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World Cup 2014 - BRAZIL


Richpa

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So, we're almost ready for 20th World Cup in Brazil from 12 June – 13 July so why not start a topic here where we football fans can disscus our favorite teams, give some projections for results, etc. I will introduce the groups below and after that I will try to review each group and give my favorites (will mark them with red color):

GROUP A:

  • BRAZIL
  • CROATIA
  • MEXICO
  • CAMEROON

I think this group got one strong favorit (and one of the tournament favorites - Brazil), they will play in front of their home-crowd and they will be very motivated to get another tournament in their homeland. As a second favorit, I think Croatia is most likely will see the next phase of the competition, but there might be some suprises, especially from Mexico. Cameroon is a big unknown for me and the adventage of the hot climatics can have impact for their performance, but Mexico and Cameroon doesn't have enough of quality mid-filders such as Croatia or Brazil.

 

GROUP B:

  • SPAIN
  • NETHERLANDS
  • CHILE
  • AUSTRALIA

This group is easiest to pick the winning teams, I think neither Spain or Netherlands will have any problems with other teams. Spain is maybe the 1st favorite of the whole tournament alongside with Brazil and Germany and the only contender here who might be able to suprise is Chile, but the projection is Spain and Netherlands.

 

GROUP C:

  • COLOMBIA
  • GREECE
  • IVORY COAST
  • JAPAN

This group is very tricky, there is Colombia who made some nice success recently but their key-player Falcao might not be in the best shape on this tournament, still they got respectable squad and I think they're one contender for the next phase of the competition. Greece, on the other hand doesn't have any super-stars in their team, but their defensive play and the experience from the past tournaments might give them some adventage against the Ivory Coast and Japan, plust they're very good as a team, it will be interesting to see the match against Ivory Coast, one good defensive team against one team that likes to play attacking football. Probably Greece will go in the next phase.

 

GROUP D:

  • URUGUAY
  • COSTA RICA
  • ENGLAND
  • ITALY

Very strong group with some amazing teams here, but honestly I think the Uruguay is at the moment a lot better team than Italy or England. The outsider here is Costa Rica. For the battle for 2nd place, Italy might be better just because the fact they know how to play on big tournaments, plus England is constantly in bad shape in recent years when it comes to big competitions.

 

GROUP E:

  • SWITZERLAND
  • ECUADOR
  • FRANCE
  • HONDURAS

Switzerland has been one of the biggest suprises recently, they got experienced coach, the young team and they play well. The lack of experience on big tournaments might be the problem, but the other teams in their group aren't that strong. France on the other hand is somehow rebuilding the reputation and they had some problems in recent years, the team got some amazing players but they still lack a lot of team play, I hope Ribery, Pogba and company will proove their quality. Ecuador might do some suprises here, but it's most likely to see Swiss and France in next phase.

GROUP F:

  • ARGENTINA
  • BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
  • IRAN
  • NIGERIA

This group got one big favorite and it's Argentina. They got amazing players including Messi, but he isn't good in Argentina team as he is in Barcelona, and that is a fact. They will pass the group but I don't thing they will manage to enter the semi-finals easily. The other favorite of this group is Bosnia, they're playing their first big competition in their young history and they will be motivated. Their squad got some decent players and I think Iran and Nigeria don't stand a chance here.

 

GROUP G:

  • GERMANY
  • PORTUGAL
  • GHANA
  • UNITED STATES

This is most bad-ass group alongside with GROUP D. Germany is one of the favorites of whole tournament and the fight for the first place in the group will be with Portugal. Thoose teams are the strongest contenders here, but Ghana is also strong squad and they're good at big tournaments. USA isn't in the same league as others, but they can take a point or two from the favorites and make whole group more interesting.

 

GROUP H:

  • BELGIUM
  • ALGERIA
  • RUSSIA
  • SOUTH KOREA

The weakest group IMO. Belgium got young and strong team, but they don't have that much experience from the big competitions. The group phase will be easy for them and only team who can make the fight for the 1st place more interesting is Russia. Algeria and South Korea are outsiders here and it's safe to say Belgium and Russia will got into next phase.

So, that's my predictions for the groups, now I will throw some projections for the semi-finals and finals and which teams got the most chances to win this tournament.

 

Most likely in quarter-finals:

  • Uruguay
  • Brazil
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Switzerland
  • Argentina
  • Germany
  • Portugal

Tournament favorites:

  • Germany (60% chance to see them in the final)
  • Spain (45% chance to see them in the final)
  • Brazil (35 % chance to see them in the final)

That's it guys, please leave your predictions for this tournament and share your toughts :D

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French open of tennis 25th of may and then Football World cup, best time of the year ! popcorn.gif

 

According to bookmakers, Brazil are the favourites

 

Brazil 3.85

Argentina 5.61

Germany 6.43

Spain 7.29

 

Since i bet a lot these last 3 years, I find the odds of Brazil incredibly low, so i guess everything possible will be made to let them win the world cup if you know what i mean :P

 

Bookies also consider the fact that the world cup being played in south america will not favour european teams at all, i am surprised to see Argentina as the second favourite here??

Like you Richpa, I thought Germany would be the favourite of this competition.

 

I got the feeling this world cup will be something special (and am afraid of things going bad outside the stadiums...)

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The biggest pressure for sure will be on Brazil and that might be some issue for them, but on the other hand, refeeres will for sure be an important part (like it's always on big competitions), plus the teams from SA and Africa might got a little adventage due to the climate. It will be interesting to see the problem with the protestors aswell, hopefully there won't be any serious troubles.

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Actually I think Belgium will go to the quarter finals for sure. They have a very strong, young team with lots of experience from big competitions (England, Spain and germany mainly).

 

I think Brasil or Spain will become world champions :)

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I think Netherlands will struggle this year, unfortunately. I always want them to go far in tournaments. I checked their line up and I wasn't impressed at all. I think Chile will have a shot on the second place in that group.

 

Favourites of winning: Germany, Spain, Brazil, Belgium

Belgium has a crazy line up with Hazard, Kompany, Januzaj, Curtois, Vertonghen, Vermaelen, Lukaku etc. World class players one every position. I think they will go far this time.

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Pretty solid predictions.

 

My points:

1) Nigeria in group F has a very strong team with many players in top european clubs

2) With me being Greek, I hope you get it correct for Group C but I think except Colombia that is in great shape all other 3 teams can get the second

3) In group A, Mexico usually does well in the world cup

4) I agree with Injesin, the Dutch haven't got a particularly strong line-up but are always dangerous

5) The Belgians are phenomenal and I wouldn't write off South Korea, they have a very athletic and fast team against a fairly average Russia

 

I'm very unlucky with this world-cup, my fiancee's uncle lived all his adult life in Sao Paolo and we were planning for many years to visit him there for the World Cup, but 2 years ago he decided to sell everything and come back to Greece :(

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  • 4 weeks later...

Reviving this topic since today is the beginning of the world cup.

 

Favourites: I think Spain or Germany will be champions, Brazil has a strong defense and attack, but I believe lacks in Midfield, while Spain and German are full of quality in all positions.

Not-so-big teams that I thnk will do well: Belgium, Uruguay. Belgium are in a fairly easy group so that will help them. Uruguay is full of attack-minded midfielders and forwards

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Indeed, Brazil monopolized the ball. However, the Croatian deserved a better score : this fake penalty accorded to Brazil was abosolutely ugly. And I still don't understand why the Croatian goal has been refused.

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Croatia in this game (against Brazil) didn't played offensive, just look at our mid-field. The penalty was a joke. Congrats to Brazil, well deserved.

I wouldn't go as far as say it was well deserved. Brazil had to ball most of the time but that doesn't mean anything if you don't make something of it. The penalty is a joke, and so is Croatias refused goal. And if that is a penalty we will see 100 penalties in this world cup.

 

Brazil didn't win the WC premier, they were given it to them as a present. Sad.

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Brazil was a better team, they had more chances, but the 3 crucial moments happened where my team was damaged by refeere:

1) Neymar tackle on Modric. It's not for yellow card, it's direct red card. If you look carefully he sees him but he still makes that horrible elbow punch in the face.



2) Lovren 'tackle' on Fred and unexisting penalty. If you look at any serious league such as Premiership, La Liga, Bundseliga, Serie A, refreere would give yellow card to attacker for simulating. That didn't happen last night, refeere gave them undeserved chance to take a lead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXdvez958B0

3) Olic fould / handball on Julio Cesar. Similar situation where our attacker hits ball with his hand to other player where we scored goal for 2-2, but refeere decided there was handball? foul on goalkeepere?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKSND77hEfs

There is also another situation when Brazil scored for 3-1, when the ball was in our possesion the Brazilian player made a tackle to win the ball, but refeere didn't see that.

Anyway, it's shame to know the fact that we really tried and gave our best, but playing against the refeere is mission impossible and any other team in our situation would say the same. We didn't expected to win Brazil, maybe we hoped to get a draw and take 1 point. It's matter of fair-play and the reputation of this competition, as our player said, we were training and preparing ourselves very hard and in the end refeere stole us. What is point of this competition? Maybe they could immidiatley give the throphy to Brazil and save us from all the troubles. I hope we will play like this against Mexico and Cameron, now our motivation is even bigger.

And yeah, tonight Netherlands against Spain, that's gonna be a great game! :D

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According to bookmakers, Brazil are the favourites

 

Brazil 3.85

Argentina 5.61

Germany 6.43

Spain 7.29

 

Since i bet a lot these last 3 years, I find the odds of Brazil incredibly low, so i guess everything possible will be made to let them win the world cup if you know what i mean :P

allright first game and it started already

Sorry Richpa for the loss Croatia deserved the draw at least!

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I was kind of bored from the game. I was falling asleep at the second half. Usually this happens when I watch my team's (Panathinaikos Athens) games in European competitions, we play so badly that I fall asleep.

 

At the first half, that I watched with full attention, I can't say the the ref played an important role, except for missing that flying elbow from Paulinho which was even more dangerous than the yellow to Neymar.

Overall, I felt the ref allowed Brazil to play hard in defence.

 

Second half (I was falling asleep all the time), but everywhere I read online and the newspaper and with people that I talked, they say that the ref was favouring Brazil... and from what I see on videos, it is correct.

 

Anyway, tonight let's hope for a better match from Spain and Netherlands!!!

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Croatia really surprised me yesterday (not that I know so much about football though), they played really rigid in the defence and were a fairly solid team against Brazil. Brazil probably deserved the victory, but after those couple misjudges by the referee I was supporting for the underdog.. :)

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ok so the logical team for me to support would be australia because i live here, but because i'm not australian, and new zealand were probably 4000th in the qualification, i think it's open season!

 

so.....

 

best player's

best team

best uniforms

mmmmmmmmmmmmm decisions decisions

 

i'll go for who has the sexiest soccer mums!

 

do we have any contenders people????

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That was an awesome game! Spain has been the evil spirit for Denmark many times when it comes to the world cups, so I am very happy about that outcome :P But it was deserved that Holland gave them an whopping none the less, well played!

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