World Cup 2018 Group E- BRA/SWI/CRI/SER

With a month to go and squads starting to be announced I thought it would be an idea to start threads for the World Cup. I've put together a guide to all the teams and these threads can then be used to discuss any further developments and of course the games:

Group E

BRAZIL
SWITZERLAND
COSTA RICA
SERBIA

Schedule
June 17th 13:00        Costa Rica v Serbia
June 17th 19:00        Brazil v Switzerland

June 22nd 13:00        Brazil v Costa Rica
June 22nd 19:00        Serbia v Switzerland

June 27th 19:00        Switzerland v Costa Rica
June 27th 19:00        Serbia v Brazil

Team Overviews

Brazil

FIFA ranking: 2^nd

Star Player: Neymar- had the PSG man not being injured in the QF last time who knows what may have been. Currently out with a broken foot but should be back for start of the tournament.

WC History: 5 time winners 58, 62,70,94,02

Odds: 9/2

Synopsis: Had a slow start to qualifying but once current manager Tite came in they have been formidable. On paper their attacking strength and backup is amazing and under Tite it is clicking still some question marks on their backline. Are amongst the favourites to lift the trophy.

Squad: 

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Roma), Ederson (Manchester City), Cassio (Corinthians).

Defenders: Miranda (Inter Milan), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Geromel (Gremio), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Fagner (Corinthians), Danilo (Manchester City), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid).

Midfielders: Casemiro (Real Madrid), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Paulinho (Barcelona), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona), Willian (Chelsea), Fred (Shakhtar Donetsk).

Forwards: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), Firmino (Liverpool), Taison (Shakhtar Donetsk), Douglas Costa (Juventus).

 

Switzerland

FIFA ranking: 6th

Star Player:  Xherdan Shaquiri – on his day he is a magician but as Stoke fans will tell you it can be rare. Very similar to Iceland though as the team collective really is what makes them tick.

WC History: Quarter finalists 3 times in but not since 1954

Odds: 100-1

Synopsis: Lost one game in qualifying away to Portugal and were pipped by goal difference. A controversial playoff win over Northern Ireland seen them get to Russia. As mentioned a very workmanlike team who defend well and are hard to beat I can see them reaching the last 16 finishing behind Brazil in the group.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Yann Sommer (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Roman Bürki (Borussia Dortmund), Yvon Mvogo (RB Leipzig).

Defenders: Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Johan Djourou (Antalyaspor), Ricardo Rodríguez (Milan), Fabian Schär (Deportivo La Coruna), François Moubandje (Toulouse), Michael Lang (Basel), Manuel Akanji (Borussia Dortmund), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

Midfielders: Valon Behrami (Udinese), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke), Gelson Fernandes (Eintracht Frankfurt), Blerim Džemaili (Bologna), Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Steven Zuber (1899 Hoffenheim), Remo Freuler (Atalanta), Denis Zakaria (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

Strikers: Haris Seferović (Benfica), Josip Drmić (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Breel Embolo (Schalke 04), Mario Gavranović (Dinamo Zagreb). 

Costa Rica

FIFA ranking:  25^th

Star Player: Keylor Navas- A great 2014 WC paved the way for a move to Real Madrid and he has won 2 Champions League titles and could win a 3^rd before the WC. Often seen as perhaps the weak link of the Real team on his day he is great goalkeeper and will be key if Costa Rica are to repeat their 2014 success.

WC History:  Quarter finalists in 2014

Odds: 500-1

Synopsis: finished 2^nd in concacaf qualifying behind Mexico, doing the double over US. A tough group for them but they also had a tough one in Brazil four years ago but ended up topping the group

Squad: 

Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (Real Madrid), Patrick Pemberton (LDA), Leonel Moreira (Herediano).

Defenders: Cristian Gamboa (Celtic), Ian Smith (Norrkoping), Ronald Matarrita (NYCFC), Bryan Oviedo (Sunderland), Oscar Duarte (Espanyol), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Bologna), Francisco Calvo (Minnesota United), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps), Johnny Acosta (Aguilas Dorados).

Midfielders: David Guzman (Portland Timbers), Yeltsin Tejeda (Lausanne), Celso Borges (Deportivo La Coruna), Randall Azofeifa (Herediano), Rodney Wallace (NYCFC), Bryan Ruiz (Sporting Lisbon), Daniel Colindres (Saprissa), Christian Bolanos (Saprissa).

Forwards: Johan Venegas (Saprissa), Joel Campbell (Real Betis), Marco Urena (LAFC).

Serbia

FIFA ranking: 35^th

Star Player: Nemanja Matic- the Man Utd man is the rock in the middle for Serbia who allows the attacking players in the team to unleash their flair. Aleksandr Mitrovic went to Fulham on loan and showed that he can score goals he’ll be another key player for the Serbs

WC History: two 4^th place finishes as Yugoslavia in 1930 and 1962. Failed to get out the group last time they qualified in 2010 despite beating Germany.

Odds: 125-1

Synopsis: Topped our group in qualifying despite this they sacked their coach due to a supposed lack of team harmony. As we found out during Qualifying the Serbs are a decent team but do have their weakness but if they can get the ball to their creative players like Tadic and Kostic then they will perhaps give the group a good fight.

Squad:

Edited by lassassinblanc - 04 Jun 2018 at 7:19pm

Costa Rica 23 announced

Swiss Squad updated

Neymar fit for tonight?

Edited by Double Maxim - 17 Jun 2018 at 9:23am

Think Serbia can get through this group, your man Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has really come into his own in the last few months, I can’t really remember him playing against us but he’s a top player.

Zinedine Kilbane 110 wrote: I always look out for the Brazil fixtures in the World Cup. Hope they batter the Swiss tonight- they really annoy me. They have an average squad but always seem to qualify for the main tournaments and then do absolutely nothing.  Brazil to win by three goals. I believe Neymar is starting but I suspect he will be managed over the group stages. No point in playing him the full 90mins in 3 games over 2 weeks.

Edited by TonyNotJack - 17 Jun 2018 at 10:42am

Zinedine Kilbane 110 wrote: I always look out for the Brazil fixtures in the World Cup. Hope they batter the Swiss tonight- they really annoy me. They have an average squad but always seem to qualify for the main tournaments and then do absolutely nothing.  Brazil to win by three goals. I believe Neymar is starting but I suspect he will be managed over the group stages. No point in playing him the full 90mins in 3 games over 2 weeks.

Kerr on commentary for the Serbia Costa Rica game 

The Mexican wave seen already at this game .