Lewandowski, Mane and Rodriguez are among the big-name offensive talent in this wide-open group
COLOMBIA ODDS: 30/1 2014 RESULT: Quarterfinals FORMATION: 4-2-3-1 PLAYERS TO WATCH: James FIFA rank Rodriguez was the Golden Boot winner in the 2014 World Cup, anand the gifted No. 10 has oonly developed and mamatured since then at BayeBayern Munich. With striker Radamel R Falcao up frontfront, Juan Cuadrado out widwide and Davinson Sanchez Sanche in defense, this team is loaded. OUTLOOK: OUTLO Colombia madmade the quarterfinals in 22014, and that was with Falcao ininjured. In the four yyears since, they have developed a reputation aas flat-track bbullies, feasting oon minnows but cocoming up short agaagainst the big boys. HowHowever, they beat FraFrance in March and havhave the talent to beat anyanybody in Russia. Can coacoach Jose Pekerman geget the best out of tthem?
JAPAN ODDS: 175/1 2014 RESULT: Group stage FORMATION: 4-2-3-1 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Borussia Dortmund’s Shinji Kagawa and 31-yearold veteran Keisuke Honda (below) of Pachuca — whom Japan hopes still has some gas left in his tank — are keys in the midfield. Leicester’s Shinji Okazaki brings experience.
OUTLOOK: Much like MLS has benefitted soccer stateside — look past the U.S. National Team spitting the bit in Trinidad; the roster is deeper than ever — Japanese soccer has been on the uptick since the advent of the J1 League. Now, after finished atop Group B in Asian qualifying — ahead of Saudi Arabia and Australia — can they take the next step?
POLAND ODDS: 30/1 2014 RESULT: Did not qualify FORMATION: 4-1-4-1 or 3-4-3 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski — reportedly drawing interest from Manchester United, Chelsea and PSG — is the unquestioned star. He had 39 goals for Bayern and topped Europe with 16 tallies in qualifying to lead Poland atop UEFA Group E. Add Borussia Dortmund right back Lukasz Piszczek and midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak and this is a solid team. OUTLOOK: Midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski is 32, while two torn ACLs have stunted Arkadiusz Milik’s growth at Napoli. Monaco defender Kamil Glik has also had injury woes while Krychowiak was in and out of the lineup at West Brom. If they can get their high-end players back in form and draw on some traveling fan support, they can make a deep run.
SENEGAL ODDS: 100/1 2014 RESULT: Did not qualify FORMATION: 4-3-3 or 5-4-1 flat PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sadio Mane’s 10 goals were tied for second-most in the Champions League, leading Liverpool to the final. With his gamechanging pace, he’s just as dangerous for Senegal. He’s supported by an athletic midfield of Idrissa Gueye (left), Cheikhou Kouyate and Alfred N’Diaye, while Kalidou Koulibaly anchors the defense.
OUTLOOK: Senegal, which became just the second African team to make the quarterfinals in 2002, look dangerous again after rolling undefeated through CAF’s Group D in qualifying. Coach Aliou
Cisse was captain of that 2002 team, but can he conjure up some offensive support for Mane?