The 2018 FIFA World Cup sees the best of world football showcasing their talents, with Australia lining up in Pool C to take on Denmark, France and Peru.
Australia
Goalkeepers: Mathew Ryan (Brighton and Hove Albion), Brad Jones (Feyenoord), Danny Vukovic (Genk)
Defenders: Trent Sainsbury (Grasshoppers), Aziz Behich (Bursaspor), Milos Degenek (Yokohama F. Marinos), Josh Risdon (Western Sydney Warriors), Matthew Jurman (Suwon Samsung Bluewings), James Meredith (Millwall), Fran Karacic (Lokomotiva)
Midfielders: Mile Jedinak (Captain) (Aston Villa), Mark Milligan (Al- Ahli), James Troisi (Melbourne Victory), Tom Rogic (Celtic), Massimo Luongo (QPR), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town), Jackson Irvine (Hull City), Joshua Brillante (Sydney FC), Dimitri Petratos (Newcastle Jets), Daniel Arzani (Melbourne City)
Forwards: Tim Cahill (Millwall), Robbie Kruse (VFL Bochum), Mathew Leckie (Hertha Berlin), Jamie Maclaren (Hibernian), Nikita Rukavytsya (Maccabi Haifa), Andrew Nabbout (Urawa Red Diamonds)
Manager: Bert van Marwijk
One of the most dominant sides of AFC, this is Australia’s fourth consecutive World Cup, having defeated an inspired Honduran side in the playoffs.
Managed by maverick van Marwijk and led by the experienced Mile Jedinak, this team has many older players who will hope to bring in their experience and make the next round.
Much will be expected of the midfield trio of Luongo, Rogic and Mooy. Alongside captain Jedinak, they should make sure that their midfield remains solid and contributes in attack.
At 38, Tim Cahill remains the side’s best player and he and Leckie will carry the responsibility of scoring goals.
On paper, they appear as the weakest team of this group. While Van Marwijk is one of the most experienced managers, Ange Postecoglou’s resignation after the Honduras clash affected the team’s stability.
Photo by Cameron J Spencer/Getty Images
Denmark
Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City), Frederik Ronnow (Brondby), Jonas Lossl (Huddersfield Town)
Defenders: Simon Kjaer (Captain) (Sevilla), Peter Ankersen (Copenhagen), Mathias Jorgensen (Huddersfield Town), Jens Stryger Larsen (Udinese), Jonas Knudsen (Ispwich Town), Andreas Bjelland (Brentford), Jannik Vestergaard (Borussia Monchengladbach), Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Henrik Dalsgaard (Brentford)
Midfielders: William Kvist (Copenhagen), Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur), Lasse Schone (Ajax), Thomas Delaney (Werder Bremen), Pione Sisto (Celta Vigo), Mike Jensen (Rosenborg), Lukas Lerager (Bordeaux), Michael Krohn-Dehli (Deportivo La Coruna)
Forwards: Nicklas Bendtner (Rosenborg), Nicolai Jorgensen (Feyenoord), Yussuf Poulsen (Red Bull Leipzig), Andreas Cornelius (Atalanta), Martin Braithwaite (Bordeaux), Viktor Fischer (Copenhagen), Kasper Dolberg (Ajax)
Coach: Age Hareide
Since taking over from Malmo FF, manager Hareide has remained undefeated while managing the Danes.
Attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen has emerged as one of the best players in Europe, while youngster Andreas Christensen partners skipper Kjaer in the defence.
Celta Vigo’s Sisto is a trickster (five goals and nine assists in Spanish League), who partnered Eriksen in Denmark’s route to Russia. Additionally, in Kasper Schmeichel, they possess a proven Premier League goalkeeper.
This tournament could be an opportunity for Fischer and Cornelius, who are linked with a move away from Copenhagen, and Dolberg, who has emerged as one of the most talented players in Europe.
This side appear the most settled team among the Nordic countries, with their wingbacks the only cause of concern through qualifiers.
While France are expected to qualify, the Danes are Peru are expected to compete for the second spot. Their match on 16th June should help to shape this group up.
France
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (captain) (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (PSG)
Defenders: Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Adil Rami (Marseille), Benjamin Pavard (VFB Stuttgart), Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: Steven Nzonzi (Sevilla), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Attackers: Florian Thauvin (Marseille), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Oliver Giroud (Chelsea), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Coach: Didier Deschamps
At the 2014 tournament, France were knocked out in quarter-finals by eventual champions Germany, although they finished runners-up to Portugal at Euro 2016.
One of the strongest squads on paper, France are one of the only teams with competent replacements for nearly every position.
They have a very strong spine, with Lloris in goal, Varane and Umtiti as the centre back pairing, three of Pogba, Kante, Matuidi and Tolisso in midfield, and Griezmann and Mbappe at the top.
This tournament is an opportunity for Fekir to show his wares, having been linked with Liverpool FC among a host of other top clubs. Inexperienced wingbacks can be the only cause of concern for France.
France will be difficult to beat in the knockouts, although in the past they have been plagued by disciplinary issues. Players have been sent back from national duties, inconsistent performances have caused turmoil.
Additionally, just before this tournament, PSG’s Adrien Rabiot refused to join reserves.
If Deschamps manages to keep the team together and avoid intra-team complications, France should have a big tournament.
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Peru
Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese (Veracruz), Jose Carvallo (UTC), Carlos Caceda (Deportivo Municipal)
Defenders: Luis Abram (Velez Sarsfield), Luis Advincula (Lobos BUAP), Miguel Araujo (Alianza Lima), Aldo Corzo (Universitario), Nilson Loyola (FCB Melgar), Christian Ramos (Veracruz), Alberto Rodriguez (Captain) (Sporting Cristal), Anderson Santamaria (Puebla), Miguel Trauco (Flamengo)
Midfielders: Pedro Aquino (Lobos BUAP), Wilder Cartagena (Veracruz), Christian Cueva (Sao Paulo), Edison Flores (AaB), Sergio Pena (Granada), Renato Tapia (Feyenoord), Yoshimar Yotun (Orlando City)
Forwards: Paolo Hurtado (Vitoria De Guimaraes), Andy Polo (Portland Timbers), Andre Carillo (Watford), Raul Ruidiaz (Moreila), Jefferson Farfan (Lokomotiv Moscow)
Coach: Ricardo Gareca
Unbeaten since November 2016, Peru will feature in the World Cup for first time since 1982. They were a free-scoring side in qualifiers, and Gareca has his side’s defence solid.
While this side deserved their qualification, all the talk has been about disgraced captain Paolo Guerrero, who will miss the tournament due to a failed drugs test. In his absence, Carillo, Cueva and Edison Flores must ensure that goals keep coming.
Experienced Jefferson Farfan is the best player of this team. His performances can decide how Peru perform in this tournament.
A lack of experienced players and a relatively inexperienced manager appear as the limitations for this fine South American side. If the players raise their performances and ensure that Guerrero is not missed, Peru can qualify for the knockouts.
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