European giants clash as USA face familiar opponents
The group opens on 16 June at the newly constructed Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, as Germany take on fellow Europeans Portugal in one of the most exciting ties of the group stage. The USA face Ghana, who helped knocked them out of both the 2010 and 2006 World Cup, at the round-of-16 and group stages respectively, in a tie that would give the winning side a great chance of progression.

Match-day 2 sees Portugal face the USA in the humid atmosphere of the Arena Amazonia in Manaus, while Germany play in the heat of Fortaleza against Ghana, who they beat in the 2010 group stages, as each team hopes to build on their opening day result.

Depending on previous results any of the sides could face a decider on match-day 3, when Jurgen Klinsmann will face his former Germany players with the USA while Portugal face Ghana in capital city Brasilia.

The Players

Thomas Müller
The forward collected the Golden Boot aged just 20-years-old at the 2010 World Cup, recording five goals and three assists as Germany reached the semi-finals. He has since featured across Bayern Munich’s attack as his side reached three of the last four Champions League finals, and his exceptional stamina, awareness and finishing ability could deliver victory to Germany in tight games.

Cristiano Ronaldo
The Real Madrid forward missed out on last year’s La Liga title to Barcelona, however this season he finally won his personal contest with Lionel Messi for the Ballon D’Or and was named the best player in the world. His combination of pace and power is supreme on the counter, while he offers a goal threat both in the air and anywhere around the box with either foot, proving so with four goals in Portugal’s play-off with Sweden. But the attacker goes into the tournament having been unable to recover fully from ongoing tendinosis. How will his fitness be impaired?

Kwadwo Asamoah
The left-sided 25-year-old made his name at Udinese in central midfield, where he features for the national team, before moving to Juventus in 2012 and playing at left wing-back in a 3-5-2 system as his new side won the Serie A title. He offers pace, power, stamina, and ability in both attack and defence, and has collected the Football Association of Ghana’s player of the year award for the second year running.

Clint Dempsey
The midfielder struck 23 goals in his sixth and final season with Fulham, with whom he reached the 2010 Europa League final, earning a move to Tottenham in 2012 where he again reached double figures with 12 before he returned to MLS last summer. He was the USA’s top scorer in qualifying after with eight goals, and his aerial prowess and finishing ability should help convert the chances created in Brazil.

Germany – Nationalmannschaft aim to surpass recent semi-finals
Germany have reached at least the semi-finals in each of their last four major tournaments, while domestic league and cup champions Bayern Munich won the Champions League last year. However their squad depth in attack masks uncertainty over their starting XI, while the South American sides have home advantage.

They qualified unbeaten from UEFA qualifying Group C, but their concession of a 4-0 lead at home to Sweden to draw 4-4 hinted at fragility in a defence that lacks agility, for all the accomplishments of favoured duo Per Mertesacker and Jerome Boateng or Dortmund sweeper Mats Hummels. Marcel Schmelzer has settled into the left-back slot but captain and right-back Phillip Lahm has played in midfield this season for Bayern. Bastian Schweinsteiger’s regular central midfield partner Sami Khedira is out with a long-term injury, as is Dortmund playmaker Ilkay Gundogan, though each might recover in time.

Manager Joachim Low faces a difficult task choosing an attacking combination between regular playmaker and top qualifying goalscorer Mesut Ozil, Bayern’s Toni Kroos, Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller, Julian Draxler, Andre Schurrle or Lukas Podolski. Direct wide forward Marco Reus had been in superb form but he was ruled out through injury shortly before the tournament began.

He has even begun playing without a conventional striker given joint record goalscorer Miroslav Klose’s age (35), and Mario Gomez’s lack of playing time that saw him dropped from the squad, but if he gets his players performing collectively Germany are strong contenders for a fourth World Cup. Will the Nationalmannschaft be able to apply their intense and energetic playing style in such a hot climate?

Portugal – Hopes hinge on Ballon D’Or winner Ronaldo
A Selecao were defeated by Spain in both World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012, with their Iberian neighbours going on to win the trophy on each occasion. Former international player Paulo Bento took over during qualification for the latter after manager Carlos Queiroz departed following a poor opening two matches. However qualifying for this year’s tournament also proved difficult as Portugal lost 1-0 away in Russia and required late goals to avoid further defeats in the next two matches, at home to Northern Ireland and away in Israel. His side dropped two more points after Israel’s late equalizer in Lisbon and Russia finished top of UEFA qualifying Group F.

This meant qualification depended on victory in a challenging two-legged play-off tie against an experienced Sweden side dominated by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, this proved comfortable after captain Cristiano Ronaldo netted the only goal in the home leg followed by a hat-trick away in Sweden to record a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Bento has assembled a settled side ahead of goalkeeper Rui Patricio, with right-back Joao Pereira and left-back Fabio Coentrao either side of powerful centre-backs Bruno Alves and Pepe. Miguel Veloso sits at the base of midfield behind tireless pair Joao Moutinho and Raul Meireles, as striker Helder Postiga is flanked by wide forwards Nani and Ronaldo. The team has struggled to break down tight defences, but if Ronaldo hits top form they will not be beaten.

Ghana – Black Stars look to recover from heartbreak
Ghana missed out on the chance of becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in 2010 when Luis Suarez’s handball stopped a goal-bound header late in their quarter-final tie against Uruguay. Striker Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty, and despite his successful spot kick after extra time, his side were defeated.

Gyan went onto miss another penalty as his side lost 1-0 to eventual winners Zambia in their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, and Ghana also began their World Cup qualifying campaign with disappointment in a 1-0 away defeat to the same opponents. At the 2013 AfCoN they were also upset at the semi-final stage, this time by Burkina Faso on penalties.

However, manager Kwesi Appiah led Ghana to victory in the rest of their CAF Qualifying group D games while Zambia dropped points, and a 2-0 win in the return leg saw the Black Stars top the table and reach the play-offs. Drawn against Egypt they dominated the home leg winning 6-1 to reach the World Cup despite a 2-1 defeat in the return leg in Cairo, in which midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng scored to mark his return to international football.

Michael Essien also returned after trouble with injury to join Kwadwo Asamoah and Sulley Muntari in a midfield full of Serie A experience. In attack Marseille’s powerful Andre Ayew joins Gyan who netted six goals from six qualifying games, and the Black Stars now have a big chance to upset their European rivals.

USA – Coach Klinsmann drawn against his former players
In 1994 the USA hosted the World Cup and reached the round-of-16 before losing 1-0 to eventual winners Brazil, who now host the tournament on its return to the Americas 20 years later.

Team USA reached the round-of-16 stages of the 2010 tournament before an extra time defeat to Ghana, and a year later former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann took over from Bob Bradley who departed after losing the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup final to Mexico.

He began with four defeats from six games, but results improved and his side advanced from their CONCACAF Third round qualifying Group A as winners despite a 2-1 defeat away in Jamaica. The USA also topped the six-team table in the Fourth round despite away defeats in Honduras and Costa Rica, after winning their five home games with no goals conceded and finishing with a late 3-2 win away at Panama that helped Mexico qualify. Mid-way through qualification they also won a friendly 4-3 against Group G rivals Germany, as well as all six matches on their way to winning the 2013 Gold Cup.

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard and Stoke’s Geoff Cameron add experience to an unsettled defence while accomplished goalscorer Clint Dempsey supports the powerful Jozy Altidore in attack. Centre-midfielders Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones, formerly of Roma and Schalke respectively, add both athleticsm and technical ability across the park, and could help Team USA upset more fancied opponents.