THEY FINISHED 8TH: URUGUAY

With a population half that of London's, it's incredible how many good footballers Uruguay produces per head. Unfortunately one of their best ones was forced to sit out this tie, and it proved crucial as they lacked any sort of offensive threat without him and were simply guided out of the tournament by a superior French team.

Never a team to score a goal fest, they base their success on solid defence and inspired attack. But Suarez hasn't had a brilliant World Cup. And Cavani looked like he was moving into gear before his injury scuppered his nation's hopes.

World Cup Quarter Final: France 2-0 Uruguay

Oh, Cavani, where were thee? Your nation needed ye, and there you were injured.

A shadow of the team they were without you, never looked likely to score, and now homeward bound, while France dance on into the final (you need to bring more fans to the next game, though).

The Armchair predicted that France would reach the World Cup Semis and so it has proved. They never looked under threat today, though the Uruguayan keeper will not sleep well tonight, playing over and over the mistake that helped ensure his nation's hopes slipped through his fingers.

Another former winner of the World Cup gone, leaving just France and two others, Brazil and England. And the Armchair predicts we will lose another in tonight's game...

ROUND OF 16: Uruguay 2-1 Portugal

It’s Cavani who’s grabbing the headlines for Uruguay this World Cup, his brace here steering his nation past the Euro 2016 champions and into the quarter finals, again. No magic from Ronaldo here, and on the day Messi exited the tournament, the other of those players who have had a duopoly on the world’s best player award for much of the last decade also exited. The Armchair didn’t fancy Uruguay much this World Cup, but that’s looking like a mistake…

World Cup 2018 GROUP A FINAL GAMES: Uruguay 3-0 Russia; Saudi Arabia 2-1 Egpyt

The qualifiers from this group were already decided before this final set of games. The only thing at stake, who would top the group. And with Russia reduced to ten men early doors, the path was cleared for Uruguay, and they strode along it with ballsy confidence.

In the other game, Salah scored but Saudi soared to a rare World Cup win that will send their fans home happy, and give them confidence going into the 2022 World Cup which, should they qualify, will be much closer to home.

FINAL TABLE

They Finished 30th: EGYPT

Uruguay’s win over Saudi Arabia condemned Egypt to a fate they knew was coming.

Losing 2 of 2 is find your passports and pack your bags time. 

Yeah, OK, there’s another game to play against another side that’s on its way home, but all the hassle and joy of qualifying is lost. 

You’re out. 

Your star man played through injury, scored you a penalty, but Salah was never going to be able to do it all himself, even fully fit. 

And certainly not with Russia looking like one of the best teams in the tournament.

The Armchair believes the Egyptians will look back on World Cup 2018 and regard it as a tournament of If Only.

World Cup 2018: Uruguay 1-0 Saudi Arabia

The tricky 4 o’clock UK time kick off rendered this game unwatchable for The Armchair. 

And, from the sounds of it, it was pretty unwatchable for those who saw it in the stadium or on TV. 

Uruguay took the lead and held onto it by all accounts, by all means necessary. 

Boring, boring, boring, 

The Armchair hopes they don’t beat Russia as the hosts deserve to win this group, having played the best football. And because The Armchair tipped them to win Group A at the start of the competition.

The Armchair Predicted:

Uruguay 3-1 Saudi Arabia

12 and 7

World Cup 2018: Russia 3-1 Egypt

Oh for a fully fit Salah. He would have made a difference, no doubt. Whether it would have been big enough to alter this result is another matter.

Russia are truly rampant, as The Armchair suspected they might be when he made them Group Winners. An entertaining, attacking team, with no stand out stars as such. It’s working well. They are rising to the challenge and being backed by a passionate crowd.  They are virtually in the Round of 16, with Egypt out if Uruguay avoid defeat against Saudi Arabia.

The Armchair Predicted:

Russia 2-0 Egypt

10 and 7

World Cup 2018: Egypt 0-1 Uruguay

There’s a school of thought in tournaments that says if you want to win them, you don’t want to peak too soon.

On that basis, Uruguay could well win this, and Egypt have no chance. Because the latter played above themselves, even without their talisman, while Uruguay must consider themselves fortunate to emerge from this with anything other than a draw.

Salah could well have made all the difference, but the likelihood is he is still too fragile to be risked. And with his team-mates holding many people’s Group A favourites (not mine I hasten to add) the thinking must have been to save him for the last two games and get a point here.

A late winner scuppered that plan and was more than Uruguay deserved. The result is harsh on Egypt. And surely Uruguay can only get better…

The Armchair Predicted: Egypt 1-2 Uruguay

Who Will Win In The World Cup Round of 16? Top half of draw predictions

Based on my group finishing predictions, the top half of the World Cup 2018 Round of 16 shapes up like this:

RUSSIA v PORTUGAL

Ronaldo won’t be 100%. Russia will be driven by a passionate home crowd. Portugal peaked in 2016. Russia want this really bad. RUSSIA TO WIN

FRANCE v ARGENTINA

Such a big game so early on. But to win the World Cup you’ve got to beat the biggies some time. France are angry at losing the Euro 2016 final in their own back yard. Argentina aren’t amazing. This will go to extra time though. Possibly penalties. FRANCE TO WIN

SPAIN v URUGUAY

Another classic match-up. Hard to call. Big names clashing all over the park. But Spain still has the edge. The quality. A new generation hungry to follow in the footsteps of the 2010 legends. Here’s where they start to write their own history. SPAIN TO WIN

CROATIA v PERU

Intriguing. Peru perhaps the biggest unknowns of my Predicted Round of 16 teams. The pressure will be on Croatia. Close to home. Closer to glory. They can see the lights of the quarter finals from here. But Peru are ultra relaxed. In glory land and loving it. Winning fans in Russia. And they take this to penalties. A pure lottery and pure is an anagram of the team that will come out on top. PERU TO WIN

WHO WILL QUALIFY FROM World Cup 2018 GROUP A

GROUP A

Saudi Arabia

Uruguay

Russia

Egypt

Not SURE about this one? 

RUSSIA, as hosts, will have the pressure on to qualify. But the hosts always qualify from the group stage, right? It’s inconceivable that they won’t. But should the worst happen (which I don’t think it will) the show Moscow on. 

Mo Salah. The mere mention of the name will send pulses of fear through the defences of the other 3 teams in Group A. But as EGYPT’s star man, he risks being marked out of games. Such a talisman, could he steer his nation into dreamland? It’s possible.

Saudi Arabia - any mention of them and the World Cup cannot be allowed to pass without a link to one of the best goals ever scored in the competition. Take a bow Al Owairan and click this link to enjoy his incredible run and finish from USA ’94.

It’s getting on for 100 years since URUGUAY lifted the first ever World Cup. Surely they will see this draw as a group they can safely negotiate? They have the names and, providing Suarez can keep his cool, surely the only challengers for World Cup Group A winners will come from the hosts.

Betting for World Cup 2018 Group A:

MY PREDICTION:

World Cup GROUP A

1: RUSSIA

2: URUGUAY

3: Egypt

4: Saudi Arabia