extremely astute coach tactically and one that changes formations at a drop of a hat from the usual 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 when it suits him to do so. Italy are supposedly a weaker side than before but history and the form and experience of the squad put together by Cesare should suggest a revision of these misguided opinions. Furthermore Italy have along with Uruguay the benefit of playing in some of the draining conditions of last years Confederations Cup and will have learnt plenty in how to make use and adjust for the conditions namely in letting the ball do most of the work. It has also meant that players that have been deemed less than fit have been removed from team.

Some by their own choice like Romulo, others with great reluctance like the ill starred Giuseppi Rossi (who suggests otherwise) and those for who the party in Brazil has come too early such as Cristian Maggio.

Prandelli like Italian managers before him has based his defensive base on one side Juventus. Buffon may not be the keeper he once was but he is still rather dependable although some errors this season and last suggest he may end up committing a howler.But that is by his own very high standards. Just see the save against Ivelin Popov to see proof that not all his faculties are on the wane. His deputies are pretty dependable if untried at this level. Mattia Perrin sneaked in ahead of our own Simone Scuffet to snatch the third spot.

Prandelli as mentioned normally plays with a back four which can switch to a three. The three allows the wingbacks space and the chance to go forward and deal with opposing 4-3-3 where the wing forwards cut in to attack the box and in turn leave space for the wingbacks to get into on counters. Something which Italy have the required tools to do so with the speed of Abate and formerly Maggio.

If it is a four the central pairing is likely to be the ever reliable Chiellini alongside his club mate Bonucci. Both read the game well and are strong aerially and quite prepared like their forbears to take the tactical foul should their less than top notch speed warrant it. Their deputies are Barzagli and the untested Argentinian Gabriel Paletta. He having escaped the attentions of the rather myopic Alejandro Sabella showed some of the qualities that he has displayed at Parma this season by keeping Diego Costa in his pocket in the recent friendly between Italy and Spain.

Down the right Ignazio Abate although suspect defensively provides an invaluable attacking option at pace on the counter ahead of the naturally right footed de Sciglio who is expected to take the left back berth and is more sound defensively. Should Prandelli need to close out games Matteo Darmian is his choice and given the pulling out of Romulo and his performance against Ireland last Saturday secured his spot to Brazil. When playing a back three Prandelli is likely to use the wisdom, experience and passing ability of de Rossi between Chiellini and Bonucci as a ball playing libero and allow an extra midfielder or wingback the opportunity to play further forward.

The midfield is likely to see the experience of Pirlo deployed as a regista to create play from deep on quick counters. Pirlo for all his skill may be a weak spot like Gerrard given his lack of mobility. The modern midfielder as mentioned in other 4-3-3's needs to display a mix of attributes to be a success at the highest level. While in Manaus Pirlo is unlikely to face onrushing attackers at any pace and his eye for a pass and control of the tempo will be an advantage, that will not be the case in the more temperate south.

In which case Prandelli may feel compelled to provide him with protection from de Rossi. His deputy is in all likelihood Thiago Motta whose passing while not on the same level is more than accomplished is more capable defensively and has undergone a renaissance at PSG under Laurent Blanc. Marco Verrati at present is far too young and inexperienced to play this role as others like Kovacic have found out. Unless one is a generational talent like a Redondo it takes time to learn the intricacies of the position. Verrati himself with the exuberance of youth particularly in the CL has tried instead of the shield and simple pass attempted dribbling his way out of trouble gifting posession away in dangerous areas.

For that reason Prandelli will play him upfield possibly as part of a diamond. The normal mover and shaker and who worked under Prandelli at Fiorentina Montolivo was ruled out by injury last weekend and his energy and ability to get things moving is to fall to Marchisio who can play across the midfield and whose incredible stamina suits a role as a box to box player supplementing attack and defence.

While Verrati's neat passing and dribbling skills make him a natural choice to force openings he again lacks the experience to dictate
games a role which could fall instead to the trio of Aquilani, Parolo and Candreva. The first candidate Aquilani though much derided here will not find his lack of speed highlighted in the north of the country whereas his passing ability and ability to score will be.

Parolo after a successful early season has faded somewhat but offers more speed and directness in the advanced role and a willingness to strike from distance as with former Udinese player Antonio Candreva. He can also play out wide and combines well with his fullback to create space and scoring chances at Lazio, Senad Lulic while being able to run around for ninety minutes. He came on to great effect in the Confederations Cup dragging shielding defensive midfielders wide and may prove a useful replacement if needs be.

However one Roman may feel rather harshly treated. Alessandro Florenzi over the season has outperformed these two in terms of creating chances and scoring and his colleague Mattia Destro upfront as well. All in all the Italian midfield is a positive strength for the side and one that will pose more than enough problems for England to contain particularly in the heat of Manaus with their superior technique.

Upfront Mario Balotelli excelled in the qualifiers. Prandelli seems to be able to get the best out of him and he has had a decent season domestically unlike his teammate El-Shaarawy whose season was blighted by injury. However he is mercurial and should he start to display signs of egomania again it would be best to bench him.

Italy certainly do not lack striking options though the decision to leave out Rossi has divided opinion given his ability to finish chances. Instead Prandelli will rely on Ciro Immobile whose striking instincts this season have impressed many scouts. A tall rangy forward who works hard across the front line and pops up in the right places he has been prolific this season despite a lack of technical refinement a la Luca Toni.

It may be that Prandelli particularly if he opts for a 3-5-2 goes for Cerci as Immobile's sidekick given that this is the formation they have played in for Torino this season with Cerci providing numerous assists for his team mate. Cerci himself can play out wide in a 4-3-3 and is blessed with tricks aplenty to beat the defence, a willingness to get stuck in and create chances via through balls and crosses while quite prepared to take a crack from anywhere around the box as his goals record of 13 in 36 matches with 10 assists shows.

Out on the left is another of the mighty midgets who have come to show size is irrelevant in the modern game as opposed to technique. Lorenzo Insigne while not as spectacular for Napoli this season is a clever creative dribbler with an eye for a pass and the goal.Left footed he gives plenty of balance to the side and can if need be come into play as a shadow striker or indeed playmaker. With his service and that of Cerci, Balotelli and Immobile should have plenty of ammuniton to thrive on. While the selection of Cassano has not been popular he too can provide a creative spark as an impact player upfront if required. All in all it is a pretty balanced squad with reserves of experience blended with precocious youth and I fully expect the Azzurri to go quite deep into the tournament yet again.

Perhaps not the star player for me. I'd rather give the accolade outside of Pirlo to Insigne and his box of tricks but here is a brief selection of what Ciro Immobile has been up to this season and why he is going to Signal Iduna Park to replace Lewandowski.

[video=youtube;NBJ8Fa_AOQ0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBJ8Fa_AOQ0[/video]

National Anthem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04ckV9QueXc


FIFA TV profile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NofTWmHkDg8​

 

FIFA Ranking: 28

Most Caps: Walter Centeno 137
Most Goals: Roland Fonseca 47/113 games

Coach: Jorge Luis Pinto


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Costa Rica arrived in Brazil with relative ease in the final round of CONACAF qualification with an impressive 3-1 win at home over the USA being one of the highlights.

However a small squad has been hit by injuries to first choice left back Bryan Oviedo earlier in the season and Alvaro Saborio their top scorer in qualification last week with a broken metatarsal.Those injuries are only likely to reinforce the Colombian coach Jorge Luis Pinto's desire to retain a defensive countering system hoping to catch the three big fish in his group on the break.

Given the resources at his disposal it makes eminent sense. The basic 5-4-1/5-2-3 formation reverts to a 3-4-3 on the counter as both wingbacks surge forward. This will be a rare sight given the pressure and less than convincing performances the Costa Ricans have offered in recent friendlies. A lot of their hopes will lie in the hands of Keylor Navas who has been dominant with Levante often rescuing the side with his ability on one on ones and sheer reflexes. He is tipped for a move away from the club and there are no shortage of suitors. There will also be no shortage of time he will be under pressure given the soft cheese defence in front of him that Japan took apart with their quick neat passing.

His deputies are pretty poor in all respects but Pinto has not reconciled with Esteban Alvarado of Alkmaar and who is more famous for kicking the proverbials out of a pitch invader a few seasons ago but definitely the second best keeper Costa Rica have. The back three will rely on the experience of Michael Umana who played in Germany in 2006 with Giancarlo Gonsalez and Johnny Acosta the likely starters. All three are competent enough but not of a sufficient quality to tame any of the players they will come up against.

Pinto will rely heavily in the speed and willingness to attack of Cristian Gamboa who has performed well with Rosenborg and the experience of Junior Diaz down the left. However Diaz is prone to positional lapses and his performance against Japan losing possession at will may allow the speedier Waylon Francis the chance to step in.

The two defensive lynchpins are expected to be the stay at home Yeltsin Tejeda and the vastly experienced Celso Borges. Borges can play in advanced roles if required and his range of passing in a regista role to hit his winger/winger forwards on the break will be crucial.

Christian Bolanos another veteran of 2006 brings a level of work and a fair amount of skill down the right flank and Bryan Ruiz on the other flank will be able to cut in and show his technique off to it's best, something Fulham fans only managed to see flashes of during his stay at Craven Cottage. He can create something out of nothing and should any of the three group opponents lose concentration it may prove costly.

The loss of Saborio is a real shame and eliminates any chance he and his successor Joel Campbell could combine as they did in qualification Saborio using his strength and Campbell his pace. Campbell is not just very pacy he is growing his intelligence and ability to drift into space. His technique is pretty sound and he will pose a threat as his ever improving season with Olympiakos has shown a new level of maturity for the Panini obsessed youngster.

However outside of Ruiz and Campbell the two dimunitive replacments have less than impressive records and neither the pace or trickery to worry anyone. Marco Urena in particular has been firing blanks in a pretty competitive RPL so all hopes remain pinned on Ruiz and Campbell to pinch the odd goal that may give the Costa Ricans a point, something which will be celebrated by all those back home. Unsurprisingly this team lacks the nowse and skills to match the 1990 team, is arguably weaker than the 2006 edition and will be lucky to get even one point. Star player for me is Bryan Ruiz:

[video=youtube;JHrX-qtNZII]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHrX-qtNZII[/video]

FIFA Team Profile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1R8R0via38

National Anthem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUVT63d2P8A
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Italy for sure and Uraguay I think 60% over England's 40% chance

 

Which group leader in the next round do we get when we scrape second? Cos that will be when we limp home early

 

Greece or Columbia in group C

I can't wait to see the papers the next day when we go out to Greece !

 

Uruguay are far from rubbish as I described. Costa Rica are rather weak at present.

 

Only players for England who looked like above average players were Sterling, Sturridge and Barkley.

Surprised how bad England were, especially Rooney. Final third was poor.

Italy basically strolled to victory

 

Reckon you will get second to be fair but at the end of the day Italy aren't exactly one of the best in the world at the minute.

Think Barkley has to start next game, looked really good when he came on.
Defence badly missed A. Cole, Baines was poor defending wise and Johnson is woeful.

Think Italy were happy to let you press as they were calm at the back and except Sturridge you didn't have much of a threat up front.

Said it a few weeks ago though, Uruguay are massively overrated so you will probably beat them and C. Rica