You have invested the last month with us, though the expert interviews to the two weeks of group breakdowns, and now – the day before the 2010 World Cup starts – Laurence McKenna, Kartik Krishnaiyer and myself make out final predictions: the Round of 16 to the July 11 final. Join us in this final preparatory step for South Africa 2010 as we tell you who we think will be the next world champions.
On behalf of Kartik, Laurence and the Gaffer, thank you for joining us for the last month as we’ve prepared ourselves for the quadrennial celebration of the game we love. Starting with Friday’s matches, we will be bringing you daily, post-match podcasts in the style of our EPL Talk Weekend Review shows: looking at the day’s action and previewing the next day’s fixtures.
Enjoy your football, and love your soccer!
England, Argentina, Brazil, Spain in the finals with Spain beating Brail in the final? Yeah, Laurence is the only sane one.
Kartik and Richard, Mexico would only get to the semi’s if they could play R16 and the quarters at Azteca. Its not their play or even the elevation, its the noise, the smog and the urine bombs that make them a great team at home. They’ve only made the quarterfinals twice. In 1970 and 1986. Now where were those tournaments held? Their only international success outside of CONCACAF is winning the 1999 Confed Cup in…….Mexico.
England will get to the semis, not b/c they are in the top 4, but because they have a favorable draw compared to teams that are better than them, particularly NED and GER. I’m afraid they’ll be able to out run Serbia for 90′ and out muscle Mexico. France probably offer them the toughest of the likely matchups if they get their stuff together. How sad would it be for France to make the semis? I’d love to see England go out to Serbia in R16.
For the final, if it were a matchup of only the first 11 players then I’d like Brazil to beat Spain, but there will be injuries, suspensions and substitutions and that’s where Spain wins out. Spain is more tactically flexible. If possession football doesn’t work, they can play route one with Llorente and/or Torres as the target if needed. With Pique and Alonso’s passing from deep they can also play on the counter. Conversely Dunga’s Brazil only play on the counter. They do it well, but if Spain can stop them there’s not plan B. Face it, Jesus might be a great footballer, but he probably won’t start for this Spanish team; he might not even make the bench.
Laurence had the best prediction. US to beat Germany to get a quarterfinal date with Argentina. From your lips to god’s ears. Can He get the podcast in Perth?
Mark,
I actually expect England to make the semi-finals because of their “easier” draw but they must and I repeat they must win their group and avoid the big guns (obviously if the big teams finish first then England is already in the semi-final).
I believe Capello knows this and is using it as motivation to tell the players: beat USA, beat Slovenia & beat Algeria, and we can go to far lads! I think Capello on the bench + Rooney on the pitch will be good enough to see England lose to Brazil in the semi-final.
I can see a Brazil vs Spain final but if Spain are bruised after a QF vs Italy then I can see Argentina sneaking to the final after beating Spain in the semis.
Maradona cannot be even called a coach because he’s clueless but they have enough talent and Messi will be out to prove it along with Higuain, Tevez, Aguero, D. Milito, Mascherano, Di Maria and others. Just look how they can use multiple attacking lineup.
Finall, is Brazil vs Spain (or again vs Argentina). If it’s Spain or Argentina, it will not matter because Brazil will win using it’s strong defensive line of Maicon, Juan, Lucio infront of Julio Cesar.
I believe Italy might get to QFs or semis even if they can finish their group in first place. France might be eliminated at the group stage because South Africa are hosts and might get some officiating calls while Mexicans have talent. It will be a tight group and Uruguay can certainly snatch draws and points from the opponents.
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Mexico,lose big time with South Africa.(4-0)
Mexico never went to the 16 finals in any world cup.
Mexico, it’s in the world cup because the countries in the area of elimination.(Panama, Guatemala,Canada…..please) if Mexico eliminations were in South America,Mexico never ever have the chance to play on any World cup.
I do not know if Krishnaiyer or Farley is worse. For all their play fighting both had the same ridiculous semifinals. Laurence is the only one I want to listen to on the show.
I wouldn’t write off Maradona too quickly. Argentina were struggling before he took over and he managed to get them qualified. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. He may have finally figured out what he’s going to do, based on the 0-1 in Germany and the thrashing of Canada. He’s going to have to get the best out of Messi, that’s why Jonas will play as a right wingback, making overlapping runs, similar to what Alves does in Barcelona. Higuain/Milito and Tevez/Aguero will occupy the opposing centerbacks, giving Messi room to run from wide into the spaces they create. If you keep Messi central its too easy for a defensive mid to sit on him for the entire game.
The other thing he has done is solidify the defense. I don’t like Heinze but as a purely defensive left back he’ll be OK alongside Samuel and Demichaelis, plus Mascherano as the defensive screen. Their weakness will be the lack of pace and an over reliance of Veron. I would have taken Banega ahead of Pastore as Veron’s understudy. Not sure it will work, but its perilous to write off this Argentine time.
Winner – Without doubt The Netherlands. Strength in depth in all positions on the field from the keeper to the front line. Injury prone however it if the key players can maintain fitness they’ve a good chance.
Dark Horses – probably South Africa. Home nations do tend to be buoyed significantly by their native crowd. Look at South Korea in 2002. That said they won’t win it! No dark horses will win it, the time is not right that the European/South American dominance to be broken.
England Predictions – being Welsh I don’t care. I have no desires for England to lose especially, but if they can’t get past the EASY (England, Algeria, Slovenia, Yanks) group then something is seriously wrong. Quarter-finals at best.
Player of the Tournament – Robin van Persie. this guy will have a tournament similar to Dennis Bergkamp in France ‘98. Remember that goal against Argentina? The Arsenal legend will no doubt conjure up something akin to this.
Golden Boot – there is no significant trend in the Golden Boot winner over the past few World Cups however, on aggregate, more Brazilians appear to have won it than not. On that basis I am going for Luís Fabiano.
Emerging Player – somebody’s African. Everybody will be looking to Africa. This guy seems to have a good strike rate, Katlego Mphela. Mind you, that’s properly against the likes of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic and other bastions of world football!