Spain and Brazil are the top 32 teams in this World Cup with the highest overall quality and the most balanced strength. Spain and Brazil are superior to other strong teams in terms of individual skills of players and overall cooperation of the whole team. According to the schedule, if the two teams of Group H and Group G can avoid meeting in advance in the final of 1/8, they will not meet before entering the final, which also creates good conditions for them to meet in the final.
Spain, which has never won the World Cup, has initially got rid of the image of "loser" and "vase"-they conquered the whole of Europe with convincing performance in the 2008 European Championship, and since then, one victory after another has made them "desperate for failure". Except for the unexpected loss to the United States in the Confederations Cup semi-final last year, Spain's performance was unparalleled, which also made them top of the FIFA rankings for a long time.
Spain, where the stars gather, has unparalleled frontcourt strength among the top 32. There are super shooters like Villa and Torres in the forward line, and super geniuses like Harvey, Iniesta, Silva, Alonso and Fabregas in the midfield. This top-level configuration is enough to destroy all the defense lines of the opponent. On the defensive line, Pique, Puyol and Ramos are also world-class players, as well as "the world's number one goalkeeper" casillas and the Spanish number three goalkeeper. On the bench, the Spanish team also has "first-class" masters such as Pedro, llorente, Mata and cazorla, and the "thickness of the bench" is enviable.
Spain is a team with artistic temperament and blood. Although we have always pursued the football concept of "not only winning, but also winning beautifully", the young Spanish team will never be soft on key occasions. "Torres" have bid farewell to the melancholy temperament of their predecessors Raul and Belleron. Italy's penalty shootout in the European Championship and the defeat of the tough German team in the final are typical examples of Spain's ability to play key battles.
Spain's group draw is not ideal, because the first place in Group H will meet the second place in Group G where Brazil and Portugal are located, and Spain is likely to meet the powerful Brazil or Portugal in the final of 1/8. 14 Spain may meet Italy in the final and Argentina or Germany in the semi-final. In other words, if Spain wants to reach the final, it will go through a schedule that is "devil" than other strong teams, which will be a big obstacle for Spain to win the championship.
There are still some problems in Spain. Several main stars Iniesta, Torres and Fabregas all need to return from injury before the World Cup, and the lack of strikers with strong heading ability, set-piece defense and coach Bosco's on-the-spot command ability may also become their weaknesses.
If Spain's pursuit of beautiful scenes is in turn a great weakness, then Brazil does not have this weakness. Dunga, who advocates practicality and discipline, has turned Brazil into a cold and terrible team, emphasizing "winning first", and this team has a three-dimensional attack and defense system in the air and on the ground, and can also play beautiful offensive football. Dunga's Brazil team is similar to the Brazil team that won the World Cup in the United States in 1994. This is almost the perfect combination of European tactical discipline and South American personal skills.
Deng tried to rule out "big names" like Ronaldinho and Adriano with an iron fist, and always attached importance to talented newcomers who were not well-known but had a correct attitude towards the game. Although the idea met with trouble at first, it gradually began to show great power. Brazil has become more and more like a united army, and its fighting capacity has been gradually upgraded. In the frontcourt, efficient fabiano, Robinho and teenager Nierma will become the main configuration; In midfield, the core Kaka and Melo, Ramirez, Silva and others will organize the attack; Lucio, Juan, Mai Kong, bastos, Alves and other fierce players in the defense line are all stable, and Cesar, who has been in a brave position at Inter Milan this season, is also reassuring.
Brazil has shown an amazing level in the World Cup qualifiers, the Confederations Cup last year and a series of recent friendly matches. The team is very skilled in ground penetration and side breakthrough in the middle road, and has rich offensive means. Not only has the ground advantage, but also the air combat is excellent. Brazil is always slow and leisurely on the court, and can kill opponents without trying its best. In the passive matches against Argentina and Chile, the Brazilian team is also very skilled in defensive counterattack, and a few sporadic attacks can achieve the desired victory.
Brazil's group match in Group G is tough, and fierce battles with Portugal and C? te d 'Ivoire are inevitable. According to the schedule, their opponent in the 1/8 final is likely to be Chile, while the opponent in the 1/4 final is likely to be the Netherlands, and the opponent in the semi-final may be the winner between France and England. If Brazil can successfully avoid Spain after the group qualifying, it will have a psychological advantage for the Netherlands and England, and it may be a little harder for France, after all.
Look at other strong teams that have the strength to win the championship. Compared with Spain and Brazil, their weaknesses are more obvious.
Look at the England team first. Capello has brought remarkable progress and stability to the Three Lions Corps. They are also quite good in the balance of the three lines, perhaps second only to Spain and Brazil. On the forward line, Hejsky and Rooney are usually partners; There are Lampard, Gerrard, Carrick, Milner and Joe Cole in the midfield; The defence consists of Ferdinand, Terry, Johnson and Ashley Cole. The goalkeeper is a little weak, and Green, James and Hart are not enough to reassure people. According to the schedule, England may meet France in the final of 1/4, and then play against the Netherlands or Brazil in the semi-final. According to their present situation and similar style, it is unlikely that the "Three Lions" will enter the finals.
The second is the defending champion Italy. The absence of the soul-attacking figure Totti made the Azzurri less powerful than it was four years ago. Neither Derossi nor Pirlo can exert their power in the presence of Totti, which is enough to give the resourceful Lippi a headache. The physical strength and state of veteran defenders Cannavaro and Zambrotta are also a problem. Some newcomers promoted by Lippi lack competition experience, which makes it difficult for Italians who intend to defend their titles to succeed.
Looking at the Dutch team, without Ruud van Nistelrooy's "orange legion", the future of the striker is uncertain. How Huntelaar and Van Persie will play a role then is a question. The midfield composed of Sneijder, Van der Vaart, Robben and De Jong is strong, but the instability of the defense line will restrict the rhythm of the Dutch team. Dutch coach Van Malvik wants his team to play like Spain, but their strength and balance are slightly inferior to Spain.
Germany, the European runner-up, boldly promoted young players under the leadership of Loew, and its performance has been stable. However, at present, the strength of the team striker is weak. After a number of veteran midfielders such as Frings and hitzelsberger quit, they still rely on Barak to organize midfielders. However, Barak unfortunately withdrew due to injury before the game, which dealt a heavy blow to the German team. It is a question whether newcomers such as Ozil and Marin can take up their posts. Germany is not stable enough in the position of defence and goalkeeper. This German team needs more willpower and luck to win the championship.
Argentina, France and Portugal are facing similar problems: the ability and trust crisis of the head coach. Diego maradona, the "king of the ball", Domenech and Queiroz, the "astrologers", were all severely criticized in their respective countries. It is doubtful whether these three star-studded teams can form their own team fighting capacity in the World Cup.
Since diego maradona took over the team, he hasn't found a suitable tactical system. The offensive level is chaotic and the defensive loopholes are frequent. Although he has basically confirmed the main lineup of 442 recently, this lineup still lacks more practical tests. Messi has never been integrated in Argentina and always cannot exert his power. Such an Argentine team, if it does not speed up the adjustment, it will be difficult to go far.
The situation of France is similar to that of Argentina. Although there are Ribelli, Henry, Malouda, Gourcuff and other top stars, the French team's midfield is always disorganized, and the defensive line is prone to loopholes. After only relying on Henry's "God's hand" to make it through the play-offs, Domenech and the French team were severely criticized by the French media, and it is unknown whether the stubborn Domenech can revive the French team at a critical moment.
Portuguese coach Queiroz has always performed poorly at the national team level. Under his guidance, Portugal took many risks in the qualifiers and finally made it difficult to advance. The team's weak front line has not been improved, and Portugal has a strong midfield and backcourt. If Queiroz can formulate reasonable tactics for Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, Portugal will probably go far, but it is very difficult to win the championship.