It’s been an exciting World Cup so far. Twelve games played already, and at the end of today, it will be fifteen games done. We have seen thirty-nine goals so far, but let’s sum up what the World Cup has been so far for us.
An All-Over-The-Place Performance From African Teams
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Since South Africa’s 2-0 loss on the first day to Mexico, it has been a mixed performance from the continent. Tunisia embarrassed everyone when they lost 5-1 to Sweden; we all thought South Africa was worse; this was terrible.
Well, only Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco have everyone smiling. Côte d’Ivoire beat Ecuador 1-0, and Morocco played a 1-1 draw with Brazil.
Cabo Verde and Egypt play later, and we all pray they don’t end up like Tunisia.
Now, who did England offend?
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The 3 Lions do not play until Wednesday, but the stories around them feel like they offended the gods or some mystical powers.
On Tuesday, the 9th of June, England’s pre-World Cup training camp in West Palm Beach, Florida, was shaken by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake, the strongest that the region has experienced in 150 years. Although no injuries, casualties, or property damages occurred at the England camp or across Florida.
On Saturday, 13th June, England’s World Cup camp was hit by theft. Training equipment, official match balls, and several players’ boots were reportedly stolen while being transported to the team’s base in Kansas City. Fortunately for England, local police quickly investigated the theft, detained suspects, and recovered most of the stolen items before the team’s tournament preparations were seriously affected.
On Sunday, 14th June, after the England squad had just arrived in Kansas City. The city was hit by severe weather. Local authorities issued a tornado warning and severe thunderstorm alerts, with forecasts of winds reaching up to 80 mph (129 km/h). Players and staff were advised to stay indoors and take shelter while tornado sirens sounded across the city.
The storm brought heavy rain, lightning and strong winds, forcing fan events to close early and disrupting activities around the city. Reports indicate England’s squad remained safe at their hotel and their training schedule was not significantly affected.
We think they might need some prayers.
Huge Teams Have Been Quiet Relentless With The Goals
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Germany recorded the biggest scoreline so far with a Sunday 7-1 win against Curaçao. Germany ranked 10th in the world, against 80th-ranked Curaçao. It was a David vs Goliath situation, only this time Goliath won.
From start to finish, it was attack after attack like a video game on easy mode. Curaçao tried, but Germany was already in no-mercy settings.
Even the consolation goal couldn’t slow them down; Germany just said “nice one… anyway” and kept scoring.
Big teams are still ruthless and will always baptise the smaller teams with goals.
And Yet, We Still Have More Shocking Moments
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Qatar and Australia have shocked us so far. Qatar surprised many by holding Switzerland to a 1-1 draw. Few gave them a chance against the higher-rated Europeans, but they showed resilience and grabbed a valuable point.
Australia also caused a stir with a convincing 2-0 victory over Turkey. The Socceroos were organised, clinical, and looked every bit like a team ready to challenge expectations. While the giants continue to flex their muscles, teams like Qatar and Australia are proving that this World Cup could have a few surprises up its sleeve.
After all, what’s a World Cup without a shock or two?
