By: Owen Tabbutt and Andres Lopez
With everyone getting excited for the World Cup this June and the top countries fighting for the trophy, we decided it was a good idea to go around the school asking people for predictions on who will finish in the top four and how the U.S.A will finish. The World Cup is not only a cup for soccer, it also unites countries from all over the world and bringing joy to everyone.
There are many teams that are favorites for winning the 2014 World Cup, like Germany. Germany has won the cup three times and has finished in the top four many times. They are one of the favorites because their lineup is the strongest in the world. Their midfield is also probably the strongest, with Mesut Özil, Tomas Müller, Mario Götze, Marco Reus, Bastian Shwiensteiger, and Samir Khediria.
Another possibility is Brazil. A big reason why is because they are the home country and home field is always a big advantage. They have won the cup the most out of any country in the world and always have a great squad. This upcoming World Cup, they have a very young team with their best player, Neymar, who is only at the age of 20. The most recent cup they were in was the Confederations Cup. They beat Spain in the final 3-0. Although they do not have a lot of players on their team who have a lot of experience, the young talented players might just push their team to their 6th World Cup title.
Spain is also a favorite to win. With Spain being the reigning champions of the 2010 World Cup, they will come into the tournament with loads of confidence. They have a great midfield but their weakness is a point striker. Their best option is either Fernando Torres, Alvaro Negredo, or Robert Soldado. None of them are a clear choice, but hopefully for the Spanish fans, their midfield can win them a second straight Cup.
The U.S also has a great qualification for the tournament, finishing first in the CONCACAF region. They had a great year going on their longest ever winning streak, of 12 games in a row, beating Germany. The U.S also has a great coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, who became the manager in 2011. The Americans are headed in the right direction and hopefully will surprise a lot of people this summer in Brazil.
Below are the prediction from some people at Westside of who will finish in the top four and how the U.S will finish.
Glyn:
1: Brazil
2: Spain
3: Germany
4: England
U.S.: Reach the round of sixteen
Chris:
1: Spain
2: Germany
3: Brazil
4: Argentina
U.S: Will get knocked out of group stage
Kenji:
1: Portugal
2: Spain
3: Brazil
4: Germany
U.S: Not get out of group stage
Blake:
1: Spain
2: Brazil
3: USA
4: Portugal
U.S: 3rd place
Emilio:
1: Spain
2: Germany
3: Brazil
4: Argentina
U.S: Reach the round of sixteen
Andres:
1: Germany
2: Spain
3: Brazil
4: Argentina
U.S: Will not get out of group stage
Owen:
1: Brazil
2: Germany
3: Spain
4: Argentina
U.S: Reach round of sixteen
