On June 12th, the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Brazil with the opening match between Brazil and Croatia. Meanwhile, Spain prepares to defend its 2010 World Cup triumph in South Africa, here in Brazil. Let’s take a look at them and others who could win this international event.
Spain: La Furia hope to defend their title and they bring back a large amount of players from their moment four years ago. David Villa and Fernando Torres return to the front line as they are joined by the talented Diego Costa. The midfield looks strong again with people like Juan Mata, Cesc Fabregas, and Sergio Busquets (just to name a few). Gerard Pique returns to anchor the defense but he will be without Carles Puyol who retired earlier this year. Iker Casillas will be in net once again. Spain will have to get out of a tough group with the Netherlands, Australia and Chile joining them. They will have to get out to a fast start to move forward in their pursuit of back to back World Cups.
Brazil: The hosts bring in a very strong team, full of star power. The obvious leader of this group is Neymar but he is joined by Fred who is a prolific scorer as well. Paulinho and Oscar are top midfielders on this squad, while Dani Alves and David Luiz lead the defense. Julio Cesar will be the veteran presence in goal. This team will be fired up about playing at home but will definitely face some tough challenges after the group stage. Look for star power to play a factor in those matchups.
Argentina: Speaking of star power, Lionel Messi is capable of taking over any game. Arguably the three best players here in Brazil are Neymar, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal. Besides Messi, he is joined by Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero. While the defense isn’t much, the offense is still arguably the best in the world. Look for Messi to be a big factor and lead Argentina out of the group stage.
Germany: Germany brings an established, veteran presence to this World Cup. One of the top scorers in World Cup history is Miroslav Klose, who is back for his last shot at the cup. The veterans Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil are the biggest keys to Germany’s success. On the back-end, Philipp Lahm is the key defensemen and Manuel Neuer is in net once again. Germany must start in the “group of death” with Portugal, Ghana, and the United States. If they can successfully get out of the group, they will be an exceptionally tough out in the knockout round.
It will certainly be a sight to see, as the World Cup returns to one of the most storied countries for soccer; Brazil. These teams will be contenders late in the event, but the magic of the World Cup can always provide excitement. It should be a fantastic spectacle of soccer!
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