The Underdogs (Part 2)
Last week, we posted an article mentioning squads which contain the potential of lifting the trophy without being tagged as favourites. We mentioned greats such as the Netherlands, Italy and Uruguay, who could all provide the sternest of tests against any opposition. Another three nations which find themselves in a similar situation are shown below;
Falcao is out of the 2014 World Cup
Had Falcao not sustained the serious injury which may rule him out of the tournament, Colombia’s odds of reaching the latter stages would be much higher. They remain, however, a squad which is literally brimmed with talent. When you notice that the team includes names such as Fredy Guarin, Cristian Zapata, Juan Cuadrado, David Ospina, Jackson Martinez, Luis Muriel whilst including the experience that Mario Yepes and Juan Camilo Zuniga bring with them, one realises that this squad would be anything but a walk-over, Falcao or no Falcao. Head coach Jose Pekerman will be hoping that the AS Monaco starlet recovers in time in order to further bolster this impressive team.
In recent years, the French national team did little to impress fans, whether it’s their shambolic public rows including then coach Domenech in the 2010 World Cup, or by being one of the most boring teams to watch during Euro 2012. Things have taken a turn for them recently, because although it took France a playoff victory to book their place in Brazil, they’ve shown that they are still just as dangerous. Under head coach Laurent Blanc’s guidance, one finds star players such as Hugo Lloris, Laurent Koscielny, Yohan Cabaye, Franck Ribery, Paul Pogba, Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema which shows exactly why this team can oppose anyone, should they tick positively.
The emergence of Belgian players in the best club leagues has led many fans to realise what a team this really is, having themselves tipped as the ‘ultimate dark horses’ of this tournament by many. The Diables Rouges, led by head coach Marc Wilmots, includes stars such as Simon Mignolet (who is being challenged for his spot by Thibaut Courtois), Daniel Van Buyten, Thomas Vermaelen, Vincent Kompany, Maroune Fellaini, Eden Hazard, Radja Nainggolan, Christian Benteke and Romelu Lukaku. Whilst progression to the final can never be a certainty, current odds would lead one to guess that passage beyond the quarter finals is a real possibility.
Other honourable mentions include England, who are regularly over-hyped by their own media yet still have the potential of impressing. Switzerland enjoyed a highly successful and entertaining qualification phase, albeit being pitted in the easiest qualifying group. Portugal, Russia and Croatia all make up for other teams which could surprise us all this June.
