World Cup Schedule 2014: Full List of Dates and Start Times for All Fixtures

The first South American World Cup since 1978 promises to provide one of the tightest competitions in years.  With an abundance of superstars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar trying to establish an international legacy, there will be no shortage of storylines throughout the month-long tournament.

The group stages will surely present some unexpected contenders.  Groups B, D and G appear particularly stacked, meaning that some pre-tournament favorites could suffer an early exit, while dark-horses such as Belgium and Colombia could make deep runs with more favorable draws.  For those looking to catch the 64 matches, check out all the important dates and TV listings for the preliminary and knockout rounds:

While defending champion Spain has dominated international competition since 2008, La Roja are no longer the prohibitive favorites to repeat on foreign soil.  There is no lineup that can match the pedigree of their Starting XI, but with so much of the old guard returning in 2014, legitimate questions exist about Spain's long-term viability.

Nevertheless, Spain still have enough talent to remain among the small handful of top contenders, particularly in the midfield.  The trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas is still arguably the best unit in the tournament.  Moreover, Spain have an impressive defensive streak in do-or-die contests of major international tournaments:

In fairness, that does not include Spain's 3-0 loss in the final of the 2013 Confederations Cup.  Brazil, the team who gave Spain the unexpected drubbing, are the hosts and the favorites to hoist their sixth World Cup.  Though many only see them as slight favorites, statistical analysis suggests a much more promising outlook:

The Brazilians are far from indomitable.  There are questions about depth at centre forward and midfielder, where the likes of Fred, Paulinho and Luis Gustavo will need to prove their championship-caliber worth. Still, playing their signature brand of aesthetically beautiful futbol in front of their home fans, Brazil must be considered the favorite.

Closer to home, the U.S. squad faces depressed expectations despite reaching the knockout stages in two of their past three World Cup appearances.  Drawn into the "Group of Death" with Germany, Portugal and Ghana, the Americans face a stiff challenge that will highlight how much progress their program has truly made.

USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann recently made waves by suggesting that winning the World Cup was impossible, per the New York Times' Sam Borden.  However, as SI.com's Brian Straus suggests, the American outlook should not be measured through an all-or-nothing scope, but rather through incremental signs:

Progress is measured in increments and gray areas and results evaluated through the lens of history. It takes a long, long time to build the foundation that produces a world champion. It took Spain 80 years.

Listen, and you’ll hear managers across the globe set the quarterfinals as a goal or claim that their mandate is simply to show well. Mid-major teams don’t enter the NCAA basketball tournament claiming they’re going to win – they take each game as it comes, play to their strengths and hope they’re the next George Mason or Butler.

The USA possess strength up the middle in Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey, as well as a top-notch goalkeeper in Everton's Tim Howard.  More than the talent disparity between themselves and the European squads in their group, an underrated factor could be the amount of travel the U.S. face in their three group stage matches:

With so many circumstances conspiring against them, home fans might expect the Americans to fold much as they did in the 2006 tournament.  Ultimately, if the U.S. bucks that pessimism and emerges as more than a footnote in a star-laden competition, it might finally be the sign that the program remains on the ascent.