2018 World Cup DFS Primer
The World Cup is finally upon us! After four years, the world’s greatest spectacle is set to get underway on June 14th. It’s been four years of agony for USA fans, however, as they have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1990. However, there is still so much fun to be had with incredible players and teams on show.
This preview here includes a brief rundown of each team; use it to help you in daily fantasy or just to make sure you have a good understanding of each nation.
All in all, we are looking forward to what should be a phenomenal tournament with juicy prize pools over on DK. Make sure to buckle in for a fun ride!
If you are looking for a summer filled with exciting matches and massive profit/edge, this package is for you. While soccer may be a new breed to most Americans, it is rapidly growing, so what better way to get yourself familiar with the sport than with the most viewed tournament in the world? The World Cup Wonderstrike Package will give you the best chance for success on the pitch. Our in-depth articles will break down each game, and we’ll also have a premium core, a projections page (optimizer), subscriber-only podcasts/videos, and an always active chat. You’ll have everything you need for a World Cup packed with profit. The perfect time to start playing soccer DFS is the World Cup, and the perfect way to start is with us (‘RubioDimes’ & ‘tristan.hoh’).
TEAM PREVIEWS
GROUP A
Russia
Projected Finish (betting odds): 2nd
Set Piece Takers: Aleksandr Samedov
Key Players: Fedor Smolov, Aleksandr Golovin
Do Fullbacks Cross? No.
Style & Preview: The Russian manager has been called a clown by some of the veterans due to some iffy tactical decisions he makes. This typically does not bode well for any side, in any sport… Therefore, he typically goes for younger players in his starting lineup, which could lead to some variance in results. They’ve struggled in friendlies and other tournaments (Confederations Cup). Due to that, and the fact that they haven’t played many competitive matches, I do not see this Russian side going far, although I would not be surprised if they sneak through to the next round due to the weakness of this group.
Fun Fact: Out of the 21 countries to host the World Cup (Japan and South Korea were joint hosts in 2002.), only South Africa in 2010 failed to make it out of the group stage.
Saudi Arabia
Projected Finish (betting odds): 4th
Set Piece Takers: Taisir Al-Jassim
Key Players: Salman Al-Faraj, Salem Al-Dawsari (just transferred to Villarreal in La Liga)
Do Fullbacks Cross? Kinda. If starting, Mansour Ateeq catches my eye as a potential low dollar option. Looks attacking minded.
Style & Preview: Saudi Arabia is a mess. They canned the manager who got them here, proceeded to hire the man who struggled to lead Argentina (who was fired after five games with Saudi Arabia), then hired the man (Juan Antonio Pizzi) who failed to qualify a great team in Chile! Coach Pizzi is inconsistent as far as tactics go, but considering he now is in charge of Saudi Arabia (not a powerhouse), he does not have much of a choice (they’ll be dominated in every match). They will be out-possessed for the most part and ultimately don’t have much of a chance of getting many points.
Fun Fact: Their likely squad of 23 will only have three players that play outside of Saudi Arabia for their club. Those three play in Spain.
Egypt
Projected Finish (betting odds): 3rd
Set Piece Takers: Mohamed Salah, Abdallah El-Said
Key Players: Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Elneny
Do Fullbacks Cross? Fathi does.
Style & Preview: Defensive. Have only conceded more than one goal ONCE in 30 games. Albeit the competition was not as strong as it will be here (African Nations), but they have drawn the easiest group by far. The Pharaohs have a decent shot at getting out led by the electric Mohamed Salah. Their road to qualification was quite the scene after King Salah slotted home the game winning penalty in one of the final touches of the match. Their dream campaign continues and I think they get out of the group stage.
UPDATE: MO SALAH WAS INJURED IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL AND IS LIKELY TO MISS THE FIRST GAME OR TWO. This Egyptian attack will struggle mightily without him.
Fun Fact: Their likely starting goalkeeper and captain Essam El-Hadary is 45 years old and this is his first World Cup appearance despite winning the African Cup of Nations four times.
Uruguay
Projected Finish (betting odds): 1st
Set Piece Takers: We’ll know when the XI is out, but assuming its Giorgian de Arrascaeta who starts and takes. Carlos Sanchez is also a candidate to take set pieces, although its unlikely that he cracks the starting lineup.
Key Players: Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Diego Godin
Do Fullbacks Cross? Not really.
Style & Preview: Aggressive, take it to you footy. Scored the second-most goals in World Cup Qualifying (32), only trailing Brazil (41), Their defense was fairly decent as well, conceding only 20 goals against the talent that South America has. Overall they are one of the stronger teams in the field and should easily sweep this group with firepower from Luis Suarez of Barcelona and Edinson Cavani of PSG.
Fun Fact: Luis Suarez’s five World Cup goals make him three away from tying the Uruguayan record set by Oscar Miguel in WCs 1950/1954.
GROUP B
Portugal
Projected Finish (betting odds): 2nd
Set Piece Takers: Ricardo Quaresma, Bernardo Silva/Joao Moutinho (when Quaresma not in)
Key Players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: Euros had them play an incredibly defensive style but in qualifying, they scored 32 goals. Only six of those, however, were against Switzerland and Hungary, which are the only two of the group that resemble a competent nation (other nations in their group were tiny countries). Their squad is different now, but their lackluster performances in major tournaments in the past is not promising. Euro 2016 was good for them, but they only won 1 game in full time, and would not have even advanced out of the group stage if the Euros wasn’t adjusted to 24 teams. They however should control the games against Iran and Morocco, although scoring may be difficult.
Fun Fact: Portugal has only conceded eight goals in their last 19 competitive fixtures (WCQ, Euros Knockout Stage, Confederation Cup).
Spain
Projected Finish (betting odds): 1st
Set Piece Takers: Koke, David Silva (primarily play corners short, so crosses won’t be plentiful from this side)
Key Players: Isco, Diego Costa, David de Gea
Do Fullbacks Cross? No.
Style & Preview: They were World Cup Champs in 2010 and also Euro 2012 champions, but their performances since then have been underwhelming. They bowed out in the group stages in the last World Cup, as well as in Euro 2016 at the hands of Italy in the round of 16. They have redemption on their mind though. They play an incredibly possessive style and control the game as much as possible. Picking players against them in DFS is never fun as their peripheral stats are extremely hard to come by. I think this is a tournament that Spain does well in, but it will require an actual striker being able to put the ball in the back of the net.
Fun Fact: Spain has not gotten out of the group stage in any World Cup ending with the year ‘8’.
Morocco
Projected Finish (betting odds): 3rd
Set Piece Takers: Hakim Ziyech, Moubarak Boussoufa
Key Players: Medhi Benatia, Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi
Do Fullbacks Cross? Hakimi does.
Style & Preview: They have only qualified for the World Cup four times in the past, getting out of the group stage only once (1986) before losing in the round of 16 to West Germany. They also were stellar in World Cup qualifying with a goal ratio of 11-0 in their group which included a strong side in Cote d’Ivoire. They also played pretty well in the African Cup of Nations before bowing out to Egypt 0-1 even though they outshot them 16-6. Morocco will be a team that battles and shall not be considered push-overs. They have the ability to make noise in this group and will also be very fun to watch.
Fun Fact: Morocco are the only African Nation to not concede a goal in CAF World Cup Qualifying (Confederation of African Football).
Iran
Projected Finish (betting odds): 4th
Set Piece Takers: Ashkan Dejagah, Alireza Jahanbakhsh/Haji Safi (when Dejagah not in)
Key Players: Sardar Azmoun, Alireza Jahanbakhsh
Do Fullbacks Cross? Not a ton, but yes (Mohammadi).
Style & Preview: Iran is an insanely defensively based team. They clean sheeted 12 (TWELVE) straight opponents in competitive matches which is a FIFA record. Their coach Carlos Queiroz has done a great job keeping his side organized. They will not be able to clean sheet their way through this group, which gives me fear for Iran. It’s tough to see them picking up any points, especially if the up & coming young striker Azmoun cannot find the back of the net.
Fun Fact: The Iranian manager (Queiroz) was an assistant at Manchester United for Sir Alex Ferguson.
GROUP C
France
Projected Finish (betting odds): 1st
Set Piece Takers: Antoine Griezmann, Thomas Lemar
Key Players: Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba, N’golo Kante
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: France is arguably the most talented team in the world with players like Griezmann, Pogba, Kante, M’bappe, and so on. It is hard to see any situation in which they are underdogs unless going against Germany or Brazil. Their performances in the Euros showed the ability they have before losing in the final to an undeserving Portugal side. They scored 13 goals in those 7 matches at the Euros. In the UEFA World Cup Qualifying, their goalscoring form was a bit underwhelming with only 18 goals though. Deschamps probably isn’t the best man for the job, but he is the man in charge right now and with this serious amount of talent it’s hard not to see great success.
Fun Fact: Hugo Lloris (France’s captain and GK) is three caps away from his 100th appearance with France (pre-friendlies),
Australia
Projected Finish (betting odds): 4th
Set Piece Takers: Aaron Mooy
Key Players: Aaron Mooy, Matthew Ryan
Do Fullbacks Cross? Not really.
Style & Preview: Likely to finish in last in the eyes of Vegas, the Socceroos are low key no slouch. They play very conservatively, taking what the opponent gives them. They have a good amount of experience and I could see them causing havoc in this group. They have not been dominated by any side in truth, and even held their own in the Confederations Cup drawing with both Chile and Cameroon while losing 2-3 to Germany’s B (yet still very elite) side.
Fun Fact: They are nicknamed the ‘socceroos’, which is always fun.
Peru
Projected Finish (betting odds): 3rd
Set Piece Takers: Yoshimar Yotun, Christian Cueva
Key Players: Yoshimar Yotun, Christian Cueva
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: The Peruvians are making their first WC appearance since 1982. South American qualifiers are very tough and Peru showed grit and strength to claw their way into the tournament. Their defense was very sturdy and their attack showed sparks as well. While part of me believes that this group of players is legit, part of me thinks otherwise. I feel a sort of all or nothing approach with Peru. This group truly feels up for grabs and I think Peru either comes in second to France, or in last.
Fun Fact: Their captain and arguable best player, Paolo Guerrero, was originally suspended for doping and supposed to miss action, but that suspension has been overturned. Paolo will be at the WC!
Denmark
Projected Finish (betting odds): 2nd
Set Piece Takers: Christian Eriksen
Key Players: Christian Eriksen, Pione Sisto, Andreas Christensen
Do Fullbacks Cross? Not much.
Style & Preview: The Danes begin and end with one man: Christian Eriksen. The Tottenham Hotspur playmaker is a very talented player and I see him showing out in this tournament, leading his team out of the group. His presence alone is more than most other nations can dream of having. Pione Sisto, who plays in La Liga, is another great talent to couple with Eriksen and the Danish attack. They will control the game in a major way if they know that they are the better side, but if they know they are overmatched, possession will be fairly equal. Either way, the presence of Christian Eriksen will be what ultimately decides their fate. It will be Denmark or Peru taking second most likely, and as of now, I have a solid lean towards Denmark.
Fun Fact: Their fans, known as roligans, travel almost everywhere and are sure to show out this Summer in Russia with their ‘hooligan-ish’ acts.
GROUP D
Argentina
Projected Finish (betting odds): 1st
Set Piece Takers: Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi
Key Players: Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Sergio Aguero/Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala
Do Fullbacks Cross? Not really.
Style & Preview: Runners up in 2014 to Germany. This team is more than heavily reliant on the main man: Lionel Messi. After an extremely nervy run in the World Cup Qualifiers, Argentina managed to sneak in on the last day and avoiding the biggest disaster in Argentina Football History. While it is easy to point out that Argentina did indeed struggle throughout the CONMEBOL Qualifiers, most of it had to do with Lionel Messi only appearing in 10 of the 18 matches. In those 8 matches he missed, Argentina managed to only pick up 7 points. With him, they managed 21 points in the 10 others matches. Jorge Sampaoli has not succeeded during his first year with the national team. However, all debts can be paid by winning the World Cup. A feat that is achievable – and with Messi on the pitch, anything is possible.
Fun Fact: Have only failed to get out of the group stage once since 1966.
Iceland
Projected Finish (betting odds): 4th
Set Piece Takers: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Johann Gudmundsson
Key Players: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Johann Gudmundsson
Do Fullbacks Cross? Not much.
Style & Preview: The darlings of Euro 2016 managed to get first in a very talented group during these qualifiers, beating out Croatia, Ukraine, and Turkey in the process. They only conceded 7 goals in those 10 games and played very organized footy. I find this one of the toughest teams to gauge in all the World Cup due to them seemingly over performing when looking at their talent. However, they have done it consistently enough to merit some respect.
Fun Fact: Smallest country in terms of population to ever qualify for a World Cup.
Croatia
Projected Finish (betting odds): 2nd
Set Piece Takers: Luka Modric
Key Players: Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: One of the more DFS friendly teams in the tournament as they cross the ball aplenty and will be able to control the games against Nigeria and Iceland. Their performance in Euro 2016 was promising as they managed to avoid losing in regulation, including impressive wins against Spain and Turkey. Their lapse of concentration against Czech Republic and Portugal do show that Croatia still has work to do if they want to go far in this tournament. They dominated the ball in those games but the scoreboard did not reflect that.
Fun Fact: In the four times they have qualified for the World Cup (only five chances), Croatia has only gotten out of the group stage once: a third-place finish in 1998.
Nigeria
Projected Finish (betting odds): 3rd
Set Piece Takers: Victor Moses
Key Players: Victor Moses, Kelechi Iheanacho
Do Fullbacks Cross? No.
Style & Preview: They picked up 14 points of a possible 18 in their WCQ Group and thrashed the African Cup of Nations Champions, Cameroon in the process. This team has some very good players in Moses, Mikel, and also some striking talent in Iheanacho and Ighalo. However, this side is rather inconsistent. They failed to qualify for the African Cup of Nations in 2017 but went on a tear in WCQ. One thing’s for certain with this side though: their jerseys are the best kits in the World Cup. This is a side that will be fun to watch and maybe even sneak out of the group.
Fun Fact: Only two players in the provisional squad play their footy in Nigeria. Both are goalkeepers.
GROUP E
Brazil
Projected Finish (betting odds): 1st
Set Piece Takers: Neymar, Coutinho, Willian
Key Players: Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Coutinho, Marcelo
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: A rampant performance across the World Cup Qualifying led them to a 1st place finish that saw them top the competition by 10 points. Brazil only lost one game in the process and now will have their focus on winning the World Cup. With Neymar back and healthy, Brazil should be considered one of the top favorites in the tournament. They play a very attacking style as well only conceding 11 goals in the 18 qualifying matches. Their performance in the Copa America 2016 should be discarded as not only Neymar wasn’t there, their central defense pairing wasn’t there as well. This is also somewhat of a redemption tour for Brazil after they were humiliated in their own country by Germany back in 2014 – losing 7-1 and crashing in the semi-finals.
Fun Fact: Hold the most World Cup tournament wins (5).
Switzerland
Projected Finish (betting odds): 2nd
Set Piece Takers: Xherdan Shaqiri, Ricardo Rodriguez
Key Players: Xherdan Shaqiri, Ricardo Rodriguez
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: Another DFS friendly side, Switzerland accumulate with peripherals (crosses, shots) very well. They finished 2nd in their group despite being level on points with Portugal. This group is tough for Switzerland though. They should be able to control play against Costa Rica and Serbia, but their strike force was inconsistent during qualifiers and even during the Euros. This is an interesting team with a fair amount of talent not only with Shaqiri and Ricardo, but also with very good players protecting the net. Yann Sommer, Fabian Schar, Manuel Akanji, and Stephan Lichtsteiner will all provide a tough test for anyone looking to score against the Suisse.
Fun Fact: All Suisse goalkeepers play in the German Bundesliga.
Costa Rica
Projected Finish (betting odds): 3rd
Set Piece Takers: Joel Campbell, Christian Bolanos
Key Players: Joel Campbell, Keylor Navas
Do Fullbacks Cross? No.
Style & Preview: A well-organized side that terrorized the United States of America during qualifying with an aggregate score of 6-0 in the matches they played. This side can give the work to anyone with their most notable player being Keylor Navas who mans the front of the net. For DFS, guys like Joel Campbell was usually a hot commodity before doing his knee in during a Gold Cup match against Canada last summer. It’s important to note that they are relatively a good tournament team, taking the Dutch all the way to pens for a spot in the semifinals last World Cup as well.
Fun Fact: Managed to get out of the group of death in 2014, and this is their 4th World Cup appearance in the last 5 tries.
Serbia
Projected Finish (betting odds): 4th
Set Piece Takers: Dusan Tadic
Key Players: Dusan Tadic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aleksandar Kolarov
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: Beneficiaries of a weak qualifying group, Serbia made it count. They were inconsistent at the defensive side of the ball but offensively, their 20 goals in 10 matches were a fair representation of their talented attack. With guys like Tadic, Kostic, and Mitrovic, Serbia should be expected to find the back of the net more than a couple times. Not to mention one of the better attacking fullbacks for DFS in the world: Aleksandar Kolarov. Boasting a strong midfield of what is likely to be Luka Milivojevic and Nemanja Matic, this side has the talent to cause a stir in the group. The problem is their defense.
Fun Fact: Only their second World Cup appearance as Serbia.
GROUP F
Germany
Projected Finish (betting odds): 1st
Set Piece Takers: Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil
Key Players: Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Muller, Timo Werner, Toni Kroos
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: The 2014 World Cup Champions are more than ready to become the third nation of all time to repeat as victors. (Italy 1934 & 1938 and Brazil 1958 & 1962) They were the only nation in UEFA qualifiers to take all 30 points possible in their 10 games. Scoring a whopping 43 goals and only conceding four. They truly are the most complete team in World Football. Thomas Muller always shows up in the World Cup as well, talented players such as Timo Werner, Joshua Kimmich, and hopefully Marco Reus will all play major roles in their first World Cup appearances. Reus, as most know, was tragically struck with injury and forced to miss out in the eventual run by Die Mannschaft. They should very much be the favorites here in Russia and I expect nothing but the best from these lads.
Fun Fact: Never failed to get out of the group stage.
Mexico
Projected Finish (betting odds): 2nd
Set Piece Takers: Andres Guardado, Giovani Dos Santos, Miguel Layun
Key Players: Hirving Lozano, Miguel Layun, Chicharito/Carlos Vela
Do Fullbacks Cross? Depends on who is at fullback and D eligible.
Style & Preview: Mexico fans are looking for success in this World Cup after they have been continually bounced out of the competition in the round of 16 – six straight times! Many will blame Arjen Robben and his “dive” that cost Mexico in Brazil, but hey, Mexico screwed the USA by not drawing Honduras, so needless to say I will be happy to see them not make it out of the group stage. However, they have very talented players in Hirving Lozano, Carlos Vela, and Andres Guardado which can cause a decent stir against any team. They should be able to get out of the group but as we have seen over the years, but the round of 16 is the problem.
Fun Fact: Quarterfinals is the furthest the national team has ever gone.
Sweden
Projected Finish (betting odds): 3rd
Set Piece Takers: Emil Forsberg, Ludwig Augustinsson
Key Players: Emil Forsberg, Ludwig Augustinsson
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: Much will be made about Zlatan’s deserved absence from the World Cup. Let’s instead spend time on the team that managed a second-place finish in a group that featured France and Netherlands. Their 26 goals and only nine conceded showcase a very balanced side that can bunker down when they need to as we saw against Italy in the playoff to get to the World Cup. Marcus Berg also showed a nice goalscoring capability with eight goals in the nine matches he played in during qualifiers. While I think the likes of Germany and Mexico will be too much for them, this team deserved to be here and the team that qualified through a tough group and playoff should know that they can hang with anyone.
Fun Fact: Sweden hosted the World Cup in 1958, finishing as the runners-up.
South Korea
Projected Finish (betting odds): 4th
Set Piece Takers: Heung-Min Son
Key Players: Heung-Min Son, Ki Sung-Yueng
Do Fullbacks Cross? A small bit.
Style & Preview: Asian nations typically showcase a very tough and compact way of play and I don’t expect South Korea to change much. Only one team of the 12 gave up more than 15 goals in 10 matches. That was Thailand who amassed a grand total of two points. Heung-Min Son should benefit in open space as South Korea does have very solid attacking players, but they will have a massive task on hand to beat out a tough group.
Fun Fact: Ninth straight World Cup appearance.
GROUP G
Belgium
Projected Finish (betting odds): 1st
Set Piece Takers: Kevin De Bruyne, Dries Mertens, Yannick Carrasco (Mainly KdB)
Key Players: Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens
Do Fullbacks Cross? A bit.
Style & Preview: The Belgians are legit. Aside from having world-class chocolate, they also have a world class squad. Guys like Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romelu Lukaku combining in an attack is something we’d see if the Premier League had an all-star team. There’s so much potential with this group of players, and their defense is sturdy too with well-respected lads such as Alderweireld, Kompany, Vertonghen, and Courtois manning the back. They are a force to be reckoned with and should easily run through this group. Wish they didn’t leave Radja out but still have high hopes for this side.
Fun Fact: Their 43 goals in UEFA World Cup Qualifying was tied for the most of any country in the competition (Germany also had 43).
Panama
Projected Finish (betting odds): 4th
Set Piece Takers: Gabriel Torres, Anibal Godoy
Key Players: Gabriel Torres
Do Fullbacks Cross? No.
Style & Preview: Panama is not good, at all. They’ll come in with the mindset of being happy they made it. I don’t see them nabbing a single point. I mean they aren’t strong in any area, and I think the Belgians and Englishmen just torment them. The backline play their domestic league football in countries such as Guatemala and Honduras. Aside from Christian Pulisic they’ve seen nothing like KDB, Hazard, Kane, Sterling, etc.
Fun Fact: Roman Torres stole a damn World Cup full of fun from the United States.
Tunisia
Projected Finish (betting odds): 3rd
Set Piece Takers: Wahbi Khazri, Saif-Eddine Khaoui
Key Players: Wahbi Khazri, Saif-Eddine Khaoui
Do Fullbacks Cross? A decent amount.
Style & Preview: Tunisia play a decent brand of football, creating chances in an efficient fashion. A lot of their squad plays in Ligue 1 in France, which is respectable. Wahbi Khazri is the main man here. He’ll have to have a spectacular showing if they want any chance in moving past the group stage (AKA defeat England). After a few of their matches, I like their style and Khazri’s play especially. He’ll be someone I’m looking to target heavily most likely, and hopefully his price tag is as cheap as I expect it to be.
Fun Fact: Their FIFA World Rank of 14 is the highest Tunisia has ever been.
England
Projected Finish (betting odds): 2nd
Set Piece Takers: Kieran Trippier, Ashley Young
Key Players: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford
Do Fullbacks Cross? Yes.
Style & Preview: Here we are again with high expectations from England. This is a very simple group and I think they will make it through easily. I actually think this WC will be different from years past with a lot of the attacking prowess in very good form. Raheem Sterling has just finished up a phenomenal season at Manchester City, likely boosting his confidence a ton for this stage. Harry Kane will be the man they lean on most as he will do what he does best: score goals. Trippier whipping in crosses from the right hand side paired with Rashford creating chances will lead to good things for this English side.
Fun Fact: Have lost six times in penalties since 1990 in major tournaments.
GROUP H
Poland
Projected Finish (betting odds): 2nd
Set Piece Takers: Kamil Grosicki, Piotr Zieliński, Jakub Błaszkowski
Key Players: Robert Lewandowski, Piotr Zieliński, Kamil Grosicki
Do Fullbacks Cross? No.
Style & Preview: All signs point to Poland getting out of the group. They were great in qualifying and possess a lot of the right pieces to do so. My concern is Robert Lewandowski, their star striker (maybe the best in the world), in big games. In Euro 2016 he struggled mightily, and although his goal scoring record is insane with Poland, a majority of them are from penalty kicks and/or against very weak nations. I’m going to make a hot take and say the bad stretch continues for Poland in matches that matter most, but I could be deathly wrong if that man Robert Lewandowski shows up.
Fun Fact: Jakub Błaszczykowski is five caps away from being the most capped player in the history of Poland. Robert Lewandowski only four behind Blaszczykowski.
Senegal
Projected Finish (betting odds): 3rd
Set Piece Takers: Sadio Mane, Badou Ndiaye
Key Players: Sadio Mane, Keita Balde, Idrissa Gueye, Kalidou Koulibaly
Do Fullbacks Cross? On occasion.
Style & Preview: I’m actually pretty high on this squad. The talent is seriously legit. Albeit a tough group, Senegal have a real chance in making it out of the group stage and even making a deep run. I know Greg is high on African sides as well and this is probably the best one in the tournament. They have so much balance, it truly amazes me. With a spark on the wing with an elite talent in Sadio Mane (Liverpool), physical presence and structure in the middle of the pitch with Gueye/Kouyate (both play in the Premier League), and elite CB in Koulibaly (Napoli), the team truly has it all. There are also dynamic bench options that each team capable of winning a World Cup needs.
Fun Fact: Only made one World Cup appearance in the past (2002), that team made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Turkey.
Colombia
Projected Finish (betting odds): 1st
Set Piece Takers: James Rodriguez
Key Players: James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao, Juan Cuadrado
Do Fullbacks Cross? No.
Style & Preview: James James James! He put on a show in Brazil four years ago and I expect the same in Russia. Now I do have some doubts in that their qualifying run was a bit hasty towards the end, as they did not pick up a win in any of their last four matches (all winnable too), but James will be up for the task here and he’s one of the most passionate players in the tournament. I see them getting first through the passion of James Rodriguez, but Poland and Senegal are legit contenders as well. It is an interesting group for sure.
Fun Fact: Jose Pekerman will begin his fourth major tournament for Colombia. Their longest-tenured manager in history (over six years).
Japan
Projected Finish (betting odds): 4th
Set Piece Takers: (assume Kagawa/Honda, but it is just speculation)
Key Players: Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki
Do Fullbacks Cross? No.
Style & Preview: I’ll start Japan off by saying they are almost a lock to finish last in this group. They do not possess much of the ball. That said, they do have decent attacking options with a few guys who play in Europe with Dortmund’s Kagawa (albeit has dealt with injuries and is not the same player), Leicester’s Okazaki, and former Milan winger in Honda. I’m going to leave the set piece section blank for now as we do not have much data to go off of considering the two most important players in their squad have not played at all in qualifying together, so make sure to subscribe for more content as we will most definitely dive deeper and figure out the set piece situation with Japan!
Fun Fact: Sixth straight World Cup appearance after not appearing in the first 15.