Charlie Rhodes

There will be no Radamel Falcao at Brazil 2014. A sentence that saw neutrals draw a collective sigh of disappointment, and Colombians everywhere simultaneously descend into a state of abject…

Considering the amount of talent coursing through the Croatian ranks, their patchy World Cup qualification period was not quite what was expected. Scraping second place, nine points behind runaway leaders Belgium,…

The only side making their World Cup debut in Brazil, Bosnia & Herzegovina’s qualifying form and success since hints that their maiden voyage in what is football’s most hotly contested…

Ranked sixth in the FIFA world rankings, Ottmar Hitzfeld’s Swiss side are riding a wave of optimism to South America. Undefeated in qualifying, they go into the tournament as one…

Fabio Capello’s side looked strong in qualifying, despite a couple of dodgy defeats, and the Italian will fancy his chances of guiding the perennial underachievers out of the Group Stages…

Ten years on from their highly unexpected Euro 2004 victory, and Greece are still branded with the mark of rank outsider; and for good reason. In what will be only…

The news that manager Klinsmann had axed long-serving striker Landon Donovan from his final 23-man squad was met with a mixture of shock and disbelief from many. The USA’s highest…

Five-time winners Brazil host their second World Cup this summer, and it is no surprise that Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side are one of the early favourites for the competition. Manager: Luiz Felipe…

Qualifying third in the CONMEBOL group, Chile’s real issue is their defence, with Jorge Sampaoli’s side conceding 25 goals from the 16 games played, eleven more than second placed Colombia. At…

Paulo Bento’s side had arguably the most dramatic World Cup qualification period, having to overcome a strong Sweden side in the playoffs. It was a game that pitted two of…

Having qualified for the finals thanks to a resounding 9-3 aggregate win over New Zealand, Miguel Herrera’s Mexico are certainly aiming for the knockout phase; something they’ve managed the last…

Manager: Jorge Luis Pinto Captain: Bryan Ruiz World Cup Winners: N/A World Cup Runners up: N/A Best Finish: Round of 16 (Italy 1990) Costa Rica 2014 World Cup Preview: Finishing a comfortable second in…

The South American minnows will be after their first ever World Cup win this summer, with Los Catrachos gearing up to appear in their third tournament, having qualified with relative ease. Manager: Luis…

La Tri endured a decidedly difficult qualification period, needing (and obtaining) an unlikely win over Uruguay in the penultimate fixture to make it to Brazil. While their home form was…

Uruguay have slowly but surely returned to the top rungs of the international fold, and this summer they will surely launch their strongest push for a third World Cup success,…