World Cup Shenanigans
Who's excited for Brazil 2014? Many Brazilian residents might not be, for whatever political reasons, but I certainly am. I've been studying up on my Portuguese, and I'm ready to head down south next summer.I'll start this post off with some brave words: I think Brazil will win the 2014 World Cup. I know it didn't go so well in 1950, but after seeing the Confederations Cup, the home-field advantage seems to really put the Seleção ahead of the game. Not to mention the world's best backline of Alves, Silva, Luiz/Dante, and Marcelo to provide cover for Paulinho and Oscar in the middle (and maybe even Ronaldinho, if the gods answer my prayers).
But forget the green and yellow. There are two national teams I truly support: the United States and Iran. Let's break their chances down.
Realistically, the US has a slim chance of progressing to the knockout stages out of Group G. Our first game against Ghana is a must-win, and there is a possibility that Portugal could slip up without a great performance from Ronaldo, yet I still rate our chances at no higher than 30/35%. Like I said, though, it's possible. Jozy Altidore has the potential to manhandle defenders and provide an outlet for the likes of Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, and Michael Bradley has the legitimate ability to control the tempo of a game with his professionalism and calming influence. If Bradley can facilitate play out wide or up the middle for Jozy to clinically finish, and if the Gonzalez/Besler CB pairing proves as stout as the 0-0 draw at the Azteca would have me believe, then we certainly have a chance to finish 2nd in the group. But again, those other three teams are probably going to show up with their best efforts, too.
And Iran. For those who forget, they were drawn into Group F with Argentina, Bosnia, and Nigeria. I give my homeland a solid 50% chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the World Cup next year. Obviously, I think a determined Lionel Messi will lead the Albiceleste to the top of the group, but 2nd place is anyone's game. The Iranians just won for the first time ever in Seoul, so they are at a high in their history. If Dzeko and Ibisevic don't show up, Bosnia is beatable by way of Iran's tenacity and workman-like approach. Nigeria's speed may be too much for the Middle Easterners to handle, but on any given day, either can win. Any sort of offense against Argentina would just be a bonus.
And one final note: Here's hoping that Ray Hudson of beIN Sport is commentating on at least a few World Cup games. That guy is the man.
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