The FIFA 2014 World Cup will kick off in Brazil roughly 236 days from now.
And while all other sporting events can at best keep me mildly preoccupied, the World Cup qualifying rounds are acting as rations during the long drought that has been the last three years and three months since Spain hoisted the trophy in South Africa.
Tuesday, seven more teams booked their tickets to Brazil: Spain, Bosnia, Ecuador, Chile, Russia, Honduras and England.
This collection of teams provides an array of diverse and captivating storylines.
The Spaniards are of course, the defending World and European champions. But their reign of utter dominance is seemingly winding down after the thrashing they were handed against Brazil in the final of the Confederations Cup.
Some would argue the Brazilians had much more at stake in that game because of past disappointments and a lack of competitive matches due to automatic qualifying as hosts, but the seemingly flawless Spainiards were exposed.
Carlos Puyol, whose late goal thrust his team through the semifinals 1-0 against Germany, was the veteran leader and heart of Spain’s defense. Recently he has been bogged down by injuries and will be 36 next April.
While Gerard Piqué is still married to Shakira and Sergio Ramos has gotten rid of his repulsive long hair, their standing as top world defenders has been questioned in the last few months.
Who will score the goals? David Villa, Spain’s all-time leading goal scorer, will likely not be as productive in Brazil as he was in South Africa. Fernando Torres, all jokes aside, is capable but hardly reliable in big games (that is, all the games that are not against Tahiti). Alvaro Negredo could potentially be an option that could stop Spain from playing six midfielders if he continues his strong start to the 2013-’14 season.
Despite all of these possible deficiencies, Spain has some of the most talented players in the world at midfield and goalkeeper and should still be considered one of the favorites to reach the final stages in Brazil. Their likelihood of winning despite certain key shortages should serve as an argument for the squad to be considered one of the greatest teams that has ever played the game.
Next, Bosnia qualified for the first time in their history as an independent nation. Over the past 20 years this country went through nearly four years in a war that saw over 100,000 casualties, and has endured poverty and political friction ever since. Giving the Bosnian people a cause to celebrate illuminates the power of soccer in the world today.
While their off-the-field storyline is momentous enough, the Bosnians do post some serious threats on the field. They have two top Barclays Premier League talents. One scores goals, the other stops them.
Edin Dzeko has scored numerous vital goals for Manchester City and is one of the world’s best aerial threats. Asmir Begovic has risen to become one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League for Stoke City, and will likely be sold to a top English or European club in need of a shot-stopper in one of the next two open transfer windows.
In the World Cup, never count out a team that has as much uniting them as Ecuador. On July 29 star forward Christian Benitez died due to a cardiorespiratory arrest. Despite the emotional toil the rest of the team suffered, they were able to beat South African semi-finalists Uruguay 1-0 Friday, securing a World Cup berth due to the goal difference.
England’s Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard sealed a World Cup ticket in a 2-0 win over a tough Polish team that could not capitalize on scoring chances that world-class forward Robert Lewandowski usually finishes with ease.
There are probably no other teams in the world that have as many questions asked of it as this English team. The Premier League has a lower amount of home-grown English players than it ever has. The national team is in an awkward stage of being filled with young, talented players that might not be fully developed yet and older veteran ones that might be past their prime.
In spite of serious question marks, England finished on top of their group in European qualifying, which is not an easy task to accomplish. Players like Rooney and Gerrard can still produce world class performances and if the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Joe Hart, and Jack Wilshere can perform consistently at a high level like we have seen glimpses of, this England squad can certainly surprise some people.
Who do you think will be the favorites going into the next World Cup? Can Spain defend their title? Are Shakira’s music videos the only part of the World Cup worth watching? Let Jonah know what you think by emailing sports@dailycardinal.com.
