HAVANA, Cuba.- This December 6 closes the first sudden death round in the Soccer World Cup Qatar 2022. The great Germany they fell in the group stage, eliminated due to a rather unfortunate performance and the carambola of goals for and against. The Asian teams are once again the nemesis of the Teutonic team, whose defeat has taken away some of the flavor of the competition.
The rest of the predictions, at least up to this point, have been correct. Argentina defeated Australia and will meet the Netherlands in the quarterfinals after the orange eleven’s victory over the United States. The albiceleste, even with excellent individualities and a Lionel Messi who continues to push his team towards the world crown, continues to be unconvincing. The match against Louis van Gaal’s boys will be a litmus test to consider him a serious contender for the title, since the memory of his defeat against Saudi Arabia is still very recent.
The long-suffering victory of Croatia over the never easy Japan, and the well-known prevalence of Brazil over South Korea, leaves the field ready for a game that promises to be one of the most interesting in the quarterfinals. The renewed and vigorous canarinha they will have to pass over the current runners-up in the world, the second golden generation of Croatian football that has come with its main figures in very good shape, and some novelties. Four years have passed since Russia 2018, where the eleven led by Zlatko Dalic faced strong opponents in unforgettable matches, some won in extra time with penalty shootouts.
It is not likely that the team led by Luka Modric can match or surpass the historic feat achieved in Russia; but Croatia is a team with a big heart and proven tenacity. Although Brazil is the big favourite, the terrain will say the last word.
Undoubtedly, another highlight of the quarterfinals will be the clash between France and England, two teams that have it all: youth and experience, ambition and strategy, an offensive approach that has given them results and a defense that makes it very difficult for them. to any rival, with a slight advantage for the English in this section. England reaches the quarterfinals undefeated and scoring, while France appears with a more modest accumulated and a defeat against the discreet Tunisian team.
However, the demonstration of the Frenchmen against Poland -particularly the performance of Kylian Mbappé- and the indisputable quality of the current champions, suggest that the best of France is yet to be shown.
Before that happens, however, we will have to wait for the outcome of the last two round of 16 matches that will be played today. Switzerland and Portugal will face each other in a match that can be for anyone. Both teams have world-class players, both have scored and conceded goals, and both suffered a setback in the group stage; although Switzerland’s defeat against Brazil is more palatable than Portugal’s against South Korea.
The match between Spain and Morocco is one of those that comes with a reserved prognosis and not without concern for the fans of the Chiringuito. Although the Spanish XI is full of talent and once it joins it becomes an avalanche, Morocco reached the round of 16 as first in its group after having scored a resounding victory over Belgium and a very honorable draw with Croatia. There is no small rival in a World Cup event, so Luis Enrique’s boys will have to baste finely on the ground, because they are the round of 16, and there is no tomorrow.
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