Deschamps submits his list for Holland friendly...left side issue.

Deschamps calls up his roster for the upcoming friendly - do we have a problem with the left side? First of all the list:

GARDIENS : Lloris (Tottenham/ANG), Mandanda (Marseille), Ruffier (St-Etienne)
DEFENSEURS : Debuchy (Newcastle/ANG), Evra (Manchester United/ANG), Koscielny (Arsenal/ANG), Sagna (Arsenal/ANG), Sakho (Liverpool/ANG), Varane (Real/ESP), Mangala (FC Porto/POR), Digne (PSG)
MILIEUX : Matuidi (PSG), Pogba (Juventus/ITA), Sissoko (Newcastle/ANG), Grenier (Lyon), Cabaye (PSG), Mavuba (Lille)
ATTAQUANTS : Benzema (Real Madrid/ESP), Giroud (Arsenal/ANG), Payet (Marseille), Ribéry (Bayern Munich/ALL), Rémy (Newcastle/ANG), Griezmann (Real Sociedad/ESP), Valbuena (Marseille)

 

The surprise inclusions:

• Digne: The PSG fullback gets his first senior cap after working his way up the youth ranks. Not too surprising a call up since his showing at the U20 World Cup demonstrated his ability and seemed to destined him to eventually take up the left side for France. What is a bit surprising, and somewhat of a concern, is that Deschamps

  

  Future starting left back?

  called him up in lieu of Clichy. Not that the Manchester City left back deserves a call up. But with Evra starting to show his decline for the other Manchester side, does Digne have a legitimate chance to go to Brazil? A chance to start? I think no on the latter but yes on the former. Slightly disconcerting when he gets more time playing for me in FMH 2014 rather than in real life for PSG.
• Griezmann: This is really not a surprise. Once he served his suspension for his transgressions with the U21 national side it was evident that he would get a look from the national side. His recent showings with Real Sociedad against the giants of Barcelona clearly made is exclusion impossible. The one draw back for the youngster, is his spot on the left side is already occupied by...Ribery. It never hurts to have cover. Unfortunately for Griezmann, short of injury he can aspire to at best becoming Ribery's understudy.

There are some interesting names that have been left off the list. Manchester City's left back Clichy was left off. His recent showing wouldn't make anyone scratch their heads with this move. Going to Brazil might be getting further away from him. Assuming Evra would remain the #1 choice at left back, even if by default, there is a real potential that the likes of Digne or another player such as Monaco's Kurzawa being another option. Clichy's teammate - Nasri was also left off the list. He has just returned from injury with Manchester City. I am not sure Deschamps was 100% convinced he needed the mercurial player in his set up. Does he now have the built in excuse to leave him off? Finally, no Abidal. Not really a surprise. The old guard for France is struggling at Monaco. His inclusion, in my opinion, would be to bring some veteran presence and a player that Deschamps can trust in a multitude of roles. But I am not convinced those are valid...

Should be interesting to see how Deschamps rolls out his formation - does he go back to a 4-3-3, which worked with such success against Ukraine? I hope so. I am also curious as to what he does on the right side. Will Payet get his chance? Or back to a Ribery - Benzema - Valbuena line up? Also, does France have a potential issue at left back? Evra will most likely be default starter...but does he still deserve that privilege and can Digne handle the role?

This week training should be very interesting.

Allez les bleus.

Euro 2016 qualifying draw - much to do about nothing

With the Euro expanding to 24 teams for the next edition in France 2016, the qualifiers for the tournament seem to be a bit of a simple walk through for the major nations. The groups:

• Groupe A : Pays-Bas, République tchèque, Lettonie, Turquie, Islande, Kazakhstan
• Groupe B : Bosnie-Herzégovine, Belgique, Pays de Galles, Israël, Chypre, Andorre
• Groupe C : Espagne, Ukraine, Biélorussie, Macédoine, Slovaquie, Luxembourg
• Groupe D : Allemagne, Eire, Ecosse, Pologne, Géorgie, Gibraltar
• Groupe E : Angleterre, Suisse, Estonie, Lituanie, Slovénie, San Marin
• Groupe F : Grèce, Finlande, Irlande du Nord, Roumanie, îles Féroé,
• Groupe G : Russie, Suède, Monténégro, Autriche, Moldavie, Liechtenstein
• Groupe H : Italie, Croatie, Bulgarie, Norvège, Azerbaïdjan, Malte
• Groupe I : France, Portugal, Danemark, Serbie, Arménie, Albanie

France is in Group I but since they are the host nation they are qualified directly, being placed in the group with 5 teams will guarantee them a series of friendlies as they prepare for the tournament.

The rules for the groups - the top 2 of each group go through and the best third placed team go through directly. The remaining 8 3rd place teams will play a home/away playoff for the last four spots. Which means...basically every major nation should be in France in 2 years. Looking over the groups I cannot imagine any of the heads of series not getting through. Russia maybe the only nation that has a potential threat from the likes of Sweden, Montenegro and Austria to finishing in the top two. What to watch will really be about which nation finishes second in each group. But even there I cannot imagine the likes of Turkey, Belgium, Ukraine, Poland, Switzerland, Romania, Sweden, Croatia or Denmark not being strong favorites to finishing in second...or at worst 3rd in which case they go to a playoff!

Bottom line...with 24 nations in the tournament the qualifiers, for the tournament seem to be nothing more than glorified friendlies for the big nations. Alas, how I miss the days when the Euro had 8 nations and qualifiers actually meant something. I know I know...I am harping on the "good old days."  

A new Zizou for Les Bleus

Interesting news coming out of Clairefontaine - Enzo Fernandez (Zidane) - has been called up and will be going to a FFF U19 camp. This might not sound like big news - was there ever really any question that the son of one of the greatest French players not play for his native land??? Reality is there was, and continues to be questions as to whether Enzo doesn't allow himself to be courted by the Spanish national team.

Enzo was born in France, but has spent a considerable amount of time in Spain since his legendary father played for Los Blancos. The young Zizou as been on the Real Madrid youth set up since 2004. There was a lot of debate as to where Enzo would end up. He has chosen playing for Les Bleus...for now. But before we go too crazy, let us pump the breaks

At least we know he has his father's temper

  on this.

There is little argument that Zidane is considered one of the greatest, maybe the greatest player for France (I actually would slot him second behind Platini and in front of Kopa). And one of the greatest players of all time (off the top of my head the top 5 all time players - Pele, Maradonna, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Puskas....throw in Yashin, have to pick a GK!) I cannot imagine the pressure that the young Enzo faces - probably why he goes by Enzo Fernandez (mother's maiden name) rather than Zidane. The fact he is playing for the youth set up for Real Madrid is already a major achievement, the fact he has been called up for the Spanish U15 and now the France U19 is another amazing achievement...but that is a far far far cry from achieving the heights his father reached.

Youth set ups and international teams churn through young talent on a regular basis, you might argue it is a bit of a meat grinder - actually a real meat grinder. The percentage of those players that a)are able to play football professionally to put food on the table is very small b)the honor of being able to play for your nation's A side is even smaller. I remember watching a show about the Nantes youth set up, they interviewed Zidane for some segments where he said, and I paraphrase: "Of all the players at the Cannes youth academy that started with me, I was the only one to go on to play professionally." Don't forget that the Cannes youth set up is one of the best in France - so already pulling in the cream of the crop into the set up. Bottom line, Enzo has all the genes and pedigree to succeed. He is already on a path that sets him up to succeed. But that is not guaranteed...by any stretch of the imagination. It is a nice news story.

But let's not get overly excited, let's not start calling for him to be called up for the Brazil World Cup and let's not expect that he will achieve what his father did. He needs to be allowed to be his player, develop to the level he can achieve. Of course that is easier said than done. Over-hyped youth players come and go - remember a certain Freddy Adu? Let us pump the brakes on Enzo. Wish him the best, and let him achieve what he can, he has enough pressure having the Zidane name...

Cabaye to PSG, another midfielder on the move

So the French international will leave the EPL and head back to Ligue 1. That seems to be counter to the direction of these usual transfers. With a fee north of 20m sterling pounds the star midfielder will head from the Toon Army to Paris. Of course with the deep coffers available at PSG this move is not a surprise. Being able to pay whatever fee necessary, PSG tends to be able to afford the players they want...to a certain extent. But what is the bigger picture here, the one on the pitch.

• For PSG this move was one of the worst kept secrets. PSG lost Rabiot to injury the need to pick up some midfield cover - they were rumored to be pursuing the likes of Mata, Pogba and Cabaye. It is more a question of which player not if they would be adding a midfielder. PSG and Blanc will now have the depth they need if they hope to compete in both Ligue 1 as well as make a deep run in the Champions League. With the likes of Matuidi, Motta, Lucas, Menez and Veratti all competing for time in the midfield it will be interesting to see how Blanc rotates his roster. I think you will see Matuidi, Cabaye and Motta rotating as the two holding players on the pitch. If Blanc wants to go more defensive you might see all three midfielders as the middle 3 in a

  

  Listening to the cash register from Paris

  4-3-3 or even a 4-3-2-1 with Ibra up front and Cavani/Pastore/Menez rotating as the offensive 2. Blanc has more options and depth now, he needs to ensure he utilizes this depth properly and manages the egos.
• Newcastle had legitimate aspirations to finish in the 6, at least finish on the top half of the table. Much of their recent success was in large part how well the "frenchies" on Newcastle were clicking - Cabaye, Sissoko, Remy, Ben Arfa etc - were generating the energy, creativity and some wins. It will be interesting to see how Pardew manages losing a key element for the remainder of the season. I don't think the loss of Cabaye will push Newcastle down to the relegation zone, but the ability to stay top half of table might be a challenge. However, at the end of the day Cabaye was clearly itching to move on - doing a dance with Arsenal over last summer - so Newcastle was able to cash in on a great piece of business. They bought Cabaye from Lille for 4.5m pounds, not a bad profit!
• What about the rest of the league? Mainly Arsenal...once again a player that had been linked to the Gunners - Cabaye - gets away from Wenger. Granted, I am not sure that the priority for the Gunners was another midfielder. But it is another sign of malaise for Arsenal...once again losing out on a player that would have helped Arsenal's title hopes. Yet again, Wenger will not add to a roster that has some glaring holes - another winger would be nice or does Wenger not realize that Walcott is out? What about another striker...a good one not some 20 year old who wouldn't be ready for a few years! I fear that if Arsene does not wake up and do something this week, we will be regretting his inactivity once again when the title slips our of Arsenal's hands...once again.

Seems like this will be a quiet transfer period with only Mata and Cabaye making waves. And Mata was a sale of excess inventory from Chelsea, the fact he went to Manchester United is what made it more interesting. Otherwise the one big club -Arsenal - that needs to make a move has been, frustratingly, quiet. Come on Wenger there are still some days left in Jan...do something...please.

Nasri, the enigma for Deschamps

I has been about week since Manchester City and France midfielder Nasri went down with a knee injury. At first feared to be the worst scenario - a torn knee ligament. However it appears that Samir will be back within 2 months. Assuming he is fully healthy when he returns he will be available for the French national team service in Brazil. So why is this a problem?

When Nasri first went down, I actually thought in the back of my head that this might be a blessing in disguise. Why? Nasri is an enigma for DD. He is too talented to be ignored, yet way too inconsistent to be relied upon game to game. And where was his natural position? Out on the left...well that is where Ribery is firmly entrenched. In the middle of the formation, that makes the most sense, but he does not seem to have the discipline to hold that position. What about the right? He seems to drift too much to keep the right side occupied. Finally does he fit in a 4-3-3 (a formation I hope DD goes with)? For these reasons I felt that if Nasri had been unavailable for selection, that might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Of course now when he comes back to full healthy, gets selected and goes on to have a monster World Cup...I will have to eat my words. Yet I doubt that will happen.

Happy New Year to all...and some bold predictions from the Frog

First of all, a happy New Year to all. Maybe 2014 bring you much joy and happiness.

Here are some bold predictions for the coming year from the Frog:

• Bayern Munich will repeat as Champions League winners. The Bavarian steam roller is looking as solid as it did last season when it won the treble. Not only has this side remained fairly intact from last campaign but it has added Guardiola as well at Gotze - fresh thinking in the management chair and one of the best German players on the pitch. Granted they need to have Robben back at full strength and ensure they do not suffer any injuries, but that can be said for all the other clubs. But in the end I think we will see our first repeat Champions League winners since Milan did it in 1990 powered by their Dutch trio of Rijkaard, Van Basten and Gullit.

  

  Treble repeat?

• PSG will repeat in Ligue 1 and make a deep run in the Champions League. The fat coffers of PSG make them hard to compete with in Ligue 1, and with this buying power I think that the Parisians will make some bold purchases this transfer window to ensure they stay atop Ligue 1 and gear up for a run in the CL. Even if they let go of the likes of Menez, Verratti and Pastore. I could envisage a run at Mata from Chelsea since the Special One does not seem to want to use him or targeting Cabaye at Newcastle (I know Arsenal might go back there, but will Pardew look to stick it to Wenger and ship the midfielder back to France?). Pogba is also in the target but not sure the Old Lady will let go so easily of their young midfielder. That might be a move in the cards for the summer transfer window. PSG have enough depth to hold off the likes of Lille, Monaco and OM for the Ligue 1 title. They also have the talent to make a push in the Champions League...and also a very motivated Zlatan who will want to show the world what they are going to be missing at the World Cup.
• Arsenal will finally win some silverware...and make a big splash this January. The Gunners will win the EPL...if they make that big transfer splash. If Arsenal do not add to this roster they will fade away in the EPL. The fact they drew Bayern is a blessing since it should be a quick ending for their European title hopes. Maybe Wenger should just look at those matches as he would a Carling Cup game and blood some of his youth. Hahaaa. I do think that Wenger will have enough if he adds some muscle this transfer window. Another striker, regardless of what Giroud says, must be

  

  Red Devil coming to the Emirates?

  added. Benteke has been rumored and would be a great fit, Costa is also rumored but I don't see that move happening. A midfielder - Cabaye? Wenger has said he is no longer interested but we shall see. An interesting name that has emerged is Le Petit Velo - Valbuena from OM. He could be a very interesting fit, being able to play in the middle of the park or out on the flanks. There is also the possibility of Wenger adding to his stable of German players and signing Daxler, that would be a real game changer of a move. Of course there is also the possibility of Vermaelen leaving, but could Wenger should have cover with Flamini being able to slot back in an emergency. Bottom line - Wenger makes some of these moves and Arsenal win the EPL.  He doesn't and the Gunners fall back into the pack - not enough depth to sustain the run they are on.
• Only one European nation will get to the World Cup semifinals. And it will not be Spain. The semi finals will pit Brazil vs Germany and Argentina vs Uruguay, a real Copa Sud America feel. South Korea will surprise some by getting of the group stages ahead of Algeria and Russia. Spain will fall in the 1/4 finals to Cavani and Suarez of Uruguay. Brazil will have to face a very difficult gauntlet of European power houses in Holland, Italy and Germany before getting to the finals. The US will surprise many by finishing second in the Group of Death but will crash out in the knock out round against Les Diables Rouge of Belgium...which also means Portugal will fail to impress and actually lose their game to the US and finish third in the group of death. Argentina will have an easier go at it facing the Swiss in the group of 16, then Belgium in the 1/4 finals then having to beat Uruguay and finally setting up an epic Brazil v Argentina World Cup final....where Messi, Higuain, Aguero, Di Maria, et al will win a third World Cup for La Albiceleste. Just think...Brazil v Argentina in a World Cup final...in Rio. Wow.
• France will not entirely embarrass themselves at the World Cup. Les Bleus will win their group and beat Nigeria to get to the 1/4 finals...where they will get trounced by De Nationalmannschaft in the 1/4 finals. However Paul Pogba will emerge as one of the world's best midfield talents as well as the engine that will run the French midfield and team

  

  Surprise inclusion for DD as cover for Ribery on the left?

  for years to come. Deschamps will also lean heavily on the 4-3-3 and maximize the talents of his midfield depth in the likes of Pogba, Cabaye, Matuidi, Sissoko, Mavuba et al. He will also make a surprise inclusion in the national side - Schneiderlan, Niang, Griezmann or Zouma are all candidates for that surprise trip to Brazil. It will be interesting to see who Deschamps looks to bring to Brazil with him, with many of the U21 players that had been suspended by the FFF are now eligible to come back to international duty - that also includes M'Vila. Will DD hold their little visit to a night club against them, or have they paid for their errors? I am sure that DD will also have an eye turned to the upcoming European Championship which will be held in France. Something to keep an eye on.

2014, being a World Cup year, will surely be a great one for footy. What we have to hope for is not big name player get injured prior to the World Cup and they are not all too exhausted from an over flowing domestic season to not give us a great tournament in Brazil. It will be great to see the World Cup head back to South America for the first time since Argentina hosted the event in 1978 and that it has not been back in Brazil since 1950!

Happy New Year to all!

The Champions League draw...yawn

Okay okay, I am being a little facetus, but my interest in the European club competition has been less than enthusiastic for many years now. I have made my view clear that I miss the days when the Champions League was really that...a competition for the clubs that had won their championships! And when the Cup winners Cup and the UEFA Cup both had significance. And yes I realize that genie has long left the bottle and we cannot unring that bell. But I am awaiting the day we have a time machine so we can go back and correct this ill. So let us look at what we do have for this year's version:

• Manchester City–Barcelona: This is a mouth watering match up, the highlight of this round. Much will hinge on the health of Manchester City's Aguero who picked up a calf injury in his sides 6-3 dismantling of Arsenal (serves him right). They have a decent back up in Dzeko but not sure the big Bosnian striker can replicate the form of the Argentine. This match up will be an interesting confrontation between a team that wants to possess - Barcelona and one that is happy to sit back and hit on the counter - Manchester City. The key will be how former Barcelona midfielder Toure does against the likes of Iniesta, Cesc, Xavi et al. If Manchester City can absorb the pressure and hit on the counter this is shaping up to be a titanic battle. If Aguero is healthy I think Manchester City get through...otherwise I will go with the Catalan giants.
• Olympiacos–Manchester United: Probably the best news an embattled Moyes could get. His team should be able to find a way past the Greek side. It will be interesting to see Carroll back at Old Trafford, maybe he finds a way to will the Greek side to defeat his old club...probably not. Manchester United should find a way through.
• AC Milan–Atletico Madrid: An interesting match up between two teams that have flown under the radar in Europe. Atletico is overshadowed by its city rival Real. But with the likes of Villa and the turn coat Costa, they offer a powerful offensive punch that any side in Europe would fear. Milan will of course come in with their expected Italian defensive flair, but they also have their own offensive jewel in the mercurial Balotelli. They also bring to the table other Manchester City outcasts like Robinho as well as former Real Madrid player Kaka. Add to this youth like Niang and you realize that this Milan team has an interesting mix of experience and youth. I think Milan will surprise a few this year. Look for them to get past Atletico.
• Bayer Leverkusen–Paris Saint-Germain: I have read some reports stating PSG will win the Champions League...let's not get to far ahead of ourselves. First this is not your father's Bayer, no Ballack to turn to, but the German side remains dangerous and should not be underestimated. PSG come with a comfortable lead in Ligue 1 and apparently clicking on all cylinders with Cavani and Zlatan both taking turns to score braces for the French club. PSG's form of late should make them a favorite to get through this tie. I think a motivated Zlatan has the potential of carrying the club very far. I am sure he is still grumpy about Sweden missing out on the World Cup.
• Galatasaray–Chelsea: Never easy playing the Turkish giant, especially in Istanbul! Chelsea has been hot and cold this season. Just look at their recent form in the EPL. Losing to Stoke on Dec 7 and drawing with West Brom. Not exactly results you expect from a side with title aspirations. The Special One, however, is usually at his best in these types of situations. Of course he will he going up against a player most associated with his success at Chelsea - Drogba. I am sure the Ivory Coast captain will be highly motivated for this tie. Add to the mix the creativity of Sneijder and I see a very hotly contested match up. I think Chelsea will get through, but barely.
• Schalke–Real Madrid: Not a friendly draw for the last of the Spanish clubs. The German club from the industrial region will face off against the glamor boys of Real. Too bad Raul no longer plays for the German giants, otherwise that would be the main story line. Regardless it should be a tougher match up than Real had wished for. In the end I think the mini-Galaticos will be too much for Huntelaar and company. Look for the pretty boys of Bale, Ramos, Ronaldo etc to come of out of this tie.
• Zenit St. Petersburg–Borussia Dortmund: Last year's runner up got the second easiest draw, after Manchester United. The question is whether or not the German giants can hold on to their players during the January transfer window with the likes of Reus and Lewandowski both having major transfer rumors swirling around them. If the squad stays intact for the season, then I cannot see how Hulk and his Russian mates can bring down the German giant. Of course all bets are off if Borussia sell off some of their talent - but I would be surprised with Champions League games on the books for this season.
• Arsenal–Bayern Munich: Ouch ouch ouch. Tough draw for the Gunners. Had to go up against the same side last year and ended up losing a tough tie. So what has changed since then? Well Bayern has added to their trophy case and Arsenal...well they have not. Granted the Gunners are sitting in first place in England, but how tenuous is that lead??? Oh and Bayern has added the likes of Gotze...wait wasn't he a Wenger target...oh right he was, another player Arsenal missed out on. So the Gunners have the challenge of facing a Bayern side that is clicking on all cylinders and that has improved from last season. Ouch. I think this is where Arsenal's lack of quality depth will rear its ugly head. I just cannot envisage the Gunners keeping the Bavarian giants at bay. Arsenal drop out of yet another Champions League...well at least that will allow them to focus on the EPL!

Let the games begin!

World Cup draw part 2 - what is in store for France and the US?

I covered off the first half of the draw in my last post, now let us take a look at the second half of the draw. Might be some surprises with these groups.

Group E: The Khao group...reference to bland mushy rice they feed to babies and old people from Hangover 2. Might be the least competitive group. Talk about being fortunate, a few weeks ago after their visit to Kiev it looked all but certain that Les Bleus would only be going to Brazil as tourists next year. After 90 crazy minutes in Paris and brace from the most unlikely of players - Sakho - France were headed to Brazil. This is where France's good fortune continued - suppose to be slotted into one of the groups with a South American head of series (50/50 chance of getting either Brazil or Argentina) missed out on this and drew the softest head of group - Switzerland. The other sides drawn were also not the biggest fish...granted had it been Iran and Algeria it might have been even softer of a group. But a mushy group none the less.

• Ecuador. The South American side is fancied by some to making a run into the 1/4 finals. Could happen, a very weak group, one where anything can happen. If Ecuador were allowed to play these games at home then I would absolutely say they would go through, but alas they will not be playing at elevation. I think they are getting a lot of "credit" because they are playing on their home continent. Reality is they have one real world class player, and that might be a stretch as well, Antonio Valencia. Granted they have a decent chance to get out of the group, just because it is the khao group.
• France. Of course you know that the Frog will spend the next 7 months waffling back and forth on how this side will do next summer. Honestly I could see them finishing last with one point or first with the full complement of 9 points and then making a run to the semi finals...bottom line is France need to thank their lucky stars for getting this draw. Reality is their second team should fare well in this group. Seriously. Off the top of my head here would be your second side -  Carrasso - Tremoulinas, Mangala, Mbiwa, Jallet - Scheiderlin, Kondogbia, Gourcuff - Ben Arfa, Lacazette, Menez - I think this collection would be more than competitive in this group. Much will depend on the mind set for this team. If they play like they did against Ukraine in Paris, look out. If they play like they they did in Kiev, then enjoy the brief visit to Brazil.
• Honduras. Finishing 3rd in CONCACAF gets them directly through to the World Cup. Honestly they should be a safe 3 points for all the other sides in the group - seriously one of their best players, Bengtson, plays for the New England Revolution. They have the "luck" of playing Les Bleus in the first game, France who are not always the best starters in tournaments. If they pull off the hold up and get a draw they might fancy their outside chance at sneaking into the next round....but I doubt it.
• Switzerland. The worst top of group nation, that wasn't the home nation (South Africa as the #1 seed was worse...and yes I know they beat the French in that WC, Japan was also a week #1 but both were host nations). There I said it! All this noise around Switzerland feels like buzz that is being created to justify their seeding as well as ensure there is interest in watching these matches.Granted the Swiss have some talent - Xhaka and Shaqiri come to mind (both exiles from Eastern Europe).  But they qualified in the easiest group of Europe  - Iceland, Slovenia, Norway, Albania and Cyprus - seriously? Wonder if Platini did Sepp a solid by giving him native land this qualifying group and now Sepp returned the favor slotting France in this World Cup group! Last World Cup the Swiss did beat eventual champions Spain in the first game, but then fell to Chile and could not defeat Honduras and left third in the group. Again in the khao group any of the 4 nations can go through.
• Predicted finish - France, Ecuador, Switzerland, Honduras. Again, the Frog will, guarantee, rearrange this order at least a half dozen times between now and next summer. As I stated in the beginning of this post, France could get only a draw against Honduras and lose the other two games or storm through this group beating every team. Who knows. But if Les Bleus do not go through to the knock out stage...they can all stay in South America. None of the other nations have the midfield to match up against a potential - Pogba, Matuidi, Cabaye set up....Allez les bleus, you got lucky, now take advantage of that good fortune.

Group F: The khao with some flavorful beef group. Mildly, at best, competitive group. Three so so nations, with one powerhouse. No surprise but this is Argentina's group to lose and really should be an exercise at who finishes second.

• Argentina. Messi, Aguero, Higuain, Lavezzi, Di Maria...how is that is for some offensive talent? Not sure how any of the nations in this group will slow down this wagon. In addition, I feel as if Argentina and Messi are finally in sync. Messi is scoring goals and led his nation to a fairly comfortable qualification. Of course they might be the nation with the second most pressure heading into this tournament, after the hosts. Playing back on their home continent and the reality that the Albiceles have not had a good World Cup (for their standards) since the 1990 version in Italy where they reached the finals, since then it has been 1/4 finals at best. The pressure will build as we get closer to the summer, who knows if Argentina will live up to the

  

  Celebrating deep into the tournament?

  expectations...but they surely will not disappoint in the group stages.
• Bosnia-Herzegovina. The former Yugoslavian nation has some talent - Dzeko, Spahic, Pjanic to name a few. No team should sleep on this nation. I do question how they will play away from the European continent. Tough draw for Bosnia from the stand point that they have to open against the favorite - Argentina. And they don't play the minnows - Iran until the last game. Bosnia must ensure at least a point from their first two games and look to win big against Iran if they hope to get through.
• Iran. The middle eastern nation has a legitimate chance at being the last place team in the entire tournament, unless of course Les Bleus do what they did 4 years ago and take that spot! With a team made up primarily of domestic players, they do not necessarily have enough experience players that play in bigger leagues. Look for a three game visit for Iran.
• Nigeria. The Super Eagles are always a dangerous team in these tournaments. They will be a dangerous opponent in this edition as well. Nigeria has the fortune that they will be facing Argentina on the last day, both nations may already be qualified. This team is one that is in transition with many players still playing domestically. One key for Nigeria will be the form of their keeper - Enyeama who has been the best keeper in Ligue 1 for Lille this season. The Super Eagles should be one of the danger teams in this tournament.
• Predicting finish: Agentina, Nigeria, Bosnia, Iran. I cannot imagine how the Messi boys cannot find their way to the head of this group. The Super Eagles should take advantage of the schedule to find enough to get into the knock out stages.

Group G: Cyanide group. Highly competitive group. This is the group of death, no doubt...the main reason, the presence of the United States in this group. Groups B and D are tough, but they do not have the depth from top to bottom. The US will face a massive challenge to get through this group, but definitely not impossible.

• Germany. The class of this group, one of the favorites for the World Cup title. With the creativity of Ozil, coupled with the likes of Muller, Gotze, Kroos, Daxler and Gomez and you have a scary creative machine. Question is do they still lean on the dinosaur Klose for goals? And is Lahm still going to be called on to hold down the flanks? Also a concern is whether or not Khedira is back in full fitness from a knee injury in time.

  

  Thumbs up on being ready for WC?

  Some of their short comings may come back to haunt them, but certainly not in this group.
• Portugal. So Portugal fail to qualify directly and have to beat Sweden to get to Brazil, and all of a sudden they are in the top 10 for the FIFA rankings and pointed to as a favorite. Really? Yes they have talent, yes Ronaldo plays for them and yes this is still Portugal a nation that could easily go to the finals or crash out in the first round. In qualifying they drew against Isreal twice and Northern Ireland once...really? Yes they took out Zlatan and Sweden, but why are we to believe that the typical over-hyped Portugal isn't the team that is going to show up in Brazil? Portugal also has to open up against Germany, if the German machine steamrolls the Portugese, I could see Ronaldo and his mates just melting away and going home with their tails between their legs. Of course they could also man up and go on  deep run...anything is possible with this bunch.
• United States. Poor Klinsmann, will have to face the nation he managed to the semi finals of the 2006 World Cup. He also inherits the group of death for the world cup. But hey, the US went toe to toe with Germany in their last match up and won 4-3 so clearly they have the upper hand. Ha. Okay so the US looks like they should be 3 and done, but not so fast. I do not expect but would not be surprised to see the US get out of this group. They open up against Ghana, and yes the Black Stars have knocked out the US the past two World Cups. But the US gets to open against the Black Stars, so we will see if this version of Ghana is similar to the ones that took out the US or if they are a team in transition. The US then goes up against Portugal, a team they have some World Cup success against. In 2002 when the US pulled off a huge upset it was against a much more balanced and overall talented Portugal team, one that was expected to be a real threat in the South Korea/Japan World Cup. Finally I would no discount the fact that Klinsmann does have vast experience and knowledge of the Mannschaft. Could he game plan that last game to getting some type of result for the US? Maybe.
• Ghana. The Black Stars are becoming a regular at these World Cups, which is wonderful. Reality was it not for that cannibal Suarez and his blatant hand ball at the end of the Uruguay - Ghana game, then the Black Stars could have been the first African nation to have reached a World Cup semi final. I was looking over their roster and surprised at the ages of some players, players like the Ayew brothers, Gyan, Boateng, Muntari are all under 30. They are in their prime and have some creative and scoring talent. Question is how well does Essien play for the Black Stars? And how does this defensive core of the team hold up. There are a lot of question marks on that side of the pitch for me. 
• Predicted finish: Germany, United States, Ghana, Portugal. Yup, you read it here first...or at least that is what I am going to say! The United States pulls off the upset of the first round and gets out of the group of death! The one thing for me about the group of deaths in prior World Cups is that one of the teams that goes through is usually one of the nations no one expects to get out of the group. As I stated above, I think the US has a decent chance, I think that Portugal is way over-hyped and I honestly think the US could get a result against all three nations (when I say result I do not mean a victory...no reason to think they cannot draw against a German team that might be resting all their starters in the last game)

Group H: Moules frites group. Mildly competitive group, but some tasty bits. For most casual observers this would be a boring group, but I think the Red Devils of Belgium might have something to say at this World Cup and just for that it is a group worthy of your attention.

• Belgium. Not since the teams of Scifo in the 1980s has there been so much hope for a squad from Belgium. That hope is well grounded with the likes of Hazard, Lukaku, Fellaini, Kompany, Vermaelen, Benteke to name a few. This side has the talent and

  

  Ready to show the world their true colors.

  has been on from lately. They also drew a group that should be theirs for the taking. The question is can they handle this pressure? There are some in Belgium that are openly talking of this side winning the tournament. That is a tremendous amount of pressure for a nation that has not been a regular at major tournaments.
• Russia. The next host of the World Cup will want to ensure a good showing this edition. This side is one of the old school national teams, with almost all their players plying their trade in the domestic league. This can sometimes be a massive advantage for a nation. It will be interesting to see how Shirokov and his teammate navigate a relatively simple group.
• Algeria. Algeria fancied their chances in the last World Cup of somehow squeezing by and getting to the knock out stages. They did not show poorly, losing a tough game to Slovenia, drawing with England and losing a dramatic match against the US. The former French colony is built on a number of French born players - Feghouli, Taider, Boudebouz, Yebda, etc. They have been building on their last World Cup showing and won their qualification group with relative ease. They should fancy their chances this time around again, but they get to face off against South Korea in the second game. That match up may determine if either one has an outside shot at taking second place in the group.
  
• South Korea. The South Koreans have long enjoyed status as the premier Asian footballing nation. This has not changed even with the arrival of Australia into AFC. The South Koreans are never an easy opponent to play. Look for them to rely on some of their European exports to lead this side. A second place finish would not be out of the realm of possibility.
• Predicted finish: Belgium, South Korea, Russia, Algeria. Belgium is the class of this group, as long as they don't soil their shorts on this stage they should find their way of out the group in the #1 spot. I think that South Korea's experience in these tournaments, and the fact they do not have to face the Red Devils until the 3rd game means they do what it takes to get through.

Phew...so there is the draw! Of course as I keep stating, the Frog will most likely change his thinking on this at least a half dozen times between now and the start of the World Cup.

Let the debate continue!