Uruguay - France -- France overpowered Argentina to get here while Uruguay calmly wore down Portugal. Both had amazing goals in their previous game, love to see a few more of those! France coasted through group play but really pulled it together against Argentina: they got a star-making performance out of Mbappe and some promising connection between Pogba and Griezmann, the way they're turning defense to offense is impressive. If they can get Giroud in on the action, too, then I think they'll be too much for Uruguay. As for Uruguay, the buzz now is that Cavani will be unavailable for Uruguay and that is a killer. Cavani and Suarez play like farm cats: you never know where they are and they're always looking for trouble. Without Cavani, Uruguay will lose a great deal of the big play chances, which will put serious pressure on their defense. Suarez is still dangerous but without Cavani, he's been cut in half. I gotta go with France.
Brazil - Belgium -- When Belgium went down 2-0 to Japan with 30 minutes to go, I still thought they'd win. My rationale was this: during the 1st half I was convinced that Belgium would get a goal and that they'd get a penalty. So though the world seemed to be crashing around them, it still felt like they were gonna score goals. I did not see that final goal coming (ouch! What a heart breaker for Japan) but nor was I shocked by it. Kudos to Japan for pressing forward to get the W in regulation, but against a full-on attack like Belgium, you're leaving yourself open for trouble. Belgium has serious offense, man, serious offense. In soccer you typically start with the defense, you have to keep the other team from scoring; Belgium is one of those rare teams that plans on outscoring opponents, they're not winning with defense, which is their Achilles' heel, they're trying to avoid playing defense. As for Brazil, I thought Mexico came out with the right game plan: attack Brazil, get them back pedaling, score a goal and then bunker. That goal never materialized and Brazil was able to gain strength from the Mexican attack. Brazil was kinda lackluster in the group stage but Mexico may have galvanized them. Brazil is one of those teams that gets W's without playing their best, which makes it hard to tell how good they actually are. Obviously they've got plenty of talent (dude, their 4th string could compete just fine in this tournament) but they crumble at times, too. Belgium will either bring out the best in Brazil or the worst. (Gut feeling: winner of this game takes the Cup) If this goes to PK's, I think that favors Belgium; I think Brazil needs to score early. I'll take Brazil because Belgium does have a clear weakness: their wing defense will give Brazil chances. Unless Belgium dominates possession--dominates--then Brazil will get chances to score. And I assume they will. I'll take Brazil...but I also wouldn't be surprised if Belgium wins 3-0.
England - Sweden -- These two teams are here because they simply outlasted their previous opponents. England felt like they had the game against Colombia wrapped up when they gave Colombia an extra 30 minutes and a penalty kick lifeline thanks to a late goal (props to the English on the shootout, the one goal they missed was a legit save on a good shot, so none of those Englishmen whiffed on their chances). Sweden were able to wrap up Switzerland in regulation but the teams were virtually identical: same attack, same defense, same kinds of chances, same kind of goalkeeping, just a lucky goal keeping them from a penalty shootout. I still kinda thought Switzerland was slightly better but they're not in the quarterfinals, so I guess not. England is an interesting crew: some young, some old, but virtually all seem new to this int'l thing because England has been faulty for quite a stretch. And though they're certainly not a dominant side, they feel like a pretty good one, good mix of offense and defense, confidence without arrogance. They're ready to win and they have the skills. Sweden, too, has been out of the int'l game for a while but I don't feel their strengths, they're not gonna make dumb mistakes but I don't see them attacking England with much success. I gotta go with England to move on.
Croatia - Russia -- In the group stage, I thought Croatia was the best team: so strong on midfield possession, plenty of danger up front, very rigid in the back, the right mix of vets and youth, the right attitude and strategy. But they looked so sluggish against Denmark (not one of the more impressive squads of this tourney), even giving Denmark the opportunity to steal the game! So will Croatia stay that sluggish or was that the wake up call they needed? The answer to that question matters because Russia is the classic example of a lesser team that plays will reckless abandon and is capable of stealing a prize from a sleepy opponent. Russia ripped through a soft group and then (thankfully!) put Spain out of their misery. They are not as good as Croatia--indeed, I would comfortably put Russia 8th out of these final 8 teams. But they've got momentum, they've got a huuuuuuuge home field advantage and they're just happy to be here. If Croatia doesn't get their shit together they can lose to Russia, but if they do pull it together, they've got a path to winning the Cup. This is a wild card game, but I've got to go with Croatia because they're the better team.
After watching the tournament thus far I can't help wondering: why isn't Germany here? What the hell happened to those guys? You look at the remaining teams and size up their various strengths and weaknesses and it still feels like Germany has way more of the strengths and none of the weaknesses. They're not too old, they're not struggling with identity or turnover, they aren't over confident, they're not a sloppy team, they don't have internal problems (that I've heard of anyway), they've got top quality talent at every positions and plenty of depth. If they were still here, I'd probably take them as the fave. So why aren't they here?
Showing posts with label 2018 world cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2018 world cup. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Friday, June 29, 2018
2018 World Cup (Round of 16 predictions)
France - Argentina -- Hmmmm....France got here through some of the luckiest, blandest play of the tourney, while Argentina has ridden a roller coaster of luck to the knockout stage. Argentina has the most talent (and expectation) but they're also kinda old and formless and rely too much on Messi (great when he's great, but the 2nd half of that Nigeria game he was spraying passes all over the place). France has a good identity and haven't really been tested so far, but they'll have to kick it up a notch to get the W. I like France to get it done (and Argentina to go home extremely grumpy).
Uruguay - Portugal -- I'm not a huge fan of Uruguay, they play with more expectation than savvy, though so far it's worked for them. They've got power up front and I think they're sneaky good on D, as well. Portugal has mostly just been whatever Ronaldo can summon up, which has worked so far but I can't help thinking that's not a long term plan for success. Uruguay can keep the ball, too, and if they push forward they can get goals. I'll take Uruguay.
Spain - Russia -- Spain still has some of that mid-field greatness that dominated the world for a stretch but they're not as dangerous around the goal and not as rock steady in the back as their peak years. Russia plays with a great intensity, which has served them well against lesser opponents but not so much against the better ones. Spain is one of the better ones. I'll take Spain.
Croatia - Denmark -- Denmark has been one of the blandest squads in the entire tourney, only a questionable goal against Peru has brought them this far. Croatia, on the other hand, is solid with the ball and is arguably the best team so far. I've got to stick with Croatia because they've got the best combination of talent and strategy.
Brazil - Mexico -- Brazil has played well enough to win and while they surely have the quality to dropkick anyone on the right day, they feel too reliant on Neymar (*) when they ought to be more Spain-like in their midfield dominance. Mexico is not afraid of Brazil, they've always played well against them. Mexico saw against Sweden the downside of playing for a draw, I expect them to come out aggressive in this one. I like Mexico to get a lead and hold it. I'll take Mexico.
Belgium - Japan -- Belgium was my pre-tourney pick to get to the Final and though that D is shaky, I still like their chances to keep winning. Japan is reliable but unspectacular. They won't let the Belgians dominate them but I don't think they'll get enough opportunities to make the most of Belgium's weak backline. I'll take Belgium.
Sweden - Switzerland -- Sweden has the athletes and the expectation, but they seem hesitant at times and if they fall behind they may completely crumble. Switzerland is sly, they've got a sturdy stay-at-home defense and good ball handling in the midfield. I like Switzerland.
Colombia - England -- This one'll be fun. Colombia came in as one of the favorites only to get punked by Japan in their opener. If James Rodriguez is hurt, that'll put a serious crunch on their ability to score. England is young and unpredictable but they know what they're doing around the goal. I have no real sense of either midfield, I suspect this will be a long ball over the top kinda game for both teams. I expect a lot of wide open action with plenty of dangerous chances for both teams. I like England to pull it out (possibly in penalty kicks).
(*) I know Neymar is a badass, he's a star, he's the 3rd all time leading scorer for the mighty Brazilians, but--is it me?--he does not seem head and shoulders above most of his teammates. I dunno, man, I've never been as impressed with Neymar as I should be, we'll see if he can put together a classic run.
Uruguay - Portugal -- I'm not a huge fan of Uruguay, they play with more expectation than savvy, though so far it's worked for them. They've got power up front and I think they're sneaky good on D, as well. Portugal has mostly just been whatever Ronaldo can summon up, which has worked so far but I can't help thinking that's not a long term plan for success. Uruguay can keep the ball, too, and if they push forward they can get goals. I'll take Uruguay.
Spain - Russia -- Spain still has some of that mid-field greatness that dominated the world for a stretch but they're not as dangerous around the goal and not as rock steady in the back as their peak years. Russia plays with a great intensity, which has served them well against lesser opponents but not so much against the better ones. Spain is one of the better ones. I'll take Spain.
Croatia - Denmark -- Denmark has been one of the blandest squads in the entire tourney, only a questionable goal against Peru has brought them this far. Croatia, on the other hand, is solid with the ball and is arguably the best team so far. I've got to stick with Croatia because they've got the best combination of talent and strategy.
Brazil - Mexico -- Brazil has played well enough to win and while they surely have the quality to dropkick anyone on the right day, they feel too reliant on Neymar (*) when they ought to be more Spain-like in their midfield dominance. Mexico is not afraid of Brazil, they've always played well against them. Mexico saw against Sweden the downside of playing for a draw, I expect them to come out aggressive in this one. I like Mexico to get a lead and hold it. I'll take Mexico.
Belgium - Japan -- Belgium was my pre-tourney pick to get to the Final and though that D is shaky, I still like their chances to keep winning. Japan is reliable but unspectacular. They won't let the Belgians dominate them but I don't think they'll get enough opportunities to make the most of Belgium's weak backline. I'll take Belgium.
Sweden - Switzerland -- Sweden has the athletes and the expectation, but they seem hesitant at times and if they fall behind they may completely crumble. Switzerland is sly, they've got a sturdy stay-at-home defense and good ball handling in the midfield. I like Switzerland.
Colombia - England -- This one'll be fun. Colombia came in as one of the favorites only to get punked by Japan in their opener. If James Rodriguez is hurt, that'll put a serious crunch on their ability to score. England is young and unpredictable but they know what they're doing around the goal. I have no real sense of either midfield, I suspect this will be a long ball over the top kinda game for both teams. I expect a lot of wide open action with plenty of dangerous chances for both teams. I like England to pull it out (possibly in penalty kicks).
(*) I know Neymar is a badass, he's a star, he's the 3rd all time leading scorer for the mighty Brazilians, but--is it me?--he does not seem head and shoulders above most of his teammates. I dunno, man, I've never been as impressed with Neymar as I should be, we'll see if he can put together a classic run.
2018 World Cup (Groups E-H)
E
Brazil -- Not exactly overpowering their opponents so far, but they're comfortably moving into the next round. Coutinho has been their star so far but the injury to Marcelo is worrying, that guy does a lot for them coming out of the back. Still one of the best squads out there even if it feels like they haven't discovered their best form yet.
Switzerland -- I've always been kinda lukewarm on Switzerland but they've impressed me so far. They played Brazil to a standstill and finished a great comeback against Serbia. They've got some sneaky quality up front, sturdy in the back, they're gonna be a tough out going forward.
Serbia -- The poor man's Croatia? Had their moments, I thought they'd get the better of Switzerland but they let that one get away and weren't the same after that. Solid if unspectacular squad. I have no idea how they'll do in Euro 2020.
Costa Rica -- Costa Rica still has some crafty to them but they let Serbia get away and couldn't get past Switzerland either. In 2014 I thought Costa Rica was an underappreciated side, this time they never had enough offense to move ahead. They're usually good, I expect them to be back in 2022.
F
Sweden -- I dunno, man, I was never that impressed with them. They have quality but the scoring chances up front don't tend to get finished and in the back there are holes up the middle. They've made it this far, I suspect they go down to Switzerland in the next round.
Mexico -- They came out strong against Germany (doesn't seem that great in hindsight, does it?) and were thoroughly in control against South Korea. But they played for the scoreless draw against Sweden and then kinda folded after giving up that first goal because they had nowhere to go after that. Troubling result considering how confident they looked early on. Mexico tends to play Brazil close, if they can score early they can shock the world but if they give up a quick goal, can they come back and make a game of it?
South Korea -- They're steadily getting better, they had a frustrating tourney that ended with them punching Germany in the teeth--which must've felt great for those guys! They've got athletes, they've got tactics, as soon as they get some lucky, they'll be a for-real dangerous side. They've become a routine participant in the Cup, I fully expect them to be back in 2022.
Germany -- Man, never seen this guys this low. They spun their wheels against Mexico, pulled out a lucky W in the final seconds against Sweden and never could get anything going against South Korea. Germany getting knocked out in the group stage is like a summer Star Wars movie flopping (oh, yeah, that happened, too, huh?). Who wants to play them in the opening match of Euro 2020?
G
Belgium -- They were my pick to make it to the Final (and still are, by the way), so while I was impressed with their offensive firepower (Lukaku is the MVP of the group stage?), I'm troubled by their rickety defense. Yes, they have injuries which I suppose could resolve themselves as their tourney continues, but fixing the tire while the car is driving is a tough task (impossible, actually, but you know what I mean). I'm open to the idea that they're the best team out there but you can see how they lose, too: that D sags on the wings giving plenty of opportunities for dangerous crosses. They're one of the only teams out there that can seriously plan on outscoring their opponents, but they'll need defense, too. We'll see of they get any.
England -- This is the best England squad we've seen in a while and they definitely look frisky up front. But I'm not sure they have the holding strength to control a game. We'll see, they can score but it feels like they can leave themselves open to disappointment, too. I think they can keep winning games going forward, their bracket is favorable. English fans definitely have hope for Euro 2020.
Tunisia -- They had some spunky moments. They held up well against England and though they kinda got plowed by Belgium, they got their licks in, too. Good win against Panama, felt like they were gonna sleepwalk through that game but they balled out in the 2nd half and pulled out a good W. Africa is really fluid but I wouldn't be surprised to see them back in 2022, thought they good talent from front to back.
Panama -- Yeah, they were the worst team here. As a fellow CONCACAF-er, watching them made me wonder how USA failed to get here (two words: Jurgen Klinsmann). They've got some spunk to them, but no attack and no defense equals no W's in the World Cup. I do not expect to see them in 2022.
H
Colombia -- They were my pre-tourney choice to win it all and they certainly do not look capable of that after these three games. I thought they kinda got lucky at best. They got beat by Japan (Colombia gave that game away, though), bounced back nicely against Poland and did just enough to get the W against Senegal. Falcao has played well but if Rodriguez is hurt they could be in some trouble (though he's done not much so far).
Japan -- Japan plays a clean classy style of football. They remind me of Vanderbilt basketball: they may not have the athletes, but they're smart, they don't make mistakes and if you fuck around, they'll beat ya. They're crafty, can they sneak through Belgium's back line? Normally I would easily say I expect Japan to be in the next Cup but considering fellow Asian country Qatar will be sucking up the host slot, not sure how that affects the rest of Asian qualifying. But they'll probably be in there.
Senegal -- I was generally impressed with Senegal. Their victory over Poland was legit (Senegal was better), drew a hardfought contest with Japan (one of the better games of the Group stage), and kinda got unlucky against Colombia (thought they deserved better). Africa is fluid, never know who's coming out there but I wouldn't be surprised to see Senegal again in 2022.
Poland -- Never got any offense going, a thoroughly bland squad on both sides. I expected them to bring more control and be dangerous around the goal but I never saw any of that. They got run by Senegal and Colombia and pulled out a close one to Japan, who didn't need a result. Not an impressive showing for Poland. Considering how bland they were and how kinda old they looked up front, I don't expect to see Poland in 2022 (curious to see if they can get something going in Euro 2020).
Brazil -- Not exactly overpowering their opponents so far, but they're comfortably moving into the next round. Coutinho has been their star so far but the injury to Marcelo is worrying, that guy does a lot for them coming out of the back. Still one of the best squads out there even if it feels like they haven't discovered their best form yet.
Switzerland -- I've always been kinda lukewarm on Switzerland but they've impressed me so far. They played Brazil to a standstill and finished a great comeback against Serbia. They've got some sneaky quality up front, sturdy in the back, they're gonna be a tough out going forward.
Serbia -- The poor man's Croatia? Had their moments, I thought they'd get the better of Switzerland but they let that one get away and weren't the same after that. Solid if unspectacular squad. I have no idea how they'll do in Euro 2020.
Costa Rica -- Costa Rica still has some crafty to them but they let Serbia get away and couldn't get past Switzerland either. In 2014 I thought Costa Rica was an underappreciated side, this time they never had enough offense to move ahead. They're usually good, I expect them to be back in 2022.
F
Sweden -- I dunno, man, I was never that impressed with them. They have quality but the scoring chances up front don't tend to get finished and in the back there are holes up the middle. They've made it this far, I suspect they go down to Switzerland in the next round.
Mexico -- They came out strong against Germany (doesn't seem that great in hindsight, does it?) and were thoroughly in control against South Korea. But they played for the scoreless draw against Sweden and then kinda folded after giving up that first goal because they had nowhere to go after that. Troubling result considering how confident they looked early on. Mexico tends to play Brazil close, if they can score early they can shock the world but if they give up a quick goal, can they come back and make a game of it?
South Korea -- They're steadily getting better, they had a frustrating tourney that ended with them punching Germany in the teeth--which must've felt great for those guys! They've got athletes, they've got tactics, as soon as they get some lucky, they'll be a for-real dangerous side. They've become a routine participant in the Cup, I fully expect them to be back in 2022.
Germany -- Man, never seen this guys this low. They spun their wheels against Mexico, pulled out a lucky W in the final seconds against Sweden and never could get anything going against South Korea. Germany getting knocked out in the group stage is like a summer Star Wars movie flopping (oh, yeah, that happened, too, huh?). Who wants to play them in the opening match of Euro 2020?
G
Belgium -- They were my pick to make it to the Final (and still are, by the way), so while I was impressed with their offensive firepower (Lukaku is the MVP of the group stage?), I'm troubled by their rickety defense. Yes, they have injuries which I suppose could resolve themselves as their tourney continues, but fixing the tire while the car is driving is a tough task (impossible, actually, but you know what I mean). I'm open to the idea that they're the best team out there but you can see how they lose, too: that D sags on the wings giving plenty of opportunities for dangerous crosses. They're one of the only teams out there that can seriously plan on outscoring their opponents, but they'll need defense, too. We'll see of they get any.
England -- This is the best England squad we've seen in a while and they definitely look frisky up front. But I'm not sure they have the holding strength to control a game. We'll see, they can score but it feels like they can leave themselves open to disappointment, too. I think they can keep winning games going forward, their bracket is favorable. English fans definitely have hope for Euro 2020.
Tunisia -- They had some spunky moments. They held up well against England and though they kinda got plowed by Belgium, they got their licks in, too. Good win against Panama, felt like they were gonna sleepwalk through that game but they balled out in the 2nd half and pulled out a good W. Africa is really fluid but I wouldn't be surprised to see them back in 2022, thought they good talent from front to back.
Panama -- Yeah, they were the worst team here. As a fellow CONCACAF-er, watching them made me wonder how USA failed to get here (two words: Jurgen Klinsmann). They've got some spunk to them, but no attack and no defense equals no W's in the World Cup. I do not expect to see them in 2022.
H
Colombia -- They were my pre-tourney choice to win it all and they certainly do not look capable of that after these three games. I thought they kinda got lucky at best. They got beat by Japan (Colombia gave that game away, though), bounced back nicely against Poland and did just enough to get the W against Senegal. Falcao has played well but if Rodriguez is hurt they could be in some trouble (though he's done not much so far).
Japan -- Japan plays a clean classy style of football. They remind me of Vanderbilt basketball: they may not have the athletes, but they're smart, they don't make mistakes and if you fuck around, they'll beat ya. They're crafty, can they sneak through Belgium's back line? Normally I would easily say I expect Japan to be in the next Cup but considering fellow Asian country Qatar will be sucking up the host slot, not sure how that affects the rest of Asian qualifying. But they'll probably be in there.
Senegal -- I was generally impressed with Senegal. Their victory over Poland was legit (Senegal was better), drew a hardfought contest with Japan (one of the better games of the Group stage), and kinda got unlucky against Colombia (thought they deserved better). Africa is fluid, never know who's coming out there but I wouldn't be surprised to see Senegal again in 2022.
Poland -- Never got any offense going, a thoroughly bland squad on both sides. I expected them to bring more control and be dangerous around the goal but I never saw any of that. They got run by Senegal and Colombia and pulled out a close one to Japan, who didn't need a result. Not an impressive showing for Poland. Considering how bland they were and how kinda old they looked up front, I don't expect to see Poland in 2022 (curious to see if they can get something going in Euro 2020).
2018 World Cup (Groups A-D)
A
Uruguay -- Sailed through with 3 wins, though 1-0 wins over Egypt and Saudi Arabia were hardly convincing, as they didn't have to face Mo Salah in the first game or a good team in the second. They finally got it together against Russia, laying a 3-0 smackdown on the previously unbeaten hosts. They can still get hot and be a great team but they mostly got lucky in the group stage.
Russia -- These guys came out in all three games hard and fast, which never seemed sustainable. Fortunately they scored quick ones against Saudi Arabia (which eased them into a 5-0 drubbing) and Egypt (which they rode into a 3-1 victory). But they never found their footing against Uruguay and floundered for 90 minutes. So is Russia actually any good? Can't really tell. They cruised so easily through the first two matches and struggled so mightily against the one good team they played that we saw the template for how they win (early success) and how they lose (getting overpowered by strong strikers).
Saudi Arabia -- Man, that opening night loss must've been a real drag for them but they played well against Uruguay and scored a W against Egypt. Nice to finish 3rd but make no mistake: they're one of the worst teams in the tourney. They've generally done well in Asia but with Qatar sucking up an automatic bid, not sure Saudi Arabia will be back for in 2022.
Egypt -- Nearly pulled out a draw against Uruguay without their star, Mo Salah, but they ran into a host nation playing with their hair on fire and got swept under. Failing to pick up a consolation W against a weak Saudi Arabia side completes their steady decline through the group. Not a good showing from Egypt. Africa is very fluid with 10-ish teams fighting for 5-ish spots, though you gotta figure Mo Salah should still be strong enough to get them back for 2022.
B
Spain -- If you squint you can still see the outline of the great Spain side that rolled everyone for 5 straight years: they've still got the amazing ball control but the defense isn't as solid and the goal-scoring has eroded, too. Their opening draw against Portugal was maybe the best game of the whole tourney but Iran gave them a great game and Morocco did, too, Spain was lucky to get results in those matches. From here on, Spain will be in every game but they probably need to get to penalty kicks to score wins. Still a strong side but not the dominant one that will inspire terror in their opponents.
Portugal -- Ronaldo started off inspired, scoring a hat trick in the opening game (a classic for the ages). But, after an early goal against Morocco they mailed it in for 90 minutes and then fought for their lives against Iran, narrowly avoiding getting eliminated in the last minute. Okay, they got it up for Spain and then dogpaddled their way into the knockout phase. Clearly Ronaldo is in line for the Golden Boot but not sure the rest of the squad is scary enough to get wins.
Iran -- Got a lucky result against Morocco in the first game but went toe-to-toe with Spain and Portugal, though they seem to have wasted all their luck in the opener. I was generally pretty impressed with them, a little more luck against Spain, a little more work against Portugal and they'd be moving on. I fully expect to see them in 2022.
Morocco -- Meh. They should've beaten Iran, could've had a completely different result against Portugal if they hadn't given up an early goal and went back and forth with Spain. But none of those games turned out for them, kinda hard to tell what kind of team they are. Africa is fluid, I have no idea whether Morocco will be back in 2022.
C
France -- They didn't exactly impress against Australia or Peru and their 3rd game against Denmark was the lamest game of the whole tourney (so far). So....are they any good? I'm not sure. They finished 1st in the group, earning them a chance to match up with Argentina, a game that could go in any direction.
Denmark -- Their opening win against Peru was a fluke (I'll remember the 2018 World Cup as the one where they stopped calling off-sides), they got lucky against a so-so Australia squad, and they were happy to play a boring nothing game against France. So is Denmark any good? No idea. I watched all three games and got no picture of the team at all outside of a solid goalkeeper. My gut is they'll get throttled by Croatia in the next match.
Peru -- Soccer is a harsh game. I can't help thinking Peru deserved to move on more than Denmark or France. They got jobbed against Denmark (the dude was off-side! He looked off-side live, he looked off-side in the replay, the dude was off-side!) and gave France an even match. Scoring an easy W over Australia was a nice biscuit for them but I'd rather see them in the next round. This was their first Cup appearance in ages, I'm guessing they're not likely to be back in 2022.
Australia -- Much better than I anticipated (I've never been impressed by Australia) but they gave France a game and played Denmark to a standstill before getting tooled by Peru--who was secretly the class of this group. Australia has never been very good but they're back in the Cup again and again, so I guess they'll be in Qatar in 2022.
D
Croatia -- Arguably they've been the best, most complete team so far. I didn't see their opening W against Nigeria (who is the Fox Deportes exec who decided to play the entire World Cup...except one game?) but that 3-0 victory over Argentina was no fluke--they were better than Argentina in every way. Didn't see the Iceland match but if they outscored that rock solid defense, then it must've been a good win. They have so much talent in the mid-field, they'll control games going forward. I expect them to be much better than Denmark and make a serious run to the end.
Argentina -- Well, that was lucky! Iceland played them to a standstill (if Messi hits that PK, this whole tournament seems totally different, no?), then Croatia dropped a serious whoopin' on them and the panic set in. Pulling out a W against Nigeria saved everyone's bacon but they have not impressed so far. They can beat France but they could also get run out of the stadium--those are the games you wanna watch!
Nigeria -- The 1998 Nigeria side was one of my all-time favorite teams to watch but they weren't able to keep up the talent pool after that, so Nigeria is usually the class of Africa but never seems terribly dangerous in the big show. Getting beat by Croatia is nothing be ashamed of, finally blasting through Iceland's D was a good victory, but failing to hold on to that Argentina game will haunt them. We'll never know if they could've beaten France in the next round, I'm guessing that'll inspire them to be back in 2022.
Iceland -- They were a pleasant surprise in the 2014 Euro and kept the vibe alive through that hard fought draw with well-respected Argentina. But they seemed absolutely gassed by the end of that Nigeria match such that hanging tough with Croatia is a respectable close to the tourney for them. Curious to see them in 2020 Euro but they seem an unlikely combatant at Qatar 2022.
Uruguay -- Sailed through with 3 wins, though 1-0 wins over Egypt and Saudi Arabia were hardly convincing, as they didn't have to face Mo Salah in the first game or a good team in the second. They finally got it together against Russia, laying a 3-0 smackdown on the previously unbeaten hosts. They can still get hot and be a great team but they mostly got lucky in the group stage.
Russia -- These guys came out in all three games hard and fast, which never seemed sustainable. Fortunately they scored quick ones against Saudi Arabia (which eased them into a 5-0 drubbing) and Egypt (which they rode into a 3-1 victory). But they never found their footing against Uruguay and floundered for 90 minutes. So is Russia actually any good? Can't really tell. They cruised so easily through the first two matches and struggled so mightily against the one good team they played that we saw the template for how they win (early success) and how they lose (getting overpowered by strong strikers).
Saudi Arabia -- Man, that opening night loss must've been a real drag for them but they played well against Uruguay and scored a W against Egypt. Nice to finish 3rd but make no mistake: they're one of the worst teams in the tourney. They've generally done well in Asia but with Qatar sucking up an automatic bid, not sure Saudi Arabia will be back for in 2022.
Egypt -- Nearly pulled out a draw against Uruguay without their star, Mo Salah, but they ran into a host nation playing with their hair on fire and got swept under. Failing to pick up a consolation W against a weak Saudi Arabia side completes their steady decline through the group. Not a good showing from Egypt. Africa is very fluid with 10-ish teams fighting for 5-ish spots, though you gotta figure Mo Salah should still be strong enough to get them back for 2022.
B
Spain -- If you squint you can still see the outline of the great Spain side that rolled everyone for 5 straight years: they've still got the amazing ball control but the defense isn't as solid and the goal-scoring has eroded, too. Their opening draw against Portugal was maybe the best game of the whole tourney but Iran gave them a great game and Morocco did, too, Spain was lucky to get results in those matches. From here on, Spain will be in every game but they probably need to get to penalty kicks to score wins. Still a strong side but not the dominant one that will inspire terror in their opponents.
Portugal -- Ronaldo started off inspired, scoring a hat trick in the opening game (a classic for the ages). But, after an early goal against Morocco they mailed it in for 90 minutes and then fought for their lives against Iran, narrowly avoiding getting eliminated in the last minute. Okay, they got it up for Spain and then dogpaddled their way into the knockout phase. Clearly Ronaldo is in line for the Golden Boot but not sure the rest of the squad is scary enough to get wins.
Iran -- Got a lucky result against Morocco in the first game but went toe-to-toe with Spain and Portugal, though they seem to have wasted all their luck in the opener. I was generally pretty impressed with them, a little more luck against Spain, a little more work against Portugal and they'd be moving on. I fully expect to see them in 2022.
Morocco -- Meh. They should've beaten Iran, could've had a completely different result against Portugal if they hadn't given up an early goal and went back and forth with Spain. But none of those games turned out for them, kinda hard to tell what kind of team they are. Africa is fluid, I have no idea whether Morocco will be back in 2022.
C
France -- They didn't exactly impress against Australia or Peru and their 3rd game against Denmark was the lamest game of the whole tourney (so far). So....are they any good? I'm not sure. They finished 1st in the group, earning them a chance to match up with Argentina, a game that could go in any direction.
Denmark -- Their opening win against Peru was a fluke (I'll remember the 2018 World Cup as the one where they stopped calling off-sides), they got lucky against a so-so Australia squad, and they were happy to play a boring nothing game against France. So is Denmark any good? No idea. I watched all three games and got no picture of the team at all outside of a solid goalkeeper. My gut is they'll get throttled by Croatia in the next match.
Peru -- Soccer is a harsh game. I can't help thinking Peru deserved to move on more than Denmark or France. They got jobbed against Denmark (the dude was off-side! He looked off-side live, he looked off-side in the replay, the dude was off-side!) and gave France an even match. Scoring an easy W over Australia was a nice biscuit for them but I'd rather see them in the next round. This was their first Cup appearance in ages, I'm guessing they're not likely to be back in 2022.
Australia -- Much better than I anticipated (I've never been impressed by Australia) but they gave France a game and played Denmark to a standstill before getting tooled by Peru--who was secretly the class of this group. Australia has never been very good but they're back in the Cup again and again, so I guess they'll be in Qatar in 2022.
D
Croatia -- Arguably they've been the best, most complete team so far. I didn't see their opening W against Nigeria (who is the Fox Deportes exec who decided to play the entire World Cup...except one game?) but that 3-0 victory over Argentina was no fluke--they were better than Argentina in every way. Didn't see the Iceland match but if they outscored that rock solid defense, then it must've been a good win. They have so much talent in the mid-field, they'll control games going forward. I expect them to be much better than Denmark and make a serious run to the end.
Argentina -- Well, that was lucky! Iceland played them to a standstill (if Messi hits that PK, this whole tournament seems totally different, no?), then Croatia dropped a serious whoopin' on them and the panic set in. Pulling out a W against Nigeria saved everyone's bacon but they have not impressed so far. They can beat France but they could also get run out of the stadium--those are the games you wanna watch!
Nigeria -- The 1998 Nigeria side was one of my all-time favorite teams to watch but they weren't able to keep up the talent pool after that, so Nigeria is usually the class of Africa but never seems terribly dangerous in the big show. Getting beat by Croatia is nothing be ashamed of, finally blasting through Iceland's D was a good victory, but failing to hold on to that Argentina game will haunt them. We'll never know if they could've beaten France in the next round, I'm guessing that'll inspire them to be back in 2022.
Iceland -- They were a pleasant surprise in the 2014 Euro and kept the vibe alive through that hard fought draw with well-respected Argentina. But they seemed absolutely gassed by the end of that Nigeria match such that hanging tough with Croatia is a respectable close to the tourney for them. Curious to see them in 2020 Euro but they seem an unlikely combatant at Qatar 2022.
Friday, June 15, 2018
2018 World Cup
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....it's back. Too bad USA isn't here but that ain't gonna spoil my good time.
20 teams are returning from 2014: Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Belgium, Uruguay, Mexico, Nigeria, Switzerland, Russia (host), South Korea, Iran, Japan, England, Croatia, Australia, Spain, Portugal.
The 12 new teams: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Peru, Denmark, Iceland, Serbia, Sweden, Panama, Tunisia, Senegal, Poland. (And they are replacing: Netherlands, Chile, Greece, Algeria, USA, Bosnia, Ivory Coast, Italy, Ghana, Ecuador, Cameroon, Honduras)
Predictions: I got Germany over Brazil in the Round of 16, Messi (Argentina) over Ronaldo (Portugal) in the Quarterfinals and Colombia over Belgium in the Final, which would give us two first timers in the Final.
Yeah, I'm a little late but I'll be watching all the games tape delayed anyway, so being behind is how this is gonna play for me. All right, I'm ready.
20 teams are returning from 2014: Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Belgium, Uruguay, Mexico, Nigeria, Switzerland, Russia (host), South Korea, Iran, Japan, England, Croatia, Australia, Spain, Portugal.
The 12 new teams: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Peru, Denmark, Iceland, Serbia, Sweden, Panama, Tunisia, Senegal, Poland. (And they are replacing: Netherlands, Chile, Greece, Algeria, USA, Bosnia, Ivory Coast, Italy, Ghana, Ecuador, Cameroon, Honduras)
Predictions: I got Germany over Brazil in the Round of 16, Messi (Argentina) over Ronaldo (Portugal) in the Quarterfinals and Colombia over Belgium in the Final, which would give us two first timers in the Final.
Yeah, I'm a little late but I'll be watching all the games tape delayed anyway, so being behind is how this is gonna play for me. All right, I'm ready.
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