2014 World Cup discussion & Analysis
Well to start thing of I'll give you guys my take on the favourite from group A, Brazil.
What are your takes on Brazil? Clear favourites or destined to crumble under the astronomical expectations of their compatriots? Who do you think will win? How do you rate the teams and players? Which players are going to set the World Cup alight?
Brazil
World cup Group A will be interesting. It will contain many games that could be decisive and thus will be hard-fought. Croatia (ranked 18th on the FIFA/coca-cola world ranking), Mexico (20) and Kameroon (56) are all decent teams who can win and lose from each other. However interesting this will be, all eyes will be on Brazil. Hosting some of the most exciting talent and playing in their own backyard. Will they make the dream come true?
The world fears brazil, as always. They never even missed a world cup and are the only team to do so. But in their own country they are even more dangerous than usual. The world cup has been won 6 times by the team hosting the tournament that year. Which doesn’t seem that much, but we must consider that quite a few world cups were hosted by countries that were never contenders, such as South Africa for example. Most world cups were however won by teams from the same region as the hosts. Familiar climate and more support should help them quite a bit. Especially if they face teams who started out with difficult matches or played many of them in the hot North. Especially the European teams will suffer from this. Even worse, television and media forces many games to be played at noon, which is madness even if they allow for drinking stops.
However home advantage is tempered by the pressure the Brazilian players might have. Expectations are high and that might bite them. In a time with so much protest against hosting the world cup, you better win it as well if you want to avoid them getting worse.
Brazil might however be a bit of the exception when it comes to home advantages: they won them in Sweden (1958), South Korea-Japan (2002), the US (1994), Mexico (1970) and Chile (1962). So perhaps they are more comfortable when there’s less pressure on them. Favourites have often failed to perform, let’s not forget about France dramatic group exit in 2002. That year however it was Argentina who was seen by bookmakers as the team with the best chances, yet that year Brazil lifted the trophy. While in 1998 and 2006 when they were favourites, they didn’t make it.
Yet they comfortably won the Confederations cup last year in which they demonstrated pure class, lead by an inspiring performance of Brazil’s latest world star: Neymar. However no winner of the confederation cup has ever gone on to win the World Cup. Brazil also won the previous two editions, yet failed to perform in the following World Cups, losing both times in the quarter finals from France and the Netherlands, neither of whom would claim the title that year.
The team: Forwards and midfielders
It is not their past, nor old statistics which define a team; it’s the players and their coaching staff. Without a doubt the Seleção has some of the most talented players and great squad depth. Most players on the bench would walk into the first team squad of almost any team. Only Germany and Spain can compete with Brazil on this aspect. To illustrate we’re talking about players of the following calibre: Dante (Bayern), Maxwell (PSG), Maicon (AS Roma), Ramires and Willian (Chelsea), Fernandinho (Man. City), Hernanes (Inter) and Henrique (Neapoli). This is almost a squad able to compete for the finals as well.
Good enough? Fred, centre forward.
Are there no weaknesses to this squad then? Well yes there are. Fred and Jô will be the main strikers and while they are not up to the same class as the rest, especially Fred has integrated well into the team . But if there’s one team that has players on all positions who know how to score it is Brazil, as always. Considering who will be feeding him, it will be hard for first choice striker Fred not to score a few.
Brazil’s midfield is very talented, yet none have really had a great season. The centre is made up by Gustavo, Oscar and Paulinho. Gustavo was no longer good enough for Bayern Munchen and was transferred to rich but unglamorous Wolfsburg last august. Were he did play regularly (29 apps in the bundesliga) and even was one of the better players capping 3 man of the match performances and four goals.
Paulinho was transferred this season as well and was part of the 100 million euro splash made by Tottenham. He played almost every game but never really convinced, though scoring 6 goals in the premier league. More was expected from someone with his price tag.
Oscar the youngest but probably most talented of this trio didn’t have a good season at all. While starting brilliantly the twenty-two years old playmaker quickly got into a dip and was outshined by a very productive Eden Hazard. As the season was getting to an end Willian was Mourinho’s preferred man and Shürrle and Salah were getting more play time in his place. A thigh strain did not help him either.
However he always seemed to be better when playing for the Seleção, not unlike Neymar, with whom he combines effortlessly on the field. Nor does anyone deny the abundance of talent this young lad possesses. The recent published study by the CIES football observatory ranks him as the second most valuable Brazilian, earning him the 12th spot worldwide, with an estimated market value between 46.0 and 53.4 million euro’s.
Between the midfield and the central forward, there are two prolific goal scorers running along the sidelines. Hulk whose ability to score long ranged goals hasn’t been seen since the heydays of former Argentine striker and all-time leading goal scorer Batistuta. And may I say he’s coming to the World Cup in quite good shape as well, ending his season with 8 goals in 8 games.
One to watch: Neymar
On the other side of the pitch we will be able to admire, the name has been dropped a few times already, Neymar. A superstar in his home country who is grabbing one man of the man performance after another when playing for his national team. He’s the man everyone will be watching. While his season at Barcelona wasn’t a smash hit, he has shown he does have the qualities to make it there. Though club success and performance doesn’t warrant the same on international level, as his team mate Messi has often demonstrated.
The fifth most valuable footballer in the world made ‘only’ 9 goals and 8 assists in La Liga this season, but in the last 14 international games (since the start of the confederations cup) he scored 11 and provided 7 assists. As we all know, what Neymar does best is dribbling. Most teams will hence at least double up on him and put their defensive focus on him, giving others more room and space. But with his 49 successful dribbles in the Champions League last year (the most of all players), this attention and fear is warranted.
Defence and goalkeeper
As I said earlier there doesn’t seem to come an end to the talent and quality in this squad. The Defense of Brazil is rock solid and can play football as well. Thiago Silva is probably the best current centre back of the world, facing only competition from the likes of Ramos, Pique and Kompany. His partner in the centre is David Luiz who recently became the most expensive defender in the world following his move to PSG. While he is technically one of the most gifted defenders of the game, he can be rash in his actions which could lead to mistakes. Which was the reason he no longer was getting first team starts at Chelsea or was playing as a defensive midfielder.
Thiago Silva, team captain
Brazil always had great wing backs, think of Roberto Carlos or Carlos Roberto, and this holds true again. Dani Alves has been instrumental to Barçelona’s attacks for years. Not only a great with the ball on his feet but a good defender. However no Barcelona defender made as many fouls nor was dribbled by other players as frequently as him. His attacking nature does allow space for counter attacks. Marcelo is a bit of the same mold as his colleague on the other side,but has a much better defensive record this year. He committed less than half as many fouls and was dribbled half as many times. The Real Madrid player did make less interceptions by quite a margin though.
And when does the wealth of talent stop we did ask? Well here, the goalkeepers. While one shouldn’t go as far as to call them second rate, they have yet to cross the Atlantic and play for either Brazilian and Canadian teams. Well it would be wrong to simply dismiss them for that reason we can’t simply deny that they don’t compare to what most bigger teams have to offer in goal: Germany’s Neuer, Italy’s Buffon, Spain’s Cassillas, France’s Lloris, Uruguay’s Muslera or Belgium’s Courtois. Hell, I’d prefer Australia goalkeeper Ryan above any of the Brazilian ones.
In a competition with so many one game knock outs, one can’t have a goalkeeper making mistakes. Penalty shout outs playing such a big part in this competition, one cannot help but see a problem here.
Experienced manager: Scolari.
The cherry on top of this cake is the coach. Scolari has the experience,the knowhow and both management and people skills to make this team the winners. He has done it before in 2002 and got Portugal to a second place in the 2004 Europe Championship.
in short:
key players: Neymar and Thiago Silva
form (last ten games): 9 wins, 1 loss
most likely squad: (4-3-3)
Cesar
Alves, Luiz, Silva (c), Marcelo
Oscar, Gustavo, Paulinho
Hulk, Fred, Neymar(*)
Verdict and prediction
With the quick feet of Neymar and the proper and experienced guidance of Big Phil, Brazil could win it. Their biggest worry will be mistakes from Luiz or Cesar and the how they will deal with the pressure and protests.
Prediction: I wouldn’t be surprised if they get kicked out the quarter finals, nor would I be surprised by them lifting the trophy. Having to pick one of the two, I’ll go with the controversial only reaching the quarter finals. Why? Because controversial is always more fun.
I'm probably going to this for all the bigger name squad, but hopefully I'll be able to keep it shorter. I guess I got carried away.
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USA (Group G)
Originally Posted by drone
He's important actualy, the US has done better when he was on (forgot the numbers though), but I think the holding midfield will not be able to really cope with most. The US will need some luck and efficiency in front of goal to qualify. But that is no shame facing two big names in qualifiers already. Had they been in group H for example, I think they were very likely to get through. Also I'd really would have loved to see the US vs Russia, 
together, or they are going home early. Down 0-2 at the half.
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