Colombia and Poland shocked, Japan and Senegal soar – 5 things we learned
Group H is arguably one of the more “balanced” groups at this summer’s World Cup. With a quartet comprised of Colombia, Senegal, Japan, and Poland, this is one pack that truly anyone can top it, whilst anyone can end up heading home.
Of course, football’s appeal is its unpredictable nature, and this group certainly did not disappoint. Colombia, by virtue of their excellent performance at the last World Cup, are viewed as the heavy favorites win Group H. Meanwhile, there are those who view Poland as another serious contender due to their top ten ranking, although in all honesty, Adam Nawalka’s side were fortunate to be placed in a very easy qualifying group and have successfully worked the ranking scales in their favor.
To sum it up, Senegal and Japan are viewed as outsiders by most analysts, and both the Blue Samurai and the Lions of Teranga showed that they aren’t at this summer’s tournament just to make up the numbers. Here are five notable things we learned from matchday one in Group H, which turned out to be an exciting affair for both fans and neutrals alike.
1. FIFA’s rankings mean little when it comes to real life
Poland are ranked sixth in the world, but anyone who has followed the FIFA rankings will know that these rankings are just made up with a series of formulas. Remember Greece back in the noughties? They managed to stay in the top ten thanks to their impressive EURO 2004 win and carefully selecting who they took on in friendlies. Poland has done the same, benefiting from being in a qualifying group in which Denmark were their only threat and avoiding sides like Germany, Spain, and France.
However, the EURO 2016 quarter-finalists did nothing to show they should be in the top ten as they struggled badly against a Senegal side who were simply hungrier and more determined. Poland, then, will need to step up and show that they’re not so highly ranked just by a fluke as they look to make a real impact at this summer’s World Cup.
2. Robert Lewandowski clearly can’t do it all alone
Like Portugal and Argentina, who rely on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Poland are also heavily dependent on their skipper. However, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, who has clearly shown he’s ready and able to carry Portugal on his shoulders, Robert Lewandowski has yet to show the same ability. Against Senegal, he cut a frustrated figure, and starved of service, was largely invisible for significant spells of the game. When he did get a sniff of the ball, he was quickly shut down. Lewandowski isn’t a player who can usually create something out of nothing – he needs reliable service to do maximum damage – and hopefully that’s something Poland will be able to improve on in order to get back on track.
3. Senegal are Africa’s best hope
With Morocco and Egypt already out, whilst Tunisia and Nigeria’s hopes hang in the balance, Senegal made Africa proud with their excellent performance against Poland. The Lions of Teranga are only in their second World Cup, but they certainly did not look like it as they outplayed Poland from start to finish. Whilst there are still some issues to sort out – namely their final ball – they looked promising and will be looking to continue in this same vein of form in order to ensure Africa has a representative in the round of 16.
4. Colombia lost the plot early on
A reckless handball was enough to seal Colombia’s fate against Japan. What Carlos Sanchez was thinking as he attempted to block Japan’s shot, no one else but him will know. However, what’s certain is that he doomed his team from the start, as Japan then went 1-0 up and really didn’t need to do much, but Colombia had it all to do.
Unfortunately, that early penalty undid any attacking plans they may have had. Both Juan Cuadrado and James Rodriguez failed to make any impact after being introduced as subs, and despite clawing their way back, their man disadvantage again proved to be their undoing as Japan snatched a late goal.
5. Could Japan present Asia’s representative in the round of 16?
Japan haven’t had the best record at World Cups, to say the least. Although they’ve qualified for the last six tournaments, they have only managed to clear the group stage in 2002 and 2010. However, with this vital win in hand, they have set themselves up well, provided they can pick up something against fellow group leaders Senegal and a shell-shocked Poland.
The round of 16 could be a lot more diverse than fans would have expected, with both Africa and Asia also having representatives, alongside a slew of European and South American sides. It’s early on, but Japan, who sacked their coach shortly before this tournament, have shown they’re ready to mix it up and should not be written off too quickly.
With Japan and Senegal sitting joint top of the group, things will definitely be interesting over the next two matchdays. Will Colombia suffer an early exit? And will Poland be able to show that they should be ranked in the top ten? Matchday two will throw up a whole bunch of interesting outcomes, that’s for certain!
