Here at TheRX, we preview the two semifinal matchups from the knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Argentina vs. Croatia
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 – 02:00 PM EST at Lusail Stadium
Argentina
Lionel Messi is two matches away from soccer greatness, but can Croatia mess up those plans?
Argentina was very impressive for the first eighty minutes of their quarterfinal encounter with the Netherlands. A piece of Messi’s brilliance unlocked the Dutch defense in the first half for Nahuel Molina to score the opener. Messi added a penalty conversion in the 73rd minute and given the Argentine domination you could have been forgiven for believing the job was done!
It wasn’t as the South American giants sat back on their lead inviting the Dutch to attack. The Dutch threw on their tall strikers and constantly tossed the ball high into the Argentina box. A last-minute equalizer from some set-piece brilliance by the Dutch took the tie to extra time.
At this point, Argentina regrouped, eventually taking the tie comfortably on penalties after the Argentina goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez brilliantly saved the first two Dutch spot kicks.
Croatia
There were many pundits, including yours truly who thought that the Croatian heroics of the last World Cup when they reached the final were beyond their aging stars in the heat of Qatar.
How wrong, as Luka Modric, their brilliant captain, talisman, and playmaker has been pulling those strings as well as ever. The Croats have been obstinate opponents, winning their last 16 and quarterfinal encounters on penalties. In the process of their campaign, they’ve seen off the top two ranked teams entering the World Cup, Brazil and Belgium.
The Croatian team has many match winners apart from Modric with Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic, and Dejan Lovren to name a few.
Pick and Prediction
The way Argentina nearly fell apart in their quarterfinal concerns me. That South American cynical temperament became badly exposed in a bad-tempered ending to their match with the Dutch.
They had been coasting prior, but in Croatia, they face a team shrewd in tactics and high in technical skill. If any team is going to mess up Argentina’s World Cup coronation for the great man, it’s Croatia.
Following the World Cup odds, the bet I like is the 90-minute Double Chance line for Croatia.
World Cup Pick: Croatia Win or Draw (Double Chance) (+100) at Bet365
Morocco vs. France
Wednesday, December 14, 2022 – 02:00 PM EST at Al Bayt Stadium
Morocco
Can Morocco reach their first World Cup Final? Why not? They’ve been the surprise package of this year’s event in Qatar. We’ve been championing their cause throughout, indeed supporting them double chance in their opening encounter with the other semifinalist Croatia. That was a small window into their team spirit emanating from their new head coach, Walid Regragui who has been popular with players and fans alike since his appointment three months ago.
Their captain, Romain Saiss has led by example as a tower of strength in their strong backline with Achraf Hakimi. In midfield on the right side, Hakim Ziyech never stops running and surging forward being a constant threat on the counterattack.
They will be underdogs but if they continue to play in their organized disciplined fashion they will be hard to break down having conceded only one goal. Amazingly, they’ve not conceded any goals playing against four of soccer’s world giants here, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, and Croatia. Instead, it was Canada to who they conceded their only goal.
France
The reigning World Champions, France rode their luck in the quarterfinal win against England when some dreadful defending to give away a late penalty went unpunished.
Manager, Didier Deschamps has won the World Cup as a player and head coach but retaining the Jules Rimet trophy would be a further enhancement of his rich legacy in French football.
Striker Olivier Giroud has finally found his best form for the national team and is flourishing from Antoine Griezmann’s outstanding playmaking while Kylian Mbappe’s speed down the wing, is a huge danger.
Interestingly, France has conceded a goal in every game of the World Cup knockout stage in Qatar so far.
Pick and Prediction
Similar, to the opening semifinal, it’s the underdog that I want to get onside in 90-minutes play for my World Cup picks.
We know the French side’s weakness is in defense, where they are prone to rushes of blood, so I think Morocco should score which will make them hard to beat in the full time given their solid disciplined defense.
World Cup Pick: Morocco Win or Draw (Double Chance) (+140) at Bet365
