The FIFA 2010 World Cup kicks off this Friday with Baffana Baffana ‘The Boys The Boys’ pitting themselves up against El Tri, ‘The Three Coloured.’
Host nation South Africa against Mexico is a game in which I fully expect to see the African vuvuzela (trumpet) muffled by 10 green shirted sombrero’s and an under employed goalkeeper. South Africa have next to no chance of progressing out of their group and Mexico will be hard pressed to keep their own green shirts out of their homebound kit bags for longer than two weeks. I expect France and Uruguay to progress from Group A but neither of these two look likely to make the last four.
Picking the FIFA World Cup 2010 winner is no easy task. The winning team will need a squad full of talented and hard working performers plus a manager with good tactical knowledge and blessed with a lot of luck. Only a very dominant team is going to reach the final without surviving the drama and emotional strain of penalty kicks. I can’t see a team amongst the 32 nation pack having those credentials. A glance at the bookmakers odds might just give us a chance of picking a winner.
Ladbrokes UK latest odds at the time of writing on the top 8 fancied teams are: 4/1 Spain, 9/2 Brazil, 6/1 Argentina, 7/1 England, 10/1 Holland, 14/1 Germany, 16/1 Italy and 20/1 France.
I predict all eight of those teams to make the quarter finals although ill luck, bad refereeing, injuries or the emergence of a smaller nation will undoubtedly see off one or two of them. From those eight I expect the semi finals to line up like this:
England v Holland
Argentina v Spain
I’m predicting three European teams to be competing with one surviving South American side for the two places in the final. I’ve ruled out France previously and I believe reigning World Cup holders Italy will run out of legs in the face of younger teams. Brazil have an audacious surplus of skills and are if need be as hard in the tackle as anyone else, but my hunch is that European team skill levels have now closed the gap considerably on them and with their acclaimed player unity will be too strong for the 5 times World Cup winners. Brazil will meet their match against England in the quarter finals.
England have a fine backbone running through their side in John Terry, Gareth Barry (if fit), Steven Gerrard and the irrepressible and energetic Wayne Rooney. Their game in the semis will see them face Holland’s equally talented trio of Arjen Robben (again if fit), Wesley Sneijder and the brilliant Robin van Persie. I’m predicting penalty shoot out heartbreak for England and a sea of fanatical orange supporters marching on to the final.
Spain have arguably the most talented squad in the World Cup with Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Cesc Fabregas leading the UEFA Euro 2008 champions into the competition. I suspect they will be too strong for Argentina, and will eventually overwhelm a Lionel Messi inspired team and his country’s own Messiah and team manager Diego ‘Hand of God’ Maradona.
My World Cup Final line up is Holland against Spain and I believe Holland’s captain Giovanni van Bronkhorst will lift the FIFA World Cup Trophy at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium on July 11th. Holland, two time World Cup Final losers in 1974 and 1978 will get the prize they so desire at last. Spain’s wait for their first World Cup Trophy will be put on hold for at least another four years.
Hi Martyn
I like the new venture, sport is always a good subject especially the round ball games.
I wish you every success.
Here are my WC predictions:
Final four two European, one South American and one African
France, Holland, Argentina and Nigeria.
European final if the draw works that way.
Finally, I choose Nigeria but I fancy a soccer “third world” team for the semi’s so it could be Korea or someone similar.
England exit at quarter finals!
Argentina is demolishing their opponents in the world cup. Argentina is probably going to win it all, I pity whomever they’re playing next!
Oh, Netherlands beating Uruguay, Spain win over Germany. Amazing! But who will be the champion? May be Netherland.
I think the world cup final will be a big battle in the midfield. The problem here is that if Spain win that battle, I don’t think the Dutch defense can stop Villa, Iniesta, Xabi, Ramos and Pedro. On the other hand, I do think that the Spanish defense can stop the dutch offense, but if Sneidjer, Robben or even Van Bronckhorst shoot from 40 metres on target, there is not really much the Spanish defense can do!I don’t think either team has been tested to its maximum potential yet and both are thirsty for a first World Cup title.As I said, they still need to be fully tested: Germany really didn’t play their usual football (Muller was missed) and the Dutch quite simply dominated the Uruguayans, although the result doesn’t show that.My bet would be on Spain, because they have a better defense than the dutch and I don’t expect the Oranges to win every single battle in the midfield thus creating large opportunities for Villa’s creativity, Pedro’s skill and Iniesta’s great football vision.