Free World Cup Newsletter - Group H Preview: Flying On A DC 10 Tonight

We roll into the lion's den, or the groups where most of the favorites reside. Today, the reigning European champs collective.

Spain

Should You Care? Oh baby, should you. Spain might be the biggest favorite in the tournament, based off their win at the Euros two years ago. It's also based on possibly having the best player in the tournament, one Lamine Yamal, though his health-level is a big question. They actually don't have quite the collection of talent that France and England do, but there's a cohesion that makes up for it. At least, that's the perception.

However, the big key from their Euros win is something of a question now. At the Euros, the team was set up to basically let Yamal and Nico Williams ransack opposing defenders on the counter or in space. They were the two best players, and they were given license to march to the sea. Both come into this with major injury worries. Lamal might not make the opener. Same goes for Williams. Spain might not need them to win this group, but can they get them up to full fuck-you mode with little warm-up in the knockouts?

They also have a midfield dripping with class and talent, but two years ago they had Rodri at the peak of his powers, before his knee went rogue. He's been kind of wonky since coming back. Zubimendi, Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi is probably enough to make up for that, however.

They may not have an out-and-out striker that buckles anyone's knees, but this is Spain, they so rarely do. They don't care. They'll just move everyone around so much that someone always gets the ball six yards out with the keeper having his thumb up his ass on the other side of the box. They figure it out. Or Lamal scores from the parking lot. Whatever.

Do They Care? They're sniffing out a second trophy, so yeah, they're just a touch excited.

Any Dudes? Dudes fucking everywhere. Lamal and Williams on the wings, whenever they get healthy. The entire midfield is dudes. Dudes who just drove Barcelona to a second-straight La Liga title. Or dudes who were part of Arsenal's title-winners. Or dudes who have won the fucking Ballon D'or. Defending dudes from Barca or Atletico Madrid, where they teach defending like the League of Shadows (or at least used to). The defense might be the weakest point, but teams would also have to get the ball to make that count.

How'd They Get Here? Clubbed their qualifying group, winning their first five games 19-0 combined, before a 2-2 draw with Turkiye at home that they didn't need anything out of.

They Getting Out Of Here? They might do it with the trophy. This group is straightforward, even if Lamal and Williams are playing themselves back into shape. The round of 32 likely sees Austria or maybe Algeria, though conceivably it could be Argentina, if they get a little silly in their group. Then it's Colombia, Croatia, or Ghana in the round of 16, though there's a chance it could be England, if they get a little silly in their group. Then they could see Turkiye again, or Belgium, or even the Yanks (dare dare!) in the quarters. It doesn't look like the most daunting road to the last four. Might be France there, but they put them out of the Euros, too. Once a team gets that far, it's more about who's left standing and healthy and not a puddle.

Prediction: Spain's recent World Cup history isn't actually that glittering. They haven't won a knockout game since they won the fucking thing 16 years ago. They whiffed in the groups in Brazil. They just passed the ballaround the halfway line against Russia before eating it on penalties to the hosts. They did the same against Morocco four years ago. But after that, Spain shelved the tiki-taka shit, the passes for the sake of passes, the dawdling around the halfway line doing nothing that basically became loitering, and unleashed Williams and Lamal as bunker-busters. If they can get those two up to speed again by the business end, it's semis at worst. If neither ever get near full bore, suddenly they look a touch toothless. Then it's probably still the quarters.

Uruguay

Should You Care? Yes, because Uruguay have a habit of making a nuisance of themselves come the World Cup, aside from the last one. However, kind of like Egypt, Uruguay probably would have felt better if this tournament was two years ago, or even last summer. Two years ago, they rightly put Brazil out of the Copa America in the quarters, and lost a toss-up to Colombia in the semis. They had Darwin Nunez somewhat coming into his own in the Premier League (honestly, he was). Federico Valverde was the best midfielder at Madrid. They had a rock solid defense. Manuel Ugarte was a hotshot prospect.

Now? Valverde has a collection of knives that he recovered from Xabi Alonso's back, and then he got a second manager fired in one season at Madrid, when he wasn't getting knocked cold by a teammate. Nunez just got punted off the international roster for his team in Saudi Arabia. Ugarte is on his way out of United. Rodrigo Bentancur will need an industrial hose to get Tottenham stink off of him. They already tried to mutiny their manager out of the job once, after losing to the US 5-1(that can't be right) in October. This isn't the harmonious, walking middle finger of a national team they were not so long ago. If they're a middle finger, it's just pointed at themselves.

Do They Care? Hard to tell. They definitely had it out for manager Marcelo Bielsa for a bit there. Bielsa is considered a genius by anyone in management, and a genius that his players can stand for just about seven minutes. After that friendly thwacking by the Yanks, it felt like that seven minutes was up. But he survived, as everyone grits their teeth and realizes they only have to get through one more tournament together.

Any Dudes? Plenty, though in varying form. Valverde is capable of running any game he's in, and can also play just about anywhere, but also can go completely off the boil and is never far away from grabbing the "I'm Not Interested" sign. Ronald Araujo was a regular in the Barcelona backline a couple years ago, but now is more first-off-the-bench. Max Araújo is a nifty winger for Sporting. José María Giménez was more of a rotational piece than he'd been in Atletico's defense. Nunez looks like a dude, threatens to be a dude from time to time, but generally, one needs a brain to be a dude. That small factor seems to keep holding him back.

How'd They Get Here? Surfed South American's never-ending qualifying process, with seven wins and seven draws, level with Colombia and Brazil.

They Getting Out Of Here? Probably. The group came up easy enough that even if they're plotting to murder Bielsa in the hotel between matches, they can fashion four points in their first two games. They play Spain third, which is handy. But if they need anything out of that, they'll have to pray that Spain are rotating players, having already qualified. But finishing second in this group probably means getting Argentina straight to the teeth in the round of 32. Rude.

Prediction: A very rocky group campaign and stories leaking out of how miserable everyone is, and a quick exit in the first knockout game.

Cape Verde

Should You Care? The expanded field does allow for more feel-good stories, which Cape Verde qualify for. This is their first World Cup, and they're one of the smallest nations to ever make it. But they're not just a charity case. They shoved regular regional power Cameroon out of the group to qualify. They beat Ghana and drew with Egypt at AFCON two years ago (though they weren't at this latest one). They just tonked (an admittedly probably not all that interested) Serbia in a friendly 3-0. They aren't just some rabble that got in because FIFA turned open the gates to everyone waiting outside.

Do They Care? Everyone remembers the first time! Not ever fondly and we mostly just laugh about it many years down the road. But doesn't mean we weren't super excited at the moment!

Any Dudes? Ok, a little short on dudes. Dailon Livramento led the way in qualifying with four goals. Best I can do.

How'd They Get Here? Topped a group in Africa with Cameroon in it, sentencing them to the playoff from which they did not survive.

They Getting Out Of Here? It's a possibility. They have to not get completely fustigated by Spain in their opener, which would wreck their goal-difference. They play Uruguay second, and if Uruguay are already having food fights and leaving nasty comments on each other's socials via burners, they could jump up and bite them. Then it's about beating Saudi Arabia in the group finale.

Prediction: Shock third-place qualifier?

Saudi Arabia

Should You Care? Nope. While the Saudis have been regulars at the World Cup for 30 years, they never do anything. They haven't gotten out of the group since their first appearance, which was on these shores in 1994. So we're supposed to think that's some omen or bit of symmetry. Combined with the idea that all the money that the PIF pumped into their domestic league would boost the overall level of the players there for the national team. And hey, they caused Argentina a headache last time, right? When they scored on two of their three shots and the Argentines contrived to biff every pass and shot they made in the second half?

Yeah, no. They needed to come through the playoffs in Asia to get here, where a win and a draw with Iraq was enough. They were in a group with Australia and Japan before that, and didn't beat either of them in four tries. They're a cut below either of those teams.

Do They Care? With the announcement that they'll be hosting in 2034, and fucking up the whole schedule again to do so, there will be a lot of noise about building up the national team for that. Heard the same shit about Qatar, too.

Any Dudes? I'm not going to pretend that a squad made entirely of players playing in Saudi Arabia is full of dudes. Or has any dudes. Musab Al Juwayr was the main driver in qualifying, and had six goals and 11 assists in the latest Saudi season, whatever that does for you.

How'd They Get Here? Finished third in their qualifying group, and got sent to the loser's bracket with Indonesia and Iraq, where they squeaked through.

They Getting Out Of Here? Nope. They'll catch Uruguay in the opener, which is probably before they start reenacting "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" They'll think they can hold Spain like they did Argentina, and maybe if Williams and Lamal aren't fully fit, that's a possibility. More likely, they get tonked in the first two games and are fodder for Cape Verde to pull a miracle.

Prediction: Get 'em upstairs...