France has more lives than a cat and more personalities than Sybil. After winning the World Cup in 1998, Les Blues went winless in the 2002 World Cup, made the final four years later and went winless as they bickered their way through South Africa, with a player dismissal and team boycott. Les Blues needed a playoff to reach Brazil, losing the first leg 2-0 to Ukraine before winning the return 3-0.
What was supposed to be an easy group for France got harder with Friday’s loss of Franck Ribery. Despite not having a goalscorer, young, defensive-minded Switzerland should advance, something they didn’t do in 2010. Honduras has never won a World Cup game and went goal-less in 2010. Ecuador is a dark horse if it shores up its defense.
France
Coach: Didier Deschamps. He was Thierry Henry’s teammate and captain on the winning 1998 France team, before coaching Juventus, Marseille and Monaco.
Odds*: 20-1
FIFA rank: 17
Formation: 4-3-3
World Cup finishes: Went winless in the 2010 group stage after disastrous infighting and player revolt. They won in 1998 and made the final in 2006.
Players to watch: Left midfielder Franck Ribery was ruled out Friday after he aggravated his back injury in practice. Now Juventus’ Paul Pogba, just 21, needs to step up even more. He gives Les Bleus the same speed, scoring and explosiveness he shows in Serie A.
Overview: L’Equipe recently asked if this the worst French team in history. We’ll see. After their 2010 bickering, Deschamps is emphasizing chemistry and omitted Manchester City’s temperamental Samir Nasri from even the seven-man reserve list. Without Ribery, have to look for striker Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) to carry even more of the scoring burden.
Schedule: June 15 vs. Honduras (Porto Alegre); June 20 vs. Switzerland (Salvador); June 25 vs. Ecuador (Rio de Janeiro).
Switzerland
Coach: Ottmar Hitzfeld
Odds: 100-1
FIFA rank: 6
Formation: 4-2-3-1
World Cup finishes: Failed to get out of the group stage in 2010, despite upsetting eventual champion Spain 1-0 in their opener. Have reached three quarterfinals, none since serving as hosts in 1954.
Players to watch: They’ve scored just five goals in their last seven World Cup tilts, and their leading scorer in qualifying was a defender (Fabian Schar) with just three goals. Midfielder Granit Xhaka will play the creative role tucked in behind striker Haris Seferovic, with Xherdan Shaqiri on the right wing. The latter pair are 22, and need to play beyond their years for an offensively challenged team.
Overview: Hitzfeld dumped his old-school 4-4-2 for a 4-2-3-1 that accentuated their midfield strength and solidified the defense. The result? Nine clean sheets in the last 15 games, including a 1-0 shutout of World Cup favorite Brazil. They smothered a weak qualifying group with shutouts in seven of 10 games, but they’ll need to hit teams on the counter with Shaqiri to score.
Schedule: June 15 vs. Ecuador (Brasilia); June 20 vs. France (Salvador); June 25 vs. Honduras (Manaus)
Ecuador
Coach: Reinaldo Rueda, who coached his native Colombia and then led Honduras to the 2010 World Cup
Odds: 150-1
FIFA rank: 26
Formation: 4-4-2
World Cup finishes: Won two games and reached the Round of 16 back in 2006, before losing to England.
Players to watch: Wingers Antonio Valencia and Jefferson Montero should provide great service from each side of the field. Valencia already had his big move to Manchester United, while Montero – playing in Mexico – scored three goals in qualifying to attract EPL attention.
Overview: The question is: Just how much of Ecuador’s record is real, and how much of it is altitude? They’re next to unbeatable when playing at the dizzying heights of their capital city Quito – winning every game except a tie against powerhouse Argentina – but went winless in away qualifiers, mustering just three draws in eight tilts and showing massive defensive frailties.
Schedule: June 15 vs. Switzerland (Brasilia); June 20 vs. Ecuador (Curitiba); June 25 vs. France (Rio de Janeiro)
Honduras
Coach: Luis Fernando Suarez, native Colombian who has guided Honduras through qualification and into the last two Gold Cup semis since taking over the job three years ago.
Odds: 4,000-1
FIFA rank: 33
Formation: 4-4-2
World Cup finishes: Sure, Honduras went winless in 2010, but they played talented Chile and eventual champion Spain tough before pulling out a tie vs. Switzerland.
Players to watch: EPL-hardened players Roger Espinoza (Wigan) and Wilson Palacios (Stoke) will key the midfield. Can strikers Carlo Costly and Jerry Bengtson replicate their qualifying form – 16 goals – against higher-level competition?
Overview: After consecutive World Cup appearances, now Honduras is looking to surprise and reach the knockout stage. If they’re in contention going into their third and final group game, can they take advantage of the sweltering Manaus heat against Switzerland?
Schedule: June 15 vs. France (Porto Alegre); June 20 vs. Ecuador (Curitiba); June 25 vs. Switzerland (Manaus)
* Odds courtesy Ladbrokes