A Crafty Conte

At the final whistle of Belgium vs Italy last night, Gianluca Vialli commented, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" - never could the 59-capped Italian international be more correct. Outgoing national team manager, Antonio Conte dished out a tactical masterclass and he reaped the plaudits of a 2-0 result that not many Italian fans predicted.

Conte opted to play three centre halves, all of which he coached during his stint at Juventus. With willing runners, Matteo Darmian and Andrea Candreva occupying the two wing back roles, they were well versed defensively and attacked when the opportunity arose. Andrea Pirlo, who was the talisman four years ago, was left out of the squad leaving Daniele De Rossi to occupy the withdrawn role while Leonardo Bonucci was also capable of play-making from the back. It was Bonucci who supplied the pin point ball Emanuele Giacherrini to open the scoring half an hour into the match.

In true Italian fashion, they made themselves a very hard nut to crack, often keeping the majority of their players behind the ball. The midfield, consisting of De Rossi, Giacherrini and Marco Parolo, dominated the Belgium's star studded outfit. Parolo and De Rossi in particular were disciplined and kept Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard on a tight leash through out the match. With 56% of the possession, Conte was happy to allow Belgium to have the ball at the back, in favour of keeping their impenetrable shape. Once Belgium did get the ball into dangerous areas, the Italian midfield pressed and were able to win the ball back before calmly playing the ball out of defence. 

Unlike Roy Hodgson, Antonio Conte introduced the pacey Ciro Immobile when Belgium threw caution into the wind and it gave Italy another point of attack. After a loose ball from Belgium Immobile picked the ball up on half way and ran at the defence. After working some space to shoot, the Torino attacker cracked a shot off, only to be matched by a fine save from Thibaut Courtois. In the second minute of added time, Immobile twisted and turned before finding Candreva on the right side of the box. The Lazio player controlled the ball and committed a few Belgian defenders before dinking the ball to Graziano Pelle who fired the ball into the back of the net to give Italy a comfortable victory.

While Italy were a well drilled unit, Belgium were the opposite. They looked disorganised, weak defensively and lacking ideas in the final third. Romelu Lukaku was very poor, with his performance epitomised by his off target shot in the second half after a swift Belgium counter attack. In commentary, Martin Keown summed up the Belgian performance perfectly describing it as 'playing with the handbrake on' and likening it to Manchester United of last season. One shining light was Dries Mertens who replaced Radja Nainggolan on 62 minutes. The Napoli man caused a few problems for the Italian defence with his direct running and on one instance weaved his way to the byline before squaring the ball back into a dangerous area. Not one Belgian player was on the same wave length as Mertens and the Italians cleared easily.

The other game in this group saw Sweden come from behind to draw with the Republic of Ireland. The Irish side will undoubtedly see this as an opportunity missed when Wes Hoolahan curled a half-volley from a Seamus Coleman cross into the back of the net. Sweden equalised thanks to the work of Zlatan Ibrahimovic who fired a ball into the Irish 6 yard box to be deflected into the net by Ciaran Clark. Sweden claim a vital point despite not having a shot on target in the whole game. With the Swedes up next for Italy, Conte will have to adapt his team as it will be expected that they will have more possession than they did against Belgium.

Chelsea fans will have been salivating at the passion showed by Antonio Conte, who takes the reigns in west London at the conclusion of the tournament. Italy now have an excellent chance at proving the doubters wrong and their manager will certainly have the players in the appropriate mindset for challenges ahead.

Euro 2016 - The Groups

The draw for the Euro 2016 group phase was made last Saturday with 4 home nations competing, the most ever in a single European Championship.

Group B - England, Russia, Slovakia, Wales

I don't see there being too many problems for England, with their stiffest arguably being neighbours Wales. England should almost definitely be topping the group with ease and have the potential to win all three games. As for Wales, they have nothing to fear either. Wales need Gareth Bale fit to progress in my opinion. With the way his life has been going at Real Madrid, jetting off to France with the national side will be something of a relief. Slovakia finished second in their qualifying group with 22 points, 5 behind holders, Spain. Slovakia did record a famous 2-1 victory over the holders in October 2014 when a winner three minutes to go from Bursaspor striker Miroslav Stoch secured the victory after Paco Alcacer equalised a Juraj Kucka goal on 82 minutes.

Final standings in this order are England, Wales, Slovakia, Russia.

Group C - Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland, Ukraine

After qualifying for their first Euro campaign, there will be a buzz in the Northern Ireland camp as they are named in a group with the World Champions. It is going to be very tough for Northern Ireland and I don't expect them to qualify. Northern Ireland will be just happy to be at the tournament and no doubt the fans will also. Northern Ireland will probably line up defensively and look to hit teams on the break. I see the Germans and Poland being too strong for the nation of 1.7m, while Ukraine would represent their best opportunity of picking up some points. While Northern Ireland may finish bottom of their group, I do think they will pick up a point against Ukraine.

Final standings in this order are: Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Northern Ireland.

Group E - Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Sweden

Like their neighbours, the Republic of Ireland having been handed a very tough group. Belgium are widely tipped by many to be one of the tournament favourites next summer, while Italy normally up their game for the tournaments despite not being a great Italian team compared to those over the years. Sweden heavily rely on captain and PSG striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. If Ireland are able to mark him out of the game then I expect the side to record a victory.

Final standings in this order are: Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Sweden.

 

Group A - Albania, France, Romania, Switzerland

Looking at the other groups, France have a great opportunity to claim a pole position after being handed a group with Albania, Romania and Switzerland. When Albania last met France in June a free kick form Ergys Kace gave the Eastern European side their first victory over the French in their history. I don't see any of the others offering any competition to prevent France from finishing first in their group.

Final standings in this order are France, Switzerland, Albania and Romania.

 

Group D - Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey

I think Group D is a very interesting affair. Czech Republic toppled Group A - and the Dutch - to secure their 9th outing in the competition. Looking at Croatia, they finished second in Group H behind Italy and possess some very good players. Ivan Rakitic is a very good box to box midfielder and will offer both an attacking threat and security for the defence. Similarly Mario Mandzukic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Ivan Perisic are key individuals and all pose a threat going forwards. We all know the pedigree of Spain and they will be looking to correct a few wrongs after a poor performance in the World Cup. Finally, Turkey always have the potential to shake things up with Arda Turan, Hakan Calhanoglu and Burak Yilmaz.

Final standings in this order are: Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Czech Republic.

Group F - Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Portugal

Many have tipped Austria to be this year's dark horse and I can understand why. David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic are probably their stand out players and will attract the most attention of their opposing sides. Alexander Dragovic is a decent young defender as is Martin Hinteregger and this is coupled with the experience of Leicester City defender, Christian Fuchs. Iceland have qualified for their first ever tournament and included home and away wins over the Netherlands in qualifying. Hungary scraped through finishing 3rd in qualifying group F and beating Norway 3-1 on aggregate in the playoffs. As for Portugal, they rely heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo and this could be their downfall later in the tournament but I see them qualifying from this group.

Final standings in this order: Austria, Portugal, Iceland, Hungary.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on the Home Nations' prospects or any other team for that matter.

Chelsea Dominate in Israel

Chelsea stroll to a comfortable victory in Tel Aviv through goals from Gary Cahill, Willian, Oscar and Kurt Zouma. Chelsea dominated from start to finish and their task was made easier with the sending off of Tal Ben Haim shortly before half time.

Right from the first whistle, it was a fast paced game. The home side had a very good chance early on when a free header was directed over the goal. Jose Mourinho will be shocked at how easily it was for the Maccabi man to lose the central defenders.

With the home crowd on side, Maccabi looked dangerous on the counter attack. It was shocking how vulnerable Chelsea's back four looked when Tal Ben Haim (the striker) ran with the ball in the 5th minute. After 15 minutes Chelsea had got a foothold in the game and were controlling the possession. It was often made easier with Tel Aviv gifting the possession back to the English side.

Chelsea made the break through on 20 minutes with Gary Cahill pouncing on a rebound after his own header. The Maccabi keeper pulled off a magnificent save to prevent the former Bolton man from scoring the first time around as he tipped the header onto the post, but was helpless to prevent Cahill smashing in his first European goal since the tie against PSG last season.

Chelsea were very comfortable and there were plenty more goals in this for Mourinho's men. They regularly found space and Maccabi had to tighten up if they wanted to prevent a hammering. One thing that was noticeable about Chelsea's play was that they were not committing men into the box. They seemed more keen on trying to walk it into the back of the net and often succeeded only for the end product to not be there.

The game was effectively over when former Chelsea man Tal Ben Haim (the centre back) was dismissed after lashing out at Diego Costa. Initially it looked as if the referee had overreacted, but replays showed that the red card was correct. At half time, Chelsea were firmly on top and there were more goals definitely in this.

Maccabi Tel Aviv did expose some of Chelsea's defensive frailties with Hazard occasionally neglecting his defensive responsibilities. These chances were few and far between, but it would only take one chance to equalise. A second goal would take all of the momentum out of Maccabi and allow Chelsea to stroll to the final whistle.

Maccabi's Serbian U21 keeper made two terrific saves before Zahavi flashed a shot towards the goal only to draw a superb save from Asmir Begovic. Chelsea were living dangerously. A long ball counter attack once again undone Chelsea.

The game was sealed by that man Willian with 15 minutes left. Yet again the Brazilian stepped up with the goods with a superb free kick - his 6th free kick goal of the season. Chelsea had got the crucial vital goal to seal their win. The third goal followed shortly after with a Baba Rahman firing a cross across the box to be met by the head of Oscar for his first goal of the season.

Chelsea had a few more opportunities to increase their lead through Pedro Rodrigues, but it was Kurt Zouma who leapt highest to bullet a header towards goal and the keeper wasn't able to keep the ball out of the net. Willian was on form and guided Chelsea one step closer to knock out qualification.

Dominant Performance as Chelsea Brush Maccabi to the Side

Goals from Willian, Oscar, Diego Costa and Fabregas help sweep Maccabi Tel Aviv to the side as Chelsea start their European campaign with three points.

Chelsea dominant the whole match and they made a strong start. Willian was sent through on goal and attempted to round the keeper but was brought down. Penalty Chelsea and it was a perfect chance to settle the nerves evident from the players and supporters. An out of form Eden Hazard stepped up and sent the ball into Row Z. A penalty can be the easiest form of gaining confidence, however missing one can destroy it.

Chelsea did open their European account this year through Willian in the 15th minute. The Brazilian international whipped a dangerous ball into the box and even though no player got a touch on it, the ball found its way into the back of the net. In the opening 20 minutes the goal scorer was probably Chelsea's brightest player. He was the only player willing to take the Maccabi defence on and he was able to beat them more often than not. Unfortunately for the Blues, he was subbed off before the 25 minute mark with a hamstring injury.

Maccabi Tel Aviv didn't create many goal scoring opportunities but they had a glorious one from a set piece free kick. It was a tremendous delivery and found the head of Eran Zahavi who failed to even hit the target. The Israeli really should have done better, if he had left it, there was a Maccabi player free and arguably with a better angle to head the ball. The Israeli champions didn't get many opportunities, so aspirations of coming away from Stamford Bridge with any points briskly died when they failed to capitalise.

On the stroke of half time, substitute Diego Costa was fouled in the box and another penalty was awarded by the German official. This time Oscar stepped up and cooly slotted the penalty into the bottom left corner, showing Hazard how it should be done. Two goals up at half time and the West Londoners were coasting. For the second half Chelsea need to continue to starve the visitors of possession and keep piling on the pressure. It paid dividends when Chelsea pressed from the front as they received possession in the danger zone. More of this and as Maccabi Tel Aviv tire then more opportunities will arise.

The second half represented more of the same. Chelsea dominated and didn't really give their visitors a sniff of the ball. They eventually sealed the game up with a superb volley from just inside the box. It was a terrific piece of skill and something that he needed to do to get him off the mark for Chelsea in Europe. Chelsea were now content to keep the ball without making many more headways into scoring more goals. They were more concerned about preserving the clean sheet and who can blame them?

Despite this Chelsea were getting more opportunities through Baba Rahman and Hazard and it was only a matter of time before the fourth goal was scored, much to the testament of the Tel Aviv performance. Unpredictably, it did come and was on the counter. Chelsea broke with four against two and even though Loic Remy's shot was saved, Cesc Fabregas was on hand to finish the move. Chelsea were in cruise control for the remainder of the match, just the way Mourinho would have wanted ahead of welcoming Arsenal at the weekend. It was a case of job well done, but secretly they will be delighted with the result and performance.

It was the new boys that stole the light tonight and two of them in particular have stuck their hand up for inclusion against Arsenal. Baba Rahman was impressive down the left and looked a real threat as he got forward at every stage. The summer signing will be pleased with his debut and Jose will have no second thoughts about this signing so far. Similarly, Ruben Loftus-Cheek was instrumental for the 75 minutes that he was on the pitch. He was effective at breaking up the Maccabi as well as making surging runs forward from midfield. These runs caused problems for the defence and Mourinho must include him on Saturday afternoon, particularly with his midfielders being in such bad form.

Mourinho got the win he wanted but there will be concern shown to Willian who had to retire from the game prematurely despite being one of the best players on the pitch. Looking at the Arsenal game, Jose will have some decisions to make selection wise and will look to get one over the ol' enemy.

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw 2015/2016

With the Champions League group stage almost upon us, here is my prediction as to how each group will pan out:

  

Group A – PSG, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo

Without doubt, PSG and Real Madrid lead the way in Group A. PSG have largely underachieved in this competition of late and Laurent Blanc will be hoping to turn the Parisian’s fortunes around. I fancy the Madrid to top the group, with PSG winning one of the matches against the Spanish Royals. As for Shakhtar, Douglas Costa will be sorely missed and Malmo won’t offer the top seeds much of a challenge as they are just happy to be welcoming European powerhouses to Sweden.

Group B – PSV, MUFC, CSKA, Wolfsburg

United fans have a reason to be optimistic about their chances in the group stage. The match against PSV will see Memphis Depay return to visit his former club. While it is a tricky group, United should be looking to win all their home games and sneak and draw or preferably a win at the away fixtures. Away, all games will test United through a mix of travelling, fearsome atmospheres as well as the decent players they will face. Undoubtedly, City have done their neighbours a favour in buying Wolfsburg’s best player. To qualify, I tip United, and Wolfsburg with PSV gaining the Europa League spot.

Group C – Benfica, Atletico, Galatasaray, Astana

Astana become the first Kazakhstan side to qualify for the Champions League, and will no doubt cause people to complain about the air miles they will rack up. Atletico will be favourites for this group and it will be an interesting affair for the second spot. Benfica are the Portuguese champions and we know about the pedigree of some of the Galatasaray players. Both sides endured dismal campaigns last year, finishing bottom of their respective groups. I tip Benfica to get second spot while the Turks will claim the Europa League spot.

Group D – Juventus, MCFC, Sevilla, B. M'Bach

Another ‘nightmare’ group for City fans that may not turn out to be that bad. Last year’s runners up, Juventus are yet to get off the mark in Serie A, recording two losses against Udinese and Roma respectively. Likewise, Monchengladbach are rooted to the bottom of the table, losing all three of their opening Bundesliga games. With City splashing the cash on some real talent, I think they will top this group and mount a real challenge towards the latter stages. I’m also tipping Juventus to progress while the German side struggle to be rooted to the bottom.

Group E – Barcelona, Leverkusen, Roma, BATE

Ready to defend their crown, Barcelona will be pleased with their group and I fully expect them to have qualification wrapped up with matches to spare. Roma have been disappointing in 2015 so far, winning just 11 of their games in all competitions. With Javier Hernandez on the verge of completing his move to Leverkusen, he will provide extra fire power to compete for a starting spot with Stefan Keißling. Although only two games in, Roma have started the season well and I would tip them for that second spot with Leverkusen in third.

Group F – Bayern, AFC, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb

How many times over the last few years have Arsenal faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League? I think the qualification places already write themselves, barring a major upset. Bayern haven’t been the same side since they won the competition in 2013, and Pep Guardiola will be looking to prove to his doubters that he can win a Champions League without Lionel Messi. They will top the group, with Arsenal in second. While Arsenal have beaten the German champions injh Munich before, Wenger’s inadequacies in the transfer market leaves his side a long way off competing with the top European clubs.

Group G – Chelsea, Porto, Dynamo Kyiv, M. Tel-Aviv

Chelsea have had a poor start to the 2015/2016 campaign but should be confident about qualifying from their group. They have been handed a relatively comfortable group, which sees Jose Mourinho return to face the club that he won the Champions League with. Most people expect Chelsea to top, with Porto following behind. As for the other two, Dynamo have sought after midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko and Aleksander Dragovic while the Israeli side are under the stewardship of Jordi Cryuff and are looking dominant in the Israeli league. I’m predicting a Dynamo third place finish.

Group H – Zenit, Valencia, Lyon, Gent

Last but certainly not least, Group H. While it may not house any of the top European sides, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Lyon have a fantastic set up in central France, producing some top talents such as Nabil Fekir and Alexandre Lacazette. Retaining that talent has led them to struggle to compete with the top sides in Europe. Similarly, Valencia have decent players within their ranks. New purchase Rodrigo will form a partnership with Alvaro Negredo while Pablo Piatti will pull the strings in midfield. Both Shkodran Mustafi and Aymen Abdennour will provide muscle at the back. It will be an amusing watch to see which side will come out on top.

The new regulations for the Champions League groups have thrown up some interesting ties, who do you think will top the groups?

Champions League Group Stage Draw 2014/2015

Yesterday, the draw for the 2014/2015 Champions League Group Stage was made and here is my reaction...

Group A: Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Olympiacos, Malmo

Last year's runners up, Atletico Madrid face 2 times winners of the competition, Juventus as well as Greek side Olympiacos and newcomers, Malmo. It is obvious that there is a notable difference in class in the group, and most people will obviously predict Atleti and the Old Lady to progress. Juve were disappointing in the last campaign as they failed to get out of their group so there will be an incentive to excite. Juventus appear in good shape, and I do think that they will pip the Madrid side to the top spot.

Group B: Real Madrid, Basel, Liverpool, Ludogorets

It is the first time in five years that Liverpool have qualified for the group stage of the Champions League and I am sure that they are relatively happy with the group that they have been handed. They find holders Real Madrid in their group and I'm sure this will produce a stunnning encounter. I can definitely see Liverpool scraping a point from the home game, but it will be exceedingly difficult to overthrow Real in the Bernabeu. After a fairy tale tie on Wednesday night, Ludogorets have managed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history. While they most likely won't challenge Liverpool or Madrid, they will gain invaluable experience and enjoyment from playing on Europe's top stage.

Group C: Benfica, Zenit, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco

Europa Cup beaten finalists Benfica find themselves in a relatively tricky group, where it is difficult to predict the outcome. Monaco have not impressed this season in Ligue 1, while Bayer where easily brushed aside by an average Manchester United side last year and Zenit have decent players, but always fail to impress. In terms of my prediction, I am going for Benfica to finish first followed by Leverkusen in second. Monaco are not at a stage to be competitive in Europe again, particularly after the departure of James Rodriguez in the summer, however with the money that Dmitry Rybolovlev is throwing at the cause, it won't be too long before they are up there with Europe's elite.

Group D: Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray, Anderlecht

Arsenal have been drawn in Dortmund's group for the fourth time and also face a sufficient Galatasaray side as well as Anderlecht. I make Arsenal favourites to progress in pole position, but it will be interesting to see how BVB cope minus the goals from Robert Lewandowski throughout next season. As for second position, Dortmund to pip Galatasaray to the final position. I am a fan of new signing Ciro Immobile, but I'm sceptical as to whether he can deliver the goals that Lewandowski delivered, especially in his first season at the German side. I can't visualise Arsenal losing to Dortmund at the Emirates and they have the ability to at least get a point from the away game in Germany.

Group E: Bayern Munich, Manchester City, CSKA Moscow, Roma

Yet again Manchester City have been drawn in a difficult group and face Bayern Munich and CSKA Moscow for a second time in a row. Rudi Garcia's AS Roma were the surprise package in Serie A last season and managed to go on a 10 match unbeaten run as they finished behind Juventus in the league. The Italian side have a good work ethic and they will certainly not be any pushovers. Last year City proved that they can beat the German heavyweights in their own back yard, so they will take confidence in this when they face Bayern. I do think that City can beat Bayern but they won't be able to topple them. Bayern to top the group with City a couple of points behind.

Group F: Barcelona, PSG, Ajax, Apoel

It is surprising that the 'Group of Death' this year consists of Barcelona and not an English team. As with City, Ajax never seem to get the rub of the green in Europe and yet again are in a tough group. It appears a certainty that Apoel will finish rooted to the bottom of the group and it will be interesting to see match up when PSG take on Barcelona. After reaching the quarter finals last season, the Parisians will be looking to improve on this finish and the signing of David Luiz is aimed at achieving this. I don't think they can get the better of Barca but they have a solid team and should finish in second ahead of Ajax.

Group G: Chelsea, Schalke, Sporting Lisbon, Maribor

Out of the English teams, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea have received a relatively straightforward group and he will be hoping that a first place finish would be wrapped up with a least a game to spare. Schalke were able to progress from the group stages last year, only to be dumped out at the hands of Real Madrid. As for Sporting Lisbon, it is their first year back in the Champions League since the 2008/2009 season and they will be looking to challenge for the 2nd qualifying position. It is difficult to choose between Schalke and Sporting, but I think it could be Julien Draxler and Max Meyer that fire Schalke into the last 16.

Group H: Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Athletic Bilbao, Bate Borisov

Last but not least, Group H is relatively unknown, it contains a former champion as well as a club with a decent youth system and one that is beginning to establish themselves in the European competition. This group is very tough to call, particularly as Athletic Bilbao appear to be on the rise again and may shock a few people in the long run. Porto will be expected to top the group and I'm sure that the Portuguese side will deliver. However, in their way is a strong Donetsk side, one that consists of Taison, Douglas Costa and Darijo Srna. Although I'm predicting Porto to top and Shakhtar to follow, I would not be surprised if Bilbao were able to thrust themselves into the knockout stages of the competition at the expense of Porto or Shahktar.

Another group stage kicks off on the 16th September as the pack attempts to take the crown away from holders, Real Madrid. All we can do now is sit and watch as the magic unfolds.

The Road to Rio

It is just 184 days until the start of the most prestigious trophy any footballer could have, the World Cup. With the draw made on Friday afternoon, I will take a look at each of the groups. 

Group A - Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Having won 12 of their last 13 matches, and arguably favourites for the tournament, Brazil are expected to comfortably win Group A. Mexico have had a testing qualifying period with the use of 47 players and a staggering 4 managers. Although not to the same calibre, the Olympic final in 2012 will give the Mexicans confidence having shocked Brazil in London. Mario Mandzukic has 10 goals from 18 appearances for Bayern this season and will be looking to lead from the front for outsiders, Croatia, in a group where they can be quietly confident of finishing second. Cameroon have the ability to cause an upset, however I don't see them neutralising the fire power of Brazil.

Group B - Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

This group sees a rematch of the last World Cup Final in which Netherlands look to seek revenge after a late Iniesta winner secured Spain their 1st World Cup title. On paper, Spain and Netherlands should qualify easily, but it depends what Dutch team shows up on the day, after all, their Euro 2012 campaign confirmed that to us all. Chile have only lost one game this year and last month's performance against England laid down a marker for the Spanish and Dutch. With Australia being the lowest ranked team at the tournament next year, nobody is giving the Aussies any hope, but the cliche still stands, matches aren't won on paper.

Group C - Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan

Colombia will be expected to breeze through this group with a potent attack force including Radamel Falcao, Luis Muriel and Jackson Martinez. The battle for second place requires more contemplation. I feel that it is between the Ivory Coast and Japan. However, remember in 2004 when the Greeks shocked everyone by winning the Euros? I will no longer right off Greece after that year. A lot of expectation will be heaped on the Ivory Coast, the highest ranked African nation as they try to break the duck on the African teams, while Japan will be looking to string together a few results and hopefully have a decent run in the competition. 

Group D - Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

Group D, or Group of death as many English fans like to think it as. You heard the disappointment from a collective nation when England were drawn from the little ball. Whilst most people are pessimistic about the upcoming tournament, I wouldn't be very surprised if England progressed. The only thing that will cost England the match against Costa Rica is complacency in a match that they must pick up 3 points in. If they play to their optimum, it is very probable that they can nurture a result out of the match against an ageing yet very dangerous Uruguay side. Italy could prove a stumbling block. A decent all round unit could see them reach the semis or possibly even the final.

Group E - Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

A dream group for France, this is. Having needed a near miracle against Ukraine to scrape through the qualifying stages, this competitive group gives Les Bleus a very good chance at reaching the knockout rounds. Standing in their way is Ecuador who established a fortress at home by only dropping 2pts which sent them through. With the talent of Inler and Shaqiri in the Swiss squad, they will look to try and topple the French who will be licking their lips at a group like this.

Group F - Argentina, Bosnia, Iran, Nigeria

Lionel Messi will look to continue on his fine form for Argentina having scored 20 goals in his last 20 games. While Messi grabs the headlines, we often forget about the attacking prowess of the other forwards, Kun Aguero, Tevez and Di Maria to name a few. They entertain the African Cup of Nation victors, Nigeria, who desire to kick on from that memorable victory. Iran have never reached past the knockout round in 3 attempts, while Bosnia represent the only debutant in the World Cup next year.

Group G - Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA

It must of been written in the stars for USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann to face his home nation whom he won the trophy with as a player and went on to manage. Portugal have the potential to be a dark horse in the tournament, particularly if they can keep their talisman and joint record goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo fit. On the other hand, a replica of their performances against Northern Ireland could see them struggle to beat Ghana and particularly the USA. 

Group H - Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

A dream of a group if you are a Belgian. Group H was the creme de la creme, the ideal group for every manager. Belgium have a young dose of talent coming through including Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard plus others. This new intake of talent was been publicised in the media leading many World Cup neutrals to jump on the Belgian bandwagon. I certainly agree that they have the potential to achieve great things as a team, but I don't think they can live up to the hype. In second position for this group, behind Belgium, I would put my money on Russia. A tight unit with several very influential individuals can seal this team second position ahead of Algeria and South Korea.

After an exhilarating draw seeing relief and disappointment, I have no skepticism that this will be a roller coaster of a tournament. As only a South American team has lifted the Jules Rimet trophy when it is held in South America, the odds will be stacked in favour of the pattern continuing. But hey, traditions were made to be broken.