Happy Days Issue 5 (World Cup Special)
England Preview

Amidst all the controversy of the departing Sven Goran Eriksson, the need for a new English England manager, and all the candidates being touted for the position, many seem to have forgotten that before any of this there is the small matter of the World Cup.

One thing is certain, the English people think they can win the World Cup and why not? The team on paper is certainly more than capable of beating the very finest in the world. There is strength and balance in every department, even finally perhaps the answer to that problem left side, in the form of Joe Cole, though the lack of cover is still a concern.

Another problem is that the two best central midfield players in England seem thus far to be unable to work together. Some have said that it is because they are too similar. Yet both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard should able to play the holding role if they are called upon to do so. Gerrard in particular is one of the most versatile midfielders in England, though admittedly both he and Lampard are at their best when running forward from the centre of the park. However, it would be ridiculous to drop two of the finest midfielders the country has to offer because they cannot, as yet, co-operate. One thing that’s for certain is that should the two manage to work together then England will have possibly the best midfield duo in the competition.

But why do England fans feel so passionately that England should win the competition? Perhaps it has something to do with the heartache they have felt in the past. It shouldn’t be forgotten that England have won the World Cup before in 1966 and come close in both the World Cup itself and the European Championship on a number of occasions since. Be it Gareth Southgate’s penalty miss or David Beckham’s moment of infamy when he kicked out at Simeone in the match against Argentina, English football is littered with what-ifs where lady luck has deserted England at a critical moment.

But who needs luck when you have Wayne Rooney? The 20 year old is England’s not so secret weapon, with the raw pace and power of the player having proved its effect so dramatically in the European Championships. It is no co-incidence that England’s fortunes in the tournament changed when the wonder kid was injured.

Absent from the previous World Cup was Anfield hero Steven Gerrard and Liverpool team mate Jamie Carragher, both of whom are set to be a force to be reckoned with. The question many fans are asking is if we can get to the quarter finals of the World Cup (narrowly missing out to Brazil courtesy of David Seaman) without Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, then why can’t we win it with them?

The One to Watch - Wayne Rooney: One of the highest rated young footballers in the world and still improving. Rooney can play in an advanced position on either wing or as a central attacking midfielder but he is best used as an out and out striker where his pace and power can cut defences to ribbons.

Prediction: England have a squad with its best chance of winning the World Cup since 1966, and the truth is that anything less than a semi-final appearance would be a massive underachievement.

Michael Mould

Happy Days Issue 5
Brazil Preview

The World Cup Kings are heading to Germany ready to defend the title they won in 2002. They have already won five World Cups and they are hungry for more. Bookmakers already have Brazil as firm favourites to go home winners once again and who can blame them? With world-class talent such as Ronaldinho and goal-scoring machine Ronaldo they are going to be the team to beat once again.

Brazil has the honour of being the only international team that has qualified for every single World Cup since it started in 1930. Taking away five cups and being runners up twice, with this kind of history there is no wonder that people are putting their money on Brazil to fly out of Germany with the cup in their baggage once again.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira most probably has one of the best jobs in football with the kind of talent he has at his disposal. As well as the players we all know from previous tournaments, he has fantastic youngsters coming through too: for example, Real Madrid’s Robinho, who has been called the new pearl of Brazilian football, and at 22 is a classic example of the kind of talent that Brazil is constantly producing.

There is no part of the pitch where Brazil are lacking. Defensively they have a solid back four with the likes of Carlos, Cafu, Roque Junior and Juan, all amazing players. In midfield and up front they have the likes of Ronaldinho, Kaka, Robinho and Ronaldo.

Ronaldo will be setting his sights on German’s Gerard Muller record of 14 goals in all World Cup competitions. Ronaldo is currently on ten goals and knows that with a decent tournament he can secure the record.

Of course you can’t talk about Brazil without mentioning the legend that is Pele, who amongst other things was the youngest player to ever score in a World Cup. The world’s greatest player who dazzled audiences in the 60s and 70s is now is a regular on TV across the globe commenting on Brazilian football and the Brazil International side, and from time to time you can see him advertising the little blue pill.

With football being like a second language to many Brazilians, and with a population of over 180 million, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be kings of football in years to come

Brazilian footballers might be passionate about the game they play, but they are nothing compared to their fans, crazy is not the word for them. When young starlet Robinho was about to leave his club Santos in Brazil for the dizzy heights of Real Madrid, the die-hard fans of Santos weren’t happy, so they threatened to kidnap Robinho’s mum. Thinking that these were just some crazed nutters Robinho ignored them and started to pack his bags to go to Spain, but they did carry out their threat and snatched his mother. After a few weeks locked up and a massive ransom fee she was eventually released.

Back to Germany and I like many others believe that Brazil are in a class of their own, even on a bad day they still seem to get the results. So it is not that brave of me to predict that they will once more dazzle the world with their skills and win the trophy once again.

Vicky Hall