2014 World Cup Pre-Tournament Power Rankings

11) Chile

One thing’s for sure: Jorge Sampaoli’s team will be fun to watch and should be involved in plenty of exciting, high-scoring matches.

They’ll look to employ an attacking-minded, pressure-heavy 3-4-3. They can also possess the ball well, and have the potential to wear their opponents down as the game progresses.

With a roster loaded with offensive prowess—featuring Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez, among others—Chile should be able to find the back of the net more than most teams in the tournament. The question is, can they keep the pressure on their opposition without being vulnerable to the counterattack? They’ll be looking to set the tone with an early goal and out-score their opponents in each game.

12) Portugal

ronaldo

What a difference one player makes, especially when it’s the best footballer in the world. This team will go as far as Cristiano Ronaldo carries them. And he’s done a good job of it thus far, as he literally put the team on his back to get them through the qualifying games in a playoff with Sweden.

Paulo Bento’s side will need to establish some chemistry in the midfield as he struggles to find a combination that works. And the defense is improving, but they’re slow and be beaten by speedy attackers at times.

Outside of Ronaldo and Nani upfront, and Pepe and Raul Meireles in the midfield/back line, this team is filled with mediocre supporting players. But CR7 is the best player in the world at the present time, so nothing is out of the realm of possibility for Portugal.

13) England

They may have gone through the qualifying stage without losing a game, but they had a favorable schedule and haven’t really been tested all that much.

Outside of veteran goal-scorer Wayne Rooney and playmaker Steven Gerrard, the team is rebuilding, and it’s reasonable to expect some growing pains as manager Roy Hodgson instills the “new breed” of younger players into the midfield and back line.

They’ll look to play a tactical, possession-based style of play, but is that the best possible option for this current crop of players? There’s young talent upfront and maybe a more aggressive style would serve them better.

Even though this isn’t a “vaunted” England team like we’ve seen in the past, they’ve qualified for seven of the last eight World Cups.

14) Russia

It’s been 12 years since Russia last played in a World Cup, and they’ll be doing so with a young team that’s without former captain/goal-scorer Andrei Arshavin. It was a peculiar move by manager Fabio Capello, and we have to question where the leadership will come from.

Alan Dzagoev is a playmaker on the rise, and there are a few solid pieces around him. But they lack experience. And given Capello’s track record in big tournaments, it’s hard to see the Russians getting very far this year.

15) Croatia

The Croatians may not be drawing much national attention, but they do have underrated talent all over the field. And they are especially strong in the midfield.

But they may have issues scoring goals without striker Mario Mandzukic. The team will be without him in their opener against Brazil, and possibly for the first three games (FIFA will decide his fate Thursday).

Still, they are a sound, tactical team. And if they’re clicking—with their style of play—they can compete with anyone. They’re a potential sleeper in the tournament.

16) Switzerland

This team could very well be a product of the weak competition they’ve played in the qualifiers. Facing a more-then-favorable draw, the team dominated matches against bottom-of-the-barrel teams.

Given their weak group, there’s a good chance they’ll advance past the first round. They’re a young team that has no pressure to deal with, and they’re also an under-the-radar team that their opposition doesn’t know much about. They’ll attempt to use the element of surprise to catch their opponents off guard early on.

17) Nigeria

Fresh off an African Nations Cup win, Nigeria will be looking to ride that momentum into the World Cup. They possess a ton of speed, and will be looking to utilize it to create odd-man rushes and counterattack. They’ll need to play smart and strike when given the opportunity to advance far in the tournament.

But rest assured, if their opposition  is caught overlooking them and makes mental mistakes, the Nigerians will take advantage and make them pay. John Obi Mikel is a force in the midfield, and fellow Chelsea teammate Victor Moses (who featured sporadically on loan with Liverpool this year) is speedy and can create chances from the wing.

18) Japan

Despite having four managers in their last five World Cup appearances, the Japanese team was actually the first to qualify for the tournament.

The combination of 2012 Asian Football Confederation’s International Player of the Year, Shinji Kagawa, and Keisuke Honda does give some attacking threats. And they’ll need to be on top of their game to help mask how vulnerable they are in the back line.

Expect the team to find itself in some high-scoring affairs with their frenetic style of play. Like Chile, they’ll be fun to watch.

19) Bosnia and Herzegovina

dzeko

Don’t sleep on this team. They have a lot more talent than it may appear on paper. Upfront, Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic is a formidable combo. While not exceptional in any area, they’re solid in every aspect of the game, and they utilize great chemistry as a blueprint for success.

It’s their first World Cup appearance, and they’ll be motivated to have a good showing and make some noise.

20) Ivory Coast

Having now played in three consecutive World Cups, they have more experience than any of the other African teams.

While they’re suspect in the back line, they can absolutely score goals. Didier Drogba, along with Salomon Kalou and Gervinho—and Yaya Toure trailing the play and supporting the three of them—is certainly enough to produce and give opposing defenses issues. Toure was an irresistible force for EPL champions Manchester City and if that same player shows up in Brazil, Ivory Coast could do some serious damage.

About Matt Birch

Matt is the founder of The Sports Daily and manages all daily operations for the website. His work has been featured on MSN, Fox Sports, Yardbarker, SB Nation and Bleacher Report. Matt has also written for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He enjoys eating good food, drinking craft beer and making original, compelling stories go viral.

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