June has arrived and has brought huge cheer to the faces of
football fans. There was a dip in the mood of the footie enthusiasts due to completion
of league football matches. But before the wait could get any longer came the biggest
sports extravaganza in the World. With Brazil at the core for all the
activities, people are ready for a month of non-stop football action.
Here is a football fan’s guide for the 2014 World Cup held
in Brazil.
Out of the 32 participating teams, some teams like Bosnia
& Herzgovinia are makng their debut while teams like Algeria & Honduras
are just happy to play along with the big boys. Some countries naturally start
as the favorites and will show their footballing prowess in this spectacle.
Brazil: The five
time winners and the World cup hosts are the favorites to win the title. ‘Selecao’
as they are fondly called boasts a number of stars like Neymar, Hulk, Thiago
Silva who can propel their charge towards the title and will have the fans
playing as 12th man on the field. Will the overall pressure get to
them is what we have to wait and see?
Spain: ‘La Furia
Roja’ or The Red Fury as they are called, are the defending champions and enter
the competition as one of the favorites. They possess a complete squad with all
their players – the likes of Diego Costa, Iniesta and Sergio Ramos - in top
form. Lets see if their unique playing style of tiki-taka will blow the
opposition or not?
The Netherlands:
The ‘Oranje’ have been perennial under achievers at the world stage but will be
boosted by their performance at the World stage in 2010 where they reached the
finals. A similar feat is expected from them and with players like Robin van
Persie & Arjen Robben gunning for success its quite in reach.
Germany: The three
time champions will look to put out another title winning squad with players
hungry for success. The team which believes in total football built around pace
and technique revolves around crucial players like Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller, Bastian
Schweinsteiger and captain Philip Lahm. Theres no holding back ‘Die Mannschaft’
this World cup!!
Argentina: Having
the World cup being played in their continent, ‘La Albiceleste’ will have a
distinct crowd support. With top strikers like Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and
Gonzalo Higuain all ready to score in goals, the team looks destined to win and
repeat the success of 1986.
Then there are the
dark horses as well. Portugal with
the mercurial Cristiano Ronaldo and a host of other stars can be one of the
teams to look out for. Belgium who
are making an appearance in the World cup after 2002 and with its array of
superstars like Eden Hazard & Vincent Kompany can very well surprise all. Italy has the knack of winning trophies
with a steady setup and that man, Andrea Pirlo at the centre of all things.
Top 5 Superstars who
can make the World Cup as theirs:
Neymar is the
Golden Boy of Brazil and is destined for big things. The World Cup 2014 acts as
a perfect stage for him to rise on top of the world and be the best player around.
Lionel Messi has
won all accolades – personal and team – but one thing which has eluded him is
the World cup. If he wants to match the resume of his idol Diego Maradona, this
World cup has to be his for the taking.
Cristiano Ronaldo or
CR7 is already the captain of the Portuguese side and has won the
FIFA/Ballon d'Or award for the best footballer in the world this year will be
looking to put his stamp on this World cup.
Arjen Robben the
flying Dutchman is coming off a title winning season at the club level rich
with goals and assists and will look to propel his team, the Netherlands, to
the title.
Andrea Pirlo the
veteran statesman who will be probably playing his last World cup will be
looking to end it on a high. Expect some killer long balls and scintillating
free kicks from the ‘Bearded one’.
No comments:
Post a Comment