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SWITZERLAND (Seeded Team)
Switzerland National Team Playing Style and Formation<\/p>\n
Style & formation: The current Swiss side\u00a0adopts a delightful passing style of play as well as pin opposing sides to their own half when they attack. They play with a lot more intensity and attacking urge, which is clearly a different approach to their game as compared with their displays at South Africa 2010.<\/p>\n
The normally deploy two defensive midfielders who sit in front of the back line and act as their first defensive line, albeit one of them being tasked to quickly dash forward on offense. Bayern Munich’s rising star Xherdan Shaqiri starts on the far end of the right flank in a 4-2-3-1 tactical setup but frequently occupies a central position, permitting the offensively ruthless right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner to surge towards the opposition’s defensive area. The combination play between the duo is an essential factor of the team’s offensive approach.<\/p>\n
Strengths: The left-footed winger\u00a0Shaqiri is one of the most highly-rated young talents in Europe this past football season. He helps to make Switzerland tick upfield. Lichtsteiner and Ricardo Rodr\u00edguez\u00a0are very effective wing-backs; they are provide a lot of the team’s energy with their bursting runs forward, hence it comes as no big surprise that they collectively provided the most goal assists by a full-back or a defensive wing player for that matter in their respective leagues in the 2013\/2014 season.<\/p>\n
Weaknesses:\u00a0 The most obvious area of weakness lies in the lack of quality in central defensive positions. The Swiss team can be found wanting at times when opposing sides go on the counter, particularly down the right wing when Lichtsteiner charges into attack and Shaqiri fails to provide the much needed cover. Deep in attack, Josip Drmi\u0107 has made his mark as a highly-rated\u00a0striker for his club Bayer Leverkusen but not for the Swiss national team. Most Valuable Player<\/p>\n
Xherdan Shaqiri
The 22-year-old Kosovo-born\u00a0 Xherdan Shaqiri\u00a0 \u00a0is undoubtedly the star of this current Swiss side even though he is still a bit-part player for German champion Bayern Munich. He is the heartbeat for his national side.<\/p>\n
He is a very intelligent and burly player, who uses his left-foot to his advantage on the right wing when attacking, with the freedom to operate from a more central position. He suffered three hamstring tears last season, which should be a cause for concern going into the Brazil 2014 tournament. Player To Watch<\/p>\n
Josip Drmi\u0107
Josip\u00a0Drmi\u0107\u00a0 could be the breaking star forward for Switzerland in Brazil this summer. An exceptional 2013\/2014 season saw him make a move from N\u00fcrnberg to Bayer Leverkusen. He banged in a brace\u00a0in a March friendly against Croatia, where his parents hail from. Head Coach<\/p>\n
Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld \u00a0is the current manager of the side and \u00a0 will end his six-year tenure as head coach after leading his charges at the World Cup. The 65-year old German has done a yeoman’s job of introducing a bunch of young talents into his squad, after missing out on qualifying for Euro 2012. His major accomplishment was winning 19 major club trophies including two UEFA Champions League crowns. Road to Brazil<\/p>\n
Switzerland punched their ticket with a match to spare for the first time in their qualifying history, completing an unbeaten streak in a relatively weak group made up of Iceland, Slovenia, Norway, Albania and Cyprus. They also impressively managed to not concede in seven out of their 10 qualifying matches. World Cup Achievements<\/p>\n
The Swiss have reached three quarter-finals, but none since hosting the tournament in 1954.<\/p>\n
In 2010, they failed to get out of their group despite an opening\u00a01-0 win over champions Spain.<\/p>\n
FIFA Ranking:\u00a0 6 Final 23-man Squad
Goalkeepers:\u00a0 Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Roman Buerki (Grasshopper), Yann Sommer (Basel).<\/p>\n
Defenders:\u00a0 Johan Djourou (Hamburg), Michael Lang (Grasshopper), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer (Basel), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys), Reto Ziegler (Sassuolo).<\/p>\n
Midfielders:\u00a0 Tranquillo Barnetta (Eintracht Frankfurt), Valon Behrami (Napoli), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli), Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg), Gokhan Inler (Napoli), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Valentin Stocker (Basel).<\/p>\n
Forwards:\u00a0 Josip\u00a0Drmi\u0107\u00a0(N\u00fcrnberg), Mario Gavranovi\u0107\u00a0(Zurich), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg), Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad), Granit Xhaka (Borussia M\u00f6nchengladbach\u00a0).<\/p>\n
\u00a0 ECUADOR
\u00a0
Ecuador Football Team Prospects
Ecuador is a South American side which focuses mainly on wing play, and it will take something special to see them go far in the World Cup. They heavily depend on wingers Antonio Valencia, the captain of the side, who utilizes his pace and strength down the right flank as well as his regular aerial and low-cutting deliveries into the opposition’s defensive area, and Monarcas Morelia’s\u00a0Jefferson Montero, who operates on the left wing, using his skill and trickery to get past his markers. The wing-backs also play as supporting wingers, which helps to fuel the attack.<\/p>\n
This style of play has proven over time to be very effective, especially when going on a counter attack, nonetheless, \u00a0a tactical formation which makes use of two players on the flanks to add width to the attack, has increased chances of leaving the center of the back-line dangerously exposed. Such a scenario will undoubtedly lead to the side conceding goals if the necessary adjustments are not made.<\/p>\n
The untimely death of forward Christian Rogelio Ben\u00edtez in the\u00a0summer of 2013, was a major blow to Ecuador’s hopes in Brazil, as no player has been able to fill in the void, which has left the engine of attack, the midfield somewhat unbalanced. Most Valuable Player<\/p>\n
Jefferson Montero The 24-year-old Mexico-based Montero could be on a summer move to Europe, following his delightful displays for his club. Player to Watch<\/p>\n Christian Noboa plays a\u00a0fundamental role in Ecuador’s tactical approach on both ends of the pitch. The 29-year-old Dynamo Moscow midfielder, has the eye for stringing any kind of pass\u00a0together on the field of play. He regularly distributes the ball to the wingers and also provides a shield for Ecuador’s relatively weak central defense by sitting in front of the back four.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Head Coach Ecuador were in a comfortable second spot in the Confederaci\u00f3n Sudamericana de F\u00fatbol<\/em>\u00a0(CONMEBOL) standings after the first 10 qualifying matches, but they only managed one victory in their final six games. A crucial victory over rivals Uruguay is what helped them clinch the last South American qualifying berth for this summer’s tournament in Brazil.<\/p>\n Head Coach Reinaldo Rueda admirably dedicated their qualification to the World Cup to departed star Christian Ben\u00edtez, who unexpectedly passed away in July of 2013 due to a heart failure.<\/p>\n The Ecuadorians only gave up two points on home turf but could not register a single win away from Quito, which was tough to play in as a result of nauseating altitude. World Cup Achievements<\/p>\n Ecuador made their first World Cup appearance at Japan\/Korea 2002, where their campaign ended with a bottom-placed finish. Four years later in Germany, they secured two victories in the group stage only to bow out to England in the round of 16.<\/p>\n FIFA Ranking:\u00a0 26 Final 23-man Squad Defenders:\u00a0 Frickson Erazo (Flamengo), Jorge Guagua, Oscar Bagui, Gabriel Achilier (all Emelec), Walter Ayovi (Pachuca), Juan Carlos Paredes (Barcelona SC).<\/p>\n Midfielders:\u00a0 Segundo Castillo (Al-Hilal), Carlos Gruezo (Stuttgart), Renato Ibarra (Vitesse Arnhem), Cristian Noboa (Dynamo Moscow), Luis Saritama (Barcelona SC), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Edison Mendez (Independiente Santa Fe), Fidel Martinez (Tijuana), Michael Arroyo (Atlante).<\/p>\n Forwards:\u00a0 Felipe Caicedo (Al-Jazira), Jefferson Montero (Morelia), Joao Rojas (Cruz Azul), Jaime Ayovi (Tijuana), Enner Valencia (Pachuca).<\/p>\n \u00a0 FRANCE The French battled through and turned around their disappointing loss in Kiev and managed to seal the much anticipated victory in Saint-Denis in the return leg to book their place in Brazil. Their two previous World Cup campaigns were marred by unfortunate tournament-ruining incidents -the infamous Zinedine\u00a0Zidane’s sending off\u00a0in the 110th minute of the World Cup final in 2006 after\u00a0headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi\u00a0in the chest, then came the Nicolas Anelka dismissal\u00a0from the national team four years later after purportedly having a row, in which there were unpleasant exchanges with head coach\u00a0Raymond Domenech\u00a0during half-time of the team’s loss to Mexico.<\/p>\n France had a wonderful preparation ahead of Brazil 2014, beating the Netherlands 2-0 in March, Norway 4-0 in May, drawing 1-1 with Paraguay, before thumping Jamaica by 8-0. However, they lost the very influential and game-changing Franck\u00a0Rib\u00e9ry\u00a0to injury, which dashed some hopes on the eve of the greatest football tournament.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Most Valuable Player The 26-year-old Benzema finished last season on a bright note for Real Madrid, banging in 24 goals for the club in all competitions after a slow start for him in the campaign.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Player to Watch France coach Didier Deschamps has heaped praises on Pogba for his work rate and quality although he opines that the future top star must learn to adopt ‘the highest level concentration and application’.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Head Coach He had a very disappointing first year on the job but he had a strong will to build a very vigorous side that takes the game to the opposition, and that has given the French squad a new identity. He has also introduced harmony and a spirit of togetherness in the team after player unrest at the last two major competitions. Road to Brazil<\/p>\n The French overturned a two-goal deficit in the play-offs, convincingly defeating Ukraine by a 3-0 scoreline on home soil although a goal from Karim Benzema should have been ruled for offside. In the build up to the second leg, a vast majority of French fans had written off\u00a0 Les Bleus . France had to qualify through the play-offs after falling behind Spain in their group. World Cup Achievements<\/p>\n France captured the world title on home soil in 1998, finished as runners-up in 2006 and reached the last four in 1958, 1982 and 1986. One interesting trend to note is that away from Europe, they have managed to reach the knockout phase once, which was at Mexico ’86.<\/p>\n FIFA Ranking:\u00a0 17 Final 23-man Squad Defenders:\u00a0 Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle), Lucas Digne (Paris St-Germain) Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna (both Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid).<\/p>\n Midfielders:\u00a0 Yohan Cabaye, Blaise Matuidi (both Paris St-Germain), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille).<\/p>\n Forwards:\u00a0 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Remy Cabella (Montpellier), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad), Loic Remy (Newastle, on loan from QPR).<\/p>\n \u00a0 HONDURAS The Hondurans impose their physical presence on the opposition and they adopt the 4-4-2 tactical system. They rely heavily on their full-backs joining the attack and posing problems when they go on a counter attack. Set- pieces could prove very advantageous and also form an integral part of this side’s chances of reaching the round of 16 by causing upsets. Most Valuable Player<\/p>\n \u00a0 The 27-year-old Bengtson, has not made a notable mark yet for his Major League Soccer side New England Revolution as much as he has found the back of the net for his country. He poses a lot of threat when he goes head-on with aerial balls. Player to Watch<\/p>\n \u00a0 Najar plays for Belgian side Anderlecht, which claimed\u00a0their third consecutive league title. He has quick feet and can easily adapt to different styles of play. His starting position is not assured but he definitely adds another dimension in attack due to his playing style. Head Coach<\/p>\n \u00a0 Su\u00e1rez\u00a0guided Honduras to the semi-finals of the last two Gold Cup tourneys and also managed the Olympic team that had an impressive run to the quarter-finals at London 2012. Road to Brazil<\/p>\n Their qualifying campaign saw them finish in third place in the final round, albeit not conceding goals in 2 out of 10 games. Stellar performances saw them claim crucial 2-1 wins on home turf agaist the USA and away to Mexico, before going on to draw 2-2 in Jamaica to seal their participation in the Copa Mundial . World Cup record<\/p>\n The Central Americans could not register a single win in their last two appearances at the finals (1982 and 2010), as they managed to secure 3 draws and 3 disappointing losses. They went scoreless in South Africa four years ago when they lost to Chile and Spain, but bowed out with pride after a tie with the Swiss.<\/p>\n FIFA Ranking:\u00a0 33 Final 23-man Squad Defenders:\u00a0 Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Juan Carlos Garcia (Wigan), Maynor Figueroa (Hull), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Osman Chavez (Qingdao Janoon), Juan Pablo Montes (Motagua).<\/p>\n Midfielders:\u00a0 Edder Delgado (Real Espana), Luis Garrido (Olimpia), Roger Espinoza (Wigan), Jorge Claros (Motagua), Wilson Palacios (Stoke), Oscar Garcia (Houston Dynamo), Andy Najar (Anderlecht), Mario Martinez (Real Espana), Marvin Chavez (Chivas USA).<\/p>\n Forwards:\u00a0 Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution), Jerry Palacios (Alajuelense), Carlo Costly (Real Espana), Rony Martinez (Real Sociedad). Fixtures<\/p>\n 15 June 2014 15 June 2014 20 June 2014 20 June 2014 25 June 2014 25 June 2014 Watch We Are One (Ole Ola) [The Official Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup Song] (Olodum Mix) by Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte:\u00a0<\/p>\n For more sports news visit GhanaFans.com<\/p>\n
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Adidas Brazuca Ball-Brazil 2014
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Jefferson Montero has proven to be the key player in the current\u00a0La Tri<\/em>\u00a0(Tri-color) squad.\u00a0Montero’s performance in Brazil will be crucial in determining if the South Americans can punch their ticket to the knockout phase of the Copa Mundial . Head Coach Reinaldo Rueda attests to skill set of the left winger although he expects more consistency from the star. Rueda had this to say about his most valuable player: ‘He’s the kind of player spectators love to watch because he plays like a kid in the street, throwing opponents off balance.’<\/p>\n
Reinaldo Rueda
The 57-year old Colombian\u00a0 Reinaldo Rueda \u00a0is the current manager of the Ecuadorian national team. He has been at the helm of affairs since \u00a0 2010 after being in charge of Ecuador’s Group E opponents Honduras from 2006 to 2010, a team he guided to their first World Cup appearance in South Africa, following a 28-year absence from the biggest soccer fiesta. He had a very disappointing start to his reign as Ecuador’s manager, after his side failed to win a game at the 2011 Copa America tournament. He quickly turned around the catastrophic first-year performance, rebuilt the team, and introduced a new burst of confidence into his squad. Road to Brazil<\/p>\n
Goalkeepers:\u00a0 Maximo Banguera (Barcelona SC), Alexander Dominguez (LDU Quito), Adrian Bone (El Nacional).<\/p>\n
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France Football Team Prospects
The current Les Bleus squad has managed to weather the storm, following an abysmal performance in South Africa four years ago. They bounced back from a 2-0 loss to Ukraine in a World Cup play-off after placing second to current world champion Spain in the preliminary qualifying round.<\/p>\n
Karim Benzema
Real Madrid striker\u00a0 Karim Benzema \u00a0is the key man in this French side. He experienced a low when he lost his spot last year for not performing as expected for the national team, as he was without a goal in as many as\u00a015 matches. On the contrary, he has managed to find his rhythm in the French’s newly adopted three-man attack with six goals in his last six World Cup qualifying and international friendly games combined as of June 11.<\/p>\n
Paul Pogba
The 21-year-old midfielder\u00a0 Paul Pogba \u00a0is the rising star in the French team,\u00a0as he has made a name for himself since leaving Manchester United to join Italian Serie A champion Juventus in 2012. It came as no surprise when he was voted the European best Under-21 player for 2013. The young and gifted player adds a lot of value for both club and country<\/p>\n
Didier Deschamps
The experienced France ’98 World Cup-winning captain,\u00a0 Didier Deschamps\u00a0 took over as manager after Euro 2012 tournament.<\/p>\n
Goalkeepers:\u00a0 Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Stephane Ruffier (Marseille), Mickael Landreau (Bastia).<\/p>\n
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Honduras National Team Prospects
Los Catrachos <\/em>or\u00a0La Bicolor<\/em>\u00a0as the Honduran national team is popularly known, qualified for their second World Cup finals after missing out for a good 28 years, when they marked their return to football’s biggest stage in South Africa in 2010.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Honduras head coach Luis Fernando Su\u00e1rez\u00a0believes ‘it’s time to take the next step’. The Central American side will be targeting their first World Cup win this time in South America, although it is not far-fetched for the bookmakers to assert that Honduras are tournament outsiders.<\/p>\n
Jerry Bengtson
Jerry Bengtson\u00a0 was the outstanding player in Honduras’ World Cup qualifying campaign, banging in an impressive nine goals in the run to Brazil. He plays so important a role for his national team that he was pardoned for turning his back on the squad prior to a match last summer.<\/p>\n
Andy Najar
The 21-year-old Andy Najar \u00a0is one of the brightest prospects for the Honduras national team. He opted to play his native country over \u00a0 the USA, as he did not want to wait in vain to gain eligibility to feature for the Stars and Stripes.<\/p>\n
Luis Fernando Su\u00e1rez
The 54-year-old Colombian\u00a0 Luis Fernando Su\u00e1rez\u00a0 is the manager of Los Catrachos<\/em>, and has had a taste of the World Cup, having led South American side Ecuador to the second round for the first time at Germany 2006, where they were booted out of the competition by England.<\/p>\n
Goalkeepers:\u00a0 Noel Valladares, Donis Escober (both Olimpia), Luis Lopez (Real Espana).<\/p>\n
Switzerland v Ecuador, Estadio Nacional, Brasilia, 16:00 (GMT)<\/p>\n
France v Honduras, Est\u00e1dio\u00a0Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, 19:00 (GMT)<\/p>\n
Switzerland v France, Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, 19:00 (GMT)<\/p>\n
Honduras v Ecuador, Arena da Baixada, Curitiba, 22:00 (GMT)<\/p>\n
Honduras v Switzerland, Arena Amazonia, Manaus, 20:00 (GMT)<\/p>\n
Ecuador v France, Est\u00e1dio do Maracan\u00e3, Rio de Janeiro, 20:00 (GMT)<\/p>\n
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