I know its two and a half years till WC14, however, its interesting to look at how the talent potential is shaping up on the teams which will contend for the trothy in Brazil. Only top level teams (with a chance of winning it) have been included: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BRAZIL GK: Diego Alves (29 years old @ WC 2014) DF: Daniel Alves (31) DF: Thiago Silva (29) DF: David Luiz (27) DF: Marcelo (26) vs Maicon (33) CM: Lucas (27) CM: Ramires (27) AM: Ganso (24) AM: Kaka (32) vs Philippe Coutinho (22) FW: Alexandere Pato (24) vs Hulk (27) FW: Neymar (22) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ARGENTINA GK: Sergio Romero (27) DF: Emiliano Insua (25) DF: Nicolas Otamendi (26) DF: Pablo Zabaleta (29) DF: Ezequiel Garay (27) DM: Javier Mascherano (30) vs Ever Banega (26) AM: Erik Lamela (22) vs Angel Di Maria (26) AM: Javier Pastore (25) FW: Sergio Aguero (26) FW: Lionel Messi (27) FW: Juan Iturbe (21) vs Carlos Tevez (30) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FRANCE GK: Hugo Lloris (27) DF: Bakary Sagna (31) DF: Adil Rami (28) DF: Laurent Koscielny (28) DF: Mamadou Sakho (23) DM: Lass Diarra (29) DM: Abou Diaby (28) AM: Franc Ribery (31) vs Dimitri Payet (27) AM: Marvin Martin (26) vs Yoann Gourcuff (27) AM: Samir Nasri (26) FW: Karim Benzema (26) vs Loic Remy (27) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENGLAND GK: Joe Hart (27) DF: Micah Richards (26) DF: Gary Cahill (28) DF: Phil Jones (22) DF: Glen Johnson (29) CM: Jack Wilshere (22) CM: Steven Gerrard (34) AM: Theo Walcott (25) vs Aaron Lennon (27) AM: Alex Chamberlain (21) vs Ashley Young (28) FW: Wayne Rooney (28) FW: Danny Welbeck (23) vs Daniel Sturridge (25) -------------------------------------------------------------------- SPAIN GK: Iker Casillas (33) vs David de Gea (24) DF: Jordi Alba (25) DF: Sergio Ramos (28) DF: Gerard Pique (28) DF: Martin Montoya (23) DM: Sergio Busquets (25) DM: Javi Martinez (25) vs Oriol Romeu (23) AM: Andres Iniesta (30) AM: Cesc Fabregas (27) vs Juan Mata (26) AM: David Silva (28) vs Thiago Alcantra (23) FW: Iker Muniain (21) vs Fernando Torres (30) --------------------------------------------------------------------- GERMANY GK: Manuel Neuer (28) DF: Philipp Lahm (30) DF: Benedikt Howedes (26) DF: Mats Hummels (25) DF: Marcel Schmelzer (26) DM: Bastian Schweinsteiger (29) CM: Toni Kroos (24) vs Sami Khedira (27) AM: Mesut Ozil (25) RW: Mario Goetze (22) vs Thomas Muller (24) LW: Marco Reus (25) vs Lukas Podolski (29) FW: Mario Gomez (28) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HOLLAND GK: Maarten Stekelenburg (31) DF: Gregory van der Wiel (26) DF: John Heitinga (30) DF: Daley Blind (24) DF: Urby Emanuelson (28) DM: Nigel de Jong (29) vs Royston Drethne (27) AM: Arjen Robben (30) AM: Wesley Sneijder (30) vs Rafael van der Vaart (31) AM: Ibrahim Afellay (28) FW: Robin Van Persie (30) FW: Eljero Elia (27) vs Luc Castaignos (21) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ITALY GK: Gianluigi Buffon (36) DF: Domenico Criscito (27) DF: Giorgio Chiellini (29) DF: Andrea Ranocchia (26) DF: Leonardo Bonucci (27) CM: Claudio Marchisio (28) CM: Daniel De Rossi (31) vs Alberto Aquilani (30) AM: Riccardo Montolivo(29) FW: Mario Balotelli (23) FW: Giuseppe Rossi (27) FW: Antonio Cassano (31) vs Giampaolo Pazzini (29) --------------------------------------------------------------------- PORTUGAL GK: Eduardo (31) vs Rui Patrício (26) DF: Fábio Coentrão (26) DF: Pedro Mendes (23) DF: Pepe (31) DF: João Pereira (30) DM: Miquel Veloso (28) DM: Raul Meireles (31) AM: João Moutinho (27) AM: Danny (30) AM: Nani (27) FW: Cristiano Ronaldo (29) --------------------------------------------------------------------- BELGIUM--- Not a top level team, but a possible surprise package in WC 2014 (they should be loaded with great talent @ their best age). That's if they qualify for WC14. GK: Thibaut Courtois (22) DF: Thomas Vermaelen (28) DF: Vincent Kompany (28) DF: Jan Vertonghen (27) DF: Nicolas Lombaerts (29) CM: Marouane Fellaini (26) CM: Axel Witsel (25) AM: Steven Defour (26) AM: Eden Hazard (23) AM: Moussa Dembele (26) FW: Romelu Lukaku (21) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- So, there you have it. In my opinion, teams such as Germany, Argentina, Brazil, France and Spain are looking well (due to talent quality and age of key players) England should be very young, while Holland will be re-building @ WC14 and I don't think they will win it that year. Italy should have a decent (although not as talented as Ger, Bra, Spa, Fra or Arg) squad, while Portugal will be a bit of a mystery...
Alves and Maicon will be past it. And honestly if that is Brasil's squad at 2014 then they are looking very suspect and it doesn't look like a championship winning team. Spain also is looking relatively weak. From the team squads it looks like Germany to be full-fledged favourites.
Brasil [LINEUP-4-3-3]Neymar, Damiao, William, Lucas Moura, Casemiro, Douglas Costa, Marcelo, Dede, Thiago Silva, Fabio, Neto [/LINEUP-4-3-3] Mexico [LINEUP-4-3-3]Vela, Hernandez, Dos Santos, Guardado, Dos Santos, Javier Aquino, Ponce, Araujo, Moreno, Juarez, Ochoa [/LINEUP-4-3-3] USA [LINEUP-4-3-3]Dempsey, Altidore, Agudelo, Shea, Edu, Adu, Chandler, Onyewu, Goodson, Delagarza, Hamid[/LINEUP-4-3-3] Germany [LINEUP-4-3-3]Reus, Gomez, Schürrle, Gotze, Kehdira, Ozil, Lahm, Boateng, Hummels, Trasch, Neur[/LINEUP-4-3-3] Argentina [LINEUP-4-3-3]Messi, Higuain, Arguero, Pastore, Gago, Di Maria, Rojo, Fernandez, Otamendi, Zabaletta, Romero[/LINEUP-4-3-3] England [LINEUP-4-3-3]Rooney, Carroll, Wellbeck, Cleverly, Rodwell, Wilshere, Baines, Smalling, Cahill, Richards, Hart[/LINEUP-4-3-3] Uruguay [LINEUP-4-3-3]Gaston Ramirez, Cavani, Suarez, Nicolas Lodeiro, Gagano, Alvaro Gonzalez, Pereira, Coates, Lugano, Caceres, Muslera[/LINEUP-4-3-3] Spain [LINEUP-4-3-3]Fabergas, Moreno, Thiago Alcantara, Mata, Romeo, Silva, Planas, Pique, Dominguez, Sergio Ramos, Casillas[/LINEUP-4-3-3] Ghana [LINEUP-4-3-3]Jordan Ayew, Gyan, Andre Ayew, Asamoah, Michael Essien, Derek Boateng, Lee Addy, John Mensah, Isaac Vorsah, Daniel Opare, Adam Larsen [/LINEUP-4-3-3]
BRAZIL 2014 [LINEUP-4-3-3]Neymar, L.Damiao, Lucas, Ganso, Lucas Leiva, Ramires, Marcelo, Dede, Thiago Silva, D.Alves, Julio Cesar[/LINEUP-4-3-3] Or [LINEUP-4-3-3]Neymar, L.Damiao, Lucas, Ganso, Casemiro, Ramires, Marcelo, Dede, Thiago Silva, D.Alves, Diego Alves[/LINEUP-4-3-3]
Bosnia: ------------------Begovic------------------- -Mujdza-----Zukanovic-----Spahic--Lulic--- ======Hadzic========Salihovic======= -Visca-----------Pjanic-----------Stevanovic ------------------Dzeko--------------------
Holland, as I see it: GK: Tim Krul (25) vs Maarten Stekelenburg (31) DF: Gregory van der Wiel (26) DF: Jeffrey Bruma (23) DF: Douglas (26) DF: Patrick van Aanholt (24) vs Erik Pieters (27) DM: Nigel de Jong (29) vs Leroy Fer (24) DM: Kevin Strootman (24) vs Rafael van der Vaart (31) AM: Wesley Sneijder (30) vs Georginio Wijnaldum (24) AM: Ibrahim Afellay (28) FW: Robin Van Persie (30) vs Luuk de Jong (24) FW: Ricky van Wolfswinkel (25) vs Luc Castaignos (21)
Portugal: GK Rui Patricio (26) DR Cédric (22) DC Pepe (31) DC Daniel Carriço (25) DL Fábio Coentrão (26) MF Miguel Veloso (28) MF João Moutinho (27) MF Hugo Viana (31) FW Cristiano Ronaldo (29) FW Nani (27) FW Nelson Oliveira (22)
Hmmm... No Donavan for Team USA nor KPB for Ghana? (yeah i know he withdrew from International football, but that is temp: i think he did that just to avoid the 2012 AFCON. He will be back, just like Gyan
If KPB comes back to the ghana side for 2014 they will be one of the favorites to win it all. If brasil cant win it i hope an african team can win it all is long over due. []__[]
That might be pushing it, but lets say Ghana manage to put out a midfield of Badu, KPB and Essien with the Ayews on both wings. That would be one hell of a midfield.
I'd expect to see a similar lineup to this : Ghana [LINEUP-4-5-1]A. Gyan, A. Ayew, J. Ayew, A. Acquah, K. Asamoah, E. Badu, D. Addy, J. Boye, I. Vorsah, D. Opare, A. Kwarasey[/LINEUP-4-5-1]
Ukraine [LINEUP-4-4-2]Milevskyi, Bezus, Yarmolenko, Konoplyanka, Aliyev, Husev, Selin, Rakytskyi, Mykhalyk, Butko, Koval[/LINEUP-4-4-2]
Liking what I've seen from Muniain lately. I think we can scratch Torres from the argument/list. Llorente and Soldado are younger anyway.
Well El Nino could just well bounce back next season, right in time the WC... they say class is permanent, right?
Whoa. No Donovan, Howard, or Bradley? I think the lineup will be a 4-2-3-1, but that option isn't given. [LINEUP-4-4-2]Altidore, Dempsey, Shea, Bradley, Jones, Donovan, Chandler, Bocanegra (C), Onyewu, Cherundolo/Lichaj, Howard[/LINEUP-4-4-2] Yes, I know Bocanegra and Cherundolo will both be 35, but they're starters until someone plays better.