Daniel Popper
Editorial Director
From today until July 11, soccer will stand on top of the world because the much-anticipated 2010 FIFA World Cup has begun. Tears will be shed, punches will be thrown, outbursts of joy will be heard, but most importantly, the glory of winning will be bestowed upon one lucky country.
Injuries have plagued players in the months and weeks leading up to today. Every day it had felt as if another marquee player had gone down with a tournament-ending injury. For England, team captain and starting center back Rio Ferdinand sustained a knee injury during a training session last week ruling him out of the world cup. Didier Drogba, the top scorer in the Premier League this season with 29 goals, broke his right arm in a friendly match against Japan. Despite reports that he would be ruled out for the entirety of the World Cup, some hope that he will return to the Ivory Coast for group play. Other injury scares include a sprained ankle for the United States’ Jozy Altidore and a strained hamstring for the Netherlands’ Arjen Robben, both of whom are expected to be ready for group play.
Nonetheless, here are my picks for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa:
Player to watch: Carlos Tevez
Tevez was simply fantastic during the Premier League this season scoring a total of 23 goals and leading Manchester City to a fifth place regular season finish. Tevez and Barcelona star Lionel Messi are one of the most electrifying and dynamic striker tandems in the entire world and should prove this over the next month. However, the media-hype surrounding Messi coming into the World Cup will surely open up opportunities for Tevez to score goals and create scoring chances for his team. Because of this, Tevez should be able to continue his success from his breakout season into the World Cup.
Team to watch: Netherlands
Despite a terrific run into the Round of 16 in 2006, this team has been relatively forgotten heading into 2010. With several experienced returning players including defender Andre Ooijer, midfielders Wesley Sneijder and Rafael Van der Vaart and strikers Dirk Kuyt, Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben, along with some new young talent such as midfielders Nigel De Jong of Manchester United and Ryan Babel of Liverpool, this team has a shot to make it deep into the elimination stages.
Winner: Spain
There is no question that Spain has the most talent in the world currently. From their strikers, Fernando Torres (Liverpool) and David Villa (Barcelona and Valencia) who scored a combined 55 goals in La Liga this season, to their midfielders including Xavi (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) and David Silva (Valencia), to their defenders including Barcelona starters Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, this team is stacked. Their goal-scoring ability is unprecedented, their speed is unmatched and their defense and goalkeeping is impenetrable. Anything short of a World Cup victory would be a disappointment.
