2014 World Cup: Who’ll Be The Boss Of Group B?
Monday, May 5th, 2014
The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil is on the horizon. Kicking off in June with the Group stage, 32 teams from around the world are competing for a spot in the knockout ‘round of 16’, with high hopes of World Cup glory! Pepper the Panda’s been very busy and he’s brought you a comprehensive 101 of all the World Cup Groupings, team-by-team, game-by-game. Check out our sports blog for regular updates on the latest World Cup action, where we’ll be getting stuck into the tournament, bringing you our team guides and winning predictions.
Group B
World Cup Group B consists of Spain, Netherlands, Chile and Australia and has been deemed one of the toughest groups competing this year, with both Spain and Netherlands hailed as strong favourites to win the golden Cup. To simplify things, we’re breaking down the Group stages team-by-team with our predictions as to who’ll come out on top!
Spain
FIFA Ranking: 1
Spain are currently the number 1 team on the FIFA ranking table, making them a firm bookies’ favourite. Having won the last World Cup back in 2010, fans are wondering if they can achieve a repeat performance. Spain’s strong possession skills have historically quickly worn down the opposition. Their lineup of world class players includes Andres Iniesta, Javi Martinez and strong defender Sergio Ramos.
Netherlands
FIFA Ranking: 15
Although ranked slightly lower than Chile, we reckon the Netherlands team are the second strongest of the group. In 2010, they just missed out on the World Cup, losing to rival team Spain in the final. The team have yet to be beaten this year, scoring goal after goal (after goal, after goal). With strong players Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie as potentials for the team, the Dutch will no doubt be hungry to get to the finals again – and they stand a good chance.
Chile
FIFA Ranking: 14
Not to be discounted, Chile play a tough game – their aggressive style and swift passes make them a serious contender in this year’s World Cup. Barcelona winger Alexis Sanchez is the player to watch, scoring goals left right and centre for the team. Chile have made it through to the round of 16 in past World Cups – however, interestingly, they’ve always been knocked out by Brazil, so let’s hope they don’t have to face off this year.
Australia
FIFA Ranking: 59
Oh Australia… 0800-GO-HOME – we’d love to be supportive of the team from down under, but compared to the competition in their group they’ll be lucky to stand a chance. Officially the lowest ranking team to qualify for this year’s World Cup, Australia plan to tackle this with a fresh lineup of young talent. The jury’s still out on this one.
So Who’s Playing Who?
Pepper’s got the 411 on the Group B matches – when they’re on, where they’re at and what time they’ll be on TV! (We’ve changed the times into GMT so you won’t miss a single game. That pesky time difference – you’ll thank Pepper later.)
Spain vs. Netherlands, Salvador – 13th June 20:00
Chile vs. Australia, Cuiaba – 13th June 23:00
Spain vs. Chile, Rio de Janeiro – 18th June 20:00
Australia vs. Netherlands, Porto Alegre – 18th June 17:00
Australia vs. Spain, Curitiba – 23rd June 17:00
Netherlands vs. Chile, Sao Paulo – 23rd June 17:00
So Who Should I Put My Money On?
Group Stage Predictions
Only the two teams with the most points from each Group will move forward to compete in the round of 16, and get one step closer to the World Cup grand finale. 1st and 2nd place will be awarded to the two teams with the highest and second highest scores within their Group. So who does Pepper think will come out on top of Group B?
1st: Spain – We expect FIFA ranking favourite Spain to win the round for Group B – So does the rest of the world. Our money is firmly on Spain for this one.
2nd: Netherlands – The Netherlands are a strong team and all odds are on them making it through to the knockouts – but Spain are still the favourites, which is why we’re placing them as our Group B runner up.
Chile and Australia – pack your bags.
Knockout Predictions
The two winning teams from Group B will go on to play against the winners from Group A and so on. The winner from each group will play the runner up from the other group in the first of the knockouts, the round of 16. With Group B touted as the strongest in this year’s competition, it should be a breeze, right? Wrong – the winners of Group B will potentially face matches against host country team Brazil, Croatia, Mexico or Cameroon.
Spain vs. Croatia – Winner: Spain
Pepper’s money is on Spain in this hypothetical face-off. Croatia might be good, but they aren’t Spain good. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if Spain make it all the way to the final.
Netherlands vs. Brazil – Winner: Brazil
Now this is a football game the world is waiting to see. Two football giants, facing off in-front of millions. If this match materialises, we reckon Brazil will be crowned the winners – Netherlands might be tough opponents, but we think the home field advantage will help Brazil pull this one out of the bag.
2014 World Cup Groups Summary
Don’t forget to check back and visit our sports blog as we continue our in-depth analysis of each group. The countdown to the 2014 World Cup continues! Is it too soon to get the beer chilling?
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile and Australia
Group C: Columbia, Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan
Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England and Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France and Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana and the United States
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia and South Korea
We’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win a Brazil 2014 World Cup football every week. For your chance to win, head over to our Facebook or Twitter page to enter – what are you waiting for?
Want to place a bet on who will win the 2014 World Cup? You’re in luck – Pepper has joined forces with SkyBet to offer you a chance to win a free £100 bet. To bag your chance to win, create and deposit in a SkyBet account today.
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