The World Cup betting favorites Brazil are set to make their official debut on the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Thanksgiving as they tackle Serbia that headlines a quadruple-header of motion Thursday.
The day sees Group G and Group H in motion for a set of pivotal opening video games that can assist set up trajectories for the group stage. Cameroon battles Switzerland to kick issues off vivid and early, adopted by two intriguing matchups — Uruguay vs. South Korea and Portugal vs. Ghana — earlier than the nightcap that includes star-studded Brazil.
Right here’s a glance forward at Matchday 5 of the 2022 World Cup:
Switzerland vs. Cameroon — 5 a.m.
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The Matchup
Cameroon couldn’t have a lot of a worse matchup for its opening recreation of the event. If the Indomitable Lions are characterised as a workforce in transition with out strong tactical construction below supervisor Rigobert Music, Switzerland is simply the other. Whereas neither workforce has a strong goalscoring supply, Switzerland are well-drilled, organized and hardworking, positive to make life tough for Cameroon’s forwards. Whichever workforce over-extends and goes down within the recreation will discover life very very tough, each on this recreation and going ahead within the event.
Participant to Watch: Yan Sommer
Photograph by Harry Langer/DeFodi Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
We might not characteristic many goalkeepers as ones to maintain your eye on on this event, however Sommer is the true heartbeat of the Swiss facet and the one who’s primarily tasked with holding the group as organized and defensively strong as they’ve made their workforce’s id. He’s a participant that, like many forwards, can change a recreation as an amazing penalty stopper.
Uruguay vs. South Korea — 8 a.m.
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The Matchup
This matchup presents one other nice distinction in kinds and workforce id. If something about Uruguay traditionally, they at all times come to World Cups as rather more than only a sum of their colelctive abilities. They’re fierce — nasty, even — and tenacious for 90 minutes. But when there’s ever been a 12 months the place they’ll want that tenacity to by way of, it’s this 12 months, the place they’re clearly weak on the again with firepower up prime.
However by no means sleep on South Korea — a workforce that might not be fairly as bodily as Uruguay, however is at all times a well-drilled disciplined workforce. And so they’ve bought the most effective forwards on the planet, Son Heung-Min, main the road (carrying a masks to guard a lately fractured cheek).
Participant to Watch: Darwin Nuñez
Photograph by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Photographs
Liverpool’s star winger appears set to take the mantle on the worldwide stage as Uruguay’s subsequent prime star. On the membership stage, that has already occurred along with his monster transfer to Liverpool, however there’s nothing that cements a star like producing in a World Cup. South Korea may have their fingers full accounting for him.
Portugal vs. Ghana — 11 a.m.
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The Matchup
We all know how this one ought to play out. The world class Portuguese gamers overwhelm a plucky Ghana workforce, however merely proves an excessive amount of. That definitely may occur, however there’s an air of volatility swirling round a Portugal facet that must be among the many world’s finest. A number of gamers both injured, off form, or making a media circus may show to be tripwires for an in any other case loaded squad.
Ghana has the youngest workforce within the event at a outstanding common age of simply 23.5 years previous — half a 12 months youthful than the second-youngest United States. With that youth comes a ton of uncertainty, however additionally they have a handful of gamers with world-class expertise and expertise, which they’ll depend on to propel them by way of the event. On this specific matchup, look ahead to them to overwhelm Portugal with their pace on the break to attempt to catch out the extra technical facet.
Participant to Watch: Bernardo Silva
Photograph by Gualter Fatia/Getty Photographs
If there’s a participant that symbolizes the platonic ultimate of what their nationwide workforce ought to play like, it’s Bernardo Silva. Silva has established himself as one of many prime midfielders on the planet since arriving at Manchester Metropolis from Benfica in 2017, and is the participant that makes this Portuguese facet tick. He’s the oil within the engine that enables the components to flourish. And he’ll make life hell on a younger Ghanaian midfield that has struggled to nullify such gamers in current video games.
Brazil vs. Serbia — 2 p.m.
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The Matchup
Brazil is primed to win its first World Cup since 2002. It’s outstanding that it’s been 20 years since they’ve hoisted the Jules Rimet trophy given their stature within the recreation. The workforce comes into this 12 months’s event with world-class expertise at virtually each place and one of the vital skilled squads they’ve fielded within the 20 years since they final received it. Serbia will clearly be attempting to scratch and claw for any factors on this one. But when there’s something on their facet, it’s the expertise of getting been on this similar group with Brazil simply 4 years in the past in Russia.
Participant to Watch: Neymar
Photograph by Kenta Harada/Getty Photographs
With Brazil, there are such a lot of choices to select from. However realistically, when Neymar is on the sphere, particularly for Brazil, it’s arduous to observe anybody else.