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The World Cup is just a few days away and the speculations on the outcome of the W\world’s greatest sporting event have never been scarce. As the excitement preceding the World Cup is surrounded by an effort to analyze the early stages, we shall take a look at Group D – Uruguay, England, Italy and Costa Rica.
The so-called ‘Group of Death’ indeed comes down as the most competitive of the lot, with three former World Champions who share seven world titles between them. From the perspective of history, Italy are the highest ranked with four titles followed by Uruguay having two and England one, while Costa Rica have never won the World Cup.
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The group of death, is compiled of teams who are equally well-equipped to match each other’s caliber. There are some exciting matches in the mix which we are looking forward to.
| Match | Fixture | Date | Time | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Uruguay v Costa Rica | 15 June | 00.30 | Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza |
| 8 | England v Italy | 15 June | 03.30 | Arena Amazônia, Manaus |
| 23 | Uruguay v England | 20 June | 00.30 | Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo |
| 24 | Italy v Costa Rica | 20 June | 21.30 | Arena Pernambuco, Recife |
| 39 | Italy v Uruguay | 24 June | 21.30 | Arena das Dunas, Natal |
| 40 | Costa Rica v England | 24 June | 21.30 | Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte |
Locations
The six matches in Group D will take place at distinct locations.
The Sao Paulo Arena is the highest of the lot being at an altitude of 792 m, which could prove detrimental for England, who have been judged by Stephen Hawking as not performing properly above 500 m.
Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte is the most palatable stadium which favours no specific team. With dry and warm temperatures and surrounded by mountains, the lack of wind action could be a major factor in determining the style of the teams.
Estadio Castelao, at Forteleza is at mean sea level but the temperatures there peak up to 32 degrees. Coupled with that are the nearby coasts, therefore we could expect potential rains and strong winds.
Arena Pernambuco, in Recife is a dangerous arena with the city averaging 224 days of rain a year, and the months of June and July being the wettest. The humidity in this region is high during these, which ensures the players would have to put their bodies in line to get results.
Arena Amazonia in Manaus follows suit with wet conditions and a 40% chance of thunderstorms and expected humidity up to 80 %. Italy, whose adaptability is reportedly better than that of England, should have climate as an advantage in their clash at Manaus.
Estadio das Nunas, in Natal is the most punishing arena with an average humidity of 97% in the middle of June. This could result in a lot of tiring and frequent drink breaks, with Italy and Uruguay upon whom this arena is thrust. They play the final match of the group stages here, so it could be a really tough encounter.
Teams
Uruguay
Back in 2010, in South Africa, Uruguay defied the odds to reach the semi final with Diego Forlan leading them from the front. Their attack has come a long way since then and they possess one of the most complete striker pairings in the form of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. The latest FIFA rankings see Uruguay placed at 7th, and by extension, they are highest in the group. The Uruguayans could be expected to pose a sturdy challenge this time as they would want to recreate Maracanazo, the last time they won a World Cup.
Their road to Brazil has been a rather shaky one with them playing the play-offs, and performing inconsistently in their qualifying rounds. They finished fifth in the CONMEBOL region and had to endure a two-legged play-off against Jordan, which they won comfortably with a 5-0 aggregate. Luis Suarez was the top scorer in the entire qualifying with 11 goals and he will be expected to follow suit in the finals, should Uruguay pose a legitimate chance of winning the World Cup.
Key Player : Luis Suarez
FIFA Ranking : 7
For more information, read Uruguay Team Preview
Italy
Italy’s 2010 World Cup exit was a shocker, as the then defending champions exited in the first round. However, citing their strong performances in recent tournaments such as the 2013 Confederations Cup and Euro 2012, they are expected to be one of the front runners for the title. They are second in line to Uruguay, being ranked 9th according to FIFA’s latest release. The Italians are the only team who could match Brazil’s record of five titles if they win the World Cup.
Italy were placed in a relatively easy group in their qualifying campaign and they emerged out never losing a match. Securing 22 points from a possible 30, Italy ensured that they directly qualified for the finals. Mario Balotelli was their top scorer in the qualifyings with 5 goals and he shall be expected to lead their attack in the World Cup.
Key Player : Andrea Pirlo
FIFA Ranking : 9
For more information, read Italy Team Preview.
England
The Three Lions have long been regarded as perennial underachievers in major tournaments and they supposedly justify that tag. After a fiasco in their last World Cup, England will be looking to come good this time. Having some of the best players in the world, it shouldn’t be surprising if they perform well this time wiping off the ghosts of the past. Last winning the title in 1966, their trophy drought has existed for a long period now.
They are ranked 10th in the world and are coming off an undefeated qualifying campaign. They finished just above Ukraine and secured a direct qualification into the World Cup. While they have had strikers such as Lambert and Sturridge rise meteorically, Rooney remains their best marksman with 7 goals from 10 matches in the qualifying.
FIFA Ranking : 10
Key Players : Gary Cahill
For more information, read England Team Preview.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is perhaps the piece of meat that all of the above teams can gobble up. Unfortunately placed in a group with three heavyweights, their progress from the group stages would be nothing short of a miracle. Costa Rica have qualified for just their fourth World Cup appearance in history. Their aim would be to emulate their round-of-16 achievement in 1990, although it is unlikely to happen.
Costa Rica is ranked 28th in the world and are expected to take a defensive approach in each game. Their road to Brazil was straightforward with them finishing below USA in the CONCACAF region and earning a direct spot in the finals. Alvaro Saborio, has been their highest goalscorer in the qualifying with 8 goals. They will be heavily reliant on the creativity of Bryan Ruiz and he is expected to thrive in this World Cup after having a good season at PSV Eindhoven.
Key Player : Bryan Ruiz
FIFA Ranking : 28
Important Fixtures
England v Italy
Arguably one of the most awaited matches in this tournament, this match could turn out to be the most crucial fixture in the group. A rematch of the Euro 12 quarter final, Italy and England both possess very good squads and excellent managers. Prandelli has been instrumental in Italy’s showings recently and Hodgson has been doing his job silently. While Italy could be expected to dominate the midfield, England’s squad has pace in abundance and could do well on the counter. Their resolute defense must be up to task in stopping Balotelli and one of the rising stars, Ciro Immobile. On paper, this looks a must-watch fixture and we could hope that it turns out to be one in reality.
Italy v Uruguay
Italy’s three man defence could face their toughest game in the World Cup against Uruguay. Headed by an in-form Luis Suarez, with Cavani to support him, their mobility across the frontline gives them a real edge in outscoring the opposition. However, Pirlo would be up to task at the other end as he is likely to control Italy’s attack from the midfield. His precision and excellent conducting skills need to come to the fore as Italy would look to outsmart Uruguay from the middle. In all, this match would be essential in determining the team that could potentially exit in the group stages.
England v Uruguay
This group is such that a three-way battle would ensue between the top three teams, making sure that no match can be discounted as not having any impact. Once again, Luis Suarez holds the key and would most likely be the decisive factor. Being familiar with the English players, he may just possess the key to unlocking the English defense. However, England aren’t to be taken lightly either with Sturridge heading their attack and Rooney complementing him from behind. This match would be a cracker to watch and potentially decide England’s fate in the World Cup.
Predictions
This is the toughest group of the lot and predicting those who will proceed isn’t easy. However, the recent trends could point towards a potential exit for England. Their friendlies have been rusty with Hodgson playing around his team a little too much. Italy haven’t been at their best either but their experience could turn the tide in their favour. In either case, Uruguay is most likely to top the group. Their recent performances coupled with Suarez’s excellent form means that they are genuine contenders.
| Team Position | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uruguay | 7 |
| 2 | Italy | 5 |
| 3 | England | 4 |
| 4 | Costa Rica | 0 |
To read other Group Previews, click here: FIFA World Cup Group Previews
