Round 1 in review
The 2018 World Cup in Russia has already produced numerous talking points. Stuff football writers Ben Strang, Phillip Rollo and Joseph Pearson discuss the first round of matches and predict what lies ahead.
The opening round of the World Cup delivered everything we could have asked for. There were goals galore, red cards, shock results, own goals, hat-tricks, Viking claps and more. So, what can we take from the opening round of action?
Who looks like champions elect?
Joseph Pearson: It’s too early to say after one game. None of the favourites laid down a marker after indifferent starts but don’t rule out Germany yet. Expect a response from the reigning champions after losing 1-0 to Mexico (and remember Spain won the 2010 title after losing their opening game to Switzerland).
Phillip Rollo: With Cristiano Ronaldo on his game, anything is possible for European champions Portugal. Yeah their
3-3 draw with Spain came courtesy of a penalty, a gaffe from goalkeeper David de Gea and that freekick but it was still an impressive performance in what is likely to be the toughest match of the entire group stage. My early prediction that Germany would go back-to-back is looking bleak but a 1-0 defeat to Mexico, the next best team in their group, is hardly a disaster and the defending champions should still be able to navigate past Sweden and South Korea.
Ben Strang: The most impressive team to date looks like Belgium. They destroyed Panama with endless creativity, and have the depth of talent to do that to anyone. I’m still backing Germany, though, in a Spain
2010-like run after a shock opening loss.
Which result has been most surprising?
JP: Mexico toppling the
Germans without question. The other surprises were mainly draws, and it’s always hard winning the first game in any tournament, but Germany slipping up was a result nobody saw coming.
PR: As defending champions, Fifa’s No 1 ranked team and one of the competition favourites, of course it’s a shock that Germany lost. But as I said above, because their defeat came at the hands of Mexico, who have the potential to go deep into the tournament themselves, perhaps it’s not as big of a surprise as many believe. They still managed to get away 25 shots. So, how about Russia beating Saudi Arabia 5-0? They may have been slight favourites at home but no one was tipping a blowout. Having also beaten Egypt 3-1, Russia are
now on the brink of a place in the knockout stage. BS: Mexico defeating
Germany in their opening match. The central Americans have bundles of talent, but to defeat the defending champions in the fashion they did was quite something.
Who will win the golden boot race?
JP: Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning hat-trick against Spain gives him a head start and chances will likely fall his away in Portugal’s remaining group games against Morocco and Iran ahead of their expected progression to the knockout stages.
PR: In the space of just one
game, Cristiano Ronaldo has already tallied half the amount golden boot winner James Rodriguez did four years ago, when he ended the tournament with six. If Portugal do go beyond the round of 16, then I expect Ronaldo to at least match that so he’s got to be the favourite now. My pre-World Cup prediction, Germany’s Timo Werner, needs to up his game.
BS: I backed him before the tournament based on the idea that Belgium had an easy group, and the ability to go deep. With a brace to start with, Romelu
Lukaku has made the perfect start.
Which footballing giant looks most likely to bomb out?
JP: Argentina were awfully flat in drawing 1-1 against Iceland and face tough opponents (Croatia and Nigeria) in their remaining group games. So much pressure is on Lionel Messi, as shown by his limp penalty that was saved by Iceland’s Hannes Halldorsson, and maybe carrying the weight of an entire nation is dragging down even the star Barcelona forward.
PR: Argentina for sure. With tough games against Croatia and Nigeria to come, they are already playing catchup after being held to a 1-1 draw by World Cup newbies Iceland. Much has been said of Argentina’s shaky defence and rightly so, even a defensively stubborn team such as Iceland caused them all sorts of trouble.
BS: Germany. I expect them to come right, and Joachim Loew could do worse than to introduce a couple of youngsters (Leon Goretzka for one), but anything could happen against a tough Swedish side. That could be curtains.
Which player has impressed most?
JP: It’s hard singling out one player so early in a tournament, but the goalscoring heroics of Ronaldo (three for Portugal), Diego Costa (two for Spain), Harry Kane (two for England) and Denis Cheryshev (two for Russia) have been huge for their respective teams. Socceroos defender Trent Sainsbury deserves a mention for his efforts in Australia’s unlucky 2-1 loss to France.
PR: Cristiano Ronaldo. The bigger the stage, the better he is.
BS: A hat-trick of the highest quality in the opening match against fierce rivals Spain. What more could you want from Portuguese skipper Cristiano
Ronaldo? And he did it at 33 years of age, which is well over the hill in footballing years.