World Cup - Friendly Fire

World Cup 2014 kicks off in nine days so Ger McCarthy looks at how some of the contenders and outsiders are shaping up ahead of their final friendlies before boarding the plane to Brazil.

Brazil and Argentina are amongst the early favourites to hold the World Cup trophy aloft at the Maracanã Stadium on Sunday July 13th but how are some of the main contenders and outsiders shaping up ahead of the big kick-off?

A final set of international friendlies take place in the coming days offering managers a final chance to fine-tune their preparations ahead of flying out to South America. Here’s how a selection of qualifiers are shaping up.