Group A - Preview

Group A is a good starting point for those new at filling out a World Cup bracket.  Picking the team that will take 1st place in this group should be a lay up, a lock, a foreseen conclusion.  It would take some serious courage to pick against the tournament host here. But let's take a look!

Brazil:

Brazil and Soccer are synonymous. You cannot fully experience Brazilian culture without experiencing the country's deep love of the game.  It's a tradition, a religion, and a way of life.

The host of the tournament (and many pundits favorite to win the whole thing) are an entertaining team that have shown they can feed off the the carnival atmosphere of their fan base with a resulting energy of play that makes any opposition seem like practice dummies placed randomly around the pitch just to make things a little more interesting.

A young superhero that goes by the name Neymar is the focal point of the squad.  Last summer in the Confederations Cup (a warm up tournament that tests the host country's readiness) the team sent pass after pass Neymar's way and simply watched with jaws dropped as his spectacular performance lead them to a 3-0 win over reigning world champions Spain.  The team doesn't just go as Neymar goes though.  They are stocked full of world class players that can all change a game on their own at any moment.  Their ONLY danger is how the home fans might react if they start slow or go behind early.  But if the famous yellow-clad squad stay focused going forward and keep the fans behind them, well then... ole, ole, ola!

Mexico:

Our neighbors to the south, usually the powerhouse of the CONCACAF (our region), find themselves in an unfamiliar lurch at the moment  At the beginning of this qualifying campaign Mexico was the usual favorite to run away with first place. But after a rough stretch that saw them go through 4 coaches in 6 games they found themselves facing the unfamiliar foe of elimination. It was a meaningless equalizing goal by Graham Zusi for an already qualified U.S. team that miraculously saved Mexico's qualifying hopes and left the team's commentators and a nation full of El-Tri fans literally praising Zusi as their savior! (This video is worth the watch)

But Mexico did show resolve in the end.  They blew through a two game play-off series with New Zealand to claim one of the tournaments last spots. And they have shown promise (and hints of longevity) with their current coach, Miguel Herrera, who has lead them to some promising showings in their build up games thus far.  The player to watch is Oribe Peralta. If they can feed the striker who scored 5 of their goals in the play-off and can keep a solid defensive formation intact against the explosive offenses in their group - they may just have a prayer at repeating some of the glories of their past.

Croatia:

It's in the Balkans...you know the former Yugoslavia...  Okay, okay. Look at a map, find Italy, and draw a line straight east. Yes, right across the water, that's it. Believe me, the coast line is phenomenal! And this country enjoys their soccer too. They dawn the red and white checkers whenever their boys takes the field, seeing the squad as an expression for their nation's freedom. Their team, like their coast line, is a hidden gem - unknown to most but full of potential and promise. They actually have a lot of experience in their ranks. Nine of their players have over 5o caps (National Team games played). And their best player, Real Madrid's Luka Modric, nimbly patrols the mid-field, breaking up opposition attacks and feeding seeing-eye passes to more than able strikers like Mario Mandzukic.  This combo alone could see them make a run in Brazil.

Croatia's Achilles heel is their PAST. Though they are stocked with experienced players the memories those players have are not ones of tournament experiences to remember. Croatia failed to escape the first round in both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. In 2010 they couldn't even punch their ticket to the show in South Africa. Thus, the most important team member may be their Sports Psychologist. If they finally want to get through to the knockout stages they are going to have to forget the past and play anew in Brazil.  If they are able to do that then they undeniably have the talent to be playing for the second spot in this group.

Cameroon:

Samuel Eto'o. That's the name to remember and player to watch when the Indomitable Lions take the field. The 32 year old captain, who currently play for Chelsea in the English Premier League, is the team's leading scorer. He averages an astonishing goal a game when he pounds the grass for his country. He is paired with Pierre Webo up front who was also very productive during qualifying. They have a great midfield too, and talent throughout the spine of their team (The middle positions from goalie to striker).

Cameroon, on their day, can easily be one of the most entertaining teams in the world to watch. Their speed and creativeness when combined can can make for an edge of your seat spectacle. Their weakness though is one most other African teams don't normally face; age. Their best players are also their oldest. Eto'o and Alex Song, who plays for the famous team Barcelona in Spain's La Liga, are the same age and have both seen their club minutes become more limited as younger talent step into the limelight. Therefore this may be a last gasp effort before Cameroon needs to turn a new leaf.  But if they can fill their experienced lungs with enough oxygen they could dance their way through to another round or two.

Happy picking!