It’s prediction time! In the week leading up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, whitecapsfc.com will publish the predictions of one Whitecaps FC player or coach every day up until the first match on June 12. First up: Whitecaps FC captain Jay DeMerit.
Don't forget that you too can make your World Cup predictions for a chance to win a trip to Germany to visit the adidas headquarters and take in a Bundesliga match, care of adidas. Make your predictions for the first game now at //www.whitecapsfc.com/worldpup.
WORLD CUP CHAMPION: BRAZIL
I think that the best teams want the pressure. If you’re looking at a young group or a group that hasn’t won anything before, then I think pressure can sometimes get to you. But this year I think Brazil has a mature group of players, a group that won a Confederations Cup pretty handily last summer, so it’s fresh in their minds that they can go and win things. And they have a manager that’s already won a World Cup. So, I think the combination of all those types of things means the home team will win it.
DARKHORSE PICK: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
They have some good goalscorers who are coming off really good club seasons. In any tournament, if you can score goals, you’ve got a chance and I think Bosnia can create and score goals with all their firepower up front, but Belgium as well.
TOP TEAM THAT GETS UPSET: SPAIN
I’m thinking Spain might not make it as far as people might expect. I think they’re starting to get a little bit older now as a group. They’ll still always have playmakers, they’ll still be fun to watch, but as far as longevity to go through the rounds and get through tournaments, you need a little bit of youth and experience. I think right now, they’re more on the experience side than the youth side and as the tournament goes on, the legs start to wear. Especially when you consider that a lot of these guys have had long club seasons. It probably won’t happen, but if I’m going to pick an upset, I’ll choose them.
GOLDEN BOOT: LIONEL MESSI
Just because I have Argentina getting to the final and I think, in order for them to get there, he’s going to have to have a good tournament. I think it’s going to be mostly Messi and Aguero up top, but I think Messi, more than others, has the ability to score multiple goals in certain games.
We also asked DeMerit what he thought of Obi the puppy's prediction of Croatia over Brazil in Whitecaps FC's World Pup Predictor contest. Here's what he had to say:
<a href="//www.youtube.com/embed/P-6EFg6XlYM?rel=0"></a> |
<b><a href="http://www.worldpuppredictor.com/" target="_blank">Make your predictions</a> for a chance to win a trip to Germany</b> |
Well, I’m hoping that I can have a little bit more of a prediction level than a puppy. But you never know. With Groundhog Day and puppy prediction stuff, there can be some trained energy involved. I thought it was an interesting way to predict World Cup games. I guess the proof will be in the pudding once that first game comes up. If Croatia beats Brazil then we have to make sure we get that pup on a plane to Brazil.
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