Canada’s fast start helps defeat Sweden; proceed to the knockout round in style

Adamo Marinelli

Dec. 31, 2022

Canada scored two goals in just over two minutes on their first two shots on goal and Canada’s quick start proved to be enough to defeat Sweden 5-1 to secure their third-round robin win and second place in Group A. 

Canada and Czechia both won three games, however, Czechia’s head-to-head win over Canada in regulation and Czechia’s overtime loss compared gave them the extra point and helped them top Group A. Czechia finished with a 3-0-1-0 record (10 points), and Canada finished with a 3-0-0-1 record (nine points). 

After losing their first game to Czechia 5-2, Canada outscored their opponent 27-3 in the next three games and finished with a goal differential of 21 (29 goals for and eight against). 

Canada outshot Sweden 45-23 and their creative playmaking, puck movement, and speed created a lot of open spaces for players to get into scoring positions and create scoring chances. 

Canada’s phenomenal playmaking, speed, and creativity with the puck were evident in the first two goals. Canada has many talented players with these attributes, but none are more impressive than 17-year-old phenom forward Connor Bedard. 

Connor Bedard is especially talented. His vision, speed, agility, hockey IQ, creativity with the puck on his stick, ability to fake out defenders with his eyes before slotting the puck to an open teammate, his ability to make any pass anywhere on the ice look easy, and his strong wrist and snap-shot with a quick release are all super impressive. Bedard made a nice long pass right to the blade of Joshua Roy’s stick for the opener and then forced a turnover in neutral ice before moving the puck forward to Shane Wright who made a beautiful cross-ice pass to Brennan Othmann who scored his first goal of the tournament on the powerplay. 

Bedard ended the evening with four assists and finished the round-robin stage with six goals and 12 assists totaling 18 points, ten more than his teammate Logan Stankoven who finished with eight points (two goals, six assists). 

Bedard is tied for the most ever goals, assists, and points by a Canadian at a single World Junior tournament and he is tied with Eric Lindros for the most points ever by a Canadian in his career at the World Juniors with 31, and he has done it in only 13 games. That is incredible! 

What he is able to do as a goal scorer and as a playmaker makes him a threat to score whenever he touches the puck and makes him the consensus number-one pick in the 2023 NHL draft.

Tyson Hinds found the back of the net after controlling a nice pass from Stankoven to extend Canada’s lead to 3-0 midway through the first period.

Sweden cut the lead to 3-1 on a five-on-three man advantage (Adam Fantili served Zack Ostapchuk’s five-minute kneeing penalty while Ostapchuk served 10-minute misconduct for the knee) with a nice goal by Ludvig Jansson, but it would be the only goal they would score. Canada’s defense tightened up, their forecheck was great, they didn’t give Sweden space to operate in the attacking zone and create scoring chances and they forced turnovers while dominating possession and the pace of the game in the neutral zone. 

Canada was very undisciplined against Sweden, recording 23 penalty minutes (two penalties five minutes or longer), but Canada’s penalty kill unit - which has been strong all tournament - killed off five of their six penalties with ease and their defense remained strong. 

Sweden’s penalty kill also played well tonight, as Canada who scored at ease on the powerplay in their last two games, only converted on one of five powerplays. 

After a scoreless, defensive-oriented second period, which saw Canada outshoot Sweden 12-11, Canada added two more goals early in the third period thanks to Othmann’s second of the tournament on a fantastic, powerful and accurate one-timer and Kevin Korchinski’s first of the tournament where he juked around a defender to create some space before going upstairs to extend Canada’s lead to 5-1.

Thomas Milic was fantastic in goal once again and Canada’s goaltending which was their biggest weakness heading into the tournament has been almost perfect in all their games excluding Czechia. Milic turned away 22 of the 23 shots he faced and made several crucial saves at various points of the game including preventing Sweden from cutting Canada’s lead to 3-2 late in the first period and in the second. 

Canada’s 12 shots in the second period were its lowest shot total in a single period of this game and Sweden’s 11 shots were its highest shot total in a single period of this game. Canada’s defense did a great job of limiting the quality of Sweden’s scoring chances and forced them outside, keeping them away from dangerous scoring areas like the slot and the faceoff circle. Canada held Sweden to a combined total of 12 shots in the first and third periods - five in the first and seven in the third. 

Sweden goaltender Carl Lindbom faced 45 shots and was very busy against a strong Canadian offensive attack. Despite allowing five goals, he made 40 saves, many in crucial moments to avoid the Canadian lead increasing. Dylan Guenther was a particular threat, with seven shots on goal.

Canada has a day off tomorrow before playing Slovakia at 7:30 P.M. EST on January 2nd. After losing their first fame, Canada is looking to go undefeated the rest of the tournament to win their 

second consecutive World Juniors Gold Medal like how Argentina won the World Cup after losing their first game 2-1 to Saudia Arabia. 

Go Canada!

Canada continues their dominant play, defeat Austria 11-0

Adamo Marinelli

Dec. 29, 2022

Canada scored 11 goals for the second game in a row en route to a dominant 11-0 rout of Austria for their second consecutive blowout win. It was another offensive explosion for Canada which saw young offensive phenom Connor Bedard make more history. 

His two goals tonight give him six in this tournament and 14 in total which ties Jordan Eberle’s record for most all-time goals by a Canadian at the World Juniors. He has six goals and eight assists totaling 14 points this tournament - thanks to a seven-point game against Germany (three goals, four assists) and a six-point game tonight (two goals, four assists) - and Canada has only played three games. That’s impressive.

It took a while for Canada to get going, it was a defensive-oriented first period for both teams, but after Canada scored their first goal 14 minutes into the first period, within four minutes, Canada had scored two more goals to expand their lead to 3-0 after 20 minutes. Canada dominated from that point on and scored four goals in the second and third periods.

Canada controlled the game from start to finish and was the better team on both sides of the puck. They outshot Austria 47-12 and consistently created several scoring chances with their excellent playmaking, puck movement, and passing. 

Canada used their speed, size, physicality, and clever passing to create separation and open shooting and passing lanes. They spent a lot of time in the attacking zone thanks to their dominance in the neutral zone, controlling the possession and dictating the tempo. Canada’s defense stopped opposing attacks from happening before they could start and then moved the puck up in transition.

Canada was a perfect 3/3 on the powerplay tonight, not as efficient as last night when they scored seven powerplay goals against Germany, but it was still a large factor in their win. Canada’s penalty kill was perfect, killing both of Austria’s powerplays. 

Benjamin Gaudreau rebounded after a tough game against Czechia with a shutout win. He only had to make 12 saves, but he made a handful of big, timely saves the shutout win is a huge confidence booster for him going forward.

Canada’s defense was incredible once again and for the first time in this tournament, they kept their opponents off the scoreboard and pitched a shutout. Canada’s forecheck was great, they dominated in neutral ice, were very physical, created several turnovers, and didn’t allow Austria to create much of anything. Austria was kept out of the offensive zone for almost the entire game and when they were in Canada’s end, they were unable to create many high-quality scoring chances or shots on goal.

Canada did a great job limiting their opponent’s space to shoot and skate, blocking passing lanes and using their physicality, and checking to knock opposing players off the puck. Canada was first to every loose puck in their defensive end and won the puck battles in difficult spaces which led to creating scoring chances in transition. 

Logan Stankoven had another great game with a goal and three assists, Nathan Gaucher and Joshua Roy each recorded a goal and two assists and Adam Fantili was a threat with and without the puck on his stick, scoring a goal and an assist. 

With the win, Canada sits at 2-0-0-1 (6 points), one point behind Czechia and two points behind Sweden. Canada’s goal difference of +17 is better than Czechia’s at +11 and Sweden’s at +13. If Canada defeats Sweden in regulation and Czechia does not win their final game in regulation they will finish first in Group A. If Canada wins and Czechia wins in regulation, Canada will finish second. Canada could remain in third place if they lose to Sweden, but given Canada’s momentum right now, it’s hard to imagine Canada losing, even to a talented Swedish team.

Canada throttle Germany in a record-setting win

Adamo Marinelli

Dec. 28, 2022

That is the Team Canada we were all expecting to see on Boxing Day. 

That is the Canada squad with so much talent - including nine first-round picks - which we were all expecting to see defend their World Juniors Gold Medal from last year. All of a sudden, Canada is back in contention to win their second consecutive gold.

After a tough 5-2 loss to Czechia to open their tournament, Canada bounced back in a big way, crushing Team Germany 11-2 in a game they completely dominated on both sides of the puck from start to finish.

Team Canada controlled possession and used their speed, physicality, excellent puck movement, and playmaking to create numerous high-quality scoring chances. 

Canada’s powerplay was extremely efficient. Canada scored a whopping seven powerplay goals and four powerplay goals on the same German five-minute major penalty late in the second period which turned a 5-1 lead into a 9-1 lead. 

Canada led 3-1 after the first period, 9-1 after the second period, and added two more in the third period to win 11-2.

Canada’s puck movement on the man advantage was stellar and their quick passing created several shooting lanes for players to capitalize on.

Canada more than tripled their opponents’ production, outshooting Germany 52-16, and had 22 shots in a dominant six-goal second period. 

Dylan Guenther and Connor Bedard both scored hattricks in Canada’s rout of Germany but Bedard, who also had four assists in the game tied Canada’s single-game point record in a World Juniors game with seven. 

Logan Stankoven had one goal and two assists; Olen Zellweger had three assists. Brandt Clarke, Joshua Roy, and Shane Wright also got on the score sheet. each with a goal and an assist.

Canada was phenomenal defensively for the entire 60 minutes and didn’t allow Germany to do much of anything offensively. 

Canada’s forecheck was great, they dominated in neutral ice, were physical, created several turnovers, and forced Germany to the outside which limited their ability to create scoring chances in dangerous areas of the ice around the net.

Of Germany’s 16 shots on goal, many of them were not quality scoring chances. Canada goaltender Thomas Milic wasn’t extremely busy tonight, but when he was called on to make a big save, he did. The Germany game isn’t a large sample size (only 14 saves), but Milic did enough to secure the win and I believe Milic is the better of Canada’s two goalies and should’ve started against Czechia. 

It was not a night to remember for either German goaltender, especially Simon Wolf who conceded nine goals on 39 shots and was pulled after the second period. Rihards Babulis was not much better in relief, allowing two goals on 13 shots, but if it weren’t for a few key saves, Canada may have had another two or three goals.

Neither goalie is entirely to blame, the German defense stood no chance against a talented, hungry Canadian side that was looking to capitalize on the chances they created after they were unable to do so in their opener against Czechia. 

Canada seemed to win every puck battle, they got to every loose puck first, and they spent more than double the time in the attacking zone than Germany did. Germany spent the majority of the game defending and faced multiple onslaughts after another. Germany was out-sped, outmatched, outshot, and outclassed by a superior group of Canadian offensive talent.

Defenseman Philip Sinn was involved in both German goals with a goal and an assist and won player of the game for Germany. That’s a bright spot for Germany.

Canada is back in action tomorrow night against a disheartened Austria squad, who have lost their previous two games by an aggregate score of 20-0. It is looking like Canada will cruise to another dominant win, but no team can be taken lightly in this tournament. Just ask Slovakia, who topped the USA 6-3 today as massive underdogs. 

Canada now sits in third place in Group A, three points behind Czechia and Sweden and with a goal difference of +6; Czechia and Sweden have a +12 goal difference. Two games into the preliminary round, Canada is in a strong position to make the elimination round and if they win their last two games against Austria and Sweden, they can potentially finish second in their group. Canada can finish in first place with a Czechia loss, and if they win their two remaining games by a combined margin of +7.

Germany has a day off tomorrow before they try to right the ship and get their first win against Austria on Dec. 30.

Canada shocked by Czech Republic in World Juniors opener

Adamo Marinelli

Dec. 26, 2022

In a game where Canada was the heavy favourite to win and outshot their opponent 39-27, numerous mistakes, missed chances, undisciplined play, and poor defending paved the way for the Czech Republic to cruise past Canada in a huge 5-2 upset win.

All of a sudden, Canada - the defending gold medalists and one of the bigger favourites to win the tournament - have a much larger hill to climb if they want to repeat as World Junior Champions.

There was chatter among hockey pundits that Canada’s 2023 squad was arguably their best in several years and one of the best the tournament has seen in its history. After a tough loss, there is even more pressure for this Canadian squad to bounce back next game.

Canada took the lead halfway through the first period when captain Shane Wright tipped home a point shot from Owen Zellweger on the man advantage. 

Canada outshot the Czech Republic 12-9 in the first period and controlled the majority of the period, spending a lot of time in the offensive end and generating quality scoring chances.  

A few minutes later, Canada appeared to double their advantage, but the goal was ruled out for offside. The game remained 1-0.

Then, the momentum shifted in the Czech Republic’s favour.

Czechia scored two goals, less than 35 seconds apart in the final two few minutes of the first period to take a 2-1 lead. 

Less than one minute into the second period, Stanislav Svizol scored to give Czechia a commanding 3-1 lead. 

Canada has overcome adversity in previous tournaments and overcame a 1-0 and 2-1 deficit against Finland in their final preliminary game.

After falling down 3-1, Canada responded quickly. After forcing a turnover in the neutral zone, Shane Wright sprung a pass to Connor Bedard who wired a shot into the far-side top corner on the odd-man rush to cut Czechia’s lead in half. 

However, the game’s turning point came almost five minutes into the second period when Canada’s Zach Dean received a five-minute penalty and a game suspension for an illegal hit to the head.

Was the hit clean? No, it wasn’t. Should it have received a five-minute penalty and game misconduct? No, it shouldn’t have; a two-minute penalty at most. In the NHL, that would seldom get called. 

Czechia capitalized twice on their long powerplay, getting goals from Jaroslav Chmelar and Matous Mensik which saw their lead increase to 5-2. 

Canada goalie Benjamin Gaudreau struggled on his World Juniors debut, getting pulled midway through the second period after allowing five goals on 17 shots. Gaudreau didn’t play well by any means but it wasn’t all on him.

Canada’s defence made plenty of mistakes, had a few crucial turnovers, could not clear the zone at times and allowed Czechia’s offence to get comfortable and create several quality scoring chances in high-percentage areas like the slot and in the faceoff circle with their excellent puck movement.

On the other end, the Czech Republic were phenomenal defensively all game long and their goaltender Tomas Suchanek stood on his head making 37 saves, many of them in key moments early in the game to avoid falling 2-0 down or to sustain their lead in the third period. 

Canada was dominant in the third period, and spent nearly the entire frame in Czechia’s end, using their creative playmaking and puck movement to generate several scoring chances. 

But Czechia’s defence held strong: blocking shots, forechecking well, taking away passing lanes and clearing the zone as soon as they got the puck to prevent prolonged attacking opportunities. Suchanek made 15 saves in the third period to secure Czechia’s 5-2 win. 

Special teams were also the difference in this one. Canada converted on one of its three powerplays, and Czechia converted on two of its eight powerplay attempts. Canada had to kill off six penalties and Czechia only had to kill off two. 

Canada was very undisciplined tonight and you can’t expect to win against good teams when you spend so long on the penalty kill. 

With their win tonight, it’s the first time Czechia has beaten Canada in nine years. The last time was a 5-4 shootout win in the second group game at the 2014 World Juniors. 

After beating Canada, Czechia has the upper hand to win Group A but is behind Sweden - who thumped Austria 11-0 earlier today - on goal difference. 

Canada has the day off tomorrow before taking on Germany on Dec. 28. There are some bright spots Canada can build on - like Connor Bedard's 11 shots on goal and Canada's ability to move the puck - however, they need to work on being more clinical by finishing the chances they do create and playing more disciplined hockey by staying out of the box.

Team Canada 2023 World Juniors Preview

Adamo Marinelli

Dec. 24, 2022

Canada is looking to defend their World Junior Gold Medal in 2023 and they have a balanced roster, chock full of talent and depth at every position to do it.

Canada’s roster features eight players that returned from last year’s team, which won their 19th gold medal in country history, three players who have spent time playing in the NHL at the beginning of this season, nine first-round picks and three players who are eligible to be taken in the 2023 draft. Canada is also led by an experienced head coach Dennis Williams, a tactical mastermind, and a natural leader. He has experienced success on the World Juniors stage in previous games winning gold with Canada as an assistant coach in 2022. Canada has arguably the best team on paper, even ahead of the United States who consistently succeed at international tournaments, but that does not mean Canada is guaranteed the gold medal. 

No team has won back-to-back championships since 2009 when Canada won its fifth straight gold medal. Since 2010, Canada and the US have won four gold medals, Finland has won three, and Russia and Sweden have each won once. 

Pre-tournament matches

1. Canada 6 - Switzerland 0

2. Canada 6 - Slovakia 1

3. Canada 5 - Finland 3

Canada is coming into this tournament with a lot of momentum, having won all three of their pre-tournament games, two in dominant fashion, outsourcing Switzerland and Slovakia 12-1 in their first two games. Canada was able to move the puck effortlessly, create numerous shots on goal, score at ease, and played excellent defense. They controlled play in the neutral zone and often broke up any opposing attacking opportunity before it could start. 

Finland is much better than Canada’s previous two opponents, but Canada controlled the majority of the game against Finland. Canada’s powerplay, which has always been a strong point of their game, struck three times against Finland, courtesy of all-star phenom forward Connor Bedard who scored two of Canada’s goals on the man advantage. Canada controlled the flow of the game and was able to generate scoring chances at will, outshooting Finland 45-22. Canada’s defense was once again very good, limiting the quantity and quality of Finland’s scoring chances. Canada’s goaltending was phenomenal again, including making some key saves early when Canada was trailing 1-0 and 2-1. 

Canada’s roster has a nice mix of returning superstars with veteran experience and many speedy, skilled, and energetic youngsters. Their roster has a nice mix of size, physicality, speed, and dynamic skill and is full of several offensive superstars like Connor Bedard, Shane Wright, Adam Fantili, and Dylan Guenther among others. They should be able to generate a lot of scoring chances with their speed and creative playmaking and they should be able to score a lot of goals, both at even strength and on their lethal powerplay. On the other side of the puck, a defense that is difficult to penetrate combined with a strong, physical forecheck will make it difficult for opposing offenses to get anything against them. Their strong goalie duo of Thomas Milic and Benjamin Gaudreau is not the best duo in the tournament - like in previous years - however, they are able to make huge saves when they need to keep Canada in games and to help sustain leads.

Canada opens the tournament on December 26th against Czechia and they will likely line up like this:

Forwards:

Brennan Othmann (NYR) - Shane Wright (SEA) - Connor Bedard (2023)

Adam Fantilli (2023) - Logan Stankoven (DAL) - Dylan Guenther (ARI)

Zach Dean (VGK) - Nathan Gaucher (ANA) - Joshua Roy (MTL)

Reid Schaefer (EDM) - Caedan Bankier (MIN) - Zack Ostapchuk (OTT)

Colton Dach (CHI)

Defenders:

Ethan Del Mastro (CHI) - Olen Zellweger (ANA)

Nolan Allan (CHI) - Brandt Clarke (LAK)

Kevin Korchinski (CHI) - Jack Matier (NSH)

Tyson Hinds (ANA)

Goaltenders:

Thomas Milic (undrafted)

Ben Gaudreau (SJS)

They will then play against Germany on December 28, Austria on December 29, and Sweden on New Year’s Eve.

Canada is set to do well on paper and has the talent to bring home gold with the mix of size, physicality, and skill on their roster. Their roster was built with size in mind, they are the biggest team entering the tournament on paper, with an average height and weight of 6’1”, 189 lbs and that size and physicality will be especially helpful on the defensive side of the puck, but their bigger players can still skate, move the puck, pass and shoot well, which will help their success offensively.

However, nothing is guaranteed. Anything can happen on any given day so how Canada will deal with adversity if they trail early in a game will be another thing to keep an eye on, however, they dealt with it well against Finland, winning 5-3 after trailing 1-0 and 2-1.

Good luck, Canada.

Messi completes football, Argentina defeat France for third World Cup title

Adamo Marinelli

Dec. 19, 2022

In what was arguably the best World Cup Final in the tournament’s history, Lionel Messi solidified his GOAT status with his Golden Ball-winning performance, scoring seven goals and three assists and creating several scoring chances in seven appearances and now has completed football at the international and club level, by winning his first World Cup, the only trophy that has eluded him for his entire career. 

Argentina got out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first half after Messi scored a perfectly placed penalty drawn by Angel Di Maria, who was tackled by Ousmane Dembele to give Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute. Argentina’s lead doubled 13 minutes later with an excellent goal by Di Maria which was set up by Messi who slotted a brilliant pass on the counterattack to Alexis McAllister who ran with the ball into the box before unselfishly slotting a pass to DiMaria who made no mistake. 

Argentina not only controlled the first half, but they controlled the first 75 minutes of the match. They dominated possession, were stellar in the midfield, and were excellent defensively. As soon as France gained possession, Argentina’s fantastic high defensive press took the ball right back from France. France was unable to advance the ball up the pitch to create scoring chances. France was held without a single shot for the entire first half and had an xG of 0.00 at halftime. France’s first shot attempt didn’t come until midway through the second half and their first shot on target came from a questionable penalty awarded to France in the 79th minute which gave France life.

Superstar Kylian Mbappe converted the penalty in the 80th minute to cut his team’s deficit in half. Less than two minutes later, Marcus Thurman slotted a brilliant pass to Kylian Mbappe who struck the ball with a beautiful off-balance volley that found the corner of the net, barely beating Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s hand. The game was tied in the 81st minute.

Argentina held France without a shot on target and completely dominated the match for the first 79 minutes, but fell apart allowing two goals in under two minutes. 

Argentina subbed off Di Maria in the 65th minute to bring on another defender to close the game out, which was a good idea in theory, but against a lethal French offense, your best players need to play the entire match. Di Maria is a great playmaker and consistently contributes offensively but his holding play and defensive capabilities are strong too. If he wasn’t subbed out, the game may have not gone to extra time. However, Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele were subbed off in the 41st minute, trailing 2-0, if they stayed on, it might have been a different game earlier. 

Both teams were exhausted in extra time but still exchanged several quality goal-scoring opportunities in the first half of extra time. Early in the second half of added time, Argentina took the lead on a shocking play that sent the Argentine crowd into a frenzy. 

Argentina broke through France’s backline once again, a really common sight in the World Cup Final and France’s defenders were all over the place. Lautaro Martinez fired a shot on goal and Lloris saved it, however, the rebound found its way to Messi’s boot who tapped it in. France defender Dayot Upecamano appeared to have cleared it, but not before it fully crossed the line giving Messi his second goal of the match, seventh of the tournament, and the lead in the Golden Boot race.

It was the first World Cup Final to see a player from both teams score a brace. But the match wasn’t done yet. Right-back Gonzalo Montiel turned his body to block a France shot attempt in the 116th minute, however, the ball hit his arm in the box while it was away from his body which gave France their second penalty of the game. 

Mbappe struck it well, with calmness and precision to tie the game 3-3 in the 118th minute and became only the second player in a World Cup Final to record a hattrick. 

With Mbappe’s third goal, he regained the lead in the Golden Boot race with eight goals and the 2022 World Cup became the highest-scoring tournament in World Cup history with 172 goals scored, beating the previous record of 171 goals in 1998 and 2014.

At the end of stoppage time in the second half of extra time, Kolo Muani found himself alone in Argentina’s box with a chance to win the World Cup but was robbed by a phenomenal save by Emiliano Martinez which led to a scoring chance for Lauturo Martinez who put a shot wide after receiving a nice cross from Montiel on the counter. France would've won back-to-back World Cups had it not been for that save, it was by far the best and most crucial save of the tournament.

An incredibly entertaining game was tied 3-3 heading into penalties and in the span of just over half an hour, went from a comfortable 2-0 Argentina lead to a wild 3-3 game.

Argentina had previously beaten the Netherlands on penalties and Martinez made two huge saves; France never played in a penalty shootout in Qatar.

In the penalty shootout, Mbappe slotted France’s first penalty right past the outstretched arms of Martinez and Messi scored Argentina’s first penalty. Kingsley Coman’s shot was saved by Martinez and Paulo Dybala scored to give Argentina the advantage. Aurelien Tchouanemi missed the net to the left and Leandro Paredes scored to give Argentina a 3-1 lead. Despite a goal from Kolo Mulani, Gonzalo Montiel slotted the World Cup-winning penalty past Hugo Lloris before celebrating with his team. 

It was a big moment of redemption for Montiel after giving France their second penalty. Now he can be known as the hero for Argentina who secured their World Cup win instead of the man that cost them.

Messi finally won his World Cup in addition to the Golden Ball, Mbappe won the Golden Boot, Emiliano Martinez deservedly won goalkeeper of the tournament and 21-year-old Enzo Fernandes won the young player of the tournament after a stunning display. France falls short of back-to-back titles, and Argentina gets to within two titles of their South American counterparts.

As one of the best World Cup Finals comes to an end, here are my World Cup tournament awards:

Player of the tournament: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe - HM: Sofyan Amrabat, Julian Alvarez

Flop: Romelu Lukaku - HM: Darwin Nunez

Manager: Lionel Scaloni (won a Copa America and World Cup in <48 months, great tactics)

Overachievers: Morocco - HM: Croatia, Australia

Underachievers: Belgium, Germany HM: Uruguay

Defensive player of the tournament: Josko Gvardiol

Best goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez - HM: Dominik Livakovic, Yassine Bounou

Underrated player of the tournament: Matteo Kovacic - HM: Amrabat, Takehiro Tomiyasu

Best game: The Final - France vs Argentina

Best goal: Messi vs Mexico

Most iconic moment: Messi lifting the World Cup trophy - HM: Ronaldo scoring at 5 World Cups

FIFA World Cup Final Preview - France vs Argentina

Adamo Marinelli

December 16, 2022

The 2022 Qatar World Cup Final is set. After losing their first game at the tournament, 2-1 to Saudia Arabia, which snapped their unbeaten run of 36 matches - one match short of tying Italy’s record of 37 - Argentina has reached another level and hasn’t lost a match since. Lionel Messi has been spectacular all tournament long and now has the chance to win his first World Cup title with a very strong and unified Argentinian squad. 

On the other side, an extremely talented French squad with a lot of depth at every position, led by all-star Kylian Mbappe, has done the impossible by avoiding the defending champion group stage curse - where defending champions since 2006 have failed to reach the round of 16 in the next World Cup - and now have the chance to become only the third nation in World Cup history to win back to back World Cups, the first team in 60 years to achieve the feat (after Italy did it in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil did it in 1958 and 1962). This is more impressive considering they’re missing some of their important players like Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, and N’Golo Kante among others.

Argentina handily defeated Croatia 3-0 in their semifinal match thanks to excellent defending and spectacular playmaking. Messi had another fantastic game finishing with a goal and a beautiful assist where he ran up the pitch and put a Croatian defender on skates with his incredible ball control before slotting a pass to Julian Alvarez, who tapped in his second goal of the game, which solidified the semifinal as his best game of the tournament, in which he scored a brace. His first goal resulted in a fantastic individual effort where he ran the length of the pitch before scoring. 

Even though Morocco dominated possession 62-38 percent and had only one less shot attempt than France while each team recorded three shots on target, an early goal by France’s Theo Hernandez propelled France to a victory. France defended immaculately after taking the early lead and Morocco’s consistent barrage of chances was turned aside. France doubled their lead late in the match and defeated Morocco 2-0. Prior to their match against France, Morocco’s strong defense only conceded one goal against Canada in the final group stage match.

Argentina is very well managed and coach Lionel Scaloni, since taking over in 2018, has done a fantastic job with his tactics, team building, and player selection. Youngster goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been spectacular, posting three clean sheets at the World Cup so far but will have to play his best game and make several key saves against France’s strong attack, who can consistently generate many quality scoring chances.

Although Argentina has been led by their superstar Messi, they have had some strong performances in the midfield and in defense which have helped them win games. Enzo Fernandez and Alexis McAllister have been phenomenal in the midfield and have helped solidify their defensive backline while also helping to move the ball up the field in transition to create scoring chances. They each have the capacity to contribute goals and assists which is big too. The World Cup Final will be decided by a handful of things, including which midfield core plays better. Fernandez and McAllister will have to be on guard against all-star Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann who has single handily helped France control games with his incredible ball control, ball movement, ability to score goals, playmaking, and defensive prowess too. 

Argentina’s defense led by Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina, Lisandro Martinez, and Nicolas Otamendi has been solid all tournament long against several quality opposition attacking units like Croatia, the Netherlands, and Mexico, but they have yet to face their strongest opponent yet in France. Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe are very skilled players who can score at will, are very good on and off the ball, consistently create scoring chances for themselves or for teammates, and are always super dangerous in the box. However, their offensive talent does not end with Giroud and Mbappe. If opponents shut down that dynamic duo, France has multiple other weapons that can hurt you - like Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, and Aurelien Tchounemi, among others - if they are left in open space that’s how good they are offensively. Not only will Argentina’s centrebacks need to play a flawless game, but their midfield will also need to press France’s forwards to limit the space they have to attack. Fullbacks Molina and either Marcos Acuna or Nicolas Tagliafico will have to move in slightly to help defend France’s lethal attack while also helping commence Argentina’s attacks by pushing forward and moving the ball up the field.

France is very good, but their defense is not perfect. The left side of their defense, which Bukayo Saka consistently attacked with success in the quarterfinals to create several chances is the same side of the defense on which Morocco created the majority of their scoring chances on, despite the fact that they didn’t score. Argentina has a quality front three with Messi, Alvarez and Lauturo Martinez with Paulo Dybala and Angel Correa off the bench and France will need to ensure this side of their defense tightens up to avoid allowing a dangerous Argentine attack from heating up on the right side which would lead to multiple crosses into the box and shots on target. Dayot Upamecano was unable to start the semifinal, so Ibrahima Konate stepped up and made several tackles and clearances to keep France out of trouble - he’ll need to have another good game against a strong Argentina attack, including their front three and their midfield which frequently gets involved. Argentina’s forwards are great on the ball and have excellent ball control, they can move around rapidly with the ball on their feet which creates open space and shot attempts for themselves or their teammates. France will have to press to avoid giving Argentine forwards space to operate and get comfortable offensively. However, centrebacks Konate and Raphael Varane are among five French players who missed Friday’s training after being hit by a virus according to French media, which can cause some tactical problems and mismatches in favour of Argentina.

Manager Didier Deschamps is a tactical expert - he knows how to exploit a team’s weaknesses and take what they do well away from them. He is not afraid to play man-to-man defense and press high up the pitch to limit opponents’ scoring chances and to take away space they need to advance up the pitch to get in positions to score. He knows France’s midfield, Griezmann in particular, has the ability to control possession, take opposing players out of the game with strong defense and provide accurate long passes to unleash Mbappe or Giroud. The Argentine defense is good but is not perfect, so in order to win they will need to attack relentlessly. France has the talent to score at any time and also has the skill to be patient and outwit a defense before striking when least expected.

On paper, France is the better team; how France has still managed to be dominant even without some of their biggest stars is phenomenal and deserves a ton of credit. However, Messi has had a phenomenal tournament in what is likely his last on the international stage, and the grit

and resiliency Argentina has shown after losing their first game and how well the team is playing for each other and in support of Messi has blown away all expectations and negates any on-paper advantage. 

This game will come down to which team controls possession on the midfield and defense. If the Argentine defense (with help from their strong midfield) can contain a lethal French attack long enough until their offense gets going on the counterattack, they will be in a prime position to win. However, if any of Mbappe, Giroud, and Griezmann get going and if France can hold the ball in Argentina’s end and get numerous quality scoring chances to tire out Argentina’s backline- which they’ve done the entire tournament - it will be an extremely long night for the Argentine defense. 

If France scores early, they are very solid defensively and can protect the lead well, which would make it super difficult for Argentina to come back. If Argentina scores early, they need to play even better defensively because France will send the kitchen sink at them to attempt to find an equalizer. Because of this, they can’t merely sit back and defend as eventually France with their skill will find a way to score, instead, Argentina will have to score another to put the game out of reach - likely in transition - while France’s midfield and backline are up the field to help score the equalizer.

This game will be a thriller and another interesting storyline is that many club teammates will be battling it out for bragging rights on the international stage, such as Messi and Mbappe, (PSG); Hugo Lloris and Cristian Romero, (Tottenham Hotspur); Antoine Griezmann and Nahuel Molina, (Atletico Madrid); among others. Even though Messi and Mbappe will be the highlight, this game will feature many quality players at all positions on both sides of the ball. 

This game can go either way. Both teams are talented and can win. But here’s how I see it playing out. 90 minutes will not be enough to decide the match. It will be 1-1 after 90 minutes, both teams will score in the extra time and the match will be 2-2 heading into penalties, where Argentina will win 7-6 to secure Messi’s first World Cup.

FIFA World Cup Semifinal Predictions

 Adamo Marinelli

That was one of the best quarterfinals of a World Cup we’ve seen in recent memory with many exhilarating matches including Croatia stunning Brazil, Argentina beating the Netherlands, Morocco stunning Portugal, and France topping England in an instant classic. Here is how I see the semifinals going down.

Argentina 1 - 1 Croatia (3-4 penalties)

Croatia showed just how well they could defend against a lethal Brazil attack. It was consistently able to get back in transition, get players behind the ball, and press well against a dangerous Brazil counter-attack that has hurt many of their previous opponents. Offensively, they were able to create scoring chances with their patience and the skill of their midfield trio that can control the ball, make accurate passes to teammates in the final third or advance the ball up the field with their speed and quality dribbling before crossing it into a scoring position. Croatia defended very well all match and scored on the counter-attack late in the second half of extra time to tie the match after Brazil took a 1-0 lead late in the first half of extra time to force penalties. Croatia dispatched their penalties with ease and calmness, often finding the corner of the net, in a place where Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker couldn’t reach, and their incredibly talented goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic took over once again making multiple saves. 

Argentina showed their offensive brilliance against the Netherlands by quickly getting out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a stellar pass by Leo Messi which led to the goal. Messi now has more assists in a World Cup than any other player. Argentina controlled the majority of the match, creating several quality chances and playing well defensively. Their formation change to a 5-3-2 ahead of the match threw the Dutch off and made it harder for them to break through their back line, and create in the final third. After Messi scored a penalty in the 74th minute to put Argentina up 2-0, the Dutch scored two goals in the span of 25 minutes including one of the best free kicks I’ve ever seen to send the game to extra time, thanks in part to subbing on taller players like Wout Weghorst (who scored both Dutch goals) and Luc Dejong which made every cross into the box more dangerous.

This match will be more or less the same. Croatia will start the match defending well and will score early in transition. They will defend well for the rest of the match but a late free-kick goal from Argentina will tie the game and force extra time. Nothing will be decided, but in penalties, Luka Modric will put the winner into the bottom corner and Livakovic will make two huge saves to put Croatia in the final for the second tournament in a row.

France 1 - 2 Morocco (AET)

France is loaded with talent and defeated England in a 2-1 thriller which saw two penalties awarded, a ton of missed calls, and a few nice goals. Aurelien Tchouameni scored a screamer from outside the box to give France a 1-0 lead within 20. England rebounded and controlled the match until halftime and early in the second half. A tackle from Tchouameni on Saka awarded a penalty and Harry Kane equalized with a nice strike, tying Wayne Rooney for the most-ever England goals with 53. Olivier Giroud headed home the winner on a nice cross into the box by Antoine Griezmann and minutes later, after England was awarded another penalty, Kane stepped up to the spot again, but this time skied it over. France held on to win the match. Superstar Kylian Mbappe was a non-factor, Kyle Walker defended him well, but it just goes to show how much depth France has.

Morocco defended brilliantly all match against Portugal and Youssef En-Nesyri scored the only goal of the match to give Morocco the 1-0 win. Morocco is the first ever African team to advance to the semifinals of a World Cup, which is a tremendous accomplishment. Morocco has defended well all tournament long and has done a fantastic job limiting the effectiveness of all their opponents’ counterattacks and reducing the number of high-quality scoring chances their opponents get. The only goal they conceded at this entire World Cup was an own goal against Canada in their final group stage match, where they won 2-1 after two early goals. Defending against France will be a challenge, given the amount of talent and creativity France has offensively, but if right-back Achraf Hakimi (who plays alongside Mbappe at PSG) defends Mbappe like Walker did today and the rest of his team, including their fantastic goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, play a strong defensive game - which they’ve proven on multiple occasions they can do - they can pull off the upset.

In this match, France will start with an all-out attack and will score relatively early. Despite conceding, the Moroccan defense will not give up and will continue playing extremely well. They will limit any future chances France gets in transition and reduce the quality of France’s setup play in the final third. Their backline will consistently get involved in the attack and late in the second half, Morocco will equalize in transition as soon as France’s backline momentarily let their guard down while the ball is in Morocco’s half. In extra time, France will create a plethora of chances and will have many set-piece opportunities but Bonou will make several key saves to keep the game 1-1. Midway through the second half of extra time, Morocco’s attack will create a freekick in a dangerous area which will beat French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to give Morocco a 2-1 lead which they hold onto.

The World Cup Finals will feature Morocco and Croatia, in a match where both sides can make history. Croatia can win their first World Cup in their third appearance since 1998 and Morocco can win not only their first World Cup but the first World Cup for any African nation.

Stay tuned for a World Cup Finals preview after the semifinals conclude.