By Artem Sokolov, exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The national teams of Brazil and Croatia will face each other in the opening game of the 2014 Football World Cup at the Corinthians Stadium in the Brazilian city of São Paulo. Vestnik Kavkaza opens a series of articles on the World Cup. This article is devoted to teams from Group A.
Brazil
The World Cup host is one of the main favorites of the tournament. Home advantage should be a great support for the team. As for the Brazilians' own advantages, their squad is balanced. The team is traditionally known for its forwards, but at the domestic World Cup they have one of the strongest defenses. Wingers are Marcelo and Dani Alves, while Tiago Silva, Dante, and David Luiz claim the two central positions. The attacking lineup causes more concerns for Brazilian fans. Attacking wingers are Hulk, Fred, and Neymar; the names are less promoted than in Germany, Spain, and Argentina. However, the main star is Neymar, who spent his first season in Barcelona not very effectively, but he plays differently for the national team. Moreover, we should not forget about referees’ loyalty to the host.
As for disadvantages, the Brazilians lack an ability for positional attack. A lot will depend on the midfielders. The well-known Paulinho, Ramires, Luiz Gustavo, Willian, Fernandinho, Hernanes, and Oscar could turn out to be ineffective. None of the listed players can be called a leader of the team, who is able to be a playmaker. There are no players like Ronaldinho. Furthermore, football fans expect only a victory from the players. Any other result will be a failure. The ability to deal with such pressure will depend on the head coach – Luiz Felipe Scolari, who won the World Cup with Brazil 12 years ago.
Croatia
Croatia is one of main favorites in the struggle for the play-offs. Niko Kovač’s players are able to ruin the lives of almost any team. Their team spirit is high. The current squad of Croatia also makes them hope to appear in the last sixteen. They have Mario Mandžukić, striker of Bayern Munich, Ivan Rakitić, a hero of Sevilla, Luka Modrić, a winner of the Champions League with Real. Moreover, there are Ivica Olić and Ivan Perišić from the Bundesliga and Vedran Ćorluka and Stipe Pletikosa from the Russian Premier League. The captain of the team is Darijo Srna. One of main problems for the Croatian team could be the Brazilian climate.
Mexico
Mexico is traditionally thought to be one of the strongest teams of Central America. However, in recent times it has somewhat lost its way. Miguel Herrera’s players got to the World Cup only due to the play-off games, defeating the New Zealand national team. Fans constantly criticize the playing of the team. Mexico has changed 4 coaches during the qualification rounds. And only Herrera could revive the team.
The chances of his team are 50/50. Mexico is one of the mysteries of the World Cup. The majority of the squad plays in Mexico, but leading positions are taken by players who perform in foreign clubs. Here is Chicharito from Manchester United and dos Santos from Villarreal. They will be assisted by Guardado, Reyes and Moreno.
Cameroon
According to the bookmakers, the main loser of Group A will be Cameroon. And there are objective reasons for this. The head coach is German expert Volker Finke, who cannot be called a highly-skilled professional. The exceptional status of Eto’o and constant disputes and scandals inside the Cameroonian team reduce their chances of getting into the play-offs. It is difficult to predict the results of Finke’s team.
However, Cameroon has certain chances. Almost all the players play for European clubs. Such experienced players as Eto’o are able to lead the younger partners. As for the hot climate, it is easier to play under the flaming sun for the team than for Croatia.
