Author: Jocelyn Coffin
From June 11 to July 11, flags will wave, national anthems will be sung and rowdy football fans will cheer on their favorite teams during the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup in South Africa. As the excitement builds, fans and sports analysts are swarming with predictions, watching the teams’ every moves and scrutinizing the rosters. Given their performances this year, Spain, Argentina and Germany are likely contenders to win World Cup 2010.
All of the teams who qualified for the finals in South Africa have been split into groups. The top two teams in each of the groups will qualify for the knockout stage of the competition to see who makes it through to the final round. The 28 countries participating in the FIFA World Cup are organized into seven groups, labeled A through G.
Spain is a top choice amongst analysts, given the team’s successful history in past FIFA tournaments. After winning Euro 2008, their chances for making it into the later stages of the competition are high. Former Real Madrid Manager Vincente Del Bosque continues to lead an extremely well-organized and balanced team, recruiting a great selection of players such as Sergio Ramos and David Villa. Team captain and keeper Iker Casillas has proven himself more than dependable. He is not afraid to trust his reflexes, making him extremely fast at protecting his goal.
Strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres equip the team with a double threat. Torres has brought great success to Liverpool as one of their lead scorers, and Villa is one of the highest scorers in La Liga, making the two a force to be reckoned with. After all, Torres is not called “El Niño” for nothing.
So far, the team has won every game except for a semi-final reverse match against the USA at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Like Spain, Argentina may possess one of the most talented, star- studded squads in the world. Yet the team barely made it through the qualifying round. Sports fan bloggers across the Web predict that it will take a great deal of effort for Argentina to push ahead in the tournament. They have the capability, but will need to find a way to use their talented team in the most effective way possible. However, as of yet, they have not shown that they are capable of doing so.
Although Argentina may be having trouble pulling things together, England is having great success. England looks to be one of the most promising squads in the lineup. The team is at a good age, with lots of experience and a great player lineup. However, sports fans are having doubts about the team’s ability to play as a unit, questioning whether overconfidence will lead it in a bad direction. Regardless, fans should look forward to an exciting transatlantic matchup between the USA and England on June 12.
While Germany may not have the strongest squad, they are known for their consistently good performance at the World Cup. The team was third in the last World Cup and came in second in the Euro 2008. As they seem to be moving up the ladder, Germany definitely has a good shot against the competition.
In terms of the wildcard teams, both the Ivory Coast and Ghana could bring surprising results to the table. Both teams have been doing a great job of holding their own in the preliminary competition.
Will fatigue and possible injuries affect the final lineup? While the predictions rely mostly on the history of the teams, the future always has surprises in store. Spain, England and Germany may continue on their paths to success, but teams such as the Ivory Coast and Ghana should not be overlooked.
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