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World Cup 2018 Preview

In 2014, the world was captivated by the FIFA World Cup. Let’s paint a picture of that epic match.

In what was seemingly the perfect end to a perfect sports tournament, Leo Messi put his home country of Argentina on his back and led them to the final against a perennial football juggernaut in Germany. With the game tied 1-1 throughout the second half, Mario Gotze (Germany) put in the go-ahead goal in extra time to take a 2-1 lead. With the game coming to its conclusion, Argentina was awarded a free kick outside Germany’s box, but just within scoring range. To take the shot, none other than Messi. With the undivided attention of the world, including me, on Messi’s left foot, the Argentinian forward had his shot at would have undoubtedly been the greatest goal in soccer history (for those who say soccer is not entertaining, Exhibit A). As Messi stood five yards off the ball with German goalkeeper (GK) Manuel Neuer staring him down, it seemed as though this would be Messi’s crowning achievement. For just a few moments, as Messi took his steps forward to take the shot, the world and time itself seemed to stop.

He pushed it. Just above the left side of the goal. With that, Germany drained the last few minutes off the clock, and hoisted the beautiful World Cup trophy. For Messi, who was reaching a juncture in his career where experts thought he might retire from international football, there was nothing but question marks and missed opportunities.

That match concluded what was a terrific World Cup. The United States of America had shown out for their fans, Messi had made a final (with a chance to win), the original favorite, Brazil, was eviscerated by Germany, and those Germans closed out one of the most dominant World Cup runs in recent memory.

With a plethora of stories for fans to follow, the World Cup 2014 was a great sporting experience, regardless of how you feel about the sport itself. Now, four years later, the eyes of the sports world will once again be on soccer when the World Cup returns to Russia in June. While it will be hard for this tournament to live up to 2014, there are, once again, a multitude of storylines for fans to follow. Over the course of this article, I will aim to describe each of the most delectable stories to follow in World Cup 2018, and hopefully give my American colleagues a little ammunition if thrust into a dreaded World Cup conversation.

German Dynasty

Like I pointed out earlier, Germany ran the table in 2014 in dominant fashion. They absolutely slaughtered a young Brazil side that looked poised to make history in their home country, and followed it up with a victory over a pacey Argentina squad. Essentially an All-Star team of Europe’s most prized footballers, Germany was the best team in the world in 2014. Period.

Fast forward to 2018. Germany is the betting favorite to win another World Cup, which would follow Spain’s back-to-back wins in 2008 - 2012. However, Germany will be without several of their key contributors to the 2014 win in Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski, and Miroslav Klose. Those veteran players were anchors to both the midfield and the attack, and their experience will be missed.

On the other hand, Germany still has a boat load of talent up and down their roster. Manuel Neuer has missed most of the season with an injury, but he should be able to return for World Cup action. Even if he doesn’t play, Marc-Andre ter Stegen is probably the best backup goalie in the world, seeing as though he starts for FC Barcelona. This goalkeeping fortitude paired with defenders like Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng will strike fear into the hearts of opposing strikers.

So, will Germany be able to pull off an improbable repeat-victory in Russia? Every part of their squad is littered with talent, despite losing several veteran players from the 2014 team. Their youthful attack, in conjunction with (arguably) the best defensive unit in the world earns Germany their spot as the odds-on favorite. However, winning back-to-back World Cups is one of the most difficult achievements in team sports. Opposing teams will be giving the Germans every ounce of effort in their bodies, and Germany will undoubtedly have to overcome extreme adversity at some point in this tournament if they are to win.

Brazilian Phenom

Brazil has everything. They have a defense anchored by star centerback Thiago Silva, a great midfield, and one of the top five players on the planet, Neymar, leading the attack. In Brazil in 2014, the home team looked poised to make World Cup history and keep the trophy in Rio. The team looked promising until a run-in with eventual champion Germany, who routed the Brazilians by an embarrassing score of 7-1 in the semifinal. This loss devastated an entire country, and forced the youthful Brazilians to look forward to 2018, where revenge would be the number one goal.

Today, we are just weeks away from the 2018 World Cup, and Brazil has kept basically their entire 2014 squad intact. Headed by Paris Striker Neymar, Brazil is in prime position to make up for their embarrassing exit from the World Cup in 2014. Neymar will be the focal point of the attack, just as he would be for damn near any other team in the world. Arguably the third best player in the sport, Neymar was recently acquired by French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain for a record transfer fee. For those of you who are more in-tune with the NBA, Neymar left a Barcelona squad headed by Messi and Luis Suarez in favor of a team where he could be the top dog, just as Kyrie left LeBron and the Cavs for the Boston Celtics.

With top-dog aspirations, Neymar will have a chance to prove himself in Russia. Fans around the globe know that Messi (World Cup 2014) and Portuguese Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (Euro 2016) have what it takes to carry their teams to great heights, and Neymar will likely have to shoulder the load if Brazil is to take down Germany. Personally, I like Brazil’s odds to win it all. They have the second best odds to win, behind Germany, and being fueled by revenge is never a bad thing.

Transcendent Stars in Search of International Success

For the last ten years or so, there has been no doubt in the mind of any sane soccer fan that Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and Leonel Messi (Argentina) are the greatest soccer players in the world. They have both led their team to UEFA Champions League titles (European Club tournament), and they have both posted goal-totals that most players could not dream of. What is even more astonishing is the fact that every Ballon d’Or (World MVP) for the last 10 years has been won by one of these two players (each have won 5 times). To put this into perspective, imagine LeBron James and Michael Jordan competing head-to-head, both in their primes.

Through years of individual success and enough trophies to sink a freighter, one thing has escaped these two stars: success on the biggest of stages, the World Cup. In 2014, Messi dragged his squad to the World Cup final, losing to Germany. While his supporting cast is stronger than Ronaldo’s, this places more pressure on Messi to get the job done. He is chasing the ghosts of legends like Maradona and Pele, who both won World Cups for their countries. If Messi wants to be known as soccer’s “GOAT”, he needs to take his team over the top and hoist the trophy.

More recently, Ronaldo has taken over soccer. Winning the last two Ballon d’Or titles (and probably three) and leading Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League victories, Ronaldo has done everything imaginable for a soccer player, except win the World Cup. In 2018, this task is a monstrous one. Portugal lacks depth other than their star forward, and any chance they have of victory sits upon the shoulders of Ronaldo.

Conventionally speaking, Portugal should have no shot at this tournament. With the likes of Brazil, Germany, and Belgium lurking in the later rounds, Portugal lacks both the midfield and the defense to win it all. However, Ronaldo proved everybody wrong in 2016, leading Portugal to the European Championship. If Portugal does go on to win this tournament, it may elevate Ronaldo clear of Messi, as the greatest soccer player to ever play the game.

Other Countries Hungry for Success

With Germany and Brazil as the clear favorites to win in 2018, there are a handful of other squads that have the ammunition to take down these powerhouses, beginning with Spain. The Spanish have known World Cup success unlike any other team in our lifetime, winning back-to-back World Cups in 2008 and 2012. Once again, Spain posts a roster of exquisite midfielders, unlike any other team in the world. Even with legends like Iniesta and Xavi retiring since 2012, Spain has plenty of fresh faces such as Isco and David Silva to carry the load. Spain also has GK David de Gea, who made his claim as the best goalie in the world starring for Manchester United in the BPL.

Another team that has great odds to win the title is France. Coming off a disappointing run in the Euro 2016 tournament, France is a young squad that looks primed for success. Led by fresh stars such as Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba, France will be looking to rebound from defeat in their home country in 2016. While they do have holes in their lineup, France has the star power to get the job done.

England is an intriguing team to watch heading into the World Cup. Bonafide superstar Harry Kane is a world-class striker, and he is surrounded by young, fast players such as Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford on the attack. Personally, I will be in London when England embarks on their journey to bring home the title, so this is a slightly biased pick, but England could bring home the Cup with stellar play from their unproven defense.

In conclusion, we have my personal pick to bring home the Cup: Belgium. This squad features a variety of world-class players up and down the pitch. In the attack we have Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, and Kevin de Bruyne, all English Premier League standouts who have not tasted success on the international stage. The defense is anchored by Vincent Kompany, the Manchester City star. Belgium certainly has the fire power to go toe-to-toe with any team in the world, but there are question marks in the midfield. If this squad is to take home the crown, they will need great performances from Hazard and de Bruyne, and maybe even a couple bounces to go their way against Germany or Brazil. All in all, look for Belgium to outscore Neymar and company in the World Cup final in a classic match.

Prediction: Belgium defeats Brazil, 3-2, in the World Cup Final

[mindlesssportsguru-blog]

2018 NBA Conference Finals

Well, we have officially reached the time of year where all that stands between us and the painful summer months of baseball season is the NHL and NBA playoffs. With the meat of the MLB season quickly approaching, I decided to focus on the last exciting sports story until NFL training camp starts up in August, detailing the final four teams remaining in the NBA playoffs.

Traditionally, the NBA playoffs are notorious for being predictable, lopsided affairs in which the team that was expected to win from the beginning, wins. Since 2000, the sport has been plagued by dynasties, meaning that certain franchises are so dominant over a span of several years that no other teams seem to have a chance. Whether it be the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs (1999-2007), the Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002, 2009-2010), or the LeBron James-led Miami Heat (2011-2014), big market franchises monopolize the sport for several years at a time. The last couple years have been no different, as the Golden State Warriors formed a squad that would go on to win two of three championships, with the one loss coming at the hands of The King: LeBron James. After posting an incredible 73 win season (NBA record) and blowing a 3-1 lead (never forget) to James and company, the basketball gods gave everyone in the entire world the middle-finger when former-MVP Kevin Durant decided to take his talents to the Bay Area, joining Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green in a star-studded lineup. After much speculation on whether this team would gel correctly and blow everyone out of the water, the Warriors slashed and devastated their way through the 2017 playoffs with a record of 16-1 (T-NBA record), topped off with yet another title. Following this basketball killing spree by the Warriors, the rest of the NBA seemed to be in the sunken place, watching the new and improved “Lineup of Death” (yeah, that’s literally what they’re called) ravage the rest of the sport.

Fast forward to now. We are nearly a year removed from Durant nailing that three in LeBron’s face in game five, and things are relatively the same as they were then. The Warriors are PROBABLY going to win again, and they are PROBABLY going to beat LeBron’s Cavaliers in the Finals for the third time in four years. This post could end after that sentence, but where’s the fun in that? With both Conference Finals surprisingly knotted up at two games a piece, the next week could dictate the landscape of the NBA for several years to come. With the title (seemingly) up for grabs, here is some context on the two matchups thus far, and what each team must do to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.

The East

Over the last 15 years, the rest of the Eastern Conference has served as the Avengers equivalent to LeBron James’ Thanos (sorry to anyone who hasn’t seen Infinity War). Every couple years, there seems to be a Thor-like team who looks like they may have what it takes to derail The King, and every couple years LeBron is forced to snap his fingers and eviscerate that “challenger” from existence. The Paul George Pacers, the Derrick Rose Bulls, and the Al Horford Hawks (lol) have been LeBron’s biggest competition, which is the equivalent to an average sized man standing in front of an Escalade traveling 80 mph thinking “Hey I might have a chance at stopping this thing.” Bottom line: LeBron James is a force the likes of the NBA has never seen before. These playoffs have been no different up to this point, as LeBron has single-handedly led this group to the conference finals. Averaging a ludicrous 33.7 points on 55% shooting, LeBron is on a mission to reach an unprecedented eighth consecutive NBA Finals. After being pushed to seven games in the first round against a gritty Pacers team, the Cavs embarrassed a 59 win Raptors squad, a team that has been stopped in their tracks by LeBron for years now. With his game-winning buzzer beater in game five, LeBron ripped the hearts out of every player and fan associated with the franchise, including famous rapper Drake, who had been chirping James from the sidelines throughout the series. The Cavs would go on to decimate the Raptors in game four, leading to the firing of Head Coach Dwane Casey, a Coach of the Year candidate.

What has been most noteworthy about this Cavaliers team is the absence of anything resembling a supporting cast. Other than Kevin Love who, when healthy, is an all star caliber player, this is undoubtedly LeBron’s worst supporting cast since his first stint in Cleveland. Playing themselves into the fourth seed in the East, these Cavs looked both offensively and defensively challenged throughout the season. The strategy is simple: surround LeBron with perimeter shooters and hope it is good enough. JR Smith and Kyle Korver could be viable assets on a championship team, but both lack dimensions to their game other than perimeter shooting. Adding Jeff Green looked to be a promising move right up until the playoffs, when everyone remembered Jeff Green is a bonafide playoff scrub. Many players came and went this season through various “panic trades” the Cavs made in an attempt to appease The King. Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance Jr. are all solid role players, but their ability to compete against the likes of Golden State or Houston is seriously doubtful.

The most glaring absence from this squad is all star PG Kyrie Irving, who voiced his dissatisfaction with the Cavs last year and was traded to the Boston Celtics. For the last seven years, LeBron has always had a “sidekick” to help in his quest for the Finals, and Kyrie was just that. Kyrie’s performance in the legendary 3-1 comeback against Golden State was nothing short of transcendent, and his scoring prowess is widely respected throughout the league. His departure from the Cavs this off-season certainly took a toll on the Cavaliers’ internal situation, and perhaps more importantly, created an Eastern Conference foe unlike any LeBron has faced in the last ten years.

Enter the Boston Celtics, arguably the greatest franchise in the history of the sport. General Manager Danny Ainge has worked like a maestro the last five years, acquiring draft picks and assets like low hanging fruit. More importantly, he scored big time with his last two first round picks, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. These two potential all stars, in conjunction with defensive expert and “team dad” Al Horford have created a threatening team in the East, playing themselves into the two seed. What is more impressive, however, is that Boston is without their two best players. PG Kyrie Irving and SF Gordon Hayward. After losing these two stars over the course of the regular season Boston has seen tremendous support from role players such as Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris, and Terry Rozier.

So, how does this team match up with the Cavaliers? Surprisingly, the Celtics can stand toe-to-toe with the Cavaliers and have been very successful thus far. While the Celtics cannot match LeBron’s size, speed, and athleticism, their role players have been outperforming the Cavs’ up to this point. Their outstanding bench, along with terrific performances at home are going to make this team a tough out for the Cavaliers. That being said, let’s bring this back to the Marvel Universe. With all my heart, I would love to see the good guys come back and defeat Thanos. It almost feels like it needs to happen. As much as I want to believe in the Celtics and their youth movement, I simply cannot pick against LeBron James until it is proven that he can lose. Whether it be next year or in 2026, LeBron will eventually decline, but this is not the team that is going to get it done. PREDICTION: Cavs in 6.

The West

No matter which team comes out of the East, they are going to have their work cut out for them against the Western Conference Champion. In one corner, we have the Golden State Warriors. You can learn pretty much everything you need to know about this team in a couple sentences, so here it goes.

This is the greatest team ever assembled. Period. End of story. A lot of romantics like to look back on the days of Michael Jordan’s Bulls and say that they could defeat this Warriors team, but that is wrong. At point guard, the Warriors have Steph Curry, who has broken the NBA 3PT record for 4 consecutive years, and is widely regarded as the best shooter in the history of the game. He led this team to a 73 win season without Kevin Durant, and is the engine that makes the team roll. Did I mention he is a two-time NBA league MVP?

Next up, we have Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Thompson is widely known as the second best shooter in NBA history, which is a bit ridiculous that he is teamed up with Curry. His ability to knock down shots and get hotter than Hell in a matter of minutes is terrifying for any team they play against, especially considering he is their third best offensive weapon. He is also a flexible defender, specializing in taking out the other team’s best perimeter scorer. Draymond is a freak defender. While Klay is an outstanding perimeter defender, it is Draymond’s versatility that makes him unique. He can guard every position on the floor, making him a valuable asset that allows the Warriors to play their “Lineup of Death”. He also possesses a terrific basketball IQ, allowing him to run the pick and roll with Curry to perfection.

Those three together form an unstoppable core that allowed them to set the NBA record for wins in a season. Any team in the league would find it nearly impossible to matchup with all three of them. Now that we have finished covering the Warriors, let’s move o-...wait...wait a minute...nevermind we’re not done talking about the Warriors. If those three players weren’t enough, God thought it would be funny if the Warriors went out and signed all-time great scorer Kevin Durant, a former MVP. His 6’11” frame matched with his ability to handle the ball and shoot from anywhere on the court make him a lethal weapon. Many consider him to be the best pure scorer in NBA history, and he has certainly earned that type of reputation. He is the second best player in the NBA, behind LeBron, and now rather than having to score on his own, he can play his part in the well oiled machine of the Golden State Warriors. Before KD, the Warriors were probably going to win the championship. With KD, it is nearly a foregone conclusion.

Unless the Houston Rockets have anything to say about it. The Rockets were constructed specifically to defeat the Warriors, and thus far they have performed, tying the series 2-2 last night in Oakland. Built around All-Pro scorer James Harden and the “Point God” Chris Paul, the Rockets won 65 games during the regular season, leading the league. With those two ball handlers on the team, the Rockets can play night in and night out with 48 minutes of elite ball handling and decision making. Their role players are primarily perimeter shooters, and they play their roles to perfection. To bring it all together, C Clint Capela has proved himself to be an elite rim protector and scorer inside, perhaps garnering a max contract this offseason.

With stars like James Harden and Chris Paul, this team looks poised to make a run into the NBA Finals. They have great coaching, a great scorer, a great point guard, and a greater than average bench. These are all the aspects we usually see in a Championship team. However, if you have not realized yet, I am more so a realist than a romantic, and I do not believe the Rockets will beat the Warriors. The Warriors have been to this point for the fourth consecutive season now, and their experience will be tested over the next three games. That experience coupled with their ability to rip your throat out at any given point with their three point shooting, makes me believe they will not only defeat the Rockets in six games, but they will go on to win the NBA Finals in four games (five if they feel like being nice). PREDICTION: Warriors in 6.