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.)