Yeah, World Cup fever! It only happens once every 4 years. I'm excited! How can any football fan not be excited about the World Cup anyway? It's where the best footballers come and play their hearts out for a month to win the most important tournament in the football world. (Please ignore Jose Mourinho's comments about UEFA Champions League being more important than the World Cup. He's just talking nonsense.) So, this is the time where most, if not all, football fans will come up with their own list of favourites that would be champions come mid-July. So, here's my top 5 for this year's World Cup.
1. Spain
No doubt my favourite team to win this year. They are the current European champions, ranked number 2 in the world and have only lost once in their last 47 matches while winning 44 of them. That's a crazy record to bring to South Africa. They, in my opinion, play the best style of football currently and have one of the deadliest strike partnerships in David Villa and Fernando Torres. Add Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Xabi Alonso who are all supplying the passes for them and you have a superb offensive team. Players to watch: Villa, Torres, Xavi. 2. Argentina
If you want a team that will definitely score goals, this is it. Here's Argentina's strikers' list: Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Diego Milito, and Martin Palermo. For the 2009-2010 season, Messi (47), Higuain (29), Tevez (29), Aguero (20), Milito (30), and Palermo (16) have combined for 181 goals. That's 30 goals on average per player! With that kind of attacking force to go with an easier side of the World Cup draw, I expect them to at least reach the semi-finals. Players to watch: Messi, Tevez.
3. Brazil
Yeah, I know what they say about current coach Dunga turning Brazil into a defensive team. I don't really think so. Now, they are a team with style AND substance. In qualifying, they are the top scorers and conceded the least amount of goals. So there's no way Brazil are a defensive team. With Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Kaka, Luis Fabiano, and Robinho, Brazil have a superstar in each main position of the team and with them being the current number 1 in the world, I doubt they'll falter before the semi-finals too. The only reason that they are my 3rd favourites is because they are in a really tough group with Ivory Coast and Portugal and are on the tougher side of the draw. Players to watch: Kaka, Robinho, Luis Fabiano. 4. Germany
They are THE underrated team among the favourites. Here's a fact: Since the 1982 World Cup, they have been champions once, runners-up three times, third-placed once and quarter-finalists twice. That's an amazing track record. They have a tricky group with Serbia, Ghana, and Australia but I'm sure they'll make it through topping it. Defence has always been solid and offense has steadily improved throughout the years. Semi-finals at best. Slight chance of meeting England in the Second Round and if they do, I still think Germany will beat them. Players to watch: Lukas Podolski, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philip Lahm.5. Netherlands
Netherlands always impress me before a major tournament starts and end up disappointing me in the end. So, I hope that's not the case this year. They have one of the best teams in terms of talent. Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie, Ibrahim Affelay, and Rafael van der Vaart have the potential to rip defences apart with their creativity and lethal finishing. Again, they have impressed in pre-tournament friendlies and I hope they continue playing like they are right now. Quarter-finals at least. And if ever they meet Italy, I want them to rip Italy apart this time. Players to watch: Robben, Sneijder, van Persie.
p.s I DON'T want France to pass the Second Round no matter what. They never deserved a place in South Africa this year anyway. England, Portugal, and Italy come next after my top 5.
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