By David Katz (@Dkatzpompey)
Spain X Portugal:
The football world’s eyes opened collectively when we learned that we would be treated to this battle of Iberian powerhouses in Group B. What did we do to deserve this? The storylines write themselves. We have unlimited star power, Spanish coaching turmoil, Cristiano and Sergio. The teams square up for the last game of the first full day of fixtures (thank you FIFA). Portugal holds the European Championship belt and Spain might have something different about them this year, certainly looking forward to the opportunity for redemption after their early exit last tournament. Spain and Portugal- vamos a la playa!
England X Belgium:
The two best teams in Group G will meet each other in their last group stage game. These two are expected to be battling to win the group. Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, De Bruyne, Fellaini, Courtois, Kompany, and many other Belgian stars will face off against their English teammates representing the Three Lions. England has a young and exciting team but many are rating Belgium as a dark horse favorite in Russia. This game will live up to the hype and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some drama in this one.
Colombia X Poland:
This game might not pop off the fixture sheet, butGroup H is going to be a fun group. Expect chaos. Obviously nothing is given but we can expect these two to fight for the top spot as the two clash in the second game of the group. Poland appears ready to go,tuning up Lithuania 4-0 in their final tune-up. With James, Falcao, Cuadrado, Bacca, and other European-based stars, many would say that this is Colombia’s group to lose. But equipped with a certified superstar in Robert Lewandowski, Poland is ready to mount a challenge.
Argentina X Croatia:
The top two teams in Group D in what many are calling the group of death. Croatia has a good team with a lot less to lose than Argentina. World-class talent like Luka Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, and Mandzukic means that Croatia can give Argentina lots of problems. Argentina has questions in their defense and goalkeeping and if you couple that with Higuain and Aguero misfiring lately, even more of the burden falls on Messi’s shoulders. The quietly solid Croats against Leo and his crew will be a must watch for sure.
TBD:
The beautiful game. Full of twists and turns, magical moments, golazos and bombazos. One thing I can guarantee is that nothing is guaranteed. Top teams will fall and Cinderella teams will emerge. Denmark or Peru? Russia or Egypt? Mexico Sweden or Korea? Switzerland or Serbia? Fans and experts alike can only speculate as to how the groups will shake out. For this reason the group stage of the world cup is wild and unpredictable. I promise you will be watching a match in the third round with extreme implications that you never thought would matter. Enjoy.
