Group H - Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
Spain
Widely tipped to take home the World Cup for the first time, Spain are in a similar predicament to four years ago: excessive expectation. With so much riding on their success in South Africa, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Spaniards falter in the knockout stages yet again. Luck plays a part in any tournament though, and Spain can boast some of the most respected and in-form players in football today.
Star players: David Villa (Barcelona), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Switzerland
In Germany 2006, Switzerland were eliminated from the competition without losing a match or conceding a single goal. Penalty kicks were their downfall four years ago, while this time around it will likely be inexperience. The Swiss squad is relatively young, with half of their players sitting on 10 or less international caps. Group H is one of the easiest, though, so the opportunity to steal second place is there for the taking.
Star players: Alexander Frei (Basel), Valon Behrami (West Ham United), Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen)
Honduras
Honduras only just scraped into the World Cup finals thanks to a superior goal difference to Costa Rica. The Central American team have only ever played in a World Cup tournament once before, and have yet to record a victory. With players like Suazo and Palacios you always have a chance, but they are again expected to finish at the bottom of their group.
Star players: Wilson Palacios (Tottenham Hotspur), David Suazo (Inter)
Chile
In one of the most surprising South American qualification series, Chile finished, incredibly, in second place, above Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The team took 10 wins from 18 against some of the toughest opponents in international football, and have continued on that run of great form throughout the Friendlies. Predicting second place in this group is a tough ask, but Chile’s proven track record in the toughest of circumstances could well pull them through.
Star players: Humberto Suazo (Real Zaragoza), Jorge Valdivia (Al-Ain)
OG Tip: Spain and Chile to progress
- World Cup Group A – South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
- World Cup Group B – Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
- World Cup Group C – England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
- World Cup Group D – Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
- World Cup Group E – Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
- World Cup Group F – Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
- World Cup Group G – Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, Portugal
- World Cup Group H – Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
