It’s probably the most coveted prize in football but only one team can win it. Here
is my team-by-team guide, followed by my predicted 2nd phase results.
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Javier Aguirre is a respected name throughout football, but I can’t see him enhancing it this time
around. Mexico are livewires at World Cups and always produce fantastic moments.
In fact, the innovator of the ‘Blanco Bounce’ is here, 37-year-old Cuauhtémoc Blanco, and if you’ve seen him, you’ll see he is certainly carrying the weight of expectation.
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Corny jokes aside, I worry about this Mexico outfit, in a few years the likes of
Carlos Vela, Andrés Guardado and Javier Hernández may be world-class footballers, but I feel this World Cup is too soon and
the players they do have won’t get them very far.
Key Man: Steven Pienaar
Potential Star: Anele Ngcongca
Last Time: Group Stage (2002)
Chriso says: Group Stage (3rd)
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Uruguay were of course, the first ever winners of the World Cup, though a lot of
footballing water has passed under the bridge since 1930 (though they did win
in it 1950 too). History aside, there is a lot of talent in this Uruguay team
and I can see them having a
good outing this time around.
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Captain Diego Lugano is a fine footballer and alongside the prolific Edinson
Cavani, holding midfielder Walter Gargano, with Luis Alberto Suárez and the experienced Diego Forlán, I think they will qualify from this group. They should then defeat Nigeria,
but will come a cropper in the Quarters. Should they not win the group as I
predict, they may find themselves up against Argentina which would be
guaranteed elimination.
Key Men: Rafael Márquez, Carlos Vela
Potential Stars: Andrés Guardado, Javier Hernández
Last Time: 2nd Round (2006)
Chriso says: Group Stage (4th)
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Raymond Domenech is lucky to still be in charge of the national team after an
atrocious Euro 2008, though the
amateur astronomer should have slightly better luck this time around. The team
is remarkably strong and on paper should walk the group. Les Bleus, being the
team they are, tells you this won’t be quite the case.
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Still even with Domenech at the helm, they will get past this group phase.
Should they then meet Argentina, they will go out. If they can avoid Argentina,
they may get as far as the Final, but this will depend on the Argentines
starting off badly.
Key Men: Edinson Cavani, Diego Forlán Potential Star: Nicolás Lodeiro
Last Time: Group Stage (2002)
Chriso says: 1st (GS), Quarter Finals
Key Men: Florent Malouda, Franck Ribéry Potential Stars: Yoann Gourcuff, Hugo Lloris
Last Time: Finalists (2006)
Chriso says: 2nd (GS), 2nd Round
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Any man that uses over 70 players in qualifying will raise eyebrows, though
Diego Maradona has been doing that for years. Many believe that it is he who
will be the nation’s downfall and whilst that might be true, the players he has taken to South
Africa would get in many teams’ starting XI.
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I think they will win their group mainly as, apart from Lars Lagerbäck’s impressive Nigeria team, I can’t see many teams giving them a run for their money. If they can win the group,
this might actually stand them in worst stead as they will undoubtedly meet
Germany in the Quarters, where I think they will go out.
Should they come second, they could expect the likes of Uruguay or France
(either, they will beat) and will then be facing England or Australia/Serbia,
which will see them into the Semis against probably Brazil, This would be a
tough game, but they can win it and the Final will be in their own hands. So
basically, they need to come second in their group to have a chance of lifting
the trophy and Maradona joining the elite group of winning players and
managers.
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Lars Lagerbäck is a man with immense international
pedigree, leading Sweden to consecutive tournaments and giving good showings in
them. This time he takes the reins of an ageing Nigeria side who are also
without John Obi Mikel for the finals.
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This won’t impact them as much as many may think, though looking at the squad, I think it
would take an absolute miracle for them to get any further than the 2nd round,
though I can imagine their fans would be fairly satisfied with that.
Key Men: Obafemi Martins, Joseph Yobo
Potential Stars: Vincent Enyeama, Ayila Yussuf
Last Time: Group Stage (2002)
Chriso says: 2nd (GS), 2nd Round
Key Men: Lionel Messi, Carlos Tévez
Potential Stars: Ángel di María, Sergio Agüero
Last Time: Quarter Finals (2006)
Chriso says: 1st (GS), Quarter Finals
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Who can forget 2002 and the year that Korea shocked the
world by advancing to the Semi-Finals, leaving Italy, Spain and some contentious
refereeing decisions in their wake? This time around, they won’t be so lucky.
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The only half of Korea that will be shocking the world this time around is the
Communist section and I can see the Republic missing out to the Nigerians,
though it might be a close call and who can slay the Argentine beast.
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Otto Rehhagel has a job on his hands to even come close to
emulating the great Greek side of 2004 and believe it or not – the guy that scored the winning goal, Angelos Charisteas is still in the squad.
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Greece 2010, I predict will struggle, though they do have a few players coming
through so maybe things will be different in 2014, but that might have to be
the target as I don’t see anything coming from this campaign.
Key Men: Park Ji-Sung, Lee Chung-Yong Potential Stars: Lee Seung Ryul, Kim Bo-Kyung
Last Time: Group Stage (2006)
Chriso says: Group Stage (3rd)
Key Men: Angelos Charisteas, Sotirios Kyrgiakos
Potential Stars: Sotiris Ninis, Sokratis Papastathopoulos
Last Time: Group Stage (1994)
Chriso says: Group Stage (4th)
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The grand old question, the spirit of ’66... etc. Things are different this time though as a new coach, Fabio Capello
is far better than Steve McClaren and essentially that will always help a group
of talented players.
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On paper, it looks like England should sail through and I think they will win
the group, mainly due to the poor quality of the opposition, though USA should
cause some problems. England’s path to stardom could go as far as the Semi Finals, where they could meet
someone such as Brazil, who they would be dispatched by.
The main problem is Argentina, whom I don’t believe England could beat, though I do think they could beat Germany. If
Argentina fails to win their group, I don’t see England breaking their Quarter Final hoodoo. If the Argentines stroll
through as expected, England could make the Semi Finals.
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Bob Bradley’s industrious United States team should be no
surprise to anyone after their strong displays in recent tournaments and also,
more recently, at the Confederations Cup, where they beat Spain 2-0.
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This time around, they should rise out of the group with ease, though it’s tricky to see them getting the better of Germany in the 2nd round.
Key Men: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey
Potential Star: José Francisco Torres
Last Time: Group Stage (2006)
Chriso says: 2nd (GS), 2nd Round
Key Men: Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney
Potential Star: Joe Hart
Last Time: Quarter Finals (2006)
Chriso says: 1st (GS), 3rd Place, Semi Finals
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No team is here to make up the numbers and Slovenia can
boast being the reason why the Czech Republic aren’t in South Africa this year.
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Whilst that might be so, I can’t see an awful lot to convince me that they will be anything other than a hard
team to break down. They do have some decent players, but certainly not of the
level needed to do well in a World Cup.
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Algeria is of course only here thanks to a tie-breaking win
over Egypt, though qualification records barely register with regards to World
Cup form.
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The squad doesn’t seem very strong though there could be a couple of sparks and the team should
fare better than the 1 goal “heroes” of 1986. Still, I can’t see them getting past the Allied forces and they may struggle against Slovenia
too.
Key Men: Nadir Belhadj, Rafik Saïfi
Potential Star: Ryad Boudebouz
Last Time: Group Stage (2006)
Chriso says: Group Stage (4th)
Key Men: Robert Koren, Zlatan Ljubijankič
Potential Stars: Valter Birsa, Rene Krhin
Last Time: Group Stage (2002)
Chriso says: Group Stage (3rd)
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