3 storylines to watch in World Cup

USA's bad boy defense wreaks havoc against Portuguese and German strikers...

• First I must point how much doom and despair that US is in for in this World Cup. As much as the American soccer scene has cleaned itself up in the past few years, the United States are to the World Cup as the Seattle Mariners are to the World Series. Long story short, in the end, the United States will succumb to one of the brutal bundles of skill that many nations posses right now. They simply are not ready to contend for a World Cup win. But nevertheless, what the US is ready for is a defensive domination that might at least start the rest of the world thinking about this team as one to fear going forward. With a defense and midfield dominated by the big bodies of Kyle Beckerman, Ghram Zusi, and Omar Gonzolez, the US will try to counter even the best offensive players that the so called Group of Death Group G has to offer. 

Luis Suarez will be as good if not better than Chrisitno Ronaldo and Lionel Messi...

• As we roll into Brazil this week, the list of the top 3 players in the tournament will consist of Lionell Messi, Chrisitno Ronaldo and Luis Suarez. The last name on that list just so happens to play for the tiny nation of just over 3 million people called Uruguay.   In tumultuous 4 seasons since he singed with Liverpool, Suarez has taken the soccer world by storm scoreing 69 goals and patenting a primarily European style of incendiary speed up the pitch. The only reason the soccer world has not let Suarez become as renowned as Ronaldo or Messi is because of some less glamorous moments in his career. In 2011, Suarez was slapped with an 8 match ban for using racial slurs against an opponent. 2 years later, Suarez was fined for allegedly biting an opponent during a match. But through all that, Suarez has matured and effectively stunned the premier league this season. He has a chance to shred the competition this year in Brazil. 

All hail the Germans...

• When the Germans won the World Cup in 1990, the ensuing soccer craze infected a whole generation of kids with soccer fever. In 2014 some of the kids who watched that Cup are playing in it. This year the Germans are picked by many to win the World Cup again. Why? Because in this year alone, the obsession that the Germans have always had with Fussball as they call it has intensified. The Germans sent not one but two of their Bundesliga teams to the UEFA Champions League this year. Looking onto the roster of the team Germany is sending to the FIFA World Cup perhaps the greatest star on a team of stars is forward Mesut Özil. Ozil used his stunning left foot to rake in 10 assists for Arsinal football club this year and will definitely mesh well with the acrobatic finishers that Germany puts in the inner goalie box. But beyond Ozil, Germany boats one of the best goalies in the world in Manuel Neuer. The bizarre goalie who sometimes wheres normal gloves and other times wheres a 4 fingered goalie glove averaged exactly 1 goal per game in the 10 warm-up games before the World Cup. All and all, this particular writer picks Germany as his team to beat in Brazil this year.