Doha is boiling. The second matchday of the World Cup is behind us and, with a great sense of unification among the Arab fans, the tournament is heading to the final round of group stage matches.
The second matchday was the complete opposite of the first. Goalless draws were part of the past, as matches became tenser and more attractive. No result was easy to predict, including some shock results that made us think again about the differences between Europe, South America, and the rest of the world.
All of this leads to the final matchday of the group stage, where anything could happen. Only three teams have already booked their places in the knockouts - France, Brazil, and Portugal - and there are plenty others looking to join them in the round of 16.
We’ve still got some great games ahead of us, like Iran against the USA, Switzerland versus Serbia, and Ghana against Uruguay - a repeat of one of the 2010 quarter finals - but, before that, here are some takeaways from the latest round of matches.
They played with their heart ❤️ for the whole nation #IRN pic.twitter.com/xchYtoFMG4
— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) November 25, 2022
Cameroon 3-3 Serbia - the game
Finally a proper high-scoring game in Qatar. Comebacks, good fans, minimal defence, and goals, goals, goals.
The good part? Both teams are still in line to win a ticket to the knockouts.
Bruno Fernandes - the player
Yeah, Cristiano Ronaldo is still here, but Bruno Fernandes is slowly becoming the leader of this team.
Two assists in the first game, and a brace in the second - his Portugal side are one of only three teams to qualify with six points.
What a photo 🤳 pic.twitter.com/J1XAr38TgO
— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) November 29, 2022
Morocco’s second goal v Belgium - the moment
The match between Morocco and Belgium was, as a whole, impressive, but the second goal by Zakkaria Aboukhlel was a symbol of a party - a Moroccan party.
Thibaut Courtois played poorly in the Belgium net, and the defense in front of him looked slow and heavy.
On the flip side, we saw Morocco scoring for fun, and earning a deserved win.
When you win your first #WorldCup match in 24 years 🇲🇦⚽️ pic.twitter.com/sdnJMERfgF
— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) November 27, 2022
