World Cup Preview (Group C)
- ARGENTINA
Argentina is in a good place right now. They have a more settled squad going into this World Cup than they did in the 2018 edition. The team is more balanced, and Lionel Messi looks more comfortable in an Argentina shirt than ever. Argentina is one of the biggest football countries in the world, having won two World Cup titles and produced players like Diego Maradona, Javier Zanetti, Gabriel Batistuta, Juan Roman Riquelme and Javier Mascherano. However, Argentina has been heavy with attacking players with little depth of quality in other areas of the team. That was evident in recent years when Argentina reached the 2014 World Cup Final and two Copa America Finals in 2015 and 2016, losing the World Cup Final against Germany in extra time and the Copa America Finals to Chile on penalties. In the 2018 World Cup, they were fortunate to get past the group stage but lost in the last 16 to eventual champions France. Since the World Cup, La Albiceleste beat Brazil to win the 2021 Copa America. Their first major trophy since 1993. They are also on a 35-game unbeaten run and went unbeaten throughout South American qualifiers. The first time that was done in South America, later matched by rivals Brazil. Coach Lionel Scaloni has done well since his appointment in 2019. Winning the 2019 Copa America in Brazil and gained the respect of his players. He has usually used a 4-3-3 but has altered with a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1. The man Argentina will be looking to for inspiration is Lionel Messi. Having stated that this will be his last World Cup, he will be looking to cap his career with a World Cup title. Having won his first international trophy with Argentina in 2021, Messi looks more relaxed going into Doha. Having felt the weight of expectation throughout his international career. Unlike the squad of 2014, Messi leads a well-rounded team with the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Rodrigo de Paul, Angel di Maria, Cristian Romero and Emiliano Martinez. Argentina is in the conversation for potential winners, and with a kind group, they should top it and then navigate their way through the knockouts.
Can They Go Through: YES
- POLAND
Poland makes their ninth appearance in the World Cup Finals. Also, this is the third time Poland has made it consecutively. With the 2010 World Cup being the last time they failed to qualify. They have been regulars in tournaments, making six out of the possible eight available. In the World Cup, their best finish was third place in the 1974 and 1982 editions. Since the 1986 World Cup, Poland has made the knockout stages. They disappointed in the 2018 World Cup, finishing bottom of their group with just three points. It was the same problem at the European Championships last year. They finished bottom of the group with just one point, losing to Slovakia and Sweden. Their best finish in recent years was the quarterfinals in Euro 2016. Orly finished second in their qualifying group, behind England and won eight from ten qualifiers. Their path continued in the playoffs, getting a bye against Russia after UEFA suspended Russia. So, they had one game to seal qualification, and they achieved it, beating Sweden 2-0 to guarantee their place in Qatar. Poland had former Fiorentina coach Paulo Sousa as coach at the start of the qualifiers. Now, Czeslaw Michniewicz will take charge in the finals. Robert Lewandowski is the figurehead of the team. He's Poland's all-time leading scorer and appearance maker with 76 goals from 134 caps. Now 34 years old, this could likely be his final World Cup. Underwhelming in international tournaments for Poland, Lewandowski is without a World Cup goal and has five goals in the Euros. There's a fine supporting cast. Piotr Zielinski is vital in generating chances in the final third, and Arkadiusz Milik is a fine understudy. Can Poland make it out of the group? Yes. Will they? It depends. They have underperformed in past tournaments, but with a relatively kind group, their main competition is Mexico for second place. They have to beat Mexico, or else it will be another disappointment.
Can They Go Through: YES
- SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia will be taking part in the finals for the sixth time. The joint-most from a Middle East country. They made it back-to-back for the first time since making it four times straight from 1994 to 2006. That period was a golden age for Saudi Arabian football, making the World Cup for the first time in 1994, beating the likes of Belgium and Morocco to reach the last 16. In Asia, they dominated the Asian Cup, winning it three times and reaching six finals between 1984 to 2007. Since that era, Saudi Arabia has fallen off in the Asian Cup. They failed to advance to the knockout stages in the 2011 and 2015 editions. In the most recent Asian Cup in 2019, they were knocked out very early in the last 16 to Japan. It was the same outcome in the Asian Cup in 2021, eliminated in the group stages. After failing to qualify for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, Saudi Arabia finally returned to the 2018 World Cup but was eliminated very early, losing 5-0 in the first game against Russia. During the qualifying campaign for Qatar, Saudi Arabia managed to top a tricky group containing Australia, China and Japan. Coach Herve Renard was a success in Africa, winning the African Cup of Nations twice and leading Morocco to the World Cup in 2018. All of their players play in the kingdom, meaning a lot of familiarity among the players. Key players include winger Salem al-Dawsari, strikers Saleh al-Shehri and Firas al-Buraikan, and defender Yasser al-Shahrani. The Green Falcons have a lot on their hands. They are the weakest team in the group, making it possible they could finish with zero points. Having had their recent World Cup win in 2018, they will be hoping for the same in Qatar, where they will have support from Saudis making the same distance to Doha.
Can They Go Through: NO
- MEXICO
Mexico is one of few countries that have the potential to be a powerhouse in world football. However, for various reasons, they have been unable to do that. Mexico is the dominant force in the CONCACAF region, winning the most Gold Cups. They have the most World Cup participation of any nation outside Europe and South America. Also, with the most World Cup appearances without making the final or the semifinal. Their best World Cup finish remains the 1970 and 1986 editions, where they reached the quarterfinals. Since 1986, they have finished in the last 16 in all seven World Cup appearances, having a belief of a "fifth game curse." In the CONCACAF region, Mexico lost both the Gold Cup and Nations League finals to the United States but did the job regarding World Cup qualification. They had the same record as Canada but did not beat Canada and the United States home and away. They had the second-best defence with eight goals conceded but struggled to score goals, with 17 goals scored, the same as Panama, who failed to qualify. Coach Tata Martino will be hoping to get Mexico to the next round. However, he has already omitted Carlos Vela and Javier Hernandez from his squad. A controversial decision in Mexico. This current squad does not have the star quality they had in previous editions, but El Tri still has great players of note. Guillermo Ochoa, Hector Moreno, Hector Herrera and Andres Guardado provide experience. Edson Alvarez provides balance in midfield, protecting the defence, while Hirving Lozano and Raul Jimenez offer Mexico a threat in the attacking third. Mexico is a regular in the World Cup, but their group is tricky. Argentina and Poland have ambitions of making it beyond the group, and getting points from them is vital for their chances. Their journey might end before the fourth game.
Can They Go Through: NO
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