World Cup 2014 - Uruguay's Ambition will depend on Saurez's Fitness, perhaps England's too!

Big results require big ambitions. Winston Churchill

It's strange isn't it? The one player whose fitness mattered the most for you, whose form concerned you for the whole season, is the one you would be hoping to be injured! That might be how Liverpool fans might be feeling now. At least they are hoping that he miss the England match. Luis Suárez who is recovering from a knee surgery is expected to be fit for their second group match, against England. He is definite to miss the team's opener against Costa Rica, a match in which Uruguay hardly needs him. Their second match against England could define the destiny for both the team. So the "Group of Death" which features three former World Champions may in the end depend on whether a little Uruguayan named Luis Suárez recovers from injury in time.

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Spain Favourites to Defend Title in 2014 Brazil FIFA World CUP

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts Winston Churchill

People, especially critics have been too eager to write off Spain's chances in the 2014 World Cup. They argue that the 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Brazil in the Confederations Cup as a sign of the era of Spanish domination coming to end. It is quite strange, they almost said similar things ahead of the Euro 2012! They easily forgot that Spain was similarly poor in the last confederation cup, losing to United Stated 2-0. To read too much in to the poor performance in a single competition would be a folly. After all the players who were the rock behind Spain's success are still there and kicking, the reinforcements have been arriving in quick time too. The quality of the players in the squad is unbelievable, underlined by the fact that in the recently concluded Champions League final had nine Spanish players starting.

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World Cup 2014 - Calling Belgium a "Dark Horse" may not be Fair!

Believe you can and you're halfway there Theodore Roosevelt

The only reason why we should be allowed to call Belgium the "Dark Horses" has to be their lack of pedigree in the World Stage. Or a better reason could be our unending craving for a superlative narrative. Otherwise what's the logic? Ok, agreed they were never considered as the main contender by many pundits. Then that's precisely due to their uncanny ability to overlook hard core facts. These are the same pundits who used to pip "England" as firm favourites every World cup only to be left wondering what went wrong! Belgium currently lies in 12th position in the FIFA Ranking, one below England and two below Greece. Then that count for nothing as there is no other European squad which has quality spread across all the position like Belgium has. At least in terms of squad strength, Belgium is miles ahead of England and Greece. One look into final squad announced by Marc Wilmots, you all will understand I am placing them as a Genuine contender rather than a "Dark Horse".

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