Brazil, you say? They know how to play football over there, don't they? But it's a long way for one so middle aged as I to travel.

So instead, I shall slouch into my leather armchair and view the tournament from this side of the Atlantic. I shall try and watch every game and will definitely make wildly inaccurate predictions too.

I do solemnly vow to give you a real sense of what it's like to not be at the World Cup. This is the blog where all the colour and atmosphere and passion of watching the world's greatest sporting tournament on a wall mounted widescreen really comes to life.

Saturday 3 May 2014

Who will qualify from World Cup Group C?

Group C.
That's C for Unpredictable. Tough to predict. Could be anyone's.
Seriously though, when it comes to predicting this one, your guess is as good as mine, probably better.
None of these teams have ever played each other at a major tournament, (unless you count the Confederations Cup) and that's a stat you can have on me.
But let's try and make sense of it.
COLOMBIA will start favourites. If Radamel Falcao plays, they will win the group. If not, I still think they will qualify.
The IVORY COAST have Toure, a guy the word 'immense presence' was created for. Yes, I know that's two words, but Ya Ya does the work of two men. So there. Drogba is captain and will want to marshall his nation into the World Cup Knockout stages for the first time before he hangs up his boots.
GREECE too have never tasted a World Cup Knockout game, and the ghost of the European Championship winning team of a decade ago hangs heavy over the nation.
And then there's JAPAN, in their fifth straight finals. They were the first nation to qualify for the 2014 competition and will be no pushover.

GROUP C:  1: COLOMBIA  2: IVORY COAST  3: Japan  4: Greece