The experts speak - Coaches, managers make the claim for their World Cup teams

With the World Cup well and truly on with the first knockout round about to go into its third day, The Gleaner caught up with those who would know to ask, who will lift the planet’s most coveted trophy.

Anthony Patrick

England is my team and England is my favourite. The kind of football England play now is way different for the last few World Cups.

They are making more passes and getting more people involved in the game, rather than going direct. And they play compact.

So they have a different philosophy now than before. So that alone gives me the confidence.

As a coach, sometimes you have to make a decision, and it’s one people might not like. Phil Phoden is a good player and I would have to have him. I would have to leave out somebody some way, somehow. But I love the set-up this time around and that is a big plus.

Rodolph Austin

I am a Brazil man. And they can win because they have the players to break down a low block. The trend over the World Cup, a lot of the teams play in a low block and I think with the creativity Brazil have with Vini, Ryan, Endrick and a few others, once they break down the low block they will be okay.

They have very good defenders in Marquinos, Gabriel, and an experienced goalkeeper, which is very important. So they have a good, experienced team and they play and grow as the games go by.

France is very good. Argentina is very good. But I don’t know if they have enough. But France and Germany are playing good football. I think the team to beat is France, but Brazil for me.

Bradley Stewart

The team, to me, that looks most threatening is France. They have been consistently efficient.

Other teams like Spain play good one day, play bad the next. Germany the same. Those are quality teams but not consistent all the time. Argentina are the same thing.

France have Dembele and Mbappe, two of the most dangerous forwards in the world. And they have other good players, and if they can maintain their performances, they will be hard to beat. And that is my choice at the moment.

It will also depend on the quality of your coach. Whether or not they can help the players make the type of decisions that will enable them to win.

I support Spain. They have quality but they have not been consistenly playing at their best.

Clyde Jureidini

Pre-World Cup, I had outlined that on the right of the pyramid, Argentina and France are the two best running teams.

In recent times, Argentina have been getting the better of France. So I will stay with them to win the right side of the pyramid.

The left side is much easier with the three hosts, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, and Netherlands.

The Brazilians, I think, will evolve to the final, but I have Argentina winning the overall thing.

Two other teams have impressed me. Morocco are leading the Africans forward. Japan started well, and Colombia have been playing good football.

But since the competition started France is the team to beat. France are the overwhelming favourites, but I think Argentina will get the better of them.

Jermaine Miller

I think the France team is real quality, especially in the final third. Their ability to create a lot of chances and score goals will give them a real competitive edge. So I really think France will win. Even though I am a Brazilian.

Brazil will be competitive. Ancelotti doesn’t really want the ball, he doesn’t want to play beautiful. He wants to create chances using transition.

Argentina have a really good chance, but majority of the goals are coming from Messi and if he does not produce, they will fall short.

They have an ageing team, like Brazil, and I think one of the young teams will win because the more the competition goes on, the more the physical demand, especially in the heat, which will be a big part. But really, France is the team I have to win it.