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World Cup draw: Andy Gray & Richard Keys have their say

World Cup draw: Andy Gray & Richard Keys have their say

The draw for the group stages of the World Cup has thrown up some mouth watering prospects.

Here Andy Gray and Richard Keys, who front Al Jazeera Sport’s English Premier League television coverage, predict who will survive and who will take an early bath.

GROUP A
Brazil
Croatia
Mexico
Cameroon

Andy Gray: This is a good draw for the hosts. They have avoided the giant European sides and Cameroon are not the best African team, so overall I think Brazil will be very happy and confident of going through but who goes through with them is not quite so clear cut.

Mexico scraped through to the finals but often teams who struggle with qualification can surprise so I don’t dismiss them entirely but I fancy Croatia to go through with Brazil.

They have some great players and I think they are growing as a nation on the world stage so unless Cameroon and Mexico can find the kind of form we haven’t seen much of recently, they will both be going home.

Richard Keys: Obviously, Brazil will go through and I would expect Croatia to join them. I would have liked to have seen Mexico play Brazil in the opening game because I think that would have been a real stormer but it was not to be and although I like the Mexicans I think the Croats are more tournament smart.

GROUP B
Spain
Holland
Chile
Australia

AG: Most people you talk to will say the two teams who contested the last World Cup Final will be the teams to beat in this group and it’s hard to disagree with that.

I wouldn’t write off Chile too quickly because they are a decent side and we saw them go to Wembley recently and beat England in convincing style. They will also have huge support in South America but unless Spain and Holland mess it up I can’t see them failing to get the job done and progressing to the next round.

RK: I was talking to Ruud Gullit and Michel Salgado on Friday night and none of us could see anyone other than Spain and Holland coming out of this group, assuming the Dutch discipline stays intact and they don’t implode at an early stage which is possible. Chile will fancy themselves but they aren’t good enough to get past Spain and Holland.

GROUP C
Colombia
Greece
Ivory Coast
Japan

AG: This is the only group where every team will think they have a chance to go through. How Colombia are seeded I will never know. They have a shocking World Cup record and have always struggled to qualify let alone do anything impressive and yet here they are as a so-called top side.

However, they do have Falcao and he can always win a game for them which gives them a slight advantage, which in this group is critical.

Japan are a decent side who are improving, Greece are stubborn but don’t get enough goals and the Ivory Coast are unpredictable. When they had players like Drogba in their pomp they looked good but I think those days are gone. This is a tough one to call but I’m going for Colombia and Japan.

RK: I’m going for Ivory Coast and Greece, the African side to entertain and Greece to dig in and grind their way through which they are more than capable of doing as they proved in the European Championships in 2004. I don’t fancy Japan to do anything and Colombia don’t have enough good players.

GROUP D
Uruguay
Costa Rica
England
Italy

AG: They will all beat Costa Rica and if they don’t the team that fails to do that doesn’t deserve to go through so, as far as I am concerned, this is a three-team group.

Uruguay will sail through without any problem so it will be a battle between England and Italy for the other spot. I don’t think it’s a disaster that England have got Italy first.

The opening game of a World Cup often catches out Italy so it might be a good thing for Roy Hodgson’s team to get them before they get into their stride which is what usually happens. I would love to say England will progress but I don’t think they have enough good players and the centre-back position worries me more than anything, so I am going to say Italy will qualify for the next stage.

RK: What a draw for England! Geoff Hurst should never be allowed home! Obviously, I would like to say England but I am going to have to say Uruguay and Italy will go through.

The only shred of hope is that everyone has already written off England’s chances so there is not much pressure on them but the bottom line is that they are not good enough.

Hodgson has done well to get them there but you can’t, in all honesty, see them progressing. Uruguay are a good side and the Italians are dogged and street-wise. Bye Bye England.

GROUP E
Switzerland
Ecuador
France
Honduras

AG: This is probably the easiest group to predict with France and Switzerland going through. Equador and Honduras have no predigree at international level and I will be amazed if even the French, who have a habit of messing up, manage to cock it up.

The French are lucky to be drawn in this group and if Didier Deschamps can keep them all singing from the same hymn sheet they have a real chance in this tournament. Switzerland are not great but they have enough to progress.

RK: All of a sudden France, who got through qualifying by the skin of their teeth, have a really good chance of not only progressing but going deep into the tournament. Switzerland will also get through.

GROUP F
Argentina
Bosnia-Herz
Iran
Nigeria

AG: You can forget Iran because they will be the whipping boys in this group. Argentina will be far too strong for the others so they are through which means it is a battle between Nigeria and Bosnia-Herzegovina who are making their debut in the World Cup. Because of that I think Bosnia might find it tough going so I can see Nigeria getting through.

RK: Definitely Argentina and I would think Nigeria. It would be nice if there was a surprise somewhere along the line but Iran haven’t got a hope in this company and I don’t think Bosnia-Herzegovina have enough experience to cause an upset in their debut tournament. I also think Nigeria are a good team who might go on to upset one or two teams.

GROUP G
Germany
Portugal
Ghana
USA

AG: This is the toughest group of them all. Germany and Portugal are fabulous sides at their best and of course we have the best footballer in the world at the moment in Ronaldo.

It is an extremely big ask for the USA and Ghana to get anywhere near the top two and I think they will both be packing their bags and going home after the group stages.

RK: Germany will definitely go through and I am going to surprise you all a bit by predicting that the USA will get through with them.

Somewhere, something daft will happen, and it might just be that USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann could conjure up something that will surprise us. I like him and I think the USA are a good side. They could grind out one here and they could nick a point there. Yes, Portugal have Ronaldo, but what else?

GROUP H
Belgium
Algeria
Russia
S. Korea

AG: Belgium will go through and could go on to do well. Russia will also get out of this group because they have experience and know how to get the job done.

RK: Yes, Belgium, but I don’t think they will go on to do as well as some expect. Russia will do well in this group because Fabio Capello will have them organised and he’ll want to get further than England.

SIX STAND-OUT FIXTURES OF THE GROUP STAGE

Brazil v Croatia
June 12, Arena de São Paulo, Sao Paulo

The game that kicks the tournament off should prove to be Brazil’s toughest encounter in Group A. Nerves are sure to be prevalent in what remains a young Selecao while Croatia possess enough individual talent in Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic to trouble the hosts.

Crucially though the Croats will be without their best striker Mario Mandzukic who serves a two-game suspension for a red card in the play-offs.

Spain v Netherlands
June 13, Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

A repeat of the disappointing 2010 final when the Dutch tried to bully Spain off the park. Louis van Gaal’s group are a different side to that one, based on youth, especially in defence, after the disaster of Euro 2012.

Spain and their style are one of the few constants in world football but they are slow starters and lost their first game of 2010 to Switzerland. So hope for the Dutch.

England v Italy
June 14, Arena Amazonia, Manaus

A repeat of the Euro 2012 quarter-final in which the English were outclassed by Andrea Pirlo and the Azzurri. The fact they managed to take that tie to penalties emphasises what Roy Hodgson has done to the Three Lions by making them extremely hard to beat.

While this game could be a cagey, low scoring affair. Wayne Rooney v Mario Balotelli should certainly spice it up.

Argentina v Bosnia-Herz
June 15, Estádio do Maracanã Rio de Janeiro

Bosnia get to enjoy their first slice of World Cup football in one of the planet’s most iconic stadiums against Argentina and the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, and Ezequiel Lavezzi..

There are question marks over Argentina’s defence and with Bosnia boasting Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic, this clash could be a real delight.

Germany v Portugal
June 16, Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

Salvador has the privilege of hosting the two biggest games of the group stage – in terms of prestige – and features some of the most naturally gifted players in world football: Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, Joao Moutinho, Mario Gotze, Marco Reus, Andre Schurrle.

Portugal are always impossible to call, given how much they rely on Ronaldo, but Germany remain a team susceptible to the counter.

Colombia v Ivory Coast
June 19, Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha, Brasilia

Given how close Group C could be this could prove decisive. Colombia would have had their considerable attacking abilities stretched to the maximum by obdurate Greece while the Ivorians would have encountered the technical prowess of Japan by the time these two meet.

It also pits two of the modern eras best natural No9s against each other in Falcao and Didier Drogba.

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