The Final Two Teams-Brazil and Argentina

Disclaimer: I think it's a toss up between these two teams, but in my opinion, any of the top 10 can win this tournament, with the top 4 all being legitimate candidates to win. But these are my top 2 in no particular order.

Argentina
Nickname-La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#6
Group F (Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nigeria, Iran)
Projected Results...
Win to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Win to Nigeria
Win to Iran
Manager-Alejandro Sabella

Qualified through first place in CONMEBOL WC Qualifying
15th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974-2010)

This team is not great defensively, but I think with Zabaleta, Rojo, Garay, and Fernandez they'll be good enough. In the midfield they're stacked, and they have probably the two best forwards in the tournament in Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero. Cruised through qualifying, and as you're aware of, Messi can take over an entire tournament. I worry about their defense, but Sergio Romero in goal is a huge plus. He's world class. I think in the midfield Angel Di Maria will have a great tournament, but their biggest strength is at forward. Aguero, Messi, Higuain, Lavezzi. I mean that's ridiculous. So here are their three most key players:

Lionel Messi-Really special player for Barcelona. He just scores and scores and scores. And assists, asssists, and assists. He's going to need to put the team on his back. He's 26, and has a lot of pressure due to him winning everything there is to win in club. He has 84 appearances, and 37 goals. The captain.

Sergio Aguero-He's a big game player for Manchester City, and is just a great goal scorer. Devastating pace, and a thunderous shot. He's going to light it up with Messi. 25 years old, 50 appearances, 21 goals. Really great player. He scores big goals, like this one for Man City:

Angel Di Maria-Great winger for Real Madrid, he's great at crossing in for his teammates, and can definitely score. Can be a bit selfish at times, and sometimes tries to do much. But you can't blame him for trying. He's 26, with 45 appearances and 9 goals.

Brazil

Nickname-Canarinho (Canary)

UEFA

FIFA Ranking-#6
Group E (Brazil, Croatia, Cameroon, Mexico)
Projected Results...
Win to Croatia
Win to Cameroon
Win to Mexico
Manager-Luiz Felipe Scolari (Felipao)
Qualified through automatic qualification as host country
Have qualified for every World Cup

Immense amount of pressure on this team in their home country. However, there are no real question marks for this team. Felipao coached this team to a World Cup victory in 2002. You know Julio Cesar will start in goal, and he has 78 appearances and a lot of experience. The back line will be stead with David Luiz, Dani Alves, Marcelo, and captain Thiago Silva. The midfield is insanely stacked. Fernandinho, Oscar, Willian, Ramires, Paulinho, Bernard, Luiz Gustavo. That's insane to have that type of talent on one team. At forward, there's Neymar, who is 22 but a top 5 player in the world. Hulk is a hard worker, and he has a cannon of a shot with both legs. I saw Brazil live in September, and they look ready to win this tournament. This team will have to deal with a hell of a lot of pressure, and we'll have a look at who will need to be massive for Brazil:

Neymar-He's the Brazilian wonder kid, the next Pele in Brazilians' eyes. He's only 22, but already has 30 goals in 47 appearances for Brazil. He plays for Barcelona, so he has a great future ahead. But this a chance for him to become a Brazilian legend at only age 22. 

David Luiz-I really look for him to have a great tournament. He plays for Chelsea, and he's a center back for Brazil. He needs to anchor the defense. I think he'll do just that. He also has a rocket of a shot. 27 years old, with 34 appearances.

Oscar-Another Chelsea player, and a fantastic midfielder. Playmaker, but also a scorer. He's only 22, like Neymar, but will play a huge role for Brazil. He has 29 appearances and 9 goals. 

Well that's it for my blog! I really enjoyed writing it, and these are my two favorites to win it. I hope you enjoyed reading it, it took a lot of work, but I'm proud I pushed myself to finish it. Take care everyone.

#3-Germany

#3-Germany
Nickname-Nationalmannschaft (National Team)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#2
Group G (Germany, Portugal, United States, Ghana)
Projected Results...
Tie to Portugal
Win to USA
Win to Ghana
Manager- Joachim Low
Qualified through 1st Place in UEFA WC Qualification Group
17th World Cup Appearance (Every World Cup except 1930 and 1950)

Germany is just insanely stacked. Every position has depth, starting from Manuel Neuer in net all the way out to the veteran Miroslav Klose at striker. The midfield is so so good. The amount of depth in the midfield is almost embarrassing. Their defense is incredible, and the craziest thing is that this team has only a couple players over 30. There's a reason they are in the World Cup every year, and have won the tournament five times, as many as any team in the history of the World Cup. Joachim Low is a fantastic coach, but the German people and press have put an immense amount of pressure on him to win now with this team. No excuses, the German way. I think they can easily win, but I have Brazil and Argentina ahead of them (spoiler alert!) because of the advantage of playing close to home. So let's look at some key players for Germany, though there are so many that are great. The team is young, but the team has a great deal of experience.

Tomas Muller-Bayern Munich midfielder, a really hard working, gritty player. He is a scorer, but can also set up teammates. He's only 24, but has a great strike-rate. He's very attacking minded, with 47 appearances and 16 goals.

Bastian Schweinsteiger-Bayern Munich midfielder, another hard worker, and he will outwork almost everyone on the pitch. He can score, and pass, and basically do everything. He's 29, with 101 appearances and 23 goals for Germany. Look out for him.

Mesut Ozil-Been a bit of a disappointment at Arsenal, as he hasn't found his form completely yet for the English side. However, he will be so key for this German team, as their midfield will be contingent upon his success in setting up his teammates. 25 years old, 53 appearances, and 17 goals.

They can beat anyone, anywhere, but it's gonna be difficult in South America to beat Argentina or Brazil. I'm excited to see how they do.

#4-Spain

#4-Spain
Nickname-La Furia Roja (The Red Fury)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#1
Group B (Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia)
Projected Results...
Win to Netherlands
Win to Chile
Win to Australia
Manager-Vicente Del Bosque
Qualified through first place finish in UEFA WC Qualification Group I
14th World Cup Appearance (1934, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1978- 2010)

The defending champions. Winners of the last two Euros. They can definitely win this tournament. It's kind of funny. A lot of guys who have been mainstays with the Spanish national team are starting to grow old, like Xavi and Xabi Alonso, but there's so much depth at every position. Spain is going to be so stacked for a very long time. Part of the reason is that there's been so much growth and success in the La Liga, and Barcelona, Real Madrid and now Atletico Madrid are just infusing so much talent into the national team. There are going to be a lot of great players who will miss out on this squad. It starts with Iker Casillas in goal, and defensively Sergio Ramos will lead the troops. Gerard Pique will likely join him at center back, with Cesar Azpilacueta and Jordi Alba as the left and right backs. The midfield is anyone's guess, but I can tell you it's going to be amazing. Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, David Silva, Jesus Navas, Cesc Fabregas, etc. And at forward, I expect Diego Costa to get a chance given his recent form for Atletico Madrid. Here are three key players for Spain:

Andres Iniesta-Barcelona midfielder, who is just fantastic. He does it all. He's 29, 94 appearances with 11 goals. He's a playmaker, but he can score big goals. Like this one:

Sergio Ramos-Extremely experienced defender for Spain, plays for Real Madrid. Just really reliable. And chips in offensively sometimes. 115 appearances, 9 goals, aged 28.

Cesc Fabregas-Barcelona midfielder, and I expect him to link up well with Iniesta. He's played for Spain 87 times, with 13 goals. He's 26 years old.

Fantastic team, and will be for years. They've won the last three major tournaments they've been in, so winning a fourth in a row will be really hard. But they have the talent without a doubt.

#5-Portugal

#5-Portugal
Nickname-Selecao (National Team)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#3
Group G (Germany, Portugal, United States, Ghana)
Projected Results...
Tie to Germany
Win to USA
Win to Ghana
Manager- Paulo Bento
Qualified through UEFA WC Qualification Win over Sweden 4-2 on aggregate
6th World Cup Appearance (1966, 1986, 2002, 2006, 2010)

Portugal is ranked so highly because of one word: Cristiano. The best player in the world at the moment, he's just in torrid form for Real Madrid and has been for Portugal as well. Portugal has a defense with a lot of experience, and some skill at right and left back with Joao Pereira and Fabio Coentrao respectively. Pepe and Bruno Alves should be paired up as center-backs, and I think Paulo Bento will stick with Rui Patricio in net. But the midfield is where things can be complicated for Portugal. Joao Moutinho is a lock to be in a holding midfield position, but after that, it will be interesting to see who Bento selects. I think William Carvalho, who is going to be one of the best midfielders in the world, will be in that midfield, alongside Fernando, who is Brazilian but in the process of attaining Portuguese citizenship. As for up front, it will be Ronaldo on the left wing, probably Nani on the right wing, and then likely the wasteful, infuriating Helder Postiga--can't you tell I really watch this team a lot? I hope Paulo Bento is reading this, because I think my sentiments reflect those who are supporting this national team. This all is great, but Portugal will only go as far Ronaldo takes them. Since his form is so devastating lately, I have them as serious contenders. Let's talk about Ronaldo and two others more in depth:

Cristiano Ronaldo-He's amazing. He can score from anywhere, his moves with the ball are incredible, and he is faster than anyone on the pitch. He's just a brilliant, brilliant player, and he scores at an incredible strike rate. The best player in the world for a reason. He's got 110 appearances, and 49 goals. 29 years old. He single-handedly is the reason Portugal is in the World Cup:

Joao Moutinho-As good as Ronaldo is, he needs someone to feed him. That will be Moutinho and co. in the midfield. Joao is just such class at distributing the ball and dictating pace. He plays for Monaco, and he's got 66 appearances for Portugal with 2 goals. He's 27, so he's in his prime.

Nani-Nani has been in awful form, and barely playing for Manchester United. He's great when in form, so I have him as a key player because if he can be in top form on the opposite wing of Ronaldo, then Portugal can legitimately win the whole tournament. This is a massive IF. Nani is so frustrating because he has the tools to be great, but he is insanely inconsistent. Aged 27, 72 appearances, 14 goals.

It's simple. This team goes as far as Ronaldo takes them. I think he'll take them very far.

#6-Netherlands

#6-Netherlands
Nickname-Oranje
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#15
Group B (Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia)
Projected Results...
Loss to Spain
Win to Chile
Win to Australia
Manager-Louis Van Gaal
Qualified through first place finish in UEFA WC Qualification Group D
9th World Cup Appearance (1934,1938, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1994, 2006, 2010)

Ah, the Netherlands. Always so enigmatic. In the final of the 2010 tournament and one shot away from winning it, but they crash out of the Euro in the group stage. I don't get them, but I think this is this team's last chance at winning it, and they'll get along enough to have a run at it. At the 2012 Euro, this team was in disarray and were rumored to be fighting with each other in the locker room and in training. Oranje got back on track under respected Louis Van Gaal, and dominated qualification. But that won't matter if they don't put it together here. This team has great talent up front, and their midfield is strong as well. Their defense is less impressive to me, and their goalkeeping is also a bit suspect. But the firepower they have can overcome anything, and if they play united, they can make a run at this. I think in goal Tim Krul should start, but defensively, they need to resolve their issues. Here are their three biggest threats:

Robin Van Persie-What a striker. Plays for Manchester United, but has been really strong for the Dutch as well. He has scored 41 goals in 82 appearances, for the team, which is a great strike rate. Watch out for him. He's 30 years old.

Rafael Van der Vaart-Great player maker and dead ball player. He's really strong at setting up his teammates for the Oranje and for Hamburg in the Bundesliga. He's got 109 appearances, with 25 goals at age 31.

Arjen Robben-So dangerous on the wing. Great shooter but a great playmaker as well. Over 70 appearances with 22 goals, but plays for Bayern Munich. He's won every major tournament at the club level, and at age 30, he needs to win something for the Oranje.

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They're dangerous, but we'll see if they can put it completely together. Round of 8 for sure.

#7-Belgium

#7-Belgium
Nickname-Rode Duivels (Red Devils)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#12
Group H (Belgium, Russia, Algeria, South Korea)
Projected Results...
Win to Russia
Win to Algeria
Win to South Korea
Manager-Marc Wilmots
Qualified through first place in UEFA WC Qualifying Group A
12th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002)

Belgium is my dark horse in this tournament, but they really aren't a dark horse anymore, as they have captured the attention of many soccer enthusiasts around the world. They are a young team, that has developed nicely with players at all positions playing at world class clubs. In goal, there are two world class keepers in Thibaut Courtois from Atletico Madrid and Simon Mignolet from Liverpool. I expect Courtois to get the nod in goal due to his recent form, but you can't go wrong with either. On defense, there's a great deal of depth, dependability, and stability. In the midfield, there's so much depth and quality, and at forward, this team may be a little bit thin due to the injury to Christian Benteke. But Romelu Lukaku is a great option up front, and if Benteke didn't suffer an injury, I would have probably picked Belgium even higher. Maybe Adnan Januzaj, the wonder kid from Manchester United, will help Lukaku up front. They missed out on the last two World Cups, but are back and dangerous. They are led by Marc Wilmots, a former Belgian legend. I expect them in the final 8 for sure, and they are a team that can absolutely make a run at winning this tournament. Here are three catalysts for this team:

Romelu Lukaku-Plays for Everton in the Premier League, a strong, big body with a rocket of a shot. He will score in this tournament, but once the knockout stages come he'll probably need some support. He's only 20 years old, with 27 appearances and 5 goals. Lukaku will be a player to watch.

Eden Hazard-One of the best midfielders in the world, playing for Chelsea. He has devastating pace, great vision, and is capable of scoring spectacular goals. He can do it all, and if he's in form, the rest of the field are in trouble. 23 years old, 43 appearances, and 5 goals.

Vincent Kompany-So important to this team's back line, and will anchor the defense. I really like the way he plays, and his experience with Manchester City will help him in leading and composing good efforts from his teammates. 28 years old, 57 appearances, 4 goals.

This is a really strong team, and will be for years to come. I like them to make a run at this, but their forwards worry me. 

#8-Italy

#8-Italy
Nickname-Azzuri (Blues)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#9
Group G (Uruguay, Costa Rica, Italy, England)
Projected Results...
Win to England
Tie to Uruguay
Win to Costa Rica
Manager-Cesare Prandelli
Qualified through 1st place in UEFA WC Qualifying Group
18th World Cup Appearance (1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)

Italy is always a lock to make the World Cup, making every tournament dating back to 1962, and they are always a danger to win the tournament, winning as recently as 2006. Last World Cup was the first time they hadn't advanced out of the group stage since the 70s.  I have great confidence that this won't be the case in Brazil, as Italy have a balanced squad, with strength in all facets of the game. Gianluigi Buffon has been Italy's goalkeeper in recent memory, and is extremely dependable and reliable. The defense will be anchored by Giorgio Chiellini, and the midfield will be bossed by Andrea Pirlo, both players with a great deal of big game experience with Juventus and Italy both. Italy have a great deal of skill in attacking with the enigmatic Mario Balotelli from AC Milan, and Fiorentina's Giuseppe Rossi. Italy will play a composed, balanced style, and will use their experience from past tournaments to their advantage. There are still a multitude of players on this team who were on the 2006 championship team, so I expect them to be in the final 8 at the very worst. Their 3 best players:

Andrea Pirlo-34 years old, over 100 appearances for Italy and 13 goals. Plays for Juventus. So deadly on free kicks, and he was a huge part of the 2006 team. He's a dead ball specialist, and has the ability to slow down a game and set up teammates extremely well. I look for him to be a huge piece of the team.

Giorgio Chiellini-29 years old, 67 appearances, and 4 goals. Quality defender for Juventus and is not easily beaten at all. Recently ranked the 7th best footballer in the world by Bloomberg. He's definitely no slouch, and will lead Italy's defense, which is always very strong.

Mario Balotelli-23 years old, 29 appearances, and 12 goals. He's enigmatic, but when he gets hot, he gets HOT. He's the X Factor for this team, and he was a huge reason why this team made the 2012 Euro Final. He needs to get on a roll for them to go far.

I think Italy will be eliminated in the quarterfinals, but they have the potential to go very far. Not always the most exciting team to watch, but definitely one of the most successful teams.

#9-Uruguay

#9-Uruguay
Nickname-La Celeste (The Sky Blue)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#11
Group G (Uruguay, Costa Rica, Italy, England)
Projected Results...
Tie to England
Tie to Italy
Win to Costa Rica
Manager-Oscar Tabarez
Qualified through 5th place in CONMEBOL WC Qualifying Group
12th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2010)

This was a pretty ballsy pick that I made, given that I picked Uruguay over England to advance. Italy was a fair pick to advance over England, but Uruguay was risky. So why did I pick them? It's really two words-Luis Suarez. He's the best striker in the world for me at the moment, and is one of the reasons why Liverpool are in first place in the Premier League this year. This team went out in the semi-finals to the Netherlands last World Cup. Edinson Cavani will be great alongside Luis Suarez, as I think they're arguably the best one-two punch in the tournament. Will Diego Forlan make a difference at age 34? I hope so, because I'm a huge fan of his. The midfield for Uruguay will be the weak spot, as their defense is very experienced, and their forwards are top quality. So this is why I picked them to finish ahead of England. I know it's a risky choice, but I like to live dangerously. Let's review Cavani, Suarez, and Gaston Ramirez, their best midfielder in my opinion.

Edinson Cavani-Great, great player for PSG in France. He is a special player who scores at a great rate, and you can tell by looking at his 20 goals in 60 appearances for Uruguay. Can't wait to see him play up front with Suarez. He's 27, so he's in his prime.

Luis Suarez-If you've watched Liverpool this year, then you'd have seen why he's such a special player. He makes everyone better, and even though teams dedicate their game plan to stopping him, he still essentially scores when he wants. If he's not scoring, he's opening up space for his teammates. He's such a pain in the ass to play against, and he can really get under opponents' skin. He's 27 as well, and he's in 77 appearances he's scored 38 goals. This was vintage Suarez last World Cup. 

Gaston Ramirez-Quality midfielder from spunky Southampton in the Premier League. Really like him, he's up and coming and will be very important in building up play and setting up Suarez and Cavani. He's young (23), so he needs to stay composed and just stay within himself. He has 26 appearances for Uruguay, and hasn't found the back of the net yet, but that will come in time.

I'm stoked to watch this team, and they won't be boring. I think they'll be out in the round of 16, but I think they're a good team and would definitely not be surprised if they finished higher.

#10-Colombia

#10-Colombia
Nickname-Los Cafeteros (The Coffee Growers)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#4
Group C (Colombia, Greece, Cote D'Ivoire, Japan)
Projected Results...
Win to Cote D'Ivoire
Win to Japan
Win to Greece
Manager-Jose Pekerman
Qualified through 1st place in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying Group
5th World Cup Appearance (1962, 1990, 1994, 1998)

The final 10! Colombia has returned to their days of their glory, with players like Falcao, James, and Jackson infusing into their highly potent attack. However, I'm genuinely concerned for this team, because of the injury to Radamel Falcao. He's a top 5 player in the world, and will surely try to return from a torn ACL for the World Cup even not at 100%. This is risky for the player of course, and also could be detrimental to the team. If he plays not at 100%, he'll likely be effective, though not as effective. If he doesn't, he's irreplaceable. It's a catch 22. I think they'll win the group and all the games in the group regardless. I really think James and Jackson will still be a potent attack. Falcao is the ex-factor. The defense for this team is suspect, but midfield and forwards for Colombia should be sufficient. Here are the top three players for Colombia.

Radamel Falcao-Will he be fit? He says he will and is recovering fast, but I just still have my doubts due to the nature of the injury suffered. Regardless of if he will be 100% or not, he still will not have played in a game in months. He plays for Monaco in France Ligue 1, and was lighting up the league before his injury. His strikerate is impeccable-51 appearances, 20 goals. He's 28. Hope he makes it back because he's a hell of a player.

Jackson Martinez-I really am not a fan of his because he plays for Porto, but he's a great striker. I think he's struggled for Porto this season because his mind is in another city (he's been rumored to leave Porto). It's no shock that last season Porto won the Portuguese league when Jackson was unstoppable. I think this player rises to the occasion, and will do so for Colombia. 26 appearances, 8 goals, aged 27.

James Rodriguez-Another former Porto player, who is a magician in the midfield. Again, not my favorite guy, but he's got immense skill, and ability to score from long range. I really look for him to set up his teammates, and I think he'll do it well. He plays at Monaco as well. Aged 22, 21 appearances, 4 goals.

If Falcao comes back at full strength, they'll have one of the top 5 attacking teams in the Cup, but that's a big IF. That's why they're ranked at 10, but they could really be dangerous if healthy.

#11-France

#11-France
Nickname-Les Bleus (The Blues)
UEFA
FIFA Ranking-#19
Group E (France, Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras)
Projected Results...
Tie to Switzerland
Win to Ecuador
Win to Honduras
Manager-Didier Deschamps
Qualified through UEFA WC Qualification playoff victory on aggregate over Ukraine 3-2
14th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)

This is a team that is dangerous, and has won the World Cup as recently as 1994. They have quality at all positions in the field. Their goal is occupied by a world class goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris. Their defense is full of top class talent, with many of the players in the Premier League. Their midfield is bossed by two world class players in Franck Ribery and Yohan Cabaye, but after that, there's a bit of a drop-off. At striker, the three strikers they have are fantastic, in Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), and Loic Remy (Newcastle United). The French are a team who just imploded last world cup, with some players being sent home mid-tournament from the team's training facility after infighting and disagreements with the coach, Raymond Domenech. There won't be a repeat of last World Cup, as France will benefit greatly from being drawn in this group. France will advance out of the group, but they haven't done enough to show me that they are a top contender. They really struggled to make the tournament, as France needed to win 3-0 at home against Ukraine to overcome a 2-0 deficit after the first leg of the two leg playoff. Ukraine isn't very good, so the French need to be better, and I think they will be. Here are their three biggest weapons.

Franck Ribery-Absolute top class midfielder. Not a nice guy, but that doesn't matter on the pitch. He usually drifts out wide onto the wing, and is good for netting goals as well as setting up his teammates. He's probably Bayern Munich's best player, which is a big deal. At age 31, this may be his best chance to win the cup. 81 appearances, 16 goals. Check out these highlights.

Karim Benzema-The starting striker for Real Madrid, this guy is a stud. Can be wasteful at times, but mostly incredibly reliable. Can score the spectacular goal, but also can hold up play and score scrappy goals as well. 26 years old, 65 appearances, 19 goals.

Yohan Cabaye-They need him to help the midfield out. After Ribery, there's a drop-off in talent (which is expected, since Ribery is so great). However, Cabaye is still fantastic. Not so much of a goalscorer, with 27 appearances and 2 goals for France. He plays for Paris St.-Germain in France, so he plays top class soccer. He's the catalyst for this team in my opinion.

Attacking players galore, solid defending, but the midfield could be suspect. Let's see what they can do. The final 8 is definitely attainable. I have them out probably in the quarters.