the unofficial pocket guide to the 2014 fifa world cup

The Unofficial Pocket Guide By Paul Jenkins

Contents4. Brazil 5. Mexico6. Croatia/Cameroon7. Spain 8. Netherlands 9. Chile/Australia 10. Colombia/Ivory Coast11. Greece/Japan12. England13. Italy14. Uruguay/Costa Rica15. Switzerland16. Wallchart18. France19. Ecuador/Honduras20. Argentina21. Bosnia-Herzegovina22. Iran/Nigeria23. Germany24. Portugal25. Ghana/USA26. Belgium/Algeria27. Russia/South Korea28. Stadia30. A-Z

Introductionby Gary Lineker

Hello there, it’s that time again. The world’s

footballing giants all coming together for

their latest showdown. This preview guide has

been excellently written and gives you all the

statistics leading up to Brazil 2014.

The two Alans (Hansen & Shearer), Mark, Robbie, Lee and of

course David Ginola enjoyed reading

through this booklet. We’ll be using it as

the foundation of our knowledge as we marvel

at the samba football and I give everyone free Walkers.

Will thisyear be theyear thatEnglandfinallymakes usproud? I hope so.

BrazilMatches

Sao Paulo 12-06 BRAZIL Croatia Fortaleza 17-06

Brasilia 23-06

4 Group A

BRAZIL Mexico

Cameroon BRAZIL

Qualification: Qualified as host

nationTop Scorer in Confed. Cup: Fred - 5 goalsAgainst the Opposition:

Cro: PL:2 W:1 D:1 L:0Mex: PL:38 W:22 D:6

L:10Cmr: PL:4 W:3 D:0 L:1

Times Qualified: 20Best Finish:

5x WinnersPipe & Slippers:

Julio Cesar (34) - QPRScout Report:

Bernard (21) - Shakhtar Donetsk

Tournament Odds:3/1

Did You Know?Brazil’s name comes

from the name of a tree called Brazil

Wood.

The most successful nation in World Football hosts this year’s

tournament for the second time in World Cup history. They also continue to be the only nation to have featured in every World Cup tournament. After winning the Confederations Cup last year, Brazil are strong contenders for winning their sixth World Cup on home soil. Many eyes will be on Neymar (pictured) this year as the Samba nation dreams for the Barcelona striker to be immortalised in to their history.

Apart from home pressure, there is nothing really standing in their way in the group stage. Brazil should not only comfortably win Group A but could very easily finish the group with nine points. The only potential hazards in Brazil’s way, apart from the home crowd, could be if Luiz Felipe Scolari has another high profile bust up with one of his players or if the players have a France like meltdown but both of these seem unlikely.

MexicoMatches

Natal 13-06 MEXICO Cameroon Fortaleza 17-06

Recife 23-06

5 Group A

Brazil MEXICO

Croatia MEXICO

Qualification: 1st in CONCACAF

Rd.3 Group A. 4th in Rd.4 Group. Beat New

Zealand in playoff.Top Scorer in

Qualifying: Oribe Peralta - 10 goals

Against the Opposition:

Cmr: PL:1 W:1 D:0 L:0Bra: PL:38 W:10 D:6

L:22Cro: PL:3 W:1 D:0 L:2


2x Quarter FinalsPipe & Slippers:Rafael Marquez (35) -

LeonScout Report:Diego Reyes (21) -

PortoTournament Odds:

150/1Did You Know?The First Printing

Press in North America was used in Mexico

City in 1539.

Mexico has recently been a last-16 nation and it is likely

they could be again this year. After storming through the third round of qualifying, Mexico limped in to fourth place in the fourth round after only winning two games and scoring just seven goals. They did draw five of those qualifiers before comfortably seeing off New Zealand in the playoffs, suggesting they could be a draw team in the group stage.

Mexico should just about finish second in the group but they are quite closely matched with both Croatia and Cameroon. What puts Mexico ahead is that they tend to be a well balanced team; sturdy and mature at the back with a sting of pace up front. The key partnership for this Mexico team has to be between Javier Hernandez (pictured) and Giovanni dos Santos. Dos Santos will once again be full of tricks and pace and if he can supply top quality balls in to the box, Hernandez will most certainly be there to score.

CroatiaMatches Sao Paulo 12-06 Brazil CROATIA Manaus 18-06

Recife 23-06

6 Group A

Cameroon CROATIA

CROATIA Mexico


Bra: PL:2 W:0 D:1 L:1Cmr: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Mex: PL:3 W:2 D:0 L:1


Third

Pipe & Slippers:Stipe Pletikosa (35) -

Rostov

Scout Report:Mario Pasalic (19) -

Hajduk SplitOdds:200/1

Did You Know?Hum in

Istria is the Guinness

World Record holder for

the smallest town in

the world, housing just 23 people.

Croatia squeezed in to the World Cup after a close home victory in the second leg playoff against

Iceland. There is potential for this Croatia side to finish second in the group with their decent attacking line up in Luka Modric (pictured), Nikica Jelavic, Mario Mandzukic and the veteran Ivica Olic. But whether it’s enough to finish second will remain to be seen.

CameroonMatches Natal 13-06 Mexico CAMEROON Manaus 18-06

Brasilia 23-06

Group A

CAMEROON Croatia

CAMEROON Brazil


Mex: PL:1 W:0 D:0 L:1Cro: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Bra: PL:4 W:1 D:0 L:3

Times Qualified: 7Best Finish: Quarter-Finals

Pipe & Slippers:Mohammadou Idrissou (34) - Kaiserslautern

Scout Report:Fabrice Olinga (18) -

Zulte-Waregem

Did You Know?

With annual rainfalls

of around 400 inches, Debuncha is the second

wettest place in the world.

Cameroon comfortably eased past Tunisia in the second leg of their play-off, after easily winning

their group. Cameroon are probably the least likely of the three sides to finish runners-up in this group but with African sides, you just never know. The big debate is whether Samuel Eto’o (pictured) will be selected after a bust-up with the coach.

Odds:750/1

SpainMatches

Salvador 13-06 SPAIN Netherlands Rio de Janeiro 18-06

Curitiba 23-06

7 Group B

SPAIN Chile

Australia SPAIN

Qualification: 1st in UEFA Grp. ITop Scorer in Qualifiying: Pedro - 4 goalsAgainst the Opposition:

Ned: PL:9 W:4 D:1 L:4Chi: PL:10 W:8 D:2 L:0Aus: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0


WinnersPipe & Slippers:Xavi (34) - Barcelona

Scout Report:Koke (22) - Atletico

MadridTournament Odds:

7/1Did You Know?

The name Spain derives from the word Ispania which means

the land of rabbits

The current World and European champions cantered to Brazil

in their quest to retain the most prestigious trophy in football. Spain were undefeated in qualifying, only conceding three goals, and the zero could remain in the loss column during the group stage. It will be a shock if Spain don’t progress to the knockout rounds, but it could be a battle to win the group outright if the Netherlands and Chile play at their best against the best ranked team in the world.

This tournament could be a rather poignant one as the baton could easily be passed after this world cup. The likes of Iker Casillas, Xavi (pictured) and Xabi Alonso could all be potentially featuring in their last World Cup whereas Andres Iniesta, at 30, should have another tournament in him. Ignoring the Confederations Cup, Spain will be hoping to make it three major tournament victories in a row and once again rewrite history.

NetherlandsMatches

Salvador 13-06 Spain NETHERLANDS Porto Alegre 18-06

Sao Paulo 23-06

8 Group B

Australia NETHERLANDS

NETHERLANDS Chile

Qualification: 1st in UEFA grp. DTop Scorer in

Qualifying: Robin van Persie - 11

goalsAgainst the Opposition:

Esp: PL:9 W:4 D:1 L:4Aus: PL:3 W:0 D:2 L:1Chi: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0

Times Qualified: 10Best Finish:3x Runners-Up

Pipe & Slippers:Dirk Kuyt (33) -

FenerbacheScout Report:Karim Rekik (19) - Manchester City

Tournament Odds:28/1

Did You Know?The Dutch have

been making cheese since 400AD and is the world’s largest exporter, earning

around seven billion euros a year.

Netherlands recoveredfrom their European Championships

nightmare with yet another unbeaten qualifying crusade. The Dutch were the first European nation to qualify for the World Cup, helped in part by Robin van Persie’s joint record of 11 goals in this campaign. If the Netherlands have truly returned to their 2010 form, they shouldn’t have a problem in qualifying for the knockout rounds. The rematch of the 2010 final to open this group may be the match that determines who wins this group.

The likes of van Persie (pictured), Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt, Wesley Sneijder, amongst others, are running out of time if they are to prevent this generation from joining the continuing list of Dutch nearlymen. But they choked in the Euros and Louis van Gaal’s mind may not be fully on the job, so it is hard to be confident in the Netherlands coming close to winning the tournament this year.

ChileMatches Cuiaba 13-06 CHILE Australia Rio de Janeiro 18-06

Sao Paulo 23-06

9 Group B

Spain CHILE

Netherlands CHILE


Aus: PL:4 W:3 D:1 L:0Esp: PL:10 W:0 D:2 L:8Ned: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0


Third

Pipe & Slippers:Esteban Paredes (33) -

Colo-Colo

Scout Report:Enzo Andia (21) -

Universidad CatolicaOdds:40/1

Did You Know?Along the

mountainous region of

Chile, there are over 1300

volcanoes, some of

which are still active.

Chile seem to be one of those nations that are a team rather than a squad of world class players.

The star is obviously Alexis Sanchez (pictured) but there are also a number of players who have played for mid-range teams in the top leagues. With the group they’re in, it’s unlikely that Chile will progress but if Spain or Netherlands slip up, Chile will take it.

AustraliaMatches Cuiaba 13-06 Chile AUSTRALIA Porto Alegre 18-06

Curitiba 23-06

Group B

AUSTRALIA Netherlands

AUSTRALIA Spain


Chi: PL:4 W:0 D:1 L:3Ned: PL:3 W:1 D:2 L:0Esp: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L0

Times Qualified: 4Best Finish: 2x

Second Round

Pipe & Slippers:Tim Cahill (34) - New

York Red Bulls

Scout Report:Adam Taggart (20) -

Newcastle Jets

Did You Know?

The largest Greek

population in the world,

beside Athens, can be found in Melbourne.

The Socceroos could have a tough time of it in Brazil and it’s hard to see where even a point could

come from for them. If this does happen to be the case it will be a real shame as Tim Cahill deserves a good send off on the world’s stage. It could be a look to the next World Cup for Australia as they do have a number of young players in the squad.

Odds:750/1

ColombiaMatches Sao Paulo 12-06 Brazil CROATIA Manaus 18-06

Recife 23-06

10 Group C

Cameroon CROATIA

CROATIA Mexico


Gre: PL:1 W:1 D:0 L:0Civ: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Jpn: PL:2 W:1 D:1 L:0


2x Second Round

Pipe & Slippers:Faryd Mondragon (42) -

Deportivo Cali

Scout Report:Juan Fernando

Quintero (19) - PortoOdds:22/1

Did You Know?

Colombia is the world’s

third largest manufacturer of women’s

lingerie.

It would seem that Colombia’s World Cup hinges on the fitness of Radamel Falcao (pictured). The

talismanic striker has been out since January with an ACL injury which usually takes around nine months to fully recover. But to finish second in CONMEBOL qualifying is no mean feat and are favourites to win this group, but it could be a very tight one.

GReeceMatches Natal 13-06 Mexico CAMEROON Manaus 18-06

Brasilia 23-06

Group C

CAMEROON Croatia

CAMEROON Brazil


Col: PL:1 W:0 D:0 L:1Jpn: PL:1 W:0 D:0 L:1Civ: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0


3rd in Grp.

Pipe & Slippers:Giorgos Karagounis

(37) - Fulham

Scout Report:Stefanos Kapino (20) -

Panathinaikos

Did You Know?Greece is

the leading producer of

sea sponges.

This ageing Greek team, led by Giorgos Karagounis (pictured), are the least equipped to progress from

this group and therefore could easily end up fourth. They finished level on points with Bosnia in a world class-less qualifying group before beating Romania to get here. This side will struggle against the pace of all their opponents.

Odds:250/1

Ivory coastMatches Sao Paulo 12-06 Brazil CROATIA Manaus 18-06

Recife 23-06

11 Group C

Cameroon CROATIA

CROATIA Mexico


Jpn: PL:3 W:1 D:0 L:2Col: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Gre: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0

Times Qualified: 3Best Finish: 2x Third in Grp.

Pipe & Slippers:Didier Drogba (36) -

Galatasaray

Scout Report:Sayouba Mande (20) -

StabaekOdds:150/1

Did You Know?

The birth rate in the Ivory Coast is an astonishing 4.5 children per woman.

After two groups of death, the best ranked side in Africa finally find themselves in a group they

could not only progress from, but also potentially win. The main core of the team is top quality, with the Toure brothers, Tiote, Bony – who had a fantastic debut season in the Premiership - and of course Didier Drogba (pictured) who deserves a fitting send off.

JapanMatches Natal 13-06 Mexico CAMEROON Manaus 18-06

Brasilia 23-06

Group C

CAMEROON Croatia

CAMEROON Brazil


Civ: PL:3 W:2 D:0 L:1Gre: PL:1 W:1 D:0 L:0Col: PL:2 W:0 D:1 L:1

Times Qualified: 5Best Finish: Second Round

Pipe & Slippers:Yasuhito Endo (34) -

Gamba Osaka

Scout Report:Yuya Osako (23) -

1860 Munich

Did You Know?

Late night dancing is illegal in Japan.

The first team to qualify for this tournament, Japan has been a relatively underrated team. What they

lack in stars (arguably apart from Shinji Kagawa, pictured), they make up for in togetherness and work ethic and have been pretty successful on the world’s stage recently. Could miss out on progression, but it is certainly a two from three, maybe four, situation.

Odds:125/1

EnglandMatches

Manaus 14-06 ENGLAND Italy Sao Paulo 19-06

Belo Horizonte 24-06

12 Group D

Uruguay ENGLAND

Costa Rica ENGLAND

Qualification: 1st in UEFA grp. HTop Scorer in

Qualifying:Wayne Rooney - 7


Ita: PL:24 W:8 D:7 L:9Uru: PL:10 W:3 D:3 L:4Crc: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0


WinnersPipe & Slippers:Frank Lampard (35) -

ChelseaScout Report:Luke Shaw (18) -

SouthamptonTournament Odds:

33/1Did You Know?

There are 409 escalators in the London subways.

Angel Tube Station has the longest in Western

Europe.

For the first time inrecent tournaments, there is a strong

possibility that England may not get past the group stage. They will surely need to beat one of Italy or Uruguay but it’s hard to put up a case for them despite the statistics looking to be very close. This could well be the group that has three teams finish on five points.

If England do progress they will have done fantastically well, but they won’t come near to winning the tournament. They will certainly be looking to avenge their defeat on penalties to Italy in the Euros. The best thing for this tournament will be to look to the future and see how the likes of Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Raheem Sterling perform. This also has to be a huge tournament for Wayne Rooney (pictured) on the main stage once again.

ItalyMatches

Manaus 14-06 England ITALY Recife 20-06

Natal 24-06

13 Group D

ITALY Costa Rica

ITALY Uruguay

Qualification: 1st in UEFA grp. BTop Scorer in

Qualifying: Mario Balotelli - 5


Eng: PL:24 W:9 D:7 L:8Crc: PL:1 W:1 D:0 L:0Uru: PL:9 W:2 D:4 L:3



Gianluigi Buffon (36) - Juventus

Scout Report:Marco Verratti (21) -

PSGTournament Odds:

25/1Did You Know?When McDonald’s opened in Rome in

1986, food purists gave away free spaghetti

outside the restaurant to remind people of

their culinary heritage.

After finishing runners- up in the Euros, Italy will hoping to go

one better and repeat their 2006 success. The group really isn’t easy as someone out of The Azzurri, England and Uruguay won’t just win the group but will also be eliminated from the World Cup altogether after the three games.

A lot of Italy’s success will probably lie on what mood Mario Balotelli (pictured) is in. If he truly wants to show how good a player he really is then Italy should have no problems in progressing. It’s also going to be a poignant tournament for Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo who’ll both surely be gracing the world’s stage for one last time. These two Italian greats have provided so much entertainment throughout the last decade or so and will be looking to add just a bit more to the memory banks in Brazil.

UruguayMatches Fortaleza 14-06 URUGUAY Costa Rica Sao Paulo 19-06

Natal 24-06

14 Group D

URUGUAY England

Italy URUGUAY


Crc: PL:8 W:6 D:2 L:0Eng: PL:10 W:4 D:3 L:3Ita: PL:8 W:2 D:4 L:2Times Qualified:

12Best Finish:

2x Winners

Pipe & Slippers:Diego Forlan (34) -

Cerezo Osaka

Scout Report:Jose Maria Gimenez (19) - Atletco Madrid

Odds:28/1

Did You Know?

In the local Guarani

language, Uruguay means a ‘river of painted birds’.

Despite needing a convincing play-off victory over Jordan to qualify, Uruguay are the favourites to

win this tough fought group. Their front line, on paper, is definitely a contender for the best attacking force. Luis Suarez (pictured) leads the line with Edinson Cavani, veteran Diego Forlan and young starlet Abel Hernandez for company.

Costa RicaMatches Fortaleza 14-06 Uruguay COSTA RICA Recife 20-06

Belo Horizonte 24-06

Group D

Italy COSTA RICA

COSTA RICA England


Uru: PL:8 W:0 D:2 L:6Ita: PL:1 W:0 D:0 L:1Eng: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0


2nd Round

Pipe & Slippers:Alvaro Saborio (32) - Real Salt Lake City

Scout Report:Joel Campbell (21) -

Arsenal

Did You Know?

Around 10% of the world’s

butterflies are in Costa

Rica.

Returning to the world’s stage for the first time since 2006, Costa Rica’s stay in Brazil will be

a short lived one. Unless they get a draw against England, it’s really hard to see Costa Rica picking up a point. Their only real hope lies with young Joel Campbell (pictured) who scored a great goal against Manchester United in the Champions League this year.

Odds:2500/1

SwitzerlandMatches

Brasilia 15-06 SWITZERLAND Ecuador Salvador 20-06

Manaus 25-06

15 Group E

SWITZERLAND France

Honduras SWITZERLAND

Qualification: 1st in UEFA grp. ETop Scorer in Confed. Cup:

Fabian Schar - 3 goalsAgainst the Opposition:

Ecu: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Fra: PL:36 W:12 D:9

L:15Hon: PL:1 W:0 D:1 L:0


4x Quarter FinalsPipe & Slippers:

Stephan Liechsteiner (30) - Juventus

Scout Report:Granit Xhaka

(20) - Borussia Monchengladbach


Did You Know?There are 1224

fountains in the city of Zurich.

Switzerland were themost surprising seeded nation for the draw

in this World Cup, but they played the rankings well and have been duly rewarded for it. Unless France capitulate again, Switzerland may have to settle for a comfortable second place. The Swiss did manage to beat Spain in 2010 so France won’t be able to rest on their laurels.

Switzerland have a surge of youth talent coming through with Xherdan Shaqiri (pictured) and Granit Xhaka spearheading the way. If Switzerland do manage to win the group, they should avoid Argentina and really have a good chance of making it to the quarter finals for a fifth time in their history. Whatever does happen, Switzerland should be one of the more entertaining sides to watch this tournament.

Group A Group B12/06

13/06

17/06

18/06

23/06

23/06

A1

A2

A3

A4

13/06

13/06

18/06

18/06

23/06

23/06

Netherlands

Australia

Chile

Netherlands

Spain

Chile

B1

B2

B3

B4

Spain

Chile

Spain

Australia

Australia

Netherlands

Brazil Croatia

Mexico Cameroon

Brazil Mexico

Cameroon Croatia

Cameroon Brazil

Croatia Mexico

Group D14/06

14/06

19/06

20/06

24/06

24/06

D1

D2

D3

D4

Uruguay Costa Rica

England Italy

Uruguay England

Italy Costa Rica

Italy Uruguay

Costa Rica England

Group C14/06

14/06

19/06

19/06

24/06

24/06

C1

C2

C3

C4

Colombia Greece

Ivory Coast Japan

Colombia Ivory Coast

Japan Greece

Japan Colombia

Greece Ivory Coast

Last 16A 28-06 Belo Horizonte

B 28-06 Rio De Janeiro

C 29-06 Fortaleza

D 29-06 Recife

A1

B2

C1

D2

B1

A2

D1

C2

Quarter Finals

W 04-07 Fortaleza

X 04-07 Rio de Janeiro

A

B

E

F

Semi Finals

08-07Belo Horizonte W

X

Final13-07

Rio de Janeiro

3rd/4th Place Playoff12-07

Brasilia

Group E15/06

15/06

20/06

20/06

25/06

25/06

E1

E2

E3

E4

Switzerland Ecuador

France Honduras

Switzerland France

Honduras Ecuador

Honduras Switzerland

Ecuador France

Group F15/06

16/06

21/06

21/06

25/06

25/06

F1

F2

F3

F4

Argentina Bosnia-H

Iran Nigeria

Argentina Iran

Nigeria Bosnia-H

Nigeria Argentina

Bosnia-H Iran

Group G16/06

16/06

21/06

22/06

26/06

26/06

G1

G2

G3

G4

Germany Portugal

Ghana USA

Germany Ghana

USA Portugal

USA Germany

Portugal Ghana

Group H17/06

17/06

22/06

22/06

26/06

26/06

H1

H2

H3

H4

Belgium Algeria

Russia South Korea

Belgium Russia

South Korea Algeria

South Korea Belgium

Algeria Russia

Last 16E 30-06 Brasilia

F 30-06 Porto Alegre

G 01-07 Sao Paulo

H 01-07 Salvador

E1

F2

G1

H2

F1

E2

H1

G2

Quarter Finals

Y 05-07 Salvador

Z 06-07 Brasilia

C

D

G

H

Semi Finals

09-07Sao Paulo

Y

Z

Final13-07

Rio de Janeiro

3rd/4th Place Playoff12-07

Brasilia

FranceMatches

Porto Alegre 15-06 FRANCE Honduras Salvador 20-06

Rio de Janeiro 25-06

18 Group E

Switzerland FRANCE

Ecuador FRANCE

Qualification: 2nd in UEFA grp. I

Beat Ukraine in play-off

Top Scorer in Qualifying:

Franck Ribery - 5 goalsAgainst the Opposition:

Hon: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Sui: PL:33 W:15 D:9

L:12Ecu: PL:1 W:1 D:0 L:0


WinnersPipe & Slippers:

Mickael Landreau (35) - Bastia

Scout Report:Lucas Digne (20) - PSGTournament Odds:

20/1Did You Know?It is illegal to name a pig Napoleon in

France.

It’s fair to say that France are the most inconsistent European

nation in the World Cup. After winning the trophy on home soil in 1998, they crashed out in the group stage in 2002. In 2006, they finished runners-up but that infamous mutiny in 2010 left them bottom of the group once again. So this could mean that France are due to finish third in Brazil, after that miraculous second leg fightback against Ukraine.

The group should pose no problems for Les Bleus and again if France win this group, they should avoid Argentina and have a much easier second round tie. The likes of Franck Ribery (pictured), Karim Benzema and Patrice Evra have all become the experienced members of this group and really need to step up in their national shirts to give France more to cheer about than being Euro 2012 quarter-finalists.

EcuadorMatches Brasilia 15-06 Switzerland ECUADOR Curitiba 20-06

Rio de Janeiro 25-06

19 Group E

Honduras ECUADOR

ECUADOR France


Sui: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Hon: PL:13 W:3 D:8 L:2Fra: PL:1 W:0 D:0 L:1


2nd Round

Pipe & Slippers:Edison Mendez (35) -

Santa Fe

Scout Report:Cristian Ramirez (19) -

Fortuna DusseldorfOdds:150/1

Did You Know?Ecuador was the

first nation in 2008 to

declare that nature had

constitutional rights.

If Switzerland and France don’t both progress, then Ecuador will do. With Antonio Valencia (pictured)

and Felipe Caicedo the only household names in this squad, there is a possible unknown quantity about this side. After finishing fourth in CONMEBOL qualifying, it looks extremely likely Ecuador will be finishing third in this group.

HondurasMatches Porto Alegre 15-06 France HONDURAS Curitiba 20-06

Manaus 25-06

Group E

HONDURAS Ecuador

HONDURAS Switzerland


Fra: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Ecu: PL:13 W:2 D:8 L:3Sui: PL:1 W:0 D:1 L:0


2x 4th Grp.

Pipe & Slippers:Noel Valladeres (37) -

Olimpia

Scout Report:Luis Lopez (20) - Real

Espana

Did You Know?Honduras has been known as

the Banana Republic,

for the large amount of

Banana agriculture.

In their previous two appearances, Honduras finished bottom of their groups and it should be the same

result this year. It’ll be an interesting time in the Palacios household as only two of the brothers have kept their place from the 2010 squad. Along with the Palacios’, Honduras’ main assets are at the back with Emilio Izaguirre and Maynor Figueroa (pictured).

Odds:2500/1

ArgentinaMatches

Rio de Janeiro 15-06 ARGENTINA Bosnia-H. Belo Horizonte 21-06

Porto Alegre 25-06

20 Group F

ARGENTINA Iran

Nigeria ARGENTINA

Qualification: 1st in CONMEBOL Grp.


Lionel Messi - 10 goalsAgainst the Opposition:

Bih: PL:2 W:2 D:0 L:0Irn: PL:1 W:0 D:1 L:0Nga: PL:6 W:4 D:1 L:1



Martin Demichelis (33) - Manchester CityScout Report:Marcos Rojo (24) - Sporting Lisbon

Tournament Odds:9/2

Did You Know?Argentina became the

first country to use fingerprinting as the primary form of iden-tification in criminal

records.

The omens are goodfor Argentina as every World Cup hosted

in the Americas has seen a South American nation walk away with the trophy. If Argentina could have chosen their group it probably wouldn’t be too dissimilar to the one they find themselves in. The only potential problem for Argentina is that they don’t really know an awful lot about their opponents.

This year has to be the year that Lionel Messi (pictured) truly shines in a World Cup. It is hard to look past Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Ezequiel Lavezzi as the best front line on paper for this tournament. But it is still a question of whether they can work together and produce the tantalising football everyone knows they can play. A total of 35 goals and just two losses in CONMEBOL qualifying, Argentina certainly paved the way for a very successul tournament. Now it’s show time for La Albiceleste.

Bosnia-HerzegovinaMatches

Rio de Janeiro 15-06 Argentina BOSNIA-H. Cuiaba 21-06

Salvador 25-06

21 Group F

Nigeria BOSNIA-H.

BOSNIA-H.

Iran

Qualification: 1st in UEFA grp. GTop Scorer in

Qualifying: Edin Dzeko - 10 goals


Arg: PL:2 W:0 D:0 L:2Nga: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Irn: PL:5 W:0 D:1 L:4


N/APipe & Slippers:Emir Spahic (33) - Bayer LeverkusenScout Report:

Sead Kolasinac (20) - Schalke


Did You Know?Perucica is home to the last remaining jungle in Europe.

Welcome to the World Cup Bosnia-Herzegovina. The former

Yugoslav nation will become the 77th side to participate in a World Finals and they do have a chance of having a dream debut. Argentina are the clear favourites in this group but second place could be any one of the other three teams. Bosnia’s worst enemy could be nerves but a World Cup debut should be something to embrace, not be scared of.

These aren’t minnows by any means. The stellar name in this squad has to two-time Premier League winner Edin Dzeko (pictured). The potential squad could have Asmir Begovic, another Premier League regular, as well as players who have played for high-ranking teams in prestigiuous European Leagues. With some members also having Champions League experience, the core of this Bosnia team should have what it takes to really achieve in their debut World Cup.

IranMatches Curitiba 16-06 IRAN Nigeria Belo Horizonte 21-06

Salvador 25-06

22 Group F

Argentina IRAN

Bosnia-H. IRAN


Nga: PL:1 W:0 D:0 L:1Arg: PL:1 W:0 D:1 L:0Bih: PL:5 W:4 D:1 L:0


2nd Round

Pipe & Slippers:Javad Nekounam (33) -

Al-Kuwait

Scout Report:Sardar Azmoun (19) -

Inter MilanOdds:750/1

Did You Know?Couples

that want a marriage license are required to

take an hour long lecture

on contraception.

Iran returns to the world’s stage after their 2006 showing. In Germany, they finished fourth in the

group and despite winning their Asian final qualifying group, ahead of South Korea, Iran are likely to finish fourth again this time. There may be the chance for players to make a name for themselves as Ashkan Dejagah (pictured) is the only real known quantity.

NigeriaMatches Curitiba 16-06 Iran NIGERIA Cuiaba 21-06

Porto Alegre 25-06

Group F

NIGERIA Bosnia-H.

NIGERIA Argentina


Irn: PL:1 W:1 D:0 L:0Bih: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Arg: PL:6 W:1 D:1 L:4

Times Qualified: 5Best Finish: 2x 2nd Round

Pipe & Slippers:Joseph Yobo (33) -

Norwich

Scout Report:Kenneth Omeruo (20) -

Middlesbrough

Did You Know?

Archaeolog-ical

discoveries have shown

human existence in

Nigeria dating back as far as 9000 BC.

The last time Nigeria made it past the group stage was in 1998 but they have a real opportunity to

do so here. With Argentina the favourites and Iran seemingly destined for fourth, it could be a straight shout-out between Nigeria and Bosnia for second. Nigeria do have some stars amongst their ranks, but they don’t often shine enough together to cause a stir.

Odds:250/1

GermanyMatches

Salvador 16-06 GERMANY Portugal Fortaleza 21-06

Recife 26-06

23 Group G

GERMANY Ghana

USA GERMANY

Qualification: 1st in UEFA grp. CTop Scorer in

Qualifying: Mesut Ozil - 8 goals


Por: PL:17 W:9 D:5 L:3Gha: PL:2 W:2 D:0 L:0Usa: PL:9 W:6 D:0 L:3


3x WinnersPipe & Slippers:Miroslav Klose (35) -

LazioScout Report:Max Meyer (18) -

SchalkeTournament Odds:

11/2Did You Know?Gummy bears were

invented by a German

After a near perfect qualifying campaign, Germany are creating

quite a few murmurs and could become the first European side to win a tournament in the Americas. What’s good about this squad is that it is really balanced. The experience of Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose fantastically integrates with the likes of Mesut Ozil (pictured), Mario Gotze, Marco Reus, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Andre Schurrle and Mats Hummels, as well as others, who burst from the youth set-up four years ago.

The group decider should be the opening game against Portugal. It shouldn’t happen to Germany but they can’t afford to start slowly because Ghana and USA are more than capable of causing a stir. Overall though, Germany shoud win this group and be contenders for the trophy.

PortugalMatches

Salvador 16-06 Germany PORTUGAL Manaus 22-06

Brasilia 26-06

24 Group G

USA PORTUGAL

PORTUGAL Ghana

Qualification: 2nd in UEFA grp. F

Beat Sweden in play-offs


Cristiano Ronaldo - 8 goals


Ger: PL:17 W:3 D:5 L:9Usa: PL:5 W:2 D:1 L:2Gha: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0Times Qualified: 6

Best Finish:Third

Pipe & Slippers:Bruno Alves (32) -

FenerbacheScout Report:

Ivan Cavaleiro (20) - Benfica


Did You Know?The world’s oldest

bookstore is located in Lisbon, established in

1732.

Portugal need tobecome more than just a one man team

if they are to be successful on the grandest stage of them all. With Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured), Portugal wouldn’t have even made it to the World Cup and they will be relying heavily on him once again in Brazil.

Portugal should progress through from this group. But if Germany or Portugal were to slip up, it is more likely to be Portugal. If Ronaldo is quiet, Portugal are doomed unless Nani, Joao Moutinho, Raul Meireles or Helder Postiga can really step up to the plate. It would seem that if there is to be a shock group stage exit, Portugal would be the ideal candidates. But Portugal could also end up being world beaters and ease through to the knockout rounds.

GhanaMatches Natal 16-06 GHANA USA Fortaleza 21-06

Brasilia 26-06

25 Group G

Germany GHANA

Porugal GHANA


USA: PL:2 W:2 D:0 L:0Ger: PL:2 W:0 D:0 L:2Por: PL:0 W:0 D:0 L:0

Times Qualified: 3Best Finish: Quarter-Finals

Pipe & Slippers:Michael Essien (31) -

AC Milan

Scout Report:Rashid Sumalia (21) - Mamelodi Sundowns

Odds:200/1

Did You Know?

Ghana once considered

Cowry Shells, from sea snails, as currency.

Ghana was the best African team in 2010, thanks to Asamoah Gyan (pictured) and co, but face a real

struggle to progress from the group stage this year. Germany and Portugal should have enough to see past Ghana but if either of them slips up, Ghana will be there to take the place and sneak through. Likely to battle USA for third place though.

USAMatches Natal 16-06 Ghana USA Manaus 22-06

Recife 26-06

Group G

USA Portugal

USA Germany


Gha: PL:2 W:0 D:0 L:2Por: PL:5 W:2 D:1 L:2Ger: PL:9 W:3 D:0 L:6

Times Qualified: 10

Best Finish: Third

Pipe & Slippers:Tim Howard (35) -

Everton

Scout Report:Julian Green (18) -

Bayern Munich

Did You Know?

One out of every four children in

USA relies on food stamps.

USA also progressed through the group stage in 2010 but are also unlikely to make it through this

year. It’ll be a shame as the quality in the USA has been improving recently. It also won’t be a fitting send off to the likes of Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan (pictured) and even Tim Howard. But they just won’t have enough to see off Portugal or Germany.

Odds:150/1

BelgiumMatches Belo Horizonte 17-06 BELGIUM Algeria Rio de Janeiro 22-06

Sao Paulo 26-06

26 Group H

BELGIUM Russia

South Korea BELGIUM


Alg: PL:2 W:0 D:1 L:0Rus: PL:8 W:3 D:1 L:4Kor: PL:3 W:2 D:1 L:0Times Qualified:

12Best Finish: Fouth

Pipe & Slippers:Daniel van Buyten (36)

- Bayern Munich

Scout Report:Divock Origi (19) -

LilleOdds:14/1

Did You Know?There is a carrot

museum in the town of Berlotte in Belgium.

Belgium returns for the first time since 2002 and have a real chance of upsetting the footballing

apple cart. They were unbeaten in qualifying, dropping just four points, and their squad is not only impressive, it’s a young one too. Losing Christian Benteke is a blow but gaining Adnan Januzaj is a major plus. Should easily win this group.

ALgeriaMatches Belo Horizonte 17-06 Belgium ALGERIA Porto Alegre 22-06

Curitiba 26-06

Group H

South Korea ALGERIA

ALGERIA Russia


Bel: PL:2 W:0 D:1 L:1Kor: PL:2 W:0 D:1 L:1Bra: PL:4 W:0 D:1 L:0

Times Qualified: 4Best Finish: 3rd in

Grp.

Pipe & Slippers:Madjid Bougherra (31)

- Lekhwiya

Scout Report:Nabil Bentaleb (19) -

Tottenham

Did You Know?

A goalkeeper called Camus

may be the world’s only Nobel Prize

winning shot stopper.

It’s likely that they won’t be making an impression here. It would be a surprise to see Algeria finish

anywhere other than fourth, continuing their record of never progressing from the group stage. Apart from a few, including Nabil Bentaleb (pictured), this is also an ageing squad with few signs of the next generation coming through.

Odds:1000/1

RussiaMatches Cuiaba 17-06 RUSSIA South Korea Rio de Janeiro 22-06

Curitiba 26-06

27 Group H

Belgium RUSSIA

Algeria RUSSIA


Kor: PL:1 W:1 D:0 L:0Bel: PL:8 W:4 D:1 L:3Alg: PL:1 W:0 D:1 L:0

Times Qualified: 10

Best Finish: Fourth

Pipe & Slippers:Sergei Ignashevich (34) - CSKA Moscow

Scout Report:Pavel Mogilevets (21) -

Rubin KazanOdds:66/1

Did You Know?

There are 9 million more

women in Russia than

there are men.

Overall Russia have a decent squad, they have just failed to impress in front of goal in major

tournaments and this has ultimately let them down. Alan Dzagoev (pictured) had an impressive Euro 2012 and will potentially be the spearhead in this tournament. They will face tough opposition from South Korea, but they should progress.

South KoreaMatches Cuiaba 17-06 Russia SOUTH KOREA Porto Alegre 22-06

Sao Paulo 26-06

Group H

SOUTH KOREA Algeria

SOUTH KOREA Belgium


Rus: PL:1 W:0 D:0 L:1Alg: PL:2 W:1 D:1 L:0Bel: PL:3 W:0 D:1 L:2


Fourth

Pipe & Slippers:Kwak Tae-Hwi (32) -

Al-Hilal

Scout Report:Son Heung-Min (21) -

Bayer Leverkusen

Did You Know?

South Koreans

believe in something called the ‘Fan Death’ concept.

Like Japan, South Korea has been rather underrated since their birth of footballing recognition in 2002.

That squad has now pretty much disappeared and they face their hardest task of getting out of the group stage since 2006. With only one player over 30, their squad is quite young. Players like Ki-Sung Yueng (pictured) have decent Premier League experience.

Odds:250/1

Stadia

CuiabaArena Pantanal

44,335

BrasiliaEstadio Nacional

72,741

Belo HorizonteEstadio Mineirao

62,329

CuritibaArena da Baixada

42,247

manausArena Amazonia

44,351

FortalezaEstadio Castelao

63,819

28

Stadia

RecifeArena Pernambuco

45,425

Porto AlegreEstadio Beira-Rio

47,100

NatalEstadio das Dunas

44,070

Rio de JaneiroEstadio do Maracana

78,448

SalvadorArena Fonte Nova

54,610

Sao PauloArena Corinthians

67,349

29

A-z of things You’ll Be Sick of by theend of the world cup

A - Adidas Brazuca - It’s a ball, it moves

B - Beaches - They’re golden, sandy and yes we’re jealous

C - Claxirola - Brazil’s Vuvuzela

D - Drinking Establishments - Pubs have got extended hours, we know

E - England- Are they brave? No. Will they win? NoF - Fuleco - Some armadillo thing. The mascot

G - Goal-Line Technology - First World Cup to use it. Won’t be needed H - Hurst - Our true Wold Cup hero. But we don’t need reminding

I - Italy - They knocked England out of the Euros, don’t you know J - J-Lo - Who’d have put J-Lo and the World Cup together? Well she’s singing

K - Kings of the world - Every World Cup winning nation is participating here

L - Lampard - The goal that never was in 2010M - Maracana - The memories

N - Name Pronunciation - How many can the commentators get wrong?

O - Octopus - Where’s Paul? P - Pele - Legend? Undoubtedly. His World Cup? No

Q - Quanto? - Portuguese for How Much? Very Expensive R - Ronaldo or Messi - Who’s better. There’s only one way to find out

S - Samba Football - The home of

T - Tickets - The quantity that nobody knowsU - Uneven Playing Field - South Americans tend to win here

V - Vanishing Spray - Refs are also using this

W - Weather - I earn £300k a week but it’s too hot! Shame

X - Xanthopsia - It’s not your eyes, there really is a yellow hue

Y - You Shall Not Pass! - Ah there’s the bus

Z - Zero Milestone- and the other fan bases. Lucky people on holiday

30

the unofficial pocket guide to the 2014 fifa world cup

Documents

brazil wood

brazil croatia fortaleza

group stage

world cup tournament

world cup history

mexico city

mexico cameroon fortaleza

world football