I’m not going to cover the whole thing like I just did in the other version, but I thought I would give an in-depth look into the 16 teams that I think will make it to the knockout rounds. Just because we may see a little bit more of them...
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Brazil – They really have a solid back four. Not in the days of a Roberto Carlos, Lucio, Roque Junior and Cafu defense, but it’s still really good. Thiago Silva is probably one of the top 3 or 4 CB’s in the world. He’s not afraid to slide in on any player, and he wins just about every outcome. David Luiz is a bit unreliable as a defender, but he goes forward well and has a lot of energy to deal with attacks. He will need to be at his best if they are to beat Spain in a potential final or even round 16 match-up. Marcelo and Dani Alves are both near their peak, and I don’t expect to see any changes there. Julio Cesar will start in goal barring disaster. The mid-field is tricky. While Phil Scolari seems to think that Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo are their best options for central midfield, I think he should be a little more ambitious and maybe start Hernanes, Ramires or Fernandinho periodically. Fernandinho was a great performer over the season for Manchester City, and against the likes of Luka Modric and Alex Song, they may need that extra bit of strength. In attack, they have nothing to complain about. Oscar has great vision, positioning sense and moves with the ball well. Neymar is as unpredictable as they come. Hulk is a force to deal with on the right side of the field, and even Fred gets into great scoring positions even though he doesn’t really help elsewhere on the pitch. I think if they are going to bring home the trophy, a sub is really going to have to help this team get that extra goal. Scolari didn’t bring anyone that resembles that option to me, but Jo has played well on the international level recently.
Croatia – I’m not sure the last time I was so excited to see a youngster play in a big tournament. Maybe Wayne Rooney at the 2004 Euros before he made his move to Manchester United. But that’s the amount of excitement that I have for Mateo Kovacic the attacking midfielder for Croatia. He just turned 20 a month ago, but his influence could be a big factor as to whether Croatia can get to the quarterfinals. He sees the field very well, isn’t afraid to take on defenders with his dribbling ability and can even score from distance. With Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic in central midfield already, it’ll be interesting to see where it all fits in. They have Ivan Perisic available to play out wide, but in doing so may result in either Rakitic or Kovacic coming off the bench. Up front they have an array of options with Mario Mandzukic, Eduardo and Nikica Jelavic all available and fit. I think they probably go with a 4-4-2 and play Mandzukic and Jelavic. They both are strong and hold the ball up well. Their back four is solid, and led by their captain Darijo Srna. He will have to be great as he holds the key to their counter. Stipe Pletikosa has been their goalkeeper for as far back as I can remember, and nothing changes here. He’s a sturdy character back there, who doesn’t make many mistakes.
Spain – This team has a couple of holes, but for the most part it’s an absolute powerhouse. As we all know, they don’t play the most exciting brand of football during these tournaments, but none of us can argue the results. They have won the last 3 major championship trophies and are probably favorites after Brazil and maybe Argentina. They keep the ball really well, and anyone that is asked to play in midfield does a great job of drifting in and out of space and setting up both the fullbacks and the starting forward to success. I think they are at their best when they play Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets behind Xavi, Iniesta and Fabregas. Del Bosque has plenty of options; he can also play Pedro out wide left or David Silva/Juan Mata just behind the striker in a #10 role. The back four looks to be predictable, with Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Cesar Azpilicueta and Jordi Alba safe bets to start. Iker Casillas will man the space in between the pipes, and for me really, it’s - does he go with Pedro up front alone, or Diego Costa if he is fit and ready to go... David Villa and Fernando Torres are also there if they decide to go with more central striking options and both of them having proven to be match winners in the past. If either one was on top form, Spain may already have this wrapped up. Because it’s Diego Costa who’s had the best season and he’s quite new to the team, they may be more inclined to go with what’s familiar, but they might be even better than before too.
Chile – This team really put it together during their qualifying run. They took 16 from their final 18 points at the end of qualifiers, beat England 2-0 in a friendly, and drew with both Spain and Brazil during the run-up. They have a pretty good side, with sprinkles of excellence. They like to play a very direct game and try to find the runs of Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas over the top. They have a lot of pace in their side, and their midfield is really underrated. Look for them to play a somewhat false 9: 4-3-3 and have Mauricio Pinilla drop underneath inside similar to Messi at Barcelona. They have Isla thundering up their right side which makes them difficult to defend; on one hand they sometimes over extend, but considering it’s Sanchez and Isla coming at you they believe it’s worth the risk. Arturo Vidal, if fit, is one of the best midfielders in the world. He can dictate a game with his technique, but also make forward runs and score goals to. If GK Claudio Bravo can find his form that he’s had with Real Sociedad, they may sneak up on a few teams.
Ivory Coast – I really like this side. I know that they struggled in a friendly defeat to Bosnia, but they are a tough team to come against, and if they are at full-strength, a threat to maybe make the quarterfinals. They play a very direct game, but aren’t afraid to push their midfielders forward and make some deep runs. They have a number of options up front, and a couple different types of players as well. Wilfried Bony had a good season with Swansea City in the Premier league and is difficult to handle in the box. He can score equally well with his head or feet. I like Gervinho and Salomon Kalou, as they both can take defenders on and score goals as well. Didier Drogba is obviously the one to watch though as his strength and skills can take over a game. My only concern for this side is whether Cheick Tiote and YaYa Toure are committed to the defensive side of the ball. Granted it was with different players, but the Ivory Coast gave Bosnia plenty of room to play the ball around in midfield, and they don’t have defenders that can go out and win the ball back. If Didier Zokora can raise his game and not make big mistakes, they can definitely get into the final 8.
Colombia – With Falcao, they can compete among the world’s best. Without him... well obviously I still think they have some talent if I think that they can get to the knockout rounds. Which they do. Setting up on the wings are two very exciting young talents in James Rodriguez and Juan Fernando Quintero. Both players can play on either side of the field, play in the central roles behind the strikers and they both pass the ball and dribble very well. I’m not sure if Jose Pekerman is going to play both of them at the same time, but he does have that option if he wants to go with one striker. Now that Falcao is gone, I believe the new star will be Jackson Martinez. He can play up front alone like he sometimes does for Porto, but they may play him alongside Adrian Ramos or Teofilo Gutierrez. Either way, Colombia will have a lot of strength in attack. It’s their midfield discipline that really impresses me though. Abel Aguilar and Fredy Guarin are both very industrious central midfielders that can also win a game. Just like most other sides coming through, if they can find a little bit of defensive stability, and with Cristian Zapata and Mario Yepes I believe that they have it, the firepower in their attack should be enough to get them out of a relatively difficult group.
England – This is an England team with the talent that can take them far. That being said, They’ll probably screw it up somehow, but I believe that England finally has the right formation and talent to make an impact on a world tournament. Ever since Hodgson decided to switch to an ebb and flowing 4-3-3, England has been a much better side. I just hope that they aren’t afraid to play the youngsters when it’s clear that they are better served by doing so. Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney have shown pretty decent chemistry while playing together up front for England. Now that Raheem Sterling has come of age and really become a threat, I think it’s time to see those 3 players up top for England. With no disrespect to Adam Lallana, my guess is that he plays most of the time, sits a little bit deeper alongside Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere and they play a little more conservatively. I was also really hoping to see Everton starlet John Stones in defense, but it wasn’t meant to be. I’m not sure if Hodgson has his mind set, but it appears he will go with Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka and Glen Johnson in defense. It’s a solid foundation, but for England to move deep into the tournament, they are going to need Joe Hart to stand on his head. But for the first time since 2002, I think that England has a GK capable of winning the tournament on his own. There is something I think to be said for that.
Uruguay – They will probably prove me wrong and win this group, as I think that they have really cultivated a group of star players geared toward challenging for a title in this year’s tournament. They have a decent squad in 2010, but leaned on Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez to get them to the semi-finals. Suarez played a great “hand” in getting them there, ha, ha, ha. This year’s team is much more balanced and Suarez and Edinson Cavani have developed into world class stars. They can both play in either striker position, just off of the striker, and although Cavani doesn’t prefer it, he can play wide left as well. Understanding how much they can move, and still keep a lot of their technique and tactics satisfactorily will go a long way in determining how far this team will go in 2014. They played Brazil much better than Spain did at the Confederations Cup, and are certain to be a threat if they can pull out a group D runner-up at the expense of maybe playing Brazil again in the quarters. Their midfield is underrated and like to play a pressing style of defending in order to set Cavani and Suarez up on a quick counter-attack. Alvaro Gonzalez should be playing in the holding role, although Uruguay really doesn’t have a set midfield rotation, and likes to move their defenders and midfielders into different positions making things difficult for the opponent. Alvaro Pereira is another player to watch for as he can play both fullback and in the defensive midfield. He gets forward well, and gives them an attacking balance along with Maxi Pereira. Diego Godin has been in sensational form for Atletico Madrid this season, and shouldn’t have any problems with the likes of Mario Balotelli or Wayne Rooney.
Switzerland – They had a great qualifying campaign and didn’t lose a single game. They were ahead of Iceland 4-1 at home before drawing 4-4, otherwise they were very convincing and well deserving of a #1 seed for the World Cup. Many fans aren’t familiar with their players, but their starting 11 is deserving of a quarterfinal place if they can just avoid injury. GK Diego Benaglio is one of my favorite keepers, and does a great job between the sticks for Vfl Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. I’m surprised he hasn’t moved on to a bigger club, as he is just under the level of a Michael Neuer or Iker Casillas. Their back four is aging, but has a lot of experience and guts. They won’t wow you with their technique, but they are good cover for Benaglio. Stephan Lichtsteiner is probably the star of that group since Johan Djourou never reached his potential for Arsenal. Their midfield has class all around. Their holding midfielders are Granit Xhaka and Gökhan Inler and both are leaders of their respective club sides – Borussia Mönchengladbach and Napoli. They read the game well, and rarely get caught out of position. The 3 attacking midfielders: Xherdan Shaqiri, Tranquillo Barnetta and Valon Behrami are all experienced and gifted and link well together. This team’s gaping weakness is up front as they don’t have any typical strikers so decided to bring youth to the tournament. Some may be familiar with Haris Seferovic who plays with Real Sociedad and set up some nice goals in the La Liga this season. He will have to be at his very best if Switzerland want to make good on their ranking and reach the quarterfinals.
France – Let it be known that I am obsessed with Antoine Griezmann and I really don’t think people need to be concerned that Franck Ribery is out for the entire World Cup. He comes from the same school of confidence plus indifference and that is an important combo if you want to be a top class winger. He may infuriate at times with his amount of shooting and lack of playing a team game, but his skill set leaves many thunderstruck by how talented he is. I believe that France will also play a 4-5-1 similar to that of Switzerland, but giving their holding midfielders the freedom to roam the pitch. I think that will work well in a weaker group, but if they can’t get the 3 points against Switzerland, it may leave them vulnerable to a 16-round match against Argentina and a rethinking of their tactics. But that is for later. Let us talk about the boy genius Paul Pogba. For as young as he is, the maturity of his game is simply breathtaking. He makes great galloping forward runs and can finish them off with goals. He can sit back and hammer them from distance. He intercepts numerous passes and gets the ball forward quickly. He is a bull on the defensive side and isn’t afraid to take chances. Merely put, he is the Claude Makelele-Michael Essien hybrid. And his partner Blaise Matuidi isn’t too bad either. He, however, gets caught too far forward at times and is quick to join the attack (Argentina – uh oh). But with Yohan Cabaye and Morgan Schneiderlin willing to sit back, the tight 3 CM may make sense. It looks like Patrice Evra will get another go at LB. Bacary Sagna will probably play at RB. Hugo Lloris will naturally be in goal. The key to this team is what two central defenders Didier Deschamps decides to go with, and that could be his downfall or his rise to ascendancy. While Raphael Varane and Eliaquim Mangala have all the talent in the world, they are both very inexperienced and he might be better served selecting Laurent Koscielny or Mamadou Sakho to run the back. Karim Benzema’s productivity is anyone’s guess, but we all know he will be the chosen front man come this Sunday.
Argentina – I really thought that 2010 was going to be their tournament. Messi was at his peak. Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero were close. Javier Mascherano was at the top of his game. And then Diego Maradona chooses to leave Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti at home. He totally killed the team spirit and they left with their tail between their legs after a 4-0 mauling at the hands of Germany. This time, people believe them to be stronger, but I just don’t see it. While Angel Di Maria has been remodeled from a Ferrari into a Ford F-150, they still have too many questions about their defense. Also for that matter, how fit is Sergio Aguero? If he is ready to go, things may be interesting. I imagine that Alejandro Sabella will go with Aguero and Messi and then play Ezequiel Lavezzi and Di Maria on the wings. Now that Di Maria has more positioning sense and can see the game from a deeper role, this may be of a great benefit. Lavezzi is a scoring threat on the other side of the pitch that they didn’t have in 2010. There will be no triple-marking Messi. The holding roles are my main questions because Fernando Gago has always struggled against more gifted players and Mascherano is better suited at CB these days. Lucas Biglia may be their wildcard, but he does have temperamental issues. At his best though, he could be the difference between Argentina going home early, or them lifting the cup. He pressures well and gets rid of the ball quickly. Their back four is anyone’s guess because Fabricio Coloccini is staying home and Martin Demichelis had the most average season I have ever seen for a league champion. He almost cost Manchester City the Premier league title independently. Ezequiel Garay is one of the world’s best; however, the rest of the defense leaves plenty of question marks.
Bosnia & Herzegovina – I finally got to see the Cup’s great surprise play, and I will say, I was has surprised as the rest of the world. For this being their country’s first tournament, they play with the maturity and experience of a nation that has done this for a while. In goal, most will be familiar with Asmir Begovic who plies his trade with Stoke City in the BPL. He too is capable of winning a game on his own as shown in the friendly against Mexico. Their back four is tough and zones really well as a team. They didn’t let Mexico get behind them once, and they pass the ball around pretty well in addition. Emir Spahic is one of the classiest guys around. Miralem Pjanic is the player that makes this machine go. He loves to be around the ball, passes quickly and always seems to find space to create chances for his forwards. He is also dangerous on set-pieces from distance. Senad Lulic and Zvjezdan Misimovic are two other talented players that can balance out the mid-field. Up front it starts and ends with Edin Dzeko. His form this season has been nothing short of extraordinary and he has great touch and skill for such a big man. His involvement will be crucial if Bosnia wants to compete for a quarterfinal place. His partner in crime Vedad Ibisevic is a dangerous in the box striker who can score with either foot and from small spaces. Bosnia will attempt to feed as many balls into this two as they can and look for them to make defenses pay.
Portugal – Without injury, this is one of my favorite teams in the tournament. They have very specific defined roles, and the players are very responsible at playing within these guidelines. It starts with Cristiano Ronaldo who is given the freedom to roam between left and right, but has great judgment and awareness on when to do so. He has a great understanding on opponents tactics and whether he has the freedom to take players on or get the rest of the team involved. Portugal will likely play with a three-pronged attack and have Nani on the opposite side of Ronaldo and Helder Postiga leading them from the front. While not the quickest, Postiga has a knack for scoring goals and keeping the defense alert. Their midfield is very gifted and balanced. Joao Moutinho is one of the great #10’s of this generation, and he can score from distance as well. He contributes close to 3 key passes a game for Monaco which is probably the reason they went from the 2nd division promoters in France to 2nd place in the first season he was there. Raul Meireles is active in the midfield and can hound opponents for the full 90. He isn’t the greatest going forward, but can still rip a shot if given time and space. Miguel Veloso sits just behind these two and closes gaps incredibly well. It’ll be interesting to see if they can get William Carvalho onto the field. He is called the new age Daniele De Rossi, and if they can find time for him, he will be crucial into allowing Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani the opportunities that they need to stay forward and score goals. Their defense has been together for years and I don’t see any changes from 2012. Fabio Coentrao, Pepe, Bruno Alves and Joao Pereira are a solid back four and keeps Rui Patricio from getting peppered when they get too anxious going forward.
Germany – Two years ago, I felt that this would be the team that would win the World Cup. And while I still think their chances are great, they have taken a few hits that might keep them from bringing the trophy back to central Europe. Losing both the Bender brothers was a big loss in that it takes from their midfield depth. If they had been available to play, everyone else could’ve been utilized in their best position. But even bigger than that is the nagging injury of Ilkay Gundogan and the recent loss of Marco Reus. These two have the talent and confidence to walk into any side and change the game. Reus was probably one of the top 5-6 players in the world this season, and at times carried Borussia Dortmund on his back. Gundogan going down early coincided with Dortmund’s mid-season collapse and with he and Schweinsteiger running the central of the park, Germany could’ve matched wits with anyone. Well they can still make due. It will likely be with Toni Kroos and Julian Draxler who are both great players, but it does change the dynamic of the team. Instead of counter-attacking the opponents to death, Germany may be forced to keep position more of the time. Kroos is a great attacker on and off the ball and can score at anytime from 35 yards out. Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and Draxler could be their three attacking options if Joachim Low refuses to go with Lukas Podolski. Miroslav Klose will lead the front line for what seems like 30 years. He is a sure fire bet to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer. The back four if fully fit could be Germany’s strength as Mats Hummels and Philip Lahm are already world-class, and Per Mertesacker is a fine defender as well. Jerome Boateng may be considered the weakness at LB, but he is still probably in the top 5-10% of top defenders in the world. Michael Neuer is probably the world’s top goalkeeper if not right up there with Buffon and Casillas. Mario Götze is probably this year’s wild card; if they can find room for him and let him excel, he has the talent, vision and passing skill set to take over matches.
Belgium – Their starting eleven reads like a who’s who of the world’s top young stars. Eden Hazard. Romelu Lukaku. Adnan Januzaj. Kevin De Bruyne. Thibault Courtois. Now having the talent and putting it all together are two different things. But early indications say that Belgium is well on their way towards that success. They took 26 from 30 points in qualifiers. They developed depth at most positions. And they still have the world’s best defender in the best form of his career in Vincent Kompany. Belgium likes to play a very wide 4-3-3 giving their central midfielders a lot of space to make passes and forward runs. Hazard usually place close to the touchline; it’ll be interesting to see if they give Januzaj that same freedom. Lukaku has been struggling to become fit for the tournament, however, Belgium starts on the final day of round 1 so he should be good to go. If they can get crosses in from out side, Lukaku will give opposing defenders fits in keeping the ball out of the net. Prior to this season, I would’ve said that Marouane Felliani, Axel Witsel and Mousa Dembele would have been a nightmare to deal with in the middle of the park. Yet all three players had really inconsistent seasons, and maybe only Dembele really deserved the call-up. This formation does play to their strengths however as Felliani and Witsel showed in years past that they can be very dangerous if given space to go forward. Their defense is set with Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld manning the back four. They all are strong, and are willing to dive in any make tackles. If anything, only their lack of pace may make them vulnerable against the stronger counter-attacking sides i.e. Portugal, Brazil. That may not matter as Courtois has been almost a sure thing in goal all season long. Only 30 minutes of extra time kept him from having a dream season at Atletico. He could also be the difference between a knock-out round game defeat and a semi-final appearance for this young talented squad from central Europe.
Russia – Russia had a comfortable qualifying campaign in beating Portugal to the top of the group. They only conceded 5 goals in ten games and really looked to be difficult to score against. My only concern is the couple of times I have gotten to see them play or been witness to highlights is that they really don’t have a structured formation and the players are given a lot of freedom. As a fan, I enjoy this, but from a footballing perspective it could lead to their demise. They are likely to be lead by Zenit striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov. He is similar to Michael Owen in playing style; give him just two inches inside the box and he’ll take it and score. He doesn’t offer much else to the side and he’s moody, but on his day he is tough to stop. Behind him they will probably send out Yuri Zhirkov (my favorite European name), Alan Dzagoev, and Viktor Fayzulin. They are all gifted players with a knack for scoring goals from distance. Dzagoev can also take a set-piece if asked to. Igor Denisov is the leader of the team and a bull in the midfield. He is difficult to handle and does a great job in getting under the skin of the opponent. The back four is mostly CSKA Moscow with LB Georgi Schennikov, CB’s Vasili Berezutski, and Sergei Ignashevich. It could’ve been the entire back four, but Vasili’s twin brother Aleksei didn’t get called up for reasons implicit. The likely RB will be Aleksei Kozlov of Dynamo. In goal, another CSKA player, this time the great Igor Akinfeev. He has always been destined for great things; some would say he’s been an underachiever, while others would label him a loyalist. I just think he likes Russia and he’s very good there. He is another who can get his team into and further than the quarterfinals if he finds his top form in the next couple of weeks.
Good night, readers! Enjoy the World Cup! We’re less than 14 hours away!!!!
P.S. For my wife - Nice try CS.
