Preview. PROFILE. UPDATES. OTHER BITS. WALL CHART (ISH). IT WAS A PREVIEW BUT I CHANGE IT AS THE TOURNAMENT GOES ON (BUT I KEEP THE ORGINAL BITS IN) COZ’ I’M A REBEL MATE (BUT A NICE ONE THOUGH). I KNOW IT’S TRIPPY ISN’T IT (OR NOT, I DON’T KNOW).

[ UPDATED ON/EDITED EVER SO SLIGHTLY 14/12/22 AT 22:27. ]

| Uruguay 🇺🇾 [ Eliminated ]|

Main language spoken – Spanish

Population – 3, 502, 497 (aproximately, according to/credit to worldometers)

● Winners of the World Cup on two occasions (1934 & 1950)

● 3rd in South American qualifying (behind Brazil & Argentina)

● Semi-finalists in 2010

● Quarter-finalists in 2018

| The Spirit, The Quality & A New Uruguay (?) |

Uruguay, a nation with a population with aproximately 3 and a half million, has almost had no right to achieve what they have achieved during their World Cup history.

2 times former winners (first ever winners of the World Cup), semi-finalists in 2010, Uruguay continues to compete at the highest level.

New faces (or relatively new) such as Aruajo, Torreira, Bentancur and Darwin give Uruguay a boost in 2022, after being knocked out by eventual winners France in 2018, whilst also still having the balance of experienced pros such as Musalera, Coates, Suárez & Cavani in the squad.

| Usual Formation(s) |

4-3-3/4-4-2/3-5-2 (depending on any given match)

[ Added to on 28/11/22 at 15:26. ]

[ Updated on 28/11/22 at 19:04. ]

| Key Players (Or Starters) |

Olivera

Godin

Valverde

Bentancur

Darwin

Curously is yet to score goals aplenty for Uruguay (I did write yet), but the former Benfica forward is aproximately 1 in 2 (goal scoring record) for Liverpool thus far, and is often in the right areas (loves a shot!)

● Brace vs Southampton (3-1) in GW16 (Premier League)

● 9 goals in 18 appearances for Liverpool in 2022/23

● 48 goals in 85 appearances for Benfica

| Possible Starters |

[ Updated on 28/11/22 at 19:05. ]

Araujo

De Arrascaeta

Cavani

Suárez (possible starter)

| Fixtures |

Vs South Korea (Al Rayyan, 24/11/22, 13:00 GMT)

Vs Portugal (Lusail, 28/11/22, 19:00 GMT)

Vs Ghana (Al Wahrah, 02/12/22, 15:00 GMT)

Last 16: Vs Brazil (4-1, DEFEAT))

| South Korea 🇰🇷 [ Eliminated]|

● Entering a 10th consecutive World Cup

● World Cup semi-finalists in 2002

● Joint host nation (with Japan) in 2002

| Fixtures |

Vs Uruguay (Al Rayyan, 24/11/22, 13:00 GMT)

Vs Ghana (Al Rayyan, 28/11/22, 13:00 GMT)

Vs Portugal (Al Rayyan, 02/12/22, 15:00 GMT)

| Key Players (Or Starters) |

[ Updated on 05/12/22 at 22:53. ]

Min-Jae-Kim

Gue–Sung-Cho (scored a brace against Ghana in South Korea’s second match at the 2022 World Cup, and seemingly is playing as a number 9) [ Updated on 28/11/22 at 15:28. ]

Heung-Min Son

Just 3 goals scored in the Premier League thus far in 2022/23, but his hat-trick as a substitute for Spurs against Leicester City earlier on in the season is a reminder of what Son is capable of when fit/avaliable.

Son does not have the same amount of talent available when playing for South Korea compared to when playing for Spurs, and group H is a tough group, but this is a World Cup being played in the winter in Qatar so all bets are off (so to speak).

● 35 goals in 108 appearances for South Korea (think I am right in saying) [ Updated on 14/12/22 at 22:20. ]

| Possible Starters |

Hwang

| Portugal 🇵🇹 [ Eliminated ]|

● 17 goals scored in 8 World Cup qualifying matches

● 9 wins out of 12 in 2022 [ Updated on 06/12/22 at 21:08. ]

● UEFA Nations League winners in 2019

● European Championships winners in 2016

● World Cup semi-finalists in 1966

| Fixtures |

Vs Ghana (Doha, 24/11/22, 16:00 GMT)

Vs Uruguay (Lusail, 28/11/22, 19:00 GMT)

Vs South Korea (Al Rayyan, 02/12/32, 15:00 GMT)

Last 16: Vs Switzerland (6-1, WIN)

Last 8: Vs Morocco (0-1, DEFEAT)

| Set Up/Style of Play |

Portugal normally play a 4-3-3 of sorts (or 4-3-1-2) under Santos, and play a high possession game, aided by supremely technically gifted players.

| Strengths |

● Highly technically gifted

● Able to keep possession very well (can be a form of defence)

● Has strong, aggressive centre backs

| Weaknesses |

A lack of pace, youth and intensity in some areas, but you could say that is a trade off as Portugal have plenty of technically gifted players who are capable of keeping possession very well (it can be a form of defence, and a way of controlling matches, and to try to pin teams back into their final third).

| Key Players (Or Starters) |

Costa/Rui Patricio/Sá

Dias

Cancelo (did not play any minutes in Portugal’s 6-1 win against Switzerland & did not start against Morocco) [ Updated on 14/12/22 at 22:23. ]

The former Juventus ‘defender’ has picked up 10 returns thus far in the Premier League in 2021/22.

A downside may be the sheer amount of minutes that Cancelo has played this season.

But to counter that point (or argument), he tends to play for sides that have most of possession in the majority of matches that he plays (for Portugal & Manchester City).

Also, Cancelo netted in multiple Nations League matches – Vs Czech Republic (2-0) & Vs Switzerland (4-0) – for Portugal this calender year.

Bruno Fernandes

Quitely picking up his form again, a brace midweek against Nigeria does no harm for him from a confidence point of view, albeit it coming in a friendly.

Bernardo Silva

Felix (possible starter)

| Possible Starters |

Ramos (hat-trick against Switzerland, as a starter)

/

Ronaldo (when fit/available, the Manchester United forward did not feature at all in Portugal’s 4-0 win against Nigeria on 17/11/22)

[ Scored against Ghaha in Portugal’s 3-2 win in match 1. ]

| Player(s) To Look Out For |

Leao (did not feature against Nigeria)

● Scored a beauty against Switzerland (6-1)

● 2 goals scored at the 2022 World Cup

[ Updated on 14/12/22 at 22:25. ]

The Milan forward is tricky, a brilliant dribbler and is capable of scoring top quality goals (I don’t know, what do you want to say, he’s boss)

● Mainly starts out wide, but cuts in and gets in the area.

● Can offer Portugal a fresh, more youthful option

| Ghana 🇬🇭 [ Eliminated ] |

● Appeared at the World Cup in 2014 & in 2006

| Fixtures |

Vs Portugal (Doha, 24/11/22, 16:00 GMT)

Vs South Korea (Al Rayyan, 28/11/22, 13:00 GMT)

Vs Uruguay (Al Wahrah, 02/12/22, 15:00 GMT)

| Key Players (Or Starters) |

Amartey

Partey

Kudus

J.Ayew

A.Ayew

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈LOVE. PEACE. REBEL.🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈