We are less than a week away from the global spectacle known as the FIFA World Cup. So, everyone around the planet is talking footy, especially their picks to win it all, the biggest floppers, and the dark horse of the tournament. That last one is an interesting topic: which team will be the biggest surprise of the World Cup? I’ve asked many people that question leading up to now, and the majority had their eyes on Belgium as the biggest shocker. But with everyone saying that, would they really be a surprise to go far? If everyone is picking them to make it to the quarterfinals, or even the semifinals, how could they be a dark horse? The fact of the matter is that they aren’t; they have amazing young talent that will make them a force for the next few World Cups.
Let’s start with their attack. Leading the charge will be the 21-year-old Romelu Lukaku. He will have to be the Belgians’ go-to-striker with the injured Christian Benteke out of the line-up. Lukaku had a scare of his own in a friendly against Tunisia, as he was taken off with what seemed to be an ankle injury. After the game, Belgium Manager Marc Wilmots had this to say: “For now it looks like a severe sprain, but of course there will be further tests tomorrow. As it looks now, Romelu will be out for three or four days. Let’s hope it stays that way.” He sure does hope it’s not severe, because the only other striker he has at disposal is 19-year-old Divock Origi, who only has two caps for Belgium.
The midfield for Belgium seems to be their strongest point. Looks like Wilmots will roll out a 5-man-unit consisting of two defensive midfielders, two wingers, and a main playmaker in the middle. Those defensive midfielders will most likely be Marouane Fellaini and Axel Witsel. Lots of questions surround Fellaini, coming off a very disappointing season with Manchester United. On the other hand, Witsel has had a solid season with Russian giants Zenit Saint Petersburg finishing one goal shy of his single season record with the team. On the wing will be Belgium’s star player, Eden Hazard. What hasn’t been said about this guy? Winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and only Luis Suarez received more votes than Hazard in the PFA Player of the Year award. Needless to say, at 23-years-old, the best has yet to come from this young man.
Belgium is also extremely fortunate with the choice of defenders. The heart and soul of the team, Vincent Kompany, is their rock on the back line. He will wear the captain’s armband and is arguably the best defender in the world. They have other solid defenders such as Daniel Van Buyten from Bayern Munich, and Thomas Vermaelen from Arsenal.
Between the pipes will be the sensation Thibaut Courtois. At on the young age of 22, he is already one the best keepers on Earth, and will be for the next decade if he stays healthy. He spent the last couple years with Atletico Madrid on loan, because the club he is owned by, Chelsea FC, already has the grizzled veteran Petr Cech. Their backup goalkeeper isn’t too shabby either, Simon Mignolet from Liverpool really made a name for himself this past season, as he was a big part in the Merseyside club going from pretenders to contenders.
So as you can see, Belgium should not be considered a dark horse in the upcoming World Cup. With their weak group alongside Algeria, Russia, and South Korea, they are favorites to top Group H and will more than likely face the runners-up from Group G. (Spain, Portugal, Ghana, and USA). Though it may look like they will have their hands full with those teams, it wouldn’t be a shocker if they made it to the quarterfinals.
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