36 minute read
QATAR QUALIFIERS
‘VIEWERS AT HOME ARE NOT MORAL FAILURES IF THEY TUNE IN’ WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE?
WITH THE WORLD OF POLITICS INCREASINGLY INTRUDING ON FOOTBALL, GABY MCKAY ASKS HOW FANS AND PLAYERS SHOULD RESPOND TO THINGS OVER WHICH THEY HAVE NO CONTROL.
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And so the countdown is on. Fully 12 years after the tournament was awarded to Qatar, the draw for the 2022 World Cup has been made and this thing is o cially happening. A month long festival of football just in time for Christmas - just try not to think about the workers who died constructing the stadiums. The moral questions over Qatar have been litigated a thousand times, and there’s no stopping the tournament now - the question now becomes how we react. The problem in addressing any structural issue in football is that sooner or later a whistle blows and a game kicks o . Whether it’s fans trying to force a change of ownership, corruption in governing bodies or human rights issues, the response is blunted by the simple fact that fans want to watch their teams play. Refusing to watch the 2022 World Cup works in principle, but realistically once the games kick o millions will be tuning in. The second response is that the players themselves should take action, perhaps by refusing to play. Never mind the fact that England, Denmark and others have already made clear that they intend to make a stand at the tournament, the idea itself is manifestly unfair. If anyone should have been refusing to play it’s the various football associations around the world. They didn’t, they entered the qualifi cation process. Why then should it fall on the players - the employees, in this situation - to deny themselves the dream of playing at a World Cup, whatever their concerns about the ethics of the host country? It's not just Qatar either - it seems you can’t be a football fan without geopolitics intruding into what is supposed to be entertainment. As a Newcastle fan, you probably wanted Mike Ashley out of the club. When he was ousted there were wild celebrations in the streets, despite the club being taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The Middle Eastern nation has an appalling human rights record, but the move was waved through by the Premier League after they were assured there was no direct link to the Saudi government. Presumably PIF chairman Mohammad Bin Salman was able to prove he has absolutely no link to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The club ownership, of course, do not speak so it’s left to manager Eddie Howe to awkwardly fi eld questions. He certainly hasn’t covered himself in glory in that regard, brushing o talk of bombings and executions with, “I’m just here to talk about football”. At the same time, what’s he meant to say? One can argue he shouldn’t have agreed to work for those people, but once you have you can’t exactly denounce your boss in public. Once again fans - and players - have little or no say in how the takeover came about. That’s not to excuse those Newcastle fans who
blindly defend the Saudi state, even sending abuse to the widow of Jamal Khashoggi, but is it fair to ask or expect one of England’s most passionate fanbases to just walk away from their team on a point of principle? Sadly it’s why sportswashing works. Paris SaintGermain’s Qatari owners will tell you that. It shouldn’t be on fans or players to have to make these choices, or even be in the situation in the fi rst place. Russia’s players have been denied their chance to compete at the World Cup thanks to the brutal actions of their government - a government to which FIFA and UEFA have routinely cosied up. Those organisations have now, belatedly acted but it’s not unreasonable to ask why they’re still apparently fi ne with Saudi Arabia and their actions in Yemen, or Israel’s in Palestine, or indeed the Qatari state itself. So no, Christian Pulisic doesn’t have to refuse to play in the World Cup. Viewers at home aren’t moral failures if they tune in. But if you do, don’t forget about those migrant A 12 years after the tournament was awarded to Qatar, the draw for the 2022 World Cup has been made and this thing is o cially happening. workers, 6,500 of whom have died according to human rights organisations. Note when the Qatari dignitaries refuse to shake hands with female o cials. Have a look at their record on LGBTQ+ rights. And then start thinking about how we get rid of those who put you in that very uncomfortable position. A month long festival of football just in time
ABOVE: The World Cup was controversially awarded to Qatar in December 2010
LEFT: Newcastle were taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund
BOTTOM: It’s unfair to expect fans and players to take a stand when governing bodies will not
MAIN: John Stones celebrates after scoring a goal for England during the Qatar World Cup 2022 Qualifi ers
BELOW (SMALL): England look for redemption after falling short at the 2020 Euros
IN STORE?
When the draw for the 2022 World Cup took place on April 1 the biggest headline to emerge was, ironically, the absence of any major headlines. Unlike many previous editions of the tournament, this year’s draw failed to form a so-called ‘group of death’, nor did it pit many old rivals against one another. What has emerged from the draw, however, is the opportunity for many of the less historically successful nations to pass beyond the group stage. Take, for example, the newly crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal who have qualifi ed for only their third ever World Cup. The Lions of Teranga have been drawn into Group A, meaning they face hosts Qatar, Ecuador, and group favourites the Netherlands. Given the calibre of Aliou Cisse’s squad which boasts stars such as Sadio Mane, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, they’ll seriously fancy their chances of reaching the knockout stages. Should they manage that, the target will then be to try and go one better than the Senegal side of 2002 by making the semi-fi nals, a stage no African nation has reached in the tournament’s history. Looking elsewhere in the draw, and there is a chance for Canada to emerge as surprise contenders in the Middle East. Les Rouges’ only prior World Cup experience saw them fail to score a single goal back in 1986, but things are looking far more promising this time around under coach John Herdman. The Canucks fi nished top of the CONCACAF qualifying table and are spearheaded by marauding Bayern Munich wingback Alphonso Davies while promising forward Jonathan David leads the line. Progression is by no means a given for
Canada in a tough Group F competing against W the top-ranked international side Belgium, 2018 World Cup fi nalists Croatia, and Morocco. However, with six months to further develop their odds are better than ever. Of course, one advantage of there not being any one particularly di cult group is that the top-tier teams are evenly distributed. In turn, this should provide plenty of entertaining matches on paper, the highest profi le of which is the clash between Spain and Germany. Winners of the World Cup in 2010 and 2014 respectively, they’re both among the favourites to win the whole competition in Qatar, but may fi nd progress signifi cantly more di cult should they fi nish as runners-up in Group E. La Roja will certainly have the psychological edge in the upcoming clash having beaten Germany 6-0 in the Nations League in their last meeting
ABOVE: The fi rst draw for the 2022 World Cup
BELOW: Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne
TOP RIGHT: Italy, Colombia, Egypt, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Sweden all miss out on Qatar 2022
BOTTOM RIGHT: Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be featured in this year's edition of the World Cup
‘THE BIGGEST HEADLINE WAS THE ABSENCE OF ANY MAJOR HEADLINES’ TOP SERIE A MISSING PICKS FAVOURITES
There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.
TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to fi nd minutes on the fi eld last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.
FEDERICO CHIESA Fresh from helping Italy win the European Championship the 23-year-old will be hoping to continue the explosive form he displayed during the tournament. Forming a potentially devastating front-three which also includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, it will be interesting to see if coach Max Allegri takes the shackles o his attacking players.
OLIVIER GIROUD The France World Cup Winner has fi nally arrived in Serie A having been linked with a move to the peninsula for years and will now team up with fellow veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud will be tasked with providing the fi repower and linkup play for the Rossoneri to compete in both the Champions League and Serie A.
DENZEL DUMFRIES Wing back Dumfries showcased the full array of his skills during the summer’s
European Championship despite the Netherlands crashing out of the tournament to the Czech Republic. The 25-year-old scored twice and looks ready to fi ll the gap vacated by Achraf Hakimi’s departure to PSG.
VICTOR OSIMHEN The Nigerian striker had a bit of a start stop season last term. Despite su ering injuries and missing games through Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough promise to make him a real danger man heading into this campaign. New Coach Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can get the most out of the attacker and improve on his 10 goals from last year.
Greg Murray outlines some of the teams that notably failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup Italy’s remarkable failure to get past North Macedonia in the World Cup play-o s may have captured the headlines but there are plenty of other high-profi le teams that miss out on the tournament in Qatar. Colombia are one of the regular competitors from South America and so are a surprise absence, as they were favourites to qualify over the likes of Ecuador. This having been said, Los Cafeteros’ most proven match winners are very much entering the twilight of their career as Radamel Falcao, Juan Cuadrado and James Rodriguez are all the wrong side of 30. There may be new stars in the pipeline, but clearly, they have come too late for their 2022 World Cup campaign. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean a number of regular World Cup attendees from Africa have failed to make it to Qatar. The Ivory Coast were beaten by Cameroon to miss their second consecutive World Cup, while Nigeria were surprisingly eliminated on away goals by Ghana. The Super Eagles have made six out of the last seven previous competitions and will be devastated to miss out. From North Africa, Egypt’s penalty shootout defeat to Senegal, for the second time in two months, saw Mohamed Salah’s side miss out on World Cup qualifi cation. While The Pharoahs are by no means fl ushed with star talent, the Liverpool winger’s presence alone would have improved the spectacle. Finally, and on the topic of world class players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his Sweden side failed to make it through the European qualifi ers. The 40-year old may no longer be a regular starter for his country, but fans would’ve relished the fi nal opportunity to see the charismatic forward in an international tournament.
back in 2020, but Hansi Flick’s side are no pushovers. Die Mannschaft were impressive in the qualifi ers, winning six of their last seven games and have an array of international experience. Both the Spanish and German squads are going through a transitional period as they look to rebuild with exciting young talent such as Pedri, Ansu Fati, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. For the neutral, the November 27 match should provide top-quality viewing whereas fans of both teams will get a better idea of their capabilities. Another key match-up drawn at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center is that between the top two in last year’s Ballon D’Or, as Lionel Messi and Argentina face a Poland side spearheaded by Robert Lewandowski. Group C is the stage for that fi xture and having fi nally ended their long trophy drought by winning the Copa America in 2021, Argentina will be looking to add to that by lifting the World Cup for a third time. La Albiceleste’s squad might not be as star-studded as in other recent World Cups, however Angel di Maria in midfi eld, Lautaro Martinez up front and the steadying presence of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, should provide a solid platform for Messi to weave his magic. In the other dugout, Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz’s squad looks top-heavy on paper, boasting not only the Bundesliga top-scorer but also Marseille’s Arkadiusz Milik and Fiorentina’s Krzysztof Piatek. Further Serie A contributions will see Piotr Zielinski look to boss the midfi eld while Wojciech Szczesny stands between the sticks. The Polish and Argentinian squads mirror each other in many ways with world-class forwards bringing star quality to an otherwise functional squad. As the two prepare to face-o in the fi nal round of group games, the match could well be decided by which captain comes out on top. Another individual battle worth keeping an eye on is Luis Suarez against the entire nation of Ghana. For historical context, the Black Stars felt cheated out of a place in the last four on a neverto-be-forgotten night at the 2010 World Cup. With their quarter-fi nal match against Uruguay
ABOVE: Ghana have a vendetta to settle against Uruguay
RIGHT: Senegal look to carry their AFCON form into the World Cup
tied going into the fi nal seconds of extra time, Dominic Adiyiah thought he’d won it with a header, only for Suarez to dramatically claw the ball o the line with his hands. Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent spot-kick and Ghana eventually lost on penalties. The 2022 World Cup draw has placed both sides together once again, and with Portugal the favourites to win Group H, Ghana will be desperate to get one over their old nemesis and claim the runners-up spot. On the subject of ancient rivalries, England have been drawn alongside the United States, Iran and one of Scotland, Wales or Ukraine. The USMT haven’t beaten the Three Lions in competitive action since their fi rst ever meeting in the 1950 World Cup but have arguably their fi nest ever crop of players. More recently, at the 2010 tournament, a now infamous howler by goalkeeper Robert Green saw Clint Dempsey securing a draw for his team, with the point contributing to the Stars and Stripes’ qualifi cation to the Round of 16. England will be desperate to secure a win this time around as Group B could well be the most closely fought group, dependent on who out of Scotland, Wales or Ukraine make it through the play-o s. Should the Tartan Army secure qualifi cation, their meeting with Gareth Southgate’s side will take place just one day before the 150th anniversary of the inaugural match in international football, when Scotland hosted England on the November 30 1872. The two sides have faced o many times in the intervening years, with the recent goalless draw at Euro 2020 only serving to embitter the rivalry. The incomplete nature of Group B, in addition to Groups D and E marks another chapter of World Cup history. The 2022 competition is the fi rst time ever that the group stage draw has taken place before all 32 teams have qualifi ed. The unprecedented circumstances of the past two years made fl exibility essential in deciding the AFC and OFC qualifi ers. Australia and the United Arab Emirates face o for the right to play Peru in their play-o fi nal, while New Zealand take on Costa Rica in the other decider on June 13. Sadly, in Europe the situation is more uncertain as the play-o semi-fi nal between Scotland and Ukraine has been indefi nitely postponed to an unfi xed date due to the ongoing Russian invasion. With Wales waiting in the play-o fi nal a winner between the two must eventually be determined, however, it is unlikely that FIFA will force the game to go ahead until the political situation is resolved. Amid widespread political controversy with the Qatar World Cup, this could see yet another unpopular decision made. In spite of all the di culties faced in the organisation of the tournament, hype is already building among fans and teams alike. With an established favourite in each group there’s plenty of potential for an upset, and if anything, 2022 could well be the opportunity for an underdog to shine.
ABOVE: Canada could be the dark horse in Qatar
BELOW LEFT: Germany's Timo Werner (C) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the 3-0 lead during a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying match
BELOW RIGHT: Germany's Mesut Oezil (L) dribbling past Spain's Xabi Alonso (C) and Carles Puyol (R) during the FIFA World Cup 2010 semi fi nal match between Germany and Spain
TOP RIGHT: Lionel Messi may make his fi nal World Cup appearence during the 2022 World Cup
BOTTOM RIGHT: This tournament could be the last international chapter in the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry two sides have faced o many times in the
TOP SERIE A LAST CHANCE PICKS SALOON
There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.
TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to fi nd minutes on the fi eld last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.
FEDERICO CHIESA Fresh from helping Italy win the European Championship the 23-year-old will be hoping to continue the explosive form he displayed during the tournament. Forming a potentially devastating front-three which also includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, it will be interesting to see if coach Max Allegri takes the shackles o his attacking players.
OLIVIER GIROUD The France World Cup Winner has fi nally arrived in Serie A having been linked with a move to the peninsula for years and will now team up with fellow veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud will be tasked with providing the fi repower and linkup play for the Rossoneri to compete in both the Champions League and Serie A.
DENZEL DUMFRIES Wing back Dumfries showcased the full array of his skills during the summer’s
European Championship despite the Netherlands crashing out of the tournament to the Czech Republic. The 25-year-old scored twice and looks ready to fi ll the gap vacated by Achraf Hakimi’s departure to PSG.
VICTOR OSIMHEN The Nigerian striker had a bit of a start stop season last term. Despite su ering injuries and missing games through Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough promise to make him a real danger man heading into this campaign. New Coach Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can get the most out of the attacker and improve on his 10 goals from last year.
As the 2022 World Cup approaches, a number of top players will have earmarked the competition as their last chance to secure the most coveted trophy in football. The past 15 years has been characterised by the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as they competed for the title of the best player in the world. However, with the former turning 35 in June and the latter already 37, Qatar could well be the last World Cup graced by either player. Both players have a selection of league titles, Champions League trophies and personal awards, however, Argentina’s recent Copa America victory means the two players are now also tied on international honours. Going into the winter tournament Portugal arguably have the stronger of the two squads but both nations are well placed to provide a platform for their captains to have one last shot at World Cup glory. Despite their profi le, Messi and Ronaldo are not the only world class players who could be making their international swansong at the 2022 World Cup. Widely considered the third-best goalscorer of the past decade Robert Lewandowski will be 34 when it all kicks o and will be hoping to progress against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Group C. Finally, although fi ve-years younger than his PSG teammate, rumours have emerged this may be Neymar’s fi nal World Cup. The Brazil star is only 30 but an early start to his career and frequent injuries could see the forward call it quits on international football after Qatar. Neymar currently sits just six goals below Pele’s all-time goalscoring record for the Selecao, and may well be able to bow out with another record to his name.
QATAR WORLD
CUP 2022 GLORY
LOVE THEM OR NOT PORTUGAL ALWAYS SEEMS TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE. AS WE COUNTDOWN TO NOVEMBER DANIEL JANICAS BREAKS DOWN PORTUGAL’S CHANCES OF GLORY.
CHASERS
O Once again, it was a rather di cult qualifying campaign for the Seleção as they were forced to punch their ticket to Qatar through the World Cup Playo s. Unlike previous years, Portugal were drawn in the toughest group with the defending European champions, Italy. While it was anticipated that both Portugal and Italy would win their opening matches against Turkey and North Macedonia, respectively, the football Gods simply never allowed it to materialize due to the feistiness of the North Macedonians. Instead, the Portuguese were drawn with North Macedonia in the final, with Bruno Fernandes slotting twice to send Portugal through to their sixth consecutive World Cup appearance. Prior to the games, many pundits and analysts expected Portugal to struggle coming out of the gates, predicting that they would fail to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998. However, the Portuguese were able to turn heads with a new style of play that didn’t rely solely on the prowess of
ABOVE (MAIN):: Portugal celebrate scoring a goal during a Qatar World Cup qualifying match
TOP: Portugal players celebrate after winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-o qualifying soccer match Portugal vs North Macedonia
RIGHT: Portugal fans celebrate the qualifying win
FAR LEFT: Celebrations continue after Portugal scores a goal against North Macedonia
TOP SERIE A THE RONALDO PICKS EFFECT
There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.
TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to find minutes on the field last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.
FEDERICO CHIESA Fresh from helping Italy win the European Championship the 23-year-old will be hoping to continue the explosive form he displayed during the tournament. Forming a potentially devastating front-three which also includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, it will be interesting to see if coach Max Allegri takes the shackles o his attacking players.
OLIVIER GIROUD The France World Cup Winner has finally arrived in Serie A having been linked with a move to the peninsula for years and will now team up with fellow veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud will be tasked with providing the firepower and linkup play for the Rossoneri to compete in both the Champions League and Serie A.
DENZEL DUMFRIES Wing back Dumfries showcased the full array of his skills during the summer’s
European Championship despite the Netherlands crashing out of the tournament to the Czech Republic. The 25-year-old scored twice and looks ready to fill the gap vacated by Achraf Hakimi’s departure to PSG.
VICTOR OSIMHEN The Nigerian striker had a bit of a start stop season last term. Despite su ering injuries and missing games through Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough promise to make him a real danger man heading into this campaign. New Coach Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can get the most out of the attacker and improve on his 10 goals from last year.
Did you know that since donning the colours of his nation (2003), Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to miss out on a single international tournament, holding a perfect qualification record in the process (10/10). Cristiano Ronaldo will be featuring in his fifth World Cup and his tenth major tournament for the Portuguese National Football Team. If fortunate, he will become the first player in the history of the FIFA World Cup to record a goal in five tournaments. While it’s unlikely that he matches Miroslav Klose’s World Cup goal-scoring record (16), it’s more than realistic to expect Ronaldo to set a new high in total international appearances by a footballer, which is currently led by Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa (192). At 186 appearances, Ronaldo only needs seven more caps to surpass Al-Mutawa’s record, which could happen in Qatar if Ronaldo appears in four or more Nations League games over the summer and fall.
QATAR WORLD CUP 2022 THESE STRETCH OF GAMES, STARTING IN JUNE, IS THE PERFECT CHANCE TO OFFER SERIOUS PLAYING OPPORTUNITIES
TOP SERIE A PICKS PORTUGAL TOP SCORERS (WORLD CUP QUALIFYING)
CRISTIANO RONALDO 6 GOALS DIOGO JOTA 5 GOALS BRUNO FERNANDES 3 GOALS JOÃO PALHINHA 2 GOALS OTAVIO 1 GOALS RENATO SANCHES 1 GOALS MATHEUS NUNES 1 GOALS ANDRE SILVA 1 GOALS
DIOGO JOTA ABOVE (MAIN): Portugal player Diogo Jota (5-L) celebrates with team mates after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-o qualifying soccer match between Portugal and Turkey
ABOVE (SMALL): Portugal's Bernardo Silva (C) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Azerbaijan captain Cristiano Ronaldo. Throughout the last couple of tournaments, manager Fernando Santos had been known for deploying his stale, conservative tactics that have resulted in two consecutive round of sixteen exits. Since lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy back in 2016, and claiming the Nations League’s inaugural title, Santos has been regarded by many as a “stubborn mule” who’s unwilling to change or adapt his coaching style to refl ect the current crop of players that he has at his disposal. With months in between the World Cup Qualifying Playo s, and his side’s embarrassing home defeat to the Serbians, Santos had ample amount of time to refl ect on his tactics that put his country in this di cult situation. To the surprise of many, Santos didn’t just make adjustments to the roster, but he even went as far as making serious changes to the starting XI that few would’ve predicted. For starters, he yanked his usual favourite, Rui Patricio, in favour of Porto youngster Diogo Costa. Costa, while heavily inexperienced at the international level, provided Portugal with excellent ball distribution skills from the backend that hadn’t been seen before. This change in goal led to multiple chances being created from Costa alone, but more importantly, it also instilled a new level of confi dence for the four defenders to have in front of their new shot-stopper. Secondly, Santos placed Bernardo Silva in his preferred position centrally. Prior to the last two matches, Santos had always played Bernardo out wide – a position he never quite seemed comfortable in due to his lack of pace. As evident as his play with Manchester City, it’s unquestionable that Bernardo thrives in the No. 10 role centrally, able to pull the strings as the creative outlet that he’s meant to be. Given his undeniable work rate and defensive contributions, this gave Santos further reassurance to make the decision to play him alongside Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park. Finally, Santos decided to give Porto’s Otávio the nod as the starting right-winger in a 4-3-3 setup. This choice ended up shaking many heads and causing many to question Santos’ decision-making process. In the end, however, the decision became a blessing in disguise as Otávio gave the Portuguese that needed grit on the right side that they were lacking all along. In addition, Otávio was the surprise of the semifi nal matchup against Turkey, earning himself the Man-of-the-Match award with a goal, an assist, and an impressive 8.4 match rating – highest amongst all players on the pitch. Heading into the World Cup, the Seleção have six meaningful Nations League games against Spain, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic that must be played. These matches present themselves as crucial preparation games that Santos can use to experiment with new formations, tactics, and players to see what works heading into Qatar. These stretch of games, starting in June, is the perfect chance to o er serious playing opportunities to youngsters João Félix and Rafael Leão, along with other dominant substitutes like Gonçalo Guedes and Andre Silva. As well, this is the time to allow the likes of Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva, and Bruno Fernandes to drive the bus, while
notable veterans such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe seek much-needed rest heading into the summer. Given that there isn’t too much at stake with these games, that should allow Santos to inject new blood into the lineup with Vitinha, Pedro Gonçalves, and potentially Fabio Vieira to see what they can o er in semimeaningful outings. Most importantly, though, this also gives Santos the time to groom a new young centreback that Portugal is in desperate need of with the aging Pepe (39) and Jose Fonte (38). Other than Ruben Dias (24), there aren’t any other young, dominating centrebacks being developed which is deeply problematic heading into the scorching-hot Middle East. Portugal possess one of the deepest and most talented rosters heading into the World Cup. They have enough in goal to keep them at bay (Patricio, Sá & Costa), their fullbacks are well-stocked with prime talent (Cancelo, Guerreiro, Mendes & Dalot), their midfield boasts a lethal combination (Bernardo, Bruno, Renato & Neves/Palhinha), while their attack is led by the greatest international player of all-time (Cristiano Ronaldo) mixed with a dangerous support cast (Jota, Félix, Leão, etc.). With a squad of this caliber, there’s simply no reason why Portugal can’t go the length of the way. On their day, Portugal can compete and match with anyone on talent alone, but their Achilles’ heel has always been their coach and what tactics he decides to deploy. If Santos can muster up the right formula for this group, then it’s going to be hard to stop them in their tracks. But that’s a big “if” to ask, and if “ifs” always materialized then Cristiano Ronaldo would’ve already lifted the World Cup Trophy above his head.
ABOVE: Cristiano Ronaldo (R) of Portugal celebrates after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 group A qualification soccer match between Portugal and Ireland
BELOW: Portugal player Pepe celebrates after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-o qualifying soccer match TOP SERIE A THE ENGINEER PICKS OR THE There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku DESTROYER? moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.
TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to find minutes on the field last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.
FEDERICO CHIESA Fresh from helping Italy win the European Championship the 23-year-old will be hoping to continue the explosive form he displayed during the tournament. Forming a potentially devastating front-three which also includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, it will be interesting to see if coach Max Allegri takes the shackles o his attacking players.
OLIVIER GIROUD The France World Cup Winner has finally arrived in Serie A having been linked with a move to the peninsula for years and will now team up with fellow veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud will be tasked with providing the firepower and linkup play for the Rossoneri to compete in both the Champions League and Serie A.
DENZEL DUMFRIES Wing back Dumfries showcased the full array of his skills during the summer’s
European Championship despite the Netherlands crashing out of the tournament to the Czech Republic. The 25-year-old scored twice and looks ready to fill the gap vacated by Achraf Hakimi’s departure to PSG.
VICTOR OSIMHEN The Nigerian striker had a bit of a start stop season last term. Despite su ering injuries and missing games through Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough promise to make him a real danger man heading into this campaign. New Coach Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can get the most out of the attacker and improve on his 10 goals from last year.
Fernando Santos has been public enemy No. 1 for quite some time, especially with his side’s recent short comings in the previous European Championship. While he loves to stick with his conventional 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 tactics, many pundits, analysts, and even fans have called for him to adopt a 3-5-2 formation, which would better serve his squad given their strength in fullbacks. With the explosiveness and speed that João Cancelo and Nuno Mendes possess on the flanks, mixed with the creativity and hunger that Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Renato Sanches, and João Palhinha all hold, the setup would allow for this type of talent to play in their preferred positions. With an abundance of riches at virtually every position, Santos has the key to unlock Portugal’s hopes of potentially lifting a World Cup. It’s up to him to show whether he’s truly The Engineer or simply The Destroyer of Portugal’s current Golden Generation.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION IS A TRUE-LIFE EXPERIENCE. FOR PLAYERS AND TEAMS, NO ONE LEAVES A QUALIFICATION CYCLE THE SAME AS THEY STARTED. SOME MATURE AND GROW AND BECOME A MUCH BETTER SIDE AS THE MATCHES UNFOLD, WHILE OTHERS FALL APART AND FALL TO THE WAYSIDE. THE 2022 CONCACAF WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION CYCLE IS NO DIFFERENT. WITH ALL THE MATCHES NOW COMPLETE AND THE WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION PICTURE LARGELY COMPLETE (HELLO, COSTA RICA!) HERE ARE TEN LESSONS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED AHEAD OF QATAR 2022.
10.) NORTH AMERICA IS AT THE TOP OF THE TABLE For the fi rst time in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifi cation history, all three automatic spots will be coming out of North America with Canada, Mexico, and the United States advancing to Qatar. Of the three sides, the biggest surprise is Canada, who will be making their fi rst appearance since 1986.
9.) MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR OPPORTUNITIES Canada’s story is perhaps the most CONCACAF-y of CONCACAF stories. The side was originally slated to be placed in a second-tier bracket where their best chance of qualifying would come via a playo against the fi rst-tier bracket and then an intercontinental playo . But with the COVID-19 pandemic, the federation had to reverse course, going back to the more traditional format. That, coupled with two extra teams added to the fi nal round, gave Canada and new coach Jon Herdman extra incentive to speed up their development process and go for a top three spot.
MAIN (OPPOSITE PAGE): Canada celebrating their win as they qualify for the World Cup
SMALL (TOP, OPPOSITE PAGE): Home-grown Lucas Cavallini has been an integral part of Canada's sucess
ABOVE: The USMNT celebrates after winning a CONCACAF qualifying match
LEFT: USA International Weston McKennie is a key part of Juventus as well
BELOW: Alphonso Davies in action for Canada
UNEXPECTED
TOP SERIE A CONCACAF PICKS BEST XI
There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.
TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to fi nd minutes on the fi eld last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.
FEDERICO CHIESA Fresh from helping Italy win the European Championship the 23-year-old will be hoping to continue the explosive form he displayed during the tournament. Forming a potentially devastating front-three which also includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, it will be interesting to see if coach Max Allegri takes the shackles o his attacking players.
OLIVIER GIROUD The France World Cup Winner has fi nally arrived in Serie A having been linked with a move to the peninsula for years and will now team up with fellow veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud will be tasked with providing the fi repower and linkup play for the Rossoneri to compete in both the Champions League and Serie A.
DENZEL DUMFRIES Wing back Dumfries showcased the full array of his skills during the summer’s
European Championship despite the Netherlands crashing out of the tournament to the Czech Republic. The 25-year-old scored twice and looks ready to fi ll the gap vacated by Achraf Hakimi’s departure to PSG.
VICTOR OSIMHEN The Nigerian striker had a bit of a start stop season last term. Despite su ering injuries and missing games through Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough promise to make him a real danger man heading into this campaign. New Coach Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can get the most out of the attacker and improve on his 10 goals from last year.
This World Cup Qualifi cation cycle was marked by some incredible performances from across all eight sides. Here is the best XI from the region as selected by Soccer 360 Magazine reporter Sean Maslin.
MILAN BORJAN
GOALKEEPER Milan Borjan (Canada) DEFENDERS
Ronald Matarrita (Costa Rica),
Walker Zimmerman (United States),
Hector Moreno (Mexico), and Alistair Johnson (Canada) MIDFIELDERS
Weston McKennie (United States), Michail Antonio (Jamaica),
Christian Pulisic (United States), Hector Herrera (Mexico) FORWARDS Cyle Larin (Canada) and Jonathan David (Canada) RESERVES Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico),
Kendall Waston (Costa Rica), Anibal Godoy (Panama),
Brendan Aaronson (United States),
Tyler Adams (United States), Tajon Buchanan (Canada), Raul Jimenez (Mexico) TYLER ADAMS
