Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Uruguay is the leader of the "group of death". In a double match against Jordan, Uruguay was the last team to qualify for the World Cup. Nevertheless, "La Celeste" is an outsider (or even more) for the World Cup. Luis Suarez (Liverpool) and Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain) are two of the best forwards in the world. Suarez is currently the top scorer in the Premier League with 30 goals. If he can keep playing like this at the World Cup, Uruguay might reach the semifinal or so, like in 2010.
The weakest team of this group is Costa Rica. This is the fourth time "Los Ticos" have qualified for a World Cup, 2006 was the last time Costa Rica was present, in Germany. Joel Campbell is a very talented player, who has played 30 caps at the age of 21. He is contracted by Arsenal, but is loaned to the Greek Champions League participant Olympiakos. Bryan Ruiz, whom PSV loaned for half a year, is the other top player for Costa Rica. I don't think Costa Rica will manage to reach the round of sixteen.
England is one of the three teams that could reach the round of sixteen in this group.
"The Three Lions" rely on the experience of captain Steven Gerrard and co-captain Frank Lampard, but England has more world class players. Wayne Rooney is probably the most important player. Unlike most other teams, nearly all of the players play in their own Premier League. From all players that were called up in the last year, Jermain Defoe is the only one that doesn't play in the UK.
The last team in Group D is Italy. Along with goalkeeper Gianluige Buffon and forward Mario Balotelli, the midfielders are the strongest weapon. Andrea Pirlo, Daniele de Rossi and Marco Verratti are some of the players that will have to lead the "Azzurri" to the victory. Especcialy Verratti is very talented. He plays most of the matches for Paris Saint Germain, the French team that reached the quarter finals in the UEFA Champions Leaugue this year. I think Italy will reach to the semifinals at least.
My expectation:
1. Italy (winning chance 10%)
2. Uruguay
3. England
4. Costa Rica
Monday, 28 April 2014
Friday, 27 December 2013
World Cup 2014 Brazil Group C
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
Colombia is one of the four South American group leaders in this World Cup. The last time Colombia has participated in a World Cup was in 1998 in France. The current team is considered a golden generation. Back/winger Pablo Armero, defender Cristian Zapata, midfielder Freddy Guarin and forward Radamel Falcao are some of the Colombian stars. "Los Cafeteros" will not have much trouble finishing at the first place in this group.
After winning the UEFA European Championship, Greece didn't manage to keep playing that well. Their World Cup in South Africa ended after the group stage. In my opinion, Greece is the weakest team of this group. The most players that won the European Championship in 2004 are getting old, so experience won't be a problem, but Greece lacks some young enthusiastic players to inspire the others. "Piratiko" will most likely not be able to reach the round of sixteen.
The success of Ivory Coast depends on their forwards: Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho are the top players of "The Elephants". However, their team has other talented players. Serge Aurier and Wilfried Bony are members of the next generation internationals. Ivory Coast's team is a bit underrated, I think they can do well on this World Cup.They will have to compete with Japan for the second place in this group.
The last team in this group is Japan. Being one of the best teams in Asia, Japan managed to qualify for all the World Cups since 1998. However, "Samurai Blue" never reached further than the round of sixteen. Yuto Nagatomo, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa are the best players of Japan. Especially Kagawa is a great, talented player. The Manchester United midfielder is an example of the next generation of Japanese players. The round of sixteen is probably the best Japan can get in this World Cup.
My expectation:
1.Colombia
2.Ivory Coast
3.Japan
4.Greece
Colombia is one of the four South American group leaders in this World Cup. The last time Colombia has participated in a World Cup was in 1998 in France. The current team is considered a golden generation. Back/winger Pablo Armero, defender Cristian Zapata, midfielder Freddy Guarin and forward Radamel Falcao are some of the Colombian stars. "Los Cafeteros" will not have much trouble finishing at the first place in this group.
After winning the UEFA European Championship, Greece didn't manage to keep playing that well. Their World Cup in South Africa ended after the group stage. In my opinion, Greece is the weakest team of this group. The most players that won the European Championship in 2004 are getting old, so experience won't be a problem, but Greece lacks some young enthusiastic players to inspire the others. "Piratiko" will most likely not be able to reach the round of sixteen.
The success of Ivory Coast depends on their forwards: Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho are the top players of "The Elephants". However, their team has other talented players. Serge Aurier and Wilfried Bony are members of the next generation internationals. Ivory Coast's team is a bit underrated, I think they can do well on this World Cup.They will have to compete with Japan for the second place in this group.
The last team in this group is Japan. Being one of the best teams in Asia, Japan managed to qualify for all the World Cups since 1998. However, "Samurai Blue" never reached further than the round of sixteen. Yuto Nagatomo, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa are the best players of Japan. Especially Kagawa is a great, talented player. The Manchester United midfielder is an example of the next generation of Japanese players. The round of sixteen is probably the best Japan can get in this World Cup.
My expectation:
1.Colombia
2.Ivory Coast
3.Japan
4.Greece
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
World Cup 2014 Brazil Group B
Group B: Spain, The Netherlands, Chile, Australia
As the winner of the World Cup in South Africa, Spain's intention will be to repeat their success. Spain has a lot of world class players, so when it comes to individual skills, they are one of the best teams in the World Cup. The midfielders of "La Furia Roja" are excellent; Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas are the players that have to lead Spain to the victory with the world-famous tiqui-taca style. However, this tactic doesn't always work. That's why the actual Brazilian Diego Costa is the new hope when tiqui-taca isn't enough. The Atletico Madrid forward will receive his new Spanish passport within a few months and can make the team more aggressive when necessary. I think Spain has a 20% chance to win this World Cup.
The first match in this group is the final of the World Cup 2010. The Netherlands can finally avenge the lost final, although the Dutch team isn't as good as they were four years ago. Now, we have only two world class players: Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben. "Oranje" is currently in a gap between two generations of top players. Wesley Sneijder played fantastically in 2010, but is getting old. Maarten Stekelenburg and Dirk Kuijt are no longer what they used to be and Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Mark van Bommel are retired now. Overall, I think the Dutch will finish second in the group, behind Spain.
Chile is the third team in group B. "La Roja" are one of the outsiders in this World Cup, as many "experts" say. The key players are Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal and FC Barcelona winger Alexis Sanchez. Especially Sanchez knows the feeling of success. He was part of the FC Barcelona team in 2009 that won all six prices: Primera Division, Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup, Champions League, World Cup for clubs and European Super Cup. Chile is has to compete with Holland for the second place in the group.
Australia is presented at the World Cup for the third time in a row. The "Socceroos" usually don't have a lot of trouble qualifying for the World Cup, because of the lack of powerful opponents in Asia. Australia has no great players, but a physically good team. Their hope is that their opponent underestimate them, because then, the Aussies are lethal. However, Australia seems to have no chance to get to the round of sixteen.
My expectation:
1. Spain (winning chance 20%)
2. The Netherlands
3. Chile
4. Australia
As the winner of the World Cup in South Africa, Spain's intention will be to repeat their success. Spain has a lot of world class players, so when it comes to individual skills, they are one of the best teams in the World Cup. The midfielders of "La Furia Roja" are excellent; Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas are the players that have to lead Spain to the victory with the world-famous tiqui-taca style. However, this tactic doesn't always work. That's why the actual Brazilian Diego Costa is the new hope when tiqui-taca isn't enough. The Atletico Madrid forward will receive his new Spanish passport within a few months and can make the team more aggressive when necessary. I think Spain has a 20% chance to win this World Cup.
The first match in this group is the final of the World Cup 2010. The Netherlands can finally avenge the lost final, although the Dutch team isn't as good as they were four years ago. Now, we have only two world class players: Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben. "Oranje" is currently in a gap between two generations of top players. Wesley Sneijder played fantastically in 2010, but is getting old. Maarten Stekelenburg and Dirk Kuijt are no longer what they used to be and Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Mark van Bommel are retired now. Overall, I think the Dutch will finish second in the group, behind Spain.
Chile is the third team in group B. "La Roja" are one of the outsiders in this World Cup, as many "experts" say. The key players are Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal and FC Barcelona winger Alexis Sanchez. Especially Sanchez knows the feeling of success. He was part of the FC Barcelona team in 2009 that won all six prices: Primera Division, Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup, Champions League, World Cup for clubs and European Super Cup. Chile is has to compete with Holland for the second place in the group.
Australia is presented at the World Cup for the third time in a row. The "Socceroos" usually don't have a lot of trouble qualifying for the World Cup, because of the lack of powerful opponents in Asia. Australia has no great players, but a physically good team. Their hope is that their opponent underestimate them, because then, the Aussies are lethal. However, Australia seems to have no chance to get to the round of sixteen.
My expectation:
1. Spain (winning chance 20%)
2. The Netherlands
3. Chile
4. Australia
Monday, 23 December 2013
World Cup 2014 Brazil Group A
In the next weeks, I will talk about the groups for the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. I´ll do one group every couple of days, starting with A and ending with H.
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
As the organiser of the World Cup, Brazil is the leader of Group A. The "Selecao" has the all-time record of most World Cups won: 5 times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. Considering the great team, including superstar Neymar, and the great atmosphere in the stadiums when Brazil plays a home match, I think Brazil has a 30% chance of winning the World Cup for the sixth time.
Croatia will open the World Cup in a match against Brazil at June 12 in Sao Paolo. The "Vatreni" (The Blazers) have the best team they've had in years. Luka Modric is the best player, and captain Darijo Srna, winger Danijel Pranjic and Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic are the other weapons Croatia can use. Furthermore, Internazionale midfielder Mateo Kovacic is generally considered a player with a huge potential. Croatia has a big chance to finish second in the group, behind Brazil.
Mexico is the third team in group A. After opening the World Cup 2010 in a match against South Africa, "El Tricolor" will play the second match against Cameroon. The Mexicans have a experienced team, but I think they miss a real leader. All the players of the current team play in the Mexican competition. Most likely, their tournament will end after three matches.
Cameroon is one of the five African teams competing in the World cup, and probably the best one. Captain Samuel Eto'o is getting older, but has played for FC Barcelona and is currently playing for Chelsea. Alexandre Song is the other player that had to lead "The Indomitable Lions" to the victory. Cameroon has some young but talented players, for instance defenders Nicolas N'Koulou and Joel Matip and midfielder/forward Fabrice Olinga, the youngest goal scorer ever in the Spanish Primera Division. Cameroon has to compete with Croatia for the second place in group A that leads to the round of 16.
My expectation:
1. Brazil (winning chance 30%)
2. Croatia
3. Cameroon
4. Mexico
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
As the organiser of the World Cup, Brazil is the leader of Group A. The "Selecao" has the all-time record of most World Cups won: 5 times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. Considering the great team, including superstar Neymar, and the great atmosphere in the stadiums when Brazil plays a home match, I think Brazil has a 30% chance of winning the World Cup for the sixth time.
Croatia will open the World Cup in a match against Brazil at June 12 in Sao Paolo. The "Vatreni" (The Blazers) have the best team they've had in years. Luka Modric is the best player, and captain Darijo Srna, winger Danijel Pranjic and Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic are the other weapons Croatia can use. Furthermore, Internazionale midfielder Mateo Kovacic is generally considered a player with a huge potential. Croatia has a big chance to finish second in the group, behind Brazil.
Mexico is the third team in group A. After opening the World Cup 2010 in a match against South Africa, "El Tricolor" will play the second match against Cameroon. The Mexicans have a experienced team, but I think they miss a real leader. All the players of the current team play in the Mexican competition. Most likely, their tournament will end after three matches.
Cameroon is one of the five African teams competing in the World cup, and probably the best one. Captain Samuel Eto'o is getting older, but has played for FC Barcelona and is currently playing for Chelsea. Alexandre Song is the other player that had to lead "The Indomitable Lions" to the victory. Cameroon has some young but talented players, for instance defenders Nicolas N'Koulou and Joel Matip and midfielder/forward Fabrice Olinga, the youngest goal scorer ever in the Spanish Primera Division. Cameroon has to compete with Croatia for the second place in group A that leads to the round of 16.
My expectation:
1. Brazil (winning chance 30%)
2. Croatia
3. Cameroon
4. Mexico
Sunday, 29 September 2013
PSV 4-0 Ajax
The match of the week in the Eredivisie was PSV Eindhoven-Ajax Amsterdam. The champion of the last season against the number two. The first half wasn't very interesting, so I didn't watch the second. Unfortunately, this appeared to be a bad decision. Within 15 minutes, PSV managed to score four times! Tim Matavz scored the first goal, and Jetro Willems, Oscar Hiljemark and Park Ji Sung made the day of the Ajax fans even worse. Due to this win, PSV is back at the first place of the Eredivisie.
Caught my eye:
For the first time in 316 matches, FC Barcelona did not have more possession than their opponent. Rayo Vallecano managed to get 51% possesion against "the best team ever". However, FCB won 4-0. The last time Barca had less possession was at May 7 2008, in a match against Real Madrid. I don't think any team will ever break this amazing record.
NOTE: Had to be posted at September 24
For the first time in 316 matches, FC Barcelona did not have more possession than their opponent. Rayo Vallecano managed to get 51% possesion against "the best team ever". However, FCB won 4-0. The last time Barca had less possession was at May 7 2008, in a match against Real Madrid. I don't think any team will ever break this amazing record.
NOTE: Had to be posted at September 24
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
PEC Zwolle no. 1
After six matches, PEC Zwolle is still leading the Eredivisie. PEC played in the Jupiler league, the second division in the Netherlands, since 2004, but in 2012 they reached the Eredivisie. After a good first season, with a eleventh place out of eighteen, the critics expected Zwolle to be less good and even a degradation to the Jupiler League wouldn't be unexpected. However, PEC renewed the team with succes. They play attractive football, inspired by the current FC Barcelona. I hope, just like many Dutch football fans, PEC can keep playing well, although one of their best players, Youness Mokhtar, was transferred to FC Twente at the last day of the transfer period.
Caught my eye:
Robin van Persie scored twice in the 0-2 victory from Oranje against Andorra. He is now officially the top goal scorer of the Dutch national team, together with Patrick Kluivert. They both scored 40 goals for their (and my) country, but being only 30 years old, RvP will break Kluiverts record soon.
Caught my eye:
Robin van Persie scored twice in the 0-2 victory from Oranje against Andorra. He is now officially the top goal scorer of the Dutch national team, together with Patrick Kluivert. They both scored 40 goals for their (and my) country, but being only 30 years old, RvP will break Kluiverts record soon.
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
Estonia 2-2 Holland
The Dutch national team did not manage to beat Estonia last Friday. This 2-2 draw was quite disappointing, as Oranje was expected to win easily. Estonia has never beaten Oranje before, and this match did not seem to be any different. Arjen Robben scored in de third minute of the match, so I expected no resistance from the Estonians. Nevertheless, they played very well and scored twice. Fortunately, Robin van Persie scored the last goal of the game, after a penalty was given. This evening, Oranje can make itself a ticket to the World Cup in Brazil, if they beat Andorra. An easy prey, but after Friday, you never know.
Caught my eye:
Real Madrid has broken its own record by buying Gareth Bale for 100 million euro. In 2009 Cristiano Ronaldo was transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid, costing 94 million euro. Including Bale and Ronaldo, the four most expensive players ever all went to Real Madrid: Zinedine Zidane (73 million euro) and Kaka (65 million euro).
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