With just nine days left to the FIFA 2014 world cup finals in Brazil, Im going to profile all 32 teams. Tonight were going to look at group A teams Brazil, Cameroon, mexico and Croatia, starting with the host nation, Brazil. •FIFA World Cup finals history So demanding are the Brazilian faithful, even a Seleção squad that finishes runners-up at a FIFA World Cup finals cannot be sure what kind of reception they will get on their return home. The only nation to have taken part in every edition of the elite competition, Brazil have lifted the coveted Trophy on a record five occasions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002), finished in second place twice (1950 and 1998) and taken the last spot on the podium at another two editions (1938 and 1978). The current crop Given they are set to host the next FIFA World Cup, Brazil have been spared the rigours of South American Zone qualifying. With that in mind, and fully aware of the enormous burden of expectation sure to surround A Verde e Amarelo in 2014, the national set-up have put in place an intense preparatory process featuring friendly clashes against fellow members of the global elite. This approach has been underlined by meetings with opponents of the calibre of Argentina, France, USA and the Netherlands since South Africa 2010. However, in their first major test on the road to 2014, the Brazil crashed out of the 2011 Copa America at the quarter-final stage, eliminated by Paraguay. The key players Striker Neymar is already being hailed as a man capable of playing a key role for the five-time world champions come Brazil 2014. Currently among the supporting cast in attack is the youngster’s former Santos team-mate Robinho, while Barcelona’s Dani Alves is a lung-bursting presence on the flank. Between the sticks, veteran goalkeeper Julio Cesar exudes confidence and security to the rest of the backline. Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari Best performances in a FIFA competition: FIFA World Cup Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, Mexico 1970, USA 1994, Korea/Japan 2002 (Winners), FIFA U-20 World Cup Mexico 1983, USSR 1985, Australia 1993, UAE 2003 (Winners), FIFA U-17 World Cup Egypt 1997, New Zealand 1999, Finland 2003 (Winners), FIFA Confederations Cup Saudi Arabia 1997, Germany 2005, South Africa 2009 (Winners) Former stars: Garrincha, Pele, Ronaldo Cameroon How they qualified Drawn in perhaps the most open group in Africa, alongside Libya, Congo DR and Togo, Cameroon survived the challenge with the help of an overturned loss because of Togos fielding of an ineligible player. Ultimately the Lions did enough anyway with a 1-0 defeat of the pace-setting Libyans in their final match that saw them finish with 13 points from six matches. Once in the final play-off round, they handled a tough task against Tunisia with aplomb. A scoreless draw on the road gave way to a 4-1 home win that has Volker Finkes side feeling confident about their trip to Brazil. FIFA World Cup finals history Perhaps no team has done more to shake up perceptions of African football. The Indomitable Lions exited Spain 1982 at the group stage, but they ended their maiden excursion undefeated, having drawn 0-0 with both Peru and Poland and 1-1 with eventual winners Italy. Eight years later, they wrote themselves into the annals of the game by beating holders Argentina in the Opening Match and becoming the first African side to reach the quarter-finals, powered by the goals of evergreen striker Roger Milla. That breakthrough performance remains their finest showing, group-stage exits having followed in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010. The key players Samuel Etoo remains the world-class threat up front, although the charismatic figure, who still serves as captain, has gone in and out of the team. But even without the Chelsea veteran, the side if loaded with experience and high-level talent. Nicolas NKoulou, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Aurelien Chedjou remain vital at the back, while the midfield is even more loaded with Alex Song, Jean Makoun and Stephane Mbia at the heart of the team. Coach: Volker Finke Best performances in a FIFA competition: FIFA World Cup Italy 1990 (Quarter-finals), Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Sydney 2000 (Winners) Former stars: Roger Milla, Marc-Vivien Foe, Rigobert Song Mexico How they qualified In the wake of El Tri’s historic Olympic triumph at London 2012, few Mexico fans would have expected their side to struggle en route to Brazil. Yet struggle they did, to such an extent that they came within a whisker of missing out on qualification altogether. Despite their status as regional powerhouses, the Mexicans won just two of their ten matches in the final six-team group phase, with the defeat to Honduras at their Estadio Azteca fortress in September 2013 costing Jose Manuel de la Torre his job as national team coach with three games remaining. With his success at Monterrey still fresh in the memory, the experienced Victor Manuel Vucetich came on board for the final two matches. And though he oversaw a crucial home win over Panama, it was only thanks to the USA’s last-gasp defeat of the Panamanians on the final matchday that the Mexicans were able to scrape into the intercontinental play-off. Fresh from guiding America to the Mexican league title, Miguel Herrera then came in for the two-legged tie against New Zealand and took the radical decision of selecting only home-based players. His strategy paid off as El Tri finally put their shaky form behind them to sweep to a 9-3 aggregate win and qualify for the world finals for the 15th time in all. FIFA World Cup finals history Mexico have fallen in the Round of 16 on their last five appearances in the finals, with Argentina halting their progress at both Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010. Those defeats proved painful for El Tri’s legion of fans, who have been waiting a long time to see their side return to last eight. Only twice have the Mexicans made it to the quarters, both time on home soil, in 1970 and 1986. The key players After an agonising qualifying competition full of setbacks, coaching changes and tactical reshuffles, predicting how the Mexicans will fare at Brazil 2014 is no easy task. While El Tri can count on a band of high-profile overseas-based players, spearheaded by Javier Chicharito Hernandez, Andres Guardado and Giovani dos Santos, the last few months have shown that the latest wave of young players also have much to offer, chief among them their London 2012 hero Oribe Peralta, Raul Jimenez and Carlos Pena. Now that they have safely secured their ticket to Brazil, the Mexicans have time to find some stability and build for the future. Current coach: Miguel Herrera Best performance in a FIFA competition: FIFA Confederations Cup Mexico 1999 (winners), FIFA U-17 World Cup Peru 2005 (winners) Former stars: Antonio Carbajal, Hugo Sanchez, Jorge Campos, Cuauhtemoc Blanco Croatia How they qualified Croatia put their fans through the emotional mill in their qualification campaign. The Balkan team looked to be cruising after winning five and drawing one of their first six games, but they then took just one point from the next 12 available, losing at home to Scotland (1-0) and Belgium (2-1). Their good start eventually laid the foundation for a second-place finish, two points ahead of Serbia but nine adrift of runaway leaders Belgium. A day after the final group game, Igor Stimac resigned from his post as head coach, with former Bundesliga player and Croatian international Niko Kovac – up until then in charge of the U-21 team – replacing him. Assisted by his brother Robert, Niko successfully led Croatia through their play-off against Iceland, but they were pushed all the way. Despite having a man advantage for long spells, the first leg ended goalless, before Croatia prevailed 2-0 in the return fixture. Mario Mandzukic grabbed the opener with Darijo Srna’s decisive effort giving supporters the cue to celebrate, although a red card shown to Mandzukic – one that means he will likely miss Croatia’s tournament opener – may dampen the mood somewhat by the time the tournament rolls around. FIFA World Cup history The Croats arrived for their maiden shot at the FIFA World Cup™ in 1998 as virtual unknowns, but were to prove one of the surprises of the tournament. They finished second in their group behind Argentina after losing 1-0 to the South Americans, but beating Jamaica 3-1 and Japan 1-0. A 1-0 win over Romania saw them through to the last eight and a meeting with Germany, where they stunningly won 3-0 to send the three-time world champions packing. Hosts and eventual winners France proved too strong in a 2-1 semi-final defeat, but the new boys crowned a dream debut by beating the Netherlands 2-1 in the third place play-off. The next two tournaments proved thoroughly disappointing by comparison, as Croatia failed to survive the group stage at both Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006. The current crop Despite their absence from the 2010 finals, Croatia are a match for anyone on their day. Their goal is to recapture the glory days of the late 90s golden generation, of which he himself was a member. With many of the squad playing regularly in the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga, there is no reason why they cannot make an impact at Brazil 2014. The key players Experienced captain Darijo Srna is a born leader, and playmakers Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar can always be relied upon for moments of inspiration. Kovac presides over a wealth of international-class attacking talent including Eduardo, Ivica Olic, Nikita Jelavic and Mario Mandzukic. Coach: Niko Kovac Best performance in a FIFA competition: 1998 FIFA World Cup France (Third place) Former stars: Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosineck
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 20:09:45 +0000
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