Which Teams Will Surprise and Which Teams Will Disappoint in Russia?

Portugal really surprised me at Euro 216, They didn't play champagne football. They were very well-organized and hard to break down. They've shed their reputation for being artists who lacked grit. They are certainly not a one-man team. People will write them off at their own peril.

 

I fully agree with the teams that will disappoint. I think all these three teams will crash out of their groups. Regarding the surprise teams I would have agreed as well but Denmark has a tough task with France and Peru. Peru themselves could turn out to be a surprise. Morocco and Uruguay are good picks. I stick to those picks as well. I notice you made this post even before the draw. One of your surprise teams (Morocco) got groupped with one of your disappointing teams (Portugal). You would now pick Morocco over Portugal to advance in the same group?

 

Portugal and Poland I think will do better then expected.

 

Surprise ... Egypt , Costa Rica , Peru , Nigeria
Disappoint... Russia, Argentina , Poland, Switzerland

 

By "better than expected", you mean at least the semis, right? Since they are both #1 seeds, they have to reach the quarterfinals even to meet expectations.

 

I think Egypt with Salah is going to surprise everyone as well as Japan.

Disappointments will be Mexico ( i really hope im wrong on this one) and Argentina.

 

Interesting. Most people don't expect much from them either. I will go even as far as I say that both teams might fail to meet even the low expectations. I predict that two seeded teams will go home after the group stage. I'm between Russia, Portugal and Poland.

 

Will disappoint: AFC representatives (2 with brand new coaches).
Will not disappoint: CAF representatives (1 quarter-finalist).

 

I am surprised by How underrated Portugal are, everywhere you go nobody mentions them as a even an underdog favorite. A team that won the euros, that knows how to play in tournaments, with a much better roster than they had at the euros, I am expecting them to do well. I think Spain, Germany, France, Argentina are the favorites (thought I have my doubts with Argentina) but I would have Portugal and Belgium the next favorites after them.

Portugal has a great goaltender, A top left back in Raphael (best LB at Euro 2016 and probably should have won best young player award over Sanches) A still great veteran CB in Pepe, a young star CB in Dias at Benfica who I believe will partner him, and a plethora of top right backs to choose from, Barcelona's Semedo, Inter Milan's Cancelo, Porto's Pereira, and Southamptons Cedric. Plus a rock solid one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe in William Carvalho (how the hell Sporting have held onto him is a shame to me), so defensively Portugal is pretty rock solid.

And then in the Midfield ahead of Carvalho you have Man City's Bernardo Silva who has been excellent when he plays at City, scoring so many big goals, the first real world class playmaker they have had probably since Deco, so you have Silva providing balls to the lethal duo up front for Portugal in Ronaldo and Andre Silva (although I believe Valencia's star player Guedes may start with Ronaldo) and then either the Veteran classy midfielder Moutinho or the rugged Adrien Silva in the middle, and on the left of midfield either Joao Mario, Andre Gomes, or possibly Gelson Martins the young Sporting wizard winger. Heck maybe the golden boy at the moment regarded as one of the best young midfielders in Europe Ruben Neves breaks the starting lineup over one of them.

Again if you look at the roster they have, the experience they have, the fact they have performed very well in tournaments since Euro 2000, one of the top 3 most consistent teams in tournaments since then (4 euro semis and 2 finals in the past 5 tourney's) I am quite surprised they aren't talked about as a potential favorite. Euro 2000 Semi's, 2004 Euro Finals, 2006 WC Semi's, 2008 Euro quarters, 2010 WC round of 16, 2012 Euro Semi's, 2014 disappointment, 2016 Euro Champions. And yet still before a tournament starts.......nobody mentions their names as even an underdog bet, it always seems to amaze me that we seem to "surprise people".....over and over.....and over again.

 

Whoops my apologies, I forgot to mention Bruno Fernandes who has been a phenom with Sporting this year, the first real legit attacking CentreMid we have had in forever, he should probably start in the middle ahead of Moutinho or Adrien.

 

Didn't you forget a team?

 

Not sure why you replied to my message, which talked about only Asian and African representatives at the world cup. Maybe you meant to reply to someone else.

 

Will surprise: Egypt, Mexico, Iceland.

Will disappoint: Germany, Poland, Argentina.

 

I think we all know why Portugal does not get credit or mention as being a real contender for the World Cup. It is the way they won the Euro. They finished third in the group, they did not win any of their games in regulation until the semis and they eked out results with defense and organization as compared to teams that played better possession and sexier/ more aesthetically pleasing football.
The odds of them doing that in a World Cup are very low.
Can they be like Italy? Sure. There is a chance. But many people think they will be more like Greece than Italy.

 

Greece didn't have players such as Cristiano Ronaldo Bernardo Silva William Carvalho etc but only someone knowing football can get that....
Portugal is not a fluke but a country that got several euro and world cup semi finals....

 

I agree.
I personally think that they can make it to the Semis, More than likely the Quarters like a lot of other teams like Colombia and Croatia and Belgium.
But a real contender to win the World Cup??? They will have to do it before people take them seriously (along with the other teams I mentioned.)

 

I also think quarters is a realistic target for Portugal, no matter if they finish first or second of group B (I think everyone agrees on the fact that another group exit would be a huge disappointment).
They would face the likes of Uruguay, Russia or Egypt (I write S.A. off, time can prove me wrong) and well, against Uruguay in my opinion its a 50-50, against the other two Portuguese are clear favourites.

Now when you look up to the quarters, they could meet teams like Argentina, France (hungry for a tasty revenge) most likely, which I think is maybe too difficult for them to handle.

However its clearly possible as Portugal is one of those nations able to beat any opponent on a good day, so we shall see!!

 

Portugal took a team like Spain at their top who was world champion and about to become double european champions to pk in euro 2012 semi finals in Poland-Ukraine.
They eventually won against France in France even with their legend leaving the pitch at the beginning of the match.
So i don't see why Portugal on a neutral pitch with their main players on could not beat France? Lloris debuchy digne the midfielders and giroud are far to be the kind of players against whom Portugal would seem weak...
It would be 50-50 again.

 

Euro 2016 was a weird competition, all teams beating their black beasts.
Historically Portugal struggles against France, France has a better squad this world cup around and as I said will be hungry for revenge after that 2016 loss.

I definitely think France would be one of the worst if not the worst pick for Portugal to go through.

 

Yes historically Portugal struggled against France and they eventually turned it the other way around by winning in France this was my point.
France even with their best generations had tough games against Portugal even with Platini Zidane etc it was tight games so i don't see this french generation with very average players for international level in half of the team having the edge against a Portugal that got a very balanced team with leaders a legend and that eventually broke the curse to win a major title.
I don't see how it can't be 50-50 even with hunger for revenge...
There is as much quality in portuguese team with cr7 bernardo silva guedes william carvalho pepe guerrero as there is in french team.

 

Very average players in half of the team? I do not think anyone objective would agree with that, especially since most people admit that France has one of the best squads if not the best of this tourmament, just pointing our lack of team play as a big weakness.

Portugal is certainly a very good nation, almost reaching historical top nations but all I am saying is that against Argentina or France, they would clearly not be the favourites and a victory would be more unlikely than likely to occure.
Just like Euro final victory was a surprise for everyone.

There is absolutely no shame in that, and once again I said it earlier, I will say it again, but on their day they can beat anyone.

If you think Portugal are favourites against these 2 big dogs go ahead and bet some money, but I’m not sure that you would

 

I agree with what you're saying, and I fully get why Portugal may not get the respect i believe they should receive, for the reasons you mention, but Portugal is miles and miles more talented than Greece.

 

As a Portuguese, and supporter, I do agree. I spend most time feeling the need to defend Portugal against what seems to be everyone. However I never claim we are elite or in the same breath as the giants of football. Both France and Argentina would have to be considered favorites in a potential qf meeting. Well Argentina, I'm currently not sure what to think.

 

I mean very average for top international level as a world champion contender yes. Lloris to me is not the goalkeeper that takes you to a world cup title. He never won anything in his career even if he had good games there or there...he is not a winner.
I think that the left and right backs especially with Mendy injury are nothing special. Sidibe that i find really average defensively and technically is also injured. Who will play at the right side? Debuchy? Sarr? Not world champion material.

Varane and Umtiti play in big clubs but they are not the leaders in their defenses and low their level when they don't have Pique or Ramos around them.

I believe Giroud is far to be a top international level striker...even if he is not bad.

Griezmann Mbappe Kante Pogba are amaizing players but the team is unbalanced.

I know France is among favorites even though i don't consider them as strong as Spain Brazil and Germany are.
I think that french team has been a bit overrated and that portuguese team is a bit underated but that they are close in level.

Portugal with the team:

Rui patricio semedo pepe bruno alves guerrero william carvalho andre gomes bernardo silva guedes cr7 andre silva got a XI that matches French XI to me with a real tough organisation and a boss in the backline and at the difference there is not a cr7 in france.

But let's agree to disagree.

 

Yes indeed.

I am just implying that winning the Euro has no correlation with a team doing well in the World Cup. I was not trying to compare their rosters and individual players.