#7-Belgium

#7-Belgium
Nickname-Rode Duivels (Red Devils)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#12
Group H (Belgium, Russia, Algeria, South Korea)
Projected Results...
Win to Russia
Win to Algeria
Win to South Korea
Manager-Marc Wilmots
Qualified through first place in UEFA WC Qualifying Group A
12th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002)

Belgium is my dark horse in this tournament, but they really aren't a dark horse anymore, as they have captured the attention of many soccer enthusiasts around the world. They are a young team, that has developed nicely with players at all positions playing at world class clubs. In goal, there are two world class keepers in Thibaut Courtois from Atletico Madrid and Simon Mignolet from Liverpool. I expect Courtois to get the nod in goal due to his recent form, but you can't go wrong with either. On defense, there's a great deal of depth, dependability, and stability. In the midfield, there's so much depth and quality, and at forward, this team may be a little bit thin due to the injury to Christian Benteke. But Romelu Lukaku is a great option up front, and if Benteke didn't suffer an injury, I would have probably picked Belgium even higher. Maybe Adnan Januzaj, the wonder kid from Manchester United, will help Lukaku up front. They missed out on the last two World Cups, but are back and dangerous. They are led by Marc Wilmots, a former Belgian legend. I expect them in the final 8 for sure, and they are a team that can absolutely make a run at winning this tournament. Here are three catalysts for this team:

Romelu Lukaku-Plays for Everton in the Premier League, a strong, big body with a rocket of a shot. He will score in this tournament, but once the knockout stages come he'll probably need some support. He's only 20 years old, with 27 appearances and 5 goals. Lukaku will be a player to watch.

Eden Hazard-One of the best midfielders in the world, playing for Chelsea. He has devastating pace, great vision, and is capable of scoring spectacular goals. He can do it all, and if he's in form, the rest of the field are in trouble. 23 years old, 43 appearances, and 5 goals.

Vincent Kompany-So important to this team's back line, and will anchor the defense. I really like the way he plays, and his experience with Manchester City will help him in leading and composing good efforts from his teammates. 28 years old, 57 appearances, 4 goals.

This is a really strong team, and will be for years to come. I like them to make a run at this, but their forwards worry me. 

#8-Italy

#8-Italy
Nickname-Azzuri (Blues)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#9
Group G (Uruguay, Costa Rica, Italy, England)
Projected Results...
Win to England
Tie to Uruguay
Win to Costa Rica
Manager-Cesare Prandelli
Qualified through 1st place in UEFA WC Qualifying Group
18th World Cup Appearance (1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)

Italy is always a lock to make the World Cup, making every tournament dating back to 1962, and they are always a danger to win the tournament, winning as recently as 2006. Last World Cup was the first time they hadn't advanced out of the group stage since the 70s.  I have great confidence that this won't be the case in Brazil, as Italy have a balanced squad, with strength in all facets of the game. Gianluigi Buffon has been Italy's goalkeeper in recent memory, and is extremely dependable and reliable. The defense will be anchored by Giorgio Chiellini, and the midfield will be bossed by Andrea Pirlo, both players with a great deal of big game experience with Juventus and Italy both. Italy have a great deal of skill in attacking with the enigmatic Mario Balotelli from AC Milan, and Fiorentina's Giuseppe Rossi. Italy will play a composed, balanced style, and will use their experience from past tournaments to their advantage. There are still a multitude of players on this team who were on the 2006 championship team, so I expect them to be in the final 8 at the very worst. Their 3 best players:

Andrea Pirlo-34 years old, over 100 appearances for Italy and 13 goals. Plays for Juventus. So deadly on free kicks, and he was a huge part of the 2006 team. He's a dead ball specialist, and has the ability to slow down a game and set up teammates extremely well. I look for him to be a huge piece of the team.

Giorgio Chiellini-29 years old, 67 appearances, and 4 goals. Quality defender for Juventus and is not easily beaten at all. Recently ranked the 7th best footballer in the world by Bloomberg. He's definitely no slouch, and will lead Italy's defense, which is always very strong.

Mario Balotelli-23 years old, 29 appearances, and 12 goals. He's enigmatic, but when he gets hot, he gets HOT. He's the X Factor for this team, and he was a huge reason why this team made the 2012 Euro Final. He needs to get on a roll for them to go far.

I think Italy will be eliminated in the quarterfinals, but they have the potential to go very far. Not always the most exciting team to watch, but definitely one of the most successful teams.

#9-Uruguay

#9-Uruguay
Nickname-La Celeste (The Sky Blue)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#11
Group G (Uruguay, Costa Rica, Italy, England)
Projected Results...
Tie to England
Tie to Italy
Win to Costa Rica
Manager-Oscar Tabarez
Qualified through 5th place in CONMEBOL WC Qualifying Group
12th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2010)

This was a pretty ballsy pick that I made, given that I picked Uruguay over England to advance. Italy was a fair pick to advance over England, but Uruguay was risky. So why did I pick them? It's really two words-Luis Suarez. He's the best striker in the world for me at the moment, and is one of the reasons why Liverpool are in first place in the Premier League this year. This team went out in the semi-finals to the Netherlands last World Cup. Edinson Cavani will be great alongside Luis Suarez, as I think they're arguably the best one-two punch in the tournament. Will Diego Forlan make a difference at age 34? I hope so, because I'm a huge fan of his. The midfield for Uruguay will be the weak spot, as their defense is very experienced, and their forwards are top quality. So this is why I picked them to finish ahead of England. I know it's a risky choice, but I like to live dangerously. Let's review Cavani, Suarez, and Gaston Ramirez, their best midfielder in my opinion.

Edinson Cavani-Great, great player for PSG in France. He is a special player who scores at a great rate, and you can tell by looking at his 20 goals in 60 appearances for Uruguay. Can't wait to see him play up front with Suarez. He's 27, so he's in his prime.

Luis Suarez-If you've watched Liverpool this year, then you'd have seen why he's such a special player. He makes everyone better, and even though teams dedicate their game plan to stopping him, he still essentially scores when he wants. If he's not scoring, he's opening up space for his teammates. He's such a pain in the ass to play against, and he can really get under opponents' skin. He's 27 as well, and he's in 77 appearances he's scored 38 goals. This was vintage Suarez last World Cup. 

Gaston Ramirez-Quality midfielder from spunky Southampton in the Premier League. Really like him, he's up and coming and will be very important in building up play and setting up Suarez and Cavani. He's young (23), so he needs to stay composed and just stay within himself. He has 26 appearances for Uruguay, and hasn't found the back of the net yet, but that will come in time.

I'm stoked to watch this team, and they won't be boring. I think they'll be out in the round of 16, but I think they're a good team and would definitely not be surprised if they finished higher.

#10-Colombia

#10-Colombia
Nickname-Los Cafeteros (The Coffee Growers)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#4
Group C (Colombia, Greece, Cote D'Ivoire, Japan)
Projected Results...
Win to Cote D'Ivoire
Win to Japan
Win to Greece
Manager-Jose Pekerman
Qualified through 1st place in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying Group
5th World Cup Appearance (1962, 1990, 1994, 1998)

The final 10! Colombia has returned to their days of their glory, with players like Falcao, James, and Jackson infusing into their highly potent attack. However, I'm genuinely concerned for this team, because of the injury to Radamel Falcao. He's a top 5 player in the world, and will surely try to return from a torn ACL for the World Cup even not at 100%. This is risky for the player of course, and also could be detrimental to the team. If he plays not at 100%, he'll likely be effective, though not as effective. If he doesn't, he's irreplaceable. It's a catch 22. I think they'll win the group and all the games in the group regardless. I really think James and Jackson will still be a potent attack. Falcao is the ex-factor. The defense for this team is suspect, but midfield and forwards for Colombia should be sufficient. Here are the top three players for Colombia.

Radamel Falcao-Will he be fit? He says he will and is recovering fast, but I just still have my doubts due to the nature of the injury suffered. Regardless of if he will be 100% or not, he still will not have played in a game in months. He plays for Monaco in France Ligue 1, and was lighting up the league before his injury. His strikerate is impeccable-51 appearances, 20 goals. He's 28. Hope he makes it back because he's a hell of a player.

Jackson Martinez-I really am not a fan of his because he plays for Porto, but he's a great striker. I think he's struggled for Porto this season because his mind is in another city (he's been rumored to leave Porto). It's no shock that last season Porto won the Portuguese league when Jackson was unstoppable. I think this player rises to the occasion, and will do so for Colombia. 26 appearances, 8 goals, aged 27.

James Rodriguez-Another former Porto player, who is a magician in the midfield. Again, not my favorite guy, but he's got immense skill, and ability to score from long range. I really look for him to set up his teammates, and I think he'll do it well. He plays at Monaco as well. Aged 22, 21 appearances, 4 goals.

If Falcao comes back at full strength, they'll have one of the top 5 attacking teams in the Cup, but that's a big IF. That's why they're ranked at 10, but they could really be dangerous if healthy.

#11-France

#11-France
Nickname-Les Bleus (The Blues)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#19
Group E (France, Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras)
Projected Results...
Tie to Switzerland
Win to Ecuador
Win to Honduras
Manager-Didier Deschamps
Qualified through UEFA WC Qualification playoff victory on aggregate over Ukraine 3-2
14th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)

This is a team that is dangerous, and has won the World Cup as recently as 1994. They have quality at all positions in the field. Their goal is occupied by a world class goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris. Their defense is full of top class talent, with many of the players in the Premier League. Their midfield is bossed by two world class players in Franck Ribery and Yohan Cabaye, but after that, there's a bit of a drop-off. At striker, the three strikers they have are fantastic, in Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), and Loic Remy (Newcastle United). The French are a team who just imploded last world cup, with some players being sent home mid-tournament from the team's training facility after infighting and disagreements with the coach, Raymond Domenech. There won't be a repeat of last World Cup, as France will benefit greatly from being drawn in this group. France will advance out of the group, but they haven't done enough to show me that they are a top contender. They really struggled to make the tournament, as France needed to win 3-0 at home against Ukraine to overcome a 2-0 deficit after the first leg of the two leg playoff. Ukraine isn't very good, so the French need to be better, and I think they will be. Here are their three biggest weapons.

Franck Ribery-Absolute top class midfielder. Not a nice guy, but that doesn't matter on the pitch. He usually drifts out wide onto the wing, and is good for netting goals as well as setting up his teammates. He's probably Bayern Munich's best player, which is a big deal. At age 31, this may be his best chance to win the cup. 81 appearances, 16 goals. Check out these highlights.

Karim Benzema-The starting striker for Real Madrid, this guy is a stud. Can be wasteful at times, but mostly incredibly reliable. Can score the spectacular goal, but also can hold up play and score scrappy goals as well. 26 years old, 65 appearances, 19 goals.

Yohan Cabaye-They need him to help the midfield out. After Ribery, there's a drop-off in talent (which is expected, since Ribery is so great). However, Cabaye is still fantastic. Not so much of a goalscorer, with 27 appearances and 2 goals for France. He plays for Paris St.-Germain in France, so he plays top class soccer. He's the catalyst for this team in my opinion.

Attacking players galore, solid defending, but the midfield could be suspect. Let's see what they can do. The final 8 is definitely attainable. I have them out probably in the quarters.

#12-Bosnia and Herzegovina

#12-Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nickname-Zmajevi (Dragons)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#25
Group F (Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nigeria, Iran)
Projected Results...
Loss to Argentina
Win to Nigeria
Win to Iran
Manager-Safet Susic
Qualified through first place in UEFA WC Qualifying Group G
1st World Cup Appearance

GREAT draw for this team. Their first World Cup, and they'll be in the knockout stages, as Iran isn't good and Nigeria isn't going to beat them. Argentina and Bosnia will be a really good game, but I expect Messi and co. to win that one, though it will be close. This team really has to be pleased, as they probably were just happy to be here going in to the tournament and destroying the opposition in qualifying. I am really excited to see Pjanic, Dzeko, and Begovic, who are top players in their leagues. 

Edin Dzeko-Striker for Manchester City, and is wasteful, but what striker isn't? He's got the great goal in him, but will mainly be counted on to win balls in the air, and definitely will have to pot a few goals. 60 appearances, 33 goals, aged 28. He's so good around goal.

Miralem Pjanic-Midfielder for Roma, and man this guy is good. He's so fun to watch, and really makes it look easy. He can score, but his passing is the most impressive part of his game for me. Aged 24, 46 appearances, 8 goals.

Senad Lulic-Plays for Lazio in the Serie A in Italy. I think he's going to be very important to Bosnia's success. 33 appearances, 1 goal, and is 28 years old. Needs to hold down the midfield with Pjanic.

Second place finish in the group, and they'll be fun to watch. I think they'll be eliminated in the round of 16, but they are on the right track to sustained success.

#13-Croatia

#13-Croatia
Nickname-Vatreni (The Blazers)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#20
Group E (Brazil, Croatia, Cameroon, Mexico)
Projected Results...
Loss to Brazil
Tie to Cameroon
Win to Mexico
Manager-Nico Kovac
Qualified through UEFA playoff victory 2-0 on aggregate over Iceland
4th World Cup Appearance (1998, 2002, 2006)

This team is pretty sneaky good. Defensively, they'll struggle, but up front they have a lot of quality. Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic are both world class, and are currently playing in the Champions League semis against each other. A pretty easy draw for them in the playoff to get to Rio saw them beat Iceland twice, and I think this group is favorable for them to finish behind Brazil. This team works hard, and will be a pain for any team that they cross paths with. I think Mexico is going to crash out (HA!) of this World Cup, but Cameroon will be a difficult test. Brazil is Brazil, so I don't see Croatia beating them. But they should get results, and that should sit them in second, probably falling out of the tournament in a close game in the round of 16. Here are Croatia's three key players:

Luka Modric-Plays for Real Madrid, great holding midfielder. He's money, and has the occasionally fire-cracking goal in him. 28 years old, 73 appearances, 8 goals. He's world class, and will be so important to Croatia's chances. Check out this strike!

Mario Mandzukic-Striker for Bayern Munich, and man this guy is good. A really big body, just a great scorer, and is clutch. 48 appearances, 13 goals, aged 27. Modric and Mandzukic will work together nicely. Check this out.

Darijo Srna-Defender for Shaktar Donetsk in the Ukraine, really strong defensively. The captain of the side, will need to anchor down the defense. 111 appearances, 21 goals, and only 31 years old considering the amount of appearances. What a man.

Croatia will finish second in this group, and won't be an easy out for anyone.

#14-Cote D'Ivore

#14-Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Nickname-Les Elephants
Confederation African Football 
FIFA Ranking-#21 
Group C (Colombia, Greece, Cote D'Ivoire, Japan)
Projected Results...
Loss to Colombia
Win to Japan
Tie to Greece
Manager-Sabri Lamouchi
Qualified through CAF Playoff win on aggregate over Senegal 4-2
3rd World Cup Appearance (2006, 2010)

This team has A LOT of firepower. Drogba, Bony, Gervinho, Kalou, Yaya Toure, Tiote, etc. The issue won't be scoring, but it will be an old defense and a clash of egos. I think this team has the makeup to go very far, and I took a chance on them. I think Drogba is over the hill, but he still possesses quality. Form is temporary, quality is permanent. I worry about their defense against Colombia and Japan, but Greece has some older players too. I think their forwards and midfield will be able to score, and they will need to do this to go far. "Les Elephants" are a team I took a chance on, because you could argue that Japan and Greece both could finish ahead of them. The back four and the keeper and the question marks here. Let's delve into the most important players for Cote D'Ivoire.

Gervinho-Enjoying a renaissance of his career at Roma in Italy after pooping the bed at Arsenal. 26 years old and in his prime. He's a forward, and will be important in setting up teammates as well as scoring goals. 53 appearances, 13 goals.

Yaya Toure-Their best player. So, so good. Plays for Manchester City. Scores goals, but really is a fantastic box-to-box midfielder. Incredible passing skills. Truly a delight to watch play. He's 30 years old, with 83 appearances and 16 goals.

Didier Drogba-He's a legend, with 99 appearances and 63 goals for the team. He scores screamers, good in the air, and really works hard. He is a diver though. He's 36 years old, but still kicks ass for Galatasaray in Turkey.

Don't make me look bad, Ivory Coast. I picked you to finish 2nd in the group, and maybe, just maybe, make a run at this thing.

#15-Russia

#15-Russia
Nickname-N/A (Of course they don't have a nickname--why would they allow anything fun?)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#18
Group H (Belgium, Russia, Algeria, South Korea)
Projected Results...Loss to Belgium
Tie to Algeria
Win to South Korea
Manager-Fabio Capello
Qualified through first place in UEFA Qualifying Group F
3rd World Cup Appearance (1994, 2002)

Belgium is easily the class of the group, but Russia is not too shabby. I think they're in a vulnerable position, because Algeria is a dark horse for me to advance out of the group stage. Russia had an impressive qualification campaign until the very end when they stumbled to a first place finish in their group. Fabio Capello is a good manager, with a lot of experience. Russia is going to grind it out and use their physical presence to try to win games, but Belgium and Algeria are more finesse teams. It's going to be interesting to see how the clash of styles work out in this group. Here are some important players for Russia.

Alan Dzagoev-Plays for CSKA Moscow, and to me is the most impressive Russian player. I really like how deadly and incisive he can be in the midfield. 30 appearances, 8 goals. Only 23 years old.

Aleksandr Kerzhakov-Plays for Zenit in Russia, aged 31, and the best goal scorer on this Russian team. A quality forward, who has 78 appearances and 24 goals

Roman Shirokov-The captain, aged 32. Probably his last World Cup. He's a quality midfielder, needs to link well with Kerzhakov to give the Russians a chance of going far. 41 appearances, 12 goals.

They're a decent side, but not good enough to win it all. Wouldn't shock me to see them in the final 8, but they cannot take Algeria or South Korea lightly. Second in the group, out in the round of 16.

#16-Switzerland

#16-Switzerland
Nickname-La Nati
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#8
Group E (France, Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras)
Projected Results...
Tie to France
Tie to Ecuador
Win to Honduras
Manager-Ottmar Hitzfeld
Qualified through first place in UEFA Qualifying Group E
10th World Cup Appearance (1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1994, 2006, 2010)

This team is overrated in my opinion, as I don't think anyone truly believes that they are the 8th best team in the world as their FIFA ranking indicates.  They benefitted from a pretty easy qualification group, and I think they have a few good players, but there's nothing too sexy here.  This team gets lucky again, being slotted into a group with Ecuador and Honduras, who aren't very good.  France is good, so I expect a tie there, but I don't expect Switzerland to blow either of the other two teams away.  Most teams I'm sure during the World Cup draw were hoping to draw Switzerland as the first seed in their group, as Switzerland was in pot 1 along with Brazil, Germany, Argentina, etc. They're inexperienced at forward, which is their biggest problem. They won't win the tournament, and they probably will be eliminated in the first knockout match, but let's take a look at their three best players.

Xherdan Shaqiri-Best player in the squad in my opinion, playing for Bayern Munich, the best club in the world at the moment. Dangerous midfielder, can score, pass, defend, etc. 31 appearances and 8 goals, only aged 22. Look out for him.

Gohkan Inler-Also a good midfielder, who plays for Napoli in Italy. The captain of the squad, needs to sync up well with Shaqiri order for this team to do anything. 71 appearances, 6 goals, aged 29.

Stephan Lichtsteiner-Also plays in Italy for Juventus, most experienced defender. Aged 30, I think he will be relied upon quite a bit. 61 appearances, 4 goals.

Second place in the group. They're not that good. Out in the round of 16.