#17-England

#17-England
Nickname-The Three Lions
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#11
Group G (Uruguay, Costa Rica, Italy, England)
Projected Results...
Tie to Uruguay
Loss to Italy
Win to Costa Rica
Manager-Roy Hodgson
Qualified through 1st place in UEFA WC Qualifying Group H
14th World Cup Appearance (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)

England are a really strong team, but I think they are third best in the group to Italy and Uruguay. Uruguay have Luis Suarez, one of the best players in the world right now if not the best. Italy are always a strong team and will look to seek revenge off of their runner-up finish at UEFA Euro 2012. Italy actually knocked England out of that same tournament, though in penalty kicks.
England had a somewhat difficult time qualifying, but ultimately did so without having to go to a playoff matchup. Roy Hodgson has done a decent job as manager, and I think it's very realistic to pick England to go through to the knockout stages. Uruguay, Italy, and England are all really good teams, and any two of the three could advance and I wouldn't be surprised. It's kind of a toss up. So, here are three key English players.

Andros Townsend-He showed flashed of brilliance with England, and though he has failed to replicate this form with Tottenham in the Premier League, I think he will have a strong tournament. He has blazing speed, and his favored left foot can produce a cannon of a shot. Look out for Townsend in years to come as he is only 22. 5 appearances for England, 1 goal. He'll play out wide.

Daniel Sturridge-This guy is in absolutely torrid form. He and Luis Suarez are the two main reasons why Liverpool is probably going to win the Premier League. He's that type of cocky, arrogant player who you hate to play against, but love to have on your team. I think this striker could take England far in this tournament. 10 appearances, 3 goals, and only 24.

Wayne Rooney-It's amazing, I feel like Rooney has been around forever, but he's only 28. He is going to probably play up front with Sturridge, and they should complement each other well. Rooney can score brilliant goals, but he can also go MIA at times in big spots. I am intrigued to see how he and Sturridge work together. It could be incredible, or the exact opposite because of the clash of egos. 89 appearances, 38 goals.

Let's see what England's got. I have them 3rd in the group, but they have the talent to go very far.

#18-Chile

#18-Chile
Nickname-La Roja (The Red)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#14
Group B (Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia)
Projected Results...
Loss to Spain
Loss to Netherlands
Win to Australia
Manager-Jorge Sampaoli
Qualified through third place finish in CONMEBOL WC Qualification Group
9th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1998, 2010)

Chile is another team who just got screwed by the draw. They'd be, at very least, second best in a lot of the other groups. Chile had an impressive qualification campaign, only finishing behind Argentina and Colombia. Chile has a lot of players that may not be well known, but are incredibly important to their club teams' successes. The issue here isn't Chile's skill level--they're a very skilled team. It's just that Spain and Netherlands are two of the best teams in the world. Chile will not be an easy game for anyone. I expect them to be a pain in the butt for every team they face. Three players to watch out for:

Alexis Sanchez-Plays for Barcelona and is a forward. So important for this team. Aged 25, he will need to score and set up his teammates. Truly a great player. 65 appearances, 22 goals.

Matias Fernandez-Plays for Fiorentina in the Serie A in the midfield, and is a player that can score as well as set his teammates up. He and Alexis will look to link up for goals and will also set their other teammates up. 60 appearances, 14 goals.

Gary Medel-Probably the best defensive player Chile has. He plays for Cardiff City in the Premier League, and spent a couple years at Sevilla in La Liga in Spain before joining Cardiff in 2013. I would slot him as a center defensive midfielder. He has 5 goals in 59 appearances for Chile, and is very versatile.

Chile is a good team, but not better than Spain and Netherlands. They'll be fun to watch, and will  likely finish third in the group.

#19-USA

#19-USA
Nickname-Team USA
CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American, and Carribean Association Football)
FIFA Ranking-#13
Group G (Germany, Portugal, United States, Ghana)
Projected Results...
Loss to Germany
Loss to Portugal
Tie to Ghana
Manager- Jurgen Klinsmann
Qualified through 1st place in CONCACAF Hexagonal
10th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1934, 1950, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)

This draw reaaaaaally sucked. Germany and Portugal? Is that a sick joke? Oh boy. I really actually like the way USA has played recently, and it especially sucks for me because I have two rooting interests in this group in Portugal and USA. Portugal and Germany are two top 5 teams in this tournament for me, so I really don't give USA much of a chance to make it out of the knockout stages.  However, I think USA is headed in a great direction. Jurgen Klinsmann is a very good coach, who has instilled belief in his squad. Julian Green is 18 years old, and has played some time with Bayern Munich, the best club in the world at the moment. He chose to play for USA over Germany (he's a dual citizen.) That's a big, big deal.
Here's the deal for USA-they need to get a win against Germany or Portugal.  The problem there is that Portugal has Cristiano Ronaldo, probably the world's best player in the past year. His blazing speed and ability to score from anywhere is going to cause major problems for the USA's back line. Germany has a strong squad with balanced ability at every position, so USA will have a very tough time. And Ghana? They always give USA such a hard time. It's a real shame that this was the draw that USA got, because in most of the other groups I probably would have picked them to go through. But USA will play hard and try to get results like everyone else. Who should we watch for?

Michael Bradley-Bradley has played in the Bundesliga and recently was with AS Roma in the Italian Serie A until transferring to Toronto FC in January. Bradley is an attacking midfielder who has the spectacular goal in him, and is very good at distributing passes to open space for teammates. Bradley is going to be so important to Team USA if they are to make it out of the group. Aged 26 with 83 appearances and 12 goals.

Clint Dempsey-The best striker option Team USA has, and he had played in the Premier League from 2007-2014 with Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur. Now Clint plays for Seattle Sounders in the MLS. Dempsey is a scrappy striker who is great at holding up play to open up space for others, but he can pot goals in big situations. I expect him to net a goal in the tournament, and I expect him to be effective, since this may be his last World Cup. He's 31, with over 100 appearances and 36 goals.

Tim Howard-He is one of the better goalies in the tournament, and he's so intense. He plays for Everton in the Premier League, and is a big reason for their success this season. He can help USA steal a game here, so I look for him to be massive for them. 97 appearances for USA, and aged 35, it could be his last World Cup.

USA will need to steal a game. I don't see it happening, but I hope they beat Germany and they and Portugal advance. We'll see...Go USA!

#20-Cameroon

#20-Cameroon
Nickname-Les Lions Indomptables (Indomitable Lions)
Confederation of African Football (CAF)
FIFA Ranking-#59
Group E (Brazil, Croatia, Cameroon, Mexico)
Projected Results...
Loss to Brazil
Tie to Croatia
Tie to Mexico
Manager-Volker Finke
Qualified through CAF playoff victory 4-1 on aggregate over Tunisia
7th World Cup Appearance (1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010)

Cameroon is a team that I personally am taking a chance on, just because they're not a "sexy" team.  A lot of people will pick them for fourth in the group behind Mexico, but I am going to slot them third, and a second place finish is very possible for them.  After Brazil will finish first, second place is wide open in this group.  Cameroon is probably the most in form team from Africa at the moment, though not the most talented team.  I think they will finish third in the group behind Croatia in second, but Cameroon have some top class players.  Last World Cup, Cameroon were beaten by one goal by each of their opponents (Netherlands, Japan, Denmark).  Those are three good teams, and I think the experience will really benefit them this time around.  I would not be shocked if they finished second in the group, but then again I wouldn't be shocked if anyone (aside from Brazil) finished second here. Some key players for Cameroon:

Samuel Eto'o-This guy is the striker for Cameroon, and he has played for so many world class teams.  Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, and now he's at Chelsea, Eto'o can score at any level, and has proven it this season at Chelsea.  112 appearances for Cameroon, 55 goals. Great strike rate.  Will be heavily depended on for goals. At age 33, it's probably his last chance at World Cup.

Nicolas N'Koulou-Quality defender.  24 years old, plays for Marseille in the French Ligue 1. He has played Champions League, so he has big game experience.  44 appearances for the national team.  Will have to be the anchor of this defense for them to advance.

Alex Song-Midfielder who will need to set up Eto'o and co. up front.  Plays for Barcelona, so he obviously possesses a great deal of quality.  43 appearances for the national team.  Cannot overstate how important he is to this team.  He is like the flux capacitor in Back to the Future. Without the flux capacitor, time travel didn't work.  Without Alex Song, the offense will not work.

Cameroon probably will fall just short of second place, but they will entertain.  Third place is more likely.

#21-Greece

#21-Greece
Nickname-Ethniki (National)
UEFA (Union of European Football Associations)
FIFA Ranking-#13
Group C (Colombia, Greece, Cote D'Ivoire, Japan)
Projected Results...
Loss to Colombia
Tie to Cote D'Ivoire
Tie to Japan
Manager-Fernando Santos
Qualified through second place finish in UEFA WC Qualification Group G, and a playoff victory over Romania 4-2 on aggregare
3rd World Cup Appearance (1994, 2010)
Projected Finish-Third in Group C

Greece is always such a stingy team to play against.  They are always compact defensively, and have really bought into the system introduced by manager Fernando Santos.  I'm biased against Greece, since they tore my heart out by beating Portugal in the Euro 2004 final in which Portugal were the host country (it's time that I reveal I support Portugal and USA-Portugal because my mother was born there, and obviously USA because I am American). It sucked, but I respect that they are always a pain in the ass to play against.  This group is one that they can advance past, since Falcao injured his knee for group favorites Colombia. The key game is going to be Cote D'Ivoire, but I think Cote D'Ivoire will be able to get a draw. I have this feeling that Greece is just a little below par of the other opponents, but should salvage at least a draw against Japan, perhaps more. Greece are a product of an easy qualification group-they missed out on first place in the group due to a lesser goal differential than Bosnia and Herzegovina. I think the FIFA ranking at 13 is a bit high, but we'll see.  This group is WIDE open. Let's see what they can do.  Key players:

Georgios Samaras-"The Greek Jesus". He plays for Celtic Glasgow, and is a striker. He has played in the Champions League, and scored big goals against Barcelona and Spartak Moscow in their 2012-13 Champions League campaign. He's a quality striker who has a knack for big goals. He'll definitely be counted upon. Aged 29, in his prime. 71 appearances, 8 goals.

Kostas Mitroglou-Former Olympiacos striker, but recently was transferred to Fulham. For me, he's the most dangerous Greek player. He possesses an immense amount of quality in goal scoring and holding up play. He's also very strong in the air. 26 years old and playing in a world class league, he should be in good form by the time the World Cup starts. 29 appearances, 8 goals. Nice strike rate there.

Giorgos Karagounis-The 37 year old wonder.  I remember watching him play for my favorite team Benfica when I first started watching soccer like 10 years ago. He still is so effective for Greece. While his speed isn't there as much as it used to be, his quality in passing and shooting is. He hasn't played much for Premier League side Fulham this year, but he will command the best out of his teammates, since he is the captain and the elder statesman on the team. Probably his last World Cup, since he will be 41 next World Cup, but who knows? He's aged well. 132(!!!) appearances, 10 goals.

The Greeks will be feisty and a pain in the ass. Don't know if the team is good enough to get to the knockout stages, but we will see. They will be involved in very close games. Third place in this group sounds right, but second place wouldn't surprise me.

#22-Nigeria

#22-Nigeria
Nickname-Super Eagles
Confederation of African Football (CAF)
FIFA Ranking-#41
Group F (Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nigeria, Iran)
Projected Results...
Loss to Argentina
Loss to Bosnia
Win to Iran
Manager-Stephen Keshi
Qualified through victory in CAF playoff over Ethiopia 4-1 on aggregate
5th World Cup Appearance (1994, 1998, 2002, 2010)
Projected Finish-Third in Group F

Nigeria is enigmatic like most of the African teams in the tournament-so much quality, but not enough consistency.  Nigeria did well to qualify, since qualification in Africa is very difficult.  That being said, they need their star players to perform the way they're capable of doing so. I think Argentina is a lock for first place in the group, and Bosnia is pretty much a lock for second, but if Nigeria can get a result against Bosnia, and then beat Iran, then they could advance to the knockout stages.  Three big players for them:

Victor Moses-He has fallen a bit out of favor at Liverpool due to their incredible success in the English Premier League, but it's not really his fault because of how well the other players at the club have performed. Moses has 18 appearances with 6 goals for the national team.  He will need to score, as well as set up his fellow mates.

Victor Obinna and Emmanuel Emenike-Obinna plays in the Serie A in Italy for Chievo, and Emenike plays in the Turkish league for Fenerbahce, and both are forwards. The two will be so important to this team, as they will be depended upon for goals more than anyone.  At age 27, Obinna is in his prime with 48 appearances and 12 goals for Nigeria. Emenike is 26 years old, with 21 appearances and 9 goals. These two need to come ready to play consistently and counterattacking soccer.

I don't think Nigeria can put it all together to finish 2nd, but they won't finish below Iran, who are a pretty poor team.

#23-Ecuador

#23-Ecuador
Nickname-La Tri (Tri-Color)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#23
Group E (France, Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras)
Projected Results...
Loss to France
Tie to Switzerland
Tie to Honduras
Manager-Reinaldo Rueda
Qualified through fourth place in CONMEBOL Qualifying
3rd World Cup Appearance (2002, 2006)
Projected Finish-Third in Group E

I really don't find Ecuador to be that good of a team, but they benefit from a pretty bad group, aside from France.  France are the real winners, having been drawn with Switzerland as the top team in the group.  That being said, they do have Antonio Valencia, who plays on the wing for Manchester United.  No other player on this team really gets me too excited, probably because I am unfamiliar with a lot of the players (that doesn't make them necessarily bad).  I don't think Ecuador has the players to qualify in this group, but I guess they could finish second if things go really well.  Here are three players "La Tri" will rely heavily upon:

Antonio Valencia-Winger for Manchester United, and he has a ton of pace. 28 years old, and is the captain of the team. He has nearly 70 appearances, and is not so much relied upon for goals, but his playmaking ability.  He can be inconsistent but he is fast as hell.  Check this out: 

Renato Ibarra-Defender who plays for Vitesse in the Dutch league.  He's 23, probably their only defender with experience in a bigger European league. 17 appearances for the national team.  He will be relied upon heavily to hold down the defense.

Felipe Caicedo-Plays club for Al-Jazira in the UAE.  He is the best striker option that Ecuador has, and he better make the most of his opportunities.  He's a huge body with a blazing shot, and he has some speed for that size. 47 appearances and 15 goals. Again, he really needs to capitalize on his chances.

Ecuador could come second, but I just don't believe in the players they have. Third place seems more likely.

#24-Algeria

#24-Algeria
Nickname-The Greens
Confederation of African Football (CAF)
FIFA Ranking-#25 (March 2014)
Group H (Belgium, Russia, Algeria, South Korea)
Projected Results...
Loss to Belgium
Tie to Russia
Tie to South Korea
Manager-Vahid Halilhodžić
Qualified through CAF playoff victory over Burkina Faso
4th World Cup Appearance (1982, 1986, 2010)
Projected Finish-Third in Group H

Let me tell you right now.  This team will be a pain to play against.  They have a lot of quality, and are one of those teams that can be underestimated and you're down a goal before you know it.  I just have this weird vibe that Algeria is going to come in with nothing to lose and complicate things for the other teams in the group.  They nearly kept the USA from advancing last World Cup, if not for a Landon Donovan stoppage time goal.  The team is young and fast, and they can be extremely dangerous on the counter attack.  I think they have a fairly weak group after penciling in Belgium as the number one team in the group.  I still think they won't be able to finish second for the knockout stages, and they don't possess quite enough quality to advance past the first knockout round if they advance.  Here are some players to watch-they'll be fun:

Saphir Taider-Inter Milan player, 22 years old.  Fairly new to the national team. 9 appearances, 3 goals.  On his way to being a great player for the national team.  He will definitely be dangerous in the midfield.  Look out, Russia, Korea, and Belgium. 

Nabil Bentaleb-The dude is 19, playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League. At times, he looks great, other times he's overmatched.  But he's playing in a great league against world class talent (because his manager has some sort of love for him, still a good player).  He will bring his calm and collective attitude to Brazil, and will be important for the team.  He has one appearance for Algeria, only because he just committed to playing for the team (could have chosen France or possibly England in a few years-that's how highly regarded he is, so this worked out well for Algeria I'd say!) 

Islam Slimani-This is the x-factor for Algeria.  Slimani plays for Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, which happens to be rivals of my favorite team, SL Benfica.  So, I watch a lot of Slimani and am very familiar with him.  He has saved Sporting from draws or defeats multiple times this year, and is extremely dangerous up front.  A really quality striker, and has 18 appearances with 9 goals for Algeria.  Not a bad strike rate at all at 50%.

Nabil Ghilas-Also extremely dangerous, probably will be brought on to play alongside Slimani or replace him, depending on the situation.  4 appearances, 1 goal for Algeria.  Plays for another one of Benfica's rivals, FC Porto.  He could even start over Slimani given his recent form.  There's no bad choice here that the manager could make to start at striker (I would start both of them, personally.)

#25-Japan

#25-Japan
Nickname-Samurai Blue
Asian Football Confederation
FIFA Ranking-#48 (March 2014)
Group C (Colombia, Greece, Cote D'Ivoire, Japan)
Projected Results...
Loss to Colombia
Loss to Cote D'Ivoire
Tie to Greece
Manager-Alberto Zaccheroni
Qualified through first place finish in AFC FIFA WC Qualification Group B
5th World Cup Appearance (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)
Projected Finish-Fourth in Group C

The Japanese have made their 5th straight World Cup, and that in itself is an accomplishment for a team that never participated in the tournament until 1998.  The Japanese team is one with experience and a lot of firepower upfront, but not great in the back end on defense.  In 2010, this team surprised by advancing to the group stages, and then beating Paraguay to advance to the quarterfinals.  That being said, this is not an easy group for the Japanese.  I really fancy Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Colombia to advance, and Greece are no slouches either, having qualified through first place in their qualification group.  Honestly, I don't have confidence in Japan in this particular group because of how strong the attacking players are on the other teams, but I would not be surprised to see any of these teams advance out of the groups.  Here are three players that will be vital to Japan's success, and all are high quality attacking players.

Key Players
Shinji Kagawa- 25 year old player for Manchester United, he will be vital to attacking build-up and netting goals. He has done well at Man United, but will need to be in form for this World Cup for his country to have a chance to advance.  He is very dangerous if he's in form.  IF is the key word here.

Keisuke Honda-Plays club for AC Milan in the Serie A in Italy.  He possesses great quality, and is a great playmaker who can score magnificent goals.  A lot of club teams wanted to sign him, and here is why:

Shinji Okazaki-Best goalscorer for Japan, with 38 goals in 73 appearances.  He will need to play great and will need to net goals to keep up with other teams' strikeforces in the group.  Plays in the Bundesliga for Mainz 05, so he plays against some top competition.

This Japanese team could be a dark horse to advance, but I just don't see them defending well enough to advance.  They could entertain, though.  This team continues to improve, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them do well in World Cups to come.

#26-Costa Rica

#26-Costa Rica
Nickname-Ticos
CONCACAF
FIFA Ranking-#34
Group G (Uruguay, Costa Rica, Italy, England)
Projected Results...
Loss to Uruguay
Loss to Italy
Loss to England
Manager- Jorge Luis Pinto
Qualified through 2nd place in CONCACAF Hexagonal
4th World Cup Appearance (1990, 2002, 2006)

After missing out in 2010, the Ticos are back for another stab at making noise in this World Cup.  This team could have been dangerous to make it through the group stages, but they were drawn into what I consider to be the "group of death" (hardest group in the tournament).  This team has a lot of experience in the team, but Uruguay, Italy, and England could be argued by many as three of the top ten teams in the world.  Costa Rica finished at an impressive 2nd place in their federation's qualifying campaign, but are victimized by this difficult group.  I don't see them even getting a draw against any of these teams (maybe England?), but they will not be blown out of the water.  Here will be some important players if the Ticos are to make some noise-

Key Players

Bryan Ruiz-Will play up front for the Ticos, and is the captain of the team.  Plays club for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, which is a very respectable resume to have when you're the captain.  He will need to cause havoc with his speed and skill, and will need to set up his teammates, and of course, score.

Joel Campbell-At only age 21, this guy is going to be very dangerous for the other teams in the group. Campbell is going to need to score some goals and help the Costa Ricans in keeping possession of the ball to give his defenders a break from running all over.  He plays for Olympiacos (on loan from Arsenal) in the Greek league, and showed why he's so dangerous here against Manchester United last month.

Junior Diaz-He will anchor the defense of the Costa Rican team.  The defense is the weak spot of this team, and he will need to be massive at the back end.  Diaz plays for Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga, so he has experience in one of the best leagues in the world.  At age 30, he has plenty experience.

The Ticos will be fun to watch this summer, but they won't advance out of this "group of death". Their forwards possess the quality of the other teams in the group, but the rest of the side is lacking. They'll excite, though.