The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 3: Making Their Move or Falling by the Wayside?

The second matchday of the 2022 World Cup provided a clearer picture of where each team stands. There were surprising results as well as standout individual performances throughout.

Wales 0-2 Iran

A match that seemed destined to end in a drab goalless draw sprang to life in the closing stages. Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey received a needless red card after a head-height tackle on Mehdi Taremi. Iran took full advantage and scored two goals late into stoppage time to keep their World Cup campaign alive.

Qatar 1-3 Senegal

The host country became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament after losing to the Lions of Teranga. It was another one-sided loss by a Qatar team clearly out of their depth. Senegal were never really challenged as goals scored by Boulaye Dia, Famara Diedhiou, and Bamba Dieng ensured that they still had a chance to make the World Cup knockout stage.

Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador

Louis van Gaal made several changes to his Netherlands team after their opening victory over Senegal. These changes ended up backfiring as the Oranje were completely unconvincing and showed little to no cohesion throughout. Ecuador took advantage and claimed a share of the points.

England 0-0 United States

Following their dominant victory over Iran, England were sent back down to earth by a resolute United States team. The Three Lions were a shadow of the team that took Iran apart; Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling were especially disappointing. The US almost clinched the upset later, but Christian Pulisic's shot came back off the crossbar.

Tunisia 0-1 Australia

This match between Group D's two underdog teams was decided by a first-half Mitchell Duke goal. Australia's victory was their first at a World Cup in 12 years. As for Tunisia, it doesn't get any easier for them - their last group match with their World Cup fate on the line will be against France.

Poland 2-0 Saudi Arabia

Poland claimed a crucial victory which was largely against the run of play. The match was highlighted by two crucial moments; the first of these was Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny's spectacular double-save to deny Salem Al-Dawsari's penalty and Mohammed Al-Breik's follow-up attempt. Robert Lewandowski later scored his first career World Cup goal.

France 2-1 Denmark

Kylian Mbappé further burnished his glowing reputation on international football's biggest stage by scoring the two goals that sent France into the round of 16. Despite the narrow margin of victory, France were in control for almost the entire match. It's safe to say that Les Bleus have defied the reigning champions' curse.

Argentina 2-0 Mexico

A clash in which goalscoring chances were few and far between was eventually settled by Lionel Messi's eighth career World Cup goal and a stunning strike from Enzo Fernández. Argentina continued to be Mexico's World Cup bane with a fourth straight World Cup victory against El Tri. Mexico must now beat Saudi Arabia to stand any chance of reaching the last 16.

Japan 0-1 Costa Rica

Despite only having one shot on target in the entire match, Costa Rica made it count. Thanks to Keysher Fuller's 81st-minute goal, Costa Rica put themselves back in the running for a last-16 spot. This was a result that not many would have seen coming, given the two teams' contrasting fortunes in their respective first group matches.

Belgium 0-2 Morocco

Belgium came out completely flat following pre-match comments from their own players which dismissed their chances of winning the tournament. Romain Saïss opened the scoring before Zakaria Aboukhlal finished Belgium off in stoppage time. Belgium now stand on the brink of a shocking group-stage exit - something they haven't experienced since 1998.

Croatia 4-1 Canada

After conceding the first goal with only a little more than a minute on the clock, Croatia never looked back. Andrej Kramarić scored two goals as Croatia completely outclassed their North American opponents. Canada's loss saw them eliminated from the tournament.

Spain 1-1 Germany

Needing to avoid defeat to stay alive in the tournament, Germany barely managed to finish with a draw. Niclas Fullkrug's late equalizer matched fellow substitute Álvaro Morata's 62nd-minute goal. Germany must now beat Costa Rica to advance to the last 16, while Spain require a draw against Japan to do likewise.

Cameroon 3-3 Serbia

Serbia squandered a 3-1 lead to drop two costly points. Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's goals ensured that the Indomitable Lions claimed a share of the points. Both teams will now have to win their respective final group matches in order to stand any chance of advancing to the last 16.

South Korea 2-3 Ghana

Ghana fended off South Korea's comeback from two goals behind to claim a crucial victory. Ajax striker Mohamed Kudus lived up to the hype around him by scoring two goals to lead Ghana to the win. He as well as his opposite number Cho Gue-sung became the first players in their countries' respective histories to score two goals in the same World Cup match.

Brazil 1-0 Switzerland

Brazil's second straight victory saw them advance from the group stage for a record-extending 14th consecutive World Cup. Casemiro's late goal was enough to give the Seleção all three points. Switzerland, on the other hand, struggled throughout - they were not able to muster even one shot on target.

Portugal 2-0 Uruguay

A Bruno Fernandes double sealed Portugal's spot in the round of 16. This was a much-improved performance by Portugal after struggling to beat Ghana during the first matchday. Uruguay, who have been dismal in both their matches thus far, will now have to beat Ghana to qualify for the next round.

Now for my predictions for the last World Cup group stage matchday:

Ecuador vs Senegal
Netherlands vs Qatar
Iran vs United States
Wales vs England
Tunisia vs France
Australia vs Denmark
Poland vs Argentina
Saudi Arabia vs Mexico
Croatia vs Belgium
Canada vs Morocco
Japan vs Spain
Costa Rica vs Germany
South Korea vs Portugal
Ghana vs Uruguay
Serbia vs Switzerland
Cameroon vs Brazil

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 2: Opening Shots Fired

The first matchday of the 2022 World Cup in the books. Let's take a look at how each of the teams fared.

Qatar 0-2 Ecuador

This was a match in which the margin of victory did not adequately reflect how one-sided it was. Ecuador essentially sleepwalked their way to a 2-0 victory over the hosts; Enner Valencia scored both goals. It could easily have been four or five had Ecuador actually bothered to play at full tilt; this was unnecessary because of how utterly abject Qatar were.

England 6-2 Iran

The Three Lions highlighted their status as bona fide title contenders after taking Iran apart. With a 3-0 lead at halftime and 79% of the possession, England's victory was never in doubt. Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka were England's standout performers at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Senegal 0-2 Netherlands

Despite being without superstar striker Sadio Mané due to injury, Senegal were able to keep their favoured opponents goalless until the match's closing stages. Cody Gakpo broke the deadlock for the Netherlands in the 84th minute before Davy Klaassen put the match away in stoppage time.

United States 1-1 Wales

A cagey match saw the United States and Wales play out the tournament's first draw. In an encounter largely devoid of moments of true skill, Timothy Weah opened the scoring for the US not long before half-time; a late Gareth Bale penalty would eventually give Wales a share of the points.

Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia

In one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, Saudi Arabia stunned presumptive title contenders Argentina. After fending off a flurry of Argentine attacks in the first half, two second-half goals set up a victory which will forever have a place in World Cup lore.

Denmark 0-0 Tunisia

Although both teams spent a fairly large amount of time on the attack, the quality of chances created was rather low, leading to a goalless draw. One of the rare high-quality chances resulted in one of the most shocking misses ever seen in a World Cup. Denmark striker Andreas Cornelius' header from less than one yard from goal hit the post.

Mexico 0-0 Poland

This match was marked by struggles in the final third from both teams. Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa further burnished his reputation as a World Cup specialist by saving a Robert Lewandowski penalty. Despite being one of the greatest strikers of all time, Lewandowski is still goalless in the World Cup over his career.

France 4-1 Australia

France defied their sketchy pre-tournament form as well as the "reigning champions' curse" with an impressive victory over Australia. Olivier Giroud's two goals saw him tie Thierry Henry as Les Bleus' all-time leading goalscorer. Despite missing numerous key players due to injury, France evidently remain one of the favourites to win it all.

Morocco 0-0 Croatia

There wasn't a great deal of action in this one. The match was full of sub-par play in the final third, most notably from Croatia's Nikola Vlašić and Morocco's Abde Ezzalzouli. Both teams will really have to step it up if they're to make the last 16.

Germany 1-2 Japan

Despite being in control of the match almost all the way through, Germany somehow managed to lose this one. Serge Gnabry was the main culprit, missing multiple clear chances. Substitutes Ritsu Dōan and Takuma Asano made Die Mannschaft pay for their profligacy in front of goal.

Spain 7-0 Costa Rica

La Furia Roja were utterly dominant from start to finish against their Central American opponents. Costa Rica were not even allowed a single shot as Spain ran riot. Dani Olmo, Jordi Alba, and Gavi were Spain's standout performers in a match which proved that Spain are indeed legitimate title threats.

Belgium 1-0 Canada

A rather strange match at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium saw Belgium thoroughly outplayed by their less fancied opponents, yet somehow emerging with a 1-0 victory. Michy Batshuayi scored the only goal of the match shortly before half-time. By doing so, Batshuayi also made Canada rue Alphonso Davies' missed penalty earlier in the first half.

Switzerland 1-0 Cameroon

This fairly even match was decided early in the second half when Breel Embolo scored against the country of his birth. Despite a slow start, Switzerland gradually came into their own as the match wore on, culminating in Embolo's goal. Cameroon struggled with making the crucial pass which would set up an easy chance; this was particularly noticeable during the later stages of the match.

Uruguay 0-0 South Korea

Apart from two of Uruguay's shots striking the post, this was an extremely uneventful match. Uruguay clearly have some way to go if they are to be taken seriously as title contenders. On the other hand, South Korea's draw capped off an impressive first matchday for the Asian teams.

Portugal 3-2 Ghana

This match was highlighted by a controversial penalty call on (who else?) Cristiano Ronaldo. Upon replay, Mohammed Salisu appeared to have touched the ball before bringing Ronaldo to the turf. The incident seemed to spark the match to life as including the penalty goal, four further goals would be scored over the next 24 minutes.

Brazil 2-0 Serbia

The consensus pre-tournament favourites began the tournament on the right track with an easy victory over Serbia. A dominant second-half performance saw Richarlison score both goals for the Seleção, one of which was a spectacular scissor-kick. Their Balkan opponents, on the other hand, had absolutely no answer for the onslaught they faced over the last 45 minutes.

And now, here are my predictions for Matchday 2 of the World Cup group stage. Bold denotes a win; italics denote a draw.

Wales vs Iran

Qatar vs Senegal
Netherlands vs Ecuador
England vs United States
Tunisia vs Australia
Poland vs Saudi Arabia
France vs Denmark
Argentina vs Mexico
Japan vs Costa Rica
Belgium vs Morocco
Croatia vs Canada
Spain vs Germany
Cameroon vs Serbia
South Korea vs Ghana
Brazil vs Switzerland
Portugal vs Uruguay

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 1: The Combatants Enter the Fray

The World Cup now heads to Qatar, where this year's tournament could see the some of the highest quality of play to ever take place at the showpiece event of international football. FIFA's decision to hold the tournament in Qatar made it necessary for the tournament to take place in the middle of the European club season. As a result, the world's best players will be entering the tournament fully in the swing of things and without a hint of rust.

Let's now take a look ahead and go through my pre-tournament predictions.

Surprise Packages

Serbia

This is a team which is being tremendously overlooked; however, Serbia are far more talented than most people realize. Featuring multiple criminally underrated players, Serbia will make a massive splash and put themselves on everyone's radar with a deep run - with ace striker Aleksandar Mitrović perhaps even earning a well-deserved transfer to a top European club as a result. Quarterfinals.

Denmark

It's easy to write Denmark off as nothing more than "another feel-good story" after the way they rallied around midfielder Christian Eriksen following his cardiac arrest at the 2020 European Championships. Denmark are much more than that, though. Having been handed a favourable draw, Denmark are good enough to capitalize on it and make it further than most might initially expect. Quarterfinals.

Underachievers

Uruguay

In spite of their immense talent on paper, this is a Uruguay team with no synergy or cohesion whatsoever - evidenced by the fact that they won just eight of 18 World Cup qualifying matches and barely scraped into Qatar. Throw them into a tough group and you will see why I consider them to be the likely first major casualties of the tournament. Group stage.

Germany

Ever since their World Cup triumph in 2014, Germany have struggled on the international stage. They were knocked out of the 2018 World Cup in the group stage and 2020 European Championships in the round of 16. Even a coaching change which saw Hansi Flick take over in the dugout seems to have done little to improve Die Mannschaft. Round of 16.

Portugal

As of right now, the biggest story surrounding this Portugal team is the controversy around Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning tell-all interview about Manchester United. That, however, is not what will sink Portugal. Like Uruguay, this is a team filled with awkward fits from top to bottom - most notably that of United duo Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes. Couple this lack of synergy with a difficult draw and you have a recipe for an early exit. Round of 16.

France

The "World Cup hangover" is a real thing - but not for any reason you might expect. Today's tactical metagame changes so rapidly that within month's of a team's World Cup triumph, the rest of the world will have begun working on strategies to counter it. Like all reigning champions, France are not immune to this either as proven by their struggles over the past two years. They are also nowhere near as deep as the squad which won it all in Russia four years ago. Round of 16.

Contenders

Brazil

Entering as the pre-tournament favourites, many expect Brazil to leave Qatar with the World Cup for a record-extending sixth time. However, as loaded as they may be, they are somewhat fraudulent. Despite being stacked from top to bottom, this is a team still singularly built around Neymar. The problem is that I do not believe that Brazil can win a World Cup with a team built around Neymar. Quarterfinals.

Netherlands

The Netherlands have bounced back well following their shocking failure to qualify for the previous World Cup and early exit at the following European Championships. They've also been placed in a relatively easy group. However, despite their overall depth, they will be undone by their lack of a true goalscoring threat in international play apart from Memphis Depay. Quarterfinals.

Spain

Spain enter the World Cup without quite the level of hype that they had in previous editions - understandable, given the large number of younger players in a squad almost totally rebuilt from their 2018 team. This is a solid unit that deserves more recognition and will make a deep run. That being said, their lack of a true superstar who can single-handedly carry the team when the chips are down is likely to be their downfall. Fourth.

Belgium

Belgium seem to have all the elements needed to win a World Cup. Quality and depth at every position, a wealth of experience, and an all-time great at the peak of his powers in Kevin De Bruyne. Unfortunately, recent history has shown us that Belgium inevitably falter when the stakes are at their highest and the lights at their brightest. For that reason, they will fall just short once again. Third.

England

The Three Lions bring perhaps their most talented squad ever to Qatar. Building on runs to the World Cup semifinal and European Championship final, this team is absolutely loaded. Despite their pedestrian performance in the Nations League, it should bear mention that not every team was taking it all that seriously. Aided by a generous draw, England could very well make the final for the first time since winning it all back in 1966. Runner-up.

Argentina

I foresee the World Cup trophy heading to Argentina for the first time since 1986. They have tangible and intangible factors in spades: a truly world-class 26-man squad, immense skill and depth at every position, well-crafted strategies and tactics, and the desire to "win one for Lionel Messi" as well as to honour the late, great Diego Maradona who passed away in November 2020. It's almost impossible to build any sort of case against them. Champion.

Here's my complete bracket:

Individual Awards

Golden Ball: Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)
Silver Ball: Lautaro Martínez (Argentina)
Bronze Ball: Kieran Trippier (England)

Golden Boot: Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
Silver Boot: Aleksandar Mitrović (Serbia)
Bronze Boot: Lautaro Martínez (Argentina)

Golden Glove: Emiliano Martínez (Argentina)

Best Young Player: Bukayo Saka (England)

The Weekly Take, Issue 236: The Underdog Story Everyone Has Overlooked

The undivided attention of the football world is about to turn to Qatar, where the quadrennial football extravaganza known as the World Cup is about to take place. But before that, one more matchday had to be played across Europe's leading leagues. In the Bundesliga's final matchday before the World Cup break, one notable fixture saw this season's two surprise packages squaring off: SC Freiburg and Union Berlin.

The match turned out to be more one-sided than most had expected. Spearheaded by a Vincenzo Grifo hat-trick, Freiburg steamrolled the 10-man Union 4-1. The victory put the Black Forest club in second place in the league, only behind perennial champions Bayern Munich. Although only a little less than half of the season has been played, Freiburg are currently on pace for a historic campaign. The best league finish in the club's history came in the 1994-95 season when they finished third.

Freiburg's success this season has come on the strength of an outstanding transfer window. Their acquisitions of Ritsu Dōan, Michael Gregoritsch, and Matthias Ginter have proven to be inspired moves. Gregoritsch and Ginter were signed on free transfers from Augsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach respectively, while Dōan's signing from PSV Eindhoven cost Freiburg just €8.5 million. These figures become even more impressive when considering the fact that Freiburg sold Nico Schlotterbeck to Borussia Dortmund for €20 million.

Speaking of Schlotterbeck, his departure did not leave the gaping hole in Freiburg's defense that some thought it would. Indeed, Freiburg's defense deserves a great deal of credit for their climb up the Bundesliga table this season as well as their success in the Europa League. Among all Bundesliga clubs this season, only Bayern have conceded fewer goals than have Freiburg. Their success in defensive positions in aerial duels as well as their outstanding defensive play against opposing set pieces have been their key advantages all season long. Freiburg's back four of Kiliann Sildillia, Ginter, Philipp Lienhart, and Christian Günter has become one of the most underrated backlines in world football. Ginter and Günter have been rewarded accordingly - both have been selected for Germany's 2022 World Cup squad; they are two of five Freiburg players who will be present in Qatar.

Freiburg aren't just adept at defending against set pieces; they are more than comfortable when taking them as well. A significant portion of their 25 league goals thus far have come by way of the dead ball. Grifo in particular has enjoyed much success from set pieces this season. Two of his three goals against Union were scored from the penalty spot. Grifo embodies Freiburg's emphasis on set pieces; over the past two seasons in particular, the Italian winger has either scored or created scoring opportunities from an impressively large number of set pieces - especially for a player who is not a natural goalscorer.

Not many expected Freiburg to build on their highly successful 2021-22 season in quite this way. Last season, their sixth-place league finish and run to the DFB-Pokal final meant that they had their best season since 2012-13 when they were fifth in the league and reached the domestic cup's semifinals. This season, however, based on what they have already done, their ceiling lies well above even that. A historic first-ever qualification for the Champions League and perhaps even an unprecedented second-place league finish might lie ahead for Freiburg. They might even have an outside chance at capturing the first title in the club's history by winning the DFB-Pokal. Though a tall order that may be, it's not out of the question at all.

Until their recent slump, all the talk about the underdog success story of the Bundesliga this season had been about Union. No one had really been talking about Freiburg. However, at this point it would clearly be foolish to overlook Freiburg. This team has defied their modest finances and unglamorous location to really bring the fight to the Bundesliga's leading lights. Clearly, something special is happening at Europa-Park Stadion.

Of course, there's still a lot of football yet to be played this season. We have seen late-season collapses happen before. Having said that, there's absolutely nothing about Freiburg's play thus far which suggests that their success is unsustainable.

The Weekly Take, Issue 235: Finally Elite Again

It has been just about an eternity since the last time Arsenal were a genuinely elite team. The last time Arsenal were at this level was during the 2009-10 season. Featuring a well-rounded roster built around Cesc Fàbregas, the Gunners finished third in the Premier League while also making the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

The more than one decade since then has yielded little success for the London club. Apart from a distant second-place finish in the league in 2015-16 as well as four FA Cup victories, Arsenal have clearly lagged behind England's leading clubs. Their absolute nadir came in 2020-21 when they finished eighth in the league and failed to qualify for European competition for the first time in 26 years.

However, Arsenal have completely flipped the script this season. They notched yet another impressive victory in a campaign full of them; a 1-0 win over Chelsea in a London derby. Gabriel Magalhães scored the only goal of the match; the result ensured that Arsenal would retain their two-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

If Arsenal were to, as expected, beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in their next league match, they will enter the World Cup break in first place in the league. Not even the most ardent Arsenal fans could have fathomed such a scenario at the beginning of the season.

During the most recent off-season, Arsenal saw Alexandre Lacazette, Bernd Leno, Lucas Torreira, and Héctor Bellerín leave the Emirates Stadium. In most of these cases, it was "addition by subtraction" as it had become clear that none of those four players really fit the plan that head coach Mikel Arteta had installed. As far as arrivals were concerned, Arsenal only made one major signing - but it has proven to have been an excellent pick. Manchester City's signing of Erling Haaland caused Gabriel Jesus to become surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium. Arsenal seized their opportunity and signed the Brazilian centre-forward for £45 million; it soon became apparent that they'd stolen a march on other top clubs by signing him when no other club had even been making inquiries.

Several Arsenal players have also shown significant year-to-year improvement when comparing their performances of this season to those of last. Notably, Martin Ødegaard, Magalhães, and Gabriel Martinelli are all in the midst of breakout seasons. Arsenal's decision to bring William Saliba back to the club following loan stints during each of the last three seasons has also been a masterstroke; those three years on loan have obviously turned him into a solid player who is clearly good enough to start for just about any top-tier club.

From a tactical standpoint, Arsenal have shown much progression. A great deal of credit here has to go to Arteta; in just one year, the Spaniard has gone from being likely to face the axe to one of the best coaches in the league. Arteta's new emphases on progressive passing and increased pressing intensity on defense have clearly done a great deal to benefit this team. Both of these elements were largely missing from their repertoire last season, however, this is clearly not the case anymore.

What makes things even more exciting for Arsenal is the relatively young age of their squad. The vast majority of Arsenal's key players are aged 25 or younger. If they are able to keep most of this core group together for the next two to three years, they might not only contend for Premier League titles; if everything goes just right, they may even end up having an outside shot at a Champions League title as well.

As if that weren't enough, this is an incredibly balanced squad. Despite being top of the league, no Arsenal players has been named man of the match more than twice this season. After just 13 matches, a total of nine Arsenal players have already claimed the accolade at least once. This statistic clearly testifies to the fact that Arsenal embody "next man up" mentality - it really could be anyone who steps forward and delivers a top performance.

There really is a lot to like about this Arsenal team. Could they really win the Premier League for the first time in 19 years? It's starting to look like a distinct possibility.