World Cup 2018 Preview - Group B

Group B

Portugal (4)
Spain (8)
Morocco (42)
Iran (36)

Portugal - Two years ago Portugal surprised everyone by claiming the European Championships despite winning only one of their games inside of 90 minutes, a semi final win over Wales. They drew every group game, beat Croatia in extra time, Poland on penalties and won the final in extra time over France. It was Eder who scored the winner, his first ever competitive goal for Portugal. It would be an even bigger surprise if Portugal managed to win the World Cup despite a very impressive qualification in which they dropped only 3 points in an away defeat to Switzerland. Four years ago they were knocked out in the group stage by USA and Germany, a very disappointing campaign, so they will be out to improve on that but it will be a surprise for me if they manage to match their best ever performance of fourth place back in 2006.
There is absolutely no doubt that Portugal's quality is mostly in attacking areas. Bernardo Silva was outstanding for Monaco last season, and this season has played his part in a Manchester City team that has strolled the Premier League. He has the ability to unlock any defense with his skill, usually from the right hand side. William Carvalho was widely tipped to become a superstar, and although he hasn't quite fulfilled his potential yet, he is a crucial part of the central midfield area. He provides a more defensive platform for more noted attacking players like Andre Gomes, Joao Moutinho and Joao Mario to join the main man in attack.
The big problem for Portugal is their ageing central defenders. Bruno Alves has hardly looked convincing since his move to Rangers, the 36 year old is likely to be involved in the squad, and decisions will have to be made regarding 35 year old Pepe, 34 year old Jose Fonte and 32 year old Rolando. It will likely be the last tournament for whoever is selected, but so many games in a short period will be tough for players of that age.

Star Man - Although aged 33 Cristiano Ronaldo is still an incredible athlete is still scoring goals at about an average of a goal a game. His next cap for Portugal will be his 150th, and so far he is on 81 goals. In my opinion he is the best ever goalscorer to grace a football pitch, and his drive to be the best he can be is as strong as anyone to have played the game. He has regularly produced the goods in big games, and there is no doubt he could drag Portugal to the final stages of the competition. He has lost a bit of his pace, and is a completely different player now to the one we were watching 5 years ago. But now that he is playing as a central striker he could be in with a great chance of the Golden Boot.


Spain - Four years ago Spain were defending their title and failed miserably, being hammered by Netherlands in the first game, and following it up by a defeat to Chile. By the time they beat Australia it was too late. It was the end on an era as legends like Xavi, David Villa, Xabi Alonso and Iker Casillas decided it would be their last World Cup. This time around they come with a younger squad after a comfortable qualifying campaign, beating Italy in their group and only dropping two points in total with a 1-1 draw in Turin. The type of football that Spain play is always easy on the eye, and they are well set up in midfield to play possession football, but also have players with the ability to create chances in tight areas. Thiago, Isco and Koke are all small in stature and are very comfortable on the ball, and along with Andres Iniesta can all play anywhere across the midfield. Spain usually play quite narrow in midfield and these players all have the ability to take the ball in tight areas, create space between the lines and are always rotating and available for passes. Marco Asensio offers something a little different with more direct running and pace. He has been excellent for Real Madrid this season, often coming off the bench and changing games.
The striking options including Morata, Diego Costa and Iago Aspas are all reliable goalscorers for their clubs, even if Morata is struggling a little the second half of the season. It will be up to the manager who he selects, but for me Diego Costa would be the perfect option with the quality of midfielders that can play in behind him.
Dani Carvajal and Jordi Alba are both world class full backs offensively, or they have Cesar Azpilicueta as a more defensive option, and they can rely on the experienced defensive partnership of Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos. This is a squad that are serious contenders yet again to replicate the success of 2010 and they have every chance of going all the way.

Star Man - David De Gea has been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League for the last six years and is probably the best shot stopper in the world. He makes this Spain team even better and gives confidence to everyone in front of him. He has had to wait on his chance, with Iker Casillas(167caps) and Pepe Reina(36) being regular first and second choice since 2000 and 2005 respectively. Now that De Gea is number 1, he could well win his first senior international trophy after successful European campaigns with the under 21's in 2011 and 2013. At 27 he is the perfect age to be goalkeeper for at least the next 6 years and to get many more caps than his current 27.


Morocco - Managed by Herve Renard, twice winner of the African Nations(Zambia 2012, Ivory Coast 2015), the Atlas Lions come to the WC on the back of a convincing unbeaten qualifying, in a group with Ivory Coast, Gabon and Mali. The squad has somewhat of an overhaul the last 4 years which has resulted in their first world cup appearance since 1998. Only two players in the likely squad have over 50 caps, but recent friendly wins over South Korea and Serbia show that they are on the right track as they head to Russia. In a tough group with Portugal and Spain, it will be so important to beat Iran in game 1 to give themselves a platform for advancing out of the groups for only the second time in their history, the only time being in 1986. The Morocco squad is seriously lacking in star quality and will be relying heavily on the guile of their manager and team spirit to get themselves out of the group. Amine Harit at 20 years old is one of the young group of players hoping to make an impression this summer. He has had a solid season for Schalke after moving there from Nantes where he broke through in to the first team in 2016. He is a midfielder with some promise, and having broken into the national setup, could be set for a big role in Russia. Scoring goals could be the big issue for Morocco, Khalid Boutaib was top scorer in qualifying with 4, and he has 12 in the Turkish Super Lig for Yeni Malatyaspor this season. He will likely be the main striker, but it will be far more important for Morocco to be tight at the back, and will be crucial that Juventus central defender Mehdi Benatia is controlling the defense and leading by example as captain. It didn't quite work at Bayern Munich for him, but since returning to Italy, and especially this season, he has looked far more like the strong and athletic defender he was when playing with Roma.

One to Watch - At 25 years old Hakim Ziyech has become an important player for Ajax since his move after a successful spell at Twente. Playing as an attacking midfielder, he is the likely creative spark for Morocco, and also a goal threat. He has 8 goals in 14 appearances for his country, and is a real threat from free kicks. A former Dutch youth international at all levels, he decided to play for Morocco senior team in 2015, and now can look forward to his first World Cup.



Iran - Although Iran regularly appear at World Cups, this is the first time that they will be competing in successive competitions in their history. They have yet to progress through the group stages, but as the highest ranked team from Asia perhaps they have underachieved in previous tournaments. They topped their qualifying group, beating South Korea in the process and conceding only 2 goals in 10 games. Former Real Madrid manager Carlos Queiroz has been in charge since 2011 and he has built the team on a solid foundation, who rely on clean sheets and counter attack goals. They should in theory be built for tournament play as underdogs, and will be hoping, like Morocco, that a win in game 1 can give them real hope of beating Spain or Portugal to second place in the group. They only scored 10 goals in qualifying, and top scorer Sardar Azmoun, who plays his football at Rubin Kazan in Russia, got 4 of them. He is the main threat up front having scored 23 goals in his 31 appearances so far for Iran, and despite only 4 goals in Russia this season he will be a starter for his country. He is only 23 years old, so has a big future for his country, but has a long way to go to catch the target of 109 goals scored by the legendry, Ali Daei.

One to Watch - Nicknamed the Persian Pogba, 21 year old Saeid Ezatolahi was once regarded as a huge talent. After a year in the youth team at Atletico Madrid he decided to move to FC Rostov in Russia instead of playing B team football in Madrid. He is currently on loan at fellow Russian Premier League side, Amkar Perm where he is enjoying a more regular game. At 6ft3inches, he is a central midfielder of some promise for Iran, and will be hoping to have an impact at the tournament this summer.


Predictions - Obviously Spain and Portugal are firm favourites to qualify from Group B, but with them playing each other first it puts a lot of pressure on whoever loses that game to get results in the other two games. Spain are looking for a far better display after 4 years ago in Brazil, and I expect them to have a good tournament. I think they will be too good for Portugal, and go on to top the group with three wins. Portugal will be under pressure, but the lack of scoring power for Morocco and Iran should mean Ronaldo can drag Portugal through to the last 16 and join Spain.

What to Bet on - Portugal to finish second in the group at 11/10

World Klutz - This time it's back to 2010 in South Africa, to the fixture between Nigeria and South Korea. With a win taking either team through to the last 16 and South Korea leading 2-1, Yakubu was given a guilt edged chance to pull Nigeria back in to the game which they needed to win...

One of the worst misses in World Cup history no doubt. Yakubu went on to score a penalty later in the game, but it was too little too late for Nigeria who were dumped out.

World Cup 2018 Preview - Group A

With less than 50 days to go till the World Cup in Russia begins, I felt like it is time to start preparing myself for it by learning about the teams and what players will be gracing our screens this summer.
Which country will surprise us all this summer, will Germany retain the title they won so dramatically in 2014, or will Messi get the World Cup to stop his doubters using it as an excuse for not being the greatest?
The tournament begins on 15th June in Russia, with 12 stadiums hosting 63 games over 4 weeks culminating at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, a huge 88'000 seater stadium in the Moscow Olympic Park that will host the final.
Looking back to 4 years ago, my prediction of an Argentina/Brazil final were dashed by the Germans hitting 7 past Brazil in the semis. James Rodriguez exploded on to the world stage in Brazil, who will it be this time? He finished top scorer, although it was Messi who took home to Golden Ball for dragging Argentina to the final with some outstanding performances. There will be no problems with humidity in Russia, so unlike 4 years ago there will be no drinks breaks and hopefully the football is a little faster.
Starting with group A, lets take a look at the players to look out for, teams to expect to progress, and anything interesting regarding each group.

Group A 
Russia (66 in Fifa Rankings)
Uruguay (17)
Egypt (46)
Saudi Arabia (70)

Russia - As World Cup groups go, group A is about as weak as they come on paper. Russia as host nation are in their worst ever Fifa ranking spot, and have won just 3 times in their last 13 games, against South Korea, New Zealand and Hungary. In last years confederations cup they were beaten by Mexico and Portugal on home soil, and it will be difficult for them to progress here again.
Only once has a home nation failed to qualify through the group stages of a World Cup(South Africa 2010), and despite Russia being as poor as they have ever been, they have been given a draw that gives them the best chance possible to keep it that way.
The first game against Saudi Arabia will be absolutely crucial, if they can give themselves a platform with 3 points, they could potentially play for a draw against Uruguay and Egypt to try and progress. The Russian squad certainly lacks real quality, with only 2 players likely to be included that play outside of Russia. Gone are the days of players like Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko playing regularly in the Premier League, now they rely on talent playing in the Russian Premier League. For years the back line included Sergei Ignashevich and the Berezutski brothers, but now they have a big problem with many defenders in their late 20's that have hardly any caps due to the longevity and, perhaps, over reliance on ageing defenders.
This year, there is a new set of twins to look out for, and perhaps Russia can look to them to make a difference now, and in the future. At 22 years old, the Miranchuk brothers, Anton and Aleksei have been playing a crucial part at Lokomotiv Moscow as they push for their first Russian title since 2004. Aleksei is a slightly more advanced midfielder than Anton and will hopefully provide a goal threat while Anton can assist from deeper. Along with Alan Dzagoev, who is now 27 years old and should be hitting his prime, they will be aiming to take Russia past the group stages, and at least give something for Putin to smile about.

Star Man - Every country needs a goalscorer, and Russia will be expecting Fyodor Smolov to be the top man for them. He has been a consistent goalscorer for Kuban Krasnodar over the last 3 seasons, with 50 goals in 66 appearances. At 28 years old he only has 30 caps for Russia, with 12 goals. But his emergence with Krasnodar the last 3 seasons means he will be going to the World Cup in his best ever form, and he has some talented creative players behind him to create chances for him.





Uruguay -  The Sky Blues finished runners up to Brazil in the notoriously difficult South American qualification section despite winning only 2 games on the road(Paraguay and Bolivia). Their home form is excellent, but they recently beat Czech Republic and Wales in the China Cup to show that they can win while travelling as well. Although they will face tougher challenges in Russia, they are definitely strong favourites to progress from Group A with so many quality players at their disposal. They were well beaten in the Round of 16 four years ago by a James Rodriguez inspired Colombia, but they were missing Luis Suarez after he took a bite out of Chiellini's shoulder in the final group game. This time around they have the opportunity to go further, with the defense being organised by Diego Godin, probably playing his last tournament at 32 and the forward line of Cavani and Suarez with 92 goals between them both 31 years old, its now or never for the current generation. Cavani has 25 league goals for PSG this season, and Suarez has 23 for Barcelona. No doubt these two are the stars, but can they link up, and produce the performances that should make them the most feared partnership at the World Cup.

One to Watch - Away from the obvious stars at Uruguay, there are a group of young players coming through, and the tournament will be a great place for them to make their name and stamp earn a big move. Of those under age 25, it is Nahitan Nandez of Boca Juniors that is likely to shine. He moved from Uruguayan club Peñarol last season, and in his first season at Boca has been a creative influence from midfield, and is a likely starter on the right hand side. The former under 20 captain has stepped up to the senior team, and at 22 years old, it is a huge opportunity for him to become a regular for his country, and take over the mantle from retiring older stars.


Egypt -  The Pharaohs qualified comfortably for the World Cup, winning a group with Uganda, Congo and Ghana easily. The famous face in the dugout is former Inter and Valencia manager, Hector Cuper. His squad doesn't have a huge amount of talent to choose from, and will include several faces plying their trade in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and some more familiar faces playing in England. Ahmed Hegazi and Ali Gabr are both defenders at West Brom now, with the former being a regular this season for the Premier Leagues worst club. It's hardly a great base for the defense, and with Mohamed El Neny in front of them, they will be hoping that they can improve on a mediocre season in the league. At 21 years old, Ramadan Sobhi is one for the future at Stoke, but he has shown glimpses of quality, and is an important part of the Egypt midfield. Of the 6 games in the second phase of qualifying, only 3 players scored goals for them, which is a huge problem. They are relying heavily on Mo Salah to hit the net, he was the top scorer with 5 in qualifying, the next best was 2 for 32 year old Abdallah Said, currently playing in Finland for Kups. Last year they lost the final of the African Nations against Cameroon, so they are capable of winning matches in knockout tournaments, but this will be a step up, and they will be heavily reliant on one man.

Star Man - Mo Salah has lit up the Premier League this year, and the Champions League. He is on course to have the best goalscoring season ever in the Premier League, and potentially ever for a Liverpool footballer. He is without doubt the best player in Africa, and on current form is running Messi and Ronaldo close to be the best in the World. The system at Liverpool suits him perfectly, but in the Egypt team he is expected to be the main man. He has to create chances for himself and doesn't have the same players to link up with. He has the potential to win a game on his own, but if anything happens to him, injury or suspensions, Egypt look like an average team bereft of quality.


Saudi Arabia - The lowest ranked team in the tournament, The Green Falcons qualified through the Asian section by, along with Japan, getting through a group including Australia, Iraq, UAE and Thailand. It is  not difficult to see why they are the lowest ranked team, with the majority of the squad currently playing at home in the Saudi Professsional League. This will be their first appearance at the finals since Germany 2006, where they were beaten by Ukraine and Spain, earning their only point with a draw against Tunisia. Only once(Last 16, 1994) have they made it through the group stages, and with no real stars it will be difficult to emulate that. There are a few players on the books of Spanish clubs, Al-Sheri(Leganes), Al-Muwallad(Levante) and Al-Dawsari(Villareal), and despite none of them playing for the first teams, they will likely be a major part of the Saudi squad.

One to Watch - Winger, Fahad Al-Muwallad at 23 years old is the most likely name to emerge from an average squad. He already has 41 international caps, and recently joined Levante on loan from Al-Ittihad, although with the Saudi Sports Ministry paying the full value of his contract, and having no appearances, it is clearly not due to his ability. He has 10 goals for his country, including the winner in a crucial victory over Japan in the last game of qualifying to take them to Russia. At only 5ft6, he is a diminutive figure, but if Saudi have any chance of qualifying, they will need him to play better than ever before.




Predictions - Uruguay are firm favourites for this group and I think they will top it easily. They have much more quality in the full squad than the other teams. Joining them in the last 16, will be Russia. Egypt have Salah and a good team spirit, but Russia have the home crowd, and I think Salah having played so many games this season, and everything expected of him will struggle to produce the form needed. It will be tight, as all teams should beat Saudi Arabia, but Russia will just sneak through.

What to Bet on - Uruguay are 4/5 to win group A, that's printing money for me.

World Klutz - World Cuts was a popular feature of my preview 4 years ago(?), I reckon. But this time, lets have a look at an individual that has cost their team, or someone that deserves a place among World Cup history for all the wrong reasons.
For our first ever World Klutz, it's a memory from the first WC that I remember as a child. The final of 1994 World Cup in USA is one of, if not the earliest game I remember watching. But there is no doubt, that the person who left a mark on their tournament for their failure to hit the net at a crucial time, is Diana Ross. Not only the fact that she missed, but that the goals still collapsed just makes it perfect.