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[Awards Review]
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▶ The defences that could decide the title
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[2022/12/07 ]
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FIFA World Cups tend to be won by the sturdiest teams rather than the most spectacular. So how do the Qatar 2022 quarter-finalists measure up?
Brazil’s attack has been brilliant, Mbappe and Messi magical.
 But for anyone who expects that the destiny of this FIFA World Cup™ will be determined by its fantastic forwards, disappointment looks to be in store.
History tells us, after all, that in assessing the most compelling title contenders, we should really be focusing our attentions on the other end of the pitch.
The evidence in that respect is fairly conclusive. World Cups don’t tend to be won by the tournament’s most potent and prolific sides; Belgium, not France, would be reigning champions if they were. Miserly defences, on the other hand, are the stuff of champions.
Spain in 2010 are the most oft-cited example, having eked out 1-0 victories in each of their four knockout matches. Yet a wider look shows that, of the 24 knockout matches played by the six most recent World Cup winners, 17 ended with a clean sheet having been kept.
With that in mind, FIFA+ looks at the eight remaining contenders for the crown and the backlines on which their hopes depend.
Argentina
Group-stage goals conceded: 2
Knockout goals conceded: 1
Case for the defence: Ok, so that opening-match defeat wasn’t a great start. Saudi Arabia’s second-half goals were both preventable, and the Argentina centre-backs looked leaden-footed for the first in particular.
But like the team as a whole, those Albiceleste defenders have responded well to that stunning setback. Lionel Messi identified Nicolas Otamendi and Cristian Romero as the team’s top performers in their last-16 win over Australia and, but for a massive deflection to a speculative, off-target shot by Craig Goodwin, they would be heading into the last eight on a run of three consecutive clean sheets.
Brazil
Group-stage goals conceded: 1
Knockout goals conceded: 1
Case for the defence: It could justifiably be argued that Brazil have yet to concede a goal that truly matters at this World Cup. Yes, their defence – like the wider team – disappointed against Cameroon, and looked vulnerable to crosses in particular. But a place in the last 16 was already secure and Tite had rested his first-choice back four.
In the last 16, they conceded when 4-0 up and cruising – and it would be harsh in the extreme to blame Thiago Silva and Co for a 30-yard screamer. All the same, while Paik Seungho’s piledriver can be filed in the unstoppable category, and came at a stage when Brazil were long since out of sight, Alisson was required to make a few more saves – outstanding saves, too – than Tite would have been comfortable with.
Croatia
Group-stage goals conceded: 1
Knockout goals conceded: 1
Case for the defence: Conceding just twice in four games, given the strength of their group and the success their last-16 opponents enjoyed in scoring against Germany and Spain, is no mean feat.
The fact that Croatia twice recovered from conceding the first goal to prevail in matches – first again Canada, then Japan – also speaks for their defensive composure and strength of character. It’s worth noting, too, that in the masked Josko Gvardiol – labelled “the best central defender in the world” by coach Zlatko Dalic – they boast one of the tournament’s outstanding performers thus far.
England
Group-stage goals conceded: 2
Knockout goals conceded: 0
Case for the defence: England arrived at this World Cup having kept just one clean sheet in their previous six matches, and with their manager under fire for continuing to pick the out-of-form Harry Maguire.
Southgate has, of course, been vindicated for that show of faith, with Maguire one of the outstanding players in a team that has conceded just two goals – each of which arrived against IR Iran when the score was, respectively, 4-0 and 6-1 in the Three Lions’ favour. The fact that three straight shutouts have followed is offering England fans genuine reason for optimism.
France
Group-stage goals conceded: 2
Knockout goals conceded: 1
Case for the defence: On paper, Les Bleus' rearguard could be considered the leakiest of the eight remaining sides, having conceded in all four matches at Qatar 2022. It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that their goals-against column made for even more worrying reading at this stage of Russia 2018 – and that they proceeded to advance to the final via back-to-back clean sheets.
Given the quality contained within their back four, don’t bet against that old adage about form being temporary and class permanent being borne for a second successive edition.
Morocco
Group-stage goals conceded: 1
Knockout goals conceded: 0
Case for the defence: This is not a tough one to make. Nor is it by accident that the Atlas Lions, who have already kept clean sheets against the heavyweight European trio of Belgium, Croatia and Spain, boast the best defensive record at Qatar 2022.
The level of organisation and team spirit they have displayed is all the more remarkable as coach Walid Regragui had just three months to mould them into the disciplined outfit we see here in Qatar. In their eight matches since he has taken charge, the Atlas Lions have conceded just once - and that was an own goal, a cruelly deflected Canadian cross.
Even the prolific Portuguese, this World Cup’s joint-leading scorers (12), are sure to find the Moroccans a tough nut to crack.
The Netherlands
Group-stage goals conceded: 1
Knockout goals conceded: 1
Case for the defence: Louis van Gaal has again put his faith in the three-centre-back system that proved so effective for him at Brazil 2014, with similarly encouraging early results.
The Dutch also possess higher-calibre individual defenders than they had in that bronze-winning squad eight years ago. Captain Virgil van Dijk is considered by many to be peerless in his position, while the fine form of Nathan Ake and Jurrien Timber alongside him has left Matthijs de Ligt – one of the most expensive defenders of all time – warming the Oranje bench.
Portugal
Group-stage goals conceded: 4
Knockout goals conceded: 1
Case for the defence: Statistically, their quarter-final meeting with Morocco pits the tournament’s best defence against its worst. The truth, inevitably, is a little more nuanced, with Portugal’s back four anchored by the evergreen Pepe and a centre-back, in Ruben Dias, widely recognised to be among the world’s best.
For what it’s worth, Portugal also shipped four goals in the group stage of their triumphant UEFA EURO 2016 campaign and went on to lift the trophy following knockout-stage shutouts against Croatia, Wales and hosts France. Coincidence? Or another example of football history repeating itself? The coming days in Qatar will reveal all.
- The origianl text resource is from FIFA Official Website |
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