Your right Spain was a horrible team but the reason I did give them credit was because they did smash Australia by 3 goals, something that the other 2 teams in the group failed to do. Spain now reminds me of the Spain in 2006 World Cup, they smash mediocre- teams but struggle against bigger teams. I think Spain's weakest point was mostly the goalkeeper.
I stopped reading when you said that England was better than Uruguay, no they weren't, Uruguay crushed them, i was at the Stadium btw. Later, that own goals doesn't count, well it does in the scoreboard doesn't it? and it probably came from some play of the other team, no player at all would score an own goal by purpose. And that this USA team was average, they would beat this England in a blink of an eye. Very well tactically organised and one of their best core of players ever. IMO, they could have gone through Belgium if they had some lucky. All this bias towards Italy wold not change the same fact that happened to us, Italy was eliminated in the group stage as one of the worst teams at the competition (at least we were eliminated due a disastrous game against Germany). Saying the group was hard is bullocks, nobody expected Costa Rica to even score a goal. IF doesn't exist is football, or neither in life. IF Ronaldo wasn't injured, if Italy had a better coach... IF doesn't exist. So, whatsoever, Italy was not the 9th best team overall, Algeria, Nigeria, USA, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, all were better. The World Cup showed that. The IF will not change that. IF my father didn't know my mother i wasn't be able to respond this.
LOL. Well Nigeria was definitely not. The other teams you listed possibly played better. To be honest I am somewhat happy that we were eliminated in the group stage, because I knew Coach Prandelli was an idiot, and just think, if we made it to the semifinals, Prandelli would still be our coach, and we would not have the wonderful Coach Antonio Conte who is 100 times better. So in one way I am glad we had an early exit. If Prandelli didn't screw up this world cup, he would have sooner or later.
I did, my predictions before the world cup started were: Group A: 1. Brazil 2. Croatia 3. Mexico 4. Cameroon Group B: 1. Netherlands 2. Spain 3. Chile 4. Australia Group C: 1. Colombia 2. Greece 3. Japan 4. Ivory Coast Group D: 1. Italy 2. Costa Rica 3. England 4. Uruguay (Didn't think Suarez would make it to any games, and if he would have, he wouldn't have been fit enough was my prediction). Group E: 1. Switzerland 2. France 3. Ecuador 4. Honduras Group F: 1. Argentina 2. Bosnia-Herzegovina 3. Iran 4. Nigeria Group G: 1. Germany 2. Portugal 3. United States 4. Ghana Group H: 1. Russia 2. Belgium 3. Algeria 4. South Korea Round of 16: Brazil vs Spain (Brazil) Colombia vs Costa Rica (Colombia) Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina (Switzerland) Germany vs Belgium (Germany) Netherlands vs Croatia (Netherlands) Italy vs Greece (Italy) Argentina vs France (Argentina) Russia vs Portugal (Portugal) Quarterfinals: Brazil vs Colombia (Brazil) Switzerland vs Germany (Germany) Netherlands vs Italy (Netherlands) Argentina vs Portugal (Argentina) Semifinals: Brazil vs Germany (Germany) Netherlands vs Argentina (Netherlands) Third Place: Brazil vs Argentina (Brazil) Final: Germany vs Netherlands (Germany) If you have any questions on why and how I predicted these before the World Cup started, feel free to ask me!
That i agree. Prandelli is awful, as was Paulo Bento, and the first round exit helped Fernando Santos enter the team, who is in a very better shape and is a lot of times better than Bento.
Italy's best chance at doing anything in WC18 is based on how many Argentines heed the call from Comte. If none of them do, I see Italy with yet another first round exit.
WHAAAAA??? Of Course he will not call argentines, and even if they are better I hope he doesn't. Italy will win 2018 WC, they will improve and be much better! Coach Conte is a great coach! We are superior to Argentina, and I hope we can prove that in the 2018 World Cup. Examples: France in 2002: Early Exit, right after the 2002 world cup finished, who ever predicted France would make the finals in the next world cup? Predictions for that did come around early 2006, but they never thought France would go that far just right after the 2002 world cup was over. Netherlands in 2012: After that group stage exit, who thought after the Euro Cup was finished, Netherlands would get this far in the world cup? Nobody. I thought that after seeing the qualifications and how well they did then, but before the 2014 world cup qualifications started, I never thought Holland would go that far. Italy in 2010: Did anyone think Italy would make the final in Euro 2012 after the 2010 world cup finished? Of Course not. People probably thought they would exit at the quarterfinals at best in the Euro 2012 right after the 2010 World Cup was over. Portugal in 2002: After that early exit they had, who ever thought that Portugal would make it to the semifinals in 2006? Nobody. People might have started to think that after 2004 euro cup, but nobody thought that right after the 2002 world cup finished. There are many more examples, this is just a few. Same with Italy, nobody thinks they will go far in 2018 because of what just happened, but anything can change, you never know especially at this point! Quite too early. Some of Italy's players are a little young and not at their prime yet. Did anyone think Lionel Messi would be one of the top players in the world in 2006? Probably not. Did anybody think Thomas Muller would be an amazing player in 2006? No. Did anyone think Robben would be like he is now in 2006? Absolutely Nobody. Immobile, Zaza, Pelle, and Candreva don't look very impressing now, but how do you know Immobile will not be another Thomas Muller when it comes to 2018? How do you know Candreva won't be another Pirlo when it comes to 2018?
He will never be be, as he is italian. If he would be german, that would be another diferent thing. After last WC, things got completely cleared out now, historicly : GERMANY >>>>>> Italy
Comte already tried to lure Dybala and Vasquez to Italy, but both declined. Why play for a has-been NT when they have a chance to play for Argentina? The difference between Italy nowadays and the examples you give is that those teams had great players in their squads (Zidane, Ribery, Thuram, Henry for France, Figo, Rui Costa, C Ronaldo for Portugal, Robben, Van Persie, Blind for Netherlands), which Italy sorely lacks these days, as they still have to rely on the 35-year-old Pirlo to conduct them.
Yeah, but maybe like Luca Toni or something. Just like Robben is the dutch version of Messi. I was thinking Immobile might be the italian version of Muller, different play style, but same level.
By putting Inmobile at the same level of Muller, you are actually offending Muller. Inmobile is nowhere even close to the level of Muller, and if he were german, he wouldn't even make their team.
This thread is interesting and people make some good points, but ultimately it's a bunch of "what ifs." The only ranking that makes sense is the one that for better or worse, happened on the field, that is, Germany first, Argentina second, the Netherlands third, and Brazil fourth.
Umm, not necessarily. France and Costa Rica are definitely before Brazil. If Brazil had to face one of these two in the quarterfinals, then Brazil would have lost.
Not likely. Both, Costa Rica and France had the easiest opponents at the round of 16. If they would've faced Mexico, Colombia or Chile, whom lost points against Brazil, instead of the teams they actually faced (Nigeria and Greece, probably the 2 worst teams who made it pass group phase), they would've never reached quarters. More so. Against Spain, whom didn't make it pass group phase, they would've probably lost as well.
Second best was Argentina (only team to reach semi's by winning all its previous matches). France got lucky with the whole draw, as they only faced their first top opponent at quarters (unless you believe that Switzerland really deserved to be granted the seed, they got back then), where they lost to them.
I agree: Italy, Costa Rica, Colombia, Belgium, Mexico, and possibly even Algeria could have beaten France. They were really lucky to get an easy group, and plus they were lucky when they played Switzerland, that Switzerland wasn't at their best form. Friendly's: France 1-1 Albania (France scored in dying minutes, and used their strongest squad, while Albania also used their strongest squad.) Italy 1-0 Albania (Italy used one of their weakest squads to test, and Albania used their strongest squad.)
France did, but not Costa Rica. Costa Rica was in one of the toughest groups, although Uruguay and Italy both were not at their best form and were both missing key players. But Costa Rica held Netherlands to penalties, who beat Brazil 3-0. Your right about Colombia and Chile. I guess the Brazil vs Colombia game: Colombia was not anywhere near their best form. Mexico and Chile are definitely better. Colombia and Costa Rica are likely on the same level, but both better than France. If France and Italy switched places in draws, France wouldn't have advanced.
I'm not so sure about that: Friendly: France 1-0 Spain. But again friendly's don't always use their best squads, and a lot of teams don't take friendly's seriously. You might be right.
No. Müller does not really rely on speed etc. but more about instinct and smartness. He should be getting even better in the next 2 to 4 years due to more experience. Especially the Italians should know that... - good strikers are like wine...
Muller is by far my favorite striker of all time, but I just hope Germany won't start depending on him.
You just proved his point. All hypotheticals should be followed by an "IMO" since they're all just opinion. I agree with some of your opinions, but that's all they are. If you switched up the group draw, who knows, maybe Algeria would be World Champion right now as an earlier poster said. Here's a hypothetical: What if all 32 teams played each other once, single table. Who are the top 5 and what are their point totals?
Very True. I think even if Italy and France switched places in the draw, Germany would have never won the world cup. Italy would have gone to the final. Again my opinion.