Spain, Netherlands and Chile face-off in Tough Group B

Spain, Netherlands and Chile face-off in Tough Group B

By Michael Gales Dec 16, 2013

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Defending champions Spain are the Group B favourites ahead of the Netherlands, Chile and Australia. With three teams ranked inside the top 15, two will progress to the knockout stage, and one will be sent home, but who will they be?

Spain: Defending champions favourites in Group B

Fifa Ranking: 1st

Best Finish: Winners (2010)

Overall Miles to travel: 1,172^

Odds to win 2014 World Cup: 8.340*

Defending champions Spain are the 1.208* favourites to qualify out of a tough Group B which includes Chile, Netherlands and Australia.

Despite experiencing defeat to Brazil in the Confederations Cup final, they still have an excess of talent at their disposal, and are fourth favourites at 8.340* to lift a second successive World Cup and become only the third side after Italy and Brazil to do so.

The holders emerged unbeaten over their eight qualifying matches, scoring 14 and conceding just three. They conceded the fewest goals (0.38 on average per game), were the only side not to be in a losing position and one of only seven nations to score in every game.

Spain’s possession-based football, coupled with their determination to retain the ball when they don’t have it, has been wearing down their opposition for the best part of a decade. With the heat and humidity expected to be an issue in Brazil, how vital could this philosophy be?

One thing that may be stacked against Spain is that no European team has won the World Cup in South America. In their three World Cup appearances in South America to date they have finished fourth in Brazil (1950) but were eliminated in the group stages back in 1962 and 1978. Having said that they are considered the best team in the world after winning the last three major tournament

Spain’s record against Group B opponents

H-to-H Record

Win

Loss

Draw

Win %

Chile

4

0

1

80%

Netherlands

5

4

1

50%

Australia

0

0

0

0%

Netherlands: How good are they?

Fifa Ranking: 9th

Best Finish: Runners-up (1974, 1978 & 2010)

Overall Miles to travel: 1,960^

Odds to win 2014 World Cup: 25.000*

Despite being offered as the 1.526* second favourites to progress from Group B the Netherlands arrive at another major tournament with a level of uncertainty surrounding them. After losing in extra time in the 2010 final to Group B opponents Spain, they went to Euro 2012 as one of the favourites but were eliminated without a point.

Louis Van Gaal – who won domestic titles at Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AZ Alkmaar  – was hired as manager after Euro 2012. He guided the Netherlands to nine wins from ten games – scoring 34 goals and conceding just five – with a 2-2 draw against Estonia denying them a perfect record. However, the Oranje had one of the easiest groups as none of their opponents were ranked in Fifa’s Top 30.

Despite the Dutch finishing 2013 unbeaten and scoring plenty of goals that achievement is less impressive when you look at their opponents, which leaves bettors unaware as to how good they actually are.

Another question that needs answering is whether a front four consisting of Arjen Robben (29), Robin van Persie (30), Wesley Sneijder (29) and Rafael van Der Vaart (30) is at its peak or a declining force?

Netherlands’ record against Group B opponents

H-to-H Record

Win

Loss

Draw

Win %

Spain

4

5

1

40%

Chile

0

0

0

0%

Australia

0

1

2

0%

Chile: Expect plenty of goals

Fifa Ranking: 15th

Best Finish: 3rd (1968)

Overall Miles to travel: 1,203^

Odds to win 2014 World Cup: 41.000*

Despite being drawn in a tough group Chile will expect to cause an upset and progress to the knockout stages. Odds of 2.140* suggest this feat is not an impossible task.

Chile qualified third after struggling midway through the campaign that saw them lose four consecutive matches. Jorge Sampaoli was appointed coach and they subsequently recovered to win five of their last six games. During qualifying Chile scored 29 but also conceded 25 – an average of 1.56 per game, the highest of any team who qualified.

As they demonstrated in the 2-0 win against England in November coach Jorge Sampaoli has Chile playing an expansive style of football combined with aggressive pressing.

The Chileans progression under Sampaoli is evident given that they are the fourth highest movers in the Fifa rankings in the last year moving up from 21st to 15th. This is only the third time they have qualified in the last eight World Cups, but they did reach the last 16 in 1998 and 2010.

La Roja certainly have the potential to progress out of Group B, but with a small pool of players to select from, they have to keep their best XI fit.

Chile’s record against Group B opponents

H-to-H Record

Win

Loss

Draw

Win %

Spain

0

4

1

00%

Netherlands

0

0

0

0%

Australia

1

0

1

50%

Australia: A team in transition

Fifa Ranking: 59th

Best Finish: Round of 16 (2006)

Overall Miles to travel: 1,381^

Odds to win 2014 World Cup: 201.000*

Australia are the lowest ranked team in the World Cup having dropped from 33rd to 59th in a year and odds of 8.400* suggest the Socceroos will find it difficult to qualify for the next stage.

If the draw wasn’t tough enough, the Socceroos will endure the biggest temperature swings during the group stages from game-to-game.

Now competing as an Asian Football Federation member they qualified automatically behind Japan but their passage to Brazil was not the easiest. After failing to win in their first three games they went unbeaten over the last five and secured their place in the final game.

By qualifying Australia have reached their third successive finals. They reached the last 16 in 2006 but lost in stoppage-time to eventual winners Italy, while they were eliminated in the Group stage of 2010.

With coach Ange Postecoglou given the remit to develop younger players, expect the squad to be made up of untested players with an eye on the 2016 World Cup.

Australia’s record against Group B opponents

H-to-H Record

Win

Loss

Draw

Win %

Spain

0

0

0

0%

Chile

0

1

1

0%

Netherlands

1

0

2

33%

^ This is the overall number of miles each nation will travel during the group stages from their selected base camp.

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