Football teams from all over the world know better than to underestimate Greece at the World Cup, after the European nation beat the odds 2004. Nobody gave them a chance back then but despite the fact that the specter of an untimely elimination was looming from the very beginning, the Greeks kept fighting. A combination of exact defensive play and a remarkable synergy between players delivered the first continental trophy for the huge underdogs. This time, their ambitions are equally…

World Cup 2014 will very likely mark the retirement of several key Ivory Coast players that turned an average African team into a force to be reckoned with. It makes perfect sense that these talented and immensely experienced players hope to make their exit from the competition memorable. They've got the window of opportunity, because Group C is one of the easiest ones and they have the second best chance to make it to the next stage. Group stage and…

Germany and Portugal are expected to survive the group stage with relative ease, as both of these teams are among the favorites to lift the trophy. This makes it particularly difficult for United States and Ghana, teams that share Group G with the European superpowers. All they can hope for is to collect three points from the direct match, while scrapping a point in one of the games played against the group favorites. Group stage and event prospects The Americans…

Had Japan played in virtually in any other group at the World Cup 2014, they will be probably regarded as huge underdogs to survive the initial stage. As they will play against Colombia, the Ivory Coast and Greece, the Asian nation has a rare opportunity to make it to the elimination round. Alberto Zaccheroni is one of the few coaches who could get them there and the Japanese Federation was wise to hire him. Group stage and event prospects The…