Teams: Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England

Player to Watch: Romelu Lukaku

X-Factor: Harry Kane

Projected to Advance: Belgium, England

Best Match to Watch: Belgium v England

Belgium: I read somewhere before the last World Cup that Belgium was "every hipster's pick to the win the World Cup" and it's absolutely perfect. Because of their relatively new status as one of Europe's 'elite' teams, everyone thinks that they've 'discovered' Belgium, but in reality,  everyone needs to get over themselves because Belgium aren't some diamond in the rough that no one's paying attention to. Belgium might be the new kid on the block with a roster full of flashy players who play for huge clubs, but they've never actually achieved any discernible level of success. Historically, Belgium have had a soccer inferiority complex because of their proximity to European giants Holland, Germany, France, and even England, but it's hard not to find yourself picking Belgium to make a run this summer. As much as they are a hipster ass pick to win, they do have the roster to justify their hype. The Red Devils are loaded from front to back with weapons all over the field. Upfront, they'll utilize some combination of Romelu Lukaku (Man Uniited), Michy Batshuayi (Borussia Dortmund), Dries Mertens (Napoli), and captain and world class talent Eden Hazard (Chelsea). Their midfield support is equally potent as former Zenit man Axel Witsel, Nacer Chadli (West Brom), Mousa Dembele (Spurs), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), and Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne are all threats to score and create chances. Their back line doesn't skip a beat either as Toby Alderweireld (Spurs), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Vincent Kompany (Man City), Thomas Meunier (PSG), and Jan Vertonghen (Spurs) round out a deep and experienced group of defenders. The Belgians are anchored from their own 18-yard box by rangy Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois, who probably only ranks behind Germany's Manuel Neuer for the distinction of best keeper in the world. One glaring omission on Belgian manager Roberto Martinez's roster is Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan. Nainggolan's absence is inexplicable considering his terrific club form all season and the fact that he plays a unique box-to-box role that Belgium doesn't really have a substitute for. He is an extremely aggressive and talented player that stands out on a pitch full of superstars. Nainggolan has the ability to change the outcome of a game either by dictating the tone at midfield or by scoring a screamer from the edge of the box. His quality will be missed and the decision to leave him at home is certainly a head-scratcher. Even without one of their midfield leaders, the Belgians are still deep and dangerous on paper, but they still need to earn their hype on the field. Clearly, they have one of the most talented rosters in the tournament on paper, but history has shown that paper doesn't count for much. However, the Red Devils did draw a relatively weak group, so if they can take care of business in the group stage, Belgium can ride that momentum into the knockout stage and prove all the hipsters right.

Panama: Panama is a proud country and their team is gritty and tough, but the sad reality is that they don't have the horses to have much of a chance to advance out of Group G. Panama are the 3rd to last  ranked World Cup team in the FIFA world rankings, just ahead of Saudi Arabia. They're basically the Jack Dawson's of the tournament since they essentially won their bid to the tournament via a lucky hand of poker when the CONCACAF descended into Murphy's Law on the final day of qualifying. But that's the way things shook out and Panama will be in Russia this summer. The Canal Boys are led from the back by captain Felipe Baloy (Municipal), Roman Torres (Seattle Sounders), and Adolfo Machado (Houston Dynamo) are national team veterans who will provide experience and stability to the Central American side. Panama will need all the experience ad veteran leadership they can get as Russia will be the canal yielding nation's World Cup debut. Panama are a feel good story, but they will be substantial underdogs in every match they play in Russia. I hope Panama makes me eat y words but going off what I know about them, they will severely struggle to earn any points in their first World Cup.

Tunisia: The Eagles of Carthage have one of the best 'nicknames' of any confederation on the planet. However, Tunisia doesn't exactly have a surplus of talent on their roster. Africa isn't an easy confederation to qualify from, so I have to let their record speak louder than their roster,  but on paper Tunisia looks over matched in their group stage matches against Belgium and England. However, there is something about North African teams that makes them difficult to play against. Algeria made Germany earn their 2-1 extra time win in the round of 16 last World Cup and the paradigm has shifted in Africa as the North African federations have emerged as the class of the continent, much to the chagrin of their sub-Saharan counterparts. Tunisia reminds me of a poor man's Algeria from four years ago. Similar to Algeria, a significant portion of Tunisia's roster was born and raised in France and their European training is understated and could surprise some people who don't know much about them. Led by Ahmed Akaichi (Al-Ittihad) and Whabi Khazri (Sunderland), Tunisia will rely on their veterans to try and mitigate their talent disparity against their European group foes. Barring a complete Belgian collapse, Tunisia's group stage destiny pretty much comes down to their match against England. On paper, Tunisia appear to be the clear cut 3rd best team in Group G, but England are choke artists who lack the senior leadership of past squads. If Tunisia can handle their business against Panama and frustrate their European opponents enough to salvage some points, the Eagles of Carthage will have the opportunity to pull abbreviated Cinderella run like their North African neighbors 4 years ago.

England: Not too long ago England was mentioned in the same breath as the Germanys, Brazils, and Argentinas of the world as World Cup contenders, but their consistent lack of tangible results in major tournaments has pivoted public opinion against this sentiment. After failing to advance out of the group stage at the 2014 World Cup and losing to upstart Iceland in the round of 16 at Euro 2016, English expectations are at an all time low. England's underwhelming performances since their semifinal runs at the 1990 World Cup and 1996 Euros, have basically exonerated the Three Lions from the impractically immense standards they were once measured against. However, the unrealistic benchmark that England has been held to is due primarily to the Three Lions's World Cup triumph in 1966 and the fact that they boast the most competitive domestic league in the world. The English press is unforgiving and aggressive and has magnified the pessimistic opinion of the national team. England's golden generation, headlined by Michael Owen, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, and Wayne Rooney, has moved on without accumulating any trophies and there is now a leadership vacuum on the national team. The Three Lions's all-time leading scorer, Wayne Rooney, isn't on the roster for the first time since 2004, so the English press will need to find a new scapegoat to pin the blame on when England inevitably fails to live up to their billing. I kid, but the relative lack of veteran star power on the English roster paves the way for fresh faces to play more pivotal roles and create a modern legacy for the Three Lions. This new crop of players is headlined by their 24 year old captain and Tottenham Hotspur star striker Harry Kane, along with Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Eric Dier (Spurs), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), John Stones (Man City), and youthful attackers Raheem Sterling (Man City), Jesse Lingard (Man United), Marcus Rashford (Man United), and Dele Alli (Spurs). The English aren't pushovers, by any means, and while they may lack names like Lampard, Beckham, and Rooney, their entire roster is comprised of Premier League players so there is no shortage of high-level experience. Even though the English haven't made it to the semifinals of a major tournament in 22 years, it's still an unfamiliar feeling to not include England in the discussion of top teams. However, there is reason for English supporters to be cautiously optimistic this summer. First, the relative lack of pressure will be beneficial for this youthful group to get their feet under them in their first match against Tunisia. Second, because every player on their roster plays for Premier League clubs, with the vast majority coming from five teams, they have the advantage of familiarity. Most England's players will be playing alongside their club teammates, which should provide them the advantageous element of chemistry. Third, the Three Lions have been in great form since their round of 16 exit from Euro 2016. England are unbeaten since the tournament, featuring draws with Germany, Brazil, and Italy and wins over Holland and fellow World Cup sides Costa Rica and Nigeria. England have more quality than they're getting credit for and it is foolish to sleep on them. I believe that this squad is sneaky talented and is free from unrealistic expectations for the first time in forever. If England play to their potential, they have enough quality to advance out of Group G - if they don't, Harry Kane will likely adorn the covers of English tabloids and assume the recently abdicated role of the national team's fall guy.