Brazil, Germany Or France - Who Will Win The 2014 FIFA World Cup?

We are here at the quarter-final stage, but who are the favorites? Brazil? Germany? Or France?

Itai??i??s been a crazy World Cup, that fact has been well documented. Favorites were eliminated at the Group Stage while unknown entities progressed. Itai??i??s been a great World Cup! What about the front-runners then? Are there really any? Itai??i??s been a World Cup that has thrown up itai??i??s fair share of surprises, yet perhaps whatai??i??s most surprising is the lack of a real convincing team. The lack of a team who youai??i??ll put your money on without too much pondering. Yet, the hesitation now arises with the drop in performance levels.

Spain were the leaders of the favorites table and ever since their elimination, weai??i??re left with a bit of re-thinking to do. No thanks in any part to the teams that have since progressed. Everyoneai??i??s searching for answers, searching for contenders but itai??i??s as if the teams are afraid to grab the mantle and take-over. Is that a bad thing though? Is it really concerning that at this point of the tournament, we have no team that makes them easy bets? Itai??i??s not.

Thereai??i??s been no real easy games in the tournament for any of the sides. A gander at the Round of 16 ties reveals a pattern that has emerged. The favorites of every tie (the group winners) have all, barring Colombia, have gotten through by the skin of their teeth. The lesser fancied outfits (the group runner-ups) have all been praised for their grit, determination, heart and the like but at the end of the day, they packed their bags and waved their goodbyes.

Colombia, of course, are the exception to what happens to be the rule. They comfortably dealt with the Uruguayan threat and their dynamic duo of the tasty Juan Cuadrado and the irresistible James Rodriguez pushing them towards the next round. Perhaps, theyai??i??ve been the only side that has convinced fans, albeit to a certain extent. Critics might point out that theyai??i??ve yet to be put to the test by a ai???favoriteai??i??. Something thatai??i??ll come their way pretty soon. Take nothing away though, theyai??i??ve been excellent and you can’t fault them for the level of opponents that they face.

Speaking of their next opponents, have Brazil captured our imagination? No, probably not. The fairy tale was written ever since they were announced as hosts of the World Cup. What better place for Brazil to showcase their samba dancing with a bit of football thrown in for good measure than Brazil itself? But itai??i??s been sort of sobering, the fashion in which theyai??i??ve reached here. Over-reliance on Neymar? Yes, to an extent and theyai??i??ll need to up their game against Colombia.

As for Argentina, well theyai??i??re the villains to the Brazilian fairy-tale. They too, have done the bare minimum to convince. Over-reliance on Leo Messi is an enforced tactic that has worked for them so far, only just but then again is there a better player to rely on? Theyai??i??re opponents next, Belgium, arenai??i??t quite what we expected.

Belgium were everyoneai??i??s second favorite team going into the tournament, everyoneai??i??s dark horses (which is kind of contradictory) with most of the fans presuming they played attractive swashbuckling football. Instead, weai??i??ve been treated to a careful, calculated, pragmatic side. Belgium have shown maturity and the general consensus was the World Cup came a bit too soon for their current crop of stars but as things stand, theyai??i??ve certainly eluded that train of thought, for now.

Then thereai??i??s France and Germany; their match is perhaps is the most enticing encounter between all of the quarters in prospect. The two of them have a lot in common as well: two of possibly the best midfields in the tournament and also two sides that started off the tournament with a bang only to slow down as theyai??i??ve progressed. While France were gifted two goals in a game that saw them stutter, Germany had the living daylights scared out of them and were bailed out time and again by a goal-keeper that is revolutionizing the role.

That leaves us with the Dutch and Costa Rica. Now Costa Rica and not Belgium are the real dark horses here. They emerged as victors from the Group of Death when seemingly everyone was preparing for their funeral rites. Theyai??i??ve crawled past perennially dull Greece and now have the Dutch test to prepare for. But they donai??i??t have the quality to go all the way surely. No matter how well they do, theyai??i??ll never be considered favorites for the title.

For the Dutch, they were made to work hard for their wins against Australia and Mexico; they might be counting their lucky stars given the manner in which they got past the Mexicans. A big blow also comes in the form of the injury Nigel De Jong has faced that makes him a spectator for the rest of the tournament. His injury cannot be undermined with a shuffle in tactics as a consequence.

So, here we stand with no outstanding team to call upon as favorites. Thatai??i??s a testament to just how even this tournament has been. And now while the Round of 16 done and dusted with all the winners through, the tournament should open up a bit more with most of the teams going for the win. Hopefully, weai??i??ll have a strong claim to the throne.

Tags: fifa world cup 2014

Brazil, Germany Or France – Who Will Win The 2014 FIFA World Cup?

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