Hopefully, you are aware of the upcoming news about the Fifa World Cup. The event will take place in 2022, and there are a few teams that you should know about. These include Brazil, Belgium, Germany, Morocco, Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.
Portugal progressed to the semi-finals
Despite losing 1-0 to Morocco, Portugal has progressed to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 for the first time in three years. The Atlas Lions will play either England or defending champions France in the semi-finals.
The Africans have been undefeated in five matches and only conceded one goal. They have beaten the continent’s heavyweight European rivals. It is the longest-ever run without defeat in a competition.
Youssef En-Nesyri’s header gave Morocco the lead shortly before half-time. The Sevilla striker’s leap from outside the area to head into the back of the net was a brilliant goal.
Portugal struggled to create chances. Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes both had opportunities. The Portuguese center-back Pepe headed the ball wide in stoppage time. Despite a strong defense, the home side could not clear their lines.
Portugal was unable to break down a solid Moroccan defense. Yassine Bounou produced a couple of excellent saves. He tipped over a diving header by Joao Felix in the 73rd minute and also came up with a big save in the added time. Despite going down to ten men, the Moroccans hung on.
Cristiano Ronaldo started on the bench for Portugal. Coach Fernando Santos brought him on in the 51st minute. Goncalo Ramos then replaced him. He will likely play his last game for Portugal. He was pictured in tears after the match.
Portugal vs. Japan
Despite a lack of goals, Japan beat four-time world champions Germany 2-1 at the FIFA World Cup 2022 to advance to the round of 16. But it was a close-fought contest, and the hosts hope to keep their hopes alive when they take on Spain in the next round.
For Germany, it’s been a long time since they won a major tournament. It’s been over 80 years since they made it to the knockout stages. Against Japan, they are aiming to improve their record.
Germany had the lion’s share of the possession in the first half. But Japan’s defense kept the Germans to one goal. In the second, they regained their composure and scored two goals.
The most crucial goal of the match came late. It was a brilliant goal by Takuma Asano. He slid a cross from the right to the far post. Dalot blocked it, but the ball bounced off the inside of his boot and into the net.
The game’s most impressive feat was that Japan didn’t concede the first goal. They had several chances. They outshot Spain by a healthy margin. And the team that possesses the hottest goal-scorer in the game in Portugal.
But they still need to win the game. It will be a challenging task.
The best player in the game is likely to be Cristiano Ronaldo, but he missed the match because of a ban from the Football Association. As of now, Fernando Santos has an 11-man squad. So he will most likely stick with his starting lineup.
Saudi Arabia vs. Belgium
Defying the odds, Morocco shocked Belgium in the World Cup on Sunday. After a promising 0-0 draw with Croatia, the Atlas Lions ended up with two points and could have been eliminated from the tournament if they had beaten the world’s second-best team.
The result sends shockwaves around the globe. It’s one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. Not only did the home team score an unexpected goal, but they also scored a goal in the 73rd minute.
The first goal was an audacious strike from Romain Saiss. Saiss hit a free kick from a deflection off his hip. He then beat Thibaut Courtois at the near post. The goal was not only impressive but it was executed well.
The second goal came from a free kick in the 73rd minute. Zakaria Aboukhlal then scored the clinching goal. He shot into the top corner.
The last time Belgium played a group game without scoring was back in 1994 against Saudi Arabia. This was the only group match Belgium lost during the 2018 tournament. Despite this, the team has won eight straight games.
Belgium has not lost a group game in the World Cup since 1994. They won their opening match against Canada. They drew their next two games, a 2-2 draw with Mexico and a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands. They have been kept from the tournament since 1998.
South Korea vs. Germany
Defending champions Germany could not make the most of their opportunity to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup. South Korea upset the odds in the final group game and took a point from the Germans.
The Koreans had the ball in the net, but it was swatted away by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Nevertheless, it was a great effort by the Koreans.
In the first half, Germany was the most aggressive team. They took advantage of the low-scoring match and dominated the ball. They had the chance to break the deadlock in the second period. The Koreans were alert that the ball was falling to them. They collected the loose ball in the offensive end.
The Koreans have several ways to beat the Germans but have yet to show them the knack. In the past, this has yet to be the case. Nonetheless, they were disciplined enough to keep a clean sheet.
The Koreans are indeed a technical team. However, they have been unable to take advantage of counter-attacks. This has not been a hallmark of Asian groups in the World Cup.
It is also true that Germany needs to look more comfortable. They looked labored despite having five changes from their 3-0 win over Sweden.
The Koreans had a golden opportunity to score an upset. Manuel Neuer blocked a swerving free-kick by Koo Ja-Cheol. Then, Kim Young-Gwon was in the right place at the right time and chipped the ball over the sprawling goalkeeper.
Morocco vs. Spain
Despite Morocco’s impressive record in the FIFA World Cup, Spain still holds a comfortable lead in the 2022 Round of 16. The Spaniards have only lost to Morocco once in their history. They have also never been knocked out of the competition.
After Spain dominated the game, Morocco tried to hit them on the break. The Moroccans had the chance to win the match, but they couldn’t turn it into goals. Several good options should have been included.
In the first half, Morocco had the majority of the possession. The Spaniards have only scored once in their previous four games, and that was against Japan. They had only one shot on target in the first half of the Group E match against Germany.
Spain pressed the Moroccan back line with fluid passes. Ferran Torres tried to get in behind the defense. But he was denied by a stout defense.
The Morocco keeper, Unai Simon, was busy in goal. He was also called into action to save a header. In the end, Morocco held out to a lot of extra time.
In the opening period of extra time, Morocco created several chances. The first of which was a free-kick 25 meters from the goal. The second was a shot on the side of the net.
Spain has tried to play possession football, but it hasn’t worked. The young midfielder Marco Asensio had an excellent opportunity to score but the shot skewed into the side netting.
Brazil vs. Belgium
Currently, Belgium ranks second in the FIFA world rankings. However, the team has yet to win a World Cup since 2002. The golden generation of Belgium will have one more chance to compete in the World Cup in 2022.
Roberto Martinez will lead them. His roster includes some of the best talents in the Big Five European leagues. They will need to find the right mix of players to succeed.
Belgium’s best players include Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Thibaut Courtois. These are three of the best midfielders in the world. They are expected to lead the team into the knockout rounds.
However, there are still many problems with the Belgian national team. Its most notable weakness is its age at the back. Its players still need to meet fans’ expectations. They have yet to qualify for the quarterfinals in either of the last two editions.
Despite its top-class players, the Belgian national team has a lot of holes. The “golden generation” may not have an easy time at the World Cup in 2022. They could have to change their roster before the first game.
However, the presence of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku will be a nightmare for teams. The Belgians have not lost a match to an African nation in a World Cup since 1994.
If Belgium can defeat Morocco, they can qualify for the final. They will face Brazil in the final. If Belgium loses, they will exit the tournament.
