Qatar 2022: place in the round of 16

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DOHA, Qatar | From now on, there is no more tomorrow, no more match to forget the previous one. You win or you go home. And fans are entitled to a strong start to the elimination phase with very interesting duels. Here's a roundup of the first four clashes in the Round of 16. 

This is a more than interesting clash because it is difficult to determine who has the advantage before the initial whistle. The Dutch are very disciplined tactically while the Americans have a very high level of effort. It is also difficult to measure the real value of the Netherlands who finished first in a group that can be considered a little easier. They scored plenty of goals, however, and defensively they were just as stingy as the Americans, with both teams giving up only once in three preliminary games. For the United States, this is an opportunity to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002 and they can believe it with a young and determined group.

Both teams come out of the group stage with similar records, but different perceptions. The Argentinians started their tournament very badly by losing against Saudi Arabia, THE SURPRISE of the World Cup. They then rallied with two wins that showed more confidence. But the team may be relying a little too much on Lionel Messi who, it is mentioned again, could be on his last chance to win the big trophy. Among Australians, it's almost a bonus to have come this far. We can speak of surprise. In their group, they overtook Tunisia and especially Denmark. No one saw them in the round of 16. Will they be able to continue in the same vein? After France, which defeated them easily, this is their biggest order.

Defending champions France demonstrated why in the opening round. Don't pay too much attention to their loss to Tunisia in the last game. Qualification was assured and coach Didier Deschamps wisely decided to make a strong rotation to give his executives a rest. Even Hugo Lloris was not in goal. The Blues are counting on the most electrifying player in the competition in Kylian Mbappé, who is a real magician who can be seen playing until the last day of the World Cup. As for the Poles, they can consider themselves lucky to still be in Qatar. With an identical record to Mexico in their group, it was their better goal differential of a single unit that allowed them to overtake “El Tri” to participate in this duel which promises to be a little unequal.

The English went through to the knockout phase without too much difficulty with a hard-hitting attack led by Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford. The “Three Lions” will face the “Lions” in an intriguing and interesting duel. Senegal may have surprised a bit by overtaking Ecuador in Group A, but not that much. It is only the second time in its history that the African country has reached the round of 16, but it must grit its teeth and play its best football against a team that does not have any apparent flaws. And the English have been waiting for a major title since 1966, so they are resolute in their efforts. It's likely to be a thrilling game in a festive atmosphere since the supporters of both nations are quite numerous in Doha. 

* V: victory | N: null verdict | D: defeat | BP: goal for | BC: goal against