Everyone talking about South America and overlooking North America. Has it gone unnoticed that the mighty Canada are going to Qatar? 
Is the World Cup finally heading back to South America again? | Yes. Congrats Argentina
- Thread starter Samid
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Actually many on the caf had France has a favorite for some reason. Personally I didn't and was pleasantly surprised but there were definitely a bunch of people naming France.
Everyone talking about South America and overlooking North America. Has it gone unnoticed that the mighty Canada are going to Qatar?
A Curling world cup in Qatar? That's a bit strange.
Well, a guy can't always be right.
Or could it finally be Belgium's time?
Think we're in for a shock this world cup lads.
It's coming home.
It's coming home.
I recall everyone being unanimous that they had the best squad but that French people were very negative about Desailly and said there was no way you’d win. Actually quite similar to Germany in 2014 with Low.
There is never anything unanimous in France and especially not when it comes to the national team or the president.
Thankfully they ended up not picking the 49 year old to the final squad.
There is never anything unanimous in France and especially not when it comes to the national team or the president.
I should've clarified, non French posters/people said France had the best squad! French people/posters downplayed your chances a lot more than anyone else I think.Anyway favourites means nothing really, as I said, Brazil have been favourites for the last three and failed miserably at them all.
Anyway favourites means nothing really, as I said, Brazil have been favourites for the last three and failed miserably at them all.
The chances yes but I don't think that french posters were the ones being negative about Deschamps, it's mainly foreigners that are negative(at least on the caf). The reason we were for the most part not expecting to win wasn't because the team was bad but because it was too green, the same kind of applies here. The young team from 2018 has been largely renewed due to injuries and some players losing form, so while most of the players introduced have been good, we don't really know how they are going to perform with a different group. There has been too much turnover in the past 24-36 months to have a clue about this team.
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Yeah fair enough. Still so much talent, though, but it does feel like it's too soon for a lot of them.
Looked promising for a while that a South American team can win or at least go far. It's really up for grabs, some nations have improved while others seem to have fallen down a bit.
Last World Cup had 4 European semi finalists.
I wonder though if a smaller euro nation like Belgium or Denmark can lift the cup. I'm really excited to see how it all plays out despite the groans around the location and timing with like what teams looking lackluster right now can turn it on for the World Cup, there's plenty of big euro nations in that category.
Last World Cup had 4 European semi finalists.
I wonder though if a smaller euro nation like Belgium or Denmark can lift the cup. I'm really excited to see how it all plays out despite the groans around the location and timing with like what teams looking lackluster right now can turn it on for the World Cup, there's plenty of big euro nations in that category.
Shouldn't have been a shock, it was a very strong spine with Varane mid 20s and not much injured then, Kante was still fantastic in that period and upfront certainly Greizmann was more effective than he is now. Only issues were FBs all getting injured but someone like Pavard with not much experience came in and did what was required.
You weren't far off winning the 2014 and 2016 editions so it was just a culmination of experience and peaking at right time.
France will be in the mix but some of those names above have declined and not sure the excellent young players are quite ready to kick on in NT so would have France as SF and no more.
Does Spain even have a striker?
Not going to lie, didn't know where to post this and just wanted to share it because it made me smile
joga bonito might really be back
joga bonito might really be back
I wasn't shocked but 2016 and 2018 are different teams and pretty much nothing to do with the 2014 group. 2016 had Payet, Evra, Sagna, Sissoko, Koscielny/Rami starting.
In fact your last sentence is exactly what happened in 2018 and why I thought that it was too early and was eventually wrong. The introduction of young players adds uncertainty.
Morata is the first choice I think, RDT and Moreno are also options.
Most of those kids are gonna sign for a brazilian first division team under a pragmatic coach (99% of brazilian coaches are very pragmatic nowadays), and get transformed into systemic player than run a lot and focus more on position instead of using their raw talent.
Football has become too pragmatic in modern era, part and parcel of teams focusing more and more on systems.
No wonder we don't see many pure dribblers anymore.
Lloris-Pogba-Greizmann were all involved in 2014 weren't they? So those were the leaders to push the new players on and I think it was just more saying France were back as serious contender after the poor period after 2006 final loss given how close you pushed Germany in quarter finals. Kante had his breakthrough at Euro 2016 so the spine was there to then have a serious go at winning the world cup.
It wasn't some Croatia run that's for sure with all the talent in your squad.
As I've said though I think France are a little like Germany were after winning in 2014. Still a very good team but suddenly there's 5% missing once in knock outs so I'd be surprised if you retained the World cup.
Three players don't make a team and prior to the actual competition(2016) Pogba was bad for France. There is a lot of hindsight and people judging France based on reputation more than the actual players or their performances.
Kanté wasn't part of a spine in 2016, he was the player that deservedly lost his spot when Deschamps moved to a system that actually worked during the competition. And I can't really agree with anyone suggesting that a team without a stable defense and no experienced wide players was expected to have a serious go at winning the world cup. France were outsiders not favorites largely because no one had an actual idea about how the team would be set and which players would step up. In fact it is France weak points that saw it win the world cup, the introductions of Hernandez, Pavard and Mbappé brought what was needed, then it also took a tactical change during the competition and adapting to some players deficiencies.
And a team that was defensively leaky turned into a very stingy defense. People talk about talent on paper without putting it in context, that applies to all of the "top" nations whether we are talking about Brazil, Argentina, Spain, England, Belgium, Italy, Germany or France. They all have talent but what make them favorite or not before a particular competition is their own context not just talent otherwise they would all be favorites which means that none of them are actually favorites because you can't reasonably have 7 or 8 favorites.
It's going to be Ingerland. We're going to Sack off Southgate, get in Tuchel and send Maguire to a Greek prison.
Also, nations that have won two World Cups in a row:
Brazil 1958 and 1962
Italy 1934 and 1938
That's it. That's the list.
Brazil had Pele and Garrincha, two of the greatest players of all time in one team.
Italy had Mussolini
My prediction:
Semi Final 1: Winner of Netherlands v Argentina and Spain v Brazil
Semi Final 2: Winner of England v France and Croatia/Germany v Portugal
I don't think there will be 2 South American teams in the final.
If England top the group and do well they will likely face Ecuador > France > Croatia/Germany/Portugal > Final.
For obvious reasons I'm hoping for Argentina v Portugal final.
Semi Final 1: Winner of Netherlands v Argentina and Spain v Brazil
Semi Final 2: Winner of England v France and Croatia/Germany v Portugal
I don't think there will be 2 South American teams in the final.
If England top the group and do well they will likely face Ecuador > France > Croatia/Germany/Portugal > Final.
For obvious reasons I'm hoping for Argentina v Portugal final.
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Italy had Meazza, Piola, and Monti who were arguably among the best players in the 30s.Also, nations that have won two World Cups in a row:
Brazil 1958 and 1962
Italy 1934 and 1938
That's it. That's the list.
Brazil had Pele and Garrincha, two of the greatest players of all time in one team.
Italy had Mussolini
It was a joke but really designed to highlight a serious point. The WC was totally different back then, it was very hard for teams to even travel to other continents and Italy had the advantage of one of their double being at home and the other was also in Europe. This distinguishes them from Brazil 58-62, who were a totally different level basically from any team in history. Plus, of the players you've named, only Meazza belongs in all-timer/pantheon discussions.
Brazil is hot favorite
The pre-tournament favourite rarely wins but they are definitely good enough to do it.
Best squad on paper?
Too unbalanced IMO. Not thrilled with the fullbacks in particular.
Best squad on paper?
Their fullbacks aren't great but otherwise, they're stacked everywhere and should be favourites to win it.
Which squad is better then?
That doesn’t look like a winning squad to me personally.
No chance for the the world cup greatest "loser" ?
I rate the classic Jose parked bus approach would work against them.
You mean Mexico? No I don't see it.