group stage world Cup is ready! Two teams from South America advanced to the knockout rounds, while two were eliminated. Here’s what went right for the two and are moving forwardArgentina And Brazil) and what both needed to go home (Uruguay And Ecuador,
What happened right?
Group C finish: 1st place, 6 points (2W-1L-0D)
Knockout Round Opponent: vs Australia
probably the biggest thing that went right Argentina got a chance to play poland To win Group C. too slow to support the centre-forward Robert Lewandowski And, more importantly, too slow to stop Argentina’s midfield interplay, Poland was the perfect opponent for a team trying to confirm it had regained its mojo.
as against Colombia Four years ago, Poland were completely out of their depth against a South American side skilled at moving the ball. Argentina were rewarded for keeping faith in their idea. were thrown out of the way by the extraordinary courage of Saudi ArabHigh defensive line in the first group stage game, denying them room to play their passing game.
and under pressure against Mexico In the second game, coach Lionel Scaloni did his team no favors by introducing guido rodriguez In a midfield holding role, a player without the passing skills required to initiate moves with rhythm. from that moment he was replaced enzo fernandezArgentina started looking like the side that came into the tournament on a 36 game unbeaten run.
The second goal in the win against Poland was the true essence of Argentina’s side – a 37-pass move, forcing the opposing defense to move this way and that until Fernández stepped forward and made a brilliant supply to Julián Álvarez. No space has been opened for Shot in the far corner.
Argentina have then picked up the pace — and one more thing that may go right for them is the way the draw works. will be considered favorites against Australia on Saturday, and also in a possible quarterfinal against the winners of Netherlands either United States of america,
Australia (as well as the Netherlands and the United States) have far more athletic ability than Poland, but the Socceroos have little time to recover from heroic rearguard actions. Denmark, They can certainly anticipate another 90 – and maybe 120 – minutes chasing the ball, this time against an opponent with a cutting edge.
Group G finish: 1st position, 6 points (2W-1L-0D)
Knockout round opponent: Switzerland
lost 1-0 to cameroon The injury-time goal in Friday’s Group H final will be seen as a humiliation, and adds to the pressure in Monday’s round-of-16 meeting South Korea Can’t bear thinking about the defeat of another blow. And injuries are a problem – the curse of the fullback and the precarious position of neymar,
without Neymar’s axis and lucas paqueta Breaking down the opposition is proving difficult. But the first two matches – before wholesale changes to the Cameroon game – established Brazilcredentials as serious candidates to win their sixth World Cup. They beat two good European teams and nobody Serbia nor Switzerland succeeded in one shot.
As Brazil coach Tite said, his team was balanced with consistent aggression. It could also be that the disappointment against Cameroon helped Tite clear his mind – few players took advantage of the chances given to them, making it easier to name a starting XI to start against South Korea.
1:19
Luis Miguel Echegaray talks about Brazil’s 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their final Group H game.
What went wrong?
Group H finish: 3rd place, 4 points (1W-1L-D)
annihilated
what went wrong Uruguay Going into the final game dependent on other results in a group where there was little margin for error. Since 2018’s quarter-final exit, Uruguay have been chasing the Holy Grail – balancing the new generation with the old guard Luis Suarez, Edinson CavaniAnd diego godin,
Balance has proved elusive, and coach Diego Alonso has found himself playing the odd mole game, solving one problem only to solve another. Pre-tournament evidence concluded that strong opposition Uruguay were at their best and most solid with three in midfield, making it difficult to field two forwards and four at the back.
The solution in the first game against South Korea? play striker Darwin Nunez From the left wing, where he didn’t look happy. Still, Uruguay should have won, and it was probably too late for a big push. Instead, they finished with a scoreless tie.
1:09
Luis Miguel Echegaray reacts to Uruguay’s heartbreaking exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
in the second match against Portugal They managed to have three in midfield with two up front. The solution was to play a back three. the problem was that it meant leaving out the winger Facundo Pellistri – And the Uruguayan was always better when his pace enabled the team to play higher up the pitch. Without Pellistri they were very inactive. But they probably deserved a draw when Alonso made an aggressive substitution – hitting the woodwork for the second game in a row – before a highly controversial penalty sent them to a 2-0 defeat.
and so in the final game Ghana There was no option. Uruguay had to go for a break. Alonso found a way to fix a problem that had hung over the team for eight years – how to fit playmaker Giorgio de Arraschetta into a 4–4–2 with two strikers. De Arrasqueta lacks the pace of wide playing, and tends to drift. Uruguay solved the problem with Matias Oliveira’s willingness to advance down the flank on the left and work the strikers to the left. This meant the team was open – a necessary risk – although it restricted the midfielder’s freedom. federico valverde,
It worked well enough to secure a 2–0 win over Ghana and momentarily dream of a mouth-watering round-of-16 clash with Brazil. But South Korea scored a late second goal against Portugal’s second stringers – ending Uruguay’s campaign and the international careers of a group of players who put the team back on the map at the 2010 World Cup.
Group A finish: 3rd place, 4 points (1W-1L-1D)
annihilated
Each World Cup highlights the dangers of being able to play for a draw. Ecuador were the latest victims, missing out on a place in the knockout stage after a 2-1 defeat Senegal, Ecuador started the first half passively. They marked closer to their goal than in the previous two games, and were unable to establish the same control as a result.
Despite playing several practice matches against African opposition, Ecuador found it difficult to adjust to facing an opponent who could match and even overcome their own physical strength. And when push came to shove, an old worry proved justified; The main concern going into the tournament was where the goals were going to come from. The team lacked the spark of creativity, especially when they did not score high enough to win the ball close to the opposition goal.
But a lot went right for Ecuador. It’s a young side – until it can find a way to convert Ener Valencia – is only going to get better. They clearly had their best duel with the Netherlands, a happy memory in the months to come and a strong sign that this generation belongs on the big stage.
