(CNN) The 2014 World Cup in Brazil has thrown up the chance for revenge and the opportunity for the apprentice to become the master.
While the Netherlands will have an early opportunity for payback by taking on Spain in a repeat of the 2010 final U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann will have the chance to lead his side against his native Germany.
Germany coached by Klinsmann's former assistant Joachim Low and the U.S. are in Group G along with Portugal and Ghana.
Klinsmann led Germany to a 1 0 win over the U.S. at the 2006 World Cup as his side reached the semifinals where it was beaten by eventual winner Italy.
But the 49 year old faces a difficult task to steer the U.S. through the group with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and a tricky Ghana side also in contention.
2014 World Cup draw complete Brazil's World Cup venuesWe have a big challenge ahead. But it's also exciting Klinsmann told CNN's Shasta Darlington in Bahia Brazil.
When you go to a World Cup you want to play the biggest teams.
The contest which will take place in Recife on June 26 is already being talked about with Low revealing the clash against the U.S. will be something special.
So we will be meeting old friends Low told German media.
It's already something special to have the USA in our group.
Jurgen and I have had a very good and close relationship for a long time.
We have always exchanged ideas on a regular basis but that will certainly change before the World Cup match.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque revealed he predicted his side would be paired with the Netherlands.
His team is aiming to become the first European side to win the tournament in South America.
But it will face a tough opening game against the Dutch on June 13 in Salvador.
Pele's dream World Cup matches Adidas unveils new World Cup ballI said this morning we were going to get Holland and we did in the first game no less del Bosque told Spanish TV.
Holland have changed a little bit especially in the middle of the park but they still have (Arjen) Robben (Robin) Van Persie (Rafael) Van der Vaart and (Wesley) Sneijder.
I think it is good for our mentality that we have to prepare from the first day. Holland will demand that we start at our highest level.
Everything depends not just on our opponents but on ourselves and the way we mentally approach this competition.
Brazil the host nation will kick off its campaign against Croatia on the opening day of the tournament while it will also face Mexico and Cameroon.
It is good Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari told the tournament's official website.
England Italy Uruguay that is the toughest group and we are not in this one
We open against a European team which was my preference. We have the clasico which will be very tough in the middle. Then Cameroon. I think it's good for us
England faces a tough task to progress past the group stage after being drawn with Uruguay Italy and Costa Rica.
Roy Hodgson's side opens against Italy on June 15 before taking on Uruguay in Sao Paulo four days later.
UK match fixing arrests Celebrities Fernanda Lima and Rodrigo Hilbert (right) will host Friday's World Cup draw having been brought in to replace the original choice of actors Lazaro Ramos and Camila Pitanga which was an unpopular decision with many Brazilians. Aerial view of the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Hill overlooking the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro BrazIl. The famous arena will host the World Cup final on July 13 with 32 nations competing in the tournament. Ask many Brazilians who is the greatest footballer of all time and their answer will be simple Pele. The striker won three World Cups with Brazil between 1958 and 1970 and is his country's leading goalscorer with 77 goals from 92 caps. The Brazil team of 1970 which beat Italy 4 1 in the World Cup final in Mexico is widely regarded as the greatest of all time. Pele a three time World Cup winner is seen here leaping on his teammates. Neymar will be the man which the Brazilian public will look to for inspiration at the 2014 World Cup. The Barcelona striker starred in the country's Confederations Cup success in July 2013 Despite winning the Champions League and Spanish title with Barcelona Argentina's Lionel Messi has yet to taste success on the international stage. Cristiano Ronaldo's hat trick fired Portugal into the 2014 World Cup after his side defeated Sweden in the playoffs. Ronaldo is the country's joint top scorer with Pauleta on 47 goals. Luis Suarez played a key role in Uruguay's run to the World Cup. The Liverpool striker was part of the squad which reached the semifinals in South Africa and scored 11 goals in qualifying. Sweden's forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have to watch the tournament at home that's if he's even interested. He told reporters A World Cup without me is nothing to watch so it is not worthwhile to wait for the World Cup. Spain is hoping to become the third country to retain the World Cup. Italy won the tournament in 1934 and 1938 while Brazil triumphed in 1958 and 1962. Andres Iniesta scored the winning goal in the 2010 final. Falcao will be one of the players to watch at the tournament with the Monaco striker considered to be one of the most lethal finishers in the game. Falcao scored nine goals in qualifying while his side netted 25 overall. Belgium is one of the teams fancied to do well in Brazil. The Belgians reached the semifinals in 1986 and are expected to challenge in the later stages this time around thanks to a crop of outstanding young players. Cameroon is the lowest ranked team in the tournament. The Indomitable Lions are the 59th best team in the world according to FIFA. It reached the quarterfinals in 1990 where it was beaten by England. Miroslav Klose 35 looks set to feature in a fourth World Cup after helping Germany cruise through qualifying. Klose is the country's joint top scorer on 68 goals alongside Gerd Muller. Bosnian football fans will flock to Brazil after their football team qualified for the World Cup for the very first time. Bosnia finished top of its group and clinched its place at the tournament courtesy of a 1 0 win over Lithuania. Three times the Netherlands has reached the final and three times it has been beaten. In 1974 it lost out to West Germany before Argentina triumphed four years later. Four years ago it was beaten 1 0 by Spain. Tim Cahill needs one more goal to become Australia's top scorer. He currently has 29 leaving him level with Damian Mori. France became the first European team to overturn a two goal deficit in a World Cup playoff to secure its place in Brazil. Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho scored twice as France defeated Ukraine 3 0 on the night 3 2 on aggregate. Spain will be one of the favorites to win the tournament but no European side has ever won the competition in South America. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Your guide to the World Cup in numbersIt will finish up against Costa Rica in Belo Horizone on June 24.
Tough group...but so what If we want to win it we will have to play the best teams anyway
Jack Wilshere ( JackWilshere) December 6 2013It's a tough group no doubt about that Hodgson told reporters.
We've almost got two number one seeds in our group with Italy and Uruguay.
Our great advantage is being based in Rio meaning that we've only got that one really long trip.
I'm very positive you just never know. You don't win football matches on paper you go out on each occasion 11 vs. 11. If you're well prepared you've got a chance to win all three of the games.
While Hodgson might be positive England Football Association chairman Greg Dyke was rather more downbeat.
When England's name was pulled out Dyke drew his fingers across his throat in a cut throat gesture.
Former Nigeria international Sunday Oliseh believes his country has every chance of making it through to the last 16 after being drawn in Group F with Argentina Bosnia Herzegovina and Iran.
The Nigerians are ecstatic myself included because we have Iran in the group with all due respect to them I think we should be able to negotiate this encounter he told CNN.
We've also got Bosnia who are playing for the first time in the World Cup finals as a nation. Our chances are pretty bright and it's looking interesting.
Ask many Brazilians who is the greatest footballer of all time and their answer will be simple Pele. The striker won three World Cups with Brazil between 1958 and 1970 and is his country's leading goalscorer with 77 goals from 92 caps. The Brazil team of 1970 which beat Italy 4 1 in the World Cup final in Mexico is widely regarded as the greatest of all time. Pele is seen here leaping on his teammates. Pele told CNN that his most memorable moment as a player was winning the 1958 World Cup when he was just 17. Brazil also won the title in 1962 in Chile but Pele did not play in the final after being injured in Brazil's second game. Pele told CNN that his ideal final for 2014 would feature Brazil and Uruguay so his country can win revenge for 1950's heartbreaking Maracana defeat in the deciding match between the two South American teams. Aerial view of the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Hill overlooking the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. The famous arena will host the 2014 World Cup final on July 13. In November 2013 two people were killed when a falling crane created a partial collapse of a World Cup stadium in Sao Paulo. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pele World Cup will be fantasticNigeria's toughest assignment looks set to come against Argentina and Lionel Messi at Port Alegre on June 25.
Oliseh who played at the 1994 and 1998 World Cup says Nigeria will have to be at its very best to stop Messi from running riot.
Messi is one of the best to have ever played football he said.
He can do everything except head the ball. The question is how do you stop him
You can't really if he's on a good day. What we need to worry about is Messi going to be healthy come 2014 If he is healthy we have a problem. But we have nothing to fear for the first time in a long time we feel we have nothing to lose.
Argentina which won the tournament in 1978 and 1986 will be favorites to top the group and will play Bosnia in Rio de Janeiro in its opening match on June 15.
In Group H Belgium will be confident of qualifying for the next stage after being drawn alongside Algeria Russia and Korea.
The Belgians finished fourth in 1986 but have not appeared in the tournament since 2002.
Belgium is highly fancied to reach the later stages this time around and will meet Algeria in its opening game in Belo Horizonte on June 17.
Colombia is in Group C where it will take on Greece Ivory Coast and Japan.
France which qualified through the playoffs will take on Switzerland Ecuador and Honduras.
Didier Deschamps who won the World Cup with Les Bleus in 1998 believes his side can go far in the tournament after seeing off Ukraine in the European playoffs.
It could have been more complicated let's be honest he told reporters.
We'll have our Swiss neighbors one South American team and Honduras playing a similar style.
First game is against Honduras it's the most important one winning it would put us in the best position. No opponent is easy we need to be ambitious but reasonable. Before and after the draw our objective is the same Round of 16.
Former England Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves says France and Argentina are the big winners following the draw.
He told CNN France being the lowest ranked European team going into the draw will be thrilled. Colombia have a favorable group as well.
Argentina are clear favorites in their group and I think Bosnia will finish in second place and make it into the next round.
2014 World Cup draw
Group A Brazil Croatia Mexico Cameroon.
Group B Spain Netherlands Chile Australia.
Group C Colombia Greece Ivory Coast Japan.
Group D Uruguay Costa Rica England Italy.
Group E Switzerland Ecuador France Honduras.
Group F Argentina Bosnia Iran Nigeria.
Group G Germany Portugal Ghana USA.
Group H Belgium Algeria Russia Korea.
Read World Cup draw as it happened
Read Pele promises 'fantastic' 2014 World Cup
Read Who will win the World Cup
{ 0 comments... Views All / Send Comment! }
Post a Comment