FIFA World Cup Group E - Preview

Group E presents a true power in the footballing world, as Brazil will highlight this four-some with their usual high expectations of capturing the top trophy in International play.

The Concacaf representatives will once again attempt to make their presence known on the grandest stage, the "Ticos" hope to once again get fly under the radar, as they attempt to progress to yet another Quarter Finals appearance.

Europe is represented by two solid nations in this group, with Serbia and Switzerland more than capable of shocking the establishment. It would not be a surprise to see any of these proud countries advancing to the the final stages in Russia.

Before World Cup action begins, I'll break down each of the Groups looking for value, betting angles and offering predictions for advancement. Group E features Brazil which are true favorites to win it all, along with a highly competitive assortment of nations, who can easily stake their claim to the second advancement spot in the table.

Group E - Preview

Costa Rica

This North American side are a battled test squad who easily qualified for Russia 2018, as Los Ticos marched through the Concacaf Hex with relative ease.

Óscar Ramírez was appointed manager under unusual circumstances. After being named assistant to Paulo Wanchope in 2015, Wanchope was involved in an altercation in Panama, leading to his separation from the National Team.

La Tricolor has kept their same formation since progressing to the Quarter Finals in Brazil 2014, preferring stability within a 4-5-1 alignment. The Costa Ricans are not a flashy unit, but highly effective in playing their style of football.

Bryan Ruiz returns as the main architect in the attacking half. The creative Midfielder made a lasting impression by leading his side on a magical run in Brazil. Now the Sporting Lisbon man will relish the opportunity to represent his country once again on the largest stage in International competition.

The true star of the team does not participate in the attack. Real Madrid keeper Keylor Navas will anchor a formidable back-line. Navas has become one of the best Goal Keepers in the world while between the sticks with Los Blancos and now he will bare the responsibility of keeping clean sheets in this highly contested format.

Marco Ureña could be the next name to emerge on the worlds stage. The San Jose Earthquakes Striker provides explosive pace from his number 9 role. The Ticos danger man is highly effective within counter attacking situations, were Costa Rica are extremely dangerous.

Costa Rica are the true dark horses in Group E, but this side return a bulk of their squad from four years ago and have kept the same style of play in tact. With the overall experience on the International stage, the Concacaf members should enjoy a tremendous amount of respect from their fellow contenders.

Serbia

The Serbians are an interesting bunch, littered with talent whom play on many of the largest clubs in Europe. This side have mostly flown under the radar, despite topping their Group in qualifiers and only suffering one defeat in their last 12 outings.

"Orlovi" will travel to Russia having endured a less than stable situation. Mladen Krstajić was assigned under a caretaker role in October 2017, but was given the permanent position only until the end of their time at the World Cup.

Krstajić replaced Slavoljub Muslin who was to lead the "Eagles" to Russia, but  Muslin was unable to agree on tactical philosophies and squad selections with Federation President Slavisa Kokeza, therefore leading to his removal only nine months before the start of their first major competition in seven years.

Nemanja Matic is the outright leader on the pitch. The Manchester United Midfielder does all the dirty work it takes for his side to be successful. Matic has the ability to not only place pin-point passes on a line, but is also adept at creating turnovers and sparking the offense from the defensive end.

Milinkovic-Savic has been at the forefront of much of the controversy within the squad, failing to get significant time with his former manager. The Lavio danger man has now taken the on the roll as the primary threat the Eagles 4-3-3 formation.

Serbia must look past their internal struggles within the federation and take advantage of this ultra-talented squad that is beginning to age, as this could be the last time they are able to be a part of such a massive competition.

Switzerland

The Swiss make their way back to yet another World Cup appearance, having been regular participants over the last four events. Now the "Nati" look to progress past the Round of 16, which has been their plateau point over the past 12 years.

The "Rossocrociati" are led by Vladimir Petković, the Bosnian manager was assigned with the task of getting the Alpine side over the Final 16 hump. Now with a full four years to implement his style of play within the National team, he will be under a tremendous amount of pressure to get the type of results the country expects.

Petković will not be short of talent through out his squad, the Swiss own a plethora of world class individuals on their roster, highlighted by the "Messi of the Alps", Xherdan Shaqiri.

Shaqiri has had a knack for coming up with spectacular performances while wearing his country's crest. The Stoke City man has endured a dreadful club campaign in the EPL. This summer will give him an opportunity to place his talents back in front of the worlds' eyes, as the creative Midfielder looks to lead his side to glory, while possibly catching the attention of top flight European clubs.

Granit Xhaka will enter the tournament as the new found leader in the pitch. After earning his way up the national team ladder, the Arsenal Midfielder looks to dictate much of the flow within Petković's 4-5-1 - 4-2-3-1 formation.

"La Nati" veterans Stephan Lichtsteiner and Ricardo Rodríguez also make their way back to the Round of 32. The sturdy fullbacks allow their wingers to create opportunities down the flanks and the Serie A men are invaluable to Switzerland plan of attack.

Switzerland enter the competition with high expectations, which could work against them if faced with a tremendous amount of adversity.

There is no arguing this is a dangerous team for any country to face in the tournament and on paper they should progress, but at times they can struggle to score goals, which will be their largest obstacle to overcome during their time in Russia.

Brazil

The Brazilians will land in Russia on a mission, after being embarrassed on their own soil four years ago. Seleção look prime to claim their first World Cup title since 2002.

"Tite" has brought Brazil back to their dominating ways. The "Canarinho" head man instituted an attacking 4-3-3 formation and gave the National Team back their attacking flare back, something they had always been know for.

Neymar will be the main focus leading up this Summers event.  The all-world Forward has been out for several months after sustaining an ankle injury with PSG that required surgery.

The Brazilian play-maker is scheduled to be back in time for the opening ceremonies, but until given the final clearance there will be a certain uneasy feeling from the loyal Brazilian supporters.

Seleção fortunately are a loaded squad, with depth that is unrivaled by any other Country in the contest. Many believe that there is enough quality to capture Silverware even without the presence of Neymar in the starting eleven.

The list of stars seems unfair, with the likes of Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus, Philippe Couthino, Willian, Douglas Costa and Paulinho to just name a few.

Scoring goals should not be an issue for this team, which has averaged almost 3 Goals per match since "Tite" took charge in 2016.

The Defense has also been stellar with Alisson and Ederson anchoring the back-line. This combination of Goal Keepers have sharpened their skills with two of the larger clubs in Europe, giving them a wealth of confidence as they look to to replicate their successes while with the National Team.

Brazil have to be considered a near lock to progress to the Round of 16, even with a wide array of competition within the group. The firepower and overall balance within this unit could be considered unfair.

The Brazilians get no real value in advancing out of the group, the best investment option comes from winning the complete tournament, at +400 /5/4/1 this would be a wise selection to grab going in this summer's proceedings.

Group E - Prediction

This Group should have one clear cut favorite to advance in Brazil, leaving Switzerland, Serbia and Costa Rica to battle it out for the coveted second spot in the Round of 16.

Switzerland would figure to have the inside track on joining Brazil. With an experienced squad who understand the Major Tournament format, they seem to be the consensus pick to make their way through. But, they must find the back of the net on a consistent basis in order to complete that process.

Serbia may find themselves overwhelmed with the whole experience, even with world class talent throughout the squad. This being their first major tournament in the last seven years, it would not be a shock to see them as the first side eliminated.

Costa Rica are the dark horses in the group, as many continue to overlook this team on a continuous basis. But, with an experienced nucleus returning, and a style a play that fits perfect into a tournament format, the Ticos progressing for a second straight time in four years would not be considered out of the ordinary.

Best Of Luck To All