The country with the most storied history at the World Cup is a massive favorite to win Group E. Brazil has won five World Cups and will be looking for number six after a very disappointing exit in the last World Cup. They were the favorites to win it all as the hosts and the pressure on the Selecao was immense.
Unfortunately, disaster struck when Neymar suffered a serious injury in the team’s win in the Quarterfinals over Colombia. The team looked somewhat lost without its superstar, but no one expected what happened next. Brazil were routed 7-1 by Germany in the Semifinals; the most humiliating defeat in the country’s history. Now, Brazil is out for revenge.
Once every four years, the world's most popular game has its biggest tournament. The World Cup is as big as it gets all over the world, especially for the 32 countries who have earned the right to partake in this tournament. We think of the World Cup as a four-week tournament in June and July every few years, but this is actually a tournament where every FIFA team in the world has a chance to make it to the big stage.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia will begin on Thursday, June 14 and run through the final on Sunday, July 15. All of the action can be seen on FOX, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.
FIFA 2018 World Cup Group E Betting Odds
Brazil -340
Switzerland +600
Serbia +800
Costa Rica +2500
Brazil
Neymar just can’t seem to catch a break. He has been one of the most talented players in the world since recovering from the injury and is widely considered the third-best after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he fractured a metatarsal in his right foot just a few weeks ago and is expected to be out until the end of May as he recovers following surgery. That timeline means he should be available for the World Cup, but he cannot afford to have a setback in his recovery.
Losing Neymar once again is a huge blow, but Brazil has no shortage of talent. Playmakers like Willian, Paulinho, and Philippe Coutinho are still present in the midfield, and Douglas Costa, Roberto Firmino, and Gabriel Jesus are forwards that can finish.
The back line are very familiar with each other, but there are concerns. Miranda, Thiago Silva, and Dani Alves are all in their mid-30s and starting to trend downwards.
Switzerland
This will be the fourth straight World Cup for the Swiss, who have acquitted themselves very well at this level. Switzerland made it to the knockout round in 2006 and 2014, and it just missed out at the 2010 World Cup.
The Swiss have two talented players in Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri. Xhaka is the team’s number 10 and will look to set up his teammates throughout the tournament. However, he has been criticized for being far too physical and has picked up a ton of cards with Arsenal. Xhaka will need to play a more contained brand of soccer here.
Shaqiri is a winger who uses his quickness to find little bits of space. He is Switzerland’s greatest offensive weapon and his teammates will look to feed him the ball whenever they can.
Serbi
For the first time, Serbia will be in the World Cup as its own entity. Serbia has qualified as part of Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro in the past, but this will be the nation’s first appearance since Montenegro split off.
There are some good reasons to be optimistic about their chances. They finished atop a tough qualifying group that featured Ireland and Wales, and Serbia has some talented players too. Dusan Tadic and Nemanja Matic will lead the charge from the midfield, while Aleksandar Mirtovic will be the man up top.
Costa Rica
In 2014, the Ticos were the plucky underdog that shocked the world. Picked to finish dead last in a group that featured England, Italy, and Uruguay, Costa Rica instead finished top of the table with some fantastic defensive efforts. They allowed just two goals in regulation and made it to the Quarterfinals before losing to the Dutch in penalties.
Most of that roster has returned for this World Cup run. Real Madrid backup goaltender Keylor Navas is one of the team’s stars and he has a very experienced back line in front of him. Costa Rica will lean heavily on its defense once again and ask Bryan Ruiz to lead the counterattack.
