World Cup Predictions

Four years have passed. A new world cup is about to commence. Even as a supporter of Netherland’s team, I don’t believe that they have a realistic chance of winning it. If Holland isn’t going to win it, then I must back some other team to win it. I hate it but it’s about time I took a good look at the list of serious contenders for this trophy.

France:
How can such a talented team have to struggle so hard just to qualify for the tournament? The answer is very simple: If there were a prize for being the worst manager of the year; their manager would have won it hands down for the past 4 years.

It is a great team with a crap coach and though they are in a pretty decent group, they won’t go very far in this world cup.
P.S.: For a team whose recent attacking play has been dysfunctional at best, why is Domenech not playing Pires?

Argentina:
Who was Argentina’s best player in 1998? Fernando Redondo
Why didn’t he play in the 98 world cup? Good question (Only Daniel Passarella knows)
Who was Argentina’s best playmaker in 2002? Riquelme
Why didn’t he play in the 2002 world cup? Ask Marcelo Biesla
Why weren’t Messi and Tevez unleashed on the Germans in 2006? Apparently Julio Cruz was better than them, as far as Jose Pekerman was concerned.

Their problem for a really long time has been their coaches, and unfortunately for them the trend is likely to this year as well. Unless of course Messi/Tevez decides to do a Zidane and drag their team to a world cup final thereby masking the incompetence of their manager.


England:
Every four years, we hear a lot about their so-called world class team and their chances of winning the world cup. This world cup year is no different. They have two fit world class players, Wayne Rooney and John Terry. Rio Ferdinand, their new captain, has neither been fit nor anywhere near his top form. In fact, the ease with which Torres brushed him aside in the match against Manchester United should be a cause for concern. They have right backs capable of either only attacking or only defending. They don’t have a left winger. One of their first choice strikers is more of a workhorse than a goal scorer.
Even with a brilliant manager in Fabio Capello, they would be lucky to get to the semi-finals.


Germany:
Since 2002, Michael Ballack and Oliver Kahn were the only great players in their lineup. Now Oliver Kahn has retired, and Michael Ballack is no longer the midfield maestro he once was. But then, this is Germany. They have the knack of reserving their top form for the biggest tournaments and in Thomas Muller they have a young striker of great promise. Even in the current weakened state, they should manage to make it easily to the quarter-finals or semi-finals.

Netherlands:
They have a good team, but it’s nowhere close to the team Holland had in the late 90s and the early part of this decade. Their midfield is still quite strong and with Engelaar to protect their backline, their defense should be fine as well; but it’s the lack of firepower in the strikers which is likely to derail their challenge. Van Nistelrooy hasn’t played for Real Madrid in some time, Huntelaar has traded Real Madrid’s bench for A. C. Milan’s bench.
Holland should get to the quarter-finals and that should be it.

Italy:
Marcelo Lippi has brought a squad which is quite similar to the one he brought to Germany in 2006. The likes of Del Piero, Totti (if he comes out of retirement, and is selected to play), Cannavaro, Luca Toni have gotten older and their contribution is likely to be key to Italy’s title challenge. One potential problem is that their strike force isn’t as creative as in the recent past, and the absence of Antonio Cassano may yet haunt them in this tournament. But they should easily make it to the quarter-finals and after that they would have to rely on their water-tight backline to carry forward their challenge.
They are easily one of the favorites for this year’s world cup.

Brazil:
The only way they won’t do well in this world cup is if they choose to self-destruct. Most of the players in their squad, including their bench, are world class. Still I have two complaints:
1) They don’t play like Brazil of old.
2) There is no indication that they are going to take Ronaldo to South Africa.
This is a team which has no obvious weaknesses, and it would take a truly special effort on the part of any team to beat them.


Portugal:
Their squad to South Africa has some of the most exciting wingers in the world, but unfortunately their squad doesn’t have a half-decent striker. Moreover, their manager has proven to be an exceptional understudy to a manager but is yet to convince as a manager.
They aren’t likely to progress beyond quarter-finals/semi-finals as they don’t have the wherewithal to beat an Italy/Brazil/Germany/Spain.

Spain:
Their passing game is a joy to behold. In David Villa, Fernando Torres they have two strikers who can destroy any set of defenders on this planet. However their real strength lies in their powerhouse of a midfield. Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas can pass the ball around the opposition for eons at a stretch. If only they had a taller group of players, then they would be the firm favorites for this world cup. But as Johan Cruyff said, “Without the ball you can't win”. With Xavi and Iniesta manning the midfield, the opposition midfielders would struggle to get anywhere near one.

So, in my opinion the two finalists should be any of Italy, Germany, Brazil, and Spain (definitely not in this order).