RUSSIA 2018 - World Cup Preview: Group C

Teams: France, Australia, Peru, Denmark

Player to Watch: Paul Pogba

X-Factor: Kylian Mbappe

Projected to Advance: France, Peru

Best Match to Watch: France v Peru

France: France enters this summer's World Cup as one of the favorites to win the whole thing. France manager Didier Deschamps has found himself on the hot seat after his heavily favored side at Euro 2016 was upset on home soil in the finals by a Ronaldo-less Portugal squad. France's roster is absolutely stacked from front to back and expectations are high because of it. To offer some perspective on the caliber of the French roster heading to Russia, here are some of the players that didn't make the final cut; Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Aymeric Laporte (Man City), Layvin Kurzawa (PSG), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Adrien Rabiot (PSG), Anthony Martial (Man United), Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) and also left off were  Moussa Sissoko (Spurs) and Dimitri Payet (Marseille) who were integral to Deschamp's side at Euro 2016. The aforementioned team of snubs would have decent odds to not only qualify for the World Cup, but I think they have the talent to make the quarters, or even the semis. Because France has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to their talent pool, there will always be room for debate about who should have made the squad versus who didn't deserve it. But, while these discussions can be fun, there is no right answer and you risk entering a karmic loop of justifications for and against each selection. Thus we must focus on the players who will actually be traveling to Russia and there is no shortage of household names in the French lineup. Deschamp has the unenviable task of sorting through his talent stacked roster and figuring out which eleven players will start each match, but there are several players that have all but cemented their spots in Les Bleus starting lineup. Anyone worth their salt in soccer knowledge knew about Antoine Griezmann before Euro 2016, but the Atletico Madrid forward forced his way into the international spotlight with his dazzling performance at the tournament where he was awarded the Golden Boot as top scorer and named "Best Player."  I think it's also safe to assume that next to Griezmann upfront will be 19 year old wunderkind Kylian Mbappe. The PSG loanee has been quoted as the most valuable player in the world, based on potential transfer fee, and has done nothing but thrill fans since he made his professional debut with Monaco in 2015 at just 16 years old. Mbappe has so far lived up to the hype surrounding him and he and Greizmann will form as good of an attacking duo as you'll find anywhere in the world. France's midfield is deep and the player selection will depend on the formation Deschamp decides to use. If they decide to employ a more attacking strategy, France has Nabil Fekir (Lyon) and Thomas Lemar (Monaco) at their disposal. Conversely, France also has the depth to cater to a more balanced, box to box, look with players like Blaise Matuidi (Juventus) and Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich) who can push forward and also possess the ability to track back and play deeper roles. My two pence is that most of the French midfielders will have the liberty push forward and join in on the attack because Deschamp will certainly have his energizer bunny and eraser, N'Golo Kante (Chelsea) providing stability from his holding midfield role, just in front of the back line. While Deschamp will have to base most of his selections at midfield on his formation and tactics, you can guarantee that Paul Pogba will be in the center of the pitch regardless of the the gaffer's strategy. Pogba's unique blend of size, speed, and skill have made him a world class soccer player, but his charisma and style have transformed him into an icon. The 25 year old Manchester United star has emerged as the face of the French national team over the last few international cycles and Pogba is one of the most marketed players in the world. This summer I think that Pogba's face, and ever changing hairstyle, will be all over the sides of buses to billboards to internet pop-up ads from LA to Lyon. But never mind the Pogba brand, the Pogba player has established himself as a dominant force on the pitch when he dons a French jersey, Pogba had a turbulent year with Manchester United under Jose Mourinho's tight and structured system that seems to shun creativity and flair. But with Deschamp and the national team, it has been a tale of two Pogbas. Deschamp encourages freedom in his midfield, and players are granted creative license, which has allowed Pogba to thrive with France. On paper, France are as talented as any team in the world. The biggest challenge for them will be squad selection and how their young team handles any adversity they may face. They control their own destiny in this tournament.

Australia: One of the only other countries to refer to the sport as 'soccer,' I don't think it would be a stretch to say that on Australia's sports hierarchy, soccer ranks below rugby and cricket, and possibly below Aussie rules football and basketball. That said, for a country not nearly as soccer crazed as their World Cup compeers, the Aussies have established themselves as a consistent force in the Asian Football Confederation and have qualified for every World Cup since 2006. The Socceroos advanced to the round of 16 in 2006, and just missed out on advancing to the knockout stage in 2010 due to the goal differential tie-breaker with Ghana. They failed to win a match in 2014, but had the odds stacked against them from the beginning as they were placed in the group of death with Spain, Holland, and Chile. Their group this year is no walk in the park, but Peru and Denmark seem slightly less intimidating than Holland and Chile. They will once again be led by Aussie soccer legend Tim Cahill. The 38 year old striker will be playing in his 4th straight World Cup in what will probably be his final international competition. Beyond Cahill, there aren't a ton of recognizable names on the Aussie roster, but Mathew Leckie of Hertha Berlin, Celtic's Tom Rogic, and team captain and Aston Villa midfielder Mile Jedinak stand out as players with experience in Europe who will be pivotal in Australia's quest to reach the knockout round. On paper, Australia's roster doesn't  exactly instill much fear, but the Socceroos are gritty, physical, and tenacious. The Australian ethos is based on toughness and this squad wont capitulate or be intimidated by anyone. If they can slop it up and get other teams in this group to their level or to their style, then the Aussies have a chance to steal some points and sneak into the next round.

Peru: Peru are this year's sleeper South American squad. Every World Cup teams like Ecuador and Paraguay aren't given much credit or hype because they lack the star power and brand recognition of their continental neighbors to the east. These teams enjoy playing the underdog role and I can't blame them; few things compare to having no pressure on your shoulders, and even less compare to shutting up the naysayers with an upset win. This year's Peru squad reminds me a little bit of Colombia four years ago - as the team that no one's talking about, but probably should be. Peru qualified for the World Cup by coming in 5th place in CONMEBOL qualifying, behind Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Colombia and ahead of Ecuador, Paraguay, and Chile. Not too shabby considering the competition, but what's even more impressive is that Peru has not lost an international competition since 2016 and are undefeated (with draws) over their last 15 matches. They're recent run of form has quietly launched them to 10th in the most recent FIFA rankings, and while I don't think those rankings are the gospel, I do think that movements in them reflects how teams are trending. Peru's roster is a grab bag of unfamiliar names playing for clubs from South America to Mexico to the US and Denmark, although they are headlined by captain, and former Bayern Munich striker, Paolo Guerrero and former Schalke winger Jefferson Farfan. No one seems to be giving Peru the type of respect that they deserve and that's probably just the way they want it. This team is a sleeper and I think they're more than capable of advancing out of Group C. Look for them to raise some eyebrows.

Denmark: Similar to Peru, Denmark seems to be a team that many people are overlooking. While the Danes lack the fruitful soccer history and prestige of many of its European counterparts, they have been red recently. After failing to qualify for the 2015 World Cup, it appears that Denmark has turned their federation around. The Danes have not lost a game since late 2016 and are undefeated (with draws) over their last 14 matches. Denmark will rely on Spurs's superstar midfielder Christien Eriksen to pace the team with confidence and composure. Eriksen is complimented by veterans Lasse Schone (Ajax) and Michael Krohn-Dehli (Deportivo la Coruna) in the midfield and by exciting young forwards Yussuf Poulsen (RB Leipzig) and Kasper Dolberg (Ajax) upfront. Denmark has the talent, youth, and experience to surprise some people this summer. When you're from the same neighborhood as Belgium, Holland, and Germany you can understand how Denmark could be overlooked, but their phenomenal recent run of form is extremely telling and teams need to recognize that this team is dangerous. Even though they have to play France, Denmark is in a good position in this group. Peru and Australia are winnable matches and Denmark has the advantage over them against France because they benefit from continental familiarity. Denmark controls their own destiny and is a contender to advance out of Group C. All things considered, this grop is a lot more wide open than people may think.