Brazil
The Hosts are not only historically one of the best in the world but the side is one of the strongest Brazil have had for quite some years, their performance in the Confederation cup was magnificent, not only did they absolutely toyed with their group in the cup, only conceding two goals and scoring 9. Whilst they then had a hard fought game against current CONMEBOL champions Uruguay, they fought on to the final and not only won against Spain, the team who were arguably the best side in the world at the time, but destroyed them. The way the Brazilians play is everything Spain did, but faster and better and because of this it wouldn't surprise me if they walked the World Cup, however saying that, it would be just as unsurprising if they didn't. The team is very much a team of stars and not a team of players, and whilst if they all perform they are unstoppable, if one of them isn't performing, the whole side then wants to do it without that player and will waste their possession. Whilst they can afford this against sides like Cameroon, if they mess about against Croatia, a side which is not to be messed with, they could be in for a shock. However I believe that Brazil are still the strong favourites and will most likely get to the final at least anything less will have to go down as a failure for the Selecao.
Spain
La Roja, the best team in the world... on paper. With a squad like theirs they are always big favourites for anything they are involved in. To say because they didn't win the Confed cup, which no offence is a friendly tournament, would be a stupid reason to say they can't win the world cup again. However they need to freshen up their game, everyone knows what they play now and teams are starting to know how to play against it. Teams like Italy are managing to frustrate them and forcing them into mistakes, but Del bosque is a man who can pull that trick out of his sleeve, and whilst he isn't one for having to grind out a win, if it he has to he will. Spain can still go to Brazil learning from the mistakes they made last year and say 'Well, we spent some time on working on how to play and how to beat those other big sides, so lets show everyone we are still the best' a team like Spain will not be devastated after losing 3-0 to the hosts, they are to professional and efficient and instead of licking their wounds will have worked Psychotically on their game. I still think that they will be in the tournament until the final or thereabouts, a side as successful and tricky as Espana will have some fun.
Netherlands
What has happened to the Dutch these past few years? Going from World cup finalists to flopping in the Euro 2012 group stage, improvement has been made but for a team who took Spain to the death and full of the names they have like RVP, Sneijder, Robben and Huntelaar. You look to those stars who are all either consistent enough to play well for their domestic club or are just world class stars like RVP and Robben, but yet it never connects when they play since the last World cup. Is it their year though? well in short, no. I don't want to rule them out completely because a team of stars like the Netherlands that also has some young stars coming through will always have a chance of clicking at just the right time, however look at it, Injuries are plaguing the squad. Strootman will be a definite miss for the World cup, the Roma midfielder is not an easy player to replace, his tenacious play and powerful tackles are something that the Dutch needed in their playmaking midfield, however not only is he injured but his supposed replacement Leroy Fer is struggling with fitness in being in and out of the Norwich squad with Hamstring problems, and then Marco Van Ginkel whom is another bright Dutch star is definitely out, weakening the Dutch Midfield significantly. Vorm is similar to fer and has been in and out of the Swansea squad, not so bad as Krul deserves the start with his performances in the league. Their big stars aren't exactly young either, RVP seems to always be carrying some niggle or injured, De jong is 29 as well as Sneijder, Robben being 30, they are missing a few of their young stars as well as potentially some of their older ones, I can't see Netherlands winning it, or making it to the final, but they will be out to prove that the Euro slip up, was simply a blip and nothing more.
Uruguay
So does Uruguay have what it takes to make it to the final, well they definitely have a better team than us in terms of playing with each other and knowing how to play off each other, that is more than what England can say. It is one thing being a good team though, if you can't match the teamwork with the ability all around the park you have no serious chance against teams like Spain, because they will find your weakness and utilize it. Uruguay play with a similar squad for most matches, with the one or two exceptions but you can see how they will line up quite easily, and they lack serious quality all over the park, a mix of world class and average players, a squad like Brazil has a mix of world class and great players. Of course you have to look at form. Suarez is arguably the most in form striker in the world at the moment taking his game to new heights and could easily play for a squad like Bayern or Real, but internationally you can't just look at one player and say 'Do what you do for Liverpool and run the game' because that doesn't work, as a Wales fan I know. Cavani is playing well, not as well as I think he should be but he is doing enough and in Europe he has 4 goals in five games, which is fantastic, but compared to Suarez he is playing fairly well. Ramirez is playing poorly, 14 games in the league, one goal and one assist, pretty poor in my opinion and if he is replacing Forlan in the Attacking midfielder role he needs to much better. They'll do well but won't go as far as some would believe, their 2011 CONMEBOL copa America is a great achievement, but not enough to win a world cup with.
ItalyForza Italia, or not. I love the Italians and I especially love their national team, I have always enjoyed watching them play and I have no actual clue why. I mean their football does not impress me and it does not wow me. I like them though, they are a side who perform at tournaments even if everyone thinks they will falter, take Euro 2012 for example. They were the exact opposite of the Dutch, they went out with no one actually expecting much from them and then got to the final. However that was two years ago and a lot can happen in two years, especially in football. They are seriously lacking in a striking partnership, Balotelli is assured to be on their plan to Brazil, but who will line up alongside him? Rossi? Cerci? I mean none of them are exactly consistent international goalscorers, do you revert back to the aged Gilardino? Other than that it is an aged squad, and it is a choice for Italy, do you drop you old squad and look to replace key positions with youngsters who may be poor, or do you stick with the comfortable known squad and settle for what could be nowhere near second best. I reckon Italy will make it past the group stage, but won't get further than the quarters, never deny the Azzuri though.
England
Let's get this straight here, I have no belief that England will even get out of the group stage, however I have had a lot of people saying you have to give them a shout... Why? I guess because I live here and it will be a fight between them and Uruguay for second in my opinion. So might as well use this as a chance to point a hole in all of their squad. They give no chances to the players who don't play for the big sides, except from some of the Southampton lads, it is crazy how some of the great players who don't play for top six teams won't even be given a shout for the World cup side. Why don't players like Curtis Davies, Mark Noble (5th best penalty taker in Europe) and Fabian Delph get a shot in the England side? Because the side they play for is not good enough in the league! It's insanity, the FA acts as if they have little resources to sort it out and that we don't have enough depth in the national pool. Lies, all of it. They have the biggest funding out of the rest of the English sports associations from the government and their national pool is massive, but they only look at the lads who are playing for the top sides, I don't see Italy doing that... I don't see Brazil doing that, if the player is in form is that not enough. Obviously not.
France
I have to be honest, I have no clue what to think about France and I am not going to lie and pretend that I have watched them any chance I can, I have very little interest in their squad, so all of my beliefs are based on summaries of matches and recent results. On paper France have a nice mix of experienced International players and youngsters with either a single cap or a small handful, however France haven't performed against big sides in recent fixtures with losses against Brazil, Uruguay, Spain and Germany, all potential opponents in Brazil if they, and most likely will, make it past the group stage. Also drawing against a very strong Belgium side has not filled the squad with confidence and definitely shows they aren't the most of clinical sides, looking into some of their games they don't exactly have a killer instinct you would expect from a team which has players like Benzema, Remy, Ribery and Valbuena playing in their attack. Will they win it? Most likely not, Deschamps has improved the side clearly but hasn't built a world class one, but just like Italy, les Bleus are not a team to be taken lightly.
Argentina
So Argentina, do not cry for me Argentina. I think a squad like theirs should have won more in all honesty. I believe they have a squad which is given so much praise and pressure and yet looking at it, it's not full of World stars like Brazil. Their strike force is second to none, however a team is not made out of Strikers, you need to be able to back up your goals with a good defence too and that is one thing Argentina are struggling to have. To be fair the defensive side of Argentina is improving but by the time the World cup starts it still won't be as strong as the other favourites and the defensive players that they rely on are either old and injury prone or Young and full of potential but not so much ability. Their Strikers get on with a decent midfield but if they come up against a team like Spain in the round of 16, Argentina could be gone straight after the group stage.
Germany
Die Adler, Deutschland Uber Alles, Arguably the best national side in the world and oddly enough, they don't have silverware to show for it. However Brazil could be a sign of what Die Mannschaft is intending for upcoming competitions. I don't see any outstanding issues with the Germany squad, the first eleven play with each other if not in the Bayern squad but in the Dortmund side, the second eleven might not play with each other, but they still aren't strangers to each other like the England side appear to be. The national team lost only one game in 2013, which was against the US national team, with a side which is arguably somewhere between there third and fourth team. The rest were all convincing performances against sides like France, Sweden and England. They started out 2014 strong with 1-0 win over Chile and friendlies upcoming against Poland and Cameroon will help to see how far they may go in Brazil. I feel looking at the squad and how strong they are in depth and with their key players appearing to be in form at the right time of the year, I could see Germany going far but of course like the rest of the European teams they have to be careful of the atmosphere over in Brazil, but if they play like we all know they can play then I could see them reaching the semi finals with ease, going all the way is a different matter, still believing that the Hosts are favourites.
Portugal
The urge to simply call this team Ronaldo was hard to resist but I am a firm believer that teams are never one man teams. Portugal is a funny team though, they have some great players in there other than the man himself Christiano Ronaldo. Fabio Coentrao, Raul Meireles, Pepe and Rui Patrico are just a few of these world class players that should be winning more, but something stops them from actually getting there. They remind me of Everton in the way that they are up there and have some great players but never actually seem to really be in contention for some sort of Silverware. I mean they go to international tournaments are slight favourites to maybe get themselves something from the event but don't actually seem to take it further than the Quarters or the Semi's and whilst that's no mean feat to consistently do well at tournaments, it not like winning it. I see them getting far enough in Brazil to appease Portuguese fans, something like the Quarter finals but are still going to miss out on that illusive silverware.
Belgium
Belgium are my personal darkhorses of the World cup, when their key players (Who are hard to decide because they have so many stars) are on form they could probably hold their own alongside the likes of Germany and Brazil, but that word is key, form. Some of their best players are definitely not on form at the moment, Fellaini hasn't been great this season, De Bruyne is known to give much more and Chadli has disappointed most. As well as this some of the even better players are not even able to go this summer. Benteke has ruptured his Achilles which is a sure fire ticket for missing the World Cup, Kompany hasn't been fit in recent weeks, carrying a injury to his knee, Dembele is struggling to regain fitness after an ankle injury. However with stars like Hazard hitting top gear and the rest of the back line still looking strong, Alderweireld, Pocognoli and Lombaerts all getting into some form means they should be sturdy at the back, as well as if Courtois and Mignolet carry on with their current form they shouldn't worry about who to stick in goal. I still see Belgium doing a Croatia on us and going far, I believe the Quarter finals but don't expect anything to miraculous, winning a World cup is still out of their reach.
That is a list of who I believe can win the World cup, maybe some of them are a bit far fetched, and I added where I believe they will come, but everyone of these teams can reach the World Cup final but some of them will need to be on the form of their lives, that's why I added a personal view on where they probably will end up. I think I would also have added Russia and the USA into this piece if I was only going for teams I felt could get out of their group stage, but I only added England because if they manage to go into it on form they may get some sort of Miracle, but I do believe that the USA have a chance, just not a chance of winning the World Cup, same with Russia.
No comments:
Post a Comment