Group F! This could be an interesting one indeed. Not in terms of who wins – I think that’s probably pretty well locked up – but second could prove to be a mighty battle.
Here are the teams:
Argentina, boasting the awe-inspiring forward line of Messi, Aguero and Higuain, will inevitably score goals. While there are some defensive questions, you can usually rely on the Albiceleste to score more than they concede, and I think they will get out of their group with not only first place but maximum points.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will once again be trying their luck against Argentina, having faced them several times in previous tournaments. The war-torn nation has seen a greal deal of tragedy of late, and indeed one of the players on the Nigerian team barely escaped the bombing of his hometown shortly before leaving for Brazil. Expect a determined display from Nigeria, but they may struggle this year.
Bosnia-Herzegovina are making their first appearance at a World Cup. This team is built predominantly around Manchester City hitman Edin Dzeko and Roma playmaker Miralem Pjanic, but they aren’t by any means a two-man team. There’s certainly a lot of danger throughout their starting XI, and I think they might just make it into second place.
Rounding out the group is Iran, who remarkably scored more goals in qualifying than any other nation at the tournament. Their World Cup record is spotty at best, with just a single win – against the USA in 1998. Nevertheless, as the #1 ranked team in Asia, they have the quality to spring a surprise.
Predicted group standings:
Argentina
Bosnia
Nigeria
Iran
That Other Blog, Way Over There 
Leave a Reply