World Cup Picks

I'm excited as this world cup has so many variables outside of the field this world cup promises to be a fascinating tournament. I honestly do not think you can pick a favourite before the draw takes place and even then, the number of factors make this the most open tournament in many years.

Brazil – Can they cope with being under more pressure than any team in the history of the tournament. Brazil are expected to win this, their public demands it. With all the money they have spent on the tournament and the fact that they are the only team not to win it, can Brazil cope. Their side is not exactly the most experienced. Also what happens when they go a goal down, will their fans turn on them.
The European teams – Can they cope with the huge travel demands, can they cope with the massive temperature changes. Can they adapt their styles to cope with a 13:00 game in Salvador.
Columbia – They have a fantastic side but can they cope with the euphoria if they begin to do well. Columbia tend to struggle when they are expected to do well
Argentina – Can Gago and Messi hit it off in the world cup. Will the tough European season hinder Messi

Then there is the other outside factors. What effect will the protests have on the world cup. Will this cause games to be postponed. The protests are for perfectly valid reasons and will happen in the world cup.

I love this world cup.

A classic 4-4-2 formation:

GK: David James – This is one of England's weakness. James is the only one that is decent while the rest are inconsistent and unreliable.

RB: Glen Johnson – Best choice England has. Neville is a benchwarmer for United and others aren't doing quite as well as Johnson has.

CB: John Terry – Forget about the scandal and remember that this guy is class. He has the heading abilities for set pieces and he's as tough as a metal wall in defense.
Rio Ferdinand – Even though Rio isn't in his best form, I cannot think of other CB's that has an equal amount of quality that Ferdinand has.

LB: Ashley Cole – Cole is absolutely quality compared to other LB's. I might have picked Barry but he isn't showing form lately.

RM: David Beckham – It's not that Lennon or Walcott is bad but Beckham is something England needs, a professional player with experience. Walcott is an injury prone and a benchwarmer while Lennon is only a talent and has not shown any brilliance. Beckham is doing quite well Milan, serving up crosses.

CM: Frank Lampard – One the best best English players as of right now. Need I say more?
Michael Carrick – Carrick is a well-rounded midfielder who can support in attacks and fall back in defense.

LM: Ashley Young – A brilliant young player who has potential and has great pace in attacks. He can be a great additional target for Beckham's crosses.

CAM/Second Striker: Steven Gerrard – I don't understand why Capello isn't putting Stevie G in this type of position. Gerrard obviously scores better in this position and is much better than a partner striker for Rooney. Gerrard's eye for goal is amazing and he is a brilliant maestro on the pitch.

CF: Wayne Rooney – Of course one of England's best. The ultimate goal scorer and a major danger for the opposing team. He can also do well as a lone striker as he had shown in United.

To be honest, England is not that great of a team compared to others. They really lack quality players.

I'm sorry but, you are highly misinformed
Sure, Qatar is in an unsafe part of the world, but does that make it unsafe?
Qatar is one of the safest, cleanest, richest countries in the entire world, if you don't believe me, look it up
Qataris love everyone (except maybe Israelis…). Many many many westerners live there.
In fact, Qatar is a popular "getaway" destination for many Europeans
Qatar is actually one of the more westernized middle eastern countries believe it or not
As for the heat, they're building special stadiums to suit that.
Human trafficking? Are you looking on a government website like the Factbook There's high western bias.
Yes, of course there are tons of lies about Qatar going around, Americans and Australians especially are pissed off and whiny because they didn't win

Qatar is allies with Iran because of strong religious ties. In addition, Qatar tries to keep at peace with everyone it can. In fact, Qatar has very close ties with the US as well (take note of how many US bases are there) and many other western nations.

I hope this cleared things up. By the way, I have an American friend who lives in Qatar. Her mother feels safe with her walking around anywhere in Doha, but never gives her this freedom in the US. Qatar is a very safe nation, trust me.