Group C may not boast the most illustrious names at the 2014 FIFA World Cup but there lies the beauty of this somewhat unpredictable assemble.
Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan and Greece complete one of the most evenly matched quartets in Brazil and none of these sides have ever made it past the last-16 stage in a World Cup finals.
This lack of World Cup pedigree combined with the absence of a clear favourite or ‘whipping boy’ only adds to the intrigue.
Colombia
Having endured a period of underachievement, the Colombians are making their much-anticipated return to the World Cup following a 16-year hiatus.
The Cafeteros were impressive during World Cup qualification, narrowly finishing second to Argentina. Under the guidance of coach, Jose Pekerman, defensive tactics have been jettisoned and replaced by an attractive brand of attacking football, prompting former Colombian legend Carlos Valderrama to claim that Colombian football has re-discovered its identity.
Unfortunately for Colombia the spearhead of their attack, Radamel Falcao, will miss the World Cup after he sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage back in January. While this is a huge blow, Pekerman is not short of alternatives. Jackson Martinez netted 29 goals for Porto this term, while Carlos Bacca capped off a 21-goal season by lifting the Europa League with Sevilla.
Behind this powerful frontline, 22-year-old James Rodriguez brings ingenuity and guile to compliment Juan Cuadrado’s devastating pace.
Defensive frailties may haunt the Colombians especially given the absence of their first choice centre-back, Luis Perea while the likes of Mario Yepes, Cristian Zapata and Pablo Armero hardly instil confidence.
However given that the Cafeteros possess formidable attacking options and are very much accustomed to the sweltering South American heat, they are perhaps marginal favourites to top Group C.
Ivory Coast
Having been drawn with the likes of Argentina, The Netherlands, Portugal and Brazil back in 2006 and 2010, this draw constitutes a golden opportunity for the Ivory Coast to reach the last 16 of a World Cup for the first time.
Similarly to Colombia, the Ivorian’s strength lies in their myriad of attacking options. These include Didier Drogba – who despite being 35 still has an uncanny nous for goal – Wilfred Bony, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho.
But the African’s success will largely be dictated by the form and fitness of their talisman, Yaya Toure. The 31-year-old has been unable to complete a full training session with his international team-mates since undergoing surgery for a thigh problem in Qatar last month.
The African footballer of the year is a vital cog in the Ivorian’s wheel and his contribution to Manchester City’s Premier League triumph this season has cemented his status as one of the best in the world. Coach, Sabri Lamouchi, will likely give Toure — if fit — the freedom to roam behind what is usually a front three, spearheaded by Drogba or Bony and supplemented by support in the wide areas from Kalou and Gervinho.
The Ivorians’ golden generation is quickly ageing and having mystifyingly failed to win one Africa Cup of Nations they will be targeting a good showing in Brazil to shake their ‘under-achievers’ tag.
Greece
It is almost ten years since Greece’s remarkable triumph at the European Championships in Portugal and coach, Fernando Santos, will be hoping to inspire his players to produce another herculean effort in Brazil.
According to the general consensus, if you had to pick an underdog in this group it would be Greece. But this is a role to which they are accustomed and thrive upon. They may not win many admirers with their defensive, resolute and dogged style but it is a formula which is tried and proven. The Ethniki conceded just four goals in ten World Cup qualifiers and they boast two talented central defenders in Kyriakos Papadopoulous and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
Santos usually deploys a workman like 5-4-1 formation with Konstantinos Mitroglou leading the front-line. Nicknamed “Mitrogoal”, the 25-year-old scored 23 goals in as many games for Olympiakos before faltering after a January move to Fulham. However Mitroglou is the reason the Greeks find themselves in Brazil after scoring three goals in their playoff games against Romania and it ensures teams must be wary of the threat the Greeks pose on the counter attack.
Like the Ivory Coast, Greece have never progressed past the group stages of a World Cup and although they may not possess the attacking prowess of some of their group opponents, their defensive resilience means they cannot be discarded.
Japan
This will be Japan’s fifth successive appearance in the World Cup and under the tenure of Italian coach, Alberto Zaccheroni, they certainly have the potential to match their best ever showing with a run to the last-16.
The Blue Samurai are not devoid of technical ability and don’t be surprised to see them dominating possession against the majority of their Group C opponents. Indeed if we learnt anything from their Confederations Cup experience in 2013, it was that they can out-pass the best the World has to offer and that included dominating large periods of their 4-3 loss to Italy.
Zaccheroni often utilises his side’s creative talent by adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation, allowing his dynamic fullbacks, Yuto Nagatomo and Atsuto Uchida, to bomb forward while Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa provide finesse behind the lone front-man.
The Confederations Cup was also a humbling experience for Zaccheroni’s men and their performances often waned during the latter stages of games, exposing defensive weaknesses. Japan also lack a potent goal-scorer and this makes them heavily reliant on goals from their creative midfielders. But with their experienced Italian at the helm, the Japanese have tactical flexibility and their ability to keep possession could prove a crucial factor in the Brazilian heat.
Follow Luca Hodges-Ramon on Twitter: @LH_Ramon25
