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After an exciting draw, we take a closer look at Group B and check out the best players, duels and stats.
Group B Teams
1. Spain
2. Netherlands
3. Chile
4. Australia
Team Profile
Spain
Spain’s route to Brazil was a potentially treacherous one, with either them or France guaranteed to be occupying Group I’s playoff spot come the end of UEFA qualification. However, having managed to draw on home turf and steal a win from Paris, it’s the reigning World champions who came out of the pool as victors, beating other hopefuls Belarus, Finland and Georgia along the way.
Key Player: Xavi
Though it’s difficult to pick one gem out of such a talented crop, Xavi would spring to mind as Vicente del Bosque’s Mr. Consistent, although the soon-to-be 34-year-old is likely to see his last World Cup this summer.
Defence not being Spain’s strongest suit, 115-times capped Sergio Ramos is likely to be vital for the World Cup, where he will be at a prime playing age of 28. While Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol each bring benefits to Del Bosque’s defence, it’s the Real Madrid man who reigns as the key figure.
Best Young Player: Koke
As ever, Spain are expected to again bring a strong contingent of youth to Brazil, among which Atletico Madrid’s Koke is currently the hottest commodity. The creative midfielder already has eight assists to his name in just 15 La Liga matches.
Manager: Vicente Del Bosque
Del Bosque’s tiki-taka tactics are a well-covered aspect of La Roja at this stage, based on a balanced and free-flowing passing system that relies on each cog working in tandem to operate. Having only recently put pen to paper on a new contract that will keep him in his position until 2016, it seems that Spain trust in their current chief to deliver them a fourth consecutive major title. There is little to suggest otherwise.
Netherlands
The Netherlands were among UEFA’s most dominant parties in World Cup qualifying, amassing a joint-high of 28 points. The Dutch had a relatively easy run of things, however, with Romania, Turkey, Hungary, Estonia and Andorra all falling by the wayside.
Key Player: Kevin Strootman
Robin van Persie was one of three joint-highest goalscorers in World Cup qualification, netting 11 of his nation’s 34 goals on the way to Brazil.
However, perhaps the most essential figure for Louis van Gaal next summer will be Kevin Strootman, the latest playmaking maestro to fly the flag of the Oranje’s midfield hub. Since moving to Roma in the summer transfer window just gone, the former PSV starlet has gone above and beyond previous limits, creating 23 scoring chances for the capital club.
Best Young Player: Memphis Depay
Memphis Depay is an attacking talent within the Dutch ranks that will look to leave his mark on the tournament stage despite not turning 20 until February. The teenager leads PSV’s creative resources with 35 chances created this term and should the occasion call for it, Van Gaal could give the young winger his chance to shine in Rio.
The manager himself is as lauded as most of his players, famed at Barcelona and Bayern Munich for playing a possession-based game that relies on high pressing up the pitch and swift counter-attacks when catching the opposition short at the back.
Manager: Louis van Gaal
It was Van Gaal that first began the use of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery playing on the opposite wings to that which their stronger feet were accustomed, and he’ll undoubtedly look to continue fielding his wide assets in similar fashion with the Netherlands.
Chile
Up until late March, Chile won’t have been looked upon as any great threat to next summer’s World Cup, but a dramatic revival of form saw them through to a six-match unbeaten streak at the end of CONMEBOL qualifying, during which they beat fellow South American giants Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay and drew in Colombia.
Key Player: Arturo Vidal
Arturo Vidal is the man attracting all the headlines in Chile right now. The box-to-box anchor has completed 46 of his attempted 49 tackles with Juventus so far this season, helping fire his club to the top of Serie A.
Along with Vidal, Cardiff City’s Gary Medel will be a vital factor in just how well La Roja are able to tie up matters in midfield, not making many probes forward but making just two fewer tackles than his Juve compatriot thus far in the campaign.
Best Young Player: Angelo Henriquez
Manchester United’s Angelo Henriquez, currently on loan at Real Zaragoza, will be one to keep your eye on in the next few months, the 19-year-old living in hope that he’ll be able to add to his three senior international caps.
In 13 appearances for the Liga Adelante side this season, the teenager has bagged five goals and one assist, building further on the patches of good form seen while farmed out at Wigan Athletic last term.
Manager: Jorge Sampaoli
Jorge Sampaoli plays an expansive 3-4-3 formation and since coming to the international helm a year ago, has helped revitalise the team left behind by Claudio Borghi, adding some of the influence handed to him by Marcelo Bielsa to create a new era for La Roja.
The 53-year-old has called upon the talents of many of his former Universidad de Chile charges, forming a talented side around a very specific core of individuals, whom he’ll rely upon largely, deep resources not being to Chile’s advantage.
Australia
Last but not least, Australia’s qualification through the Asia and Australasian federations wasn’t quite as smooth as the Socceroos might have hoped, only missing out on a place in the AFC playoffs by three points.
However, the important thing is that they eventually made their way to Rio next summer, beating the competition of Jordan, Oman and Iraq to do so, finishing behind Japan in Group B.
Key Player: Tim Cahill
Recently turned 34, it’s likely that New York Red Bulls’ Tim Cahill calls this World Cup his Brazilian swansong. Having said that, the veteran midfielder led the MLS side’s scoring ranks all through the U.S. season, netting 12 goals in 29 appearances.
While Cahill has the experience to lead Australia, Robbie Kruse is more significant of the current generation and the Bayer Leverkusen forward, who’s seen 11 of his 13 appearances for the Bundesliga side come as a substitute this season, will be hoping to hold a better account of himself in the coming months.
Best Young Player: Adam Taggart
Twenty-year-old Adam Taggart will be hoping that he’ll be able to make it back into Ange Postecoglou’s side in time for the flight to Brazil. The youngster hasn’t earned an international cap since July but has six goals in nine appearances for the Newcastle United Jets this season and could be a prolific asset to welcome back into the fold.
This is still very much an improving Socceroos squad and should be treated as such, but Postecoglou’s side have developed some identity under the 48-year-old that they hadn’t showed under Holger Osieck.
The AFC representatives are a lot more willing to express themselves in all facets now, playing out from the back when they can, adopting a much more dynamic sense of passing and movement.
Best Potential Duels
Rafael van der Vaart vs. Arturo Vidal
Rafael van der Vaart has undergone an international transformation under Van Gaal, going from just another chess piece to one of his nation’s key components.
Linking back up with the manager who was responsible for the development of his latter years in the Ajax academy, not to mention the man who gave him his first international cap, Van der Vaart has been a scoring sensation for the Oranje once more, netting five goals in his last five qualification appearances.
However, Vidal will be the man looking to sew up the vacuum of space behind the striker in which the Hamburg talisman likes to operate, making for an epic head-to-head of near opposite talents.
Diego Costa vs. Ron Vlaar
Although Diego Costa is yet to make his international debut for Spain, the Brazilian-born striker is extremely likely to do so in 2014 and will be on the plane to Rio as long as his fine scoring form for Atleti holds up—he has 15 goals to his name already this season.
For some time now, Netherlands have seen defence suffer as the evident weakness in their squad, but Ron Vlaar will be on hand to ensure that the leaky mistakes of Euro 2014 aren’t repeated.
The Aston Villa centre-back won’t have come up against many threats like Costa, though, a physical and explosive source of scoring ammunition, but one who’s poor in the air, giving Vlaar at least one spot to aim for.
Alexis Sanchez vs. Jordi Alba
Alexis Sanchez serves as one of Chile’s primary attacking resources and a battle with Barcelona team-mate Jordi Alba looks lip-smackingly good.
This particular struggle will be all about speed—hot, fast nasty speed—of which the pair hold in excess.
Alba has fallen out of the spotlight somewhat in recent months, suffering with injury, but as soon as the Spaniard is fit and ready, this encounter should be put down as an enticing contest between the Camp Nou compatriots.
Combined XI
Prediction
Spain’s pedigree is more than enough to see them through to the knockout stages of a fourth successive World Cup, while Netherlands’ defence will once again prove a weakness, although still strong enough to seem them through a tough collection of countries. Chile’s dynamite attack and potential to hit the team on the break could spring a surprise or two, but the calm demeanour of their other group contenders could prove vital, while Australia are unlikely to claim even a point.
1. Spain
2. Netherlands
3. Chile
4. Australia
