Belgium- The dark horses at FIFA World Cup 2014

Belgium are considered dark horses for the World Cup title

The FIFA World Cup, the Holy Grail of world football, is just round the corner and the anticipation is high for what is by far one of the biggest sporting spectacles on this planet. With the final squads almost named for most of the thirty two teams, preparations for the World Cup are on in full swing in Brazil as the countries try to lift the most coveted trophy in football.

You can count on the usual suspects when it comes to favourites for the title. England, Brazil, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Argentina, these are a few names who will always be in contention for the trophy; but this World Cup could well change the pecking order.

The outbreak of new talent on the football scene has been tremendous. With the game gaining a more global approach and a wider mass base, there is no corner of this world where the sport isn’t prevalent anymore. In a continent such as Europe, where football is religion, very few countries are out of the ambit of this game.

Belgium has never been very consistent at the World Cup but a best place finish of fourth shows that this is a team which can never be taken too lightly, but come 12 June, and the transformation from also-rans to serious contenders could begin. The Belgian team now boasts of some of the biggest names in football currently. With the likes of Vincent Kompany in defence, Eden Hazard in the midfield, Romelu Lukaku up front and Thibaut Courtois in goal, they will fancy their chances of going a long way in this tournament.

Many are of the opinion that this World Cup could well come down to which team has the best midfield. Spain, Germany and Brazil will obviously be the major favourites in this area of the pitch, but Belgium too has its own set of stars. A great asset for the team is the amount of youngsters that are present in the squad. Their creativity and work rate will really come in handy when the tournament reaches the knockout stages, and if all the talent is utilized well, Belgium should do very well. If one were to glance at the names in the midfield, one would find young but well-established names.

Eden Hazard obviously will have to shoulder the responsibility of leading the midfield. He will come in to the tournament on the back of a wonderful season with Chelsea, and will be looking to make good use of his form in the games to come. In central midfield lie Marouane Fellaini, Alex Witsel and Moussa Dembele. This trio will have to play a major role in Belgium’s success.

Fellaini did have a troublesome season plagued with injuries, but towards the fag end of the season, he did pick up some consistency and got some games under his belt for Manchester United and that should help his confidence. Axel Witsel on the other hand has had a brilliant season for Zenit, making heads turn with his raw pace, creativity and shooting ability and he will definitely have a big impact in all of their games. Dembele too was pretty consistent for Tottenham throughout the season with some good displays which if reciprocated for Belgium, could well spell trouble for the opposition.

They are very good at initiating attacks but what makes this trio very difficult to play against though is the strength and solidity they provide while defending. Their blend of creativity and solidity has been tough for opposition teams to break down, but it will be vital that Fellaini brings his ‘A’ game and thus maintains the shape of the team. Moving to the flank and this is an area where Belgium have the players who are widely considered as the future of football.

Simon Mignolet and Thibaut Courtois form a solid last line of defence

Kevin de Bruyne, Kevin Mirallas and Adnan Januzaj are three players who are massively talented. Mirallas and Januzaj have been a revelation for their respective clubs this season. Their attacking prowess will definitely make them a force to be reckoned with. While Mirallas was clinical in front of goal, Januzaj is considered as one of the few bright spots in a dismal season for Manchester United, with his skills earning him comparisions to Cristiano Ronaldo.

De Bruyne on the other hand had a bit of a funny season as he found opportunities to play at Chelsea tough to come by which caused his career to take a hit. But his move to Wolfsburg has definitely helped his case, with some good showings for the German club earning him a national call-up. What will be interesting though to see is what kind of combination does manager Marc Wilmots opt for.

Move further upfront, and you will notice Romelu Lukaku who has had a wonder season at Everton. He was absolutely brilliant up front, getting key goals for his side and Belgium will be hoping for the same in the World Cup. A problem for Belgium though could be the lack of any viable replacements for Lukaku in case he gets injured. Dries Mertens can play as a forward but his best position is on the wing and Divock Origi is not exactly a proven International player and so and they will be hoping that the injury to Christian Benteke does not come back to haunt them.

But where Belgium do not lack substance is in the defence. A good solid back four goes a long way in ensuring a team’s victory and they will be hoping that their back four can deliver for them. Vincent Kompany is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world right now, and a lot of the responsibility is on him. Jan Vertonghen will be an able partner. Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld as full backs will look to aid going forward but defensively too are solid players. An asset that Belgium have in this defence is the aerial presence that they will have in set pieces so do not be surprised if you see some goals coming from that area.

Goalkeeping is another department where Belgium have no worries because of Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet. Both are very well sought in the goalkeeping market but expect to see Courtois featuring in goal ahead of Mignolet simply owing to him having a better season and a slightly better skill set. That doesn’t mean though that Mignolet is in anyway an inferior keeper and would easily find a starting place in most of the participating teams.

The only problem that Belgium face sometimes is the lack of proper link up in the team. The understanding between defence and midfield needs to be perfect. Also the temperament of the youngsters is going to be severely tested as it is very easy to crumble under pressure, but this is a team which has many seasoned and talented campaigners and a lot of big game experience which should hold them in good stead.

This World Cup is a great opportunity for Belgium to rewrite their own record and the history books. It is also a great opportunity for the quality players of the team to finally break through and achieve what they deserve. They have been drawn in Group H along with Algeria, Russia and South Korea and it can be safe to expect them to be able to get through the group stage without much difficulty and even the Quarterfinals shouldn’t be a difficult prospect but no one can’t predict what may happen after that. Yet it promises to be an extremely exciting World Cup for Belgium.