The Weekly Take, Issue 238: Hail to the King

Any plans I may have previously had for this post have now been thrown out the window by the news that brought the world of football to a standstill.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known to the planet as Pelé, died of colon cancer yesterday at the age of 82. Arguably the greatest footballer in history, tributes naturally came pouring in from all corners of the world and from fields well beyond that of sports alone.

In addition to hundreds of footballers and other sports luminaries, the likes of incoming Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, US President Joe Biden, and former US President Bill Clinton took to social media to pay tribute to "O Rei". Current Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro declared three days of national mourning just hours after the news of Pelé's death came to light. Additionally, the world-famous Cristo Redentor statue in Rio de Janeiro was lit up in the colours of the Brazilian flag to honour Pelé.

It is almost impossible to pick somewhere to begin, but this statement should just about suffice: for at least two decades, there was absolutely no debate whatsoever about who the greatest footballer ever was. It was Pelé and it wasn't even close.

Pelé's emergence on the world stage will almost certainly never again be matched. At the age of 17, Pelé burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion during the knockout stages of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. When he scored the only goal of the match in Brazil's quarterfinal victory over Wales, it proved to be merely a teaser of what was to come.

A stunning second-half hattrick against France in the semifinal sent Brazil into the final for the second time in three World Cups. Pelé then capped off the tournament with two goals as the Seleção beat Sweden 5-2 in the final. Pelé's success in that World Cup, however, was but a glimpse into the player he would someday become.

Pelé's three World Cup victories will almost certainly never be equalled, while his tally of 767 goals in official matches stood for more than half a century. His Brazil team's utter domination of the 1970 World Cup remains the gold standard for a single-tournament performance by a team in international football.

So far ahead was Pelé of any other player of the era that in 2016, France Football published a retrospective re-evaluation of Ballon d'Or winners before 1995. Prior to that year, only players from European countries had been eligible to win the most prestigious individual honour in football. Pelé would have received the award on seven occasions; four consecutively from 1958 to 1961 as well as in 1963, 1964, and 1970. That tally would have put him equal with current record-holder Lionel Messi. In addition, the timespan of 12 years between Pelé's first would-be triumph and his last would also have equalled Messi's.

One criticism often levelled against Pelé lies in the fact that he never made the move to Europe, where he could play for a top European club and showcase his brilliance by leading a team to the European Cup. However, those who make such a claim have ignored the fact that in World Cup after World Cup, Pelé routinely took apart players from the other side of the Atlantic - players who had won Europe's most prestigious club title on one or more occasions. It should thus be obvious that had he made the move to Europe, Pelé would have been just as incredible as he was during his 18-year stint at Santos.

Pelé almost single-handedly changed the course of Brazil's iconic international football team. Prior to the 1958 World Cup, Brazil were still feeling the shock of the "Maracanazo" - the upset loss to Uruguay in 1950 which cost Brazil a first-ever World Cup title. Needless to say, Pelé banished the effects of that loss once and for all.

The debate about who is the greatest of all time will rage on for as long as this incomparable sport is played. However, no one who even claims to know even the slightest bit about football would omit Pelé from that debate.

RIP to "O Rei" - one who truly lived up to the nickname bestowed upon him.

The Weekly Take, Issue 237: An Obvious World Cup Hangover

Anyone who had been paying close attention during the World Cup will have noticed that many Tottenham players did not exactly have tournaments to remember. Coming off an injury, Son Heung-min was outplayed by his South Korean teammate Cho Gue-sung. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's Denmark team were utterly dismal as they slumped to a shocking group-stage exit. After a hot start, Richarlison failed to deliver in the quarterfinal match against Croatia, while despite being part of a title-winning Argentina team, Cristian Romero made many errors and had to be bailed out time and again. Of course, the standout failure was that of Harry Kane, who missed the penalty that ended up causing England's elimination in the quarterfinals.

Thus, it should have come as little surprise when the North London club returned from the World Cup break rather out of sorts. What should have been a routine victory against Brentford ended up being a 2-2 draw. Even more alarmingly for Tottenham, they had to claw their way back from 2-0 behind. Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney gave Brentford the lead before Kane and Højbjerg made sure that Tottenham would leave the Gtech Community Stadium with a share of the points.

With this result, Tottenham's grip on fourth place becomes ever more tenuous. They have now played more matches than have both Manchester United and Liverpool, the two clubs right behind them. Adding to this, many United players had excellent World Cup runs, thus showing that they are in good form at the moment.

At the resumption of domestic league play, concerns over the lingering after-effects of a gruelling World Cup campaign were certainly present. Most of these concerns regarded players who had performed well during the tournament and whether their efforts for their countries would adversely affect their play upon their return to their respective clubs. However, most people failed to consider the other side of the coin: the fact that teams with players who struggled in Qatar would return to domestic actions in the lowest of spirits.

This was clearly evidenced in Tottenham's match against Brentford. For the majority of the match, Tottenham were outplayed in just about every facet. They could easily have been three goals behind had they not been spared by an offside call. Their second goal even came by way of a defensive error; Eric Dier's errant clearance went out of bounds for a corner kick from which Toney put Brentford 2-0 ahead. Though Tottenham did end up pulling themselves together towards the end, it was obvious that they were mentally burdened by their collective World Cup struggles - and this was reflected in their play.

Considering how tight the race for a top-four Premier League spot and a corresponding spot in next season's Champions League is right now, Tottenham cannot afford to enter a World Cup-driven slump. However, from the evidence on display in this match, that scenario is looking like a distinct possibility.

There was, however, one important bright spot for Tottenham. Harry Kane scored on his return to Premier League play and thus overcame much heckling related to his World Cup penalty miss. Somewhat surprisingly, he seemed to be one of the few Tottenham players who was largely unfazed by how his World Cup went. It should go without saying that Tottenham will need this from him in just about every single match if they are to make the top four.

With the mid-season transfer window approaching, Tottenham will almost certainly have to make some moves if they are to clinch back-to-back Champions League qualifications for the first time in four years. Among the notable players who have been linked to a move to Tottenham include Adrien Rabiot, Alexis Mac Allister, Harry Maguire, and Sofyan Amrabat. Notably, all four had very successful World Cup campaigns; once the post-tournament fatigue if any wears off, signing one or more might be what Tottenham need to "cure" their World Cup hangover.

Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League campaign is at a crossroads. In one month's time, it might have completely fallen apart if things do not change soon. Of course, the next few weeks will be critical to their season. In any case, time is certainly running out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 8: The Dust Finally Settles

For this concluding issue, the usual format will be a little different. The match analyses will come first and discussions of my predictions will come later.

Now, without further ado:

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

The third-place playoff was full of action right from the opening kick-off. Within the first 10 minutes, Joško Gvardiol had opened the scoring for Croatia and Achraf Dari equalized almost immediately after. As the first half drew to a close, Mislav Oršić scored a spectacular goal which ensured that Croatia would finish in the top three for a second consecutive World Cup and the third time overall.

Argentina 3-3 France (Argentina win 4-2 on penalties)

Where do we even begin?

For the third time in this same tournament, Argentina either blew or almost blew a 2-0 lead late in regulation time. A Lionel Messi penalty and another goal scored by Ángel Di María before halftime seemed to all but seal it for the Albiceleste. Then, starting from the 80th minute, Kylian Mbappé entered a 40-minute stretch of near-superhuman play. Mbappé pulled one back from the penalty spot, then immediately after scored a spectacular volley to send it to extra time.

In the additional 30 minutes, Messi once again appeared to have clinched it for Argentina with his seventh goal of the tournament but for another penalty in favour of Les Bleus in the 118th minute. Having earned the penalty, Mbappé converted it to send it to a shootout. In the shootout, misses by Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni set up an opportunity for Gonzalo Montiel to win the title for Argentina. The Sevilla full-back duly dispatched it to bring the World Cup title to Argentina for the first time since 1986.

Let's now take one last look at my bracket.

The most important point, of course, is the fact that I was dead on the money with my title pick. Interestingly enough, my primary reason for picking Argentina did not match the actual cause of their success. I had expected Lautaro Martínez to seize the reins of this Albiceleste team from Messi and thoroughly dominate as Argentina won the title over England, one of their fiercest rivals. Though Lautaro had an extremely disappointing tournament, everything worked out in the end.

Looking at the rest of my bracket, the usual pitfalls which befell many a bracket-maker hamstrung mine as well. I had neither Croatia nor Morocco even advancing from their respective groups. I also picked Belgium to reach the semifinals; that being said, very few people would've picked them to slump to a group-stage exit prior to the tournament.

As for my individual award predictions, my Golden Ball (Kevin De Bruyne/Lautaro/Kieran Trippier) and Golden Boot (Romelu Lukaku/Aleksandar Mitrović/Lautaro) predictions were way off. However, I nailed my Golden Glove prediction of Emiliano Martínez, while I do consider myself somewhat unlucky with my Best Young Player pick of Bukayo Saka. Had England beaten France in the quarterfinals (not an unrealistic outcome by any means), Saka would've stood an excellent chance to bag the honour.

Now, what are the main takeaways from this World Cup?

The importance of high-level goalkeeping

More so in this World Cup than any other before it, many matches came down to the performances of the men between the posts. Croatia's Dominik Livaković, Morocco's Yassine "Bono" Bounou, and especially Argentina's Golden Glove winner Emiliano Martínez truly stood out during this tournament, taking their teams to victories which would otherwise have seemed unlikely.

Playing the long game with substitutions

Twice during this tournament (Brazil vs Croatia, Argentina vs France), a match which went to a penalty shootout was arguably decided before it; in both instances, many of the losing team's best penalty takers had already been substituted prior to the shootout. This has proven to be a grievous error. In a knockout tournament, assuming that a match will not go to a penalty shootout is extremely dangerous. Brazil and France found this out the hard way.

Mid-season World Cups - here to stay?

The 2022 World Cup saw a markedly higher level of play than those of many prior editions. This is likely due to the fact that the players were in mid-season form with no rust to shake off. This allowed them to get right into the swing of the tournament without any major adjustment period. FIFA might just take this into account when scheduling dates for future World Cups.

A successful World Cup defense will probably never happen again

Despite having to overcome many difficulties before and during the tournament, France pushed through and made it to the final - only to fall short at the final hurdle. Having not been accomplished since 1962, successfully defending the World Cup remains the most difficult achievement in sports. With the tournament's upcoming expansion to 48 teams, back-to-back World Cup victories by any team are unlikely to ever occur again.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 7: Ultimate Glory Awaits

First things first - let's look at where my bracket stood prior to the semifinals.

                                   

Team and position right: 1/4

Team right, position wrong: 0/4

Wrong: 3/4

Of my four semifinalist picks, I only managed to get Argentina right after England lost a quarterfinal Channel derby against France. Rather disappointingly, I did not even have either Croatia or Morocco advancing out of their group. Nevertheless, my bracket remains alive as I had chosen Argentina as my title pick.

The World Cup is now heading down the home straight. These are how the four semifinalists fared:

Argentina 3-0 Croatia

Despite having just 39% of the possession, Argentina put together what was obviously their best performance of the tournament to date. Julián Álvarez's two goals led Argentina into their second World Cup final in the last three editions. In addition, Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María now have the opportunity to avenge Argentina's 2014 final loss as both were on the squad eight years ago.

France 2-0 Morocco

Despite the two-goal margin of victory, this was a very competitive match which on another day could've swung in Morocco's favour. However, France's superior level of overall skill ultimately made the difference. Goals scored by Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani put Les Bleus into a second consecutive World Cup final.

Now, before I present my third-place playoff and final predictions, I'd like to take a moment to highlight five players who currently do not play for major clubs but have likely earned a transfer to such a club by way of their impressive World Cup performances.

Ritsu Dōan (Japan/SC Freiburg)

Despite only having been selected as a substitute in two of Japan's four matches, Dōan was clearly Japan's standout performer in the tournament. The Freiburg winger added to what has already been a breakout season with crucial goals against Germany and Spain. Should Freiburg qualify for the Champions League, expect some of European football's leading lights to make bids for Dōan soon.

Yassine "Bono" Bounou (Morocco/Sevilla)

Bono's outstanding play in goal has served as the foundation of Morocco's unexpectedly deep World Cup run. With Sevilla languishing near the foot of La Liga, the opportunity for Bono to land a major move may soon arrive. Should the Andalusian club be relegated, a flurry of high-profile transfer offers will almost certainly come.

Dominik Livaković (Croatia/Dinamo Zagreb)

After two penalty shootout victories, Livaković's profile has now reached new heights. He has proven to not only be obviously too good for his current club, but for his league as well. Thus, it should not come as any surprise that several top clubs have already become interested in signing the Dinamo Zagreb shot-stopper.

Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina/Brighton & Hove Albion)

Having recently returned to Argentina's national team after being overlooked for more than two years, Mac Allister has more than made up for lost time. The Brighton midfielder has almost certainly established himself as an Albiceleste mainstay for the foreseeable future. He is almost certainly also ready for a step up to a big-name club.

Harry Souttar (Australia/Stoke City)

The fact that Souttar, perhaps Australia's best player during this World Cup, does not even play for a top-flight club is a travesty. Any player able to play at the level he was at during the tournament should not be wasting away at a club which could possibly slip into the third tier. For the sake of his career, it is imperative that Souttar leave Stoke for a bigger club at the first opportunity.

Well, this is it - my final two predictions: those for the third-place playoff and final.

Croatia vs Morocco

Although most people normally think of third-place playoff matches as low-stakes encounters, there are two separate storylines underpinning this one. Croatia will be seeking to give legendary midfielder Luka Modrić the victorious send-off he deserves. Morocco, meanwhile, will attempt to cap off their historic tournament run with a victory. This could go either way, but I will have to lean towards Morocco simply because of the lower level of pressure on them. At this point, the Atlas Lions are playing with house money - and from a mental standpoint, that could make all the difference.

Argentina vs France

A place in history beckons for both teams. Should Argentina win, the victory would almost certainly seal Lionel Messi's place as the greatest footballer of all time. France, meanwhile, would become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962. On paper, there isn't much that separates these two titans of world football. However, I will stick with my pre-tournament prediction and go with Argentina for one key reason: the vast majority of football luminaries, analysts, and even neutral supporters will be fully behind Argentina just so that they can "win it for Messi". I believe that this will be the "X-factor" that tips it in the Albiceleste's favour.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 6: Just Two Wins Remaining

Prior to the playing of the quarterfinals, here's how my bracket was doing:

                                   

Team and position right: 4/8

Team right, position wrong: 0/8

Wrong: 4/8

The Netherlands and Argentina made it to a rematch of the 1978 final, just as I'd predicted in my bracket. England and Brazil also did make it to the final eight with relative ease. However, the rest of my pre-tournament picks did not fare as well; Denmark, Belgium, and Serbia did not even make it out of their respective groups.

These were the outcomes of the quarterfinal matches:

Croatia 1-1 Brazil (Croatia win 4-2 on penalties)

Despite managing just one shot on target, Croatia made it count; this shot was Bruno Petković's equalizing goal in the 117th minute. The Vatreni then came out on top in yet another penalty shootout. The contrast in the two teams' mentality could not have been more obvious: Croatia exuded grit, heart, and composure under pressure while Brazil displayed the exact opposite.

Netherlands 2-2 Argentina (Argentina win 4-3 on penalties)

Despite blowing a two-goal lead after 82 minutes, Argentina barely hung on after Lautaro Martínez scored the decisive penalty to put the Albiceleste in the semifinals. The word "feisty" does not do this match justice; 17 bookings and a red card were handed out. Argentina now have a chance to avenge their group-stage loss to Croatia from four years ago.

Morocco 1-0 Portugal

Morocco continued their remarkable underdog run with perhaps the biggest upset of the tournament to date. Youssef En-Nesyri's header made Morocco the first African team in World Cup history to qualify for the semifinals. Portugal could have equalized deep into stoppage time, but Pepe's header was just off the mark.

England 1-2 France

The latest instalment of this storied rivalry saw Les Bleus come out on top thanks to Olivier Giroud's header. Harry Kane could have equalized for England in the 83rd minute, but his penalty attempt ended up not even being close. A victory against Morocco in the semifinals would make France just the seventh team in World Cup history to make back-to-back World Cup finals.

Before I discuss my semifinal predictions, I'd like to take a moment to highlight some points of note from this World Cup which many people might have overlooked.

Most Underrated Team: Australia

The Socceroos finished second in a difficult Group C containing France, Denmark, and Tunisia. In addition, they only finished behind France on goal difference. Australia then followed this up by running Argentina close in the round of 16 and almost causing a monumental upset. Yet, in spite of all of this, Australia do not seem to have received their due credit from the media as well as the majority of fans.

Biggest Metagame Shift: Three at the back

In this World Cup, more teams than ever before have chosen to run three at the back. This represents the natural progression of the metagame of the past five to 10 years. During recent years, full-backs have been playing farther forward than ever before, resembling classic wingers. Actual wingers, meanwhile, have begun to play more centrally, while defensive midfielders dropped farther back. This caused the then-dominant 4-2-3-1 formation to functionally resemble a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 - two formations which now have seen this much use for the first time.

Worst Missed Opportunity: Belgium

Multiple teams including Germany, Uruguay, and Spain were knocked out earlier than expected. However, the team who will rue a missed opportunity more than any other has to be Belgium. Belgium were knocked out in the group stage after finishing behind Morocco and Croatia. Both of those teams have since gone on to make the semifinals. Considering this fact as well as Belgium having been favourites to advance at the beginning of the tournament, it isn't a stretch to say that had they made it out of Group F, Belgium could very well have gone on to win it all.

And now for my semifinal predictions:

Argentina vs Croatia

Having made it through two penalty shootouts, Croatia will certainly have a puncher's chance when they face Argentina. For their part, the Albiceleste haven't exactly been firing on all cylinders. In both their round of 16 match against Australia and their quarterfinal match against the Netherlands, Argentina "switched off" after taking a 2-0 lead and could easily have lost either. That being said, Argentina should just about take it thanks to their abundance of match-winning talent.

France vs Morocco

France have well and truly banished the "reigning champions' curse" with an extremely impressive run to the semifinals. For Morocco, as remarkable a story as they have been, this is almost certainly where their Cinderella run comes to an end. Not only are the Atlas Lions overmatched in every way; injuries have also started to take a toll on the team. France should not face much difficulty in claiming the victory and entering a second consecutive World Cup final.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 5: And Then There Were Eight

Before anything else, let's take a look at the state of my bracket heading into the round of 16.

Team and position right: 6/16
Team right, position wrong: 2/16
Wrong: 8/16

A slew of early upsets did some serious damage to my bracket. Nevertheless, half my picks advanced to the round of 16 with England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, and South Korea qualifying in the positions I had predicted.

As for the round of 16 itself, here's how the teams got on.

Netherlands 3-1 United States

The Netherlands were not really tested until late on in a fairly one-sided win. Memphis Depay and Daley Blind gave the Oranje a 2-0 half-time lead. Haji Wright pulled one back for the US, but Denzel Dumfries scored five minutes later to put the Netherlands into the quarterfinals as they continue to make an under-the-radar run through the tournament.

Argentina 2-1 Australia

This was a much tougher match than what Argentina might have expected. After going 2-0 ahead, Argentina took their foot off the gas, allowing Australia to pull one back through an Enzo Fernández own goal. Australia continued to press forward late on, but Argentina held on to the victory thanks to a crucial block from Lisandro Martínez and Emiliano Martínez's stoppage-time save.

France 3-1 Poland

France dominated this match right from the opening kick-off. Olivier Giroud became France's all-time leading goalscorer with his first-half goal before two Kylian Mbappé goals after the break made the victory secure. With this convincing win, France might just have positioned themselves as the tournament's leading title contender.

England 3-0 Senegal

England set up a hype-filled Channel derby in the quarterfinals after taking Senegal apart. Senegal never really stood a chance; the final scoreline of 3-0 could easily have been even more one-sided in England's favour. Harry Kane got off the mark for the tournament; his goal leaves him one behind Wayne Rooney as he closes in on becoming England's top goalscorer ever.

Japan 1-1 Croatia (Croatia win 3-1 on penalties)

Croatia maintained their flawless World Cup penalty shootout record by beating Japan to advance to the quarterfinals. Dominik Livaković saved three penalties to equal the tournament record and deny Japan a first-ever quarterfinal berth. It doesn't get any easier for Croatia - they will be clear underdogs when they face Brazil in the quarterfinals.

Brazil 4-1 South Korea

In a lop-sided victory, Brazil outclassed South Korea in every way imaginable with all four goals coming in the first half. Four different Seleção players made it onto the scoresheet as Brazil showcased just why they are serious title contenders. Brazil also made history when Weverton came in off the bench, making Brazil 2022 the first team in the 26-per-squad era to use their entire roster.

Morocco 0-0 Spain (Morocco win 3-0 on penalties)

The Atlas Lions caused the first major upset of the knockout stage, sending Spain to a second consecutive last-16 exit. Achraf Hakimi sealed the victory with a Panenka. Spain's woeful World Cup penalty shootout record reached a new low - they lost a record-breaking fourth shootout, breaking a tie with Italy and England.

Portugal 6-1 Switzerland

Gonçalo Ramos scored a hattrick as Fernando Santos' decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo paid major dividends. This was unquestionably the best single-match team performance of the tournament thus far. It appears that Portugal might have inadvertently come across the "secret formula" that makes it work and propels them into title contention.

Now, let's take a look ahead and consider what the quarterfinals might have in store.

Croatia vs Brazil

For the second consecutive tournament, Croatia have made an unexpectedly deep run. However, in the Vatreni's run to the 2018 final, their only true upset victory came against England in the semifinals. Brazil 2022, however, are clearly a tier above England 2018 as was displayed in their round of 16 match vs South Korea. This is where Croatia's tournament comes to an end.

Netherlands vs Argentina

The Netherlands have been understated, yet quietly impressive throughout this tournament. That being said, Argentina will be the first elite team which they face. In this rematch of the 1978 final, Argentina's higher level of star power as well as their desire to "win it for Lionel Messi" should be enough to see them past the Oranje who seem to lack that extra edge to put them over the top.

Morocco vs Portugal

Having become just the fourth African team to reach the World Cup quarterfinals, Morocco are playing with house money at this point. I can even see Morocco giving a somewhat overrated Portugal side all that they can handle. That being said, Portugal should easily beat Morocco and make it to the semifinals.

England vs France

Though France might enter this Channel derby as slight favourites, it must be kept in mind that arguably the most difficult accomplishment in sports is retaining a World Cup title. With that fact in mind as well as the rivalry aspect of this match, England will never have a better opportunity to get one over their arch-rivals on the biggest stage of all - something I see them doing.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 4: The Final Cuts

The World Cup's group stage is now in the books. Many of the favourites made it to the last 16; there were also several shocking eliminations. Here is how the final group stage matches played out.

Ecuador 1-2 Senegal

Senegal completed an impressive turnaround after losing their first group-stage match, qualifying for the last 16 by beating Ecuador. Senegal made it out of the group stage for the first time in 20 years. Kalidou Koulibaly scored the goal which put the Lions of Teranga into the next round.

Qatar 0-2 Netherlands

Host country Qatar's dismal campaign came to a merciful end at the hands of the Oranje. Cody Gakpo scored for the third consecutive match before Frenkie de Jong finished Qatar off. The Netherlands will now be highly favoured when they face the United States at the Khalifa International Stadium in the last 16.

Wales 0-3 England

Wales were utterly disappointing as they collapsed to a one-sided loss against their rivals. After dominating the first half, England were rather unfortunate to enter the break without a goal. However, two Marcus Rashford strikes before and after a Phil Foden goal, all within an 18-minute span, secured the victory which put England atop Group B.

Iran 0-1 United States

The US emerged victorious in this winner-take-all showdown thanks to a first-half Christian Pulisic goal. Despite the narrow margin of victory, a US triumph never appeared in doubt right from the first kick-off. However, the US may now be without Pulisic for their last-16 match against the Netherlands after the Chelsea midfielder injured himself in the process of scoring the winning goal.

Tunisia 1-0 France

Having all but clinched first place in Group D, Didier Deschamps fielded mostly backup players against Tunisia. Tunisia took full advantage and won 1-0, though the victory ended up being for nothing as they nevertheless failed to qualify for the last 16. Substitute and usual starter Antoine Griezmann's late goal was waived off by way of a VAR call.

Australia 1-0 Denmark

Mathew Leckie's goal put Australia in the round of 16 for the first time since 2006. Despite having just 31% of the possession, Australia made it count against a thoroughly underperforming Denmark team. Australia now face a Herculean task when they play against Argentina in the round of 16.

Poland 0-2 Argentina

Argentina completed their turnaround from their opening-match loss to Saudi Arabia by beating Poland to top Group C. However, the key moment of the match was not either of Argentina's two goals, but Wojciech Szczęsny's penalty save against Lionel Messi. That save put Poland into the next round on goal difference.

Saudi Arabia 1-2 Mexico

Despite their victory, Mexico failed to advance from the group stage for the first time since 1978. They needed a larger margin of victory to surpass Poland's goal difference. As for Saudi Arabia, a campaign which started with so much promise following their opening victory over Argentina ultimately came to nothing.

Croatia 0-0 Belgium

The first "shocking elimination" of this World Cup saw Belgium crash out after a goalless draw against Croatia. In this match, the primary culprit for their failure was Romelu Lukaku who missed a bevy of goalscoring chances. Croatia hung on against waves of attacks to seal a spot in the round of 16, qualifying in second place.

Canada 1-2 Morocco

In a result that almost no one would've expected before the tournament, Morocco beat Canada to finish in first place in Group F. First-half goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri gave the Atlas Lions all three points against the already-eliminated Canada. Morocco are now in the World Cup's round of 16 for the first time in 36 years.

Japan 2-1 Spain

With their second upset victory of the tournament, Japan clinched first place in Group E. Spain took an early lead through Álvaro Morata's goal, but two early second-half goals from Ritsu Dōan and Ao Tanaka reversed the final outcome. Despite the loss, Spain's vastly superior goal difference put them in the round of 16.

Costa Rica 2-4 Germany

Despite a late flurry of goals to give them the win, Germany were eliminated in the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup. Their loss to Japan proved to be a fatal blow to their chances of advancing to the last 16. Germany thus join Mexico as teams which have been eliminated from this World Cup on goal difference.

South Korea 2-1 Portugal

South Korea's victory against a Portugal team which mostly fielded reserves saw them barely squeeze into the round of 16. Hwang Hee-chan's stoppage-time winning goal put South Korea into the knockout stage at Uruguay's expense. Despite the loss, Portugal remained in first place in Group H.

Ghana 0-2 Uruguay

A rematch of the iconic 2010 quarterfinal saw Uruguay once again come out on top. Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored both of La Celeste's goals in the first half. However, Uruguay's victory wasn't enough to send them through to the knockout stage; they ended up being just one goal short of qualifying for the next round.

Serbia 2-3 Switzerland

Serbia's highly disappointing tournament ended with a loss to Switzerland. Remo Freuler's winning goal confirmed Switzerland's spot in the round of 16. For this Serbia squad, a final tournament result of one draw and two losses has to be regarded as a severe underperformance.

Cameroon 1-0 Brazil

Despite dominating the match with their second-stringers, Brazil were beaten by a stoppage-time Vincent Aboubakar goal. Brazil came dangerously close to losing first place in the group; another conceded goal or another goal scored by Switzerland in the other Group G match would've made that happen. However, Brazil just barely hung on to top spot and will thus face South Korea next.

And now, my predictions for the round of 16:

Netherlands vs United States (Netherlands on penalties)

Argentina vs Australia
England vs Senegal
France vs Poland
Japan vs Croatia
Brazil vs South Korea
Morocco vs Spain
Portugal vs Switzerland