What is on paper a strong team could end up being a weak one when tested by a tricky opponent. How the players gel and work together, how effective the coach is in bringing the best out of players, the strength of the defensive line
and often the rise of a relative unknown to help carry the team can all influence who ends up winning. Other factors which must be considered include the lack of key injuries and having some luck in order for a team to advance far in this highly anticipated tournament.
Luck does not necessarily imply winning the whole tournament due to fortunate circumstances but as often the case some tough teams get eliminated on a particular nation’s side of the draw which can pave the way for that specific country to advance further in the tournament. Other lucky incidents can come in the shape of referee calls such as penalties given, a red-card missed or overlooked, the woodwork coming to the rescue on more than one occasion or even scoring against the run of play.
In 2006 Italy was not expected to win but with a strong defensive unit, a great goalkeeper, a clever coach, some luck and the team working together as one cohesive unit the Azzurri were able to triumph in Berlin. If the World Cup started today, then Brazil would be one of the main picks because of the talented players who can change the course of a match in a single move or a split-second. The Brazilians have talent all over the pitch.
Other contenders would include Argentina largely due to the presence of one of the most gifted players of his generation who happens to be Lionel Messi. He is simply a genius and while he does not perform as well with the national team, Messi can still turnaround matches with one creative move. The main reason the Argentines have not been performing up to their potential is a result of having Diego Maradona as the national team coach. Maradona was a great player but he is simply out of depth in terms of managing a talented country and his inexperience shows whenever his players step on the pitch. He is an incapable coach who must rely on Messi to change games by himself if Argentina has any chance of advancing through the tournament. Maradona ought to surround Messi with the right players because it is a shame to see such a talent go to waste on the international stage.
It could be argued Messi is even a better player at this stage of his career than Maradona was. Again the stress is on comparing the two talented players at the same age and period of their career. At 22-years-old Messi has accomplished more than Maradona and if he can lead Argentina to a World Cup triumph then few can doubt Messi has the better record as a player and whether he is the more talented of the two legends.
Another dangerous team would be England because of Manager Fabio Capello and what he brings to the table. Capello is a great and highly skilled Manager when it comes to motivating players, creating harmony, suppressing egos, building team spirit and exploiting weaknesses in other teams. The main issue at this point is the injury crisis which has affected the national team in recent weeks. Ashley Cole and David Beckham will miss out unless left-back Cole makes a late comeback while others such as Rio Ferdinand have spent most of the season injured or recovering from an injury.
One other factor which could cause distraction is the behaviour of certain players with John Terry on top of the list of players being carefully followed due to his much-publicised affair. The media is now trying to keep an eye on his actions and any simple mistake made by Terry will be aggressively covered by the British Press. To their advantage the English have Wayne Rooney to rely on and at this stage of the season the striker can do no wrong as he continues to score at a torrid pace.
The Spanairds cannot be underestimated because by winning Euro 2008 they showed they deserve to be respected. The Spaniards have Fernando Torres and David Villa as well as Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas and David Silva. Those are all talented and experienced players. In addition, who can forget the midfield duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta who often pull the strings for the might Barcelona? Barca does depend on Messi but he is surrounded by great players and some of them hail from Spain as evidened by a few of the names mentioned above.
The Azzurri have the smallest chance from amongst the favourites because of the struggles faced by Juventus this season, the aging of the team and the fact three key players are no longer as effective: Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo. Gattuso is actually spending considerable time on the Milan bench while Cannavaro has been one of the weak links in Juve’s defensive line this season. Only Giorgio Chiellini is to be given credit in the Juve and Azzurri back-line.
Anything can happen though and World Champions usually do not give up easily. The onus will be on having a healthy Gianluigi Buffon who is as good as anyone in goal when healthy enough but once again Cannavaro is too old and slow to compete over a month even if Marcello Lippi says it is only four weeks and not a season. This is a shocking excuse from a coach of Lippi’s stature who is now resorting to various forms of alibis to justify his choices. This shows the extent of the pressure on his shoulders and this could easily backfire as Lippi was one of the main architects of the Azzurri triumph in Germany 2006.
Finally, France cannot and will not win when one considers the national team is coached by someone like Raymond Domenech who is still clinging to the job despite his obvious ineptitude. As for the Germans, they are rarely the type of team which is flashy but they tend to play solid football during the World Cup as shown in the 2002 and 2006 editions. Their strength is in the group and the effort, hard-work and commitment displayed by the players who often rely on their physical prowess and methodical approach to win matches. Perhaps waiting till end of May will give a better idea as to the teams which can be considered as the clear favourites but at this stage it would be a surprise if any other team can be regarded as a serious contender.
Look at Italy getting NO Love from any of us on a repeat. LOL!
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There is no doubt that Messi is selling the most world cup 2010 Jerseys of any other soccer player.
Brazil, Spain and Argentina are clearly the 3 most talented teams in the tournament but talent alone does not win the World Cup as seen in a number of previous tournaments.
In 1982 Brazil had one of the best teams and the squad was actually considered one of the most talented yet they failed to even reach the final.
Everyone going for Spain? What about Brazil & Argentina? Spain might have a very talented team but Argentina will rely on Messi and a strong attacking lineup while Brazil have Kaka, Robinho, Maicon, Lucio and others.
Brazil to beat Spain for WC title!
Hello FootBallFan,
Yes the majority seem to be convinced Spain can win it and after the players went all the way in Euro 2008 the Spaniards might be ready to win the World Cup. They have an abundance of talent in the shape of Messi (one of the best midfielders in the world), Villa and Torres in attack and if Iniesta is healthy he can help a lot. The Spanish team also has Silva, Alonso and Fabregas.
I think Brazil is solid in all positions and normally their weakest spot is on the defensive end yet they have one of the best goalkeepers in Julio Cesar and two solid defensive players in Lucio and Maicon. All three player for Inter and helped the club win the Champions League this year.
The main concern for Brazil is whether Kaka will be 100%. I wouldn’t be surprised if Brazil beat Spain in the WC Final or if Messi can turn the magic on along with his teammates it might be a Brazil vs Argentina Final for the first time.
You can vote here too for the World Cup winner and feel free to reach me at Twitter for further comments: @RamiSoufi
http://www.worldcupbuzz.com/which-team-will-win-the-2010-world-cup/#comment-8370
Thanks for your comments.
spain is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How about Holland?
It’s still too early to judge but Holland have a good problem. The main concern is historically the Dutch often end up not winning so there is no winning mentality in the national team at the World Cup stage.
I also believe Brazil will meet Holland before the semis so it will be very tough for the Dutch.
England, what a load of wankers!! give up and go home you pathetic bunch of overpaid, over rated tossers YOU ARE CRAP!!!! An absolute disgrace.
After the shocking and exiting way that England left South Africa,Germany with talents like Miroslav Klose,strikers like Lukas Podolski,Muller are a team to be considered for the cup..
Hi Mrisho,
Germans are a threat in every big tournament they play and this has to do with their big-match mentality. They might have a younger team this time but they still have experience with Lahm and Klose.
I think the match against Argentina will show where the Germans really stand. No disrespect to England, but the Three Lions are steps below Argentina in terms of talent and quality of the players overall.
While Argentina can rely on Higuain, Tevez and Messi as well as having D. Milito on the bench (he scored in all 3 of Inter’s biggest matches in Champions League final, Coppa Italia final, and last Serie A game of the season) which shows the depth of the team. As for England, their one star Rooney failed to deliver and lacked many of the characteristics which made him a threat during the EPL season: he showed no fight, no passion, no determination and was often peripheral to the game. Even if England did not get him the ball in the proper position enough times, he still did not try hard enough.
Let’s see how Argentina-Germany ends and then we can pass proper judgment on the Germans. I think both teams have weak defensive lines so it will go down to the midfield and attack but Argentina’s attack is stronger.
I voted Brazil
Look here and see why:
http://amizman.com/worldcup/news/read?id=9
I read it, and I saw why. But this guy here is very hilarious. If you’re looking for soccer comedy, you can take a look
http://amizman.com/worldcup/news/read?id=7
The netherlands wil win this world cup. Mark my words!!!!