A Look Back at the Matches that Shocked the World (Cup)
As we are officially moving on to the knockout rounds, I want to take a look back at the most surprising moments of the group stage. I have picked one moment from each group to dive into and explain why this was unexpected.
Group A: Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador, Qatar
On Friday, November 25th, the Netherlands faced off against Ecuador in the second match of three for both teams in the group stage. While Cody Gapko scored early for the Netherlands, Enner Valencia of Ecuador struck back in the 49th minute to equalize and capitalize a surprise tie.
Group B: England, USA, Iran, Wales
One of the most anticipated games in this World Cup has been the long-awaited match-up between the US and England. They faced off on November 25th, and though the game was very exciting to watch live, no goals were scored as the US secured a much-needed win in their group against Iran.
Group C: Poland, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico
If you have been following the World Cup at all, you would know that at 5 AM. Eastern Standard Time, on November 22nd, Argentina played its first World Cup game against Saudi Arabia. Argentina is one of the most favored countries to win the World Cup, so most of the world was in shock when Saudi Arabia turned the game around after Lionel Messi’s 10th-minute penalty kick and ended up winning the game 2-1.
Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
The biggest surprise in Group D wasn’t exactly a game, but the standings after the three games themselves. Of course, everyone expected France to lead the group, and they delivered with Kylian Mbappe starring in all three games. On paper, Denmark and Tunisia’s rosters are stronger than they have been in the past. Also looking at Australia’s recent record, and the decline in player quality over the last couple of years, most people would expect Denmark to pull away with the second-place spot sending themselves into the knockout rounds. Very surprisingly, the Australian team has proved their point by tying France on points and only losing the first spot from goal differential.
Group E: Spain, Japan, Costa Rica, Germany
Again, we see a disappointing World Cup performance from the Germans. After winning it all in Brazil in 2014, they failed to qualify for the knockout rounds in the following two tournaments. With the surprise loss to Japan in the first game and a close tie with Spain in the second, Germany had dropped to 4th in the group having almost no chance of qualifying for the round of 16.
Group F: Croatia, Morocco, Belgium, Canada
On November 27th, Belgium matched off against Morocco in the second game of group-stage play. This would later prove very pivotal in the final group standings as FIFA’s number two ranked men’s team in the world failed to qualify for the knockout rounds, after making it to the semifinals in the 2018 World Cup, only losing to the future winner, France.
Group G: Brazil, Switzerland, Cameroon, Serbia
On paper, one could say that the Serbian national team was the “dark horse” of the tournament, with a strong roster that had depth, and a strong attacking threat. Although, after all three days, Serbia failed to qualify, leaving many fans devastated after the hope that they could prove their danger in the tournament.
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, South Korea, Uruguay
Finally, the last surprise performance, this time displayed by Uruguay. Uruguay is a very strong team, which some believed could make it deep into the tournament. They have a deep roster, with many young talented players such as Federico Valverde and Darwin Nunez. Sadly for the Uruguayan fans though, they have failed to qualify for the knockouts after placing fourth out of four teams.
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Ben is a Co-Editor-in-Chief for The Voice. He is a junior who is excited to start his third year on The Voice, and he enjoys writing about sports, entertainment,...
