Only mad forecasters were waiting for Morocco and Croatia in the semifinals.
Lost in quality through the fault of officials
The match between England and France is predictably more thoroughbred than Morocco and Portugal. The Croatians were waiting for a penalty with the Brazilians. Few played easily. Without adequate preparation, the favorites have floundered. Earlier in the journey, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina. The quality of summer football in November and December would be anomalous. officials fifa robbed Germany, Spain, England, France, Argentina, Brazil and Portugal the opportunity to show their best.
Others have taken their place. The Japanese, Moroccans and Croatians also play in the top leagues, but initially have a different scheme and game plan. The Moroccans were the only semi-finalist with an average possession of 31.6%. But more important is the list of neighbors in the game with the second number. These are Croatians in the late nineties, Uruguayans, Swedes, Poles, Belgians and the British in the 1990s. This approach is not know-how, we only see the standard of refusing to play with the ball.
Infantino deprived fans of quality and world Cup textures offered instead. The Croatians won again. The Dutch bounced back, but agreed before relegation. The segment, when world champions France lost the lead to England, also added to the suspense. But Hitchcock’s compatriots did not win due to a clever goal from Giroud and a classic missed penalty. Kane has thought too long. In Qatar emotions have won more often than your world football.
Many outsiders deserve a sensation
The Mexicans and the Saudis were no worse than the Poles. Before meeting Mbappe, only Szczesny was without sin. Wojciech lit a cigarette after the defeat, and also transferred the title of the best goalkeeper of the tournament to another Slav – Livakovich. “Dominator” faced the Japanese and Brazilians. Against Argentina it will be more difficult, because Emiliano Martinez is also very good in the line on penalties.
But Croatia could not leave the pack if Lukaku strikes. The success is thanks to Modric, Brozovic and Guardiola, not only to the penalties and smudges of the Brazilians. Argentina doesn’t have the type of football to open the door to the semi-finals from the foot. The Moroccans provoked unsuccessful attacks on Spain and Portugal. Regraga have an incredibly tenacious team, in the group they worked without the ball, but high.
Africans for the first time in the top four. And although Morocco is the ‘team of the world’, many players were born and educated in Europe, that doesn’t stop their mothers and fathers from being Moroccans. Cheryshev is a Spanish citizen, but his goals are world Cup-18 count. There is a similar story here. For some Africans, European teams have become a family, such as for Zidane and Mbappe, while others have remembered their roots.
There are many cute losers, not only from Africa. In addition to the Senegalese, they remembered the Japanese and the Americans. Moroccans and Croatians remained, on whom an objective forecaster could not bet everything. But Ronaldo and Neymar are crying, they have lost the right opportunities for medals. Portugal miscalculated the sheds – three and a half dozen per game, more than two dozen by the end of the game.
And the Brazilians should introduce a condition for football schools: to drag six-year-old talents to the center of the attack. Using the mass selection method, select one ahead. They won titles when Pele, Romario and Ronaldo raced. If Neymar needs to go to the center, then it is necessary to prepare that Ivana Knoll, the former Miss Croatia, will stay in Qatar, and the “chosen ones” will go home in tears.
Not a single championship was predictable
There are participants too strong in Qatar to disappoint 100%. Yes, the tournament could have been better if the Germans had played the Brazilians in the quarter-finals – a rematch. There is no doubt that the game between Spain and Portugal could get boring in terms of storyline, but the duo are powerful. Like England and France. Football in such fights would be seen more than the desire not to lose.
And even in the group stage we lost a couple of teams that mattered the most, like the Belgians. On the other hand, the Europeans are often to blame. For example, Germany 2022 is stronger than Germany 2002, which was in the final. Neuer is no better than Kahn right now, but both are legends. Ziege, Metzelder and Linke are not great defenders, Rüdiger is definitely superior.
Jeremis, Ramelov, Frings and Hamann are solid, but Kimmich, Gundogan and Musiala play much leaner. There is no new Klose, but Muller, Sane, Gnabry from Bayern himself. With tender love for the charming angularity of the attacker Janker, until the final world Cup-2002, the Germans came out, who weren’t stronger than the current ones precisely as regards the recruitment of players. And now the Germans have not left the group, creating chances.
You shouldn’t look at the teams of France in 1998 and Brazil in 2002, and then diagnose a league where not only teams of this caliber are in the semifinals. The Croatians were in the semifinals in France, the Turks and the South Koreans four years later. Bulgarians, Swedes and Uruguayans were surprised, this is rather a rule world Cup. Yes, if Croats and Moroccans are tired, the semi-finals won’t work.
The favorites have missed a historic opportunity
The signs of Neymar against Messi, Ronaldo against Mbappe are much brighter. But the departure is the fault of the Brazilians and the Portuguese themselves. They have rivals who are no more difficult to overcome than the Dutch. But if you pick one team out of the four, then France stands out. Remember familiar names only. Menian, Mendy, Kimpembe, Badiaxil, Luca Hernandez, Kante, Pogba, Nkunku, Ben Yedder, Diaby and Benzema.
The full roster doesn’t help Deschamps for various reasons. Mainly due to injuries, such as Pogba, Kante and Benzema. Luca Hernandez went to the infirmary during the tournament. With such a lineup, it turns out that France is third, you can get into the quarterfinals. Here are the world champions and the holder of the Ballon d’Or. Since France without such players had people left for the semi-final, then they are some favorites …
And immediately remember how Mbappe laughed like a child after Kane’s absence. There was no joy there, rather relief: the French were a little lucky. Donatello’s smile – that the Ninja Turtle, not the Florentine Renaissance sculptor, reminds everyone of what the coaches suggest and the misses have. If Messi hadn’t scored against the Mexicans, if Petkovic hadn’t hit Brazil, it would have been completely different world Cup.
Kane could score the second penalty against the French, if the referee nominated three pieces instead of two – it’s not like that, let’s do it again. As in the case of the Spaniards’ mediocre penalties against the magnificent Bunu. This is a tournament of heroes, which not everyone is betting on. The world can wait for Messi’s final against Mbappe, but will Croatia play Morocco? Let’s see, Greece didn’t have to be in the final at Euro 2004 either.
Then the favorites fell unexpectedly. And now, as the World Cup took place in Qatar in the winter, there are more explanations. The classic tournament, where the favorites are better prepared, was taken by Infantino by everyone. But there are no questions for Croatians and Moroccans. Someone lost, they found. Eto’o’s crazy prediction in favor of France and Africans worked 50%: the former Anji striker guessed the semifinal with the participation of Morocco and Mbappé.
