2014 World Cup

Aye , you would think so

 

German preliminary World Cup squad.

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Roman Weidenfeller, Ron-Robert Zieler

Defenders: Jerome Boateng, Erik Durm, Kevin Grosskreutz, Benedikt Howedes , Mats Hummels, Marcell Jansen, Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Shkodran Mustafi, Marcel Schmelzer.

Midfielders: Lars Bender, Julian Draxler , Matthias Ginter, Leon Goretzka (, Mario Gotze, Andre Hahn , Sami Khedira, Toni Kroos, Max Meyer Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski , Marco Reus, Andre Schurrle, Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Forwards: Miroslav Klose,Kevin Volland

 

7 of them will be dropped. Id guess Durm, Mustafi, Hahn, Goretzka, Meyer, Ginter and Podolski wont make it.

 

Don't think England winning it is quite as unrealistic as some make it out to be,not that they will,but they're not that bad.Germany or Spain for me,love the way the Germans play and would like to see them win but a surprise would be welcome too,Uruguay or Columbia or something.

 

England dont have the bottle to win it I dont think, they get the pish ripped out them any time they play a decent team.

I think teams like Uruguay, Portugal, Colombia and Chile would knock them out never mind better teams like Spain, Germany, Argentina, Brazil or even France, Holland or Italy.

Hart
Johnson Cahill Jagielka Baines
Carrick
Gerrard Wilshere
Sturridge Lallana
Rooney

Could see England using that team. If it was me i'd pick

Forster
Flanagan Cahill Terry Baines
Gerrard
Henderson Barkley
Lallana
Sturridge Sterling

Johnson and Baines would be too weak defensively. Flanagan gets stuck in and would offer a bit of balance by not going as far forward leaving the defence exposed as much as Johnson would. Terry is still their best centre-half they should beg him to come back. Henderson and Barkley have good energy and are more fearless than the static and one paced Carrick and Wilshere. Rooney doesnt have the pace and his talents are wasted as England arent good enough going forward so id leave him out and use runners up top like Sturridge, Lallana and Sterling or even Chamberlain.
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Another worker killed. Mohammed Ali Maciel was electrocuted at the Arena Pantenal (Verdão) in Cuiabá. Up to nine deaths now I think. A total travesty.

There has already been a large fire at this stadium which injured five.

 

Nigeria preliminary squad.
Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Lille/FRA), Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be'er Sheva/ISR), Chigozie Agbim (Gombe United), Daniel Akpeyi (Warri Wolves)

Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (Monaco/FRA), Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC/SCO), Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor/TUR), Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves), Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough/ENG), Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod FC/ISR), Joseph Yobo (Norwich City/ENG), Kunle Odunlami (Sunshine Stars)

Midfielders: Mikel Obi (Chelsea/ENG), Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio/ITA), Ramon Azeez (Almeria/SPA), Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers), Gabriel Reuben (Beveren/BEL), Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis/SPA), Joel Obi (Parma/ITA), Michael Uchebo (Cercle Brugge/BEL), Sunday Mba (CA Bastia/FRA)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United/ENG), Victor Moses (Liverpool/ENG), Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce/TUR), Obinna Nsofor (Chievo Verona/ITA), Peter Osaze Odemwingie (Stoke City/ENG), Babatunde Michael (Volyn/UKR), Nnamdi Oduamadi (Varese/ITA), Uche Nwofor (Heerenveen/NED)

 

Enyeama
Ambrose Omeruo Oboabona Echiejile
Onazi Mikel
Musa Odemwingie Moses
Emenike

Decent team. Suprised they picked Odemwingie and Ameobi, they never usually get called up. Aluko should probably make their squad too to add depth. Having players like Mba, Uche, Aluko and Ameobi as back-up would be decent.

Nigeria never really play that well though, their midfield always get dominated and they don't keep the ball well enough. I always think they should play Ambrose in centre-mid, to give them more creativity/mobility and movement in there but they dont seem to have any other right-backs.
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Think Khedira hasn't played enough tbh. Also little chance of Podolski being dropped - Löw is a big fan of him. Agree on the others though.

 

I dont think Khedira would be first choice anyway, think Bender will partner Schweinsteiger.

Podolski id guess will be 6/7th choice behind Muller, Schurrle, Draxler, Gotze, Ozil and Reus. No real point in him going, better taking Volland who may be a future player and Klose will probably go as their only real striker even if just a back-up option, think they may play Muller as a striker.

 

Germans

Neur

Lahm
Mertasacker
Hummels
Schmelzer

Bender/kroos
Bastian

Muller
Ozil
Reus
Gotze

Is what I would play

 

No Gomez for the Germans? I know he's been injured a fair bit this season but he's still a good experienced player. Better option than Volland (for now), that would leave Klose as their only out and out striker and his best years are long behind him.

 

I take it Sven bender is out injured?

 

Mexico unveils their squad.

Keepers: Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca) and Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul)

Defenders: Paul Aguilar (Club America), Andres Guardado (Bayer Leverkusen), Miguel Layun (Club America), Rafael Marquez (Club Leon), Hector Moreno (Espanyol), Diego Reyes (Porto), Francisco Rodriguez (Club America) and Carlos Salido (UANL)

Midfielders: Isaac Brizuela (Toluca), Marco Fabian (Cruz Azul), Hector Herrera (Porto), Juan Carlos Medina (Club America), Luis Montes (Club Leon), Carlos Pena (Club Leon) and Jose Juan Vasquez (Club Leon)

Strikers: Oribe Peralta (Santos Laguna), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United), Raul Jimenez (Club America), Alan Pulido (UANL) and Giovani dos Santos (Villarreal)

Rafael Márquez could become the first player to captain his country at four World Cups.

 

Mad Marquez, thought he'd have been well retired by now no wonder Mexico are *.

 

Argentina have the players to win it and I think they have no better motivation than doing the business in the back yard of their big rivals. Belgium can be the surprise package.

 

Chile are the real dark horses, they play like they're possessed at times.

 

Marquez is slower than a turtle and is prone to go mad in some matches, but he still oozes class with the ball at his feet, his long passes are still like in his Barcelona days. But the main reason he's on the pitch is cuz he's the leader, something Mexico was lacking.

If nothing weird happens, he will be the first player to be captain in 4 World Cups.

 

I'm going for Brazil.

Want Germany to win but their squad is really different this year, a few normal first team players might not be there, going to have a young squad.

 

Has ruled himself out because he's taking his kids to Disney World......seriously.