Round of 32 Quick Preview

Hello everyone. I have been on a vacation so haven’t done updates from the second two days of group matches but here is a quick round of 32 preview. 

South Africa vs Canada

I am writing this as this game is going on and it has been a great game. I think South Africa will end up winning the game but it will be won in extra time. These two teams had similar group stage beginnings, both not winning their first games, but Canada fizzled out after a big win over Qatar where South Africa picked up momentum with a win over South Korea.

Update: I was wrong and Canada scored late in regular time to win.

Netherlands vs Morocco

This might be one of the best games of the tournament between arguably two favorites coming into the tournament. Both teams finished on seven points in the group stage but Morocco got the short end of the stick by having a lesser goal difference than Brazil. The Netherlands won their group thanks to a tie between Japan and Sweden. I think Morocco will edge the Dutch out here, winning by one goal. 

Germany vs Paraguay

Paraguay rebounded from a tough start against the U.S. to finish third in their group and advance on. Germany won their group but lost the final game with a rotated squad so it will be interesting to see how they start against Paraguay. I still see the Germans being fine and winning this game comfortably.

France vs Sweden

Sweden deserves credit for how well they have done at this World Cup. They didn’t win any of their qualifying matches but snuck into the playoff round because of their UEFA Nations League performance. They won their first game here and tied their third to unexpectedly advance. Their reward… a fun date with France in the round of 32. France has been playing fantastic and I don’t expect that to stop here. France wins by a large margin.

Belgium vs Senegal

Both of these teams got into the knockout rounds on the last day of the group stage. Senegal ended on three points but got their goal difference up with their thrashing of Iraq. Belgium won their last game against New Zealand after drawing their first two matches to win their group. I see Senegal winning an ugly match here.

USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina

Bosnia & Herzegovina are looking to shock their American hosts and pull off a major upset in the round of 32. They advanced as a third place finisher after beating Qatar 3-1 in their final group stage match. The U.S. looked really solid through their first two games but a rotated squad lost to an empowered Turkish team. I see the U.S. winning comfortably but a stat to watch out for is that the U.S. has not beaten a UEFA team in 13 matches (0-2-11). Their last European win was Bosnia, funny enough. 

Spain vs Austria

Spain rebounded after a tough draw against Cabo Verde to start their World Cup campaign where Austria has had a wild road to get here. Austria advanced thanks to a crazy game against Algeria where they tied it up with one of the last kicks of the game. Spain has struggled to score against better opponents, but I think they will figure it out and get a win over the Austrians.

Portugal vs Croatia

This is going to be an interesting game as one could make the argument that both teams have had a disappointing World Cup so far. Portugal had a big win in their second game but tied their first and third to finish second in the group. Croatia lost their first game but won their second two games in a sloppy fashion. I think Portugal will win but I see it going to penalty kicks.

Brazil vs Japan

Brazil vs Japan will be a great game of two conflicting styles of football. Brazil loves to run at teams and attack on the front foot with pace where Japan is a very organized, well-oiled machine of a team. I do think Brazil will be able to break down the defense of Japan to win, but it will be a while into the match before they score.

Côte d'Ivoire vs Norway

Côte d'Ivoire had a solid group stage, winning two of their three games and their only loss to Germany came late in the match. Norway started out great before deciding to rest all of their starters and get blown out by France. I think that total stop in momentum will hinder Norway and Côte d'Ivoire wins a high scoring game.

Mexico vs Ecuador

Mexico has a tough round of 32 matchup on their hands with Ecuador, a team that is known for their defense. The Mexicans have struggled with their scoring from time to time, something that Ecuador will exploit if given the chance. Ecuador, however, struggles to score the ball, something that you need to do early and often if you want to beat a Mexican team in Mexico. I see Mexico winning this game

England vs DR Congo

DR Congo have quickly become a Cinderella story in this tournament and they are looking to keep it going against an England team that looks nearly unstoppable. The Congolese players will have to put in one of their best shifts of their lives to win the game, something I do believe they are capable of doing. While I do believe that England will win, this game won’t be a walk in the park for them.

Switzerland vs Algeria

Both of these teams are coming into this match with some momentum. The Swiss beat Canada in their final group match where Algeria tied Austria in an amazing game which saw them advance onto the knockout stage. Switzerland is the better team all around here and I see them taking care of business again.

Colombia vs Ghana

Ghana advanced as a third place finisher, despite being one of the worst teams according to the FIFA rankings coming into the tournament. Colombia won their group over Portugal after a great draw against them in their final group stage game. This is not the fun kind of third place finisher that a group winner would want and I see Ghana continuing their momentum and beating Colombia.

Australia vs Egypt

The Socceroos and the Pharos meet in the round of 32 in what should be a great game between second place finishers. Australia got second behind the U.S. and were able to beat Turkiye and tie Paraguay to get second on goal difference. Egypt had a lucky and somewhat controversial tie against Iran which saw them lose top spot in the group to Belgium. I believe that Egypt has a bit of a chip on their shoulder in this game and will beat Australia. 

Argentina vs Cabo Verde

The best in the world against the sweetheart of the tournament, deciding who you want to win this game will be tough. Cabo Verde has been such a fun story and addition to this tournament, being the smallest country to qualify for the knockout rounds and has captured the hearts of most of the world. On the other hand, Argentina has just been rolling through teams and Messi is on six goals and looks unstoppable. I do see Argentina putting several goals past Cabo Verde and winning the game.