Blues - Waterford United FC Programme v Shelbourne Friday 9th May 2014 | Page 13

The Top Dogs

Notes On A Small Tournament by Bluebeard
I think that potentially seven nations when they face Bosnia. They’ve lost only four times
could win the World Cup: no big since the Copa America in 2011, all away - twice
surprises, but you shouldn’t expect to Brazil. They’ve a good manager in Sabella, a big
any in this list.
step up on Maradona’s reign of madness in South
The massive favorites are the Africa, and even he got them to the quarter finals.
home team. Winning the Confederations Cup last The big concern has been an inexperienced defence:
year presented their credentials. They start with a Zabaleta and Coloccini are their most seasoned
solid, settled squad, and a proven successful manager, defenders, with less than 80 caps between them, so a
so the bookies have them clear of the rest. Aside from lot will fall to Mascherano in midfield. They could do
home ground, their big advantage is the intense fitness it, but the whole team will have to be at its best.
ethic that’s been their secret weapon since the ‘70s. The thing about Germany is that they are always
This isn’t the Brazil of 1970, or ‘82, though, it’s a team at least 70% composed of Germans , guaranteeing a
built from the back, focused on solidity: the centre solid, determined approach, backed by strength and
forward (probably Fred) playing with his back to the best technical abilities. Like every other World
goal, permitting Neymar to do real damage. Don’t Cup, they are among the favorites, and will be tough
expect any new faces bursting onto the scene, but to score on and difficult to stop. While Thomas Muller
does a team that boasts Dani Alves,
continues to be a focal point of the
Oscar, Ramires & Paulinho need
attack, Khedira’s return from injury is
reinforcements?
the key to their success. Klose looks
Losing the Confederation Cup
increasingly likely to start, and has
Final was disappointing, but for
said it will be his last championship.
Spain, defeat may well make them
It’s worth noting that the longest
stronger, and just four losses since
Germany has gone without winning
2010 means they remain tough to
a major championship since WWII
beat. They start the tournament
is 18 years – the same length since
with a huge match against the
they won their last, in Euro ‘96.
Netherlands, but defeat in the first
France & Italy are longer shots:
game didn’t stop them last time.
favourites on plausibility rather than
Atlético Madrid’s Diego Costa will
promise, and both teams only come
be returning to the land of his birth,
to life deep into a tournament. South
which capped him twice in friendlies Can the best international manager Africa was a disaster, but generally
last year, and his subsequent in Europe, Cesare Prandelli, take they improve dramatically after a
his motley crew all the way?
defection has caused genuin