World Cup Wonder

Only one team will win the World Cup in South Africa next year.

It may sound obvious, but victory for one nation will ultimately leave the 31 other qualifiers disappointed.

And whilst there won’t be a great deal of tears shed in Iran, Costa Rica or Scotland when their teams fail to make a run for the famous trophy, all but one of the more expectant nations will see their dreams crumble in defeat.

As usual, England are widely regarded as one of eight or so countries capable of winning the tournament. With a faultless qualifying campaign under the stoic leadership of Fabio Capello, the current squad faces even more expectancy than the so-called ‘golden’ era of 2006.

Sadly, England will fall short of glory once again in South Africa. Not because they lack a genuine second striker to support Rooney, nor because of the jaded Lampard-Gerrard midfield conundrum. Quite simply, England will not win the World Cup because another more gifted team will. The same can be said for the very talented squads possessed by France, Germany and Holland.

Following Italy’s workmanlike triumph in Germany four years ago, the purists are crying out for the world’s greatest sporting occasion to produce a special winner. And in 2010 they will get their wish.

Argentina and Spain are both capable of becoming memorable champions.

The Argentines played sensational football at the last World Cup, with the memory of Maxi Rodriguez’s remarkable volley against Mexico enduring almost as long as Zidane’s infamous headbutt. Only penalties against a resilient Germany side prevented their march towards the final, and four years on their squad should be in peak condition to progress further. However, if you have been following their perilous qualification campaign you could be forgiven for wondering what on earth is going on.

Remarkably, for a team featuring the mercurial talents of Messi, Tévez and Agüero there is still a chance they may fail to qualify. With Brazil up next, their remaining fixtures are looking increasingly precarious. Or as Carlos Tevéz so eloquently put it after their most recent defeat, ‘We’re going to have our arses in our hands’.

In truth though, recent defeats have clouded the overall picture. The 6-1 mauling at the hands of Bolivia was a freak result, which had as much to do with the La Paz altitude as it did with the quality of the opponents. And if Tévez’s first-half penalty had found the net in Ecuador, then Diego Maradona’s men would probably be just two points behind Brazil who top the table. Even defeat in Buenos Aires against their arch rivals would not be a catastrophe for qualification, but it could spell the end for their controversial coach.

Maradona’s current ‘assistant’ just happens to be national hero Carlos Bilardo, who coached Argentina to their 1986 World Cup triumph. There is a growing contention that he would be a more qualified candidate to lead this equally gifted generation in their 2010 campaign. Either way Argentina will qualify for the finals under the radar, whilst Brazil draw the attention of the bookmakers as pre-tournament favourites.

When you look at their respective squads, there isn’t a great deal to choose between the South American superpowers. Both are blessed with an abundance of technically gifted players, with Brazil arguably the better drilled outfit under the stewardship of Dunga. However, it’s a player very much in the mould of the current Brazil coach that sets them apart. In Javier Mascherano Argentina possess the finest defensive midfielder in world football. His reading of the game, remarkable work rate and excellent distribution gives them the competitive edge over Brazil. As with the ubiquitous Claude Makélélé, he is the fulcrum that allows the special players the opportunity to play.

But if Argentina are to win their first World Cup in 24 years, they will have to conquer the irrepressible Spain. The European Champions have had no such qualification headaches, winning every match so far.

There is currently no more exhilarating sight in world football than the fluid Spanish attack in full flow. The sum of the parts exceeds the individual talent in their team - a frightening prospect considering those individuals feature David Villa, Andrés Iniesta and Fernando Torres. It is for this reason that Spain are the team most likely to win the 2010 World Cup.

However, the World Cup is a stage that creates legends. In the same way that 1958 is synonymous with Pelé, Mexico 1986 belongs to Diego Maradona. And whilst Spain have some very special players, they don’t possess an individual who could dominate a World Cup in the same way. But in Lionel Messi, Argentina have such a player. If the man who currently wears Maradona’s famous number 10 shirt can deliver the performance he is capable of, then Argentina might just have the edge.

Only one team will win the World Cup next year. If Spain or Argentina lift the famous trophy, then the spectators are in for a treat.

Terry's All Gold

It was only a year ago that Chelsea were supposedly about to lose Frank Lampard. With Jose Mourinho poised to swoop, speculation was rife that the talismanic midfielder was ready to swap Stamford Bridge for the San Siro. However, after months of negotiations a new contract was agreed, making Lampard the highest paid 30 year old in the history of British football. The cynics might wonder how close the Chelsea vice-captain really came to leaving.

Twelve months on and John Terry is now the subject of rabid speculation, with mega rich Man City preparing a £35 million bid for the England captain. As with Lampard, Terry’s devotion to the club has never previously been called into question. However, the headline writers continue to insist he has more than a passing interest in the move.

Predictably, most of what has been written is nothing short of sensationalist nonsense. The only truth is that Man City’s most recent offer was rejected out of hand by Chelsea. Cue an awful lot of reading between the lines into Terry’s state of mind, the thoughts of ‘insiders’ and why he will be wearing a different shade of blue next season.

With Sheikh Mansour allegedly willing to double Terry’s current wage, it would be naive to suggest that there is no financial edge to the story. But it’s also wholly patronising to suggest he is merely using the interest as leverage to bolster his Stamford Bridge wage packet. As contract negotiations open with Chelsea, isn’t the fact he is the club’s finest defender of all time enough of a bargaining position?

Money is a factor, but the likelihood is that Terry is merely seeking parity with the club’s top earners. Not quite as dramatic as the speculators would have you believe, but who could really blame him? Approaching 29, this is the most important contract of his career and he is just as vital to the club as Ballack and Lampard who currently earn more than him.

If Terry has any genuine interest in the transfer, it has far more to do with both his and Chelsea’s ambitions. With the greatest respect to Man City’s lofty aspirations, they are merely the third cog in this wheel.

Shortly after Carlo Ancelotti was announced as Chelsea’s new manager Terry suggested the signings of David Villa and Franck Ribery would help the club push for the major honours it has narrowly missed out on over the past three seasons. It’s clear he is deeply ambitious, but then that’s hardly news to anyone who has watched him play over the last decade. During this time Chelsea have never failed to match his ambition.

But since his call for big money signings, Chelsea have only acquired Yuri Zhirkov and Daniel Sturridge. And when Terry returned from pre-season training last week there was still no hint of a marquee signing. Ironically, in spite of being the world’s richest club his proposed suitors have suffered a similar fate in the transfer market. With Samuel Eto’o the latest A-list player to reject their advances, it is clear that Man City are still some way from becoming a major European force.

It is not inconceivable that it could take the Manchester club another three years to mount a sustained challenge for the Premier League title, let alone the Champions League. By then John Terry would be 32 and possibly wondering what he might have achieved at Stamford Bridge.

If it does come down to pure personal ambition, then Terry will do well to sit tight at Chelsea. Regardless of who they might add to their ranks this summer, they have an exceptional opportunity to regain the Premier League title next year. Following the departure of Tevez and Ronaldo, they face a significantly weakened Man United, whilst Liverpool will struggle to add any signings of note given their current financial predicament.

Last January, when Man City made their initial bid for the England captain he made it clear he was in absolute agreement with Chelsea’s decision to reject the offer. It’s worth remembering this was during the worst moments of Chelsea’s rapid decline under Luis Felipe Scolari. The only phase in the club’s recent history known to have profoundly rocked Terry.

Since then the club has stabilised, won the FA Cup and appointed one of the finest club coaches in Europe. If Terry was unbending in his loyalty during the crisis that came before, then one suspects he is probably just as committed now… in spite of what you might read.

The Michael Owen Experiment

Michael Owen could be forgiven for choking on his coco pops at breakfast with Sir Alex Ferguson last week. Even a man of his enormous self-belief must have pinched himself when he learned of Man United’s intention to sign him.

If a week is a long time in politics, then a few days in football can be an eternity. On Monday the former Liverpool striker could barely attract the attention of Blackburn, but by Friday he had signed for the Premier League champions.

There was much derision last month when Owen’s management company WMG released a glossy brochure promoting his talents to would be suitors. And whilst the minds behind this outlandish piece of literature are probably patting themselves on the back, one suspects the booklet had little to do with Ferguson’s decision to sign him.

Since the story broke, the general sway of opinion points to another shrewd piece of business by wily old Sir Alex. And on the surface it does appear to be a relatively low risk punt, particularly given that Owen’s wages will barely dent the £80 million wedge recently wired from Madrid. But look a little deeper and the signing is more precarious than first appearance suggests.

Last season Man United’s attacking options equalled Barcelona as the best in Europe, with the awesome foursome of Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney and Berbatov. But as Owen and Antonio Valencia replace the outgoing Tevez and Ronaldo you can bet Premier League defenders are breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Let’s not forget that the signing happened just days after United lost out on their number one transfer target. With Karim Benzema preferring Madrid to Manchester, Ferguson swiftly transferred his affections from the best young striker in Europe to a player who has only scored 44 club goals since 2004.

The only way this move can be considered low risk is if United continue their quest to sign another world class forward in the mould of Benzema. If not, then 12 months from now the Owen experiment will be considered nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction which contributed to them relinquishing their title.

Of course none of this is Michael Owen’s fault. And there are very few English football fans who would deny him a swansong at the top level. His 158 goals in 296 games for Liverpool is an impressive record for a player once absurdly described as ‘not a natural goalscorer’ by former England manager Glenn Hoddle.

There is no doubt that Owen knows where the goal is, but the fact remains that he has failed to deliver consistently since leaving Anfield. This says little about his ability, and everything about his injury proneness.

But if he is ‘fit' as his glossy brochure says, then Owen could well be a hit at United. With the fluid Old Trafford supply line he will find goals far easier to come by than at Newcastle. But as recent history has shown he will still need to be used sparingly and definitely not relied upon. This is exactly why Ferguson must act now.

With the latest rumours pointing at big money moves for Fabiano or Aguero, it will be fascinating to see if Man United stick or twist ahead of the big August kick off. If they don’t re-enter the transfer market they could live to regret it. The last time they replaced a current world class footballer with a former world class footballer it lost them the Premier League title.

Anyone remember Laurent Blanc?