the german youth system is second to none in my opinion at this point. However, don't think Germany had quite as good of a Euro to say that they were both definetely better than Italy and France. I'd even go as far as saying we would have knocked you guys out if we had one serviceable midfielder available for that match (De Rossi injured, Motta suspended, Marchisio / Verratti missed whole tournament). However, I would put the Germans as a tier above Italy at this point looking ahead to 2018..but still some time to go so it seems silly to rank the favourites to win.
You both underestimate new french generation. Monaco just kicked City out of champions league with few young players that are even not in the french squad yet. Mendy Bakayoko Lemar Mbappe Kante is even not a starter at the moment... I don't see any squad coming in 2018 with the depth france got. Umtiti also proved himself in Barcelona. And again don't forget this name Mbappe is 18 y o and will be a world superstar. Dembele at 19 is also fantastic at dortmund.
Why would I be worried about France ? We have Eder Also Monacos best player plays for Portugal (bernado silva ) who wasn't even on the 2016 team July 10 2016 France will take some Some to recover my friend
I am not talking about 2016 i am talking about 2018 they are coming stronger and i m not cheering for french squad i cheer for croatia and serbia you are mistaken. They are already at the top of their group ahead of sweden and holland so i think they recovered already. France will have a better squad in 2018 and 2020 than the squad they had in 2014 2016. Bernardo Silva is a great player but only 9g9a this year.... Mbappe scored 20 and gave 6 assists at 18 y o and just came out of the bench recently. He is the real deal! You underestimate the depth france just got now with the likes of griezmann dembele mbappe martial coman lemar lacazette fekir kante pogba bakayoko rabiot varane umtiti kimpembe mendy sidibe lloris They got it all.
Only 11 can play at once and 3 subs allowed ... Forming a cohesive group is what matters France often doesn't gel well as a Group when the tournament comes
France never had that depth before. They had tons of talented players but never so many world class youngsters in every lines of the pitch. They won world cup u 20 in 2013 won euros u19 u 17 lately...they are coming to the main ones now. The french squad that reached the 1/4 in 2014 and the final in euro is much less impressive than the team coming for the next competitions. Mbappe will do big...and he belongs to France.
Why not raise Portugal's results in those same tournaments if you will talk about France's? Portugal = current Euro 2016 champ, U21 runner up, U19 semi finalist, and U17 Champ France= Euro 2016 runner-up, U21 DNQ, U19 champ, and U17 group stage participant France has a lot of talent though not denying it but the above is the current results. , you bring up 2013 France U20 WC, Portugal was runner up in 2011 so not bad either. Both nations have been strong in youth levels. Bernardo Silva is also generally considered Monacos best player even if his goals/assists stats aren't earth shattering.
You forgot one thing: france u20 world cup 2013 and the players involved are becoming big. Portugal is a serious contender. I look Monaco regularly Bernardo Silva was considered the best in first half of the season. Now everybody is crazy about Mbappe he is just 18 and scores all the time. I see what the french players that will play the next world cup are doing. Kante at chelsea griezmann at atletico varane and umtiti at real and barca Dembele at dortmund lloris at tottenham pogba at man u The french players from monaco from lyon from psg from om. Varane didn't play the euro. Kante was not a starter. There was no mendy sidibe on the wings. There were no mbappe dembele. I am talking about them cause they got all! They come closer. 1/4 2014 final 2016 they got the players that won together as youngsters and also players that are doing big now in european leagues and competitions. Goal defense middle forwards wingers Depth. It's not one key but all the keys! The only thing missing was maybe the big player the killer that stands out like cr7 for portugal Mbappe is this player. He is on french side.
I think people on this thread play too much FIFA video games and are obsessed with individual player "stats" instead of watching how the teams actually play.
Funny... Based on what I've heard Monaco's best player was between Benjamin Mendy and Thomas Lemar, both French... and now Mbappe is hot on their heels... I suggest waiting at least on the Player of the Season awards. For now your claim is based on nothing more than conjuecture. Sure, Bernardo Silva may win, but don't claim like it's a fact. It's not.
I watch Ligue 1 more than most and it seems that he's generally considered Monaco's best player generally by Portuguese fans...
Mbappe will win the best youngster of the league award. The best player will be between bernardo silva and cavani. Bernardo Silva is a joy to watch. But against City he didn't do that much! When Mbappe did at 18! The kid will be a golden ball contender.
I think Falcao is Monaco's best player. Back to the topic at hand... ...I don't know how I feel about Portugal. Yes they found a way to grind out results in the Euro but very rarely do we see teams that play that way in the Euro do anything after that. And let's not forget they did not even finish second in their Group. They can't afford to do that in a World Cup. All that said, they have talent, they have the tactics, they have the confidence to do well so I can see them as a team that should make it to the quarters and maybe a semi with some bounces of the ball going their way. ( But not a favorite.)
À la une des catalanes du 16 mars 2017 🗞SPORT MBAPPÉ SÉDUIT LE BARÇA 🗞Mundo Deportivo BOMBE ATOMIQUE 🗞L'Esportiu LE STYLE BARÇA pic.twitter.com/S9IGAScpCt— Penya Blaugrana Rabat Atlantic (@pba_rabat) March 16, 2017 Barcelona and catalan press showing interest in the new french wonderkid. This player will win it all.
Time for an objective assessment of the teams on the list: Argentina: Messi will underperform as usual, and the rest don't add up to much. Quarters at best. Brazil: Learned how to play dirty under Dunga due to lack of the talent compared to previous years. i predict they'll make the quarters at best too (unless they play Argentina - then one of them will make the semis). Chile: Will flatter to deceive. Sanchez cannot carry them very far. Out immediately after the first group stage. England: Without doubt will have the best attacking force in the tournament. Dodgy defenders though. Add that to a rookie manager and they'll be beaten in the final. Germany: They will probably bore us all the way to the semis. Maybe even the final. Ugh! Italy: Past Italian sides got success with cheating and brutal tackles. Without the likes of Zola, Gilardino, and Gentile to dive and kick their way through the tourney then i predict an early exit. Not the force they once were. France: On paper the best team, by some margin. Alas their team is made of paper also, they'll contrive a way to fold. Spain: Their time has passed. Back to pretty football but ultimate obscurity. Uruguay: Suarez and 10 numpties. Lose in the quarters. At best. Netherlands: They have gotten dirtier over the years to make up for the lack of talent - Robben aside. Probably make the quarters, but i hope not. (How i wish they would play the way they used to - i used to love watching them) Portugal: No chance. Take my word for it. Other: Russia not on the list? I don't care how poo they are, the hosts will make the quarters at the very least. Putin will make certain of it. Forget about Africa - no African team in the quarters, as usual (why invite them and AFC/OFC?). USA (for the US soccer fans here) finally have a decent manager again, alas the players are not very good, Pulisic and the ageing Dempsey aside. Early bath for the cocky yanks. CAVEAT: if Freddy Adu comes out of lower-league retirement then watch out world - the teen phenom can propel the USA to glory! Belgium: What a lot of faff about a team that will never achieve anything. Hazard is great, but most of the rest are really ordinary. Won't make the last 8. Wow! Having objectively read my objective assessment above then i objectively conclude it will be a Germany vs England final. 1966 all over again. You read it here first!
They have a much stronger and experienced team than at the 2016 Euro. And some new players which are upgrades. Sure, Renato Sanches has regressed on club level and several other players were overhyped after the Euro, but still - they seem better now than when they won the tournament.
portugal has gotten stronger offensively , but our defense is aging and it's not clear who will step up. Plenty of options in most other positions emerging though.
Dark horses: There are 7 croatians in the champions league 1/4 finals. One croatian in each team winning champions league since 2013. The squad is at the top of its group. world cup will be played in europe. And they now got a goal keeper and depth. Bad luck from last years might turn into luck there. I reckon we can reach 1/4 finals or even come back to semis.
Mbappe got his first call yesterday. 18 y 3 months If he scores in 2 weeks he will be the youngest scorer in french squad history. The youngest was 18 y o 5 month in 1963. There was never a french player as impressive at this age. Even Thierry Henry wasn't as good at 18-19.
The kid looks like an amazing prospect but looking good at 18 doesn't always translate to looking good at 24. Some players go up and others go down. He has to continue to develop in the proper environment.
You are right there are young players that seem talented and don't confirm. But in this case it's not only being good at 18. It's being at international level at 18 scoring in 2 match of a champions league round 16 against a semi finalist from last year. Scoring in league and cups. This case is something special. Something i haven't seen since Henry in France. And even Henry was not at this level.