World Cup Predictions: Part V of V

This is incredibly long, though it's mostly lists, so I hope it won't be too hard to get through.

The group stage has ended, and now, as promised, I will go through what I got right and wrong and will predict the knockout stages.

Let’s look at all the groups:

Predicted Group A:

1. Brazil: 9 points
2. Croatia: 4 pts (ahead on goal difference)
3. Mexico: 4 pts
4. Cameroon: 0 pts

Actual Group A:

1. Brazil: 7 pts
2. Mexico: 7 pts
3. Croatia: 3 pts
4. Cameroon: 0 pts

Thoughts: Croatia underperformed consistently, and a large portion of the blame should go to coach Niko Kovač. He played Luka Modrić correctly, but played Ivan Rakitić in the defensive midfield even though he had so much success with Sevilla in an attacking midfield position. And without each other close by, neither could make things happen. Obviously the real story here, though, is Mexico. They struggled through qualifiers, finishing 2-5-3 in CONCACAF qualifying and only making it into the World Cup because the US beat Panama in qualifying’s final match. During qualifying, they fired their manager and proceeded to go through 2 more managers in the span of just 3 matches. Their replacement and current manager, Miguel Herrera, is the reason they have been so successful. His energy is extraordinary and translates into great play on the field from everyone involved. His decision to bring Chicharito off the bench was also a stroke of genius.

Group MVP: Guillermo Ochoa

Best Player: Neymar

Predicted Group B:

1. Spain: 7 pts
2. Netherlands: 5 pts
3. Chile: 4 pts
4. Australia: 0 pts

Actual Group B:

1. Netherlands: 9 pts
2. Chile: 6 pts
3. Spain: 3 pts
4. Australia: 0 pts

Thoughts: This was a shocker, obviously. I can’t say I’m disappointed. Like most other people, I’m not a big fan of Spain’s side. I like several of their players, but I just don’t like the team. Wanting them to win is like hoping to be bored. Their play style is boring and so is seeing them consistently win every major international trophy available to them. One of the Cup’s most disappointing developments thus far was that Australia didn’t win that game. Chile played tremendously exciting attacking football so I’m glad to see them move on. I was spot on that Australia wouldn’t make it through, so there’s always that.

Group MVPs: Arjen Robben

Predicted Group C:

1. Colombia: 7 pts
2. Japan: 5 pts
3. Ivory Coast: 2 pts
4. Greece: 1 pt

Actual Group C:

1. Colombia: 9 pts
2. Greece: 4 pts
3. Ivory Coast: 3 pts
4. Japan: 1 pt

Thoughts: Japan’s uselessness was embarrassing for both them and me. It’s frankly just disgusting. I’m actually kind of angry Greece advanced. They’re boring and never score. As I said in my predictions, this was certainly the most boring group, bar none.

Group MVP: James Rodríguez

Predicted Group D:

1. Uruguay: 7 pts
2. Italy: 5 pts
3. England: 4 pts
4. Costa Rica: 0 pts

Actual Group D:

1. Costa Rica: 7 pts
2. Uruguay: 6 pts
3. Italy: 3 pts
4. England: 1 pt

Thoughts: Wow! Everybody, me included, though Costa Rica would be fodder for the rest of the teams, but they played their hearts out and came away not just with qualification, but the group victory. It’s actually really impressive. After the Uruguay-Costa Rica opener, I thought Uruguay would have no chance without Luis Suárez. Costa Rica’s game against Italy showed me I was far too overeager to write them off. But Suárez is incredibly important to Uruguayan success, and his suspension will be devastating for them.

Group MVP: Luis Suárez

Predicted Group E:

1. Switzerland: 7 pts (ahead on goal difference)
2. France: 7 pts
3. Ecuador: 3 pts
4. Honduras: 0 pts

Actual Group E:

1. France: 7 pts
2. Switzerland: 6 pts
3. Ecuador: 4 pts
4. Honduras: 0 pts

Thoughts: France’s explosive start shows maybe they’re a force to be reckoned with. I’m not sure, though. Ecuador seems to have figured them out somewhat, and if others can, then they’ll lose eventually. Their disassembling of Switzerland was impressive, though perhaps more for the Swiss’s defensive futility than for France’s 5 goals.

Group MVP: Xherdan Shaqiri

Best Player: Karim Benzema

Predicted Group F:

Argentina: 9 pts

Bosnia and Herzegovina: 6 pts

Nigeria: 3 pts

Iran: 0 pts

Actual Group F:

Argentina: 9 pts

Nigeria: 4 pts

Bosnia and Herzegovina: 3 pts

Iran: 1 pt

Thoughts: I’m really disappointed Bosnia didn’t play better. I really wanted them to succeed for their country, to help an entire generation heal, but it wasn’t to be. The group was rather disappointing. Argentina was underwhelming, and nobody else did much of anything.

Group MVP: Lionel Messi

Predicted Group G:

Germany: 7 pts (ahead on goal difference)

Portugal: 7 pts

Ghana: 1 pt (ahead on goal difference)

United States: 1 pt

Actual Group G:

Germany: 7 pts

United States: 4 pts (ahead on goal difference)

Portugal: 4 pts

Ghana: 1 pt

Thoughts: I have never been happier to have been wrong about the United States. Our play showed all of our strengths and all of our weaknesses. We played poorly against Ghana and won; we played well against Portugal and drew; we played well against Germany and lost. Overall I’m pleased. I think we may actually have a shot moving forward. You’ll have to wait to see how much of a chance I think we have. Anyway, Germany’s play confirmed by thoughts on them: they’re the tournament’s best team, and they’re inconsistent. Not one of the group’s teams played consistently from game-to-game.

Group MVP: Thomas Müller

Predicted Group H:

Belgium: 7 pts

South Korea: 7 pts

Russia: 3 pts

Algeria: 0 pts

Actual Group H:

Belgium: 9 pts

Algeria: 4 pts

Russia: 2 pts

South Korea: 1 pt

Thoughts: Again Asia disappoints me! South Korea played like crap. Plain and simple. Russia was as mediocre as usual. Belgium also disappointed. Their inability to develop any sort of strong team chemistry is troubling and points to possible hurdles in their future. I’m stunned Algeria played so well, though I’m anything but disappointed. Every World Cup we get a surprise, and with the way they’re playing and the excitement their players are exhibiting, I couldn’t be happier for them. The Middle East gets a bad rap, but it’s not all bad. No, Algeria isn’t perfect, it’s not even one of the more free countries in the region, but it’s certainly not the completely horrendous place people seem to think.

Group MVP: Islam Slimani

I didn’t predict the knockout round here beforehand, but I did elsewhere. Here’s what it looked like:

Round of 16:

Brazil over Netherlands

Italy over Colombia

Switzerland over Bosnia and Herzegovina

Germany over South Korea

Spain over Croatia

Uruguay over Japan

Argentina over France

Belgium over Portugal

Quarterfinals:

Brazil over Italy

Germany over Switzerland

Spain over Uruguay

Argentina over Belgium

Semifinals:

Brazil over Germany

Argentina over Spain

Final:

Brazil over Argentina

Boring, huh? I’ll admit it’s pretty much what every other person on the planet had been predicting as far as final result goes, but it just seemed right.

For the predictions of what actually happened, I’m not going to give huge explanations in the name of not making this ridiculously long.

Round of 16:

Brazil over Chile: When the home team’s this good, it’s hard to imagine them losing this early. While Chile thrilled with explosive play, they don’t play defense, and with 4 in their final group game, they look to be hitting their offensive stride. Brazil isn’t as strong as many predicted, but they’re still a force to be reckoned with.

Colombia over Uruguay: Uruguay will suffer from Dracula’s curse (that’s a thing, right?). Suárez is their most important player, and Cavani can’t carry them alone. They’ll fall with him gone.

France over Nigeria: Unless Nigeria can somehow find a way to slow them down, expect France to have a monster match.

Germany over Algeria: Africa’s involvement will end. Feghouli, Slimani, and Co. will be no match for Germany’s many weapons.

Netherlands over Mexico: It really is a terrible draw for Mexico. They played fantastically well in the group, but the Dutch are just that much better.

Costa Rica over Greece: This is undoubtedly the weakest game of the round, and I expect CONCACAF to take at least one team into the quarters. Costa Rica scores; Greece doesn’t. The Costa Ricans speak Spanish; the Greeks are boring. Game, set, match.

Switzerland over Argentina: This is my first real shocker. This is arguably the most wide-open match of the round. The Swiss played excellent football in their two wins but looked disastrous for almost the entirety of their loss. Argentina looked okay, but was not nearly as impressive as expected. Though Messi may score, I think the Swiss take it, especially if Shaqiri turns in a good game. Thus far, when he has, the Swiss have won and vice versa.

United States over Belgium: Of course I’m being somewhat optimistic, but Belgium, for as talented as they are, have not played nearly as well as they need to for a deep run. If Team USA can put the pieces together, I have next-to-no doubt they move on. Even if they don’t, I still wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled out a win in the end.

Quarterfinals:

Brazil over Colombia: Again I just think Brazil brings too much to the table.

Germany over France: I could end up being 100% wrong on this. All it takes is one inconsistent game by Germany to sink their chances. If this is it, just as their match against Ghana was, they’ll lose. France is better than Ghana and will make them pay more often.

Netherlands over Costa Rica: The Dutch are a complete football team with loads of momentum. Unless Costa Rica can pull a rabbit out of the hat, they’re toast.

Switzerland over United States: If Michael Bradley can play to his potential, which he has yet to do in these games, the US stands a chance. Even then it’ll be hard. The Swiss are explosive, and the US defense is anything but watertight.

Semifinals:

Brazil over Germany: It’s the end of the road for Die Mannschaft. The home-field advantage and inconsistency get the better them. I really hope I’m wrong, but I doubt I will be.

Netherlands over Switzerland: A combination of everything else I’ve said is enough to say what I would here.

Third Place Game:

Germany over Switzerland: Germany don’t lose again. They’re simply to good and too fast and too strong and too deep for the Swiss.

Final:

Netherlands over Brazil: The experience and skill of the Dutch will outpace the youth and home-field support of the Brazilians. In their 4^th trip to the World Cup Final, they’ll win their first and redeem themselves after their Final loss in 2010. They'll also make 1974 World Cup team captain and Golden Ball winner Johan Cruyff, here, very proud indeed.

World Cup Predictions: Part IV of V

Group G:

1. Germany—Looking at the Germany squad, it isn’t hard to understand why Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are the best teams in the Bundesliga year in and year out. The German first-team is filled with them. This also tells a lot about Germany’s strength, as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund played each other in the Champions’ League just 2 years ago. What the German team is not: a team with any players usually considered one of the top 10 in the world (at each position is a different story); it’s not incredibly flashy nor is it inordinately sexy. What it is: the best team in the tournament, bar none. Manuel Neuer, just 28 (like a 23-year-old at any other position), is, in my opinion, the best goalkeeper currently (Buffon is better all-time, though). Captain Philipp Lahm, one of the only active players to consistently appear on lists of the top 100 players ever, both in general and by performance in the World Cup, will anchor an incredibly strong defense with Mats Hummers, Jérôme Boateng, Benedikt Höwedes, and Per Mertesacker. The team has only 1 true forward in the squad, 36-year-old legend Miroslav Klose, which may seem strange. It’s not. Why? Because the midfield is easily the best in the world. Bastian Schweinsteiger (winner of the best name ever), Sami Khedira, Mesut Özil, Thomas Müller, Mario Götze, Toni Kroos, Lukas Podolski, André Schürrle, Julian Draxler. Nearly every single player is consistently rated among the best midfielders in the world. If not, then at least the best at his primary position or among the best youngsters in the world. They should be unstoppable, but they are unfortunately inconsistent (not really talking about losing to Spain, so don’t waste your time arguing). Could this be the year they shed their inconsistency and go all the way? Only time will tell.

• Players to Watch: Thomas Müller, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Mesut Özil, and Miroslav Klose (I limited myself to 5, but basically the whole team deserves to be here.)
2. Ghana—Over the last several World Cups, Ghana has taken over from Cameroon as the class of Africa. Increasingly their only competition for the title, as I’ve previously mentioned, is Nigeria. This is only the country’s 3^rd World Cup, but already they’ve arrived on the world stage like few teams before them have ever done. In 2010 they snuck into the knockout rounds, upset the USA in the round of 16 with a goal in the 3rd minute of extra time. Like many of the teams in the tournament. Like many of the teams in the World Cup this time around, they’re not particularly strong at the back, but have strength going forward. Their keepers are negligible. Their defense is led by Samuel Inkoom, and its success will dependent on his efforts as well as those of Jonathan Mensah and John Boye. As has been the case quite often, their midfield is terrific. Led by Michael Essien, players like André Ayew, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Kevin-Prince Boateng (his brother is Germany’s Jérôme Boateng), and Kwadwo Asamoah (one of the most underknown footballers in the world by my reckoning). They will provide an explosive attack. Captain Asamoah Gyan averages over .5 goals/game internationally, Jordan Ayew (younger brother of previously mentioned midfielder André Ayew) averages about .4/game, and Majeed Waris about .2. While that may not sound like a lot, in this age of low-scoring games, averaging over 1 goal with your attackers alone bodes well. The even better news for Ghanaian fans is the team’s average age: 25.

• Player to Watch: Kwadwo Asamoah
3. Portugal—Many people seem to think Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal and that they’ll suffer because he has no support. That is simply not true. Goalkeepers Rui Patrício and Eduardo are both rather good, and they will be aided immensely by their aging yet still effective defense. Pepe is one of the dirtiest players around and my least favorite player on one of my favorite teams, Real Madrid, but he’s an admittedly great defender. Bruno Alves and Fábio Coentrão are also really good and play large roles. In the midfield, João Moutinho will lead an effective, but (once again) aging group featuring Nani, Raul Meireles, Silvestre Varela, and Vieirinha. They don’t have much squad depth is the issue, and that shows up front. Earlier I said I don’t consider Messi the world’s best player. That’s obviously because I think Cristiano Ronaldo is. While Messi scores slightly more often (Ronaldo has 10 more goals with 1 extra season on Messi), the other things Ronaldo adds are invaluable. Messi is almost singlehandedly responsible for resurrecting the False 9 formation. As a CF and at 5’7” or something like that, he goes back almost as a midfield before pouncing. Ronaldo, as a winger and at about 6’ (maybe a little over), can’t and doesn’t do that. He attracts tons of attention, opening up the field for his teammates to make plays. Additionally, he’s good enough to break the pressure and score anyway. Back to the team in general, though. Again, the squad is aging. Ronaldo’s already 29, and Hugo Almeida and Hélder Postiga, the team’s likely strikers, are both in their 30s. I hope the underrated Éder is given a chance as, while not the greatest player, he certainly has talent.

• Player to Watch (other than Cristiano Ronaldo): João Moutinho
4. United States—I feel like essentially quoting The Onion’s breakdown of the US team will work quite well in describing their chances. “Strength: Ability to return to United States after tournament concludes. Weaknesses: …Only four players can speak fluent English. Biggest Advantage: Playing for fans who won’t murder them if they lose. Embarrassing Secret: Have actually been playing this sport for a while now. Playing Style: Losing. FIFA World Ranking: 14. Actual World Ranking: 37.” That about sums up our chances and our team composition. Unlike several previous tournaments, we don’t have an easy group stage ahead of us. This is the 3^rd and final group of death in this World Cup, and while it’s probably the weakest overall, we still don’t stand a chance. We’ve been playing for quite some time. Our best ever finish, 3^rd, came in the inaugural 1930 tournament, and the NASL was a huge deal in the mid-to-late ‘70s, but that only ever translated into importing mega-stars at the end of their careers, not a concerted effort to encourage the country’s best athletes to broaden their horizons and immediately play American football or basketball. Today, though, we’re on the right track, but we’re still far from perfect. Most of our team plays in the MLS (not a good thing) or for largely second-tier European Teams. Many of our players also were born to American citizens overseas. Goalkeepers Tim Howard and Brad Guzan are both exceptions to the MLS/2^nd-tier rule. Howard, Everton’s keeper, and Guzan, Aston Villa’s, are both capable, and Howard may end up being the team’s tournament MVP. Our defense is improving. DaMarcus Beasley is playing in almost certainly his final cup and will soon be giving way to a host of talented players like DeAndre Yedlin, John Brooks, Timothy Chandler, and Fabian Johnson. Unfortunately, all 4 of those players are in the squad. We have no depth, so while this promising talent is fostered, we have no reliable experience on the field to lead. As I’ve already said, we’re not terrible. Michael Bradley leads a solid midfield, including 19-year-old Julian Green, likely to be one of the best American players ever. Coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s shocking exclusion Landon Donovan leaves Chris Wondolowski and Aron Jóhansson with spots. Captain Clint Dempsey, even at 31, is the team’s best player, and Jozy Altidore’s 2 goals against Nigeria last week provides hope that he has finally snapped his incredibly long scoring drought and will be able to provide Dempsey the support he needs.
• Players to Watch: Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley

Group G Overall Thoughts:

As I’ve said, even without Reus, Germany is the best team in the tournament. I really should go for a perfect record, but I’m trying to allow for inconsistency. Portugal, despite being more than just Ronaldo, may or may not struggle with Ghana. Ghana and the US are actually a rather fair match. I expect a draw, especially considering that’s how their round of 16 match 4 years ago actually would have ended.

1. Germany: 2-1-0 (ahead on goal difference)
2. Portugal: 2-1-0
3. Ghana: 0-1-2 (ahead on goal difference)
4. United States: 0-1-2

Group H:

1. Algeria—I said yesterday that Honduras was this World Cup’s worst team. I sort of forgot about Algeria. While Honduras is probably worse, Algeria is certainly a contender. That’s not to say they don’t have any good and/or notable players. Midfielders Sofiane Feghouli (24) and Nabil Bentaleb (19) are good (maybe even great, at least for Feghouli at this point in time) and have lots of potential. That’s about it. They won’t find much success. They failed to score in 2010. I suspect the same may happen this time around too.

• Player to Watch: Sofiane Feghouli
2. Belgium—This is the popular pick for dark horse of the tournament, which I guess makes them not a dark horse anymore, but I have no other name for them, so dark horse it is. They are arguably the tournament’s most exciting team, not only because they play pulse-pounding football, but also because they give a glimpse into the future, a future in which Belgium wins the 2018 World Cup in Russia (remember you read it here first; FYI I’m not nearly the first person to say it). They are extraordinarily strong everywhere and extraordinarily young everywhere. That could anything from an absolute disaster to a top 4 finish in Brazil. 22-year-old Thibaut Courtois is the best young goalkeeper in the game. While the defense, featuring Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen, and Toby Alderweireld, is older, it’s not at all too old to be successful in 4 years and will provide a brick wall for any offense. Axel Witsel will lead a midfield of players mainly in their mid-20s. Many have bad-mouthed big-haired Marouane Fellaini for his poor season at ManU, and while he wasn’t exactly great, he is still a very good player and is not to be underestimated. Steven Defour and Mousa Dembélé are also going to be rather important, and 22-year-old Kevin De Bruyne is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated young midfielders in the game today. Moving to the attacking crew, the team is hurting. One of its best attackers, Christian Benteke, is injured and was forced to withdraw his name from the team. While this is a big blow, the likes of Eden Hazard (23) and Romelu Lukaku (21) will provide virtuoso play-finishing abilities. Kevin Mirallas and Dries Mertens, (both 26) as well as Adnan Januzaj (19), will also be important for the team’s success. Looking forward, midfielders Thorgan Hazard (Eden’s younger brother) and Radja Nainggolan and forwards Michy Batshuayi and Zakaria Bakkali will become important cogs in the side’s already strong attacking third in the future.

• Players to Watch: Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, and Romelu Lukaku
3. Russia—What a boring team. They have some halfway decent players, but it doesn’t really amount to much. Igor Akinfeev is a good keeper, and 34-year-old Sergei Ignashevich is a legend in defense (at least in Russia). Midfielder Alan Dzagoev, just 23, is probably the best player on the team already. Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Aleksandr Kokorin will need to score often if they are to go anywhere notable. That was the one good thing about the Soviet Union: it produced consistently top-notch national teams and some of the best players in history.

• Player to Watch: Alan Dzagoev
4. South Korea—12 years ago, they took 4^th, and while they were most certainly helped by being one of the tournament’s co-hosts, their subsequent repeated qualification for the Cup and their advancement to the round of 16 in 2010 has shown it wasn’t a fluke. They are for real, and they’re an incredibly fast, agile team with a great amount of comeback power. Unlike Japan, their only competition for best Asian national team, they’re not dominated by two great players but by teamwork. They rely on solid defending and lightning-fast counterattacking. If I’m honest, I had to read and watch up on a lot of their squad as I had heard of the coach (Hong Mung-Bo, one of the all-time Asian greats) but never any of the players. That’s a good thing, I think, as it shows their success is about a team. As such, I’m just going to urge you to watch videos of Son Heung-Min. The other players don’t have his skill level, but they have his speed.
• Players to Watch: Son Heung-Min

Group H Overall Thoughts:

This is a deceiving group. It has Belgium, a really intriguing team, and South Korea, a deceptively fast, well-balance bunch. Russia, who might be expect to be better, will disappoint. Algeria is just plain hopeless. In other words, the group’s goes down rather quickly. Algeria drew England in South Africa, so they may draw South Korea or Russia (or maybe even Belgium), but I rather doubt it. I expect Belgium to draw someone because their age could lead to a measure of nerves and/or inconsistency.

1. Belgium: 2-1-0
2. South Korea: 2-1-0
3. Russia: 1-0-2
4. Algeria: 0-0-3

I’ve included a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo for good measure. (Plus how could I not include the handsome bastard.)

World Cup Predictions: Part III of V

On now to Groups E and F and the halfway point of my World Cup coverage:

Group E:

1. Ecuador—How do I put this in a comprehensible manner? In South American football, there are 3 tiers of teams: Tier 1 (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile), Tier 2 (Ecuador, Paraguay, and sort of Peru and Venezuela), and Tier 3 (Bolivia). Ecuador is the probably the best of Tier 2, and they’re certainly getting better every year, but they’re still not at the same level as any of the Tier 1 teams. That’s not to say the team isn’t capable of squeaking by into the knockout rounds. It’s just not likely. They lack a solid goalkeeper as well as a defender who plays against top-level competition. Skipper Antonio Valencia is a very capable midfielder, but his fellow cast is just above average. The team also lacks a truly great forward, unless Felipe Caicedo, who currently plays in the UAE, counts.
• Player to Watch: Antonio Valencia
2. France—With 14 World Cup appearances, a 1998 victory when they hosted and 4 top 4 finishes otherwise, France has been successful in the Cup. Hugo Lloris is one of the best goalkeepers around, and he will be ably defended by the likes of Eliaquim Mangala, Bacary Sagna, Laurent Koscielny, and youngsters Raphaël Varane and Lucas Digne. The inclusion of Patrice Evra, who had a dreadful season with ManU, instead of Gaël Clichy, Adil Rami, or even Kurt Zouma is truly strange. The midfield, though lacking injured superstar Franck Ribéry, rising stars Clément Grenier and Geoffrey Kondogbia, and the ever-punchable Samir Nasri, is still quite strong with Yohan Cabaye, Antoine Griezmann, Blaise Matuidi, and Paul Pogba (probably my favorite young player to watch; his “no club is ever good enough” attitude, though, is another story entirely). Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud should score enough, though I can’t help but feel that Alexandre Lacazette or André-Pierre Gignac would have made a nice attacking addition. Though an easy decision for any manager worth his weight in horse shit, the exclusion of Samir Nasri will work wonders for the squad. Nasri is a little git who sows disunion within a squad and, despite his skill, isn’t really worth it in the end.

• Players to Watch: Paul Pogba and Karim Benzema
3. Honduras—They have no chance whatsoever. This is the country’s 3^rd Cup appearance, and it has a combined record of 0-3-3, not even managing to score in South Africa. I expect them to suffer a similar fate this time around.
• Player to Watch: see corresponding comment for Costa Rica
4. Switzerland—Surprisingly, the Swiss are ranked #6 in the FIFA World Rankings right now. But when you look at their squad, it becomes rather less surprising. Diego Benaglio is a capable keeper, but I hope Yann Sommer gets the majority of the starts. Stephan Lichtsteiner has long been a reliable staple of the country’s defense and will be joined by, among others, youngster Ricardo Rodríguez. I hope Fabian Schär also gets a good amount of playtime as he has a bright future ahead of him. The midfield is Switzerland’s silver bullet, and the young talent available assures that this trend will continue. Captain Gökhan Inler is great and all, but I expect Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka to have breakout tournaments, especially Shaqiri. While their attack isn’t the best, the incredibly young foursome led by 22-year-old Haris Seferović should have enough in the tank to score some goals.

• Player to Watch: Xherdan Shaqiri

Group E Overall Thoughts:

Strangely, this is both a rather interesting and a rather boring group. Honduras is the worst team in the tournament (Algeria are the only other side even close). They will struggle to score even once. The rest of the group is up for grabs, though I think Ecuador stands less of a chance than most do.

1. Switzerland: 2-1-0 (ahead on goal difference)
2. France: 2-1-0
3. Ecuador: 1-0-2
4. Honduras: 0-0-3

Group F:

1. Argentina—Argentina has, since the essentially the beginning, been a one-man show, at least in the World Cup. First there was Luis Monti (1930-34), then a huge gap (1938-74), then Mario Kempes (1974-82) who overlapped some with Daniel Passarella (1978-86), followed by the legend Diego Maradona (1982-94) who had some help from Sergio Batista (1986-90). Now, of course, there is Lionel Messi. Messi is an astonishingly good player. Many people say he’s the best player in the world right now. I’m in the opposing camp, which we shall soon get to. In the past, this Argentinian star system has served them decently well, with 2 wins (1978, 1986) in 15 tourneys. It will not serve them well in this deep tournament. As such, it’s a good thing they’re not simply a one-man team. Though decidedly weak at goalkeeper and not exactly strong in defense. Ezequiel Garay, Pablo Zabaleta, and Martín Demichelis are all capable, but not one of them is absolutely great. Garay is inconsistent, Zabaleta just doesn’t have the talent, and Demichelis is 33. The strength of the team, of course, is going forward. It doesn’t really matter how many goals the back section allows, because the front 6 will be able to score more. Javier Mascherano, a good but horrendously dirty player, with anchor at CDM. Ángel di María will be the catalyst for an explosive offense capable of scoring the most in the tournament. He will be joined by Maxi Rodríguez, Fernando Gago, and Ricky Álvarez. While their middle is certainly great, Argentina easily has the tournament’s best all-around set of attackers. Lionel Messi is a known quantity, at least insofar as he is a speedy, slimy, short playmaker who can score from even the most unpromising of positions. But unlike Argentine teams of past Cups, this one has another 3 forwards with enough firepower to char the defense of pretty much any side in the tournament. In South Africa, Gonzalo Higuaín scored a hat-trick against South Korea. He was 22. Now he’s 26 and is even better now. Similarly, Liverpool star Sergio Agüero is 26 now too and is coming off the best season of his career. Though he’ll probably come off the bench in relief of Messi and Higuaín, I expect him to make an impact somewhere along the way. Lastly, PSG’s Ezequiel Lavezzi is easily the best 4^th forward in the tournament. On a different note, I was frankly rather surprised to see Nicolás Otamendi excluded from defense and Éver Banega (and, to some extent, Érik Lamela) from the middle, Banega especially. He would have solidified that fourth starting position and allowed the team to better utilize some of its other players as impact subs. That being said, it doesn’t hurt the team that much.

• Players to Watch (other than Lionel Messi): Gonzalo Higuaín, Ángel di María, Sergio Agüero, and Ezequiel Lavezzi
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina—This is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first ever World Cup. Virtually every single squad member for the former Yugoslav republic was in some way a victim of the Bosnian Genocide (1992-95). I personally think they’re an up-and-coming team with loads of potential. That being my opinion, I think they are being wildly underestimated by most. Sure, maybe my judgment is a little clouded since I want them to succeed for their country that has undergone so much, but I do honestly believe they will do much better than most people think, both because they’re actually really good and promising and because they are fighting for nearly 10-thousand of their fallen brethren, some of whom were close friends and family. As for the squad, goalkeeper Asmir Begović doesn’t get nearly the recognition he deserves, especially as he’s the main reason Stoke City hasn’t been relegated from the BPL several seasons in a row. Just as with a number of teams in the tournament, B&H are relatively weak in defense. Captain Emir Spahić is a good player, but he’s 33 and has little to work with around him. Veterans like Mensur Mujdža (30) and youngsters like Ermin Bičakčić (24) and Ognjen Vranješ as well as Sead Kolašinac (20) and Muhamed Bešić (21) will have to play well if their good midfield and underrated forwards are to have a chance. Speaking of the midfield, Miralem Pjanić will lead the way in conjuction with Zvjezdan Misimović. The teams two strikers will need to score consistently if B&H are to have a chance. Luckily they will. Edin Džeko is the team’s all-time leading goal-scorer and Vedad Ibišević isn’t too shabby himself (He also doesn’t make for a bad article subject. For more see ESPN the Magazine).
• Players to Watch: Edin Džeko and Miralem Pjanić (also Asmir Begović)
3. Iran—These matches are Iran’s to win. What I mean is: they’re probably going to go winless, unless they tie a match by some strange magic. They qualified because Asia they happened to beat some of the other bad teams in Asia to secure one of the two spots not effectively reserved for South Korea and Japan. They have no chance even though this is a relatively weak group.

• Player to Watch: see corresponding section for Costa Rica
4. Nigeria—Ghana’s only true challengers for the title of the “Class of Africa”, Nigeria is still . They are indeed deserving of the title, but not of the spoiler claims I’ve been hearing and reading. Sure, they have some strong players, but they’re lacking too much in too many other positions. Vincent Enyeama is a competent goalkeeper, but he’s not great. The starting defense will likely be Joseph Yobo, Efe Ambrose, Azubuike Egwuekwe, and Godfrey Odoabona. Have you ever of any of them (other than Yobo if you’re well-versed in the BPL)? Good, me neither. I will admit, though, that they’re anything but weak up front. John Obi Mikel is a relatively underrated player (given he plays for Chelsea) and Victor Moses has the potential to be the best African player of his generation. Ogneyi Onazi, just 21, has the potential to do great things, but probably not yet. Up front, the class is brought by one man and one man alone: Ahmed Musa. The Russian League player is just 21 but already plays like a 24 or a 25 year old. He needs to improve his goal-scoring to the level of his teammate Emmanuel Emenike, though, if Nigeria are to have the numbers on their side at the end of regulation.
1. Players to Watch: Victor Moses and Ahmed Musa 

Group F Overall Thoughts:

Argentina wins the group easily. If B&H are as underrated as I believe I think they progress even if Nigeria isn’t as overrated as I say.

1. Argentina: 3-0-0
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina: 2-0-1
3. Nigeria: 1-0-2
4. Iran: 0-0-3

World Cup Predictions: Part II of V

Today we cover groups C and D.

Group C:

1. Colombia—Radamel Falcao’s injury is a massive blow to the country’s overall chances, but not to its chances within group play. David Ospina in an underrated keeper, and the midfield, peopled by the likes of James Rodríguez, Juan Cuadrado, and Fredy Guarín is one of the tournament’s most undersung. With Falcao out, don’t be surprised if Jackson Martínez has a big showing, perhaps even big enough to make him a coveted target to leave Porto in the upcoming transfer window.
• Player to Watch: James Rodríguez
2. Greece—While rather highly ranked, Greece is a largely lifeless team. I know little-to-nothing about them and desire to know even less.
• Player to Watch: Who plays for them again?
3. Ivory Coast—To discuss Ivoirian football is mainly to discuss 2 players, Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré. Drogba was one of last decade’s best attackers and Yaya is still one of the best central midfielders in the game. But they’re getting old, and this is probably their final cup. The future actually looks somewhat bright for the squad. Serge Aurier and Wilfried Bony are promising, but they, along with Yaya’s older brother Kolo, will have a hard time elevating the team enough. And when Gervinho, fast but otherwise subpar, is a possible starting forward for your team, you may not be as well-off as you thought. They’ve been the class of Africa for a while but have failed to win tournaments when it counts. If Ivory Coast moves on past the group stage, it will be because their older players didn’t want to go out so quickly on what was likely their final chance at international glory.

• Player to Watch: Yaya Touré
4. Japan—Japan is one of the tournament’s hardest teams to predict. Many of its players play in professionally Japan or at lesser European clubs, which I think this will work to its advantage. Many will not have had the opportunity to play against them, so they may surprise. Plus, Keisuke Honda is a great player, and Shinji Kagawa is a terrific player with lots of potential (screw David Moyes for failing to realize what he had). The team will indeed be the tale of two men, but the unpredictability of the rest of the squad will serve them well too.

• Players to Watch: Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa

Group C Overall Thoughts:

Arguably the weakest overall group in the tournament (and most certainly its most boring), Colombia will easily get through. Greece’s lethargic play will cost them playoff qualification. In the end, Japan will overcome the Ivoirian “last time spunkiness” because they are underrespected and because Honda and Kagawa are not to be dealt with lightly.

1. Colombia: 2-1-0
2. Japan: 1-2-0
3. Ivory Coast: 0-2-1
4. Greece: 0-1-2

Group D:

1. Costa Rica—In this, the 2014 tournament’s second group of death alphabetically speaking (Group B being the first), Costa Rica is the weakest link. About half the squad plays domestically, never a great sign unless representing England, Spain, Italy, Germany, or France or a select few clubs in other European nations and Brazil. Most of the rest play for teams in the US or Scandinavia or for largely second-rate squads elsewhere in Europe. They have international experience, but on the bigger stages, they don’t have experience winning. They qualified 2^nd for the 4 CONCACAF WC spots (only because Mexico played so badly), which is just not good enough to expect further progress (while CONCACAF is probably the 3^rd strongest federation, CR is up against 3 members of the 2 stronger ones). They probably won’t win a game, though a tie against a potentially misfiring England (if the 3 Lions fails to find their form by then) is entirely possible

• Player to Watch: I can’t provide one if I’ve never heard of any of the players.
2. England—The progenitors of the sport’s popularity (its northern neighbors being the sport’s actual creators), the Three Lions haven’t won the Cup since they first were victorious while hosting in 1966. That squad featured players like Bobby Charlton, Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, and Geoff Hurst. No such world-dominating talent currently graces the squad. Sure, they have some really fantastic players, but against the likes of Uruguay’s strikers and Italy’s defense and midfield, they will have a rough go of it. Their youthful team looked incredibly promising in some later qualifying, but they’ve been suffering a somewhat poor run of form over the last friendlies (specifically tying this Cup’s worst team). That being said, if they find their form, they’re capable of excellent, expansive, explosive football. Joe Hart is a great, if somewhat overrated goalkeeper. Roy Hodgson, I think, muffed it up when choosing his backs, though. While Leighton Baines is great, he can’t hold down the fort all on his own. Sure, Glen Johnson, Phil Jagielka, Chris Smalling, and Phil Jones are all capable defenders, and Southampton 18-year-old Luke Shaw will probably become the greatest defender of his generation, but Ashley Cole’s absence leaves a relative lack of experience on the important international scale, and Kyle Walker and Kieran Gibbs could have made interesting inclusions in place of lesser known youngsters John Stones and Jon Flanagan. When looking at the midfield, though, it’s easy to say the England has a bright future ahead of it. Though he excluded the aging Michael Carrick, the promising Andros Townsend, and the unreliable Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young from the squad, Hodgson’s assemblage is impressive in both its strength and diversity of age. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are two of England’s best midfielders ever. They provide more than enough experience to lead a remaining corps of 7 with an average age of 22½. The underrated Adam Lallana and the somewhat overrated James Milner are the outliers in their mid-to-late 20s, but almost all of the rest, Jack Wilshere, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley, and Alex O-C, are not only incredibly promising, but are also already incredibly capable. Wayne Rooney has long been the face of English football and with good reason. He is talented and has a knack for finding the back of the net (his 55-yarder in ManU’s 2^nd West Ham fixture was one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen). Rooney’s goalscoring will be crucial if the Lions are to have a chance in hell of making it into the knockout rounds. Daniel Sturridge too will need to bring the same stuff to the pitch that he did in his explosive partnership with Luis Suárez this season that nearly won Liverpool the BPL. Danny Welbeck is rather promising and has a terrific frame for the game, but he is often inconsistent and will need to better utilize his height and strength is he is to contribute effectively. 32-year-old Rickie Lambert’s inclusion seems strange considering the mostly younger composition of Hodgson’s 23 and is made even more so by the likes of Andy Carroll and Wilfried Zaha (or even the inconsistent Theo Walcott) being left out. The England I just described sounds like a real force to be reckoned with, but it really isn’t. Despite the strength of many of its individual players, the team is remarkably inconsistent. If it can find some consistency it could be a spoiler (though not an eventual champion). Unfortunately I don’t think they will.

• Players to Watch: Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge
3. Italy—Italy has a long and storied tradition in the World Cup, having participated in 18 tournaments, winning 4 (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) and finishing top 4 an additional 4 times. But they’re long-time stars are aging quickly, and their replacements have not really had the playing time they need to hold their own. But that doesn’t matter right now because the oldies but goodies are still in action. Gianluigi Buffon is one of the best keepers in history and this will be his 5^th WC. Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, and Leonardo Bonucci will lead a staunch defense and will be joined probably by either Ignazio Abate or talented youngster Mattia De Sciglio. The midfield, led by Andrea Pirlo (soon to retire both internationally and professionally), Claudio Marchisio, and Daniele De Rossi will be brilliant. The forwards are somewhat inexperienced, this being the first major international tournament for underrated Alessio Cerci and the young Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne, but Mario Balotelli is already so amazing that he will be able to lift them a few times when the team may need it. Considering how inexperienced the attacking portion is, the exclusion of young and talented Stephan El Shaarawy from the squad comes as a bit of a surprise, but perhaps head coach Cesare Prandelli’s scheme does not call for wingers. The Italians are a brilliant team who are capable of huge success this time around, but I think their first XI’s age and resultant relatively poorer fitness will eventually spell their downfall.

• Player to Watch: Andrea Pirlo (because he makes the game beautiful) and Mario Balotelli
4. Uruguay—I feel like most people have heard of Uruguay before, especially since the rather conservative country (at least compared to its South American neighbors) legalized marijuana last year. With just 3.5 million people, the country has won 2 WCs, the first in 1930 at the tournament’s inaugural, the second in 1950 when they upset host Brazil in the most highly attended game in football history. Despite its miniscule population, the country looks to play a major role in the upcoming tournament, just as it has in the past, placing 4^th or higher in 5 of the 12 WCs in which it has participated. The team is really strong and will only become stronger given the semi-home-field advantage they’ll receive. Fernando Muslera is one of the world’s best goalkeepers, though he’s not as well-known as, say, Joe Hart, Iker Casillas, or Manuel Neuer because he plays in Turkey (granted, he plays for the Süper Lig’s most famous club, Galatasaray). His supporting cast at the Istanbul club is not nearly as strong as the same for the national team, so he should have no trouble preventing a slaughter similar to that unleashed upon Galatasaray by Real Madrid in the Champions’ Cup. With Diego Lugano, Diego Godín, Jorge Fucile, Maxi Pereira, and Martín Cáceres at his defensive disposal, head coach Óscar Tabárez has a wealth of great options, not to mention José María Giménez, an extremely promising Atlético Madrid prospect (whom I recently signed in a FIFA 14 career mode). Liverpool’s Sebastián Coates is also nothing to scoff at. The midfield is Uruguay’s weakest part of the pitch, but Cristian Rodríguez and up-and-coming Nicolás Lodeiro should be able to hold down the fort well enough with the help of Walter Gargano. The class of the outfit, though, it its attacking corps. Edinson Cavani is one of the world’s absolute best strikers, and Diego Forlán was a co-Golden Boot winner in South Africa. Abel Hernández is a rising star, and if they make it far enough into the tournament, a Luis Suárez returning from injury could make an enormous impact.
• Players to Watch: Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlán

Group D Overall Thoughts:

This is most certainly a group of death, but I don’t think it’s the strongest group, Group B is even stronger. Costa Rica is the Australia-equivalent here. The jockeying for position by the other three teams in the group should make for probably the most interesting group of the tournament. I think Uruguay’s firepower, Italy’s experience and Andrea Pirlo, and England’s inconsistency will decide the group.

1. Uruguay: 2-1-0 (ahead on goal difference)
2. Italy: 1-2-0
3. England: 1-1-1
4. Costa Rica: 0-0-3

World Cup Predictions: Part I of V

This is a new blog as you can obviously see. In the past, I’ve posted things unrelated to screen media on my movie review blog, but now is just as good a time as any, I think, to create a place where I can talk about anything I want. It could be politics, sports, art, travel, or anything else that strikes my fancy enough to write about it.

For this first post, I will be talking about the upcoming World Cup. I have only recently become a follower of “the beautiful game.” But my interest and love of the game has grown rapidly. As an American, basketball has made me “scoring-crazed,” as a recent article in WSJ put it. Sure, baseball is an often low-scoring sport, but they do score. Rarely does a game go a full 9 innings without a run crossing the plate; when that does happen, though, they don’t just give up. But this alone does not fully explain why Americans find football, or soccer, to be boring, a camp I was a part of until very recently. We fail to appreciate the physicality of the game as well as the skill involved in it. I have recently stopped finding the lack of scoring completely boring and have discovered how interesting these aspects make the game at the very least watchable and sometimes awesome.

All that has led me to my World Cup predictions. I will predict everything, from the group stage through the finals. I will go into a lot of detail and will talk about the teams as a whole in the group stage. I wrote everything above before I ever got started doing the rest, and it ended up being super-long, so I’m going to finish all of my predictions from groups through the final before Brazil and Croatia kick off on Thursday, but all of the knockout round write-ups will be posted after some of the group stage has already been played.

Group A:

1. Brazil—Group A is arguably the weakest group (I’d probably say second-weakest), and Brazil is certainly one of this tournament’s best teams, so I think the hosts will either go 3-0-0 or 2-1-0 This is the first time Brazil has hosted since Uruguay upset them in the 1950 final. They’ve won 5 times, most recently in 2002 and before that in 1958, 1962, 1970, and 1994, and have finished in the top 4 an additional 5 times. The country itself may be better known for its football prowess than for anything else, even the Amazon rainforest. They’ve churned out almost certainly the best and most well-known player in history, Pelé, as well as the best player in the last two decades, Ronaldo. The country’s history is littered with otherwise lesser known stars like Jairzinho, Rivaldo, Cafu, Carlos Alberto, Roberto Carlos, and Garrincha. But enough about their past. What about their current team? Brazil has never been particularly stellar in goal, and neither Jefferson nor Júlio César is going to buck that trend, but with Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, and Marcelo are your defenders, with Dante and Maxwell in reserve, you don’t really need a stellar goalkeeper. Its midfield, led by Oscar, arguably the best young CAM in the world (other contenders to follow), will be an excellent creative force to supply the teams strikers, namely Neymar and Hulk (Fred and Jô aren’t too shabby either). I do think head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, or Big Phil, missed out by not including either Lucas Moura or Lucas Leiva in the midfield and either Alexandre Pato or Robinho in attack. They are an interesting case: young and streaky in the front and old and reliable in the back. Whether this mix will spell ultimate success remains to be seen.

• Players to Watch: Neymar and Oscar
2. Cameroon—Long gone are the days of 1990 when Cameroon experienced World Cup success. That competition it had Africa’s greatest ever goalkeeper, Thomas N’Kono, and one of the most effective 38-year-olds in history, Roger Milla. Even then, the quarterfinals were as far as the team got. Since then, it’s had a combined WC record of  1-4-9 and that’s unlikely to improve much this time around. Samuel Eto’o is one of history’s great players, but at 33, he’s not nearly the force he once was. Barca’s Alex Song has also arrived as one of the sport’s top back-half midfielders, but a defensive midfielder, while important to any successful team, is hardly the most important thing for achieving the smallest of successes.

• Player to Watch: Alex Song (I guess?)
3. Croatia—Croatia has participated in 4 of the 5 World Cups for which it has been eligible, Brazil being the 5^th. It’s a surprisingly strong team led largely either by players who are either firmly established at teams in less well-known leagues or who play second fiddle to a more notable counterpart at a larger, more famous club. The strength of Darijo Srna (Ukraine), Vedran Ćorluka (Russia), and Danijel Pranjić (Greece) will go a long way toward establishing the creation of scoring opportunities by the country’s talented, more famous midfielders, such as Luka Modrić and Ivans Rakitić and Perišić. While the first two are capable scorers, their creative abilities will be far more important if Ivica Olić, Eduardo da Silva, and criminally underrated Mario Mandžukić are to lead successful attacks.


• Player to Watch: Ivan Rakitić (His strong showing with Sevilla in La Liga this season, both in terms of goals and assists, makes me thing he could have a few big games)
4. Mexico—Having played incredibly poorly for several months stretching from qualifying when a US equalizer against Panama helped them qualify, to a series of poor friendly performances over the last few weeks, Mexico looks to be on the outs. They have no top-notch goalkeeper, and Andrés Guardado will be hard-pressed to make up for the old age and/or inexperience of his counterparts. While “Chicharito” (Javier Hernández) and Giovani dos Santos are both capable goal scorers (Hernández’s work this season at ManU paralleled the team’s quite a bit though), the lack of playmaking midfielders will ultimately sink them.
• Player to Watch: Chicharito

Group A Overall Thoughts:

So Brazil will win the group rather easily. That much is certain. The rest of the group is rather interesting. I initially picked Croatia with some trepidation, but the more I think about it, the more I like their chances. I think the records will be:

1. Brazil: 3-0-0
2. Croatia: 1-1-1 (ahead on goal difference)
3. Mexico: 1-1-1
4. Cameroon: 0-0-3

Group B:

1. Australia—I literally know nothing about Australian soccer. They were blessed into one of the tournament’s three groups of death, and they will come out slaughtered.


• Player to Watch—Tim Cahill and Mile Jedinak (because they’re the only ones I’ve ever heard of)
2. Chile—Chile is a rising star and a force to be reckoned with…in the future. There, I said it. Everybody keeps talking about how Chile is going to take the world by storm this summer, and I just don’t see it. Sure, Claudio Bravo is an above-average goalkeeper and Mauricio Isla is a decent defender. But they will prove no match for van Persie, Robben, and Co. and, like most of the world, tiki-taka will be their undoing. Beyond that Arturo Vidal (arguably the best CM in the world) and Alexis Sánchez will not provide enough firepower to overcome their opponents. Maybe in 4 years’ time, but not this time. 

• Player to Watch: Arturo Vidal
3. Netherlands—They’re old. That alone lessens their chances. They have less than no chance of equaling their 2^nd place finish 4 years ago, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a good, even a great, team. Unfortunately it’s probably not the best team helmsman Louis van Gaal could have fielded, perhaps a sign he has already moved onto thoughts of an impending necessarily busy transfer window in his newly benighted position as ManU head coach. His goalkeeping choices are all understandable. Tim Krul is an underrated keeper, and Michel Vorm and Jasper Cillessen are both competent enough, but some experience, namely Maarten Stekelenburg, would have been game-changing, even if he stayed on the bench the entire tournament. Ron Vlaar is just not enough to hold down the defense, and leaving out Gregory van der Wiel just seems counterproductive. Van Gaal did a much better job with his forward-thinking players, though the choices available to him made choosing a poor team rather a challenge. Arjen Robben, even at 30, is a terrific player, and while injured Kevin Strootman would have been a great addition, Nigel de Jong and Wesley Sneijder should prove more than capable. With Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie, the country’s top international scorer of all time, the team should have enough goals (unless injury-prone van Persie gets, well, injured).



• Players to Watch: Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben
4. Spain—The reigning champions have been #1 for about 2 and a half years now, and while their core is aging, the constant influx of new talent means the team is never old. Their roster is almost a who’s who of major world football. In my opinion, probably Carlo Ancelotti’s biggest mistake at Real Madrid this season was relegating Iker Casillas to cup keeper and replacing him with Diego López in league play. Head coach Vicente del Bosque has not made the same mistake. It’s also nice to see David de Gea finally getting on the team sheet, even if he’s unlikely to feature in any matches. The starting back 4 of Gerard Piqué (arguably the world’s best centre back), Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, and probably Raúl Albiol is incredibly strong, and César Azpilicueta could finally make a name for himself. Andrés Iniesta is one of his generations best players and Xavi Hernández is considered one of history’s greatest creative midfielders for a reason. That Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fàbregas, Javi Martínez, Juan Mata, David Silva, and Santi Cazorla are not the undoubted stars of their country’s midfield shows how incredible Iniesta and Xavi are. Pedro, Fernando Torres, and David Villa will all be integral in the front if the squad is to get the single goal per game they will need to win most matches. Their pinball passing, keep-away style is known as “tiki-taka” and won them the Cup 4 years ago despite scoring just 8 goals in 9 games, getting them a final record of 6-0-1 with just 2 goals against. They beat some of the best sides in the world 1-0 in every playoff game. I also hope Diego Costa, arguably the most important catalyst in Atlético Madrid’s rise to La Liga preeminence this season, gets an opportunity to show why he is so good. As good as the team is, I don’t think del Bosque picked the absolute best team possible, however. A better defense is virtually impossible, and his two best alternatives in the midfield, Isco and Javi García, are defensive and attacking, respectively, and pale in comparison to their selected counterparts (Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso; Juan Mata and David Silva). But excluding Álvaro Negredo is, I think, a poor choice. Negredo plays second/third fiddle to Sergio Agüero and Stevan Jovetić at Man City, but he is a capable striker and del Bosque should have found room for him. Arguments could be made for others like Roberto Soldado, but Soldado had a terrible season at Spurs, so including him would be folly. Once again, though, the tiki-taka style means they don’t need many goals to win, so Negredo that extra attacker really isn’t necessary at all.
• Player to Watch: Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, and Gerard Piqué (and maybe Diego Costa if he gets the playtime)

Group B Overall Thoughts:

This group has two certainties: Spain gets through, Australia doesn’t. The second spot is up for grabs. My descriptions of Netherlands and Chile probably were too generous and vindictive, respectively. That being said, I do think Netherlands have a better chance of moving on, but their age is definitely a problem, and they’ll only be successful if they can maintain their fitness and score early.

1. Spain: 2-1-0
2. Netherlands: 1-2-0
3. Chile: 1-1-1
4. Australia: 0-0-3