GROUP G PREVIEW
Belgium
QUALIFIED: Finished atop UEFA Group H, ahead of Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Estonia
BEST FINISH: Fourth place (1986)
MANAGER: Roberto Martinez – The Spanish bench boss arrived from Everton following the 2016 European Championship.
BEST PLAYER: Kevin De Bruyne – The Manchester City playmaker might be the most complete midfielder in the tournament. Whether it’s playing the final pass or initiating a counter-attack with a ball over distance, De Bruyne is the perfect compliment behind a stacked Belgian attack. The 26-year-old is a true two-way midfielder, and the most well-rounded player on a Belgian side that’s a threat to win this tournament.
OUTLOOK: Belgium absolutely dominated its World Cup qualifying group, cruising to a near-perfect 9-0-1 record while scoring 43 goals. Martinez is spoiled with attacking talent – including Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, two of the top strikers in the Premier League. You can go up and down Belgium’s roster and point to players featuring it top European leagues. It’s a group that’s also been through two major tournaments together and feels like it’s on the cusp of finally reaching a semifinal.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Semifinals.
WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Round of 16 exit to Poland or Colombia.
LARSON’S PREDICTION: Quarterfinal loss to Brazil.
Panama
QUALIFIED: Finished 3rd in CONCACAF qualifying, behind Mexico and Costa Rica
BEST FINISH: First appearance at a FIFA World Cup
MANAGER: Hernan Dario Gomez – Had previous international stints with Colombia and Ecuador.
BEST PLAYER: Felipe Baloy – Panama’s 37-year-old captain is an imposing central defender who will be busy at these finals. Baloy was one of the top defenders in Liga MX during lengthy stays with Monterrey and Santos Laguna. He appeared in close to 300 Mexican league fixtures before moving to Guatemala’s Municipal to stay fit for this tournament. It’s no secret how this tournament will play out for Panama – which means veteran defenders like Baloy are going to have an immense amount of responsibility.
OUTLOOK: The Panamanians were moments from being eliminated from World Cup contention until Seattle Sounders’ defender Roman Torres surged forward and found a late game-winner to knock off Costa Rica on the final day of CONCACAF qualifying, pushing The Canal Men ahead of the United States and Honduras. Needless to say, Panama are here to play spoiler. There’s no chance they emerge from Group G.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: May be a draw with Tunisia.
WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Panama could finish with the worst goal-difference in the tournament.
LARSON’S PREDICTION: Three
consecutive losses.
Tunisia
QUALIFIED: Finished a top CAF Group A, ahead of DR Congo, Libya and Guinea.
BEST FINISH: Groupstage
MANAGER: Nabil Maaloul – Appeared 74 times for Tunisia between 1985 and 1995.
BEST PLAYER: Naim Sliti – Tunisia’s 25-year-old French-born attacking midfielder could be a key outlet for the Eagles of Carthage, who will sit back against superior sides in Belgium and England and look to grab a goal on the counter. Sliti is currently on the books at Lille but was recently loaned to Dijon, where he enjoyed a strong Ligue 1 season.
OUTLOOK: Tunisia’s outlook took a huge blow when star striker Youssef Msakni suffered a pre-tournament knee injury. Msakni’s importance to Tunisia can’t be overstated. The 27-year-old’s hat-trick against Guinea on the penultimate day of qualifying secured qualification for the Eagles of Carthage. With that injury likely went any hope of the north Africans surprising anyone at this tournament. There aren’t many goals in the side. They avoided CAF powerhouses like Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Nigeria during qualifying. This is probably the worst of the five CAF sides that qualified for this competition.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: A surprise draw against England.
WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Tunisia could leave Russia without collecting a single point.
LARSON’S PREDICTION: Third-place finish in Group G.
England
QUALIFIED: Finished atop UEFA Group F, ahead of Slovakia, Scotland and Slovenia
BEST FINISH: Champions (1966)
MANAGER: Gareth Southgate – Appeared 57 times for The Three Lions between 1995 and 2004.
BEST PLAYER: Harry Kane – The 24-yearold Tottenham striker is on an incredible four-year run of form, scoring 20-plus goals in all competitions in every club season since 2014. The word “clinical” comes to mind when discussing a player who’s among the top finishers around the glob. Kane’s quick release makes him a threat to score from anywhere inside 25 metres. You always know his first- or second-touch is going to set up an attempt at goal.
OUTLOOK: England should have a clear path to the World Cup quarterfinals after avoiding being paired with decidedly average Group H in the Round of 16. That’s not to say games against Belgium and, potentially, Poland or Colombia won’t be tricky. But England knows it won’t meet a true world powerhouse until the quarterfinals. Coach Gareth Southgate must do what ex-manager Roy Hodgson failed to do two years ago in France: Devise tactics that will allow England to breakthrough against defence-first sides like Panama and Tunisia.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Semifinals
WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Round of 16 loss to Poland or Colombia.
LARSON’S PREDICTION: The Three Lions venture as far as the quarterfinals.