Favourites For The 2014 World Cup....Brazil???

K-9

Fowler87 wrote: »

Maybe they have matured more as a team because they have been poor in the last couple qualifications

That's a tough group, they should finish top 2 based on talent but there's some tough games there.

Anyway, Spain for me.

G.K.

stealinhorses wrote: »

David Villa was absolutely crucial to Spain winning it last time around, when he got shut off in the final against Holland, the game nearly went to penalties.

That was more to do with Villa being played up top by himself. He ain't a lone frontman, he exploits the work done by the guy furthest forward. He hasn't scored a single goal in a major tournament (Including the Confederations Cup) in games that Fernando Torres didn't start.

Paully D

Fowler87 wrote: »

Maybe they have matured more as a team because they have been poor in the last couple qualifications

There's a split in the camp too between those from the north and south of the country, isn't there? Very talented team on paper but as Holland have showed (apart from 2010) if they don't get on it's difficult.

eagle eye

I agree with the OP that Spain should be favourites.

Just look at the squad they have right now and what can come into it in the next two years.

At the 2014 World Cup the ages of the current players will be

Xavi Hernandez 34
Casillas 33
Xabi Alonso 32
Villa 32
Arbeloa 31
Iniesta 30
Torres 30

All the rest will still be under 30. Unlikely we will see Puyol as he is 34 now.
You then think about the young players on the fringe of the squad like Thiago who will be 23, Muniain will be 21 and theres a host of others like Botia, Dominguez, Isco, Sussaeta, Iturraspe, Montoya, Sergi Roberto, Granero, Callejon and theres loads more.

They can continue on as they have been going and Thiago I think will be the new man in the Xavi type role and we will probably see Javi Martinez starting in central defense due to Busquets being so young in his preferred

I really think they should be favourites and I think they will be almost impossible to stop because their style of football just owns the park against any team.

steelcityblues

hefferboi wrote: »

They could top that group and easily qualify.

Between Croatia and Belgium for top spot, I reckon. Don't see Wales being as good under Coleman, as they were with Speed. Scotland are still pish.

tdv123

Father Damo wrote: »

How do they come up with these odds? There are 16 and 17 year old lads whos names we have never heard and whom the bookies have never heard of who are going to be stars in this tourno, and they are giving odds already with absolutely no idea of who is going to even play in the tournament? Might as well just pick names and bets on prior reputation- if we did that this year it would have been a Spain vs Holland final with RVP top goalscorer

Sounds like ya got a bit inside information there.

G.K.

steelcityblues wrote: »

Between Croatia and Belgium for top spot, I reckon. Don't see Wales being as good under Coleman, as they were with Speed. Scotland are still pish.

Speed's death was one of the worst things to happen in Welsh football history, up there with John Charles getting an injury before Brazil in the WC Quarters in '58.

I genuinely believe we had something special coming on with Speed and Coleman just won't be the same.

steelcityblues

G.K. wrote: »

Speed's death was one of the worst things to happen in Welsh football history, up there with John Charles getting an injury before Brazil in the WC Quarters in '58.

I genuinely believe we had something special coming on with Speed and Coleman just won't be the same.

Yeah, he seemed to get a lot out of a squad with mostly average players. I feel really sorry for that squad, losing him all too soon.

IncognitoMan

Would it be worth backing Belgium now at about 70/1 on betfair with a view to the odds dropping for a lay in two years time?

ArmaniJeanss

IncognitoMan wrote: »

Would it be worth backing Belgium now at about 70/1 on betfair with a view to the odds dropping for a lay in two years time?

Even if they qualified impressively I'd expect them to still be around the 28/1 33/1 mark at the start of the competition so it would really just be a double your money lay.
Probably better off doing a direct bet on them to qualify if you fancy them.

BKC

IncognitoMan wrote: »

Would it be worth backing Belgium now at about 70/1 on betfair with a view to the odds dropping for a lay in two years time?

Would you be betting enough to make it worth a two year wait for the profit?

Liam O

Portugal could be in with a shout, Ronaldo being Ronaldo, Nani in his prime, the likes of Moutinho having the big tournament experience, not too much of a culture shock with speaking the language and all. Maybe they'll even have a decent striker by that stage

let's not forget Spain who are "head and shoulders above everyone else" as said earlier in this thread haven't beaten them in 90 mins in the last two tournaments and Portugal were probably the better team this time around.

IncognitoMan

Probably not enough to make it worth the wait. I see they are 2.68 to win the group and Croatia are 2.48. Who would you back? Croatia are probably the better bet seeing as they have regularly been qualifying for the last few tournaments. Give me an interest aswell on international weeks

Fight_Night

Liam O wrote: »

Portugal could be in with a shout, Ronaldo being Ronaldo, Nani in his prime, the likes of Moutinho having the big tournament experience, not too much of a culture shock with speaking the language and all. Maybe they'll even have a decent striker by that stage

let's not forget Spain who are "head and shoulders above everyone else" as said earlier in this thread haven't beaten them in 90 mins in the last two tournaments and Portugal were probably the better team this time around.

Portugal probably edged it in the 90 mins this time around but they never really looked like scoring. Realistically, considering his dependency on pace, this is Ronaldo's last chance to win a WC. However a world class striker is needed. They won't win without one.