World Cup: Group E Preview

Curacao – The Blue Wave will be roaring to play in their first World Cup ever. They’re the smallest nation by population and area to ever qualify for the tournament. They’re full of energy and they can score goals; nobody scored more in CONCACAF qualifying. They’ll still be massive underdogs against this level of competition. Ranked 82nd in the world and coming off losses to China and Australia, they’ll be ecstatic to even get a point in the group stage. They also have a fun array of former Premier League players such as Jürgen Locadia, Tahith Chong, and the Bacuna brothers.

Player to watch: Sontje Hansen
Ceiling: Group Stage

Germany – The Germans are a traditional powerhouse, with four World Cup titles to their name. Unfortunately for the Bavarians, since the 2014 title, they haven’t managed to get out of the group. Their current squad is not quite like the one that won it in Brazil but it’s still formidable. Young talents like Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, and Lennart Karl will give the team plenty of sparks in the midfield. It’s less clear who will be the striker ahead of them with Kai Havertz, Denis Undav, and Nick Woltemade as the main options. The legendary goalie Manuel Neuer will make one more trip with his country hoping to roll back the years to previous glory.

Player to watch: Nadiem Amiri
Ceiling: Final

Ecuador – La Tri has now qualified for three of the last four World Cups. Their latest qualification is especially unique. After 18 rounds of qualifying matches, Ecuador finished 2nd in South America despite scoring just 14 goals, only Chile and Peru scored less. How is that possible? They only conceded 5 times across all those games. They even posted four straight 0-0 results before beating Argentina 1-0 in the last qualifier. With a defense like that and Moises Caicedo protecting them as the defensive midfielder, good luck scoring on these guys. The issue for Ecuador will be scoring goals. Enner Valencia has been the hero for them before but will need help up front as he climbs past his mid 30s.

Player to watch: Nilson Angulo
Ceiling: Quarterfinals

Cote d’Ivoire – Les Éléphants were able to stave off Gabon in qualifying, winning their group by 1 point, all without conceding a single goal. Not only that, but they also scored more goals than any other African nation in qualifying with 25 over 10 games. Unfortunately, the team’s qualifying form didn’t translate to the African Cup of Nations a few months ago where they were sent home in the quarterfinals by Mo Salah and Egypt. In a group full of defensive talent, Cote d’Ivoire will be encouraged by their ability to spread the love. In qualifying, they had nine different players who scored more than once. They can get goals from all over.

Player to watch: Yan Diomande
Ceiling: Round of 16