07 Dec '13 07:25>
Originally posted by Trev33None, but when was the last World Cup in South America?
How many European countries have won a world cup in S. America?
I'll have to look at the draw again to see who they'll play in the last 16 and 8 but i said Colombia before the draw and since they have one of, if not the easiest group i'll stick with Colombia.
Draw and fifa rankings are fixed anyway.
Edit: Two team who were really screwed were Chile and Ghana. Still fancy Chile to qualify.
The game is very different now. Players are much fitter and far more accustomed to rigorous travel schedules. Brazil is not exceptional, Argentina have Messi, but Germany have looked devastating recently, Italy can play with anybody and are at long last bold in the attack, Spain will guard their reign jealously, Belgium fields a constellation of stars, and a Dutch side that put on a horrid display in the last Cup final will look to redeem themselves. If there is a South American side to be favored, it is Uruguay. The returning semifinalists are now into their own, and eager to prove that their previous tournament's deep run was no fluke.
This World Cup is packed to the gills with talent, class, and panache. Once the riff raff is dispatched, we are promised a fortnight of electrifying football. From the quarterfinals on, any match could have been a Final.
(And - spoiler alert - a good friend of mine, given the draw today, saw his chances of becoming a referee for at least the semifinal round greatly increase.)