Big Question: Which Teams have the Most Potent Offenses?
Everyone loves to watch teams that can score goals, except perhaps the goalkeepers that must face these teams. If the qualifying rounds and friendlies are any indication, there should be no shortage of goals and offensive highlights at the World Cup this summer. Choosing which teams have the most potent offense is a subjective task, but it is one that we did today. We chose the top five teams that we think will have their share of offensive fireworks in Germany.
In no particular order:
Ivory Coast: The Elephants play a wide open style of football that leads to plenty of goal scoring opportunities, as well as plenty of goals yielded. With Bonaventure Kalou and Kolo Toure feeding target man Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast will be a dangerous offensive threat in the Group of Death.
Portugal: Pedro Pauleta, Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, and a cast of offensive-minded players should have plenty of opportunity to show their offensive weaponry against Iran, Angola and Mexico.
Argentina: The problem for Argentina coach Jose Pekerman isn’t how to field a lineup that will score goals. The challenge is for Pekerman to find a lineup that utilizes all of the offensive weapons and wins. With Hernan Crespo, Carlos Teves, and Lionel Messi up front, expect plenty of Argentine goals in Germany.
Czech Republic: The Nicknameless team from the Czech Republic scored more goals than any team in Europe during qualifying and brings a nice cast of offensive players to the World Cup. Pavel Nedved adds star power to an offense that includes Milan Baros, Karel Poborsky and Tomas Rosicky.
Brazil: The obvious choice with Ronaldo, Adriano, Ronaldinho, Robinho and Kaka leading an offensive charge that should send chills down the spines of opposing defenses.
Agree or disagree, let us know with your comments. You can also send your Big Question to bob [at] worldcupblog.org and we might just take a stab at answering it.
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Comments
By Massimo | March 24th, 2006 at 1:11 am 
Mmmmmmm, let’s not forget Italy. Toni, Gillardino, Del Piero (seems to finally play well again), Totti (if he heals fast), and hopefully Cassano. They don’t lack in talent.
Posted from 
United States
By Mongoose | March 24th, 2006 at 1:47 am I agree, and don’t forget Trinidad who will explode for 1 against England and fulfill their own world cup destinies.
Mongoose
By justin | March 24th, 2006 at 6:46 am exactly, i think next to brazil italy has the most potent offense.
Posted from 
Italy
By Harvey | March 24th, 2006 at 9:13 am Germany - but only when they play the U.S. B/C+ team. 
Posted from United States
By J. Michael | March 24th, 2006 at 9:53 am In terms of strikers, the Dutch and the French are imposing, too.
Posted from United States
By nicholas ohio | March 24th, 2006 at 12:20 pm How about England with Rooney and Owen. That combo is pretty dangerous. If you add beckham supplying the crosses, lampard and stevie g from midfield. Also don’t forget about Joe Cole. You have a strong attacking force. I would think they would strike fear into opponents much more than the Ivory Coast. My TOP FIVE would be 5. France- Henry is masterful 4. Argentina 3. Holland with RVN is tough 2. England- see above. 1. Brazill if they are on form. I have left out Italy because they never seem to score enough goals in the world cup and Portugal becuase of Pauleta’s ineffectiveness in frint of goal at Euro 2004.
Posted from United States
By Pedro P | March 25th, 2006 at 8:29 am You have a point about Pauleta. He does score a lot. But it’s almost never been him making the difference. On the other side, Nuno Gomes scors little, but when it counts he’s a lucky charm… STILL, Figo, Deco, C Ronaldo and also Maniche usually feed and feed and feed and also manage to put one in…
By Luis Paulo | March 25th, 2006 at 9:44 am I agree that England has the best offensive potential after Brasil. Not only a great midfield with Beckham, Lampard, Gerard or Jor Cole but also 2 great fowards(Owen and Rooney).
Italy was never an offensive team and they would never put Del Piero, Totti, Gilardino and Toni together. Probably Del Piero or the injuried Totti would be out.
I also desagree about Ivory Coast and Portugal. Portugal doesn’t have a strike. Pauletta is not a top score player. On Ivory Coast, it seems to me, that is a team with only on player. On the African Nations Cup they didn’t score many goals.
By World Cup News | March 25th, 2006 at 1:22 pm Argentina it’s packed with aggressive offense… but “best offence is not the best deffense” anymore…
Posted from 
Argentina
By JP | March 25th, 2006 at 6:37 pm Messi will be high scorer in germany ‘06…Even if he isn’t I love his 60-1 odds of being THE MAN vs Ronaldo’s ridiculous 3-1…
Posted from United States
By Pedro P | March 25th, 2006 at 11:07 pm Pauleta is not a clinical killer in front of goal. True. No matter how much he scores. But he still helped the team being one with the highest goals scored in the qualifiers. In WC02, in spite of a horrid performance, he still scored 3 goals in 3 matches (and then we went home). I’d say he’s not that bad.
It’s true we don’t have a lot of strikers and it’s also true that, no matter how many brilliant plays you generate, the world will only see them if someone scores. I don’t like to, but I must admit Portugal’s week spot has been SCORING.
But this has been changing… To say Portugal doesn’t have “a strike” is, for me, a bit too much: So many goals must have come from somewhere.
By Pedro P | March 26th, 2006 at 11:34 am Anyway, Owen might not even go but ENG are looking stronger. HOL is a devil we all know but they are lookin shaky and for what I’ve seen of the last matches, I find POR currently stronger. RVN is not playing so often with man Utd as well.
Now… The most potent attack (or defense ot whatever) is not made, in my view, by the most attacking players indivivual capacities. It’s the combination - the group. Portugal started scoring much more when they started using 2 defensive midfielders rather than just 1. Got it? Pauleta is not T Henry, is not Rooney, Batistuta, etc… But he puts a lot in. When you’re facing a little bunch like Figo, Deco, CRonaldo, and the likes, who cares who actually puts it in… It’s just a devolish ball carroucel those guys can create. Go on, block Pauleta, then a guy from the back comes and puts it in. This is what the attack of Portugal is made of. Made of NOT RELYING on 1 man to score but on a lot of them to drive you mad, while the back is more or less secure. You just observe when there’s space to play… Slowly they gain ground on the pitch…
But it did hurt to see Pauleta miss so many in EC04… A guy who scores so so much in France for PSG…
By nicholas ohio | March 28th, 2006 at 5:40 pm Portugal as group has potential, but Figo is older now, C. Ronaldo is great form but form is fickle. Pauletta and Nuno Gomes just don’t strike fear into me. You guys couldn’t score against Greece in the final of Euro 2004, Portugal’s qualifying group was not to difficult. I would take the Dutch with Robben, Van Nistelrooy, Van Der Vaart, Sneijder, Makaay, and Kuyt for the simple reason they are much more clinical in front of goal!
Posted from United States
By Pedro P | March 28th, 2006 at 7:08 pm Nicholas, Portugal suffers from a chronical lack of strikers, since the Big Bang. We’ve been producing the most brilliant wingers and attacking midfielders in the last 10 years. Not strikers. Of course, not scoring, we never get the visibility, therefore, also the credit. We don’t have more technical quality now than before. Only more consistency and “body”. The things that separate a winner form anyother.
When Pauleta jumped into the picture, we were actually happy we had ONE. So, as I said, he’s not a Killer. But he does score a lot. This is also a fact. No matter what.
Figo is older, but he’s like Port Wine… 
OK, he doesn’t have the legs he had anymore, but he’s still by far one of the best.
C Ronaldo is very good. Getting better everyday. He still has a lot to learn. He does. He has to grow and mature, still. But he’s already so much more than just a kid with magic tricks and legs. He’s already a football giant.
By the way, I also don’t mean to be arrogant, but POR right now, is in far better form than HOL.
By Cesar S | March 30th, 2006 at 4:01 am Argentina has get midds and the have up front messi and teves but they dont have much def they only have like 5 and they really need a better goalkeeper but they have a chance to win it but keep your eyes on Holland , Czech Republic , Spain , and Brazil i think there once who r goin 2 win it!!!
Posted from 
Canada
By J.D. Rasmussen | April 17th, 2006 at 3:20 pm Portugal, England look like semifinalists to me. Pauleta is a world-class striker, he is absolutely brilliant on the pitch. It’s not the stiker they lack but a world-class goalkeeper.
Argentina has the talent but they don’t play well together yet - wait 4 years.
If Jan Koller is healthy, the Czech’s will go far.
Posted from United States
By joshua woods | June 5th, 2007 at 12:18 pm hey this pic is verry funny but it is a bit perverted
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United Kingdom
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