2014 World Cup: Group F Preview

Argentina is the class of Group F and should coast into the knockout round. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the second best team on paper, with a considerable gap between them, Nigeria and Iran.

Argentina

Is this the year Argentina puts it together at the World Cup? Memories of Diego Maradona’s hand of god will not fade away, but 1986 was a long time ago. This current crop of players is far too talented to not make major waves in Brazil.

Formation: 4-3-3 / 4-3-1-2

Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain comprise a  murderers row of attacking players up front. Angel Di Maria, arguably Real Madrid’s second most important player behind Ronaldo, sits out wide. This team will be lethal on the attack.

The Star: Lionel Messi

Who else would it be? The Barcelona forward didn’t win a major trophy this year, as the Catalan giants stumbled in a disappointing campaign. In any case, Messi has done it all at the club level. Can he be deemed the greatest player of all time if he doesn’t lead Argentina to World Cup glory? According to some the answer is no.

The Young Gun: Marcos Rojo

The 24-year-old is versatile, playing center back for Sporting while toiling at left back for Argentina head coach Alejandro Sabella. La Albiceleste don’t have a ton of young defenders too call on, making Rojo a large part of the future.

One To Watch: Pablo Zabaleta

The Manchester City right back was terrific this season, helping his club capture the Premier League title for the second time in three years. With Rojo on the other side, Argentina are quite formidable on the flanks and with Javier Mascherano playing in front of the back four, Argentina’s defensive concerns may be overblown.

Odds

Bodog has Argentina at 9/2 to win the World Cup.

Outlook

They’re one of the big favourites, with only Brazil getting better odds to win the whole thing.

Bosnia - Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina will play in their first World Cup after a sterling qualifying campaign saw them outscore their opponents by 24 goals and lose only one game. Outside of Argentina’s squad of stars, they have the best player in the group in Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko.

Formation: 4-1-3-2

Attack, attack and attack some more is head coach Safet Sušić’s motto and it works thanks to the players he has at his disposal. Bosnia’s midfield is comprised of technically gifted players that link well with Dzeko and Vedad Ibišević up front.

The Star: Edin Dzeko

The 28-year-old was immense for Manchester City when injuries hit, scoring 16 goals in limited playing time over the year. Dzeko is Bosnia’s most important player not only for his scoring prowess, but also his strong hold up play. The Dragons can make it out of this group if he’s at his best.

The Young Gun: Miralem Pjanic

Roma’s extremely talented midfielder is a hot commodity on the transfer market, with Manchester United and others showing strong interest. Pjanic, 24, already has 46 caps for the national team and though he doesn’t have outstanding pace, his technical ability sets him apart.

One To Watch: Asmir Begovic

Begovic enjoyed a good year for Stoke City, even scoring a goal himself, but his job in Brazil will be simple. Stem the tide. Bosnia’s penchant for playing attacking soccer will leave them vulnerable at the back. Begovic will be called upon to make a least a couple big saves a game. He’s shown he can do that over the years.

Odds

Bodog has Bosnia and Herzegovina at 200/1 to win the World Cup.

Outlook

Finishing in second place, behind Argentina is a more than reasonable goal for the World Cup first timers.

Iran

The Princes of Persia made it to Brazil by playing excellent defence. They’ll need to carry that over to the World Cup if they want to make some noise in Group F.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Carlos Queiroz is looking for redemption after leading Portugal to an extremely poor result in South Africa. This team has talent up front with Ashkan Dejagah and Reza Ghoochannejhad leading the way, but how many chances they’ll get is the question. Playing creative football wasn’t Iran’s strong suit during qualifying. Against teams like Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina they’ll be parking the bus.

The Star: Ashkan Dejagah

He scored one of the goals of the season for the Cottagers against Crystal Palace, but Dejagah's team was relegated to the Championship. Dejagah can score from almost anywhere but consistency is a problem. He must take the few chances he gets in order for Iran to surprise.

The Young Gun: Alireza Jahanbakhsh

The 20-year-old NEC striker started from the bottom, opting to play his soccer in the streets and at school rather than joining an academy at an early age. Ultimately he did make the move to a more professional setup and the decision paid off. He and Sardar Azmoun formed a dynamic combination at the AFC  U-19 Championship. He was voted the Eredivisie's best young talent this season, beating out the likes of Terence Kongolo and Memphis Depay. 

One To Watch: Reza Ghoochannejhad

The Holland-raised striker moved from Standard Liege to Charlton in January 2014 and scored his first goal for the Addicks against Leeds in April. He’s Iran’s go to man up front, scoring six goals in six consecutive matches at one point.  

Odds

Bodog has Iran at 1500/1 to win the World Cup.

Outlook

Stealing points off of Bosnia and Nigeria would be a massive result for the Iranians, but that’s about all they can hope for.

Nigeria

Stephen Keshi has done a wonderful job with the Super Eagles. In 2013 he led his squad to Africa Cup of Nations glory, where Nigeria beat Burkina Faso in the final. His task will obviously be tougher in Brazil, but he’s proven himself as an adept man-manager.

Formation: 4-3-3/ 4-2-3-1

John Obi Mikel is the player that stirs the drink in Nigeria’s midfield, sitting just in front of the back four with Victor Moses and Ogenyi Onazi on the wings in a 4-3-3. Keshi seems to prefer the 4-2-3-1, more often than not, however.

The Star: John Obi Mikel

His star has fallen considerably in England, where his inability to score goals is a running gag, but Obi Mikel is incredibly important for Nigeria. The leader in the midfield and the most experienced player in the squad aside from Joseph Yobo and Peter Odemwingie, Obi Mikel will be tasked with shutting down two of the more dangerous attacking teams in the world in Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Young Gun: Ogenyi Onazi

The Lazio midfielder narrowly avoided being caught up in a recent bomb blast in Jos after visiting the main market there in May. The defensively minded 21-year-old has been compared to Obi Mikel and has been linked with a move to Liverpool this summer.

One To Watch: Victor Moses

Moses wasn’t the messiah for Liverpool after arriving from Chelsea on a season long loan. Playing time was hard to come by after a number of youngsters outplayed him in the early portions of the season. A solid World Cup performance would go a long way to improving his reputation.

Odds

Bodog has Nigeria at 250/1 to win the World Cup.

Outlook

They’ll challenge Bosnia and Herzegovina for second spot in the group, but the top end talent just isn’t there.