World Cup 2018: Taking a peek at forgotten Group H

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Day 11 of the 2018 World Cup is in the books, with teams from Group H delivering on a fine day of matches.

All the talk about the World Cup on this blog in recent weeks has spoken of great teams, powerhouse countries, and Iceland. In the process, much has not been said about the countries from Group H.

Guys. Group H matters, too.

It might have been easy to write off this group at the start of the World Cup. Many assumed Colombia and Senegal would advance to the Group of 16, with Japan and Poland fighting to even sniff the next round.

Poland was the first out of the group to officially be eliminated after falling to Colombia 3-0 today. Poland, making their first World Cup appearance since 2006, is a team on the rise but found nothing comes easy on the world stage. Not that they expected it to, but I'm sure they noticed a lot of work still has to be done.

This is not to say Poland was routed out of the World Cup. They fell 2-1 in their opener to Senegal and kept pace with Colombia for the game's first 60 minutes. Poland still has a chance to play spoiler in their final game when they take on Japan. A victory against the Japanese could very well end Japan's 2018 run.
Japan played to a draw against Senegal, coming back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. An entertaining match from the opening kick, Japan was able to tie the game in the 78th-minute thanks to a goal from sub Keisuke Honda.

A victory over Poland would guarantee Japan a berth in the knockout stage. A tie -- or even the dreaded loss -- might also do the same, depending on the outcome of the Senegal/Colombia game.

Colombia was put in an immediate hole after a game one loss to Japan. Surprise darlings of the 2014 tournament, Colombia battled an early-game red card and a not-100-percent star James Rodriguez in the loss, but were at full strength against Poland.

Rodriguez had two assists in the victory, while long-time World Cup participant Falcao finally nailed his first-ever Cup goal:
Senegal, in their first World Cup since 2002 (when they reached the quarterfinals) is a team in control of its own fate. A victory or tie against Colombia will ensure their advancement to the knockout stage. Sadio Mane scored his first World Cup goal to give Senegal an early lead over Japan. They never could make the decisive statement, despite a few quality chances, and go into the final game of group play looking to find the confidence they had in a first-round win over Poland.

England trounces Panama

I knew Panama might struggle in the World Cup. But waking up this morning to a 6-1 trouncing by England is not something you'd like to see from one of the CONCACAF representatives.

England was never threatened in this game, taking a 5-0 lead at the half. Harry Kane -- who notched two goals in the opener against Tunisia -- added a hat trick for good measure. Kane now has five goals in this World Cup and became only the fifth-player in cup history to score multiple goals in each of his team's first two games.

The victory also means England advances to the knockout stage, where their next game with Belgium will be a big one for seeding.

Monday's games have big implications as we start to see the Group of 16 field take shape. Some will punch their ticket, while others will be resigned to waiting four more years to follow their dream of hoisting the World Cup trophy above their heads.

  • Saudi Arabia vs Egypt: A matter of pride, as neither team will advance.
  • Uruguay vs Russia: Both teams are already advancing; Group of 16 seeding is on the line
  • Iran vs Portugal: A Portugal win also means Spain advances. A tie can (possibly) throw things into chaos, and a Portugal loss likely means a trip home (unless Morocco defeats Spain).
  • Spain vs Morocco: Morocco has been eliminated and can play spoiler here. A tie for Spain and they advance for sure. Same goes for a victory. A loss and their hopes might very well hinge on goal differential, depending on the outcome of the Iran/Portugal game.
Picture at top of post courtesy of pixabay.com

Check out more on the World Cup, sports, wrestling, pop culture, and not-so-deep thoughts on Westworld by following Jason on Twitter: @jasonrh_78

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