The joy of making a 30-man provisional World Cup squad is nothing compared to the crushing misery of failing to make the final 23. To be so close, yet so far, from what might be considered a minor peak of footballing achievement short of actually, say, winning the thing has to break the heart.
For some, there is perhaps an early sense that they're there for experience and team bonding with the future in mind. Take Germany's fledglings called in for training camp Kevin Volland and Max Meyer were never really considered likely to fly to Brazil, yet served their purpose over a productive week in South Tyrol.
Then there are the untimely injuries that rob squads of their prize talent, some of whom were hurt after the June 2 squad deadline. (FIFA rules allow for injured players to be swapped out for replacements up to 24 hours before the team's first World Cup game.) While the likes of Diego Costa and Luis Suarez were deemed worthy of a spot despite lingering niggles and knacks, there are others about whom the physio wasn't so upbeat.
