Favourites for the World Cup Golden Boot

1. Lionel Messi

Argentina has relatively easier group when compared to other teams and Lionel Messi is expected to play the leading role in Argentina’s World Cup hopes and put in a string of performances which will make him one of the all time greats. Therefore, the four time Ballon D’Or winner needs to perform for his nation to have any chance of claiming glory on enemy soil.

2. Neymar

A lot is being expected from Neymar this World Cup, after all he is their Poster Boy. He showed the world what he is capable of last summer in the Confederations Cup by helping Brazil to victory. A similar set of performances will certainly make him a leading contender for this year’s World Cup Golden Boot award and may even help make A Seleção world champions for an unprecedented sixth time.

3. Thomas Muller

The 2010 Golden Boot winner could become the first man in history to win back-to-back Golden Boots. He is expected to play a major part in Germany’s bid to lift the famous trophy as he is almost a certain starter for Die Mannschaft. Can the Bayern Munich man create history in Brazil?

4. Sergio Aguero

Sergio Aguero has been in a lethal form of late and he has been destroying clubs in the Premier League with amazing goal scoring skills. His fitness levels are being closely monitored and if he is deemed fit, you can expect him to score a lot of goals. The fact that Argentina has easier fixtures in the group stages comes in as handy to him. Let us see how effective he is for Argentina.

5. Mario Balotelli

The lethal Italian striker is one of the most prolific strikers in the world and has a good international record with 13 goals in 31 appearances. Expect him to add to his goal tally and who knows, he may even fire the Azzurri to victory.

6. Cristiano Ronaldo

I know what you are wondering. What is Ronaldo doing so low? He’s the Ballon D’Or winner, he deserves to be higher! The answer is simple. Portugal rely heavily on the wing wizard and that pressure may get to him and cause him to become a flop during the tournament. Furthermore, Portugal do not have a strong squad and are unlikely to go far in Brazil, therefore Ronaldo’s chances of scoring goals will become limited as his rivals are all parts of superior teams who will progress to the latter stages of the competition.

7. Karim Benzema

Benzema will play a major role in the performance of the French national team. Now that the fan-favourite Ribery is out injured, his responsibility has doubled and his performance will be under the scanner. He had a decent campaign with Real Madrid, winning the Champions League and Copa Del Rey in the process. He will be motivated by the fact that his side has a relatively easier group when compared to other teams.

8. Luis Suarez

Most of you won’t agree, but Luis Suarez has been the best striker in the world for the past 1-2 years. His vision, passing, runs and goal scoring techniques have been one of the best, not to forget his free kicks. He is fighting to be fully fit because of the injury he got in the end of the Premier League campaign. This is expected to affect his chances a bit, that’s why he is this low in the list. One would have expected him to be in the top three otherwise.

9. Fred

This is the 30-year-old Fred’s first and most-probably-last World Cup and so he would really like to give his best for his country. Added to that, Brazil will be playing as the host nation and this certainly gives Fred an upper hand. His lethal performances helped Brazil to win the Confederations Cup last summer and he is expected to play a pivotal role in this year’s World Cup.

10. Romelu Lukaku

Surprised to see his name in the list? You should not be. He has been in a lethal form both in domestic and international football. Belgium find themselves in one of the easiest groups and they will face Algeria, Russia and South Korea. Belgium are expected to win all three matches and we can expect Lukaku to score 3-4 goals in the group stages alone. So it won’t be a surprise if this beast from Belgium wins the golden boot.

Written by Nadeem – @nadz_robbani//@100PercentAFC

Follow us on Twitter: @FutbolAfterDark

World Cup Interviews!

Here are some interviews that three legends have conducted, saying their predictions for the World Cup!

Bryan Robson – Former England and Manchester United captain

Bryan Robson – Former Manchester United and England Captain

World Cup Q & A with
Bryan Robson

1. Winner?
   Brazil
2. Dark Horse?
   Germany
3. Golden Boot (top scorer)?
   Messi
4. Golden Ball (best player)?
   Schweinsteiger
5. Young player of the tournament?
   Sterling

Luis Garcia – Former Liverpool and Spain winger

Luis Garcia – Former Liverpool and Spain winger

World Cup Q & A with
Luis Garcia

1. Winner?
   Spain
2. Dark Horse?
   Japan
3. Golden Boot (top scorer)?
   David Villa
4. Golden Ball (best player)?
   Eden Hazard
5. Young player of the tournament?
   Raheem Sterling

Fernando Morientes – Former Liverpool and Spain striker

Fernando Morientes – Former Liverpool and Spain striker

World Cup Q & A with
Fernando Morientes

1. Winner?
   Spain
2. Dark Horse?
   Chile
3. Golden Boot (top scorer)?
   Ronaldo
4. Golden Ball (best player)?
   Messi/Ronaldo
5. Young player of the tournament?
   Carvajal

Steve McManaman – Former Liverpool and England playmaker

Steve McManaman – Former Liverpool and England playmaker

World Cup Q & A with
Steve McManaman

1. Winner?
   Brazil
2. Dark Horse?
   Columbia
3. Golden Boot (top scorer)?
   (Argentinians will go far so someone) like Aguero
4. Golden Ball (best player)?
   Neymar, (he was excellent in the Confed Cup)
5. Young player of the tournament?
   Mario Gotze

 

World Cup Preview

So the prestigious World Cup 2014 in Brazil (or Brasil…) starts in 5 days now. So seen as we haven’t covered the World Cup recently I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to write about it.
In this blog, the focus will be on the top 8 teams in the world cup. Just a preview or a prediction if you like as to how far they will go in this summers competition. So, let’s begin.

Argentina:

Along with Brazil, Argentina probably fits into the second tier of favorites, one notch below Spain and Germany. Playing on their home continent will help. And no other country can boast the attacking weapons Argentina does, even without the ostracized Carlos Tevez. Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel di Maria form a fearsome fivesome of forwards. With a solid corps of midfielders and defenders, a semifinal berth should fall within the Albiceleste’s capabilities.

Belgium:

No other country can boast anywhere near as much young talent as Belgium does, in spite of only being the size of Maryland (US state) and counting just 11 million citizens – Eden Hazard and Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen and Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke and Kevin De Bruyne are just a few of the great names coming out of Belgium. In spite of their age, they are already an outsider for the title, boasting more than enough talent in every line to match up with just about anybody the World Cup can throw at them. But they are also internationally inexperienced, meaning a quarter-final showing would be a fine result.

Brazil:

There is no ambiguity whatsoever about what is being demanded of the 11 lining up in the gold and green jerseys come June. The Brazilians expect Brazil to lift their sixth World Cup. Plain and simple. To make amends, in a sense, for 1950, when the only other World Cup on Brazilian soil was lost to Uruguay in the final – a national tragedy long in the memory.

The task at hand, however, is much less straightforward. The pressure will be crippling, even more so than in 1950. And, more alarmingly, the talent might not be there. Certainly, Brazil won the Confederations Cup. But this is no vintage Brazilian side. Neymar will surely dazzle up front. But the rest of the team is young overall, suspect in some spots in the back, somewhat uncohesive in midfield, and lacking a consistent goal-scoring threat in attack. A semifinals elimination to either Spain or Germany is the most likely outcome.

France:

Deschamps must procure consistent performances from a brittle squad comprised of aging mainstays, temperamental stars and untested performers at the highest level. Ribéry offers potential salvation every time he steps onto the field, but he will be missing the World Cup due to injury. However his powers alone cannot eradicate the lingering concerns about the suspect mentality of a group reliant on erratic figures like Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri (also not going to the World Cup). Any outcome from a group stage exit to a quarterfinal berth remains firmly on the table depending on how this side molds together.

Germany:

A team full of crafty technicians who play exciting and winning football and are entering their prime. In Mesut Ozil, Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and oh so many others, Germany has the midfield depth to match anybody’s. And yes, that includes Spain. Consequently, anything less than a spot in the final will be a disappointment. Don’t be surprised if Germany lifts its fourth World Cup.

Italy:

After flaming out spectacularly in 2010, Italy decided it was finally time to rebuild and stop relying so heavily on the generation that won in 2006. With exciting young forwards Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy stepping into bigger roles and a strong supporting cast emerging, the return was immediate. Italy reached the final of Euro 2012, losing to Spain, and fell to the same team on penalties in the semifinals of the 2013 Confederations Cup. This team is on the ascent but not quite there yet. A quarterfinals exit is most probable.

Spain:

Spain will enter the fray as one of the favorites. Its ability to join Brazil (1958 and 1962) and Italy (1934 and 1938) as consecutive winners hinges on whether it can find a way to outwit the athletic and robust approach of its fellow contenders. The trademark sharpness in possession must endure with lingering and potentially fatal questions in defense creating vulnerabilities when the opposition counters. Whether this group – perhaps just on the other side of its best with Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez not at their peaks – can muster that panache again or pursue the necessary alternatives remains uncertain. A place in the last four represents a reasonable expectation for a team still among the best in the world.

Uruguay:

It isn’t fair to expect another place in the final four with foundational pieces Diego Forlán and Diego Lugano on the wane. The strength of this side now rests disproportionately up front with Suárez and Edinson Cavani leading the side with their constant menace and steady supply of goals. Their incisiveness is ably supported through midfield, but the defense  might struggle against higher-quality opponents. A spot in the knockout stage represents a reasonable return for this outfit as currently comprised.

Thank you for reading this World Cup preview. We will try to produce as much content as possible moving forward towards the World Cup and during the competition itself. Including match reviews and previews!

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