I hadn't planned on recording my thoughts on Gold Cup group play but I have watched all the games (each team has played once), so I might as well.
A
Mexico 7-0 Cuba
Canada 4-0 Martinique
Mexico is clearly the best team in the entire field. Cuba is not the worst but easily in the bottom half of teams. Martinique is probably the worst team in the field, Canada looks good now but I suspect they're not good at all.
Mexico will destroy Canada and Martinique and easily win this group.
Canada/Cuba will battle for 2nd place (Canada is probably better but Cuba seemed a little more dangerous around the goal; Cuba has a puncher's chance but I'll take Canada).
Martinique is going to get destroyed--DE-stroyed--by Mexico and Cuba will likely lay a pasting on them, too.
B
Haiti 2-1 Bermuda
Costa Rica 4-0 Nicaragua
Bermuda dominated the 1st half but Haiti had more big play potential; sure enough Haiti scored on two set plays and left Bermuda behind. Neither of these squads are particularly noteworthy in the long run, though.
Costa Rica handled Nicaragua without much trouble; Costa Rica is generally among the best in CONCACAF so this was a predictable result, meaning I'm not sure how good Costa Rica actually is. Nicaragua is not good.
Costa Rica should beat Haiti and Bermuda and easily win this group.
I don't think Haiti is very good but they are probably better than Nicaragua, so I reckon they'll finished 2nd.
Bermuda was fun to watch, possessed the ball well at times, I think they'll beat Nicaragua.
Nicaragua is not good.
C
El Salvador 1-0 Curacao
Jamaica 3-2 Honduras
El Salvador got the dagger goal right before halftime and made it hold up; El Salvador is savvy and they're good with the ball, usually not a great side but you don't wanna fuck with them. Curacao is roughly the size of Springfield, Missouri, hard to expect them to have a plethora of world class footballers.
Jamaica is always fun to watch, always great athletes, sometimes they're actually good at soccer; hard to tell here because I thought Honduras played with some spunk. I think they're the two best teams in this group.
I think Jamaica beats El Salvador and Curacao, finishes 1st.
I think Honduras beats El Salvador and Curacao, finishes 2nd.
I think El Salvador finishes 3rd.
I think Curacao sounds like a helluva place to visit.
D
Panama 2-0 Trinidad
USA 4-0 Guyana
Personally I kinda thought Trinidad was better than Panama; Panama got two good chances and they finished both of them. But Trinidad's attack felt more dangerous for the most part and they just seemed better with the ball and on the ball. I think both of these squads are gonna be tough for USA to beat.
USA should've won 4-0 and they did, so what does that tell us? I dunno. They did what they should've done so while they have performed the first step, I think the next steps are gonna be tougher and I have no idea if they're ready. Guyana is not good, they play hard, I was impressed that they were still bringing it late in the game, but they're not good.
USA should be better than Panama and Trinidad but I'm just not sure. I beat we draw with Trinidad and then need a result against Panama to move on (because Panama and Trinidad are both gonna use and abuse Guyana). My guess is that we'll draw with Panama, too. So Panama goes through as #1, USA as #2 and Trinidad drops the 3rd (Guyana will be 4th, I am convinced).
In the quarters I got:
Mexico-Haiti (I'll take Mexico)
Costa Rica-Canada (I'll take Costa Rica)
Jamaica-USA (I'll take USA)
Panama-Honduras (I'll take Panama)
(Would that put USA-Mexico in the semis together? I think so but I'm honestly not sure)
Mexico-USA (I'll take Mexico)
Costa Rica-Panama (I'll take Costa Rica)
Mexico-Costa Rica (I'll take Mexico)
Rank them in tiers:
Easily the best team so far
1) Mexico
I guess they could win
2-7) Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras, USA, Panama, Trinidad
Long shot
8-10) El Salvador, Canada, Cuba
No
11-13) Haiti, Nicaragua, Bermuda
No chance they even win a game
14-16) Guyana, Curacao, Martinique
Okay, USA is closer to the top than the bottom but they're in a tough group, so it still might not work out for them. We'll see, still can't tell about this team.
Showing posts with label groups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label groups. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Friday, June 29, 2018
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
