Day 12 Review

Saudi Arabia v Egypt

Prediction: 0-0

Result: 2-1 Saudi Arabia

Both teams played as if they would be killed if they returned home without a win. In an end to end game both defences were very open and perfect for attacking football. Mo Salah looked like he had finally overcome his injury, injecting himself into the game and demanding more of the football. Saudi Arabia had 2 penalties in the 1st half, the first was saved and the 2nd not so much.

The game was still very much an end to end affair however both teams lacked quality up front to really create or convert any chances. Saudi Arabia had the better of the chances and started the boss the game later in the half as Mo Salah effectively disappeared; barely touching the ball. Egypt in fact didn't have a single shot on target in the 2nd half. Saudi Arabia stole the points with a 95th minute winner to break Egyptian hearts and securing their first win at a World Cup since 1994.

Uruguay v Russia

Prediction: 2-1 Russia

Result: 3-0 Uruguay

The first 5 minutes were action packed with chances at both ends. The deadlock was broken by a smart free kick from Suarez who knew the Keepers of this World Cup had been cheating to their "wall side" of the freekicks, blasting it around the wall and into the corner. Although it was smart from him, it was definitely a Keeping error. The 2nd goal came from a deflection which took alot of power off the ball and again you can argue should have been saved by the keeper was caught flat footed. Russia looked lost defensively and eventually capitulated with one of their defenders red carded just before halftime. Uruguay and Russia now playing like people thought they would pre World Cup; Uruguay very dangerous in attack and Russia being dominated all over the park.

Russia came out hungry in the 2nd half and developed the better of the chances despite only having 10-men. Uruguay seemed satisfied with just winning the game and didn't really press the game for an extra goal but rather slowing the play down. Russia very much out enthused the South Americans in the 2nd half to no avail but it sends a message to their next round opponents that they will fight to the end. Russia seemed to run out of steam come the 80th minute which is understandable considering they were down to 10 and put in extra effort to try and get something back from this game. Russian keeper had a much better 2nd half making 3 great saves but couldn't keep Cavani out from a corner. Uruguay the first team to win all their group games without conceding since Argentina did so in 1998.

Iran v Portugal

Prediction: 2-0 Portugal

Result: 1-1

The game started as expected with Portugal having all the ball and Ronaldo using the Iranian goal as a shooting gallery. However the Iranians were resilient (and lucky) and managed to keep most of Portugals attacks at bay. They were even dangerous themselves on the counter. However the deadlock was broken just before halftime with an amazing outside of the foot shot by Quaresma.

Iran came into the 2nd half with more vigor and refused to let Portugal just walk away with the win. Although Portugal still had majority of the ball and field position, Iran counter attacked with more people int he 2nd half and defended stoutly to keep Ronaldo very quiet. The Iranian Keeper even saved a penalty from Ronaldo. A late 90th minute penalty gave Iran hope that they could still make it through the group but it just wasn't enough. Iranian players and fans alike had tears come the full time whistle but can be proud of how they played.

Spain v Morocco

Prediction: 1-0 Spain

Result: 2-2

The game started as you would expect with Spain passing the ball around while Morocco watch them doing so. However the referee certainly seemed to have a Spanish bias. Pique's early 2-footed challenge which should have been a straight red card was not even referred back to the referee by VAR which then followed a slew of questionable yellow cards for Moroccan players. But it was Spain's arrogance that cost them the early goal, with Iniesta and Pique standing still while the Moroccan striker stole the ball and ran off to give them the lead. Spain immediately picked up the pace and scored the equaliser just 5 minutes later.

Spain again started the half with a nonchalant attitude. They clearly knew a draw would see them through and didn't really care about winning the game. They tried very hard just to man manage the game and get out without exerting any effort. However when Morocco looked to have stolen the points with a late corner they were scrambling. Spain started to play the way you would expect them to and come the 90th minute, secured an equaliser and with it, top spot in the group.

Group A and B Finished

SAUDI ARABIA v EGYPT                URUGUAY v RUSSIA

A very simple group that has already been decided before the final matchday. 

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are merely playing for pride to see who can avoid coming last.

Russia and Uruguay face-off to see who can grab top spot. In the event of a draw, Russia stay in 1st spot.

I think Egypt will find it tough going against an improved Saudi team. With neither side impressing in front of goal I will expect this to be the tournaments first 0-0.

Russia are on fire after 2 large wins and momentum may just carry them through top of the group. Uruguay haven't been on-song, doing the bare minimum to win their games. If both play as they have been, Russia will nick this and top spot. 2-1 Russia.

SPAIN v MOROCCO                      IRAN v PORTUGAL

A more interesting set of games. Morocco are eliminated and are only playing for pride and to play spoiler against Spain. Spain currently sit top on "fair play" rules having the same GD and GF as Portugal but receiving less yellow cards.

Spain can guarantee a spot in the round of 16 with just a draw but will be hoping to secure top spot with a win.

Iran can still get through the group stage if they can secure a win.

A draw would see Portugal advance and Iran go equal points with Spain. They would need Spain to lose by 2 goals in order to go through on GD.

Portugal like Spain, only need a draw to go through but would like to win in order to fight for top spot.

Morocco have tried their hardest and probably should have gotten a point against Portugal. If they put that kind of effort in again they will certainly trouble Spain. Spain had trouble breaking down Iran and will find the same situation facing them in this game, but they will no doubt deal with it. 1-0 Spain.

Portugal were lucky against Morocco and face an arguably more stout defence in Iran. If other players do not pick it up, I don't think Ronaldo will be able to single-handedly break this game apart. Iran will have to do something in this game that they are very bad at. Attack. A draw is not enough to see them get through this group and not having actually scored a single goal yet themselves I can't really see how they will here. Portugal don't care about drawing that much since they go through either way. I think Iran will try to force the game too hard and get hit on the counter. 2-0 Portugal.

Day 6 Review

Colombia v Japan

Prediction: 3-1 Colombia

Result: 2-1 Japan

A moment of madness saw Colombia go down to 10-men within 4 minutes of play for a deliberate handball to stop a Japanese shot. So because of this it his hard to judge Colombia's game which degraded into long-balls to Falcao, and Japan's game against 10-men.

Japan were poor in the first half and seemed as if they wanted to sit on their 1 goal advantage from the penalty which was canceled out after a Falcao dive for a freekick which was cheekily kicked underneath the wall by Quintero.



Japan were dominant in the 2nd half finally putting their extra man advantage to good use with good midfield possession but lacked quality to unlock Colombia's defence; scoring the winner from a corner.
Every game in this group will be hard fought with Poland and Senegal coming up so 3 points for Japan here is absolutely huge.
Also of note, they are the first Asian nation to beat a South American nation at a World Cup.

Poland v Senegal

Prediction: 2-1 Poland

Result: 2-1 Senegal

For a game that was very end-to-end in the first half it produced very little shots and no shots on target. The deadlock broken by an off-target shot that was deflected goal-wards. Both teams were quite poor upfront which is strange considering this was the Mane v Lewandowski showdown.

Senegal sat back in the 2nd half just defending their lead and Poland simply were not good enough to break them down. A poor passback from Poland gifted Senegal their 2nd and wrapped the game up. A headed goal from a free kick was good for Poland in order to make sure their goal difference didn't get out of hand.

With Senegal taking on Japan and Poland having to deal with Colombia you can't see Poland getting out of this group anymore. Especially with performances like that.

Round 1 wrap-up
Predicted correct score: 2/16
Iran 1-0 & Sweden 1-0

Predicted correct result: 10/16

Predicted wrong: 6/16

Russia v Egypt

Prediction: 2-0 Egypt

Result: 3-1 Russia

Mo Salah's return was touted as the big turn around Egypt would need. Sadly he was clearly not at full fitness, seeing him dodge challenges that he would normally bust through he did not trust his shoulder 100%. Egypt also played with 2 up front against Russia which worked against them. Last time out they played 5-4-1 basically and frustrated Uruguay without being 100% solid. Changing to a 4-4-2 opened up so many more holes in their defence Russia punished them hard.

Russia were lucky to get the breakthrough with a deflected shot which forced Egypt to attack the game even more than they were which left their defence in shambles. Russia were a lot more solid defensively and more stable in the midfield obviously buoyed from their last performance. Russia were deserved winners and now are 99% guaranteed to get out of the group.

It's sad to see Egypt wait 30 years to qualify for w World Cup and be knocked out by 2 straight losses. They will always think "what if Salah was fit", but I think they went away from their defensive style which almost got them a point against Uruguay which backfired. They did not fight for their right to play and Russia punished them.

Round 2 Begins

   Vs

Both these teams impressed in their first game out. Russia putting 5 past a very poor Saudi team, while Egypt managed to hold Uruguay out for over 80 minutes before conceding.

Hopefully with Mo Salah back and ready Egypt will have a much better time in attack as they looked rather aimless without a confident striker up front.

Although they scored 5 goals, you have to take into account that Saudi were completely awful but still managed to create 3 or 4 really good chances against this Russian defence.

Egypt know they need a result here to have any hope of getting out while Russia can guarantee a round of 16 by winning here. If Salah is fit, this isn't even a contest, Egypt win comfortably, if not it becomes a lot different.

2-0 Egypt if Salah starts. 1-1 if he doesn't.

Day 2 Review

Egypt v Uruguay

Prediction: 3-1 Uruguay

Result: 1-0 Uruguay

Egypt thoroughly impressed with the quality of their defence and structured play. They were organised, hungry and out to prove they aren't in Russia for a Holiday. However with no Mo Salah, they lacked quality up front and struggled to get shots off.

Uruguay played as if they would simply outclass their opponents and win the game by default. The fact they played so poorly and really should have probably scored 3 or 4 goals shows their true quality. Godin played extremely well and Cavani started to wake up towards the end of the match. With this performance, Uruguay will be out for blood next time out.

Extremely unlucky for Egypt, but Uruguay showed they don't need to play well to score goals. The only positive is that Egypt probably didn't need a result today and with Mo Salah, can definitely beat Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The 5 goals for Russia may play a crucial role in deciding who finishes 2nd.

Morocco v Iran

Prediction: 1-0 Iran

Result: 1-0 Iran

Morocco were surprisingly good for the first 30 minutes. They absolutely bossed the game and didn't let Iran even touch the ball for large parts of the game. As I said in the preview of the game, Iran are very good defensively and love to hit teams on the counter which they could have done a few times in the first half. Both teams were guilty of lacking quality up front as it could have easily been 2-2 at halftime.

first half stats

The second half was completely different. Morocco came out either tired or scared of Iran's counter (or both) and played much more defensively. This allowed Iran to control the pace, which meant a slow passing game with niggly fouls throughout. 2 Iranians also went off injured which could spell a little trouble for their upcoming games. A 95th minute diving header own-goal decides the game late.

Iran will be ecstatic with the result, with 3 points from this game, they only need to hold a giant to a draw to get through the group. Morocco after this result will most likely start planning their post-cup holidays. A little honor restored to Asia.

Portugal v Spain

Prediction: 1-1

Result: 3-3

The final game of the day and the best of the tournament so far. An early penalty to Ronaldo forced Spain's hand into chasing the game creating a more open contest. Neither team had many shots on target but both had  very high conversion rate. This means that little mistakes made by the other teams in this group will be punished with a goal.

Despite their possession Spain did not look their normal destructive selves with a lot of defensive passing and long balls to Diego Costa. Portugal seemed obsessed with finding Ronaldo in the attack to their determent in some cases. Other Portuguese players have to step up and be willing to take the game on instead of just looking for Ronaldo.
With both teams escaping this game unscathed, they will no doubt use their final 2 group games to warm-up for the rest of the tournament.

The other 2 teams in the group should be scared. The best attacking teams in this group showed they are here to score. Ronaldo also showed he is more than up to the task of putting the team on his back.

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Game 2: Arab Republic of Egypt v Oriental Republic of Uruguay

What exactly is an Oriental Republic? Regardless, this game is made all more the more interesting because of 1 person; Mohamed Salah.

Egypt (the Pharaohs) are far from a 1-man team. Mo Salah, by far the most famous Egyptian right now but Egyptians have managed to work their way in to many clubs worldwide including Elneny at Arsenal and a handful of other Egyptians in the English Premier League. With many players moving away from the Egyptian League and into Europe, you can see clearly that the country has developed a good generation of footballers. However with the injury cloud hanging over Mo Salah, it is hard to see the Pharaohs doing much more than "putting up a fight" without him.
Think of Egypt as the "Portugal" of Africa; they have a good team, but if their talisman player isn't putting in the hard yards, they will struggle to win games.

Irregardless the Egyptians also have a history of success recently, being crowned the Kings of Africa 3 times in a row (2006, 2008 & 2010). However amazingly, they failed to qualify for the next African Cup of Nations in 2012 as well as the 2 following, only returning to the tournament in 2017 where they were runners-up to Cameroon.
This is only their 3rd World Cup as a country and their first since 1990, so its fair to say that Egypt are in a bit of a purple patch at the moment. But the team itself has not won a game since October, losing 3 and drawing 2 of their recent friendlies.
Ranked 45th in the world, they are one of the lowest ranked countries participating this year.

Uruguay (The Sky Blues) are a side, as an Australian, I know fairly well with Australia having played them several times for World Cup qualification. The team is full of superstars who are coming to the twilight of their careers; Luis Suarez (31), Edison Cavani (31), Maxi Pereira (34), Martin Cacera (31) and Diego Godin (32). However they also have some very talented youngsters coming through such as Torreira and Gimenez.
They had a extremely strong showing in qualifying, even beating out Argentina to qualify 2nd from South America despite being the 2nd lowest FIFA ranked (14th) country to qualify from that region. This was the first time since 1990 that Uruguay managed to snag auto-qualification without an Inter-continental playoff.

Uruguay have always been plagued by the ghosts of the past in FIFA tournaments. AS the country that won the FIRST ever World Cup in 1930 and again Champions in the very next cup they played in 1950. The closest they've come was in 2010 making the semi-final thanks to a certain player now renowned for biting, who punched a ball off the line to save his team from elimination in the Quarter Finals v Ghana. However with Suarez suspended for the next game, the team lost to the Netherlands 3-2 in the semi.

Uruguay have't lost an internation game since march 2017. A 2-1 loss to Peru in Peru, which is a very hard place to go an play due to the altitude.  Of their last 7 internationals, they have won 5 and drawn 2, conceding only 3 goals.

Egypt are strong fighters and won't go down willingly, however with an injury doubt of whether Salah will even play let alone be at full fitness, Uruguay will simply outclass their African opponents. Uruguay 3-0. Salah being declared fit changes things somewhat. Whether he will be at 100% though is another story. Still it will give the team a confidence boost knowing he is there. 3-1 Uruguay.

Review Day 1

My Prediction: 2-1 Russia. Result: 5-0 Russia. 😳

The one and only game of the day, the mighty Russia v the woeful Saudi Arabia. There were a lot of question marks pre-kickoff about how strong Russia really is, with no qualifying campaign it becomes tough to judge a team in the lead up and honestly, I was not impressed.

The game turned out how I expected for the most part. You could definitely tell it was the 2 lowest ranked countries at the World Cup doing battle.
Russia were disciplined, kept their formation but were sloppy with their passes and had no real midfield presence.
The Saudi's were just awful in defence and I am extremely surprised to see they had 80% pass completion when it seemed every 3rd pass went astray.

You could see in the first 15 minutes that Saudi were nervous and all over the place defensively. Almost no one in the defence held their shape and it seemed their wingbacks had no clue what their role was on defence. Conceding the goal compounded matters.
Early in the second half the Saudi's had a chance to make the game 2-1 and kick-start the fight back but missed what was frankly a free goal and when they capitulated for a 3rd goal, all fight left them.

Although Saudi dominated possession and passing, there was no penetration. Russia played very deep knowing they had an aging slow backline and although were exposed once or twice remained cool for the majority of the game.

A final score of 5-0 is extremely flattering for Russia, I think 3-0 would have been the "fair" result. Russia didn't impress, but Saudi Arabia sure did disappoint. With Uruguay their next opponents, i fear for what will happen to the Arabians when they play next. Russia get a huge morale boost ahead of a crucial game against Egypt that will in all likelihood decide who finishes 2nd in the group.