Oh it’s the Cristiano Ronaldo group! All eyes will probably be on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in what guarantees to be a tough group. Portugal is joined by Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea to make up Group-H.
Whereas Portugal vs Uruguay might appear to be the most important match within the group stage, the fixture between Ghana and Uruguay may simply be tastier. The fixture is a rematch of a well-known South Africa 2010 World Cup quarterfinal fixture by which Luis Suarez denied Ghana a spot within the semifinal by intentionally dealing with the ball on the goal-line — Suarez was despatched off, after which Asamoah Gyan stepped as much as take the penalty however did not convert. Uruguay went on to win the match on penalties. We’ve all seen tactical yellow playing cards; that was a tactical purple card.
Sufficient concerning the previous, let’s take a more in-depth have a look at every workforce and what to anticipate on the World Cup.
Picture by Harriet Lander/Getty Photographs
Ghana
FIFA Rating: 61
Supervisor: Otto Addo
2018 World Cup End result: did not qualify
The “Black Stars” of Ghana come into this group as darkish horses. They’re the group’s weakest-ranked workforce and have the fewest appearances on the World Cup. Ghana is a relative newcomer to World Cup soccer, having participated for the primary time solely in 2006. The Black Stars have gone on to characteristic in 2010 and 2014.
The 2010 match in South Africa was Ghana’s best-ever outing. A quarterfinal end folowing the aforementioned notorious last-minute penalty miss by Asamoah Gyan stays a painful reminiscence within the hearts of hundreds of thousands of Ghanaian soccer lovers to this present day.
The Black Stars have needed to endure a testing time in recent times, failing to even qualify for the final World Cup in 2018 on account of uninspiring performances, inside politics, and a change of coach. In 2021, the Ghanaian Nationwide Group welcomed again Milovan Rajevac, the supervisor who guided them to the quarterfinal end in 2010. Rajevac was proven the door in January 2022, simply weeks earlier than the essential World Cup playoff towards Nigeria, which Ghana gained.
Otto Addo, a former Black Star worldwide, was instantly introduced as his alternative and has since remained in cost. Addo helped information the nation to an away aim victory towards a star-studded Nigerian workforce.
On a optimistic notice, the Ghanaian nationwide workforce has lately loved a little bit of an uplift as a result of inflow of twin nationals to the squad. The likes of Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey, Bristol Metropolis’s Antoine Semenya, Membership Brugge’s defender Denis Odoi, Hamburg’s Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer, Karlsruher Stephan Ambrosius, and the most important of all Athletic Membership’s Iñaki Williams have all pledged allegiance to Ghana. There’s additionally Southampton’s Mohammed Salisu honoring his call-up request after years of rejecting it with the aim of specializing in membership profession growth.
Fantasy Prospect
Mohammed Kudus
Aware of the Fantasy Champions league? Kudus has been one of many widespread names amongst UCL fantasy-league managers. Regardless of Ajax’s underwhelming marketing campaign and group-stage exit, the tough attacker was a thorn in opposition defenses.
Kudus performed as a false 9 in a fluid Ajax assault and was instrumental in each attacking transfer. Nonetheless, the presence of Inaki Williams means Kudus will most probably should play a task on the wings or simply behind the striker. Both as a striker, winger, or an eight, you possibly can relaxation assured that Kudus is a big aim risk for the Black Stars.
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Inaki Williams
5 targets plus one help in 13 La Liga video games present that Williams could be Ghana’s go-to man in Qatar. He will probably be desirous to impress his new teammates and followers at residence when he represents his nation for the primary time at a significant match. The energetic striker unexpectedly determined to chop quick his Spain profession after one cap, switching allegiance to Ghana simply in time for Qatar. Williams is at the moment on a six and half 12 months run of that includes in each La Liga sport for the Basque membership. He’s at the moment on a run of over 240 consecutive video games in La Liga for Athletic Bilbao, that means getting injured would be the least of your issues if he’s added to your FPL workforce.
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Thomas Partey
A shocking choice? Partey has loved an exceptional marketing campaign for Arsenal this season. The defensive midfielder has been essential to Arsenal’s place on the high of the desk, serving to to interrupt up play and begin assaults whereas additionally contributing two targets and an help. Although that includes in the identical place, Partey is understood to shoot extra and make extra attacking runs whereas enjoying for the Black Stars. Partey has scored 12 targets and created six in simply 28 appearances for the Black Stars.
Picture by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside by way of Getty Photographs
South Korea
FIFA Rating: 28
Supervisor: Paul Bento
Certified Through: 1st place in AFC Group A
2018 World Cup End result: Group stage exit
Simply over twenty years after a fourth-place end on the 2002 FIFA World Cup, South Korea hopes to not less than match that feat in Qatar. The Taegeuk Warriors haven’t missed a World Cup since 1982, competing in eleven consecutive World Cup tournaments.
Regardless of being seasoned, they’ve did not grow to be world beaters. The workforce has loved little or no success since its 2002 run, making it out of the group stage simply as soon as within the final 4 tries. South Korea has gained solely three of its final 13 group stage matches, the 2018 win over Germany referred to as “The Miracle of Kazan” being the most important of all. The workforce’s solely advance previous the group stage got here in 2010, after they had been defeated by 2022 group rival Uruguay.
In preparedness, South Korea appears to be essentially the most in-form workforce within the group. When coach Paulo Bento took cost in 2018, they had been ranked 58th within the World, a place which has since improved to twenty eighth. Bento has led the workforce to a 2018 Asian Cup victory. The nation additionally sailed by World Cup qualification matches, dropping simply one in every of 17.
Quite a lot of expectations will probably be positioned on star man Son Heung-min. The Tottenham attacker scooped the Premier League golden boot alongside Mohamed Salah final season, scoring 23 targets. Whereas Son’s skill isn’t in query, there’s a lot to be requested of his supporting forged. Nearly all of the Taegeuk Warriors squad is made up gamers plying their commerce within the Korea Ok-League. Will they’ve sufficient high quality to get the higher of their group rivals? Will Son even be match sufficient to characteristic in Qatar?
Fantasy Prospect
Son
In fact, first on the listing of the workforce’s celebrity and poster boy Son. Son has endured a sluggish begin to the 2022-23 marketing campaign for Tottenham within the league and Champions League. The attacker has scored solely 5 targets plus two assists in 19 video games, effectively under his output from final season. Whereas he has endured a sluggish begin for Tottenham, he has been in imperious kind for his nation in current fixtures.
The infant-faced murderer scored 35 targets and added 17 assists in 106 appearances for South Korea. Son has appeared in two World Cups for South Korea, scoring as soon as the primary time and twice in his second outing. Is he set to attain three targets in his third outing?
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Kim Min-Jae
Napoli center-back Min-Jae ought to associate skilled Kim Younger-Gwon within the heart of protection. This South Korean protection conceded simply two targets in its final 5 matches. Min-Jae’s greatest attraction nonetheless is his skill to pop up with essential targets from set items. The Napoli defender has a commanding presence.
Picture by KARIM SAHIB/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Uruguay
FIFA Rating: 14
Supervisor: Diego Alonso
Certified Through: Completed third in CONMEBOL qualifiers
2018 World Cup End result: Quarter-final exit
Up subsequent is Uruguay with a inhabitants of solely 3.5m, lower than half the inhabitants of London. Regardless of its comparatively small measurement, La Celeste has gained the World Cup twice, a feat that may solely be boasted or bested by six different nations. Uruguay has a long-storied relationship with the World Cup, as host claiming the trophy for the primary time in 1930, a miracle period that additionally noticed them win back-to-back Olympic golds in 1924 and 1928. The second Cup win got here in surprising vogue, an enormous upset over Brazil in 1950.
The nation’s small measurement has by no means been a deterrent on the sector of play, the nation has achieved three semifinal outings since its final triumph, the final in 2010. The explosive facet was led by mercurial Diego Forlan, who turned the reference level of the Jabulani match ball used on the World Cup on account of his breathtaking skill to completely strike it.
Luis Suarez was additionally part of the 2010 squad. His participation in that match will, nonetheless, be remembered extra for his handball incident towards Ghana. Suarez and Edinson Cavani had been additionally a part of the contingent that made it to Russia’s final eight in 2018.
La Celeste, like Ghana, lately modified managers. Lengthy-serving supervisor Oscar Tabarez was ousted final December in favor of Diego Alonso after a run of 4 straight defeats, which jeopardized their participation in Qatar. Alonso got here in and helped flip the tide by successful the subsequent 4, which was sufficient to safe a spot in Qatar.
It isn’t but identified how Alonso will arrange his facet. He’s thought to form his workforce sport by sport relying on his opponent. His facet can also be identified to modify formations throughout a match to reply to opposition. Nonetheless he decides to arrange his workforce, he’ll be capable of depend on a longtime center-back pairing of Raul Giminez and Ronald Araujo (at the moment in a race to be match). The captain of the workforce, Diego Godin, is available to step in for Araujo if wanted or if the coach decides to go for a again three.
Midfield is the place the squad has principally improved from its final outing in Russia. The likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Federico Valverde have come of age to grow to be world-class gamers. Valverde specifically would be the workforce’s poster boy, having loved a meteoric rise within the final two seasons at Actual Madrid. Up entrance, ageing Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez will probably be desirous to make their final World Cup outings memorable whereas the younger Darwin Nunez will probably be desirous to make an announcement of his personal.
Fantasy Prospects
Federico Valverde
Eight targets and two assists in simply 18 matches for Actual Madrid this season tells you all that’s to be identified about Valverde’s improved output in entrance of aim. The midfielder has been inspired to shoot the ball extra by membership supervisor Ancelotti and the returns are there for all to see. Valverde’s vitality and precision will probably be essential to Uruguay’s probabilities of having a profitable match. He’s identified to be an all-rounder who helps in protection and assault from minute one to ninety. Valverde will probably be particularly desirous to make an announcement after he was denied a spot on the Aircraft to Russia in 2018 on account of damage.
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Darwin Nunez
Signed for 85m by Liverpool in the summertime, Nunez has endured a testing begin to life at Merseyside. He has in current weeks, churned out much-improved performances for the Reds from the correct flank, which has coincided with the membership’s current upturn in kind. The presence of Cavani and Suarez means Nunez will more likely to restricted to a task on the flanks as soon as once more. Being on the, nonetheless, doesn’t restrict his possibilities to creating issues occur on the enterprise finish of the pitch.
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Luis Suarez & Edinson Cavani
Each aged 35, Suarez and Cavani are most probably out to make their final hurray at a significant match for the La Celeste. The legendary pair have mixed to attain 126 targets in 265 appearances for Uruguay. Suarez is coming into the competitors off the again of a title-winning season for Nationwide by which he scored eight targets in 14 video games. However, Cavani is at the moment plying his commerce at Valencia, the place he has scored 4 targets in seven video games this season. The duo’s skill is undoubted and unquestionable. The one query round them is that if they will the bodily rigors of the World Cup.
Picture by Gualter Fatia/Getty Photographs
Portugal
Fifa Rating: 9
Supervisor: Fernando Santos
Certified Through: Through Playoffs
2018 World Cup End result: Spherical of 16 exit
Euro 2018 champions and the highest-ranked workforce within the group, Portugal is the workforce to beat in Group H. The Seleção come into the World Cup as one of many match favorites, and the added presence of Cristiano Ronaldo solely will increase the workforce’s expectations.
Portugal is competing in its sixth consecutive World Cup however has by no means been to a remaining. The closest they’ve ever superior was a semifinal end on the Germany 2006 world cup. Portugal has since did not make it to the quarterfinal stage, struggling spherical of 16 exits in 2010 and 2018 with a humiliating group-stage elimination ending their 2014 marketing campaign. Previously three World Cups, Portugal has gained solely three video games, a towards Ghana in 2018 being one in every of them.
The Seleção have, nonetheless, loved success in different competitions, which ignites hope of the workforce setting new requirements in Qatar. A semifinal end in Euro 2012 was adopted by Portugal’s first-ever main silverware at Euro 2016. The Seleção confirmed that the victory was no fluke by successful the first-ever Nations League match in 2019.
Regardless of being one of many competitors’s favorites and boasting the most effective crops of expertise on the competitors, Potugal made it to the World Cup solely by way of the playoffs. The Seleção have grow to be playoff specialists, this their third consecutive World Cup after qualifying thus. An surprising loss to Serbia of their final qualifier confined them to the playoff, the place they needed to get the higher of Turkey and North Macedonia to ebook a spot in Qatar.
It’s not possible to speak about Portugal’s possibilities on the World Cup with out speaking concerning the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is on a kind of last-chance mission to win the elusive World Cup earlier than he calls time on his worldwide profession. Successful the World Cup will crown what has been an illustrious profession that will probably be remembered 100 years from now.
There has, nonetheless, been noise regarding his place as a sure starter and captain of the Portuguese nationwide workforce on account of current unimpressive performances. Ronaldo has discovered the going more durable than normal this season, scoring only one aim in ten Premier League video games.
Nonetheless, realizing Ronaldo and his monstrous mentality, all these components will solely add to his endless want to show doubters fallacious in Qatar by main the Selecao to their first-ever World Cup triumph. Will Ronaldo be capable of do it?
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Fantasy Prospects
Cristiano Ronaldo
In fact, we begin with Ronaldo, the workforce’s major supply of targets. Cristiano at the moment holds the world report for worldwide targets, scoring 117 in 190 caps for the Selecao. Regardless of talks about his age and kind, Ronaldo stays essential to Portugal’s probabilities of having a profitable tilt on the World Cup.
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Joao Cancelo
Aware of FPL? Cancelo is a well-liked identify amongst FPL managers, and he ought to stay so within the FIFA World Cup Fantasy sport. Cancelo performs an enormous half in Portugal’s assault down the correct wing and needs to be a superb outlet for crosses for the spectacular Cristiano Ronaldo. That mixture is one that might mild up the World as Ronaldo is pretty much as good because it will get within the air. The Selecao additionally seems like good candidates to safe a shutout in not less than one in every of their group stage fixtures.
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Rafeal Leao
An damage to Liverpool’s Diogo Jota means AC Milan star Leao will most probably be handed a spot on the left-hand facet of Portugal’s assault. The striker has been in spectacular kind for AC Milan this season, scoring six targets and offering 4 assists in 14 Seria-A matches.
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Then chart your pathway to success utilizing our how-to information to the official fantasy World Cup sport, our Group Stage fixture problem desk, and our previews of every of the opposite World Cup teams (both printed or coming quickly!
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How do you see Group H unfolding? Will Cristiano Ronaldo set the competitors alight? Who do you assume will choose up the second place? Will there be surprises? Please log in, take our ballot, and share your ideas within the feedback!
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Portugal and Ghana
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