Luis Suarez is going for the trifeta of malfeasance. Beyond that, Group A is bland.
Group A Predicted Order of Finish: Uruguay, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Russia aren’t very good, but only one host nation in history has failed to advance past the group stage- South Africa in 2010, and I think Russia are certainly better than that team and play in a relatively easy group.
The Russians should dispatch of a woeful Saudi Arabia side tomorrow, and those three points, coupled with just enough technical quality in players like Aleksander Golovin, Alexey Miranchuk and the oft-injured Alan Dzagoev, one would think Russia can grab at least one more point and advance to the Round of 16.
The most interesting game in the group will be June 19 at Krestovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg, Putin’s hometown.
The stadium cost 1.3 billion dollars to build, which is obscene, and it will host Egypt and Russia on that date. I think most people- even those that don’t like Liverpool- hope to see the joyful Mohamed Salah play in the knock out rounds.
The question is how fit Salah is after the Sergio Ramos kerfuffle in the Champions League, and while Egypt are more than Salah: Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed and Abdallah Said are all quality players in possession, they need Salah to create opportunities for the secondary weapons.
Uruguay are the class of the group, with household names like Luis Suarez, who will go for the trilogy of dirty tricks at the World Cup; Diego Godin, the brilliant, lockdown defender for Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid; and PSG forward Edinson Cavani, who has lost a step or two but is still a lethal finisher up top.
Uruguay were old and bland in 2014 behind Suarez and Cavani and were deservedly caught out by Costa Rica in midfield; they are younger and more creative in Russia, with Inter’s Matias Vicente and Boca Juniors phenom Nahitan Nandez set to feature in the center of park.
The most interesting thing with this group is whether Suarez can complete the trifecta of foul play, and whether Uruguay are actually dominant or just landed in a fortuitous spot after 2014’s Group of Death.
Neil W. Blackmon co-founded the Yanks Are Coming. Follow him on Twitter @nwblackmon.