Brazil

[Browney]

Ivory have some good players, but not all great. Sure Kolo and Yaya Toure, with Drogba and Kalou upfront, and to a lesser extent Zokora and Eboue but the rest are pretty poor. By no means am I saying Portugal are strong everywhere, but with a fit Nani their wing play is fantastic and the options in the middle aren't bad, with Deco and Veloso. But Portugal, for me, just have a bit more quality. Especially at the back. Carvalho, Ferreira, Alves.

[CHA!NGANG]

Ivory have some good players, but not all great. Sure Kolo and Yaya Toure, with Drogba and Kalou upfront, and to a lesser extent Zokora and Eboue but the rest are pretty poor. By no means am I saying Portugal are strong everywhere, but with a fit Nani their wing play is fantastic and the options in the middle aren't bad, with Deco and Veloso. But Portugal, for me, just have a bit more quality. Especially at the back. Carvalho, Ferreira, Alves.

Nani is out of the WC. Portugal have top players, but don't work well as a team at all and have done poorly for a year now. Apart from GK and LB they have quality everywhere.

[JackBuddy]

Nani is out of the WC. Portugal have top players, but don't work well as a team at all and have done poorly for a year now. Apart from GK and LB they have quality everywhere.

Portugal have been playing **** football under Queiroz. I think Ronaldo (their best player by a country mile) only scored 1 goal, which was a penalty in the whole of the qualifying campaign.

[Browney]

Nani is out of the WC. Portugal have top players, but don't work well as a team at all and have done poorly for a year now. Apart from GK and LB they have quality everywhere.

Ivory have some good players, but not all great. Sure Kolo and Yaya Toure, with Drogba and Kalou upfront, and to a lesser extent Zokora and Eboue but the rest are pretty poor. By no means am I saying Portugal are strong everywhere, but with a fit Nani their wing play is fantastic and the options in the middle aren't bad, with Deco and Veloso. But Portugal, for me, just have a bit more quality. Especially at the back. Carvalho, Ferreira, Alves.

Haha.

[Black_Apalachi]

North Korea have the toughest group because they have to play Brazil

[FlyingJesus]

I don't rate Brazil right now. I'm sure they still have the skills and flair that are characteristic of them and have been for however many decades but their superstars aren't the greatest in the world at this moment in time. Still likely to win the group simply because Portugal aren't a team, Ivory Coast won't have the confidence against a team like Brazil and NK are NK, but really can't see them going too far, especially if they come up against Spain.

[Black_Apalachi]

I don't expect them to win the tournament or even necessarily get extremely far but they'll still win their group

[luce]

pretty sure they're 2nd fave to win?

yeah but they have by far the hardest group and i don't really see anything too special in their team. It's just the football history and the hype that surrounds an amazing team like Brazil. I can see there being a shock in that group and in the group with SA mexico etc..

[Bun]

brazil > ivory > portugal.

[CHA!NGANG]

You say they have no-one special but they work from the back.

Julio Cesar, arguably the best keeper in the world at the moment.

Maicon and Dani Alves, arguably the two best RB's in the world.

Lucio, Arguably the best CB in the world at the moment.

Kaka, when in form is an amazing player and he's very fresh.

Robinho will turn up for Brazil and will play well.

Same goes for Fabiano.

They have some very good players but I don't think leaving Pato, Diego and Ronaldinho out helped.

Oh and Denilson :eusa_shif