The World Cup – it’s a time to get together with friends, root for the country your great-great-great grandparents came from, and pretend you’ve cared about soccer for a very long time. I’m here to help – here’s 8 things you can say that will make you sound like you know what you’re talking about when it comes to the world’s most popular sport.
1. “Chile has the talent to get out of their group.”
Yes, Chile is in a group with last tournament finalists in Spain and the Netherlands, but it shouldn’t be scared of either of them. Neither is as good as they were 4 years ago, and Chile is hardly bereft of top-level talent themselves. Arturo Vidal is the embodiment of a complete midfielder and Alexis Sanchez is dynamite waiting to go off on the wing. With little outside expectation of advancement, Chile should be more than willing to go to toe to toe with anyone. They play a formation that will allow them to maintain possession and put pressure on opposing defenses, and you can expect them to score multiple goals in every game.
2. “France is ready to challenge even without Ribery.”
Here’s a squad to keep your eye on. France has a cohesive squad for the first time since Zidane retired. New coach Didier Deschamps has emphasized team unity in the young France squad, going so far as to leave out Samir Nasri, who has 41 international caps for the team.
And of course, the team is as talented as ever, deep and versatile at every position. Even the loss of Ribery means that they don’t have to find a way to squeeze the young Antoine Griezmann into the starting lineup.
Put in perhaps the easiest group in the tournament, they should have no trouble advancing, and make no mistake; their best 11 can compete with any other 11 in this tournament.
3. “Losing Falcao hurts for Colombia, but Jackson Martinez is going to be a lot of fun to watch.”
Their golden generation is ready, and just because Falcao, one of the most prolific scorers in the world is out injured, doesn’t mean all is for naught. James Rodriguez (Falcao’s teammate at Monaco) is a burgeoning star on the right side. And Jackson Martinez put up 20 goals in the Portuguese league last season, and looks to be aching for a move to a big time club. Colombia can challenge, and they would be contenders with Falcao, but they’ll still be a force to be reckoned with in the knockout rounds.
4. “Don’t forget about Italy.”
A simple statement that often needs to be said. Maybe it’s the dramatic fashion in which the Italians blew their chance at a winnable group in 2010 or the aging of their twin superstars goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon or Andrea Pirlo, but the 2006 World Cup winners and 2012 Euro finalists should be anything but forgotten.
There’s more than enough talent and grit to make it deep into the tournament, and while Balotelli (if in form) can be a match winner, it’s the saying that “As Juventus goes, so does Italy” that provides the greatest promise for this World Cup. Five players (Buffon, Pirlo, midfielder Marchisio, and defenders Barzagli and Chillieni) from Juventus, who ran through Serie A, are expected to start for the Italian team, and their compatriots, have more than enough to talent to lead this Italian squad to glory.
5. “England isn’t talented enough to contend, even before you forget they’re England.”
England, is of course, the butt of every joke, and any England fan worth their weight knows it’s foolish to have faith in “The Three Lions” to do much of anything on the world stage. If they don’t make it out of the group stages it wouldn’t surprise me.
Maybe the anti-expectations will ease the pressure, and Raheem Sterling, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the other college-aged kids will play like they’re on the playground and surprise everyone.
Then again, Wayne Rooney is the only real difference maker in this team, and while there is certainly young talent (enough that Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup may see an English team contending) these players are not quite there. Make no mistake, this team ready to compete. It’ll be sad for the heralded midfielders Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, but their international careers appear to be coming to a disappointing end.
6. “Brazil’s youth could be a double edged sword.”
Brazil’s situation is similar to the English situation, except with the talent ratcheted up a couple of notches and the additional pressure of living up to the past Seleção teams in front of their home crowds.
Will the inexperience of youth lead a talented team tripping up, or will the hunger of youth drive them forward in front of their desperate home crowd? Five players return from the 2010 World Cup squad, and young guns like Neymar and Oscar are more than able to compete with some of the best in the world, but will they step up or shy away from the spotlight?
Of course, like anything else in sports, the understanding of which side of the sword cuts deeper will be decided based on the eventual success of the Brazilian team. Still, it’s worth asking the question now and enjoying the adventure that will be the answer.
7. “Belgium’s golden generation is ready.”
This is a free bonus as to who should be your favorite team when your country gets knocked out. We talked about Colombia’s golden generation before, and Belgium is experiencing something similar. They’ll be fun to watch, they’ll play with their hearts on their sleeves, and who has anything against Belgium?
Belgium has hard-nosed defenders across the back in Kompany, Vermaelen, and Vertonghen; creative midfielders, including Eden Hazard, one of the best in the world, and powerful strikers. Their best finish in a World Cup was 4th in 1986, and they can certainly match that again.
8. “This is the year Messi comes through on the international stage.”
Let me start by saying I don’t think Messi has been as bad internationally as people like to claim, and the idea that he under performs on the international stage has become a narrative of sorts. Even in the last World Cup, Messi was creating and hitting posts, just lacking the finish touch that makes him the best in the world. And despite the lackluster form (36 goals in 36 appearances being lackluster for Messi) no one will or should be surprised if Messi lights up this tournament.
It’s worth acknowledging that Messi has yet to become an Argentinian legend, both for his early departure from the country and the lack of success of the Argentinian national team with him leading the line, but that doesn’t mean this can’t be the year.
Argentina can hit you while all kinds of ability up front, and their defense is experience and capable, if not as otherworldly as their offense. Portugal knows the advantages of having the best player on the pitch, between Messi, Aguero, Di Maria will have three of the best in the world. If my life was on the line, I’d be betting on Argentina.
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