Sponsored by Sorare
The World Cup is well and truly underway, and what an incredible first round of games we’ve had.
If you’re one of the 435,000 people who entered a team into the Sorare Global Cup ‘22, then we hope you’ve had the results you wanted. If not, there is plenty of time for things to turn around!
Here, regular writer MDJ has a quick look at what happened and what to expect over the next few days.
Reminder – join our Private League
The Global Cup is Sorare’s new free-to-play, Sorare tournament for the international football period. As well as playing the main game, we’d love you to join the 8,000 people who have entered our Private League. We’ve got prizes on offer all through the tournament so it’s never too late to enter your team.
To enter, follow this link or use the code: NF3UGR
Matchday 1
Sorare split each round of games into a ‘matchday’. It’s fair to say that Matchday 1 had a few more surprises than some people might have expected!
Underperformers
Argentina’s loss to Saudi Arabia was one of the most surprising results you’ll see in any World Cup. After a promising start, they went to pieces in the second half and now look to be in a precarious position in Group C. Managers who picked Argentina defenders will be bitterly disappointed but, at the other end, it’s worth noting that Messi scored a very respectable 81.9 points and now looks unlikely to be rested in the last two group games.
Japan’s win over Germany grabbed the headlines too and Germany look far from nailed on to escape the group stage, with a tough game against Spain ahead. Kimmich was subdued by his usual standards but still managed 61.4 points. David Raum caused a lot of issues down the left flank, won the penalty and finished on 90.1 points, so he definitely looks like one to watch for the next two games at least.
Belgium won their game against Canada but only by the skin of their teeth. Kevin De Bruyne looked far from his best and scored just 53.7 points, way below his average. The defence were kept busy, with Courtois the rock between the posts (91.8 points) and Alderweireld chipping in with an assist to finish on 94 points.
Overperformers
Ecuador looked decent in the opening game against Qatar, although the quality of the opposition makes it difficult to properly judge them. Angelo Preciado scored 95 points, with just an assist, and Enner Valencia finished on 88 points with a brace. Ecuador should fancy their chances of getting something from their remaining couple of matches too.
Tunisia only managed a draw against Denmark but looked by far the better of the two teams, and may have enough quality to get out of the group. It’s difficult to pick standout players in terms of Sorare scores from that match, as no one scored particularly highly, but Dahmen was solid in goal and Msakni looked like he could be an interesting option up front for the Australia game.
And I may be tempting fate here but England’s 6-2 demolition of Iran was more than most people expected and they look like a good bet to go deeper into the competition. There are good options throughout the team but Jude Bellingham was particularly impressive, and finished on a stunning 94.7 points, with a goal.
Matchday 2
For Matchday 2, you’ll need to work with the same group of players you originally drafted, plus whatever player you happen to win from Matchday 1.
If you want to change your line-up, you must do so before the deadline of 9am on Friday 25th November. If you don’t do that, your team will roll over from the last time.
Based on what we learned from Matchday 1, there are a few teams that should have an easier ride in Matchday 2:
- Senegal against Qatar
- Japan against Costa Rica
- Tunisia against Australia
I imagine Morocco will fancy their chances against Belgium too.
But who knows! Maybe we’ll see some more shocks?
Lastly, if you’re regretting your initial player picks, don’t worry too much. You’ll be given a chance to draft four more players for the round of 16, so you only have to make things work for a little bit longer! Plus you should get an extra player card dropped into your squad as a reward if you participated in Matchday 1.
Enter the Global Cup and join our Private League via this link use the code: NF3UGR
#ad | 18+
