The World Cup Starts Today: Group A Players To Know

Every four years.

Hard to believe four years have passed since Landon Donovan’s iconic goal in group play that send America to the quarterfinals in 2009. Still seems like it just happened.

But it has been four years, and now the World Cup is back. We have a couple of guys on staff (Brad Jones and Lucas Cole) for the next few weeks who will be helping bolster our World Cup coverage.

Starting with this, a team-by-team look at players you know, players you should know, and players you will know by the end of group play.

Group A

BRAZIL

As with the rest of the great teams, Brazil has too many household names and will have two players for each category

Who you know:

Neymar- With the eyes of the world falling on Brazil, it’s safe to say that at least one eye from every soccer fan worldwide will be on Neymar. The host nation’s all-star player is poised for a tournament that could define his career. While he needs no further introduction and his status among the world’s elite is not in question, nothing sets a player up for immortality more than international glory- ESPECIALLY when it is in his own backyard.

Dani Alves- Turning to Brazil’s backline, Dani Alves is a name even novice Soccer names may know. Whether through his multiple Champion’s League titles with Barcelona, 4 La Liga Championships, or finding himself as an unfortunate prime target for racism, Alves has made headlines. Is he the best Defender on Brazil? Absolutely not, but he always seems to find the spotlight.

Who you should know:

Thiago Silva- It’s hard to believe that the Brazilian wearing the Captain’s armband needs any introduction, but a central defender doesn’t always the make SportsCenter’s Top 10. Silva may be one of, if not the, best central defenders in the world and he will be vital to Brazil’s success when facing the offensive juggernauts Brazil must go through to reach the World Cup finals.

David Luiz- While bearing a striking resemblance to The Simpson’s Sideshow Bob, his talent is without question. Another central defender/defensive midfielder, Luis will make his presence known while stopping opponent attacks and while creating his own scoring opportunities.

Who you will know:

Ramires- barely beating out his Chelsea counterpart Willian, Ramires will be the most deadly midfielder Brazil has to offer. Hard to stop with the ball on his foot or finishing goal scoring opportunities, Ramires will become a “Who you know” for Brazil post World Cup 2014

Oscar- this may be a stretch as his goal scoring opportunities may be limited, but it is hard to ignore the pure talent possessed by this attacking midfielder. When pressed to score, Brazil will surely throw Oscar up on the wing and so many of his crosses are a thing of beauty.

CAMEROON

Who you know:

Samuel Eto’o- and rightfully so’o. No footballer has brought more pride or national notoriety to Cameroon than Eto’o. Few boast a club career as impressive as Eto’o boasting stints at Barcelona, Internazionale (Inter Milan) and Chelseas. 3 World Cup appearances, an Olympic Gold medal and 56 international goals for Cameroon later, Eto’o will be looking to make a statement in possibly his last World Cup appearance

Who you should know:

Nicolas N’Koulou- a rising star defender, N’Koulou piqued the interest of several big name clubs after an impressive run at Monaco. Finally landing in Marseille, a famous French club, N’Koulou has lived up to the billing as a premier Cameroon defender.

Who you will know:

Joel Matip- born in Germany, Matip has a German mother and Cameroonian father, Matip held himself off of the Cameroon national team in hopes of being called up by the German squad.  Committing to the Cameroon team since 2010 and being a key player for the German based club Schalke 04, Matip will be looking to make a name for himself this year.

CROATIA

Who you know:

Luka Modric- the most famous current Croatian was made most famous during his years at England’s Tottenham Hotspur. The people paying most attention to his success were his current bosses at Real Madrid. Modric continues to be among the best at his position, even amongst the worldwide names he shares the Real crowned jersey with

Who you should know:

Ivica Olic- an aging striker known for his “bulldog-like” approach. He always finds himself near the action and could win a game for Croatia in the blink of an eye

Who you will know:

Ivan Rakitic- younger than most of his international mates, at 26 years old Rakitic still has many good years in front of him and you assume at least one more World Cup. Being recently named the Captain of the Spanish Club Sevilla, Rakitic had a very strong year which will inevitably spill over to this tournament.

MEXICO

Who you know:

Chicharito – Javier Hernandez has found most success while wearing the Manchester United kit. He wears that jersey with pride while being the first Mexican to ever do so. Chicharito has certainly helped the Red Devils forget about losing their prized Cristiano Ronaldo to right before his arrival in England.

Who you should know:

Andres Guardado- with over 100 international caps to his name at only 27 years old, Guardado has been a Mexican main-stay at this stage. Playing in his 3^rd World Cup, Guardado will certainly resume his deadly assault of both assists and goals.

Who you will know:

Giovani dos Santos- this spot would most certainly have been filled by Luis Montes had he not fractured his leg weeks ago in an international friendly. dos Santos is more than capable of holding his own in the Mexican attack and will need to perform in order to draw attention and double teams away from Chicharito.