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World Cup 2014 Top Ten: Teams to Watch

By on May 25, 2014

The World Cup is almost upon us, and with 32 teams competing it is difficult to single out one or two that could better than expected.

Every four years, there is a surprise package; Uruguay were arguably the biggest overachievers in the last tournament as they reached the semifinals. The South Americans will be hoping for another great tournament but they are not alone. There are several sides that could do well, whether it is a familiar surge from Italy or France, or a shock run from South Korea or the United States. Here, we have pinpointed ten sides that could produce some real drama and a memorable tournament for themselves this summer.

10) Colombia:

Just like South American neighbors Chile, the Colombians have some exciting attacking talent. And just like Chile, they will be hoping to use the climate to their advantage. Neither side will be fazed by the humid weather conditions, but where Chile may fail, Colombia will be hoping to succeed. Chile’s main weapon is Alexis Sanchez, but Colombia have a entire trio of top class talent all ready to attack their opponents, which is why – unlike Chile – Colombia have made our list.

However, despite sitting 5th in the FIFA World Cup rankings, their hopes may hinge on Radamel Falcao’s fitness,. But but even without the Monaco man, the likes of his club mate James Rodriguez and Porto’s Jackson Martinez will provide plenty of threat. Still, Jose Pekerman, the Colombia manager, will be hoping to have Falcao to call upon for the tournament; he has in fact been included in the squad.

9) Japan:

Japan are one of international football’s unpredictable sides in the tournament. They are renowned for being technically gifted and moving the ball about well, and with the likes of Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda in their starting eleven, they will have no lack of vision and excellent passing this year, either. Yasuhito Endo is in also the squad, and will be looking to add to his 141 caps, and may well have already done so before the tournament begins in friendlies.

The Japanese are an efficient side, and although they are ranked 47th in the world, they are arguably the most threatening of the Asian sides. And with Ivory Coast, Greece and Colombia in their group, there is no reason why they cannot qualify for the knockout stages – and then, who knows how far they could take it?

8) Belgium:

Belgium are the dark horses of this summer’s tournament, and with the likes of Thibuait Courtois, Vincent Kompany, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku in their squad, there is no lack of proven talent. As favorites to progress from their group that includes Russia, Algeria and South Korea, it will be interesting to see how well Belgium can actually do.

It will also be interesting to see whether Adnan Januzaj, one of the bright spots in Manchester United’s dismal season, can burst on to the international stage this summer.

7) Netherlands:

Manager Louis Van Gaal will take charge of Manchester United when his time with the Netherlands at the World Cup comes to an end, but for now his focus is solely on leading the Dutch to a successful campaign. Van Gaal will be fielding questions all summer about United, but the best way for him to show that he is the right man for the United job is to lead the Netherlands to a good campaign. To do that they will need to negotiate their way through a group containing Spain. If they are to be successful, it will surely be down to their attacking talent.

With the likes of Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben in the side, the star quality is clear to see from the side that reached the final four years ago.

6) England:

England will be approaching the tournament with low expectations but very high hopes. They have consistently fallen below the high standards set by the 1966 World Cup winners such as Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst, yet there is a quiet optimism about them this summer.

In a group containing Costa Rica, Italy and Uruguay there is no guarantee that they will be progressing into the Round of 16, but Roy Hodgson’s decision to pick the likes of Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley has provided fresh hope that England will be dangerous in Brazil. And if they do manage to qualify for the latter stages, then experienced heads Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney will also be crucial.

5) Uruguay:

Just like England, there is no guarantee that Uruguay will progress from the group stages of the World Cup. In fact, many are tipping them to fall short due to a lack of defensive quality. But at the other end of the pitch they have one of the most fearsome strike pairings in the world, with Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez of PSG and Liverpool respectively set to lead the line.

The winners of the first ever World Cup made it to the Semifinals in the 2010 competition, and should they build some momentum this summer all eyes will be on them to see how far they can take things.

4) Spain:

Under Vicente del Bosque Spain have dominated internationally for the last six years. They have won the last two European Championships – in 2008 and 2012 – and enter the World Cup this summer as the reigning champions. Such is Spain’s superiority that they are firm favorites to make it through a group that contains Holland, Chile and Australia.

The main problem for the Spaniards will be the immense pressure on their shoulders, although they have proven time and again that they can deal with the expectations.

With Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa having switched his allegiance from Brazil to Spain, he can expect a frosty reception in his home country, but – as long as he can regain full fitness – he could be a key man this summer.

3) Argentina:

Argentina haven’t won the World Cup since they were led to glory by Diego Maradona in 1986, and the South Americans will be hoping that Lionel Messi can help lead his side to success this summer. However, Argentina have a strong side even without Messi, with Ezequiel Garay, Javier Mascherano, Pablo Zabaleta, Angel di Maria and Sergio Agüero, simply the pick of the remaining bunch.

Their group contains Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria, so Argentina are expected to progress. Should they fulfill those expectations they could easily go all the way this summer, having been handed a clear shot to the quarterfinals.

2) Germany:

Joachim Low will lead Germany into the World Cup with high hopes and his side – along with Spain – arguably represent the best chance for a European side to win the tournament. The squad is bursting with talent with the likes of Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Mario Gotze and Miroslav Klose just the tip of the iceberg.

And having finished third in the last World Cup the Germans will be hoping to celebrate their first World Cup triumph in 24 years.

If they can manage to progress from a tricky looking group including United States, Ghana and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, then they will be an interesting and challenging proposition throughout the knockout stages.

1) Brazil:

No football list is truly complete without the Brazilians, and this one is no different. There may be serious unrest in the country but with the World Cup being hosted in Brazil, this summer there will be real expectations of victory for the Samba stars.

Pure passion and fantastic flair will make Brazil dangerous, and they are the favorites to win the tournament.  Neymar, Oscar, Hulk, David Luiz, Thiago Silva and Dani Alves help to provide a strong core to the side, and they will kick off the tournament against Croatia on June 12th.

Brazil’s fifth and most recent World Cup success came in 2002, and they will hope to be making it an unprecedented trophy number six this summer.

About Darren Ash

Darren Ash Raised in South East London, the 18-year-old Media student is passionate about all things football. A season ticket holder at local team Millwall, he loves nothing more than the highs and lows of the beautiful game. Having followed the sport for as early as he can remember, Darren's goal is to become a professional football journalist. Follow him on Twitter @AshDarren