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What to watch for today
Every team has now played their first match at the World Cup and there have been no shortage of surprises. As the second round starts, we’ll begin to know who is miraculously going through to the knockout rounds – and who is disastrously going out.
Portugal v. Morocco | Group B
Ronaldo’s heroics single-handedly gave Portugal a result against Spain that set them up well to get out of the group. Morocco’s late loss to Iran will force them to open up and take a few more chances than maybe they’d like to, especially with Ronaldo waiting to counter. Ajax attacker Hakim Ziyech will be Morocco’s main threat as they look for their first goal of the tournament. Morocco will be looking to repeat history; the only previous meeting between these two sides was also in the group stage as Morocco beat Portugal 3-1 in the 1986 World Cup.
Uruguay v. Saudi Arabia | Group A
Uruguay benefited from a late winner against Egypt in their first match, although wasted multiple chances before they finally got their goal. With Saudi Arabia conceding five against Russia, you fear that a more lethal Uruguay this time around could hand Saudi Arabia another lopsided loss. The decision for Saudi Arabia manager Juan Antonio Pizzi is whether he again sets his team up to attack or if they instead patiently defend and wait for their chance.
Iran v. Spain | Group B
Iran are the group leaders after the first round of matches, and any result against Spain would be historic. With three points in hand, they can afford to sit deep and wait for opportunities. That puts the onus on Spain to tiki-taka with purpose and open up an Iranian defense expertly organized by former longtime Manchester United assistant and Real Madrid boss Carlos Queiroz.