Ahoy there. I’m Shawn
and I spent the better part of a decade and a half playing soccer in the
KW/Cambridge/Guelph area and I was lucky enough to start from day one in 2008
with Grand River Soccer. As part of my
good friend (and GRS co-founder) Louie Antoniou’s trip to Brazil for this
year’s World Cup, we thought we’d run a little website to share with all you
Grand River Soccer participants…and since this is on the web, I suppose the
rest of the world gets a peek at it too.
Apologies for the shoddy production values and clunky web-design.
Stay tuned here for posts and analysis from myself and Louie, as well as social media updates from the man in the jungle himself (because that’s what I’m calling Louie now). This should be fun, ridiculous, and sometimes flat out incorrect. Hope you enjoy it.
And….
Since I can’t do anything without thinking I’m an expert, my
first act as editor-in-chief for this little forum is to share my picks for the
group stage. Bear in mind that I have
zero professional-level playing, coaching, or analysis experience. I just watch a lot of soccer on television
and blame my gamey right leg when I play poorly; I leg that I broke in a GRS
match at that!
Please don’t use these predictions as wagering advice…you’ll
lose everything.
Group A:
Winner: Brazil
Runner Up: Mexico
Why, you ask?
If there is one pick that could be considered the safest
pick in the group stage it is that Brazil will win this relatively weak group,
so no shocking statement in picking them first.
But I do court some controversy in excluding the Croatians from the
knock-out rounds, and that is only because no other team has historically
neutralized the Brazilians as well as Mexico.
If El Tri can get a result against
the hosts, I think that is more than Croatia or Cameroon could muster.
Group B:
Winner: Spain
Runner Up: The Netherlands
Why, you ask?
The last two finalist from four years ago, and neither has
shown me any reason why they shouldn’t waltz through this group. Their toughest fixture will be against one
another, and whoever prevails there should win the group. Chile will provide
stiff resistance, but I don’t see them having the depth to get a result against
either European super-power. Australia
is probably just happy to be there.
Group C:
Winner: Colombia
Runner Up: Cote D’Ivoire
Why, you ask?
Things start to go off the reservation a bit now. Japan and Greece have had reasonably strong
international tournaments the last few times out, but I feel that both just have too much
trouble scoring to be of a worry to teams as big and offensive as Colombia and
the Ivory Coast. Didier Drogba will
be in what is likely his swan-song World Cup so watch for him to be a big
motivator for his side, both with his leadership and his work-rate on the pitch.
Group D:
Winner: Uruguay
Runner Up: Italy
Why, you ask?
Uruguay have arguably the most dangerous player on earth
right now in Luis Suarez provided he overcomes an injury scare) , and while I’m not that comfortable with Muslera in
goal, I think their loads of attacking and forward-moving midfield players
should tip the balance in their favour.
Likewise, Italy has attacking power that is typically unseen in the
inventors of cattanaccio, and they paid for it with a slip in that vaunted
defense. In fact, only two teams in the
World Cup conceded more 2 goal games to their opponents than Italy did. Still, I imagine Italy will fall back into
their old habits of getting two or three draws in the group stage to sneak into
the knockouts. From there, it’s a
crapshoot for the Azzuri.
Group E:
Winner: France
Runner Up: Ecuador
Why, you ask?
After the embarrassing failure of South Africa in 2010,
France has a point to prove, and I just can’t shake them from taking my
winner’s spot in this group. They close
out matches pretty well, and if they can get mazy runs and good distribution
from their midfield and good link up play with their front line, they should
win at least two of the three games.
Ecuador defend poorly, but they have a quick incisive
offense that threatens the box constantly.
The Swiss have a stalwart defense, but no real attacking threats aside
from Inler. Honduras? Well, at least they’ll get a nice few days to
spend in Brazil after the crash out pointless.
Group F:
Winner: Argentina
Runner Up: Bosnia-Herzegovina
Why, you ask?
Leo Messi is another player with a point to prove, as the
knock on him and his otherwise generational game has always been the lack of
international team success (but hey, what’s Cristiano Ronaldo ever won
internationally either?) so enjoy seeing him in his prime this go around. No midfield in this group will be able to contain
him, and Argentina should win this group by three or more points. Nigeria has played poorly of late and have
severe liabilities in their defense, while Iran are even leakier on their
backline. Watch for Bosnia-Herzegovina
to play a plain old-fashioned game of steely, hard-tackling defense and
formulaic, route #1 attacking on their way to second in the group.
Group G:
Winner: Germany
Runner Up: Portugal
Why, you ask?
This is the group of death, and I suppose I should make some
hyped-up remarks, but I honestly don’t see it being that much of a tough
call. The Germans seem to be what they
always are in an international tournament: efficient, confident, and flat-out
tough to play against. They aren’t as
young as they were last time out in South Africa, and that’s a serious
disadvantage to their opponents.
Portugal is holding their breath over the fitness of Cristiano Ronaldo, as
this year he has been the best player in the world from both open play and set
pieces. If he’s fit and on form, only
the strong midfielders of Germany can hope to contain him. The Americans and the boys from Ghana may
beat up on each other, but I have serious doubts about either side troubling
the two European nations.
If, for whatever reason, Ronaldo doesn’t play to his ability,
watch for Klinsmann’s men and their diamond midfield to pip second spot. Still, I doubt Clint Dempsey strikes much
fear into the hearts of anyone’s defense anymore.
Group H:
Winner: Belgium
Runner Up: Korea Republic
Why, you ask?
I have Belgium in my final four and here’s why. Only Spain conceded fewer goals/game in
qualifying and Belgium’s well-rounded attack flows through a very steady Eden
Hazard in the middle of the park. If you
look at the most-talented young footballers in the world right now, most of
them are Belgian, so that inexperience may play, but then again it may
not. As for Korea, I’ll admit that I
still have some love for them from their stint as host in 2006, and their
frenetic, chaotic style of play is especially entertaining for me, and it is
effective to boot. Russia has problems
scoring, especially once down a goal, and I’m willing to wager a nickel that
Algeria don’t score a goal all tournament.
So there you have it. Please forward all hate mail to Louie.
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