25/05 - 15:00
The second round of 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage fixtures has now concluded with Portugal eventually easing past an underwhelming Uruguayan side. With that in mind, this is a look at the more subjective elements of the tournament so far…
Game of the tournament so far… South Korea 2-3 Ghana
This one has competition from the game that was immediately before it with Serbia and Cameroon sharing a 3-3 draw. However, the game of the tournament so far, subjectively, is Ghana’s 3-2 win over South Korea. The last half-an-hour of the game was sheer drama and entertainment as the Koreans pushed for another dramatic equaliser in a topsy-turvy thriller.
Worst game of the tournament so far… England 0-0 United States
There have been quite a few goalless draws in the tournament and Morocco vs Croatia deserves a worthy and notable mention but the game that takes the crown for the worst so far is England 0-0 United States. Nothing more needs to be said because, pretty much, absolutely nothing happened.
Shock of the tournament so far… Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia
There has been quite a few surprises since this match, which was the fifth of the competition, such as Japan beating Germany and Morocco defeating Belgium. However, one of the red-hot pre-tournament favourites losing to a side, after taking the lead, that are ranked outside of the world’s top 50 is the biggest surprise.
Goal of the tournament so far… Richarlison (Brazil) vs Serbia
After two matches so far, Richarlison’s scissor-kick against Serbia in the opening round of fixtures remains the standout screamer from this tournament so far.
Player of the tournament so far… Kylian Mbappe (FRA)
The ability of Kylian Mbappe, both on the ball and off it, is mesmeric and, probably, unstoppable, at its absolute peak. The Paris Saint-Germain forward has scored seven FIFA World Cup goals by the age of 23 and that is just one of the many records he looks set to absolutely annihilate.
Best team so far… France
The team of the tournament is, arguably, the current world champions. 2018’s victors, France, began this campaign by going 1-0 down early on to Australia before coming from behind to hammer the Socceroos by four goals to one. Les Bleus followed that up with an impressive performance and a 2-1 win against Denmark in the second game.
Worst team so far… Qatar
Despite winning the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and also being relatively competitive in other competitions, such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup and CONMEBOL Copa America, Qatar have been really poor and weak in this tournament. They are almost certain to become the first ever host nation to lose all three of their group stage matches.
