There are several Groups of Death in the upcoming World Cup and one of them is undoubtedly Group B. That group includes Spain, Netherlands, Chile and Australia. One of those sides is considered a weak team while the other three could turn into major contenders in the tournament.

The headliner of the group is undoubtedly defending champion Spain. La Furia Roja has won the last three major tournaments and is undoubtedly looking to make history by winning its fourth straight; no team had ever won three straight major tournaments in the history of the sport, so four straight would put the question of the greatest ever to rest.

But Spain has some issues heading into Brazil. The team is almost the same as the squad that won the Euro 2012 with a few exceptions. Since then, the team's trademark tiki taka possession soccer has undergone some tough times. Barcelona, the team on which Spain's possession game plan is modeled, failed to win a trophy in 2013-14 and was demolished in the Champions League by a Bayern Munich that never allowed the Spanish side to assert its presence.

Last summer, during the Confederations Cup, Spain's possession game lacked the spunk and spark that had propelled it in previous tournaments. The team was overwhelmed by Nigeria in the final group game despite winning 3-0 but then struggled to maintain possession against Italy in the semifinal. It all came crashing down against Brazil in the final when the South American side pressured like ravenous dogs and consistently disrupted the team's passing strategy. In recent months, Spain has struggled against teams like Chile and South Africa in asserting its style of play and has looked increasingly susceptible on the counter. Of course, Vicente del Bosque's best XI have rarely played simultaneously on the pitch in either of those games and that may be the key difference heading into this tournament.

Age will also be a big factor. Such warhorses as Xavi, David Villa, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas and Andres Iniesta are 30 and older. Del Bosque's squad does include younger players including Diego Costa who is the major X-factor for Spain.

The Netherlands is significantly younger but also sports some veterans. Robin Van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben were the trio that led this team all the way to the final in South Africa; they were also the trio that disrupted the team's chemistry in that woeful Euro 2012 campaign that ended with three defeats and utter embarrassment. Louis Van Gaal is a genius, however, and he should be able to give the three stars the breathing room they need to function.

The question here is whether Sneijder can replicate his form from three years ago in this tournament. Back then he was the standout and scored five goals for his country. Four years later, he is undoubtedly the biggest question mark of the three as Robben has continued his stellar play and Van Persie has retained his reliability. The defense is young for the Dutch and that inexperience could prove disastrous in this big tournament. However, the Dutch almost always do well in this tournament and it is hard to imagine them faltering.

Chile has continental advantage and some solid players, but the team's qualifying campaign proved that the South American contingent is still weak on the backend. Chile finished third in the standings with 28 points but conceded 25 goals in the process; that total was tied for the worst among the five South American countries that qualified for the tournament; the team infamously blew a 3-0 lead against Colombia on the road in a qualifier that would have clinched the berth for them. Instead the team had to prolong its wait for another game. Their 29 goals were the second best among the five, so that should ultimately balance itself out. Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal are the main men for this team.

Australia unfortunately is the outlier here. The team has struggled in friendlies against Brazil and France over the past year and will likely be satisfied with a point from this group. Age is a major factor as Australia is among the oldest teams in the tournament; an overall lack of skill will doom the Socceroos.

Schedule:

June 13 - Spain vs. Netherlands 3 P.M. EDT

June 13 - Australia vs. Chile 6 P.M. EDT

June 18 - Australia vs. Netherlands 12 P.M. EDT

June 18 - Spain vs. Chile 3 P.M. EDT

June 23 - Spain vs. Australia 12 PM EDT

June 23 - Netherlands vs. Chile 12 PM EDT

Final Standings: Spain manages a way to win the group, though it is possible the team chokes and loses two of the three games. Chile has the territorial advantage and outdoes the Dutch in the group round.

1. Spain

2. Chile

3. Netherlands

4. Australia