Argentina should have little to no issue winning the group. They encounter both Mexico (2nd time) and Poland (3rd time) in the group while Mexico encounters Poland for the 2nd time. Speaking of Mexico, their last seven World Cup appearances ended in Round of 16 exits. It’s possible they can advance for the eighth straight time, but the current squad has questions. Saudi Arabia is the underdog and would need a lot of dog mentality to survive the group. Poland makes their second straight appearance and depending on Mexico’s performance, it’s possible that The Eagles can advance to the Round of 16.

ARGENTINA (3)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (18TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (ROUND OF 16 IN 2018)

Argentina had a weird 2018 performance, which is actually plausible. They tied with Iceland oddly enough and got killed by Croatia and followed up with a loss to now champion France. They looked back on those losses and hopefully it motivates them to make that similar run too. They return Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi for what coul be their final World Cup appearance. If they can avoid any issues during group play, they could run the table in the tournament.

SAUDI ARABIA (51)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (6TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (DIDN’T ADVANCE IN 2018)

The Green Falcons (awesome name) appears in their second straight World Cup stage and will be underdogs in this group. They have a small chance of advancing since they are close to home, and they could surprise people in some way, shape, or form. This squad must play defense consistently and find someone who can be their consistent scorer.

MEXICO (13)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (17TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (ROUND OF 16 IN 2018)

Two long time vets, Memo Ochoa and Andres Guardado, lead an experienced El Tri squad to their eighth straight World Cup appearance. They’re capable of winning the group and advancing to the Round of 16 for the eighth straight time. However, there are questions with the squads’ consistency. Also, there were issues with the coach’s new direction that didn’t include Chicharito Hernandez as well. It’s something to monitor closely when they take on Poland and Argentina. It could determine if the team’s still good enough to advance the Round of 16 again.

POLAND (26)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (9TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (DIDN’T ADVANCE IN 2018)

It’s good to know that Robert Lewandowski will lead his group to their second straight appearance. Poland could finish third and net three points out of their group at least, but there’s a possibility that they could steal a spot to advance to their first Round of 16 in 36 seasons. However, they need to score at least three group points throughout the group stage to have any shot of advancing. With Saudi Arabia likely finish last and Mexico having questions about their squad, there’s no reason that Poland can’t take the next step.

MATCHUPS:

GROUP MATCH 8: ARGENTINA VS. SAUDI ARABIA (NOVEMBER 22ND)

GROUP MATCH 7: MEXICO VS. POLAND (NOVEMBER 22ND)

GROUP MATCH 22: POLAND VS. SAUDI ARABIA (NOVEMBER 26TH)

GROUP MATCH 24: ARGENTINA VS. MEXICO (NOVEMBER 26TH)

GROUP MATCH 39: POLAND VS. ARGENTINA (NOVEMBER 30TH)

GROUP MATCH 40: SAUDI ARABIA VS. MEXICO (NOVEMBER 30TH)

WHO SURVIVES THE GROUP:

ARGENTINA

It’s the obvious pick for this squad to advance. They’ll run into a couple of obstacles, but that shouldn’t stop Argentina from making it and looking for more.

MEXICO

It’s a hard sale on the El Tri. It really is. I talked with someone who’s a long time Mexico fan and he’s even suspect of the squad. Then again, it wasn’t the first time I’ve heard about these issues from Mexico in general, but not having Chicharito raises more questions on why the manager didn’t include him. But this team should still make it out of the group, but I have a feeling it’ll be an “in a pinch” moment for them and fans watching. The third match could ultimately decide their fate.

RESULTS

ARGENTINA 7 POINTS

MEXICO 4 POINTS

POLAND 4 POINTS

SAUDI ARABIA 0 POINTS