Switzerland

The Swiss contingent can be fairly described as one of the most improved squads in World Cup. After a series of inconsistent performances, the team is fast becoming a familiar face in the competition. Since making it to the Round of 16 in 2006, the club has qualified again in 2010 and 4 years later, they are about to make another appearance and hopefully, seal a stronger finish.
 
Managed by the legendary Ottmar Hitzfeld, the Rossocrociati is one of the favorites to win in Group E.
 
Comprised of players with the likes of Bayern Munchen’s  Xherdan Shaqiri, the squad presents a huge potential in their attacking aspect. Despite his limited appearance in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI, Shaqiri’s (untapped) potential made him a transfer target this season.
 
Alongside with Shaqiri is Gokhan Inler, who is also one of Napoli’s trusted team captains. Inler is one of the prominent figures, which helped the Partenopei clinched the Coppa Italia trophy against Fiorentina.
 
Fabian Schaer and Diego Benaglio are also expected to give the Swiss defence a boost. Likewise, Granit Xhaka and Valentin Stocker are 2 of the biggest names that one should watch out for from the Swiss group.
 
Ecuador

La Tricolor has to wait for eight (8) long years until reaching their 3rd World Cup berth. Unfortunately, their entry was eclipsed by the sudden demise of one of their prolific strikers, Christian Benitez.
 
Benitez’s unexpected death was a big blow. Nevertheless, it seemed that his passing has also transformed into another major inspiration by the squad.
 
Ecuador may be a little underrated compared to other Group E squads such as France and Switzerland. But this does not mean that they are not capable of forcing an upset.
 
Reinaldo Rueda is an experienced strategist who once guided the Columbian U-20 squad to the U-20 World Cup. However, he is most remembered for successfully leading Honduras into the 2010 World Cup and now, he did the same to Ecuador. Given the fact that all of the teams he handled has managed to make a breakthrough in the international competition is already a clear proof of his ability.
 
Other than Rueda’s experience, the depth of the Ecuadorian team lies on its wings wherein the Valencia and Jefferson Montero tandem has been creating nightmares for its opponent. Adding more strength into their seemingly impenetrable defence is the presence of Cristian Noboa and Segundo Castillo. Ivan Hurtado and Giovanny Espinoza—two of the squad’s veteran players are also expected to feature in their upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup matches.
 
Ecuador, however, needs to focus on their away performance. The 2014 World Cup is technically, an away match for La Tricolor and this is the very same area that almost compromised their qualification into the competition.
 
During the qualifiers, La Tricolor took advantage of the high altitude they had at home—breaking and destroying every opponent, which, visited them. Argentina was the only squad that escaped their wrath as they have managed to pull off a draw. And now that the high altitude terrain that saved them is no longer present in the competition, many are waiting on how the club will adjust and bag victories in the tournament.