The opening games of any World Cup are some of the most important games. Not only do they give your nation the opportunity to earn points which could lead them out of the group stage, but these early results have a huge impact on team morale and mental outlook for the tournament. The importance of these games cannot be overstated, and it often results in upsets due to the large rewards or consequences of winning or losing these games. I am going to be discussing a few of the opening games along with my predictions for them.
The first game of the Qatar World Cup will take place on November 20th at the Al Bayt Stadium. This game will be Qatar against Ecuador. Every World Cup is kicked off by the host nation playing and this one is no different. This will be a massive test for Qatar as they didn’t need to qualify for the World Cup, due to being the host country. Although they are not the favorites to win this game, their home nation advantage as well as the electric support from the fans could give them the edge in this one. This is compounded by Ecuador having few standout players and a predictable style of play. I think that this game will end with Qatar winning 1-0.
The second week-one game I will be discussing is USA vs Wales, which will be played in the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium on November 23rd. This will be a huge game for both teams. They are in a very competitive group and this game could be the deciding factor on whether or not they make it through to the knockout stages. Overall, the USMNT has a much better team, but Wales has far better individual stars, including Gareth Bale. As a result, I think that neither team will gain an advantage in this matchup, leading my prediction to be a 1-1 draw.
The final first-round game that I will be talking about is Belgium vs Canada. This game is taking place on November 23rd in the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium. The reason I selected this game is that it will be one of the highest-quality games prior to the knockout stages. Canada is likely going to be one of the biggest underdogs in this competition. Although Belgium has an excellent team, they may underestimate Canada and be caught out. Nonetheless, this game is going to be very exciting even if you are not a fan of either team. Canada is certainly going to put up a fight regardless of the score, but my prediction for this game is 2-1 to Belgium.
These exciting games make up just a fraction of the first round. My fingers are crossed that my predictions are correct, but more importantly that you are able to watch these games and enjoy the competition. Thank you for tuning into my final post as we kick off the Qatar World Cup.
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