The biggest event on the planet is approaching, and we are rolling into the last four groups of the Championship. There is no denying that Brazil is the strongest squad in this company of national teams, and Brazil will be more than willing to secure it's dominance in the group because the prospect of meeting Germany — reigning champions — in the next round is not the most alluring scenario for any team.
Brazil
There are so many things to be said about the Brazilian team, its players, and the grandeur of the squad in general — tournament after tournament, year after year. Brazil is currently second in the FIFA rankings, Brazil have five World Cup titles, and they were the first team to qualify for the Cup after the hosts Russia. Yes, a lot of people (die-hard fans especially) remember what happened in Brazil 4 years ago, the more than embarrassing 1–7 loss against Germany but it was a different team back then. Today, Brazil is in hands of Adenor Bacchi or just Tite, and he is doing wonders with the team. Neymar might still be the biggest star, but Brazil are a squad of top organisation. Perhaps their 1–0 win against Germany this March was one way to prove it. Everyone noticed the change in the team after arrival of Tito in 2016 — in a short period of time Brazil went from fifth to second and a couple of games later they were leaders of the group. Brazilian squad is packed with stars, and this Championship will be the opportunity for the young Coutinho to prove himself. There are still reasonable doubts about Neymar's physical state due to the fractured metatarsal back in February but the most expensive player in the world calmed his fans — he should be fit to play. Will Neymar and his squad be able to overthrow rivals Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo securing the sixth trophy? There's always expectations when it comes to Brazil.
Switzerland
Switzerland have Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) in their “arsenal” who is regarded as one of the most talented players of Switzerland's modern football era. The European team are expected to be the runner-ups in their group but could they take on Brazil? Switzerland are playing against Brazil on June 17, and we expect a lot from both teams. Switzerland had a good, yet a bit shaky run to the World Cup. They won their first nine qualifying matches but ended up being in the second place solely on goal difference behind Portugal. Switzerland managed to get through by winning against the Northern Ireland. Experts are saying that currently it is the golden days of the Swiss squad. There is some pressure on the team's shoulders, experts claiming that currently, it is the time for Switzerland to strike and prove that it is more than just talented individuals. When you look at Switzerland, the biggest part of their players is based at clubs in Europe’s big five leagues (serious business here). The Swiss squad looks like a very strong contestant at this year's World Cup but can they really prove that they are more than just talents combined together?
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, this tiny state in Central America, made some headlines in Brazil 2014 when they managed to make it out of the group with such rivals like Uruguay, Italy, and England winning the first two and playing 0–0 against The Three Lions. More than that, Costa Rica were up against The Netherlands in the quarter-finals, losing only after the penalties. This team can pick up a fight! What can we expect in Russia? The qualifying tournament was not particularly easy for Los Ticos — they had a string of losses and some score draws. Their friendly matches raised eyebrows as well. Costa Rica were pretty much destroyed by Spain in a 5–0 match, later this result was followed by a defeat to Hungary 0–1. In March, the situation got a little better but Los Ticos lost to Tunisia, yet managing to secure their first victory in the friendlies with a 1–0 against Scotland. Can we jump to conclusions here? Observers note that defence of the team is rather good and reliable but problems are more evident when it comes to the offence. But don't get fooled — Costa Rica have strong players in its squad, and names like Keylor Navas (Real Madrid) and Bryan Ruiz. Ruiz was definitely one of the key players to secure team's dream of Russia 2018 and their place in the last eight four years ago.
Serbia
The last but not the least, Serbia is back to the World Cup finals after eight years of absence, and 2018 is going to be team's second Championship since becoming an independent state in 2006. Fans were alarmed about the inability of their squad to qualify for any major tournament since 2010 but now it seems that Serbia 2.0 is in progress. There are still some question marks regarding team's management and organisation with Slavoljub Muslin being removed as coach despite the qualifying campaign that put Serbia ahead of other teams. Currently former footballer Mladen Krstajic is placed in their command. They say the main reason for sacking Muslin was his “unwillingness” to welcome new players to the team. Serbia's road to Russia was indeed quite a productive one, and the squad managed to send 20 goals into the net of their rivals. Serbia got ahead of such teams like Ireland, Wales, and Austria, finishing first in their group. At the moment, Serbia's management indeed looks a little bit worrying — Krstajic decided to deprive Branislav Ivanovic, who played all ten qualifying matches, of his captaincy announcing that former Manchester City defender Aleksander Kolarov would take his place. Could these changes influence team's success at the World Cup? We are eager to know what this squad can pull off.
Some say Brazil have very little to fear in this group and their way through the next round is already a done deal. They will definitely enter the World Cup as co-favourites along with teams like France, Spain, and Germany. Do you think it is going to be all nice and easy for Brazil?
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