While Argentina and France may be considered as the usual suspects when it comes to World Cup semi-final line ups, the presence of Croatia and Morocco is a little more surprising.
After all, the ‘Atlas Lions’ have eliminated Belgium, Spain and Portugal while becoming the first ever African side to reach the WC semi-finals, while Croatia knocked out former favourites Brazil after a thrilling penalty shootout in the quarters.
Of course, this has been a tournament packed full of shocks and surprises, with Germany and Denmark eliminated during the group stage and Spain suffering a 2-1 defeat to Japan before being knocked out by Morocco.
But why has this tournament been so unpredictable, and are there any more surprises in store in Qatar?
Why has the Tournament Been So Unpredictable?
This tournament has put many in mind of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, which opened with Senegal’s shock 1-0 win over defending champions France.
Les Bleus were ultimately dumped out of the tournament at the group stage, along with other big hitters including Uruguay, Portugal, Argentina and Croatia.
South Korea also dumped out Italy and Spain on a thrilling run to the semi-finals, while Turkey also reaching the last four and Senegal embarking on a superb run to the quarters.
Interestingly, Japan and South Korea both boast relatively high levels of humidity, and it could be argued that similar conditions in Qatar have levelled the playing field to some degree (especially in the case of Morocco).
With modern referees also increasingly lenient and liable to let the game flow, underdogs are also able to be compact in their shape and get tight to their more illustrious opponents, allowing a far higher number of aggressive tackles and fouls in the process.
It can also be argued that the timing of the tournament has impacted the nature of the results, as teams haven’t had the usual pre-season break to prepare for the World Cup and recuperate after a long, hard club campaign.
Instead, players have undoubtedly felt the pace in the heat and humidity of Qatar, negating the fitness advantages associated with the world’s top players and nations.
Are There More Shocks in Store?
In addition to the early eliminations of Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Spain, Saudi Arabia also sprung arguably the biggest ever World Cup shock by defeating Argentina 2-1 in their opening Group C game.
This at least puts the tournament on a par with 2002 in terms of unpredictability, while there’s the potential for at least more surprises as Morocco take on defending champions France and favourites Argentina do battle with Croatia.
However, Morocco could be without three of their first-choice defenders against France, and there’s a sense that the sheer emotion of their run to the semi-finals could catch up with them on Wednesday.
As for Croatia, they must stop an inspired Lionel Messi and incredibly dogged Argentina side, which will be a huge challenges notwithstanding their immense experience, pedigree and well-balanced side.
It should also be noted that even the 2002 edition of the World Cup ended up with a Brazil vs Germany final, which the former won thanks to a brace by the iconic Ronaldo.
So, despite a see-saw tournament, we expect to see a showpiece final that pits Argentina against France at the Lusail Stadium.
Featured image: SERGIO V S RANGEL/Shutterstock
