Round 1 of the 2022 Soccer World Cup is already behind us, and what a round of matches it was! From high-scoring games involving two of the favourites to win the tournament, England and Spain, to underdogs in the form of Saudi Arabia and Japan rising to the occasion and showing they are worth betting on, we couldn’t have asked for a more thrilling start to soccer’s biggest tournament.
With the bar set so high, could we expect more of the same from the second round of matches? Take a walk down the field with the SweepSouth team as we share the updates from a nail-biting second round, and find out whose campaign will live on to see the third round, and who will be packing their bags early.
Shocking Results
After more than one unexpected result deriving from the first round of matches, it was safe to say that this wouldn’t be any ordinary World Cup. The 2022 Soccer World Cup will go down in the history books as a tournament that saw heroes fall, young stars rise, and fans treated to the spectacle of their lives. These are the shock results that we saw in round 2 of the World Cup:
- Wales vs. Iran: Although it has been 64 years since the Welsh team last set foot on World Cup soil, they were still expected to be a force to be reckoned with, especially for a team like Iran. With big names like Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey in the team, Wales should have won a game like this fairly comfortably. Little did they know that Iran had other plans in mind.
After a hard-fought battle left both teams without goals for most of the match, the 86th minute brought about a red card for Hennessey from Wales, signalling the beginning of the end. Wales did their best to hold onto a draw with 10 men, but two late goals by the Iranian team broke the hearts of Welsh fans the world over. The game ended in a 2-0 defeat for Wales, and left them with an uphill battle in their final match.
- Belgium vs. Morocco: After the slightest of victories over the Canadians in their first game, the extremely-talented stars of Belgium were expected to bounce back with a more convincing victory over Morocco. The team from Africa had other plans and wouldn’t let the Belgians have it all their way. Two late goals coming in the 73rd and 92nd minute stunned the Belgium team and shocked soccer fans all around the world. The game ended 2-0 as the Moroccan team etched their way into the history books with a victory that will be remembered for many years to come.
Front-Runners
While some of the underdogs were gathering points by causing upsets, the higher-ranked teams were doing the job expected of them and edging ever closer to the round of 16. Below are the expected results of two entertaining games that fans were treated to:
- Croatia vs. Canada: After facing a very determined Moroccan side in their first game, which saw a 0-0 draw, Croatia couldn’t afford to drop more points to teams they would usually beat. Canada gave them a scare by scoring a very early goal in the 2nd minute of the match, but as fate would have it, the Croatians bounced back with 4 goals to pick up 3 points with a 4-1 victory.
- Portugal vs. Uruguay: The Portuguese team came into this tournament as one of the most determined sides to go all the way, especially for their talisman, Christiano Ronaldo, who would more than likely be playing in his last-ever World Cup. After a 3-2 victory over a strong Ghanaian side in the first round, they expected Uruguay to put up just as tough a fight. Two goals from one of their other experienced leaders, Bruno Fernandes, saw the Portuguese cruise to a 2-0 victory and secure their spot in the round of 16.
Other Results
With a spot in the round of 16 up for grabs, and many results not going as planned in the first round, the World Cup teams did all they could to keep their dreams alive. Below is a list of the other results from the second round of matches:
- Qatar 1 – 3 Senegal
- Netherlands 1 – 1 Ecuador
- England 0 – 0 USA
- Tunisia 0 – 1 Australia
- Poland 2 – 0 Saudi Arabia
- France 2 – 1 Denmark
- Argentina 2 – 0 Mexico
- Japan 0 – 1 Costa Rica
- Spain 1 – 1 Germany
- Cameroon 3 – 3 Serbia
- South Korea 2 – 3 Ghana
- Brazil 1 – 0 Switzerland
Conclusion
With the penultimate round of the group stages now behind us, who will have the final say and progress from their respective groups in round 3? Remember to keep an eye on the important fixture dates of the 2022 Soccer World Cup so that you don’t miss a single second of the action! If it’s your turn to host your friends for the big match, book a cleaning service before or after game day. A hard-working SweepStar will have your home spotless and ready in no time.
