Group C- The Group of the Unknown

Last night typifies what every single person wants from football as they turn on their TV before every match. We had everything, starting with Mexico who surprised me with a lot of things. Firstly, the decision to drop Chicharito for the first game of the World Cup (Yes, I had him as their key man, I apologise) was not expected by me anyways, although a few journalists had claimed his position was in jeopardy. Secondly, the 5 at the back system didn't surprise me, but the implementation of it was surprisingly good. They pressed very high and Cameroon never actually got a chance to attack Mexico. But, what surprised me most was the incredible performance from Giovani Dos Santos. Although Dos Santos has been doing well in Spain recently, I had expected him to flop at this tournament. But, his performance last night was incredible and Mexico's 1-0 win didn't flatter them as they had 2 goals chalked off in controversial circumstances. As good as Mexico were in Group A, the first game of Group B will be the one that takes all the headlines. The Netherlands managed to get revenge on Spain for the 2010 World Cup final as they beat the holders 5-1. Having admitted in my Group B preview that Louis Van Gaal would come under scrutiny in his post at Manchester United very early on, should he fail at this World Cup, this result came as the most pleasant surprise. Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben stole the show in what was a terrific (in particular) second half display for the Dutch side. As good as the Netherlands were, let's not expect their win to be fully attributed to the heart and desire they showed following what was a diabolical performance from national captain Iker Casillas. One must wonder if the keeper will hold his reputation as being "charmed" after that. With David De Gea and Pepe Reina waiting for their chance, Casillas is under huge pressure to deliver in the next game. Chile vs Australia was far more predictable than the first game in Group B. However, the Australian manager, Postecoglou, will not feel too disheartened with the performance from his side. Chile took a 2-0 lead within the first 15 minutes, with goals through Alexis Sanchez (should have put him in your fantasy team people) and Jorge Valdivia, and the Australians were written off by many (including myself), however Tim Cahill showed (contrary to my beliefs in the Group B preview once again- yes, I had a bad day) that he's still got it from his days at Everton, as he scored a terrific header. But, as much as the Australians tried to get a second, the final goal from Wigan's Jean Beausejour came as little surprise to anyone. Group B is shaping up to be a terrific group, no pressure on the "minnows" in Group C, eh? 



Colombia:
Key Player: James Rodriguez

Having wrapped up this Ligue 1 season with the most assists (12) of any player in the league following his huge move from Porto to Monaco last summer, there is a huge expectancy around the world on the shoulders of James ("Ha-mez") Rodriguez to deliver the goods for Colombia this summer. Having joined Monaco at an exciting time in the club's history and undoubtedly being extremely overpaid for his work whilst there, this 22 year old who can play on the left wing or through the centre is ready to take his brilliant performances on to the world stage. At just 22 we know he will more than likely be there for at least 2 more world cups, but one must feel that Colombian football is at a high at the moment with high profile names such as: Pablo Armero, Jackson Martinez, Fredy Guarin, Juan Cuadrado, David Ospina, Carlos Bacca and Adrian Ramos amongst the names involved in this squad. Don't be surprised if Colombia go far, even without Radamel Falcao. James Rodriguez is another man to ensure you have in your Fantasy Football teams.

No Falcao? No Problem Carlos Bacca

What a season this 27 year old has just had. Having signed for a €7 million last summer for Sevilla, Bacca has been instrumental in their campaign which left the Spanish side winning the Europa League final against Benfica. Having scored both goals in Sevilla's 2-1 win over Real Madrid, Carlos Bacca has incredibly found himself linked with Barcelona over this season. Now, I personally don't see this deal occurring, but the 27 year old's 14 goals in 27 starts in La Liga make him the player to watch in this tournament. Lots of people see Jackson Martinez as the replacement for Falcao initially, however, I'm of the opinion that it won't be long until Bacca is bouncing around towards the higher end of the top scorers at this tournament. Watch this space as this late developer's career continues to blossom.

Japan:
Key Player: Shinji Kagawa

Another disappointing year was had for Kagawa this season at Manchester United. Having won the Premier League in his first season at United, many will be wondering why I see his time at the club as such a disappointment, but those who have watched United regularly will notice how disappointing his impact has been any time he's made it on to the pitch at Old Trafford. But, here's a chance for him to silence those who are beginning to doubt whether he has the credentials to play for the Red Devils. His small figure is somewhat deceptive to those who have not seen him as he shows great strength on the ball. His incredible vision often requires strikers to be on his wave length very quickly and let's hope that his international team mates understand the type of player he is by now. Let's get ready for the Kagawa we saw at Dortmund during this tournament.

Confident Man: Keisuke Honda

Honda, who plays for AC Milan- and has also been somewhat disappointing during his time there- has baffled many journalists by claiming that Japan have enough to win the World Cup. Now, I must admit that I have not seen enough of this Japanese side to give this opinion in 100% confidence, but I'm 99% sure that I will not see Southampton's Maya Yoshida lifting the World Cup trophy any time soon. The Japanese won a lot of people's hearts last summer at the Confederations Cup, especially during their thriller against European giants Italy, but Honda- who's name has always been very highly thought of in European football since his time at CSKA Moscow- may just have overshot the mark with this prediction. Although, I do think they have the potential to do well, should they get out of the group- which is no given!

Greece:
Key Player: Kostas Mitroglou

When Mitroglou joined Fulham from Olympiakos last January, I was amongst the people who thought the 26 year old from Kavala in Greece would be enough to steer Fulham away from the dreaded r-word. But, he never really hit form during his first 6 months in London and was often not seen on the pitch for a few weeks. The most expensive player in Greek football history costing Fulham £15 million, Mitroglou will have strong pressure on his shoulders from the Greek contingency in Brazil following the national team. Personally, I hope Mitroglou stays at Fulham next season to try and guide them back to the Premier League after the faith they showed spending such ludicrous money on the flop, but a move seems quite likely and this World Cup is the perfect shop window for him to perform on. Expect him to score 1 or 2 goals, but not many more than that as Greece are renowned for their lack of goals.

Past It? Giorgos Karagounis

Currently a free agent following his time at Fulham, question marks must be raised as to whether a 37 year old man, who looked to be struggling for fitness in England last season will be able to cope with the intense heat in Brazil? Personally, I think Karagounis may be going one international tournament too far with his career in Brazil this summer. But, maybe it his desire to play and fight for his country that will be a catalyst for Greek success. I'd see progression past this unpredictable group as a huge achievement for a Greek side full of ageing players.

Ivory Coast:
Key Player: Yaya Toure

Goals, power, pace, aggression, technique and an incredible ability to pass the ball, Yaya Toure is the "perfect" midfielder. Having taken until he was 30 to have his best season, Yaya Toure's 31st birthday is up there with the most controversial in history as he is rumoured to be looking to leave Manchester City following their lack of acknowledgement towards his big day. Surely this desire to depart the club has left teams like PSG, Real Madrid and Monaco ready to satisfy the big man's love for being loved. Ivory Coast's hopes of pulling off an upset and progressing out of the group stage. A man who should be considered for all fantasy football teams due to his ability to find passes and his fantastic free kicks! Watch out for Yaya steamrollering his way past midfields in Group C.

The Old Or The New Drogba? Didier Drogba or Wilfried Bony

Didier got a lot of criticism for his performances vs Chelsea in this seasons Champions League for Galatasaray, but with this being his last World Cup, he'll be looking to ensure he manages to start ahead of Swansea star Bony. As I've seen a lot more of Bony than Drogba, it would be unfair for me to say that he's better, but from what I've seen of the two in the past 24 months, Bony looks more and more like the Drogba that first joined Chelsea from Marseille all them years ago. I expect his career to only get better and better from here and it will be intriguing to see if the younger Drogba is chosen for Ivory Coast in the coming tournament! Don't go putting either in your Fantasy Football teams though, because it's a risky guess to make. Is Bony the beginning of Ivory Coast's new "Golden Generation"? Well, that's something we'll only see after this World cup.

Prediction: The bit where I make an idiot of myself as usual? Well, I'm going to make a prediction that Colombia will manage 7 points in the group and finish top. I think Greece will finish 4th, but they would put forward a good claim to being involved in the qualification mix with a strong performance against Colombia tonight. Don't let that fool you though! Ivory Coast vs Japan at 2 a.m is the key game in this group I think. I'm going to go and say Japan to progress, but don't expect them to avoid a nervy start tonight. I'm predicting a high scoring 3-2 win for the Japanese. If this group is as good as the first 2 have begun to be, I'll be surprised, but it's one to keep an eye on as there's some potential "giant killers" in the group.

GROUP E TO COME SOON!!!!