Eagles To Shine At BRAZIL 2014

With the World Cup qualifying race now over, and the group stage draw almost upon us, Brazil’s 2014 World Cup is starting to shape up. 
With 32 nations taking to the field and an array of stars, it’s certainly something to look forward to and everyone will be dreaming of success.
The favorites for the tournament consist of the same names we see every 4 years- Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Germany. However, there are many teams that could surprise at next year’s tournament.
While realistic predictions cannot be made until after the draw on December 6th, we can already start to wonder who will cause upsets next year and could potentially prove to be a stumbling block for some of the world’s elite.
Next year, we can expect to see some similar circumstances and we are backing these teams to provide some shocks
Switzerland
Switzerland comfortably qualified for next Summer’s tournament after finishing unbeaten and top of Group E.
In the end, they finished 7 points ahead of second-placed Iceland. While Slovenia and Norway, who could’ve been expected to do well, finished outside the places.
Top-scorer for the Swiss was Fabian Schar, surprisingly, a centre-back for FC Basel.
One of those expected to shine for the Swiss is Bayern Munich’s Xherdan Shaqiri, while former West Ham man Valon Behrami can also contribute from midfield.
Other notable players include Napoli duo Gokhan Inler and Blerim Džemaili.
A fair few of the players that featured for the Swiss in qualifying ply their trade in the Bundesliga and there’s also many in the Serie A.
Much of Switzerland’s success depends on the group stage draw and whether they can avoid the big guns in the other pots. However, they’ll have a big advantage after being among the top eight seeds.
Super Eagles   
The Super Eagles were the first African team to qualify for Brazil after their comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory over Ethiopia.
The team won the last African Cup of Nations and also had an unbeaten qualifying campaign.
With strikers like Fenerbache’s Emmanuel Emenike, Shola Ameobi and Bright Dike to choose from, the front-line of the attack is strong.
Premier League duo John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses are star names in midfield, while in defence, Coach Stephen Keshi can rely on the likes of Godfrey Oboabona, Elderson Echiejile, Kenneth Omeruo and Efe Ambrose..
With Nigeria’s success at the World Cup depending on the big names they have, it’ll be a chance for others to see their own name in lights and help Nigeria become the star African team of the tournament.
The draw will have a huge impact for Nigeria but progression to the knockout rounds is achievable. They could prove to be the Achilles heel for the bigger nations.
Chile     
Chile’s friendly victory over England at Wembley showed the strength of this South American side.
Chile finished third in their qualifying, which was missing a notable opponent as Brazil qualified automatically as hosts.
However, they were only 4 points behind leaders Argentina and Lionel Messi.
A lot will be said of Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez, especially after his brace at Wembley, but he’s not the only player to look out for.
Juventus duo Arturo Vidal and Mauricio Isla will be key in defence and midfield, while up front Wigan’s Jean Beausejour will also be in the spotlight.
The Chileans have two major factors in their favour, the first being among the top eight seeds and the latter that this is a South American World Cup, giving them a lot of support
 Colombia
Any team featuring Radamel Falcao needs to be feared.
It’s not just Falcao that the other 31 teams should be wary of though. They finished just two points behind Argentina in qualifying and finished second overall.
Other star players include the experienced defenders Mario Yepes and Luis Perea, while in midfield there is the creativity of James Rodriguez.
Teo Gutierrez will partner Falcao up front and is an ideal partner for the Monaco ace. Falcao gives defenders sleepness nights on his own but with Gutierrez alongside there’s even more to worry about.
Colombia can really push at the World Cup next year. Top seeds and a South American tournament will pay hugely in their favour.
This team can push far into the knockout rounds, surprising a few on the way and making for some great viewing.
Belgium 
I almost left this side out of the article simply for how superb they’ve been. Frankly, it’s debatable putting them as a ‘surprise’ for next Summer.
The Belgian’s squad in astonishing. In goal they have Simon Mignolet and Thibaut Courtois to choose from, which provides a headache in itself.
Defenders on the books include ManchesterCity’s Vincent Kompany, Athletico Madrid’s Toby Alderwereld, Bayern’s Daniel Van Buyten, Spurs’ Jan Vertonghen and Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen.
In midfield there’s the likes of Fellaini, Witsel, Dembele, Chadli and Hazard.
Moving up-front, we see Benteke, Lukaku, Mirallas Dries Mertens. Yikes.
Top-seeded, unbeaten in qualifying and with an array of stars at their disposal. Belgium will be optimistic of their chances this year.
The other 31 teams need to be careful. The Belgians are on the prowl.