#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. 

#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.