Group D

Group D (team guides from FIFA)


Uruguay: Sete Lagoas


Best price = 28/1

FIFA’s key players
Strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani have become the standard bearers for Uruguayan football and the national team over the last couple of years. The Liverpool man ended the South American preliminaries as the leading scorer with 11 goals, and was the second most-used player by coach Oscar Tabarez. The deadly duo have plenty of ballast behind them, with the vastly experienced Diego Lugano directing rearguard operations with aplomb, and Fernando Muslera providing a safe pair of hands between the posts. Even so, after an often-troubled qualifying campaign El Maestro Tabarez will no doubt be looking to shuffle his pack and build up some momentum ahead of Brazil 2014.

My key player = Luis Suarez


Current coach: Oscar Washington Tabarez
Best performance in a FIFA competition: FIFA World Cup Uruguay 1930 and Brazil 1950 (winners), Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 1924, Amsterdam 1928 (winners), FIFA U-20 World Cup Malaysia 1997 (runners-up), FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Rio de Janeiro 2006 (runners-up), FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 (runners-up)

Costa Rica: Santos


Best price = 4,000/1

FIFA’s key players
Costa Rica’s fortunes lie at the skillful feet of one Bryan Ruiz. Called “a truly special player” by former coach Rodrigo Kenton, Ruiz established himself at club side Twente in the Netherlands before moving on to Fulham in England. Now back in the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven, he ranks among the best playmakers in the North, Central American and Caribbean zone. Alongside Ruiz are a number of tried-and-trusted performers like Alvaro Saborio, Cristian Bolanos and outstanding goalkeeper Keilor Navas.The dribbling skills and all-around attacking play of the young Joel Campbell have made him another of Los Ticos’most valuable assets.

My key player = Bryan Ruiz


Coach: Jorge Luis Pinto
Best performances in a FIFA competition: FIFA World Cup Italy 1990 (Round of 16), FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009 (Fourth place)

Italy: Mangaratiba


Best price = 28/1

FIFA’s key players
Captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the only survivor from their 2006 triumph in Germany along with Andrea Pirlo, while a host of youngsters have broken into the team, such as central defender Andrea Ranocchia and midfielder Marco Verratti. Up front, the transition from old to new has been even more dramatic thanks to the emergence of Stephan El Shaarawy and Giuseppe Rossi's return to the fore. Also with a vital role to play are the maverick duo of Mario Balotelli and Pablo Osvaldo.

My key player = Gianluigi Buffon


Coach: Cesare Prandelli
Best performances in a FIFA competition: FIFA World Cup Italy 1934, France 1938, Spain 1982 and Germany 2006 (Winners), Men's Olympic Football Tournament Berlin 1936 (Winners)

England: Rio de Janeiro


Best price = 33/1

FIFA’s key players
Wayne Rooney remains England’s greatest talent and his seven goals in six World Cup qualifying starts underlined his importance to Roy Hodgson's side. In midfield, Gerrard and Frank Lampard provide experience and creativity while young guns Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andros Townsend highlight the Three Lions' attacking flair for the future. Danny Welbeck came into his own during qualification, scoring four goals on the way to the finals, while Daniel Sturridge's emergence as one of the English Premier League's top forwards can only bolster Roy Hodgson's attacking options for Brazil.

My key player = Adam Lallana


Coach: Roy Hodgson
Best performance in a FIFA competition: FIFA World Cup England 1966(Winners)

Group D summary

This is one of the groups I feel most strongly about. First of all, this is the group that will play most games in hot and humid conditions. Anyone that does get through this group could end up with a decent run to the semis. Or, depending on the other groups, coming second could lead to a quarter final against Brazil. Group favourites Italy are the most unfortunate in the group, playing all three of their games in difficult conditions. They open with England in Manaus, who will be similarly inconvenienced but their other group games in Recife and Natal will surely favour their opponents. Looking at Italy's squad, they have lots of defensive strength, but I don't think they have the forward power of some of the other favourites, and they also have a huge amount of travelling to do, with a 5,000 mile round trip first before two 3,000 mile round trips for their next two games. Italy may qualify, but I don't think they will win the group, and in my eyes they are too short to do both. Uruguay have plenty of goals in them on the other hand, and crucially, may be favoured by sultry conditions for their game against Italy in Natal. Their first choice line-up looks as strong as almost anyone in the tournament and another thing in their favour is that they open up against the team that is on paper the weakest in the group. I can see Uruguay topping the group and if they keep Suarez fit they could go a long way. England are difficult to work out. They come in with a lot of inexperienced players in their squad, and it is very difficult to see them coming out on top against very canny opponents like Uruguay and Italy. Qualification from this group would be a major success in my eyes, and anything more than that would be a major bonus. Something in their favour is that they play the two American sides in conditions that shouldn't prove too troubling, and don't have a much travelling to do after their first match. Indeed, England have the least travelling and are the only team in the group that only have to play in a hot and humid venue only once, so if they can avoid defeat against Italy in Manaus they could surprise and qualify. Costa Rica probably can't beat Uruguay in typical South American conditions, or England in cooler conditions, but they may have an advantage against Italy in their second game, to be played in Recife.

Bets
Uruguay to win group D 15/8
Italy to finish bottom of Group D 16/1