2014 FIFA World Cup: The Dark Horses

The FIFA World Cup gets underway on June 12 at Rio de Janeiro and preparations are in full swing for all the teams. While some teams are considered outright favourites to land the most prestigious trophy in the world, there are others who may not have the odds in their favour but certainly have the ammunition to lay their hands on the Jules Rimet Trophy on July 13. Here we look at the Dark Horses for the 2014 FIFA World Cup:-

FRANCE (World Ranking:16, Coach: Didier Deschamps)
The champions of 1998 had a terrible outing in the last edition of the World Cup in 2010 when a public spat between the players and manager Raymond Domenech led to a horrendous performance which led to their ejection from the tournament in the group stage itself. This time with a much more solid team and a coach with an experience of what it takes to win on the biggest stage, France look set to make amends and give their fans something to cheer about.

Key Player: FRANCK RIBERY. The Bayern Munich winger has had an outstanding season at the Allianz Arena and will be the key figure in France’s charge for World Cup glory. Known for his terrific dribbling skills and ability to strike from distance, Ribery will need to be at his devastating best in order to inspire the Les Bleus to emulate their 1998 success.

URUGUAY (World Ranking:6, Coach: Oscar Tabarez)
After having scraped through the qualifying rounds via a playoff victory over Jordan, Uruguay look set to cause a few upsets and make some headlines in the World Cup. Drawn in arguably the toughest group alongside Italy, England and Costa Rica in Group D, Uruguay will have to get going very early to progress. However with a squad that boasts rock-solid defenders like Diego Godin and Diego Lugano, experienced midfielders in Walter Gargano, Diego Perez and Christian Rodriguez and the attacking prowess of Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan, you can expect Uruguay to win a fair share of matches and go through the rounds.

Key Player: LUIS SUAREZ. The talismanic Liverpool man has had an unbelievable season at Anfield where he notched up 30 goals in 32 league games, a scoring ratio hitherto unheard of in England. Possessing outstanding ball control, excellent vision and finishing skills many only dream of, coach Oscar Tabarez’ work will be made much easier if Luis Suarez hits the Amazon up and running.

BELGIUM (World Ranking:12, Coach: Marc Wilmots)
If there was ever a chance for Belgium to win the World Cup, then it begins on June 12 this year. With a squad possessing talent that even the bigger names will struggle to match up, coach Marc Wilmots, who incidentally happens to be their leading World Cup scorer, knows his side is expected to cause a few ripples when they take the field. And when you have players like Vincent Kompany at the back, Marouane Fellaini, Kevin Mirallas and Eden Hazard in midfield and the tank of a man, Romelu Lukaku, up front, you certainly should.

Key Player: EDEN HAZARD.  Arriving from LOSC Lille to the greener and bigger pastures of Chelsea Football Club, many were sceptic whether the little winger would be able to deliver on such a big stage. And the 22 year old proved them wrong and how! In only his second season in London, Eden Hazard left his fans and critics spellbound by his performances. His return of 14 goals and 7 assists from 35 matches may not be overwhelming, but his pace, dribbling and finishing ability certainly are. If this winger is in top form, the opposition defenders are in for a ride.

NETHERLANDS (World Ranking:15, Coach: Luis van Gaal)
If you have to attach a phrase to the World Cup history of the Clockwork Orange team, it has to be ‘So near yet so far’. Three times runner-up yet never a champion. Luis van Gaal and his men will be desperate to get on board and they have their reasons to think they can change the stats. Built on an unique 5-3-2 formation with a wealth of attacking talent and a solid defence, this Netherlands team can pack quite a punch.

Key Player: ARJEN ROBBEN. A difficult task to keep Robin van Persie from taking the tag, but if there is a player who can single handedly change the course of a game it has to be Arjen Robben. Blessed with devastating pace and the abiity to create space out of nothing, this Bayern Munich wide-man has a left foot that can detonate anytime and destroy in any defence. If the 29-year old can curb his well documented selfishness and lay a few on a platter for Robin van Persie and Klass jan Huntelaar, who are no slouches themselves, then maybe they can go one better than last time. (Yes, runners up!)

PORTUGAL (World Ranking:3, Coach: Paolo Bento)
One look at Portugal’s world ranking and people must wonder what are they doing in this list. Well, while FIFA’s ranking system is debatable, what is certainly not debatable is that they are NOT amongst the favourites. However, with a balanced squad and probably the best player in the world currently among the ranks, a run deep into the tournament can certainly be achieved. Players of the quality of Pepe, Fabio Coentrao, Joao Moutinho and Nani are certainly capable of playing some top class football. However the onus to do some heavy lifting most definitely lies on one man..

Key Player: CRISTIANO RONALDO. The man of the moment. The FIFA Ballon D’Or winner and the leading goalscorer this year, Cristiano Ronaldo is currently in a league of his own. With 51 goals and 17 assists from 46 games this season, along with a few trophies, both team and individual, the 29 year old winger couldn’t have hoped to be in better form leading into the World Cup. The things that Ronaldo can do on a football pitch defy logic, as illustrated by his performance against Sweden in the qualifying playoffs, and he will need to draw on all of his superhuman array of talent if he is to gift the Seleccao das Quinas their first ever football World Cup.