We may forget all hopes we still had for the next World Cup after this terrible news:
Strootman was probably the one indispensible key player in midfield, the one who helped players like Sneyder or Van Persie develop their game.
Very sad, in the first place for the player, of course. A blow to Roma too, he was a key player for them too, the one who helped Totti to develop his game.
I’ve pretty much gave up on following club football. Croatian club’s are poor and they will stay poor because I don’t see any sheik interested in glamorous Croatian lifestyle, and it doesn’t make sense to me anymore to root for any foreign club. For start I cannot tell the difference from one club to another, they’re just légion étrangère with lost identities. And beside that, it’s really easy to guess who’ll win and who won’t, just look at a club budgets at the begging of the season. Of the top 8 riches club, 7 will make Champions league’s quarterfinals, so what is really the point of rooting for this or that team, money is the only name of the game. But, I still watch national teams matches, and when it’s World Cup I try to watch every game possible. It’s still got some of that old magic and myth.
Since I don’t follow club competitions any more, I don’t have much insight to make predictions, but let me try anyway. I’m guessing that in the semis, as usual, there will be 2 or 3 of the usual suspects, with 1 or 2 newcomers. I said newcomers, not surprises intentionally, because they are usually not that big surprises, but more often teams from smaller football nations that managed to put together really talented generation that was together for some time. So for example, on the last 5 World Cups, Uruguay, Portugal, Turkey, Croatia or Bulgaria were not really a surprises.
Of the 7 Cups at American soil, Europeans didn’t won any, and I’m with the ones who think it’s more than coincidence. So for this tournament I’m predicting two Latin-american teams in the semis, Brazil should be one of them, and Argentina off course is the surest bet for the second spot. Belgium best fits the role of the aforementioned newcomer, and there should be one spot for the teams that always make to the final rounds: Germany, Italy or the recently dominant Spain. My bet is (as usual) Germany.
I’m hoping that my Croatian team can replace Belgium at that surprising newcomer spot (like we did in '98) but we managed to qualify at last moment through the needle, so we are going with the worst form ever to a big tournament (except maybe 2002). So it’s more likely that the other team I would root for, Bosnia, could steal that spot.
Other than these 2, I will root for teams I root since I was a kid (I don’t know why, it’s probably combination of the pretty jerseys, style of play or David vs Goliat thing). They are: other Latin-american teams (especially Mexico), African teams (especially Cameroon, that’s because of flashy colors of the jersey) and Holland (that’s due to that signature style of play, pretty orange and Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit).
Only a few days before the first game, but I’m pretty un-feverish.
My expectations for Germany are low. Quarter finals most likely again.
[quote=“Stanton, post:83, topic:3252”]Only a few days before the first game, but I’m pretty un-feverish.
My expectations for Germany are low. Quarter finals most likely again.[/quote]
Why are they low?
I’d say they’re one of the favorites. They have a lot of talented players and the group is more experienced now. It remains a question whether they can stand the pressure of being one of the favorites this time (two years ago that seemed to be a problem)
I noticed that in many countries expectations aren’t that high: France, England, Holland … in none of these countries fans reckon their team will reach the final stages. And now Germany …
The exception is, obviously, Belgium: hardly ever experienced so much enthousiasm for the national squad. But they have of course a very talented group.
The defensive is more shaky than they should be, and when the offensive does not work better than in 2012 they will run again in big trouble with their offensive philosophy.
And I see there similar problems as in 2012. Some key players (Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Khedira) are probably not really fit after injuries, Özil has a creative problem and is seemingly far away from his best form, and just a few days ago Reus (who was in excellent form) was so badly injured that he has to pass the tournament. Khedira has only played a few minutes in this year.
And then Germany has only Klose as forward, the only real goal-getter. But Klose is now 36, and was also often injured in the last months.
But I have to admit I had similar low expectations for the last 3 tournaments, and they played always much better than expected, while my high expectations for the last 2 ECs were not really fulfilled, despite reaching the final and the half final.
And while Klose played only 3 mediocre ECs, he blossomed in the 3 WCs. And he has a good chance to overtake Ronaldo as top WC goal-getter.
The injuries can of course be a problem. Holland must do without Strootman (a real key player) and Van der Vaart. France will sorely miis Ribéry. Germany will miss Reus and I noticed in the CL final that Khedira was far from top fit; maybe the injury has healed, but he seemed to miss any rhythm of play. And he’s a key player (he’s to Germany what Strootman was to Oranje).
Klose has always been a top centre forward, very strong in the air and with a real nose for the goal, but I haven’t seen him lately and 36 is rather old for a player, even when he’s not a player who usually covers a lot of kilometers during a game (Klose never was a Mattheus).
If we only had a real forward one that scored more than one goal from time to time, apart from Ronaldo that is, we could real be a strong side, instead we are a strong side that misses a lot of chances (Portugal is not Real Madrid), but we do have a good group of 11/14 players that at least could leave us to the quarter finals.
My favorites in the tournament are Brasil, Germany and Spain, I don’t know how Argentina will play, they do have the players don’t know if they have a team Messi lives in Spain since he was 14 or less years old so his connection to the nation (contrary to Ronaldo) is not that strong, Italy is always a danger in the knock out stages if they get there and they usually do, France even without Ribery have a great side, with some of the best midfield players in the world, but they are a madhouse without much tem union.
I really don’t expect much from teams like England, Holland or even Belgium, my dark horse if can be called that is Uruguay and to a point also Bosnia
They’re third-favourites with BET365 as at the time of writing this post (LINKhttp://www.oddschecker.com/football/world-cup/winner):
Brazil 3/1
Argentina 4/1
Germany 6/1
Spain 13/2
Belgium 20/1
France 22/1
Italy 25/1
Uruguay 28/1
Portugal 28/1
England 28/1
Netherlands 33/1
Colombia 40/1
Chile 40/1
Russia 80/1
Switzerland 100/1
Ecuador 125/1
Ivory Coast 125/1
Croatia 150/1
Japan 150/1
Bosnia-Herzegovina 150/1
Mexico 150/1
USA 225/1
Ghana 250/1
Nigeria 250/1
Greece 300/1
South Korea 300/1
Cameroon 500/1
Algeria 1500/1
Australia 1500/1
Iran 1500/1
Honduras 2000/1
Costa Rica 2500/1
I always enjoy the Brazilians, the Argies, the Dutch and ze Germans. Also the French (because I’m just a tiny bit French; mrs.caress says, “Yeah, your cock” but what does she know?) and this year of course, the Belgians.
Funnily enough I have to work to get myself excited by England. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Last World Cup, I didn’t give a tin shit for England.
Spain and Italy are underrated in this list. Spain is for me still the big favourite next to Brazil (directed by Terry Gilliam).
Sounds more like African football to me: incredible talent, very colorful, often sensational, but largely ineffective …
Yeah, Spain should be higher, probably even on the top spot. They have won last 3 big tournaments and still have the same group of players that are actually in their best years. Their clubs have won the two European cups this year (with 3 finalist). It looks pretty dominant, doesn’t it? Brazil is given extra chances at the bookies because it is the host, and Argentina probably because World Cup is in South America. Don’t know why Germany is given twice the chances of Spain. I think Belgium could end up as disappointment, it usually happens when the expectations are too high for the inexperienced group. But I could be wrong. It is going to be interesting even World Cup, there are lots of good teams, I think only last 4 or 5 can be called true outsiders, rest of the teams can beat each other at any time.
I have Greece as dark horse here, it is very underrated good team, probably better than the one that won the Euro in Portugal.
Do you guys play FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy game? (Pick your team of players at tournament and watch them collect points for various categories).
Maybe we can create SWDB league if you are interested?
This year will be the one when Finland finally wins. And if not them, then my favorites are (in order): Sweden, Denmark, Norway. I am sure one of those will win.
Today’s the Day, if not really D-DAY.
But the World Cup kicks off in Brazil, with a game that looks quite interesting on paper: Brazil - Croatia.
I kick off with the first two entries in MY WORLD CUP TEAM of all time, goal keeper + defence (two more entries to follow):
[size=12pt]http://deblogvanswinkels.blogspot.be/2014/06/my-world-cup-team-of-all-time-1.html[/size]
[size=12pt]http://deblogvanswinkels.blogspot.be/2014/06/my-world-cup-team-of-all-time-2.html[/size]
Here’s an alternative to my selection, by DAILY NEWS:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/soccer/daily-news-picks-all-time-world-cup-team-article-1.1825690
My bet
Brasil vs Croacia 2-1
2-0
OWN GOAL! 0-1 Croats - Marcelo 11mins
1-1 Neymar 28mins
Penalty to Brazil!
Neymar taking…
GOAL! 2-1 Brazil 70mins
3-1 Brazil - Oscar 90mins.
4 minutes time added on but it’s over.