The Netherlands put up an impressive show, while Ecuador disappointed

Qatar

Qatar, the host nation, who had never qualified for a FIFA World Cup before, could not provide much for their fans to cherish. It was not something unexpected as an early exit was written on the wall for the 50th-ranked team, playing their first World Cup finals.

They were placed in Group A alongside Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands.

However, there was a glimpse of hope in the way they had performed before the biggest sporting event of the world kicked off in their home ground.

The team, which could not rise above fifth or sixth position in Asia, surprised everyone when they defeated Japan 3-1 to clinch the Asian crown. They entered the tournament as the reigning Asian Champions, a decent run in the Copa America 2019, where the Asian side was invited to play, and an impressive Gold Cup 2021 campaign.

They had also played 10 friendly matches against European teams, which must have given them much-needed exposure.

Despite all of this, they could not deliver well and ended up having the worst World Cup campaign as a host in the history of the tournament.

They played the opening game of the event against Ecuador, where they ended up on the losing side 2-0. The Maroon locked their horns against a much-competitive African side, Senegal, and they yet again fell short, losing the game 3-1.

The first two games had ended their World Cup campaign, yet they tried their best to register their maiden World Cup victory against the Dutch who proved to be too good for them. The host nation lost the last encounter of their campaign 2-0.

All in all, it would have been great if Qatar had managed to secure some points on the table, but still, they had a memorable outing at the event. To their credit, they restricted the opposition to two-three goals in each game and also managed to score one.

Their performance will impress the coming generations to do better.

Ecuador

Grade: B-

Ecuador were the youngest team to qualify for the World Cup from South America after finishing fourth in that section.

The team had previously qualified for the finals three times, in 2002, 2006 and 2014, winning at least one game in each of their campaigns. They had managed to advance to the Round of 16 in 2006.

This time around, they were expected to have a stronger run in the tournament, under their Argentinian manager Gustavo Alfaro, formerly of Buenos Aires super club Boca Juniors, especially after drawing their contests against Brazil and Argentina.

The South American side initiated their campaign on the opening day of the tournament against the hosts and won it by 2-0.

Ecuador’s football team, nicknamed La Tri and La Tricolour after their flag colours, had a decent outing against the Netherlands, where they conceded a goal in just the sixth minute of the game. However, they made a comeback and scored an equaliser in the 49th minute. The game ended in a draw.

In the next match against Senegal, Ecuador only had to manage a draw to qualify for the next round. Senegal drew the first blood via penalty, however, the Enner Valencia team scored an equaliser only to give away another goal in the 70th minute.

The goal ended Ecuador’s dream of qualifying for the Round of 16.

Overall, Ecuador were a competitive team and had a lot more to offer than they actually achieved.

Senegal

Grade: A-

Having played just two World Cup editions before, 2002 and 2018, Senegal is a force to reckon with. In their debut World Cup outing, they advanced to the quarter-finals.

In this edition, they had entered the race with the badge of African champions and were the biggest hope for the continent to make it big.

However, they faced a severe setback when their star striker Sadio Mane was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury. It was a heartbreak for the Teranga Lions as he was seen as the catalyst of success for the team.

In Russia, four years back, the side had faced unprecedented embarrassment when they became the first team ever to be eliminated on the grounds of fair play. They were at par with Japan in terms of points in the group but were knocked out because they had a higher number of yellow cards.

This year, they did not commit the same mistake and played a much more disciplined game.

Senegal started off with a defeat against the Men-in-Orange 2-0. The loss suggested that it was over for the West African team and the absence of their star player is going to haunt them badly.

However, in the next match, they got the better of the home team, beating them by 3-1, courtesy of Boulaye Dia, Famara Diedhiou and Bamba Dieng goals. The victory reinstated fans’ and experts’ belief in the team and it looked like they will not be eliminated so easily.

Next, they took on Ecuador and broke their defence twice to clinch the win by 2-1 and booked a berth to face the in-form England in the Round of 16.

Though Senegal played impressively against the English side, they lost the bout 3-0.

The Teranga Lions’ final outcome does not really reflect how well they played. They were a competitive side and you never know what would have been the result if they had their key player Mane in the ranks.

Netherlands

Grade: A

Louis van Gaal took charge of the Dutch side for the third time in August after the departure of Frank de Boer, following their exit from the Euro 2020 in the Round of 16.

The former Manchester United boss inspired his side to have a seven-match unbeaten streak, winning five and drawing two, to end the qualifying stage as group winners by two points over Turkey.

Ahead of the tournament, Netherlands’ defence was rated as one of the best in the world and it was difficult to score and win against them.

This is almost exactly what happened during their campaign.

They began their campaign with a convincing win against Senegal, winning the game 2-0.

Their next challenge was getting past Ecuador. The South American nation did not give it away easily to the Oranje, drawing the contest 1-1.

Ecuador played well during the game and put the Men-in-Orange on their toes throughout the game.

The Dutchmen faced an easier opponent in the next game, the hosts, who they easily dominated to register a comfortable 2-0 victory to book a place in the Round of 16.

The three-time runner-ups were up against an in-form United States of America (USA), who had played dazzling football against the likes of England, and Wales in Iran.

However, Van Gaal’s men proved to be too good for the Stars and Stripes who clinched an emphatic win with the final score line of 3-1.

With that win, they were booked to face Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the eventual champions, in the quarter-final.

Argentina were leading the game 2-0 till the 83rd minute before Wout Weghorst netted the ball and then he scored an equaliser in 90+11 minutes, which pushed the game to extra time.

Both teams tried to score in the extra 30 minutes but failed to do so, bringing the game to the penalty shootout.

At last, the Netherlands slightly missed the mark and were knocked out of the tournament.

The Dutch, after missing the 2018 World Cup, made a strong comeback and almost fulfilled the expectations of fans as well as experts.