Just for a bit of fun, which Sunderland player will go furthest in the World Cup?
We have Granit Xhaka (Switzerland), Brian Brobbey and Robin Roefs (Holland), Noah Sadiki and former Sunderland defender Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Wilson Isidor (Haiti), Habib Diarra (Senegal), Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Omar Alderete (Paraguay), Nilson Angulo (Ecuador) and Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast).
From the starting forty eight teams, the top two from twelve groups of four qualify. Eight best third-place finishes
bring the total to thirty two. Let’s start with the relatively easy ones…
Haiti are almost certain to finish bottom of their group (which also includes Brazil, Morocco and Scotland), whereas Holland (Japan, Sweden, Tunisia) and Switzerland (Canada, Bosnia, Qatar) will qualify for the round of thirty two — probably at the top of their groups.
Morocco are highly likely to finish second behind Brazil and go through, but then it gets harder to predict as it’s based not only on who finishes third in a group but on their points total and perhaps their goal difference. Any nation securing four points will almost certainly go through.
Senegal will fight it out with Norway for second place in group I behind France, with Iraq as the whipping boy. Norway look like they could be a dark horse in the competition, so I think Senegal will finish third and probably struggle to get through as one of the better-placed third-place teams.
Group D includes Paraguay, USA, Turkey and Australia and is an awkward one to predict, but I have a suspicion that Paraguay might do well. Apparently their defence is strong (no surprise there) and they’re happy to soak up pressure for long periods — which might frustrate the attacking threat of Turkey and the partisan USA crowd.
Call me prejudiced, but I’d love the USA to come third in the group — or better still, last, so I’m going to go with my heart on this one and suggest Paraguay will qualify for the group stages behind the Turks, with the USA third.
Group K includes DR Congo and Uzbekistan, but also Portugal and Colombia, who are highly likely to take the top two places.
Third place will come down to the result of the DR Congo-Uzbekistan game. If it’s a draw, they’re both out, but whoever wins will end on three points. As both are likely to take a battering from Portugal and Colombia, their goal difference will be weak, so I’m going to suggest they’re both out, regardless.
Go with the form tables or betting, and Germany should easily top group E, with Ecuador and the Ivory Coast fighting it out for second place. However, I don’t believe this German team is as good as they look on paper.
A lot of Germany’s stars have had indifferent seasons, including Nick Woltemade, who apart from a stunning centre forward’s header at Sunderland, did little. I think Ecuador and/or the Ivory Coast could take points from Germany. With Curaçao the whipping boys, goal difference should see whoever finishes third through, so I’m going to go with the Ivory Coast in second place and Ecuador third.
After all that, we’re left with lots of Sunderland interest in the round of thirty two: Xhaka (Switzerland), Roefs and Brobbey (Holland), Talbi (Morocco), Alderete (Paraguay), Adingra (Ivory Coast) and Angulo (Ecuador).
To make it easier when considering the last sixteen, let’s assume that the teams going through as best-placed third place finishers get knocked out, which leaves us with Switzerland, Holland, Morocco, Paraguay and the Ivory Coast to consider.
Switzerland play a third place qualifier; Holland will likely play Morocco, Paraguay will play the runner-up from Group G (Belgium, Iran, New Zealand, Egypt), and most likely, Iran and the Ivory Coast will play Norway.
Switzerland should make it to the last sixteen.
Given that I’m not a great fan of Holland’s manager and one of their better players in Virgil Van Dijk had a poor season, I’m going to back Morocco to get through that one. Paraguay have a great chance of beating Iran, but the Ivory Coast’s run will probably end against Norway.
So in the last sixteen, we still have interest (aside from England, of course), with Xhaka (Switzerland), Talbi (Morocco) and Alderete (Paraguay) still in play. At this level, there are many permutations but the best guess is that Switzerland will face France, Morocco will face Canada and Paraguay will face Belgium.
So it’s likely “goodbye” to Switzerland and although Canada is a home nation, I can see Morocco scraping through that one. Logic states Belgium will beat Paraguay, but it’ll be close. So we finally have a winner, with Morocco (Talbi) reaching the last eight. He’s not a regular starter for Morocco, but I predict he takes the crown.
In the last eight (based on even more guesswork), Morocco will face France and their road will probably end there. Hopefully, at that point, England will remain in the competition in order to keep the interest going.
