By Gabriel Landrien.
With the World Cup group stage now over, it’s officially time for the inevitable punditry and critiques of the various teams involved. In this edition of the Soccer Column, I’ll go over the groups one by one, from A to H, giving my analysis on how the teams did.
Group A: Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador, Qatar
Perhaps the only group where the results were relatively predictable, the Netherlands coasted through the group stage and finished first despite not playing entirely convincingly, especially in the first half against Senegal and in the draw against Ecuador. However, the unveiling of winger Cody Gakpo (PSV Eindhoven), who became the first Dutch player to score in all three group stage games in the World Cup, ensured their safe passage to the Round of 16. Senegal, despite missing talismanic winger Sadio Mané through injury and multiple knocks to key players against the Netherlands, did just enough to advance as they beat Ecuador in the final game in dramatic fashion. Ecuador on the other hand suffered a 2-1 loss to Senegal despite having managed a hugely important tie against the Netherlands in game two. Even though all they needed was a tie against Senegal to progress, it seems the pressure got to them as they completely collapsed in a lackluster performance. However, you can be sure this squad will bounce back as their key young players like Moisés Caicedo and Pervis Estupiñan (Brighton) continue to develop in Europe’s top leagues. As for Qatar, they have the dubious honor of becoming the statistically worst host nation of all time, losing all three of their games whilst conceding seven and only scoring one. It seems money can’t buy everything.
Group B: England, USA, Iran, Wales
Despite the lackluster 0-0 draw against transatlantic rivals USA, England’s vast array of attacking talent carried them through the group stage comfortably as they trounced Iran 6-2 and soundly beat UK rival Wales 3-0. As for the United States, they had a group stage to remember, as they managed a point against European giants England and beat Iran 1-0 in a dramatic finale, thanks to a goal from star winger Christian Pulisic. Iran managed a remarkable last-minute win against Wales, and the celebrations truly encapsulated the breadth of emotions Iranians are going through right now, with tears, shouts and song combined. Despite this famous triumph, the Persian team wasn’t able to hold out against the US, and was thus eliminated. Wales finished bottom of the group, and to be frank, they could’ve expected more out of aging stars like Gareth Bale (LAFC) and Aaron Ramsey (Rangers), who didn’t really contribute to team success. The heart-wrenching loss against Iran all but sealed their fate, and the Welsh now have to embark on a rebuild as Bale and Ramsey (among others) have surely played their last game for the Dragons.
Group C: Argentina, Poland, Mexico, Saudi Arabia
Despite suffering one of the largest upsets in World Cup history, Argentina managed to pull themselves together and beat both Mexico and Poland 2-0 to keep Lionel Messi’s hopes of a World Cup win alive. Poland did just (and I mean just) enough to qualify, as their four points (draw against Mexico and win against Saudi Arabia) qualified them on goal difference. The difference maker for them was not star striker Robert Lewandowski (who did get his first World Cup goal), but rather goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, who saved two penalties and made many other crucial stops to ensure his country’s progression into the next round. As for Mexico, their lack of an attacking game plan by Coach Tata Martino (who has just been fired for his incompetence) left them without enough goals to qualify, breaking their streak of seven consecutive qualifications from the group stage. With the oldest squad in the World Cup, Mexico has a rebuild to think about, but the blow will be softened by young talent like Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano (Napoli) and Edson Álvarez (Ajax). Saudi Arabia goes home despite having beaten tournament favorites Argentina, and even though they finished last, they can still be proud of their showing. The win against Argentina was one for the ages (and the players were rewarded with a Rolls Royce each upon their return), and they could’ve beaten Poland if not for the heroics of Wojciech Szczęsny.
Group D: France, Australia, Tunisia, Denmark
France was imperious throughout their first two games, and the attacking riches at Coach Dider Deschamps’ disposal, ranging from Kylian Mbappé (PSG) to Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid), ensured their qualification in first place. They took their foot of the gas considerably at the end, losing 1-0 to Tunisia, but they were basically guaranteed first place, so we won’t draw too many conclusions from that abnormal result. Australia, incredibly, managed to finish second after beating both Tunisia and Denmark 1-0 despite being widely counted out before the tournament even began. Neither win was especially convincing, but the Socceroos stuck to their defensive gameplan and did their damage with quick attacking moves, and it was just enough to qualify second. Tunisia had a solid squad at their disposal, but their upset loss to Australia spelled their doom and made it impossible to qualify. Denmark, to the surprise of many (myself included), finished last in the group with only a point. Despite having reached the semi-finals at Euro 2021, and having a strong squad with the likes of Christian Eriksen (Manchester United) and Thomas Delaney (Borussia Dortmund) holding down the midfield, they were simply toothless in attack, managing only a goal in their three games played. Coach Kasper Hjulmand goes home with a lot to think about.
Group E: Japan, Spain, Germany, Costa Rica
Yes, you read that right. Japan managed to beat out Spain and Germany to finish top of the group after beating them both 2-1 in what is perhaps their greatest group stage performance of all time (just forget about the inexplicable 1-0 loss to Costa Rica). The Samurai Blue were arguably only good for 90 minutes in the group stage as they scored all four of their goals in both second halves against Spain and Germany, but against both European giants they stuck to their well-organized defensive game plan and did damage on the counterattack. Spain had one incredible game (beating Costa Rica 7-0), one very good game (1-1 against Germany where they were the vastly superior team) and one inexplicably horrible game (they completely collapsed in the second half against Japan, final score 1-2). Despite this mixed bag of results, they qualified second in the so-called ‘Group of Death’, and the loss against Japan might’ve been a gift in disguise as they now move to the slightly easier side of the draw, where they get to face Morocco in the Round of 16 instead of Croatia. Germany’s first-game loss against Japan put them in a terrible starting position, and their draw against Spain meant they needed their Iberian counterparts to avoid defeat against Japan to qualify, and the Spanish did not oblige, which eliminated Die Mannschaft. While it’s true Germany is going through a transitional period, with young talent like Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) still developing and national team bastions like Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller (both of Bayern Munich) aging and in decline, but for a team as storied and gifted as Germany is, it is still inadmissible to fail to get out of the group stage for two World Cups in a row. Even worse, they have to recover in time to host Euro 2022 in just 18 months. Costa Rica, despite somehow managing a win against Japan, was pummeled in games against Spain and Germany and finished last in the group.
Group F: Morocco, Croatia, Belgium, Canada
Morocco, a team that flew under many radars, made good use of a squad full of talent playing in Europe to beat Canada and Belgium and qualify first in the group. They face a tough Round of 16 draw against Spain, but Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) and co. will hope to pull off an upset against big brother. Croatia has a perennially solid team, led by the seemingly immortal Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), who continues to wow audiences with physics-defying passes and inexhaustible running. They eked out a 0-0 draw in the final game against Belgium, which was enough to finish second. Belgium, on the other hand, faces a grim future after this shock group stage elimination. Their golden generation, comprised of captain Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), striker Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan) and stalwart defenders Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht) and Toby Alderweireld (Royal Antwerp) is aging and in decline, and the younger generation of players has yet to get up to speed. With Coach Robert Martinez gone (he resigned to retain some sense of honor before the Belgian FA could fire him), Belgium need to finally move on from their golden generation, look in the mirror and figure out what lies ahead. Canada, despite fielding young stars Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) and Jonathan David (Lille), unfortunately served as the group punching bag, losing all three of their games in their first World Cup since 1986. They’ll hope for a better showing when they co-host the 2026 edition.
Group G: Brazil, Switzerland, Cameroon, Serbia
Brazil, incredibly, didn’t concede a shot on target until their third game, and that stat pretty sums up how comfortable they were in Group G. Even though they only scored three goals across their two wins, Brazil wasn’t troubled against Serbia and Switzerland, and only lost the meaningless final game against Cameroon. The defense, led by veterans Thiago Silva (Chelsea) and Casemiro (Manchester United), seems pretty impregnable, and the offense, headlined by Richarlison (Tottenham) and Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) has serious potential. Watch out for this group in the knockout stages as creative talisman Neymar makes his return from injury. Switzerland, despite not playing the most attractive brand of soccer, counted on striker Breel Embolo’s goals to make it two wins in three and progress second behind Brazil. They may not be the most entertaining team to watch, but they have true quality in midfielders Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) and Remo Freuler (Nottingham Forest) among others, and their consistency makes them an interesting team to follow in the knockout stages. Cameroon will be disappointed they couldn’t do more, as they dropped crucial points against Switzerland and Serbia, although they did pick up a win in the final day against Brazil, which was pretty epic. Serbia, despite having two of the best strikers in the world in Dušan Vlahović (Juventus) and Aleksandar Mitrović (Fulham), weren’t able to really unlock their attacking potential and go home disappointed in their lackluster performance.
Group H: Portugal, South Korea, Uruguay, Ghana
Portugal progressed first after wins against Ghana and Uruguay. However, despite their talented roster, they were unconvincing in all their group games, and relied on individual brilliance from Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) and Cristiano Ronaldo to win games. Coach Fernando Santos will have to improve the team’s overall level of play in order to make noise in the knockout rounds. South Korea, despite earning a solitary point in their first two games, rallied to beat Portugal in the final matchday, and as other results in the group went their way, were able to scrape qualification. They will need more from lead man Heung-Min Son (Tottenham) to have a chance against Brazil in the Round of 16. Despite finishing level on points with South Korea, Uruguay can’t really consider themselves unlucky not to have qualified, as their two goals scored in three games tells you all you need to know about their attacking threat. The team truly unlucky not to have qualified is Ghana, who despite beating South Korea in a game for the ages, seemed overwhelmed by the prospect of making it to the Round of 16 and didn’t put in a convincing performance against Uruguay in the final game.
This World Cup group stage was one for the ages, full of upsets, surprising results, and nail-biting finishes. If there’s one thing to take away from these three matchdays, it’s never over until it’s over. See y’all in the knockout rounds.
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