Iran's preliminary squad

Daniel Davari (Eintracht Braunschweig),
Alireza Haghighi (Sporting Covilha),
Rahman Ahmadi (Sepahan),
Sousha Makani (Foolad Khuzestan)

Khosro Heidari (Esteghlal),
Hossein Mahini (Persepolis),
Steven Beitashour (Vancouver Whitecaps),
Pejman Montazeri (Umm Salal),
Jalal Hosseini (Persepolis),
Amir Sadeghi (Esteghlal),
Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh (Zob Ahan),
Ahmad Alenemeh (Naft), Hashem Beikzadeh
(Esteghlal),
Ehsan Hajsafi (Sepahan),
Mehrdad Pooladi (Persepolis).

Javad Nekounam (Al Kuwait),
Andranik Teymourian (Esteghlal),
Reza Haghighi (Persepolis),
Ghasem Hadadifar (Zob Ahan),
Bakhtiyar Rahmani (Foolad),
Alireza Jahanbakhsh (NEC Nijmegen),
Ashkan Dejagah (Fulham).

Masoud Shojaei (Las Palmas),
Mohammad Reza Khalatbari (Persepolis),
Mehdi Sharifi (Sepahan),
Reza Ghoochannejhad (Charlton),
Karim Ansarifard (Persepolis),
Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan).

Asmir Begovic: I am proud to play for Bosnia, country has been through a lot

Stoke's goalkeeper has seen team-mates prepare for World Cups and now he is delighted it is his turn as he heads for Brazil

The Guardian, Friday 16 May 2014 02.59 AEST   

Bosnia's goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, left, and Haris Medunjanin celebrate their 1-0 victory in October's qualifier against Lithuania which secured their place at Brazil 2014. Photograph: Mindaugas Kulbis/AP


Asmir Begovic has spent a challenging season adapting to the demands of a new manager and successfully helping Stoke City to their highest Premier League finish, all the while knowing that summer brings a new challenge in Brazil. Begovic has never been to a World Cup before, Bosnia-Herzegovina have never been to a World Cup before, but for a refugee who left war-torn Yugoslavia at the age of four to make a new life with his parents in Germany and then Canada there is a satisfyingly circular process to making a fresh start at a major tournament.

"It's been a bit of a strange season, normally you are winding down to the last week or two, this time there's something big in summer to look forward to," Begovic says. "I'm sure by the time everything is said and done we will all feel exhausted and a little but drained, but it will be worth it and there will be time to recharge. It's been fun too, having a World Cup to look forward to is pretty exciting. I've seen other players doing it and now I'm doing it myself. I've no complaints about that."

Having risen through the youth ranks in Canada to earn call-ups for junior representative teams, the 26-year-old goalkeeper had a choice to make when his burgeoning career in England made it clear he was going to be in international demand. "I had a choice between Bosnia and Canada and it was quite a difficult one," he explains.

"I spent a very important part of my childhood in Canada, between the age of 10 and 16 is when you are growing up. I got used to the life there, made a lot of friends, got citizenship there and began to represent the national teams at youth level, but Bosnia was always in the back of my mind as well.

"You never know whether the opportunity is going to arise, and when it came up, because I hadn't been capped by Canada and it was still up to me to make a decision, I discussed it with my family and decided to accept the offer. Family played a big part, my parents are in Germany but a lot of my family live in Bosnia, most of my aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins.

"I feel I am representing them and I am happy they can share this whole experience through me. That was a big motivation. I don't have any firm memories of my own time in the country, I was too young when we left, but I have been back quite a lot. The connection was strong, and I did involve my family, but ultimately it was a football decision.

"Playing for Bosnia allows you to play in much more competitive games. You are in Europe rather than in the Concacaf region, and that's where the heartbeat of football is. You play European qualifiers, tougher friendlies, and you don't travel quite so much. It was the best decision from all points of view and I think it has worked out pretty well."

Begovic speaks like a Canadian, speaking fluent, precise English with a confidence that would undoubtedly put some of his team-mates' communication skills to shame, though he has always considered himself Bosnian, and is grateful for the chance to play for the newish nation. "I'm very proud to represent Bosnia," he says. "The country has been through a lot of tough times, there's no secret about that, but this is the first major tournament for myself, and for Bosnia, it's all new and it's going to be great. Everyone involved is looking forward to the whole experience, we are all determined to make the most of it."

That may not be quite as easy as it sounds, Bosnia having been drawn in a group containing Argentina, Nigeria and Iran, but the national coach, Safet Susic, has just set his side the goal of reaching the second round and Begovic agrees that it might just be possible. "We are in a difficult group, but being realistic we were never going to get an easy one," he says. "There are three very different teams and styles of play in our group so we are going to have to be ready each time, and prepared for what to expect. But it is a World Cup, you can only expect tough games."

Begovic is one of the few names in the Bosnian squad familiar to most English fans, the other being Edin Dzeko of Manchester City, though Stuttgart's Vedad Ibisevic also has a reputation as a goal​scorer and when it comes to marking Lionel Messi the side will look to Muhamed Besic of Ferencvaros. "He is the only player among the 23 who could stop Messi," Susic has said.

Begovic is not sure whether Bosnia should lose sleep worrying about Argentina, when it seems more likely they could take points from the other two teams. "We are a very small nation and we need to make sure we enjoy the whole experience," he says.

"We want to grow stronger from it, take home the positives, hopefully qualify for subsequent tournaments. We are not one of those teams that is under massive expectation to do well, so we should try and make that work for us. But on the other hand within the squad there's a natural, competitive expectation too.

"We want to perform well, get out of the group, post a few good results. To reach the knockout stages is obviously the dream scenario, and then anything can happen. We know we have some quality in the team and we could surprise a few people. We have guys playing all over Europe, and in the last few years some of our players have started to play for bigger clubs in better environments. We now have guys playing in Germany and Italy, and their experience makes the team stronger.

"So I don't see why we shouldn't be capable of a surprise in Brazil. If you look at our last couple of qualifying campaigns, for instance, you can see improvement. We lost against Portugal in the play-off the time before but we took them to the wire. It goes without saying that you need a bit of luck in a tournament, you need things to go your way, but if we get that I don't see why we shouldn't do well. We go there with nothing to lose, no one is expecting us to do too much, but as long as we believe in ourselves we have a chance."
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/15/asmir-begovic-bosnia-stoke-world-cup-2014-brazil

Goalkeepers: Asmir Begovic (Stoke City), Asmir Avdukic (Borac Banja Luka), Jasmin Fejzic (VFR Aalen)

Defenders: Emir Spahic (Bayer Leverkusen), Toni Sunjic (Zorya Lugansk), Sead Kolasinac (Schalke), Ognjen Vranjes (Elazigspor), Ervin Zukanovic (Gent), Ermin Bicakcic (Eintracht Braunschweig), Muhamed Besic (Ferencvaros)

Midfielders: Miralem Pjanic (Roma), Izet Hajrovic (Galatasaray), Mensur Mujdza (Freiburg), Haris Medunjanin (Gaziantepspor), Senad Lulic (Lazio), Anel Hadzic (Sturm), Tino Susic (Hajduk), Sejad Salihovic (Hoffenheim), Zvjezdan Misimovic (Guizhour Renhe), Senijad Ibricic (Erciyesspor), Avdija Vrsaljevic (Hajduk)

Strikers: Vedad Ibisevic (VfB Stuttgart), Edin Dzeko (Manchester City), Edin Visca (Istanbul BB).


Aside from the mini-controversy re. the selection of Tino and the exclusion of Stevanovic/Pandza, an excellent squad. Very excited to see Ibricic and Besic back in; wonderful players.

Edited by humbert: 16/5/2014 10:35:59 PM

Group F Winner

Argentina 1.22
Bosnia-Herzegovina 8.00
Nigeria 10.00
Iran 34.00

http://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/international-soccer/world-cup-2014/outrights

I dont underrate them, but they've still got no chance

Bosna dispatched Cote d'Ivoire yesterday. Should have been 5-0 up in the first half. Looking good.

Playing Mexico in ten or so minutes. Apparent sell-out in Chicago.

World Cup 2014: Bosnia-Herzegovina – the secrets behind the players

Most people have heard of Edin Dzeko and Asmir Begovic, but there are more than a few other interesting characters in the Bosnia-Herzegovina World Cup squad for Brazil

Sasa Ibrulj


theguardian.com, Wednesday 4 June 2014 21.00 AEST   

This article is part of the Guardian's World Cup 2014 Experts' Network, a co-operation between 32 of the best media organisations from the countries who have qualified for the finals in Brazil. theguardian.com is running previews from four countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 12 June.

Asmir Begovic

Now considered to be one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League, Asmir Begovic made the first steps in his career under the guidance of his father Amir. As a third of the population did, Begovic's family fled the country in 1992 to escape the war, and spent years in exile in Germany and Canada. His father, being a former goalkeeper of local side Leotar Trebinje in the Yugoslav second division, kept working with his son the whole time, being his personal coach until Asmir moved to England. Begovic often points out how his old man was a great teacher and how he learned the goalkeeping basics from him. Asmir is a big fan of all sports, including ice hockey, basketball and baseball. His wife Nicole, who is a dressage rider, recently received Bosnian citizenship and hopes she can represent Bosnia in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Sejad Salihovic

After not getting enough playing time at Hertha Berlin, Salihovic decided in 2006 to go down the ranks and join Hoffenheim, the team that was at the time in the third tier of the German league system. Since then he has become their loyal lieutenant, playing 230 matches and helping establish them as Bundesliga regulars. The 29-year-old midfielder, who is considered to be one of the best takers of a free-kick in Germany, claims that he rejected an offer from Bayern Munich to stay in the small village of Sinsheim. He still lives there, refusing to join the rest of the team in Heidelberg,

Izet Hajrovic

In November 2012, when Bosnia-Herzegovina had already started their march towards Brazil, the then 20-year-old Galatasaray midfielder was in Tunisia, having made his debut for Switzerland. He replaced Tranquillo Barnetta and while Ottmar Hitzfeld praised him, he became unpopular in the homeland of his parents. But after Hitzfeld left him out of the Switzerland squad for the qualifiers, Hajrovic suddenly changed his mind and less than a year later he was wearing the Bosnia shirt. However, his call-up has caused controversy. Edin Dzeko, who publicly criticised him when he opted for Switzerland, as did a couple of other experienced players, did not hide his anger. But when Hajrovic struck a superb goal in Slovakia to earn a 2-1 win in the most important match of the qualifiers, all the disputes were forgotten.

Haris Medunjanin

The midfielder, who has played for AZ Alkmaar, Real Valladolid and Maccabi Tel Aviv before moving to his present club, Gaziantepspor, in Turkey, is the only Bosnian international who has actually won a trophy at international level. Medunjanin was a member of the Dutch under-21 side who won the European Championship played in Portugal in 2006. Raised in Holland, he celebrated the title with his then team-mates Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ron Vlaar, and Milan's Urby Emanuelson.

Edin Dzeko

The Manchester City striker is the top scorer in the country's history and its biggest star. The start of his career was completely different - even though he was given a professional contract by his parent club, Zeljeznicar Sarajevo, and a first-team debut as a 17-year-old prospect, he was mocked by his own fans who nicknamed him "Kloc" – the local slang term for a lamp-post. He was forced to move first to the Czech league and then to Germany, where he flourished under the guidance of Felix Magath at Wolfsburg. He had a reputation for being a ladies man, but is now in a relationship with the Bosnian-American model Amra Silajdzic – the Bosnian tabloids' favourite topic.

Tino-Sven Susić

The midfielder, who now plays for Hajduk Split, was given his international debut in March and by putting the 22-year-old in his provisional squad for the World Cup, Safet Susic opened a can of worms. Tino-Sven is Safet's nephew, and his call-up automatically raised the question of nepotism. The manager did not help himself by refusing to explain the reasons for selecting the player, who does not feature regularly in the team in the mediocre Croatian league and whose position is already covered by such as Miralem Pjanic and Zvjezdan Misimovic.

Elvir Baljic (assistant coach, former international)

In 1999, Safet Susic's right-hand man hit the headlines after John Toshack decided to pay Fenerbahce £20m for his transfer to Real Madrid. A series of injuries prevented him from establishing himself as a first-team regular at the Bernabéu. Five years later, while he was still an active player in Turkey, he recorded his first folk music album. He always claimed he did it for the love for music, refusing to record videos and promote the album. However, just a couple of weeks ago he released a new single …

Miralem Pjanic

The Little Prince, as he has been nicknamed by fans, is a man who can keep a secret. Even though he is always the centre of attention for Bosnian and Italian tabloids, the Roma midfielder has managed to keep his private life hidden. In February 2013 he surprised the public by announcing that he and his French girlfriend Josefa had become parents to a son who was born five months previously. The proud father named his son - Edin.

Sasa Ibrulj is a Bosnian freelance journalist who writes for sport.ba

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/04/world-cup-2014-bosnia-herzegovina-secrets-players

World Cup 2014: Iran profile – Javad Nekounam

With almost 140 caps to his name, the icon of Iranian football is seeking a glorious swansong in Brazil, and getting them out of Group F would certainly be a miraculous achievement

John Duerden   


theguardian.com, Wednesday 4 June 2014 21.00 AEST   

This article is part of the Guardian's World Cup 2014 Experts' Network, a co-operation between 32 of the best media organisations from the countries who have qualified for the finals in Brazil. theguardian.com is running previews from four countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 12 June.

"Nek-ou-nam, Nek-ou-nam, Nek-ou-nam!!!" shouted the goalscorer, pointing to the number 15 on his chest, as he ran towards the touchline to celebrate a goal that had kept Iran's World Cup hopes alive. None of the 100,000 plus fans going crazy in Tehran's Azadi Stadium needed any prompting, they were shouting the same. The commentator was too as were, probably, most of the country's population of 80 million. If ever a team has a talisman, then Javad Nekounam is Iran's.

In the end, that goal against South Korea in qualification for the 2010 World Cup was answered by Park Ji-sung - the two skippers formed a respectful rivalry in Asia - when again the crowd were already following the player's celebration before it was actually performed as the Manchester United man put a quick fingers to his lips and then a cupped hand around his ear. For a moment, Nekounam had opened the door to South Africa though Team Melli (which just means the 'national team') couldn't squeeze through. Four years later he scored at the same end in the same stadium against the same team and this time Iran was on the way to the World Cup. The deal was sealed in June 2013 in the return match in Korea.

In the bowels of Ulsan's Munsu Stadium when the shouts from the Iranian dressing room echoed around the 2002 World Cup arena the Iran coach, Carlos Queiroz, nodded in the direction of his skipper. "He is the perfect captain," said the delighted former Real Madrid manager. "He is the kind of player every team needs as he contributes in so many different ways. The bigger the occasion, the better he plays."

A few months later and Nekounam smiles at the memory. "We are so happy to be going to the World Cup," he told the Guardian. "It doesn't matter if you are famous or not known at all, all players dream of playing there. It is hard to explain how I felt but when we qualified, it was one of the best moments of my life. We have to train hard, prepare well and be at our best. And then we will see what happens in Brazil."

Just as some of the iconic football stadiums seem smaller in real life than on television, so does Nekounam, though he is far from small, such is his presence on the pitch. One translator on duty after an international friendly in 2010 confided that he had been nervous about sitting next to the player and being responsible for conveying his opinions to the massed media. Instead of the fierce warrior he expected, he got a polite, serious and quiet gentleman (and an attractive one too, Iran's general team manager once said that all the women in Asia 'think Javad is handsome').

On the pitch, the 33-year-old doesn't cover quite the same amount of ground as before but sets the tempo from deep in midfield and is just as likely to be found breaking up opposition attacks as arriving late on the edge of the area to fire another low shot into the net. He also takes a mean set piece.

Faced with Nigeria, Argentina and Bosnia in Group F, not many tip Iran to progress to the second round but this is a team not to be taken lightly. What is lacked in preparation is made up for in passion and there is no shortage of skill. Team Melli have yet to get over that first hurdle in three appearances and have just one World Cup win to their name, though that victory over the United States in Lyon in 1998 will live long in the memory.

It's time to change all that and Nekounam can't wait. This June is his second and surely last appearance at the World Cup finals. Back in 2006, he was a relatively junior, though important, member of the team that included such icons as Ali Daei and Ali Karimi. That pair of Alis – who both had mixed experiences at Bayern Munich – were reportedly the two pillars of power in the camp. Ahead of Germany, hopes were high that a talented team with a good deal of international experience could do well, but such divides in the dressing room contributed towards a disappointing campaign that saw Iran lose to Mexico and Portugal before drawing with Angola. Ahead of Brazil, Nekounam is not going to go over old problems but insists that he learnt plenty from Germany eight years ago.

"The 2006 World Cup was a memorable experience. Although we didn't have success, I have good memories of the tournament and I realised many things that can help me become a better player and that every time you play, you get experience from that game. We couldn't get the results we wanted but I saw that even the most famous players give everything at every moment, and that is why they are the best."

He must have done something right because as soon as he returned home, Europe was calling. No Iranian had played in Spain's La Liga before (and very few from Asia), and few would have expected Nekounam to stay with Osasuna for six seasons. Almost 150 games he played – and it would have been more if injuries had not interfered – and the man with almost 140 caps for his country became a firm favourite with fans in Spain. His determination, passing, technical ability and goals, 26 in all, helped the Pamplona club stay in the top flight in that period.

Nekounam finally left in 2012, with reports that the cash-strapped team wanted him to take a pay cut. He says however, it was all about returning home to play for Esteghlal. One of two Tehran titans, the Blues can attract over 100,000 to the Azadi Stadium, the same one that the national team and, to an extent, Nekounam, call home. "It was a personal decision. Esteghlal are a very big team that has won many honours in Asia and Iran," says the player, although a recent move to Al Kuwait is perhaps better for the bank account and the relative lack of games keeps him fresh for Brazil.

Now though, it is all about the summer and giving Iran's million of fans something to smile about and the western media something to talk about other than nuclear issues and regional instability. "The world saw in 2006 that Iran loves the national team," says the captain. "Everywhere we go, we can find our fans. They are colourful and love the game so much. They will be in Brazil too. We are ready. All of Iran is ready."

John Duerden is an Asia football correspondent for BBC Radio, the Guardian, ESPN and World Soccer

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jun/04/world-cup-2014-iran-javad-nekounam

World Cup 2014 Nigeria profile: Champions of Africa target knock-out stages with Argentina

Tom Collomosse

Published: 04 June 2014

Forget John Obi Mikel, there's more to Nigeria than meets the eye



EXPECTATIONS

The African champions feel confident they can finish second behind Argentina and qualify for the second phase. While they lack the stars of previous competitions, coach Stephen Keshi is confident he has forged unity by promoting a number of home-based players. Victory in the Africa Cup of Nations last year appeared to justify that approach and the fans will hope to see further guarantees in Brazil.



COACH

Nicknamed “Big Boss” by football fans in Nigeria, Keshi, 52, is an avuncular character who tries to establish a paternal relationship with his players and is keen to stay in the job long enough to turn Nigeria into a genuine force at the 2018 World Cup. He has been both a player and an assistant coach for Nigeria at major international tournaments.



STARS

Emmanuel Emenike has a record of nearly one goal in every other international and should provide a threat in attack after recovering from a serious injury he sustained at the Nations Cup — which didn’t prevent him finishing as top scorer at the tournament.

Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi is highly regarded and fellow midfielder John Obi Mikel is well known to Premier League fans after eight years with Chelsea, where he won numerous major trophies, including the Champions League, Premier League and Europa League.



TACTICS

Those who watch Nigeria regularly believe they are at their most effective when playing a direct game, transferring the ball quickly from back to front for their forwards to run on to. They play a flat back four and generally start in a 4-3-3 system, although that can change to a 4-1-4-1 when they do not have the ball. Keshi is virtually certain to be cautious against Argentina.

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2014-nigeria-profile-champions-of-africa-target-knockout-stages-with-argentina-9482921.html

Nigeria make arrival in Brazil for 2014 World Cup

June 11, 2014   Updated: June 11, 2014 10:20:00

Nigeria were on time this time.

The African champions touched down for the World Cup as scheduled in Sao Paulo on Tuesday night from their pre-tournament camp in the United States.

A year ago, Nigeria arrived three days late for the Confederations Cup in Brazil and in disarray after a player strike over bonuses caused delays and threatened to throw the World Cup warm-up tournament into chaos.

Click here to visit The National’s World Cup 2014 coverage page

Late Tuesday, the Nigerians were transferring through Brazil’s huge commercial hub to their World Cup base in the city of Campinas, around 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Sao Paulo.

The 2013 African Cup of Nations winners will play Iran in their opening game in Group F in Curitiba on Monday, giving them five full days to prepare – luxurious compared to the 36 hours the team had in Brazil before playing their first match at the Confederations Cup last year.

Stephen Keshi’s continental champions have arrived in Brazil off an unimpressive buildup. The Nigerians drew with Scotland and Greece and lost to the United States in warm-up games in Europe and the United States.

Along with Iran, the Super Eagles will also play Bosnia and Argentina in the Group F of the World Cup and are aiming to make the second round for the first time since 1998.

Belgium also flew in to Sao Paulo on Tuesday leaving three teams still to arrive for the World Cup: Ghana, South Korea and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.


Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/sport/world-cup-2014/nigeria-make-arrival-in-brazil-for-2014-world-cup#ixzz34JiIsRTS

NATE Silver’s powers of prediction are unparalleled.

As the brain behind statistical analysis blog FiveThirtyEight, Silver has been forecasting results in political elections and sporting contests for years. During the last US presidential election, he correctly predicted the winner in all 50 states.

Now, Silver has turned his attention to the World Cup.

He has developed a predictive model called the Soccer Power Index (SPI), which harnesses reams of data to rate every team’s chances on a match-by-match basis.

“Technically speaking, SPI is two ratings systems rolled into one,” Silver says. “One based solely on a national team’s play, and one that reflects a composite of player ratings for what SPI projects to be a team’s top line-up.”

If you want to know how the index works in excruciating detail, you can read more about it here. Otherwise, you can see its predictions for every World Cup group below.


GROUP F: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria

Essentially, Lionel Messi has been given three warm up games to help him hit his stride. Argentina (92.5 per cent) will progress, and Bosnia-Herzegovina should join it in the top two (58.1 per cent).

“It would be a major upset if Argentina failed to advance to the knockout stage,” Silver says. “Still, Bosnia-Herzegovina, playing in its first World Cup under that flag, is the 13th best team in the world according to SPI.”

SO, WHO WILL WIN THE WORLD CUP?

“Argentina, Germany and Spain, like Brazil, are wonderful soccer teams. You could perhaps debate which of the four would be favoured if the World Cup were played on a hastily constructed soccer pitch somewhere in the middle of the desert,” Silver writes.

“But this World Cup is being played in Brazil. No country has beaten Brazil on its home turf in almost 12 years.”

That loss, in a friendly against Paraguay back in 2002, barely counts. Brazil didn’t take the game seriously, and substituted most of its star players well before full-time. According to Silver, Brazil’s last home defeat in a match that actually mattered was in 1975.

With home ground advantage factored in, alongside all the other data, Silver’s Soccer Power Index gives Brazil a 45.2 per cent chance of winning the World Cup, ahead of Argentina (12.8 per cent), Germany (10.9 per cent), Spain (7.6 per cent) and Chile (4.2 per cent).

http://www.news.com.au/sport/football/fifa-world-cup-2014-superstar-statistician-nate-silver-has-bad-news-for-australia/story-fnkjl6g2-1226950736040

Edited by Joffa: 11/6/2014 09:59:50 PM

Brazil 2014: Is this Argentina’s time to win the World Cup?

June 15, 2014 by jamessavundra Leave a Comment


By John Howell.

Argentina are looking to banish the ghost of tournaments past with a first World Cup win in twenty-eight years. Since their triumph in 1986 and a subsequent final in 1990, the South American giants have failed to make it past the quarter-finals in their previous five attempts.

So what makes them one of the bookmaker’s favourites and is it justified?

The weight of a nation falls on the shoulders of arguably the world’s greatest player: Lionel Messi.

lionel_messiIncredibly still only 26-years-old, Messi is reaching his peak years after consistently performing on an already stratospheric level. Doubts linger, though, over whether he can duplicate the genius that compatriot Diego Maradona achieved when he single-handedly propelled his side to the World Cup in 1986.

Scorer of what would, for any other player, be an incredible 41 goals this season; it is a testament to his brilliance that some critics have accused the Argentina captain of blowing hot and cold since last August. With Barcelona experiencing a trophyless year, pundits have clamoured to claim that Olympus has fallen. The consensus is only heightened by the red hot form of La Liga rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

With all of this hanging over Messi’s head going into his second World Cup, doubts over whether the pocket-sized playmaker can handle the strain have inevitably followed.

Despite all the records that Messi has shattered time and again in his illustrious career, he is apparently doomed…That is unless he can win the World Cup – Oh, and not only win the World Cup, but in the style of Maradona ’86, or Pele ’58; with individual genius. Pressure, what pressure?

The Defence

Attack is the best form of defence – except when you come up against a team of equal quality. Whilst much has been made of the offensive options the Argentines posses, it is their defence where they could be exposed.

argentina_qualifyGoalkeeper Sergio Romero has been starved of game time whilst on loan at Monaco and there are questions over his ability after high profile mistakes on the pitch. It’s safe to say Romero is the best of a bad bunch, with back-ups Agustín Orión and Mariano Andújar both playing lower level football combined with sparse appearances for both club and country.

Full back Pablo Zabaleta and centre-back Ezequiel Garayboth apply their trade at an elite level, their importance to both club and country is undisputed. Centre-back partner Federico Fernandez broke into Napoli’s first team this year making 33 appearances. Along with Sporting left-back Marcos Rojo, the back four are solid but both full-backs are more comfortable going forward which can leave gaps for quality teams to exploit.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

It’s been 24 years since Argentina made it to a World Cup semi-final.

The South American side have had hugely talented squads in the interim, just like they have this year, but have still failed to get past the last eight.

The nation demands more this year from its stars. On their own continent and so close to home, questions will arise as the team progresses deeper into the tournament. Can they handle the pressure? Do these players know how to win on an international level?

And what makes this squad any different?

Stars such as Javier Pastore, Carlos Tevez and Diego Milito are all missing from the 2010 team, proving that Coach Alejandro Sabella isn’t perhaps picking the greatest 23 individuals, but rather the squad best capable of performing as a cohesive unit.

angel_dimariaThis is demonstrated best by the inclusion of 10-cap defender José María Basanta. The 30-year-old plies his trade in the less than fashionable Mexican league for Monterrey but was included above European superstar Pastore.

Those who played four years ago have inevitably grown as both footballers and men.

Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Ángel di María have all matured. At the age of 26, they are all more physically and mentally capable of performing on the biggest stage of them all.

So is this their time?

The stage is definitely set for Argentina. An easy group including Bosnia, Iran and Nigeria, Sabella’s men should stroll through to the last 16. Once there, they can expect to play Switzerland or France, both of whom are unlikely match to their level.

It is the quarter-final hoodoo that Argentina must overcome. If they make the semi-finals, they are my pick to win the World Cup.

There are a lot of questions but Argentina have all the tools to answer them. It is in their hands, or Lionel Messi’s, depending on how much you play attention to the hype.
http://offsiderulepodcast.com/2014/06/15/brazil-2014-is-this-argentinas-time-to-win-the-world-cup/

I will have no regrets sleeping in for Nigeria vs Iran

I thought Bosnia did enough to win against Argentina.

Argentina appear to be a team of stars, rather than a star team, particularly in the attacking half, given they can leave Tevez out.

Yet if they encounter Spain, Holland, Germany, France, Brazil in form, possibly Belgium, who I've never seen play, they have the potential to blow Argentina off the pitch. That is if they play on cool enough conditions to play at a high tempo for the whole game.

The reason for this, is that Argentina are lazy in Ball Possession Opposition. Unlike the club teams some of them play, for like Madrid, Barca and Man City, who play intensive squeezing and full pressing, the Argentinians who play for these clubs are made to look netter by hardworking club team-mates.

Argentina only squeezes languidly, and applies a half press. This is where they only really try to win the ball as a collective unit in their own half. Most of the other teams try to win the ball much higher up the pitch ,forcing turnovers in the attacking half.

Even in off the ball movement in Ball Possession, Argentina, have little movement in attack from attacking players, who work hard for the collective good, unselfishly, like our Leckie, Brosque and Holman.

It just happens Argentina are nearly all brilliant with the ball at their feet, have fabulous first touches and turning techniques, and can pass accurately under extreme pressure.





Edited by Decentric: 16/6/2014 12:17:27 PM

It doesnt matter how Nigeria do in this tournament

Or any tournament for that matter

They still win money off us when we go to collect the money that Prince has promised to us (419)

Well, looks like I made the right call sleeping through Nigeria v Iran

Goalless draw

Iran a strong contender for this tournament's most boring team.

It wasn't actually a bad game. Whilst Iran seemed intent on not conceding, Nigeria came out and threw everything but the kitchen sink at them. The fact the game didn't finish 5-0 to Nigeria is more credit to Iran's desperate last ditch defending than Nigeria's poor finishing. In saying that, there were times when Nigeria would struggle to hit the broad side of a bar with a tennis ball.

Can we get a gif of the creepy argentine dude who looks at the camera and smiles after Messi's missed free kick attempt?

Iran are doing the only thing that gives them any chance of winning, really can't blame them.

Touche

Iran playing really well at the moment

I only just woke up, looks like it could be potentially another big upset.:shock:

Iran with a few good chances. Wtf is that hanging from Palacio's head?

Wow 85min counter from Iran, shot saved,was on an angle and he had two defenders bearing down.

91min. Messi curls it in. Cruel ending for Iran but Messi brilliance.

heart break for iran what a strike

Messi 1-0 Bus

Great goal.

Messi =d>