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The 2022 World Cup reached the quarterfinals with favorites still in contention. Brazil, France, England and Argentina are the teams most likely to win the title and, for the time being, they have survived setbacks and setbacks that other teams have not been able to avoid.
The last improbable result resulted in the elimination of Spain, which did not break through Morocco’s blockade yesterday (6th) and, with an inefficient ‘tiki-taka’, said goodbye to the competition in Qatar.
Before, Germany, four-time world champion, Belgium and Uruguay had already stayed by the way, registering zebras in the Cup. See what happened to famous teams that fell and were embarrassed at the 2022 World Cup.
Spain
After a 7-0 defeat in Costa Rica in their debut, Spain painted as one of the favorites for the title. Coach Luis Enrique also gained prominence, with a statement that his team had the best football in the Cup.
The elastic result in the first round, however, almost exhausted the Spanish offensive production in Doha. Draw with Germany (1 to 1), defeat to Japan (2 to 1) and draw (0 to 0) and elimination on penalties for Morocco made the local press detonate the campaign. Among the criticisms, the main one was for the football without objectivity.
Luis Enrique, Spain’s World Cup coach
Image: Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Germany
Joshua Kimmich of Germany in the match against Costa Rica
Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Four-time world champion, Germany always comes to the World Cups with prominence. In reformulation, the selection coached by Hansi Flick disappointed and fell in the first phase. Kimmich, Gnabry, Musiala, Havertz and company were unable to advance to the knockout stage mainly because of the defeat to Japan (2-1), in the debut, in the upset.
Belgium
De Bruyne regrets Belgium’s missed chance against Croatia
Image: Ercin Erturk/Getty
The “great Belgian generation”, responsible for eliminating Brazil in the Russian Cup in 2018, has aged and cracked. With Lukaku not being 100% physically and De Bruyne ‘alone’ in the midst of a team without many ideas, the European team was surprised by Morocco and failed to break through the Croatian blockade in the last round, falling by the way in the group stage. Eden Hazard symbolizes the decadence between one Cup and another.
Uruguay
Luis Suarez cried with the elimination of Uruguay in the World Cup
Image: Maja Hitij – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Luis Suárez and Cavani, both aged 35, did not make it to the tournament in Qatar because of their advanced age. But the Uruguayans had hype before the start of the Cup because of names like Valverde, who shines in the midfield of Real Madrid, Darwin Núñez, of Liverpool, and Arrascaeta, idol and multi-champion for Flamengo.
The South American attack, however, did not work in the first rounds and there was the impression that coach Diego Alonso made a mistake in the strategy, putting Fla’s creation midfielder in the starting line-up only in the last round (2-0 against Ghana, with two goals precisely from Arrascaeta).
Denmark
Kasper Dolberg regrets Denmark’s elimination in the first round
Image: Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Denmark arrived in Qatar surrounded by expectations and a candidate to go far. It had reached the semifinals of the last Euro, when it was eliminated by England in extra time, and had beaten France twice in the League of Nations.
The previous performance did not ‘enter the field’ in the Cup and the expectation was not fulfilled. Eriksen and company left Qatar without a win (a draw with Tunisia and losses to France and Australia), finishing bottom of Group D.
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