With the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicking off Thursday in Brazil, TSN. Tim Brown Jersey .cas panel of experts is here to provide you with sage advice, or at least best guesses. We asked TSNs team of soccer analysts to provide their picks for the group stage. Read on to find out who is in contention and who might be looking at an early exit. The panel consists of TSN Soccer Analysts Jason deVos, Luke Wileman and Kristian Jack, TSN Radio 1050 Toronto host Gareth Wheeler, TSN Radio 690 Montreals Noel Butler and TSN.ca soccer editors Shane McNeil and Ken Rodney. Group A: 1. Brazil, 2. Croatia 3. Cameroon, 4. Mexico. No one seems to have much doubt that the hosts are advancing to the second round and they have been chosen unanimously as group winners by TSNs experts. While Neymars training scare did sound a few alarms, it was pretty clear that Brazil was the team to back in Group A, and for several of our analysts, the team to take it all. Second place is a bit more of a toss-up with three perennially competitive teams rounding out the group, but Croatia got solid backing from more than half the TSN team. The likes of Mario Mandzukic and Luka Modric make them an offensive force and will likely provide the offence they need to make the Round of 16. Mexico has advanced to the Round of 16 in each of the last five World Cups, but their appalling qualifying performance has them on the outside looking in. The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have only once advanced out of the group stage but still got some second-place consideration. Picks - deVos: Brazil, Croatia. Jack: Brazil, Mexico. Wileman: Brazil, Cameroon. Wheeler: Brazil, Croatia. Butler: Brazil, Croatia. McNeil: Brazil, Croatia. Rodney: Brazil, Croatia. Group B: 1. Spain, 2. Netherlands, 3. Chile, 4. Australia. One of the more stacked groups in the competition, Group B was a divisive force amongst the TSN soccer team with the two reigning finalists pulling first- and second-place votes away from one another. The Champs, though, did prevail, and Spain is the consensus pick to top the group. Theyve won three straight tournaments dating back to Euro 2008 and theres not much to suggest they arent going to be competitive in Brazil. Dont underestimate the importance of group play here, because whoever finishes second will in all likelihood draw Brazil in the Round of 16. While Chile was picked as a second-place finisher on more than one ballot (and first by Kristian Jack!), the Netherlands took the second spot in the group. And why not? With the likes of Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben, the Dutch are wired to score in droves. The Australians will have to settle for a participation ribbon in this competition. Picks - deVos: Spain, Chile. Jack: Chile, Netherlands. Wileman: Spain, Netherlands . Wheeler: Spain, Netherlands. Butler: Spain, Chile. McNeil: Netherlands, Spain. Rodney: Spain, Netherlands. Group C: 1. Ivory Coast, 2. Colombia, 3. Japan, 4. Greece. This is another balanced group that prompted a wide variety of scenarios from our analysts. In the end, though, two teams emerged well ahead as the cream of the group. Unfortunately, those two teams wound up in a dead heat in terms of votes received. Were giving Ivory Coast the nod by virtue of having more first-place votes, so watch out for Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and the rest of the Elephants to step up amid fierce competition. Colombia was the easy choice for second place and may well have been the favourite here if Radamel Falcao were fit enough to play. We still like their chances to advance and make a serious run at topping the group. Japans Samurai seem to succeed at the World Cup every other tournament (they made the Round of 16 in South Africa), but they are up against some serious competition in this group that doesnt really have a minnow. Greece is a team that can usually lull its way into the playoffs with staunch defence, but they were unable to convince our analysts that they will silence Colombia or the Ivorians. Picks - deVos: Colombia, Ivory Coast. Jack: Colombia, Japan. Wileman: Colombia, Ivory Coast. Wheeler: Ivory Coast, Colombia. Butler: Ivory Coast, Colombia. McNeil: Ivory Coast, Greece. Rodney: Ivory Coast, Colombia. Group D: 1. Uruguay, 2. Italy, 3. England, 4. Costa Rica. Yes, we know, you probably disagree. As you can see below, the vote was razor thin with little wiggle room between the reigning the perennial picks from England and Italy and the reigning bronze medalists from Uruguay. Heres the logic: Luis Suarez is not 100 per cent, but he is still probably the breakout player of the group. The Uruguayans will be buoyed by the fact that they won the World Cup last time it was held in Brazil and were the top-ranked team in the group at the time of the draw. They received the most first-place votes of any team in the group from our panel. The margin between England and Italy is harder to discern. All our analysts conceded that both have the talent to go through but both are facing obstacles. England has the tougher games to start their group play, while Italys travel schedule works against them. Theres no easy way to pick this group, since its one of several Groups of Death in this competition. If you dont like our picks, change them. The vote was so split in this group that its hard to call this a true consensus choice. Picks - deVos: Italy, Uruguay. Jack: Uruguay, Italy. Wileman: Italy, England. Wheeler: England, Italy. Butler: England, Italy. McNeil: Uruguay, England. Rodney: Uruguay, Italy. Group E: 1. France, 2. Ecuador, 3. Switzerland, 4. Honduras. In the second unanimous decision, France emerged as the clear favourite from Group E. Theyve alternated between sublime and ugly at each World Cup since hosting in 1998. The 2010 effort in South Africa could not have been uglier, so that leaves nothing but room for improvement. Losing Franck Ribery stings, but Les Bleus have the depth to at least top this quartet. The race for second was tight. Ecuadors Antonio Valencia showed hes in full compete mode by getting a red in a recent friendly against England, so if he comes out and plays at the top of his game, it should propel yet another South American team into the playoffs. The Swiss were one of the surprise teams in the top seeding pot for the 2014 draw and as such should also be considered a serious threat to advance. No one seems to be a believer in Honduras. Picks - deVos: France, Ecuador. Jack: France, Switzerland. Wileman: France, Ecuador. Wheeler: France, Switzerland. Butler: France, Switzerland. McNeil: France, Ecuador. Rodney: France, Ecuador. Group F: 1. Argentina, 2. Nigeria, 3. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4. Iran. To the surprise of few, were picking Lionel Messi, Kun Aguero and the rest of Argentinas potent attack to easily run this group and – like their rivals from Brazil – theyre a popular pick to take the entire tournament. Nigerias Super Eagles are our pick to take second in the group behind some English Premier League talent in their midfield in the forms of John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses. Some of our resident internet nerds from TSN.ca really like Bosnia and Herzegovinas chances and the team did score a heap of goals in qualifying, but Edin Dzeko and co. came up short in the vote and may have to settle for thrilling their fans simply by making their first-ever appearance. Iran has won just one game in three previous trips to the World Cup. Picks - deVos: Argentina, Bosnia/Herzegovina. Jack: Argentina, Nigeria. Wileman: Argentina, Nigeria. Wheeler: Argentina, Nigeria. Butler: Argentina, Nigeria. McNeil: Argentina, Bosnia/Herzegovina. Rodney: Argentina, Bosnia/Herzegovina. Group G: 1. Germany, 2. Portugal, 3. USA, 4. Ghana. The deepest of the groups from top to bottom, the only thing everyone could agree on was that the Germans are going through. They dont tend to leave the group stage to chance and have finished in the top eight at every World Cup since being banned from the 1950 World Cup (also in Brazil). They will get through and in all likelihood as group-winners. Portugal gets the second-place vote here but it wasnt a unanimous decision. Cristiano Ronaldo will carry the Portuguese, the only question is: how far? He out-willed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to get his team here. Does he have it in him to carry the team deep? The U.S. got some love as potential spoilers, so keep an eye on them. They surprised a lot of people in South Africa and Jurgen Klinsmann has been busy sowing the seeds of doubt around his team before the tournament. Is he just trying to get other teams to let their guards down? Ghana is a strong team and would be a threat to advance in most other groups... just not this one. Picks - deVos: Germany, Portugal. Jack: Portugal, Germany. Wileman: Germany, Portugal. Wheeler: Germany, USA. Butler: Portugal, Germany. McNeil: Germany, USA. Rodney: Germany, Portugal. Group H: 1. Belgium, 2. Russia, 3. Korea Republic, 4. Algeria. A chic underdog pick in this competition, Belgium is the team to beat in Group H according to everyone here at TSN. They boast a superb balance of attack and defend with some reliable and smart talent all through their line-up. How frightening is it that if teams are able to neutralize Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku that they might still see Adnan Januzaj coming off the bench? Russia are back at the World Cup for the first time in over a decade and we like their odds to get out of the group due to their ability to score in droves. Theyve struggled in big tournaments since the fall of the Soviet Union, but they did manage to finish third at Euro 2008. Korea Republic have already continued their streak of eight straight trips to the World Cup, but we believe thats where the dream ends. As for Algeria, English and American fans will be able to tell you that they are capable of causing trouble. We just dont see them as a threat to advance. Picks - deVos: Belgium, Russia. Jack: Belgium, Russia. Wileman: Belgium, Russia. Wheeler: Belgium, Korea. Butler: Belgium, Russia. McNeil: Belgium, Russia. Rodney: Belgium, Russia. Kenny Stabler Jersey . Starters, when they struggle, have to live with it for five days. For Sergio Santos and Steve Delabar, two of the three men who authored one of the ugliest pitched innings in Blue Jays franchise history on Thursday night, the bounce-back chance came right away. Art Shell Jersey . The team announced the defensive coordinator will not be offered a contract extension. http://www.authenticraidersfansclub.com/Black-Friday-Keith-Mcgill-Jersey/ . Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. SAN ANTONIO -- Coming off their most exhilarating victory of the season, the San Antonio Spurs admitted they had a letdown against the Orlando Magic. A veteran roster enabled San Antonio to make that admission after escaping with a 121-112 victory over Orlando on Saturday night. Tony Parker scored 30 points, Manu Ginobili added 24 points and Kawhi Leonard had 17 points along with two key steals late to help the Spurs win their sixth straight. Two nights after an emotional 111-87 victory over the Miami Heat in an NBA Finals rematch, the Spurs were listless against the Southeast Divisions last-place team. "Its always hard after a big win against Miami, the emotions," Parker said. "We wanted to make sure we didnt come out flat, and Orlando, they came out firing. They were shooting the ball very well from outside. They are young and they wanted to prove something. They made it hard on us but its a big win for us." Tim Duncan added 11 points and 10 rebounds as San Antonio (46-16) tied Indiana and Oklahoma City for the leagues best record. Led by former San Antonio player and assistant Jacque Vaughn, the Magic gave his former team a tense evening before the Spurs closed it out late. "I thought Orlando played really good basketball," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who let out a deep breath after the game. "They were aggressive. They shared it. They were in attack mode all night. I thought their defence was good. We picked our defence up and got a little more physical in the second half." Orlando was within 101-97 with 7 minutes remaining before San Antonio began a late run. Ginobili lured ETwaun Moore into hitting his right triceps, as he rose for an off-balance, fallaway, 14-foot jumper. The Argentine guard made the free throw to complete the three-point play and give San Antonio a 114-104 lead with 2:34 remaining. Leonard followed with a steal that led to his breakaway dunk and Parker nailed a 3-pointer to put the Spurs up 119-104 with just under 2 minutes left to essentially seal the victory. Leonards first steal came with San Antonio up 103-97 and Orlando coming out of a timeout. He made one of two free throws after Arron Afflalo was assessed a clear path foul. "Those two steals were huge," Ginobili said. "One because it was right after timeout and they ran a good play, but Kawhi with those long arms and great hands got a steal and then a fragrant foul and then a couple plays later, he basically closed the game.. Tyrell Adams Jersey. ." Prior to that closing run, the Magic gave the Spurs fits. Tobias Harris scored 23 points, Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Afflalo had 17 points for Orlando (19-45). Maurice Harkless added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who were swept in the season series. The Magic led by as many as seven points and last led 67-66 with 8:15 remaining in the third quarter. But they were able to stay within 10 points for much of the game. "Just overall our mental toughness," Vaughn said. "Thats what you have to lean on, on the road is being able to fight through." San Antonio struggled to contain seven-foot centre Nikola Vucevic, who hit a series of short jumpers, layups and hook shots against Splitter and Duncan. The third-year pro out of Montenegro was 8 for 16 from the field. After attacking the paint in an explosive start against the Heat in their previous game, the Spurs were less aggressive and effective against the Magic. San Antonio started 2 for 6. A timeout by Popovich midway through the first quarter changed that. Parker drove the lane on three consecutive possessions following the timeout, scoring consecutive layups and having his third attempt trickle off the rim. "Pop was a little bit worried we would have a slow start after such a big win against Miami," Parker said. "We just wanted to make sure we didnt come out flat. So, I was very aggressive from the get-go to make sure I had a good start." NOTES: Spurs P Jeff Ayres (sprained hand) was originally listed on the pregame roster as not playing, but was cleared later in the day. He did not play, however. . Magic rookie G Victor Oladipo (sore left ankle) missed his second straight game after playing in the teams first 62. ... Vaughn played for the Spurs from 2006-09 and was an assistant under Popovich for two seasons beginning in the 2010-11 season prior to becoming the Magics coach. Before the game, Popovich walked over to the Orlando bench to greet Vaughn. . Popovich was asked if he would consider becoming a studio analyst once his coaching days are over. "Just watch one of my end-of-quarter interviews and I think that will answer your question concisely and accurately," Popovich said, attempting to stifle a chuckle. ... San Antonio celebrated the 31st anniversary of its mascot, the Coyote, throughout the game. On hand for the celebration were the Portland Trail Blazers mascot, Blaze, and Rocky of the Denver Nuggets. Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys 2019 ' ' '