World Cup Groupstage Finishes with Upsets

  World Cup Groupstage Finishes with Upsets

 

 Belguim was eliminated in the groupstage and although Argentina lost their opening game against Saudia Arabia, they will move forward  and Mexico was knocked out in the groupstage for the first time since 1994.


 “Argentina is a good team with potential to make it all the way,” said junior Jorge Martinez before the start of the World Cup.  “I think Lionel Messi will win the Golden boot award. He has proven to be one of the best players in the world and I think it would be a great accomplishment to end his career by winning  the world cup with Argentina and the golden boot.”

Despite an early loss to Saudi Arabia, Argentina is still in the running.

At the last world cup in Russia, 2018, young player Kylian Mbappe made  a huge impact at the cup as one of the youngest players to score at the tournament. He even scored in the final, winning the tournament 4-2 against Croatia. With a lot of young players making their debut on the biggest stage in the world,  players could rise up this world cup and make an impact

“Alfonso Davies, although on a Dark Horse Team, is a special player,” said Intervention Specialist at SWHS, Gary Warman. “The Blues (france) Tchouameni, the Red Furys (spain) Gavi, and The 3 Lions (England) Bellingham I think could make a real noise at this Cup.”

 This will be the US team’s return to the World Cup since 2014 after they failed to qualify in 2018. But this year the US national team has a whole new line up with a lot of promising young players. Some of their players are competing in the most competitive leagues in Europe.

“The USA are arguably in the easiest group to get out of,” said Warman before the start of the World Cup. “Their game against Dark Horse Whales will likely be a deciding factor. I expect their game against England to be a bore fest if England wins its opener vs Iran. England will likely sit back and just counter off USA mistakes.” 

The two teams tied at the oepening of the games last week.

This World Cup  has seen some controversy this year.  Should it have been played in Qatar? After all it has been the most controversial World Cup ever.

“Indeed this is a very controversial World Cup,” said Warman  “After all the bribes to FIFA officials to secure the Cup. Then the investigation that led to Top FIFA officials being dismissed and jailed. In my opinion at that point the Qatar bid should have been rescinded. They reported thousands of migrant workers that died over the last eight to ten years building the infrastructure and conditions they were forced to live in and the despicable wages they were paid. Even though I absolutely love the World Cup, I wished countries would have had the courage to boycott. But as usual money talks.”