2014 FIFA World Cup™: Final predictions and why Brazil will win on home soil

This time tomorrow, football fans' excitement and adrenaline levels will be high as they get ready for the 2014 FIFA World Cup's Opening Ceremony and Opening Game, where Brazil take on Croatia. It promises to be an absolute spectacle of a tournament, albeit in the midst of off-the-pitch conflict and troubles. What happens between then and the final will be what the fans have been eagerly anticipating since the draw was made on 6th December 2013. Here are my final predictions on how I think the tournament will go.


ADIDAS GOLDEN BOOT: 

Boy Wonder: Neymar da Silva Santos Junior

His first season at FC Barcelona following a £50 million move from Santos has been average at best, but Neymar will well and truly feel at home when representing Brazil on the 12th June against Croatia in Sao Paulo. Already Brazil's 11th top all-time goalscorer at the age of 23, Neymar's goals will be extremely pivotal in sending A Selecao kicking and screaming to the Final on 13th July. He's definitely not Pele, but the 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the perfect opportunity for Neymar to help Brazil gain a 6th World Cup winners star on their iconic yellow jersey. Lionel Messi will come close to claiming such an accolade, as may the ageing yet ever-potent Miroslav Klose of Germany. Spain's Diego Costa is another contender for the Golden Boot, but with the euphoric Brazilian aura of the tournament, you sense that 2014 may still be Neymar's year. 

ADIDAS GOLDEN BALL :

This one's a tough one, given the sheer abundance of talent on display in Brazil this summer. But if one player, who's not a striker will claim the same accolade as Diego Forlan at South Africa 2010 and Zinedine Zidane at Germany 2006, that player will be PSG and Brazil centre-back, Thiago Silva. Silva definitely bears the hallmarks of previous Brazilian World Cup winning captains like Cafu and Carlos Dunga and is a true leader of men. His rock-solid defensive qualities speak for themselves, forming the very bedrock of Brazil's back-four. He is a Roy Keane/Steven Gerrard-esque captain and is top contender for the Golden Ball if he leads Brazil to World Cup glory in July.

BEST YOUNG PLAYER AWARD:

Mario Gotze had an impressive first season with FC Bayern Munich in 2013/14. His exquisite dribbling and acrobatic skills and ability to chip in with vital goals was all the more underpinned in Germany's 6-1 victory against Armenia last Friday, where Gotze grabbed a brace. Joachim Low may rely more on Gotze in the unfortunate absence of Marco Reus through a knee injury. Although I don't see Germany winning the World Cup, Gotze may perform for Die Manschaft in as great a manner as Mesut Ozil did in South Africa, four years ago. 

DARK HORSES:

All in: Belgium's youngsters

In my last article, I said that Colombia will cope well without Radamel Falcao, at least progressing to the second-round, with James Rodriguez and Jackson Martinez being Los Caferteros' stand-out performers. But if Colombia do not make it past the Round of 16, then the true surprise package will be Belgium, who have an awful amount of talent at their disposal and play brilliant attacking football, with players like Eden Hazard, Axel Witsel and Marouane Fellaini. Argentina will also take Brazil 2014 with storm, similar to how Uruguay did at South Africa 2010. 

BRAZIL VS ARGENTINA: THE DREAM FINAL

Ever since Brazil's phenomenal performance at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup on Home Soil, they have proved to football fans worldwide that they are indeed, a force to be reckoned with. The days of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Cafu are well and truly over, but Luiz Felipe Scolari has weaved together a team of potential champions, through household names like Neymar, Hulk and Dani Alves, as well as emerging world superstars such as Bernard and Paulinho. There is no reason why they cannot make up for the 'National Tragedy' of the 1950 tournament where they lost 2-1 to Uruguay, especially with a generally young squad, led by the experienced and enthusiastic captain. Not only does the 1950 home soil defeat provide motivation for A Selecao, but also the fact that there will be partisan crowds at each and every one of their games, absolutely roaring the team on. 

I believe that Argentina, who are without doubt Brazil's most fiercest rivals, will join them at the Maracana on the 13th July in a quest to claim their 3rd World Cup title, and their first since Diego Maradona led them to victory at Mexico 1986. La Albiceleste have a more advanced attack than Brazil, for Messi, Di Maria and Aguero appear, in tandem, more potent than Brazil's Neymar, Fred and Hulk. Their defence can be quite shaky at times, but yet again, the significance of mentality may outweigh that of physicality, as a win in their own arch-rivals' backyard would be a fairytale, one which many have thus far only dreamt of. It's hard to predict, but I see the glistening World Cup trophy being held aloft by Brazil captain Thiago Silva in Rio de Janeiro on 13th July. What happens in the game is a completely different story.

32 nations, 2 finalists - Brazil and Argentina : But there's only one winner

Germany, with yet another young squad will at least reach the semi-finals but are likely to face Brazil in the first semi-final on 8th July, where A Selecao will be expected to win and in my so-far humble opinion, will do so, although the Germans will push hard. Spain will be the best-adapted European team to the extremely hot Brazilian weather, but in a match-up against Argentina on 9th July, they will be involved in a major tussle which will be extremely tight and tough and will require some luck to beat La Albiceleste. 

WAIT...WHAT ABOUT ENGLAND?

They'll finish second in Group D to Uruguay and will, as I see it, win by the tightest of margins this Saturday against Italy. England will at best make the quarter-finals where a tense encounter against Brazil in Fortaleza may almost definitely destroy them.


This, ladies and gentlemen, is Joga Bonito (the Beautiful Game) at its best...


CREDITS:

Neymar pic:

 http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/645/482/hi-res-170866931-neymar-of-brazil-celebrates-scoring-the-opening-goal_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75

Belgium team selfie: 

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/05/27/article-0-1E3F08DB00000578-814_634x635.jpg

Brazil and Argentina fan: 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/images/2006/09/04/brazil_440x320.jpg