Grading Every nation’s world cup - part 1

Jul 27

By: Will Aimette

Algeria: C+

Eliminated - Round of 32 vs. Switzerland

I think everyone expected a bit more from Algeria, especially considering it was captain Riyad Mahrez’s last ride. He’s Algeria’s best footballer ever, and they had a chance to go decently far, with their young talent paired with Mahrez on the attack. But they couldn’t muster enough fight to make it into the Round of 16, it just felt like they could’ve done so much more. Ultimately, this World Cup will live on as a wasted chance to tie their tournament record.

Argentina: B

Eliminated - Final vs. Spain

While Messi didn’t go out with a golden boot, he certainly went out with a bang. With eight goals and four assists, he was one of the best players in this World Cup, at 39 years old. And while they did make the Finals, they embarrassed themselves against Spain, in both their play and lack of emotional control. Although it was win or bust for Messi’s last ride, this team gained some momentum over these past few World Cups, which leads me to believe they’ll be just fine without their main man. Julian Alvarez has shown flashes of promise, while Lautaro Martinez remains an elite finisher on the attack, and they have a great younger generation to carry on the torch.

Australia: B

Eliminated - Round of 32 vs. Egypt

Australia punched above their weight in Group D, leaning heavily on a disciplined style of football, as they controlled the ball and relied on set piece goals (Which really doesn’t say much, as their group was very weak). But set piece goals are a very limited part of the game. And that’s why they were eliminated when they were. While this team had set piece talent, coach Tony Popovic held back the young talent Australia had, including youngsters Nestory Irankunda and Lucas Herrington. Australia has a bright future with these kids, as long as they use their assets better.

Austria: C+

Eliminated - Round of 32 vs. Spain

Austria’s high-press was meant to work like France, as they would constantly be in the other team’s third. But when you don’t have that talent that France has, it’s hard to replicate that style of play. Especially when you play the World Champions in the first knockout game. Surprisingly, Austria’s defense proved to be their strongpoint, with captain David Alaba’s World Cup career coming to an end. They have some success left in the future, with forward Patrick Wimmer breaking out in Germany, but it won’t be enough to raise them from the depths of being average.

Belgium: A

Eliminated - Quarterfinals vs. Spain

Belgium could’ve won the World Cup. They were tied with Spain, semifinals on the line, in the 80th minute. If not for a costly goalkeeper spill by their backup (I’ll get into that later), they really could have won. Although they failed to beat Spain, this is their most successful World Cup run in a while, maybe ever. Sure, they lost their starting goalkeeper for the last two decades (who had to come out of the game vs. Spain due to injury) , and their best midfielder ever (Kevin de Bruyne), the young talent is there. And that starts with Charles de Ketelaere, who dominated the U.S and scored against Spain, breaking out towards the end of the tournament. He will serve as a great replacement for the aging Romelu Lukaku; as will Man City Winger Jeremy Doku. Senne Lammens, taking over the goal for Courtois, will be just as good as the long-time keeper in the years to come. So while Belgium had a great chance to advance to the semifinals, and maybe even the finals, they grew as a team.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: B

Eliminated - Round of 32 vs. USA

There were certain times where Bosnia looked like one of those legit underdog teams, and others where they looked like the worst team in the World Cup. What most people saw, the game against the U.S, felt misleading. They played like a highschool team in that game. And I think they are filled with a lot more talent than they showed. Edin Dzeko, the team’s captain and striker, has inspired his country to become a prevalent soccer power. One person that idolized him? The 18 year-old midfielder on Bosnia, Kerim Alajbegović. He broke out in this World Cup, scoring a wonderful goal against Qatar, and he can lead them further in the future.

Brazil

Eliminated - Round of 16 vs. Norway

Brazil simply played like they didn’t care about this World Cup. That is, until they lost. The whole country acted like it was a tragedy, it was their earliest exit since 1990. But if you look at the way they played, it shouldn’t surprise you. Yes, Brazil is a traditionally disorganized team dependent on free-flowing talent. But they played a little bit too relaxed. They almost were eliminated by Japan until they got bailed out by Gabriel Martinelli, and then were dominated by Norway. Brazil wasted Neymar’s final chance, and although they have young stars like Vini Jr. and Endrick, I don’t think this team is good enough to win for a while. It’s clear they need to reset, starting with the coaching staff.

(Note: The title may be slightly misleading, since the only teams that are being graded are the teams that made the knockout stages)

Will Aimette