With the World Cup comes great expectation, the hopes of a nation resting on each squad's shoulders. But there can only be one captain lifting the trophy aloft on July 11th. The question every football fan will be discussing from now to the final day is who will that man be?
The usual suspects of Brazil, Argentina, England and Spain are the choice of most, and the likes of France, Portugal, Holland and Germany certainly have the personnel capable of putting any opponent to the sword on a good day. But what of the so-called 'outsiders'? As Greece proved in 2004, the superpowers of international football need not have things their own way every time. But is South Africa 2010 going to end in an unexpected glory? Probably not to be honest, but here is a small selection of the teams which could maybe, just maybe, shock the globe.
- South Africa
In last year's Confederations Cup, Bafana Bafana (The Boys, the national team's nickname) proved two points, one being that they have everything in place to be able to host a large-scale football tournament and secondly, that they can compete with the best the world has to offer. Although the records state that their sole victory was against an unquantifiably shit New Zealand, it was the manner of their performances against the footballing behemoths Brazil and Spain which caught the eye, the Spanish needing extra time to squeeze into third place. If they can show similar spirit in the group stage, there is no reason why they cannot get the better of Mexico and Uruguay, and perhaps even what is these days a farcical France side. And if the South Africans need a little inspiriation, the passionate/mentalist supporters will be right behind them, blowing away on those fucking stupid vuvuzelas. Home supports seems to go a long way in these tournaments, so if the team can soak up what promises to be a wildly enthusiastic home support they could be spurred on that extra mile. Steven Pienaar has just finished an excellent season for Everton and has the ability to cause many a centre half some misery, and a little further up the pitch will be Benni McCarthy, who has had a poor season for Blackburn and West Ham, but nevertheless will be a danger with his movement and creativity.
CONS...
Above South Africa in the latest FIFA world rankings are such footballing giants as Haiti, Mozambique, Moldova and Panama. I know as well as any self-respecting football fan that these rankings are a tad misleading, but a world ranking of 90 does certainly indicate that this South Africa squad is quite frankly not very good. Their failure to qualify for this year's African Nations cup is testament to that and the general consensus is that were the World Cup being held elsewhere this time round South Africa would be nowhere near it. Apart from the aforementioned McCarthy and Pienaar, this is a squad patently lacking in skill and experience with a majority of those expected to be called upon playing their club football back home, not exactly ideal preparation for facing the likes of Ribery, Forlan and, er, Carlos Vela. Aaron Mokoena is one of a smattering of players with European experience, as is Bernard Parker, who was impressive in the Confed Cup last summer. Injury to any of these players could prove fatal to South Africa's hopes of progression.
ROAR!
- Nigeria
A team boasting a large selection of talented individuals, and a strong spine. Jon Obi Mikel may look like a moron at Chelsea, but he excels for the Super Eagles in the heart of midfield. With Everton' pair Joseph Yobo in the centre of defence and brick shithouse attacker Yakubu up front alongside ex-Newcastle man Obafemi Martins. Also in the mix are much-maligned but dangerous Portsmouth money-grabber John Utaka, Inter Milan loanee Victor Obinna, recent title-winning Marseille left-back Taye Taiwo and talented winger Peter Odemwingie and Nigeria have the foundations of a squad capable of at least getting out of their group. Coach Lars Lagerback has bags of experience of managing in a World Cup, having done it with Sweden on more than on occasion. A good run in the CAF will have certainly raised Nigeria's confidence levels.
CONS...
As with most of the so-called smaller nations, a lack of strength in depth will hinder their chances, with the back up mostly playing their club football in lower-mid table European sides. A lack of an individual capable of a little bit of magic is troubling as well, with no one graduating to take the place of legends such as Jay Jay Okocha or Kanu. Nigeria boast as good an attack as anyone in the tournament, but who is going to provide the ammunition for the likes of Yakubu and Martins?
- United States of America
The US did in the Confed Cup what South Africa did, but in much more impressive style. After somehow toppling the previously-invincible Spanish in the semi-finals, they then raced into a 2-0 lead over Brazil before ballsing up and finishing as 3-2 runners-up. Whilst it would have been hugely disappointing to let that lead slip away, the US now know they have the talent to make a real impact on the world stage, but they must now find the mentality of winners. Clint Dempsey is harbouring hopes of lifting the Europa League trophy with Fulham, DaMarcus Beasley has won the Scottish League with Rangers and Landon Donovan performed extremely well for Everton in his mid-season loan spell. The USA must hope this experience will translate onto the pitch in South Africa. Infact, a large majority of the national team squad earn their wages in Europe and those who are still in MLS can only be benefitting from the increase in cometition in that league. 'Soccer' in the USA is most definitely on the up, and a strong showing in Africa will ensure that continues. A fairly favourable group draw is another big bonus, with the smart money going on the US to prevail against the weakest African team, Algeria, and arguably the weakest European team, Slovenia.
CONS...
Whilst Tim Howard is a really excellent goalkeeper, the men in front of him are really quite toilet. You have to call bullshit on a defence which includes Jay DeMerit (spent all season in a relegation battle with Watford) Jon Spector (woefully awful, even in a West Ham team of woefully awful players this season) and Oguchi Onyewu (who has spent most of his first year at AC Milan injured and looked pretty shit for Newcastle United in the second part of last season). The aforementioned capitulation against Brazil raises questions over their ability to defend a lead, and indeed their ability to defend. Landon Donovan's one-in-three ratio for the national side is not to be sniffed at, but if he is misfiring where are the goals going to come from? Villarreal's Jozy Altidore has shown no reason to expect he can take up the responsibility in a poor loan spell at Hull City and the rest of the striking options consist of youngsters from the MLS or average European-based plodders.
- Australia
With ever-excellent Mark Schwarzer in goal and hard bastards Lucas Neill and Craig Moore in defence, the Aussies have a formidable back wall, which will prove difficult for the likes of Germany, Ghana and Serbia to break down. Ahead of them is Tim Cahill, who will arrive in South Africa fairly fresh after missing a large chunk of Everton's season (a lot of Everton representation in this post, isn't there...). Harry Kewell will be hoping he can manage more than 15 minutes without picking up an injury, and if he manages that he will be hoping to use some of his undoubted creative talents to lay on some chances for Middlesborough's Scott McDonald. Kewell himself, along with Cahill are midfielders with an eye for the goal, so don't be suprised to see those two in the opposition penalty area.
CONS...
A chronic lack of a decent striker. Scott McDonald is not exactly a world-beater, ditto Joshua Kennedy who plays his club football in Japan. Archie Thompson has a decent goal ratio for the Socceroos at first glance until you realise that THIRTEEN of them came in one game almost 10 years ago. You could argue that Cahill could provide cover up front, but his best position is in midfield. Kewell is not a natual goalscorer, and taking either of these player away from their midfield homes would most likely severly stifle the creativity of the team.
- Cameroon
Samuel Eto'o. Although he has not scored the obscene number of goals he used to rack up for Barcelona, the Inter Milan man must still be considered on of the best forwards on the planet. A goal ratio of almost 1 in 2 is is testament to his skills. In midfield, Alex Song will be hoping to bring his form for Arsenal to South Africa and the defence boasts huge experience in the shape of ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid right back Geremi and former Liverpool man Rigobert Song. Benoit Assou-Ekotto has performed well for Tottenham this season, occasionally alongside countryman Sebastian Bassong. In goal is Carlos Kameni, who any fans of La Liga will know as a stopper who combines Iker Cassilas-like shot stopping skills with Jens Lehmann-style eccentricity. Which side of Kameni's character keeps goal for the Lions is key to their chances of progression.
CONS...
This Cameroon squad is nowhere near its best at the moment, with too much expectation placed on the tempermental shoulders of Eto'o. If his slight lack of goals for Inter carry over into South Africa, Cameroon could be in trouble. Inbetween a good attack and a good defence sit a midfield lacking a playmaker. If Eto'o is to send Cameroon into the knockout stages, he needs good service and a weak midfield could be the undoing of the Indomitable Lions.
- New Zealand
Um.... Fuck knows, quite frankly. A smattering of their players are on the books of English sides, most notably Ryan Nelsen at Blackburn, Rory Fallon at Plymouth and Chris Killen at Middlesborough. As for the rest? Well, it says a lot when there are members of your World Cup squad who aren't even attached to a club. What can I say, apart from good luck. I think that New Zealand should consider anything other than getting mullered 3 times a good result.
(l-r) ?,?,?,?,?,Nelsen,?,?,?,The Goalkeeper,?.
CONS...
They just are not anywhere near good enough to compete. It is only because Australia got sick of putting 62 goals past Vanuatu and the Cook Islands and fucked off to compete with Asia that New Zealand got to this stage. They did beat Bahrain over 2 legs to reach the finals, but to only fulfill one challenging fixture (considering Bahrain a 'challenging fixture' says it all really) should not ensure participation. In my opinion, the Oceania reigon should all be placed into Asian qualifying, New Zealand start from the 1st round of Asian qualifying like everyone else, and all the small island teams should play their own tournament to determine which one of them will join the bigger sides in the 1st round of Asian qualifying. I doubt this will happen because FIFA are moronic.
- Ivory Coast
PROS...
It could be reasonably argued that other than the sides at the top of the betting, Ivory Coast have on paper the best squad around. Petulant sulking genius Didier Drogba is amongst the greatest strikers on the planet and just won the title and the golden boot with Chelsea, team mate Solomon Kalou has finally started to show some promise after years of confusion as to his reason for being at Chelsea. Yaya Toure is a seriously underrated midfielder who would walk into any club side in the world but happens to be behind the likes of Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta in the Barcelona pecking order. When he can be arsed, Didier Zokora can be a huge nuisance to any defence and winger Gervinho will most likely be on his way to a big side soon, especially if he catches the eye here. Kolo Toure has his critics but can still perform well if he puts his mind to it, and Emmanuel Eboue has the ability to cause trouble. It's my opinion that they can get out of this group behind probable winners Brazil. Portugal are not even close to being the side they were a few years ago, and North Korea are three points waiting to happen. Get the better of Ronaldo and co. and the Elephants could be one to watch. The man charged with getting the best out of this embarrasment of riches is elderly lothario Sven-Goran Eriksson, who was last seen on the international stage trying his level best to make sure Mexico miss out on qualification. A not-at-all money motivated stay at Notts County kept his interests this season, before being asked by the League Two side's much more sensible new owners to take his suffocatingly high wages and kindly piss off. Sven will be hoping to better his England record of two quarter final appearances, which is achievable if he can get the best out of his side.
CONS...
The first choice keeper, Boubacar Barry, is really really shit, which in a group containing amonst others Luis Fabiano, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alexandre Pato must be a point of concern for the Coast. I said that Kolo Toure can be effective if he puts his mind to it, something he has not done too often for Man City this season. The Toure we all knew at Arsenal has at times this year been resembled a slow-minded bumbling imbecile and in tournament football such mistakes are fatal. There have also been reports of divisions within the camp, with the higher earners of the team having their own dressing room clique, ignoring their pauper team mates. Such team spirit (or lack thereof) will do wonders if you are looking to go home early from the World Cup, so Mr Eriksson will have to use all his diplomatic charm to solve that conumdrum.
- Switzerland
Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is a hugely successful manager, winning the Champions League with Borrusia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the not-too-distant past. At his disposal are a side with enough creative flair to cause some problems. Valon Behrami has flattered to decieve this season for West Ham due to injury but is a player capable of creating chances, Gokhan Inler has been catching the eye of Arsenal due to his performances for Udinese and youthful forward Eren Derdiyok has had a good season at Bayer Leverkusen.
CONS...
As anyone who watched the Swiss in Germany 2006 or Euro 2008 could tell you, Switzerland are fucking boring. It is clear that Switzerland's best form of attack is defence. The strange thing is that they do posess some decent attacking options such as Behrami, Tranquillo Barnetta and veterans Alex Frei and Hakan Yakin, but these players seem to have no interest in playing football. Another issue is relying so heavily on a defence which doesn't contain any outstandingly good defenders. The best of the bunch is Phillipe Senderos, which isn't anything to boast about. This Switzerland side will have to take on Spain in their group, and Spain are far too talented to be stifled by the tactics of the Swiss.
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