“You have to show up in the World Cup, and in the World Cup anything can happen”
– Lionel Messi
A truer, more fitting quote is difficult to find, especially in retrospect to the unpredictable climate of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, created in no small part by Saudi Arabia’s brilliant performance and victory in an early Group C match against Argentina.
Although some pubs are offering a football-free haven, myself and many others have been bolted to our chairs at such turns of the world cup so far. Even though Argentina has now secured a place in the Round of 16, matches such as these lend both an exciting, and possibly lucrative, atmosphere to the World Cup.
Why and how is this world cup different?
The Qatar World Cup, although surrounded by controversy and legislation disputes, remains an undeniably historic event marked by some seriously eccentric moments. Japan and Saudi Arabia, with only Japan now reaching the Round of 16, recorded incredible victories against Germany, Argentina and Spain, not too dissimilar from some of the more historic world cup upsets such as the France 0-1 Senegal / 2002 World Cup or Italy 0-1 Costa Rica / Brazil 2014.
This is ignoring other bits of strangeness, such as a moment of bated breath following a 0-0 tie between the USA and UK. Despite being surrounded by the comical chanting of American Fans “it’s called soccer”, this match called into question the UK’s ability to pull through in the world cup after all.
A Shakeup of Perceptions…
Despite many people simply rooting for their home team, upsets such as these create an undeniable shakeup in the world’s perception of football superpowers. Even the “heroes” can get hurt sometimes. Amongst this unpredictability there are, naturally, the expected landslide wins in the group stage so far; an England 6-2 Iran match alongside a Spain 7-0 Costa Rica, and the more standard wins and losses of Portugal 2-0 Uruguay and Brazil 1-0 Switzerland.
How can such a shakeup possibly benefit me?
In times of turmoil, much like a stock-trader monitors the fluctuations of the world’s markets in an economic downturn, one can capitalize on times of uncertainty. With a roughly 80% chance favoring a win for Argentina in the fated match versus Saudi Arabia, almost no one could have predicted a fairytale victory for the Saudi Arabian team, which made any of those who decided to bet big on any of the most popular betting apps certifiable winners.
The reality is that although not every outcome can be as bombastic as the matches already played, there is still some serious opportunity for matches and fantastic world cup moments; a perfect environment for the passionate betting enthusiast to rake in some seriously large rewards.
With the world being as uncertain as it is about the most popular and historically powerful teams, the odds on betting sites will reflect this mood healthily. Research, in this case, is a best friend, but also good betting practices and taking a chance on some of the unexpected high-performers.
The future as we know it: Brazil, France, Argentina
Heading into the end of the round-of-16 and quarter-finals, the expected big winners are Brazil, France and Argentina, all three of which have been past victors. Backed by the highest level of both players, coaching and having recorded fantastic results so far, these three are amongst the top of the predicted winners for the world cup so far.
The future as we may know it: Netherlands, Portugal, Japan
Although the likes of the Netherlands, Portugal and the fiery team Japan have surely shown their ferocity in the group stage, it is still to be tested whether or not they have the mettle to take home the cup. Despite this, here are some of the highlights of each team to consider their chance to break the mold and truly advance.
Netherlands
Recording a fantastic set of games during the group stage and only submitting single 1-1 against Ecuador, the Netherlands have a great chance at advancing the cup behind some truly fantastic gamesense on coach Louis van Gaal and one of their team’s best, defender Virgil van Dijk.
Portugal
Is this finally the year? Although not explicitly mentioned, many football fans are describing the 2022 Qatar Cup as a theoretical last dance between Portugal’s superstar Ronaldo and Messi. Although Argentina are favored to win at least part of the upcoming stages, team Portugal, behind the leadership of Fernando Santos’, the morale-boost of Cristiano and the hidden power of players such as Bernando Silva, have more than a decent chance at succeeding, despite the odds.
Japan
Like a crouching tiger, Japan awaited a chance to pounce. Wataru Endo, defensive midfielder for team Japan, has been a staple of the team and the real backbone of fantastic goals from Ritsu
Doan, Ao Tanaka and Takuma Asano. A burning passion seems to drive the team, despite a lack of breakout star talent.
Conclusions and the need for research
Although not a full compilation of team statistics and predictions for the exact chance at taking home the cup, these are simply a few highlights of interesting performances thus far. Research and gut-feeling are always the keys to a proper betting experience.
This is a submitted article.
