2014 World Cup

Belgium are worth a shout. Have a great squad reckon they'll do well.

 

There's three teams with by far the best squads IMO, in no particular order: Argentina, Spain and Germany. Next best is Brazil but with home advantage they have as good a chance as the other three. I really can't pick a winner from them, I'd be shocked if it was someone else. I'll say this though, I can't believe how quickly Spain are being written off. Even with their supposedly past it squad they have youngsters in nearly every position who would get a game for almost everyone else.

Best shots outside of them would be Portugal (a solid team led by one of the greatest ever players) and France (exciting young team with great talent throughout). Biggest flops of the tournament will be Belgium IMO I think.

I also think this thing about Europeans not winning in South America has been massively overplayed. I'm sure it was a huge factor in the days when players tanned pints the night before the game and went out in front of powderkeg crowds, but now they're all top athletes who could handle Brazilian winter no problem. The crowd will be a lot more tame than before too, $$$$$ speaks. FWIW I think there's a very good chance the winner will be South American, but that's because of their quality and not the location.

 

I voted Belgium just for the sake of it, but I can see use lose all group games. This squad is more talented than the one that got us to the semi-finals in 1986, but the 1986 team played like a real collective. There are too many "superstars" in our team.

On a side note: it is likely that Januzaj will join the Belgium squad for the world cup. Although he is undoubtedly a great asset, I don't really like having players at the world cup who did not play during the qualifiers. We are also in more need of a striker following Benteke's injury. Now we only have Lukaku and Mirallas.

I am not really excited about the world cup, but I will probably get into it more once it kicks off. I am more bothered about Celtic's CL qualifying campaign.

 

Forza Italia!

 

argentina or germany for me, and im stuck between the 2, do germany have a decent centre forward??, and at the same time argentinas defense is pish

 

Germany is my pick to win. Not sure who i will be supporting yet. It is usually Spain but i'm getting bored of them winning stuff.

 

I'd pick Germany if it wasn't so hot and humid, because of that I think Argentina will win, or at least another South American country.

 

Messi, Aguero, DiMaria.. I'll go Argentina!

 

Can the people who are saying Argentina name the starting 11 that will win the world cup.

We all know what they have going forward but they are mediocre everywhere else.

 

Probably along the lines of...

Romero
Zabaleta - Garay - Fernández - Rojo
Mascherano - Gago
Lavezzi ------------------- Agüero
Messi - Higuaín ​

Crazy when you can't find room for di María. Still, not great at the back and very vulnerable to attacks on the wings.

 

Swap Higuian for Di Maria and stick Aguero up front then that would be a decent side.

Can't have Aguero wasted out wide.

Romero

Zabalata Garay Fernandez Rojo

Gago Mascherano

Di Maria------------------Lavezzi

Messi

Aguero

That is probably the best side.
​

 

Romero
Zabaleta Mascherano Garay Rojo
Gago
Di Maria Pastore Lavezzi
Messi Aguero

Maybe?
​

 

Agüero isn't wasted if it's getting the best out of Messi. Everything is rightly built around him.

 

Have you not seen Marcherano for Barcelona at CB?

A would rather drop Pastore and put Messi there and play Higuin up top

 

Argentina.

Got a feeling Messi is taking it easy since his injury, making sure he's ready. Expect him to dominate the tournament.

 

Romero

Zabaleta
Mascherano
Garay
Rojo/ ??

Gago
Banega

Lavezzi
Di Maria
Aguero

Messi.

What formation has sabdella (sp) been playing ? We mostly know the shape germany, spain, brazil will probs have.

 

Sabella has been using a kind of 4-4-2. Mascherano and Gago play deep, Lavezzi and Agüero in front of them but out on the wings and a front two of Messi and Higuaín.

The formation against Peru.

 

People's suggestions have all been wide of the mark so far, going by how they've generally played under Sabella. The key reason they have a nice balance now (as opposed to Maradona's Hail Mary tactics in 2010 with five attacking players at once) is that Di Maria plays a different role for Argentina as a central midfielder rather than an out and out attacking winger/attacker. He's done very well in this role too.

-----------------Romero-----------

Zabaleta----Garay---Fernandez---Rojo

------------Gago----Mashcerano-----
--------------Di Maria---------------

--Higuain/Lavezzi----------Aguero---
---------------Messi----------------

Pretty strong team I'd say.

 

Is Tevez not in the Argentina squad?

 

Want Engerland to win but that obviously won't happen.

For now I really want Argentina to win because I think Messi deserves it and he'll finally put to bed the nonsense that he isn't the greatest ever. Really though I'll begin to see if I prefer a team or team(s) over one another when it actually starts.