QATAR 2022: World Cup shocks — do group stage surprises make for a less entertaining football tournament?

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The 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar has thrown up some big shocks, making for superb drama. But is it good for the tournament in the long run?

There have been a worrying number of goalless draws and a couple of thrashings dished out by England and Spain. But most memorable so far have been two genuine surprises, both similar in nature. Saudi Arabia and Japan inflicted 2-1 defeats on Argentina and Germany, respectively, both having been 1-0 down at half-time.All this inevitably prompted debate about the greatest World Cup shocks ever.

The knockout stage, by its nature, allows for shocks. But even the group stage is played over a short period of three games, from which we draw grand conclusions. If that sounds harsh on the underdogs, it’s worth remembering that shocks generally come in two different forms. Either the underdog’s victory is slightly fortunate considering their performance, and they’ve defied the xG gods. In which case the result probably doesn’t lend itself to future classic matches.

When there’s a highly dramatic group stage, with several favourites falling, the knockout stage tends to be underwhelming. World Cup 2002 is a good example.

 

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