We’re real excited about the beautiful game’s biggest tournament here at Top Bet. We’ve already previewed the U.S. Men’s National Team, as well as Italy and England in Group D. Today, we look at one of the big favorites in this year’s tournament: Argentina.
28 years since the brilliance of Diego Maradona led Argentina to its second World Cup triumph, another diminutive football god in the form of Lionel Messi will now lead the country on its quest for a third title in neighboring Brazil. Messi and co. are big +500 favorites to win this year’s tournament, and a star-studded squad will have ample firepower to back up those very favorable odds.
Should Messi succeed in delivering the World Cup back to Argentina, his legacy as an all-time great will be secured. If you believe that a team with Messi is a sure bet, open a betting account and back the Argentinians throughout the tournament.
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Argentina 2014 World Cup Preview – 5 Keys to Argentina’s Chances
Capitalize on the Good Luck
A ball has yet to be kicked in the World Cup, but Argentina has already gained not one, but two major advantages that could see them go far in the tournament.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]First, there’s the group draw, where Argentina is an overwhelming -425 favorite to win Group F ahead of relative minnows Bosnia-Herzegovina, Nigeria and Iran. Barring some monumental upset, they should have relatively no problem advancing through the group stage.
The second advantage will be the location of Argentina’s matches. The Argentinians will play the entire tournament in the south of the Brazil, which is huge considering that the weather in the northern parts of the country can get extremely hot and excruciating to play in. The gods have smiled kindly on Argentina thus far, but it’ll be up to them to make these advantages count.
Leo Messi
Already the best player in the world by consensus, just about the only criticism left of Messi is his inability to perform internationally with Argentina, but things have changed under manager Alejandro Sabella. Messi has flourished under Sabella’s new system, scoring 10 goals in 13 qualifying matches to lead Argentina to the top of the South American region.
It’s no surprise to see that the multiple-time World Player of the Year is +750 to win the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top goalscorer and +800 to win the Golden Ball as the most outstanding player.
Messi, however, admittedly won’t be heading into the World Cup in the best form after struggling to find his best with Barcelona upon his return from injury. The Argentinians are incredibly stacked up front with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain, but Messi still pulls the strings and his performance will be crucial.
Balance in Midfield
Argentina boasts arguably the most feared attack in international football today, but Messi, Aguero and Higuain are not particularly keen on tracking back. And with Angel di Maria all too eager to join those three upfront, Argentina is susceptible to getting overrun in midfield.
That’s where the talents of Javier Mascherano and Fernando Gago come in. Despite playing centerback for Barcelona, Mascherano is still one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Meanwhile, Gago was invaluable to Sabella’s system during qualifying and, after a dip in form, will have to be back at his best to maintain the team’s delicate balance.
A Suspect Defense
This stacked Argentina squad has few weaknesses to note, but one potential soft spot is found in the middle of its defense. Four out of their five central defenders have less than 25 caps, and the fifth is Martin Demichelis, who hasn’t featured in the national team since 2011.
To be fair, Demichelis was instrumental in helping Manchester City claim the English Premier League title with a string of impressive performances, but his 33-year old legs are severely lacking in pace and may just be tiring from an unexpectedly long stretch in the starting line-up.
Argentina should be good enough to progress from the group stage, but Demichelis and co. could be a liability in the latter rounds.
Pass the Bosnia Test
Argentina’s first group game of the tournament is, on paper, its hardest. The Bosnians have the firepower upfront with Edin Dzeko, Vedad Ibisevic and Miralem Pjanic that can potentially pose a problem to Argentina’s suspect defense.
Nevertheless, Argentina is still a big –288 favorite to start off with a win. If they pass that first test, it should be smooth sailing for the Argentinians going forward.
Writer’s Prediction
Armed with the best player in the world and one of the tournament’s most talented squads, Argentina (+500) will wage an all-out assault for its third World Cup. Messi will finally live up to the bright lights of the big stage, but it will be the defense that leads to their undoing in the semifinal stage.
