World Cup: Pick your favorites

Pick up a pen and paper and start listing the teams you think would make it all the way to the finals of the 2014 World Cup, as the highly anticipated competition of the year is just around the corner, kicking off in Brazil in less than a month.

You have 32 squads to choose from, from the favorite and defending champion Spain to the lowest-ranked (No. 59) among the qualifiers—Cameroon. Of course, there is Brazil, which will have the home crowd and Neymar on its side.

The Verde Amarela being the host has the luxury of not having to go through the rigorous series of qualifiers that began three years ago and wrapped up just last year. From 203 countries, only 31 made the grade to join Brazil in the quest for the gold-plated sterling silver trophy named after former FIFA president Jules Rimet and the $35 million prize money.

Brazil will host the World Cup for the second time since 1950 and will have the 64 matches spread across 12 cities, including Rio De Janeiro, which housed the venue for the finals—the Estádio do Maracanã.

“Every World Cup is very exciting because of the level of play, but what would make this year’s competition more special is that Brazil is hosting and the country is known for its festive atmosphere. There will be festivities taking place in every host cities, the stadium, and even outside the playing venues,” said Northern Mariana Islands Football Association president Jerry Tan, who will be watching a couple of games in Brazil while attending the FIFA Congress.

The competition will start with the group stage with the 32 teams divided into eight pools and only the Top 2 in each group after six games advancing to the Round of 16. Matches will run from June 12 to July 13 and CNMI football fans are expected to be glued on TV for one month to root for their teams.

Tan, a fan of the England team, added Brazil, with its five World Cup wins, is his bet for one of the finals slot, but outside the host country, underrated Germany and defending champion Spain have the strong chance to make it to the title match.

“Only a few are giving Germany a second look or favorite tag, but if you look at the past World Cup results, the Germans have strong finishes. They have been to the semifinals several times,” Tan said.

MP United coach Norman Del Rosario also picked Germany and Brazil, while France is his biggest dark horse with the blend of youth and talent on the team.

“I pick Germany because this is the deepest team in the competition. From Manuel Neuer to Thomas Muller to Bastian Schweinsteiger, Phillip Lahm and Mesut Ozil, this squad is extremely deep and a dangerous team. The combination of veterans and young stars is part of the dynamic that makes the German team work,” he said. “I like Brazil because it is largely based on defensive solidity. Captain Thiago is rated as one of the best defenders in the world.”

Tan Holdings FC player and coach Jershwin Angeles also goes for Brazil although his favorite teams are Spain and Japan.
“Brazil has a lot of young and talented players, plus playing in their own country is a huge advantage. Japan is the underdog yet other teams will not have an easy game against this squad,” Angeles said.

“It’s always hard to beat a team playing at home and in front of the supportive crowd that’s why I also picked Brazil,” NMIFA general secretary Ross Zapanta said
CNMI youth player Sean Hayakawa Perez is not joining he growing group favoring Brazil, as he likes the Japanese team, but picks Portugal.
“I will go for Portugal since I think Ronaldo improved so much the past three years and I know he will do much better this year. I am half Japanese and it would be nice to see them play and hopefully win matches,” Perez.

Shirley’s FC player and coach Angie Ito is betting on Spain, as several players on the squad also play for her favorite team, the FC Barcelona in the La Liga.

Meanwhile, Saipan Tribune will run previews of each group every Wednesday and Friday, beginning next week so you can know your team better as well as help you decide where to put your money on.