The word id coach Didier Deschamps is the architect behind France's impending success because he did it himself as the Fifa World Cup-winning captain. Photo/AP
The word id coach Didier Deschamps is the architect behind France's impending success because he did it himself as the Fifa World Cup-winning captain. Photo/AP
As the smoke settles on the stage of the field of dreams a picture of sorts is beginning to emerge on who will likely remain standing when the knockout stage kicks off during the Fifa World Cup in Russia tomorrow.
If you're the punting type, then the chances are you already know sporting agencies have Brazil as the favourites to lift the most sought-after trophy in team sport in the world.
Spain are the runners-up, Belgium come in third and England somehow make the fourth rung, ahead of France. Croatia, Argentina, Portugal, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Mexico, Sweden, Denmark, Russia and Japan make up the rest of the field in that order.
Senegal became the first victims under Fifa's yellow-card rule (6-4) as Japan snuck through to the last 16 yesterday.
However, Belgium and England played a "friendly" to leave punters guessing what their true currency is in Russia.
Some English fans seem divided on whether that was the right move to take an easier pathway to the final or embrace the edict that teams have to beat anyone to be crowned the world's best so the Belgium route would have been a better preparation.
But in Hawke's Bay the followers of the beautiful game spoke their minds freely, as much as they could considering it's all crystal ball stuff from here on, albeit a modicum of certainty in a handful of games.
Former All White Marty Akers has found the tourney fascinating because so-called minnows have trumped entertainment to make it more worthwhile watching rather than powerhouses, such as the Germans and Brazilians, keeping to the predictable script.
"That's what makes football fun. I'm not being rude to rugby but in the Rugby World Cup you have the top four countries making it to the semifinals every time whereas in football you can be ranked 50th but on the day you've got the chance of beating someone in the top 10 and that make's it a truly world spectacle," says Akers, who coaches men at Napier Marist FC and the Napier Boys' High School first XI side.
He is picking Brazil or Belgium to emerge from the tougher stage.
"I've been a fanatic of Brazil since the 1970s when I first started watching them play so I fancy them and probably Belgium."
On the other side, he likes the way Croatia have been going about with their campaign although he's mindful England haven't been tested yet.
"They are semi-physical, they play the short ball, they play the long ball so they'll be the dark horses."
Coach Grant Hastings, who mentors at Hastings Boys' High School, is picking France as the dark horses because under coach and former cup-winning captain Didier Deschamps they are coming right.
Hastings rates French player Ngolo Kante the best defensive midfielder in the world and believes a European team will prevail in a European continent.
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric makes Croatia dark horses in the knockout phase. Photo/AP
Spain, he reckons, are the favourites on the other side and Croatia the dark horses with Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric the lynchpin.
A cynical Hastings says if England somehow make the semifinals they should spend an entire day practising for a penalty shootout.
"I think England will struggle because they don't have world-class defenders. When it comes to penalty shootouts England are the Greg Norman of the football world - they choke every time."
Iona College coach Gail Hall wants Belgium to win but says their defence isn't airtight.
Hall says "people's favourites" France will make the final on their side because they play as a unit.
"I think Croatia on the other side because they play with their hearts on their sleeves. Anything can happen because they've got mongrel and can cause upsets," she says.
Hall says Spain's calibre of players make them a safer bet.
And England?
"They don't really kick on. I don't think they have the X-factor."
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo brings the X factor for his country. Photo/AP
Taradale Federation player and development coach Shelley Cameron says Portugal are looking good because of the "[Cristiano] Ronaldo factor" but feels France may surprise.
"I don't think [Brazil] are physical enough. They like doing the fancy stuff but I don't quite think they've got enough hard workers in there," says Cameron.
She says on the "easier side", it'll be Spain and perhaps England as dark horses. Croatia's mix, she says, doesn't look right.
Central Football women's development manager, Leon Birnie, picks Portugal because their style appeals and Ronaldo steps up when push comes to shove.
Birnie backs Japan as the dark horses because he's got them in the sweepstakes at work but on the other side, he's all for Spain.
"I think they are the team that plays the best football and have a lot of talent across the park. They've shown they aren't reliant on key individuals and can unlock most teams in the tournament to win it."
"History says they'll go elsewhere so we'll leave it at that," says Birine, with a laugh, as he prepares for the New Zealand under-17 women's world cup campaign.
