BRAZIL 2014
So it’s that time again The World Cup 2014 but as we approach kick off on 12th June 2014 when the host nation takes on Croatia Fifa is embroiled in another scandal that threatens to make a mockery of the bidding process that saw a nation Qatar a country with no infrastructure to hold a world cup win the bidding for the 2022, although the country is undoubtable rich from oil it has no real experience of holding a tournament that over the years has proved to be a potential security nightmare and really if we are really honest the conditions of the weather mean the world cup would undoubtedly have to be moved to the winter which in world cup history since its creation in 1930 as temperatures in the summer in Qatar move into upper 90’s and higher making its unbearable to move let alone compete in a football match. Apart from the obvious welfare of the players and fans moving the world cup would disrupt leagues all over the world as a lot of leagues especially European ones play through the winter.
Let’s get this right though as Brazil 2014 is about to start this World cup hasn’t been without its controversy in fact this World cup has been touch and go for a while through various reasons that have threatened a world cup in a football mad country. Brazil is country that is massively divided between the classes one hand there is the rich who live like their western counterparts in how they party like there is no tomorrow but in a country that has a population of 198.7 million people at the last count in 2012 and rising the rich are very much the minority. Brazils favelas rival the shanty towns of Africa in the fact they are over populated and rife with disease, crime, prostitution etc in fact it is the poor that had threatened this world cup with protests over Brazils reluctance to address the issues the country’s faces and instead of dealing with these issues using aid the country has decided to use valuable money to put on a world cup, this has angered a lot in the country and there have been riots and protests leading up to the tournament and with little over a few days to go these protests show no sign of letting up.
Brazil 2014 has also been blighted with stadium issues with a lot of new stadiums being built for this completion there have been issues with stadium safety for the workers in fact since the building work started there have been 8 deaths of workers to date working on the world cup stadiums as deadlines of the end of 2013 for completion where missed so the stadiums are being delivered to Fifa at the last minute so there have been no real warm up matches in these stadiums to cross the t’s and dot the I’s so to speak.
Brazil 2014 is going to be a great world cup in my opinion with some of the world top nations about to lock horns, so who are the teams to watch out for? Well the obvious team to start with is Brazil the bookies favourites at 3/1 and being the host nation it’s difficult to see past them to lift a record 6th world cup. The current generation of Brazilian superstars are some the hottest properties in world football players like Neymar, Julio Ceaser, David Luiz, Marcello, Oscar, Hulk to name but a few. Brazil have always abandoned defensive focus for a you score 3 and we’ll score 4 attacking mentality but I honestly think this current crop of Brazilian defenders prove they are defensively astute for the first time in years going into this world cup and under the guidance of the master “big Phil Scolari” they are the team to beat.
The defending world champions Spain are another nation that can’t be discounted although Spain obviously have been the best European team in recent years and the nucleolus of players from the last world cup still being the backbone of this current side players like Xavi, Iniesta, Pique the Spanish are still a very dangerous team. In fact the Spanish have pulled a master stroke by persuading Diego Costa of Atletico Madrid to pledge his alliance to Spain and not his home country Brazil. Spain will have to do something that hasn’t been done since 1962 and successfully defend the trophy.
Another nation that is having a bit of a rival in terms of the national side is Argentina and it’s hardly surprising with players like Messi, Di Maria, Mascherano, Aguero, Gago, This current crop of players certainly have the ability to do it but as Argentina haven’t won it since 1986 the omens aren’t exactly good but as its on south American soil if Brazil don’t win it I certainly think it will be a south American side that will lift the world cup and as the countries are massive rivals what a boost to Argentinian football that would be to win the world cup on Brazilian soil.
Germany are one of the world cups most reliable nations when it comes to the world cup, Germany over the last few years have produced some really talented outstanding players Ozil, Muller, Schweinsteiger, Neuer to name but a few and have proven with the success of the club sides in European completion in recent years that German football is certainly one of the most exciting and talented leagues in Europe at the moment and if they go to penalties well you just can’t rule them out.
Another European nation that is in some people’s eyes an outside chance for the world cup in 2014 is Belgium, this is backed up by the fact that the current bunch of Belgium players under the stewardship of former player Marc Wilmots have serious ability on the field players like Hazard, Lukaku, Kompany, Witsel they certainly have the talent to make a mark on this world cup in fact Belgium haven’t really impacted a world cup since 1986 when they reached the semi-finals, can this current crop better this? Well time will tell.
It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention England. Do England have a chance? Well there are in it so you can’t rule them out but if we are honest the current crop of English players just don’t really have the ability to mix it with the best of them although players like Rooney, Sturridge, Lalana, Barkley certainly have ability I just think there are far better organised and balanced nations in the world cup that the current 3 lions team.
The world cup in Brazil has the potential to be one of best world cups in recent history with some of the talent that is going to be on show in Brazil but it’s worth noting that there is also going to be missing some really talented players like Ribbery, Falcao, Walcott, Rues, Benteke, Valdes.
Let’s get this right though as Brazil 2014 is about to start this World cup hasn’t been without its controversy in fact this World cup has been touch and go for a while through various reasons that have threatened a world cup in a football mad country. Brazil is country that is massively divided between the classes one hand there is the rich who live like their western counterparts in how they party like there is no tomorrow but in a country that has a population of 198.7 million people at the last count in 2012 and rising the rich are very much the minority. Brazils favelas rival the shanty towns of Africa in the fact they are over populated and rife with disease, crime, prostitution etc in fact it is the poor that had threatened this world cup with protests over Brazils reluctance to address the issues the country’s faces and instead of dealing with these issues using aid the country has decided to use valuable money to put on a world cup, this has angered a lot in the country and there have been riots and protests leading up to the tournament and with little over a few days to go these protests show no sign of letting up.
Brazil 2014 has also been blighted with stadium issues with a lot of new stadiums being built for this completion there have been issues with stadium safety for the workers in fact since the building work started there have been 8 deaths of workers to date working on the world cup stadiums as deadlines of the end of 2013 for completion where missed so the stadiums are being delivered to Fifa at the last minute so there have been no real warm up matches in these stadiums to cross the t’s and dot the I’s so to speak.
Brazil 2014 is going to be a great world cup in my opinion with some of the world top nations about to lock horns, so who are the teams to watch out for? Well the obvious team to start with is Brazil the bookies favourites at 3/1 and being the host nation it’s difficult to see past them to lift a record 6th world cup. The current generation of Brazilian superstars are some the hottest properties in world football players like Neymar, Julio Ceaser, David Luiz, Marcello, Oscar, Hulk to name but a few. Brazil have always abandoned defensive focus for a you score 3 and we’ll score 4 attacking mentality but I honestly think this current crop of Brazilian defenders prove they are defensively astute for the first time in years going into this world cup and under the guidance of the master “big Phil Scolari” they are the team to beat.
The defending world champions Spain are another nation that can’t be discounted although Spain obviously have been the best European team in recent years and the nucleolus of players from the last world cup still being the backbone of this current side players like Xavi, Iniesta, Pique the Spanish are still a very dangerous team. In fact the Spanish have pulled a master stroke by persuading Diego Costa of Atletico Madrid to pledge his alliance to Spain and not his home country Brazil. Spain will have to do something that hasn’t been done since 1962 and successfully defend the trophy.
Another nation that is having a bit of a rival in terms of the national side is Argentina and it’s hardly surprising with players like Messi, Di Maria, Mascherano, Aguero, Gago, This current crop of players certainly have the ability to do it but as Argentina haven’t won it since 1986 the omens aren’t exactly good but as its on south American soil if Brazil don’t win it I certainly think it will be a south American side that will lift the world cup and as the countries are massive rivals what a boost to Argentinian football that would be to win the world cup on Brazilian soil.
Germany are one of the world cups most reliable nations when it comes to the world cup, Germany over the last few years have produced some really talented outstanding players Ozil, Muller, Schweinsteiger, Neuer to name but a few and have proven with the success of the club sides in European completion in recent years that German football is certainly one of the most exciting and talented leagues in Europe at the moment and if they go to penalties well you just can’t rule them out.
Another European nation that is in some people’s eyes an outside chance for the world cup in 2014 is Belgium, this is backed up by the fact that the current bunch of Belgium players under the stewardship of former player Marc Wilmots have serious ability on the field players like Hazard, Lukaku, Kompany, Witsel they certainly have the talent to make a mark on this world cup in fact Belgium haven’t really impacted a world cup since 1986 when they reached the semi-finals, can this current crop better this? Well time will tell.
It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention England. Do England have a chance? Well there are in it so you can’t rule them out but if we are honest the current crop of English players just don’t really have the ability to mix it with the best of them although players like Rooney, Sturridge, Lalana, Barkley certainly have ability I just think there are far better organised and balanced nations in the world cup that the current 3 lions team.
The world cup in Brazil has the potential to be one of best world cups in recent history with some of the talent that is going to be on show in Brazil but it’s worth noting that there is also going to be missing some really talented players like Ribbery, Falcao, Walcott, Rues, Benteke, Valdes.