As I may have mentioned before, I'm very keen on football; I can't recall how my interest for this sport started, but I remember myself watching football games with great excitement from a very young age.
And now that the World Cup is about to start, I decided to share my prognostics with all of you.
Some of you may not really get why the World Cup is such a big deal to a lot of people, so I thought that it's better to give a little clarification before starting on the analysis. I have found a very interesting Youtube video, made by 'In a Nutshell' , that explains in less than 3 minutes how the World Cup came to be and how it works; here it is:
ARGENTINA
Personally, I am going to be supporting Argentina this year, due to several reasons. Mostly because I think that it's time to see Leo Messi, my favorite player, lift the trophy and prove to everyone that he is the best player in the world. But it's not just about Messi, thus I decided that I won't mention him any further.
Argentina, together with their nemesis Germany, is one of the most likely teams to win the World Cup this year, especially after going on a 13 game undefeated qualification streak which saw them top the South American process.
The coach, Alejandro 'Pachorra' Sabella, managed to build a winning team, with extreme chemistry in very little time. It's now obvious that Sabella is cleverer than Maradona was, so a meltdown like the 4-0 against Germany in South Africa 4 years ago is much less feasible now.
The team strength resides essentially in its attacking trio, potentially one of the greatest of history, supported by a midfield that has all the makings of legend, and a certain little international phenomenon Pulga from Barcelona. But the current defense doesn't rank with previous generations, even though they surprisingly had the second best stats in qualifiers.
To conclude, it’s hard to seriously say that la Albiceleste will not reach at least the top 4 of the competition, unless they meet Germany again, knowing that the Mannschaft has a knack for defeating Argentina.
BELGIUM
Undefeated, with only 2 draws, Belgium stormed a not-easy Group A with Croatia, Scotland, Serbia, Macedonia and Wales and managed to end up with expectations of topping Group H and being the 'dark horses' of this tournament.
Belgium should do well in World Cup 2014, and at least go past the group phase, especially because Group H is one of the easiest groups. But will they be able to cope with stronger teams, in the likes of Germany, Spain or Brazil? I'm still skeptical about that.
The talent is here of course, but so are the lack of experience, overinflated egos and red-card tendencies. They sure can keep possession, win the ball and score, but who knows how they're going to deal with high-pressure and adversity?
I will say that despite playing for big clubs, the Hazards, Vermaelens, Fellainis and team have won very little yet, and shouldn't think they only have to show up and win. They still have much to prove in Brazil.
GERMANY
Germany has competed in the World Cup 17 times. They are the third most successful country in World Cup history, having won the championship three times. They have never been knocked-out in the group stage and they have achieved a top-4 finish 12 times (which is a record). The statistics make Germany a favorite for the title every four years.
The essence of the German squad in Brazil this year will not be any different from the German squad in South Africa 4 years ago. Players such as Klose, Schweinsteiger, Neuer, Mertesacker, Boateng, Lahm, Khedira, Müller and Özil will be the most important players, again. They are four years older, four years wiser and four years more experienced. Experience is a very important asset in football and can tilt the odds in favor of Germany. Besides, Joachim Löw has been tweaking this team for more than 8 years, and I don't think anyone could've done it better. The continuity of this German team, staff and players, make it possibly the best team at the World Cup. And often the best team wins.
BRAZIL
You cannot deny it: hosts Brazil, who suffered heartache in the final the last time they hosted the tournament back in 1950, are rightly favorites given their home advantage and star-studded squad.
Home advantage is always a huge plus for a team. Brazil have millions of fans cheering them and it will take a lot to beat them in their own home. And their coach, Scolari, knows what it takes to do good at an international event. He has shown it in the team's latest World Cup victory in 2002. He also led Portugal to the Euro 2004 final and 2006 World Cup semi-final. And he has won the 2013 Confederations Cup with Brazil after just seven months as the head-coach. Felipão is the right man for the job and the Brazilian Football Confederation knew it.
National teams are different every four years. Spain isn’t the big powerhouse of football anymore. They are still the reigning champion, but their team is crumbling due to aging of their key players. The Netherlands, the other 2010 finalist, is even worse. It will surprise me if any of them each the semi-final. What I’m trying to say is, the best teams in the world, based on the 2010 World Cup, aren’t nearly as good as they were. On the contrary, Brazil, who had a rough time in 2010, are a lot stronger this year, with many new players, and I reckon they will achieve a lot of things in this tournament.
That's it for today guys, I hope you liked this post. Tell me if I should write more football-related posts in the comment section below, and stay tuned, I will make a very important announcement soon! ;)
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