Let's see, Argentina have 2 more years time but if they would meet Belgium this year they would get handed pretty easily by them.
The talent for Belgium is undeniable. Most club sides could only dream of starting Hazard, De Bruyne, Carrasco, and Mertens in their starting XI. The question comes down to learning how to win against big name teams in tournaments. People seem to forget that the Belgian core is still young and there is still a lot of talent that is still maturing. While I'm not a big fan of Ramirez, Belgium is steamrolling its qualifying group ATM even if it is a weak group. The key will be health at the back, maintaing, intensity, and converting chances. It's also good that Tielemans and Dedoncker are seeing the pitch as they are the 8 and 6 for Belgium in the future and both will end up on top club teams and Tielemans needs to be ready for Russia because will be a key for Belgium's chances. Belgium is basically at the prove it stage. They aren't favorites because they haven't shown the ability to win tournaments, but seem to be a team to watch out for if they can ever figure it out.
Don't forget a CB duo of Alderweireld and Vertonghen, who are not only both excellent center-backs, but they also play together at club level (statistically the best CB duo in the EPL). And Courtois in goal. And a CM duo of Dembele and Nainggolan. The quality is undeniably there, but they've already wasted to international tournaments under Wilmots IMO. I'm not a big fan of Martinez but he is undeniably a much better coach than him. Russia 2018 is the big one for Belgium. I hope all their key players stay fit.
Belgium & Brazil are the two most talented teams in the World for me. Both their best players will be peaking just in time for the next WC as well. They actually both have competent coaches for once too.
Anybody else annoyed by the scheduling? CONCACAF and CONMEBOL played two qualifying matches during this window. AFC,CAF, and UEFA only one. You could probably eliminate 1-2 international breaks per year from the schedule if all the federations coordinated their schedules.
Conmebol need more dates as they have more matches. Concacaf need to play both games as they have only just started their hex. Asia marks the half way mark of their main group round and can afford to allow teams to play a friendly if they wish. They could do this more easily under the old 5 team group system but now they have switched to six teams need a general bye to fit in a friendly. Also as Asia combined continental and WC qualiiers in rounds 1 and two it gave them some extra space. Not really annoyed by the scheduling, but can see why not all teams play (or need to play) qualifiers in each break. The current FIFA scheduling just allows a 10 day release window, rather than the old different schedule for qualifiers and friendlies which were more demanding travel wise.
A lot of WC winners struggled through the WCQers and the games prior to the Finals. Germany 2014, Spain 2010 and Italy 2006 were damn good at the WCQers. The others.... Brazil 2002 qualified 3rd and only three points away from elimination. I recalled they struggled around midway, but were comfortable at the end, despite not winning their matches. France 1998: They did poorly at Tounoi de france. I do not remember their friendly matches, but I seemed to recall. Brazil 1993: They lost to Bolivia, which was a big match. Brazil never lost in a WCQer. I do not remember Argentina 1986 and 1978, and West Germany 1974. West Germany 1990 and Italy 1982 qualified as the second place team. brazil had some issue with their coach, prior to the WC 1970 Finals. So I am not ruling out Argentina and Messi yet.
It can still be improved further to reduce travel demands on players ,imo. And also to reduce annoyance for fans, some of whom have to endure a 2-week break from club football only to see their NT play 0 or 1 game. Yes CONCACAF played 2 games this break but they played zero in the previous one. AFC and UEFA only played 1 in this break. CONMEBOL played 2 in this break but they play zero in the June int’l break. If you combine those facts together it becomes apparent that one out of the 3 int’l breaks that take place in the Autumn can be scrapped quite easily: Only CONMEBOL teams made full use of them by playing 6 competitive matches, yet that was completely unnecessary because now they are ahead of schedule (a whole year left and only 6 more matches to play).
Yeah, Spain is, in fact, probably the only clear cut and universal favorite since Brazil '94 that actually went wire-to-wire. And even then they were shaky throughout the tournament itself to the point where it seemed frequently plausible that they might be unable to pull it off. I made some picks, but I reserve the right to change my vote before the WC. It will all come down to form and who does or does not emerge as players with match-changing talent prior to the WC. Lots of young players in many countries who can become Champions League winner or mature to the level where they might elevate their NT come time for the WC. Right now Argentina, Brazil and Germany, even Chile seem to be out in front. Who knows who might join those ranks.
Its the stable of strikers/attackers for Belgium that is crazy for me..... Lukaku is 23 Christian Benteke is 25 Michy Batshuayi is 23 Divock Origi is 21 Eden Hazard is 25 Kevin DeBrunye is 25 Yannick Carrasco is 23 Adnan Januzaj is 21 Lukaku, Benteke, Batshuayi, and Origi are what I call "tanks". Just look at their Physicals Lukaku - 6'3/207lbs Benteke - 6'3/185lbs Batshuayi - 6'2/175lbs Origi - 6'1/170lbs But all have pace, strength, finishing ability, physicality, great in the air.... I mean like they are who you design on create a player... Its just disgusting what they have in strikers and in wide midfielders as well...
Spain did get 2 to 3 times more shots than their opponents though, except against Chile, and didn't concede a single goal in the knockout stage. So I would say they wore the 'favorite' tag quite well, which is not always easy.
Januzaj will have to unlock a lot more of his potential before he gets another look in ... for now Mertens, Chadli, Mirallas, et al. are higher up the pecking order (in addition to the ones you mentioned) ... also, Thorgan Hazard ('a German team'), one of Eden's younger brothers, has been making waves in the Bundesliga (and the CL) before his injury and the likes of Bakkali (Valencia), Musonda Jr. (Chelsea on loan to Real Betis), et al. can come good. Plenty of depth and we're good for the forseeable future.
Right now I feel the favorites would be Germany, Belgium, Argentina and Portugal. Portugal VS Argentina final..........Messi VS Ronaldo..........odds are we will never see it but that would be the most anticipated final ever. My pick is Portugal to win it all. This Euro team all of there young stars were still not yet in the primes of their careers. The best left back in the tournament Raphael Geuirerro is only 22 and killing it with Dortmund in the midfield since there coach said he is just way too good to waste his talents in the left back position. He may end up being too good to play left back for Portugal as well and end up in there stacked midfield. There good solid right back from the euros Cedric has lost his starting spot to one of the best young right backs in Europe in Joao Cancelo of Valencia who scored 3 goals in his first 3 games for Portugal in world cup qualifying and friendlies. So this position has been upgraded. Joao Mario 23 years old midfielder was fantastic at the Euro's and has been great for Inter since his big money move in the summer. He is very similar to Deco and as many top coaches and analysts have said he is the kind of player with the talent to play in any team in any league and be able to dominate. He will be even better at the world cup. World Class player. Andre Gomes the 23 year old midfielder bought by Barcelona for 50 million after the euros is now a regular in Barcelona's midfield and should be in his prime at the world cup. World Class potential here. Great size as well at 6 feet 2 inches. William Carvalho the 24 year old best defensive midfielder at the Euros will be in his prime at the world cup. How Sporting has managed to hold onto him after big bids from the top clubs is beyond me. Killer passing game for a big man. Renato Sanches arguably the best young player in the world will be better in the world cup but yet still will only be 20 years old. That's a lot of great young talent all with world class talent that will be at or near there primes in 2 years time. Not to mention the amazing young players Portugal has that are knocking on the door step of starting for Portugal and weren't even on the euro team: Gelson Martins the 21 year old amazing sporting winger whom man untied, man city, Real madrid and more are fighting over trying to sign him. Already more dynamic and exciting than Nani and ready to take his starting place from Nani. Regarded widly as arguably the best young winger in the world, got huge press after his amazing display versus Madrid at the Bernabeu where Marcelo and the rest of the defence were getting emberrased by him. He wil be sportings record sale. Andre Silva the 20 year old Porto striker who is leading the league in scoring and looks like a legit world class future striker, finally a great young striker for what seems like has decades for Portugal. Will be sold for a massive amount this summer with all the big clubs being inked to him. Already has a hat trick for Portugal in the few games he has played since being called up in the fall. A real goal scoring poacher. Bernardo Silva the 22 year old amazing winger/ attacking midfielder who is surely a big money move away in the summer. No offence to Monaco but he is too good and needs to play on a world class club to match his world class talent. He was expected to be one of the great young stars of the euros by the top analysts but got injured and missed the euros with Renato Sanches being called up to take his place.............amazing that sanches wouldn't have made the team had Bernardo been healthy. These 3 players barring injury will be starters at the world cup. And there are many other great young players in Portugal but these ones I have listed are the ones who are or who look like future world class players. I honestly don't know if there is a team with more elite young talent in the world right now than Portugal which lets be honest, has never ever happened, never even close. This is the real golden generation. With a midfield of Joao Mario, Andre Gomes, William Carvalho and Renato Sanches this could very well be the best midfield at the world cup.
They still won't be in their primes in 2018, except maybe Gomes and Carvalho. But Gomes is probably the poorest of the young crop of talent. Not impressed with him at all. And of course they won't get Poland and Wales en-route to a WC final. They'll be lucky if they get Wales in the group-stage never mind a semifinal. For Argentina things would have to change in a big hurry if they're going to be a top 2 team in 18 months. Are they even going to qualify? If they do, I wouldn't be surprised if they're not even seeded so they might not get through the group-stage. They also won't have the great crowd support that propelled them in 2014.
I agree gomes isn't as good as some of the rest as he hasn't been great for Portugal. He has been great at Valencia and very good at Barcelona but hasn't put in great performances for portugal so far. But I do disagree that Carvalho will be the only one in his prime. I'd say Joao Mario who is already world class will be in his prime at 25 years old. And Guerrero at 24 should be at or near his prime, same as Gomes if he keeps improving. Yes they won't have as easy if a path but historically they always play best versus the best teams, for some reason they play down to the level of their opponents. Just look at since Santos took over, they Have beaten Italy, Argentina , Croatia, Belgium and France yet struggled against Hungary and teams like Albania. For any portuguese fan it's been this way for the past 16 years. I consider 24 to 28 the prime years in my opinion.
Nonsense. Barcaforum.com were absolutely gushing over him just before the Real Sociedade game. After that, he became the worst player ever. It's hilarious how often people criticize players that perform poorly when the player's team overall is very much under-performing, as Barcelona and many of their stars are. You're a reasonable guy so I'm sure you can understand that it'd be absurd to expect a new, young player to outperform the rest of his team, particularly when the team as a whole is playing badly.
Settle down, they weren't gushing over anyone. They were basically just saying that he needs time to adapt to the Barca system and that he's better than Denis Suarez. Nothing more than that. And not everyone is playing poorly for Barca. The team's problem right now lies with the midfield. No adequate replacements for Busquets or Iniesta.
Sure. http://www.barcaforum.com/showthread.php/12572-21-André-Gomes/page80 This post was liked by 10 users on November 25th. "WTF is all this shit about SLOW. If you want a sprinter we might as well buy Bale and play him in midfield. I don't remember Xavi breaking any sprint records. Lucho is clearly trying ti figure out his best Eleven while also trying to keep his players fresh. Id like to see Gomes get a run of games. Clearly has the most potential of our youngsters. People forget it took Xavi and Iniesta a long time to eat themselves."
Another one: "I think his ability to play a through ball is severely underrated here. There are times when, even if he is still in his adjustment period, he just comes up with a pass that is characteristic for a highly intelligent and creative midfielder. I think this makes him different to Rakitic, who doesn't have that passing creativity imo" I'd say that all classifies well above "They just think he's better than Denis"
Of course in a thread of 85 pages you'll find some good stuff. Even those examples are mostly about potential which is not only extremely subjective but kind of irrelevant since this thread is about Russia not Qatar or Euro 2020.