DJHazey

Hazey's Rankings 24) Algeria 23) Austria 22) Ivory Coast 21) United States 20) Uruguay 19) Ecuador 18) Turkey 17) Mexico 16) Norway I've seen many 'experts' on YouTube having Norway go very deep in the knockout rounds. As much as I want to follow in suit with those predictions and loved watching them dominate the qualifying group over Italy, they just don't have any experience in major tournaments yet plus I question how they will handle the heat. It has been said Haaland never plays well in hot weather months, which could be a key factor. Plus, they have a very difficult group that I see them finishing third, but only just because I think there could be a battle betwene the top 3.

He was very close to running in the Indy 500 twice, 2017 and 2022. He had everything set up in both occasions, but was vetoed by his NASCAR ownder Joe Gibbs in 2017 and sponsorship situations fell through at the last moment in 2022.

Hazey's Rankings 24) Algeria 23) Austria 22) Ivory Coast 21) United States 20) Uruguay 19) Ecuador 18) Turkey 17) Mexico I will be away for the long weekend, so I'm gonna go ahead and post a few. #20 is where I'll put Uruguay. It's funny because the U.S. just beat Uruguay recently in a friendly, 5-1, so having the South Americans ranked just ahead is interesting in retrospect. I'm completely on the fence about Uruguay. If I simply take their name out of it and look at the form and results on paper, I don't expect much more than 2nd place and a quick exit in the knockout rounds, but something is pulling at me to consider them for a longer run. Many predictions have them facing Argentina early in the Round of 32 and losing, but I get the feeling Uruguay would be game for an monumental upset for some reason. #19 is the brick wall known as Ecuador. They only conceded 5 goals in 18 matches of South American qualifying. I can't tell you how hard that is to accomplish. But they only scored 14 goals, so where will the goals come from is the question. Needless to say they'll give everyone in their group trouble with their defense, including Germany. The experts always say defense wins championships, but you have to have attacking talent too, so I don't see a very deep run. #18 is Turkey, who like I said will go for it no matter who the competition is. Sometimes it backfires, like losing 6-0 to Spain in qualifying, but then with a more controlled approach on the return to Spain later, 2-2. Their fans are delirious about this squad and think they are one of the best in the world right now. Hyperbole is the spice of life, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get a quarterfinal run out of them, as I have them winning Group D. This is their best team since the 2002 3rd place finish. #17 is my highest-ranking host team, simply because they will have the best home field advantage. Their best World Cup finishes were quarterfinals at their two home tournaments (1970 and 1986) which only adds to what I just said. 2022 broke up a string of 7-straight Round of 16 crashouts, including the famous 2002 loss to the USA 2-0, which is why Americans still chant "Doc a Cero" whenever we beat them 2-0 in qualifying matches at home, which happens alot. Any match at Estadio Azteca will be tough to navigate for anyone. I've seen alot of predictions have England play Mexico in the Round of 16 and I don't know, on paper I'd pick England because of talent but crazier things have happened in that stadium when 100,000 crazed Mexican fans are against you...in that heat. (The winners of Group A and L face each other in that round in Mexico City, so you might want to lose to Croatia or hope Mexico has a bad group stage lol)

Big blow, I was very emotional yesterday. He was my favorite driver when I was really into NASCAR from about 2008 to 2021. Nobody wanted to win more than Kyle. He was often compared to Dale Earnhardt because of that. He is considered as one of the best wheelmen to ever be in a race car of any kind. Basically the sport's Senna in that regard.

Hazey's Rankings 24) Algeria 23) Austria 22) Ivory Coast 21) United States Yup, that's right. Outside the Top 20 for my home team. Injuries and lineup questions galore, plus our form has been...inconsistent at best the past couple years. We don't really have a big 'home field' advantage because of how far down the list soccer is for importance in this country. It's either "soccer is boring" or racists who think it's a sport for non-Americans have conditioned us not to have as big a following as most other countries in the tournament. It's exhausting. At best the crowds will be split with the other nation's fans. I don't have a ton of faith, I don't know what else to say.

That match apparently will be one of the richest in history in terms of how much of an economic boon it will be to either side who wins and joins the EPL.

I see something like how my scores would go. West Ham will do enough and have a solid lead, in this case 3-1 and at the same time Spurs will be down 2-1 but will get a penalty or something screwy late to find the equalizer and save their season.

Also, I think Turkey will be one of the more entertaining teams in the tournament. They usually go for it offensively and as we saw in their first Spain match, it back fired.

As an American, I wholeheartedly think Turkey wins our group.

Sunday 24th May Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Manchester United Burnley 3-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal Fulham 2-1 Newcastle United Liverpool 3-2 Brentford Manchester City 1-0 Aston Villa Nottingham Forest 1-1 AFC Bournemouth Sunderland 2-1 Chelsea Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Everton West Ham United 3-1 Leeds United

Hazey's Rankings 24) Algeria 23) Austria 22) Ivory Coast While I think this ranking might be a tad too high for the Elephants. I think they can have some defensive lapses, but their athleticism and their ability on the counterattack can match anyone else's in the tournament. I'm kind of getting vibes going into this, like they're this year's Ghana/Morocco, maybe. Meaning they'll take the place of what those African teams did in previous World Cups because they are kind of coming under radar compared to other CAF teams.

I also think UEFA needs to take a look at playoffs going forward, not only to avoid Nations League teams that do dismal in the main qualifying, but if you're going to do that you need to make the home field teams decided by their World Cup qualifying standing, not random draw. That match should have been in Warsaw, not Solna.

Hazey's Rankings 24) Algeria 23) Austria So many close battles I foresee because this is like the 4th or 5th time I've had two nations ranked next to each other and they're in the same group. I really don't know how that match will go. On paper, you'd lean Austria which is why I have it ranked this way, but I think Algeria has slightly more attack. Austria is kind of coming out of a mini 'golden era' for them, for a country that hasn't been to a World Cup since 1998. Alot of the key players, Alaba, Sabitzer, and Arnautović are getting up there in age. The more I look at this group, the more I see Argentina just walking it, but these two are certainly capable in the right situation.

Hazey's Rankings 48) Curacao 47) Qatar 46) New Zealand 45) Haiti 44) Saudi Arabia 43) Cape Verde 42) Iraq 41) Jordan 40) Ghana 39) Bosnia and Herzegovina 38) Scotland 37) Sweden 36) South Africa 35) Czechia 34) Paraguay 33) Tunisia 32) Panama 31) Uzbekistan 30) Congo DR 29) Egypt 28) Iran 27) South Korea 26) Australia 25) Canada 24) Algeria Here's where I have the first host to show up in my rankings. There was definitely a time when I would have them ranked higher than Mexico and the United States, but I think that time is passing. They have injury questions, but if they have the full core of the 'golden age' healthy they might be able to advance to their first knockout stage. They have a weak enough group to do so, but until they prove themselves in big matches, I can't have them ranked as high, since both Mexico and USA have proven they can beat countries ranked higher than this and Canada hasn't. Algeria were really fun to watch in 2014, glad to have them back. Their attack power has some questions marks this time without some names of the past like Slimani or Soudani, but they've been pretty consistent in recent years re-establishing themselves as an African power. The match with Austria will be a true banger, I think and could decide 2nd place.

Hazey's Rankings 48) Curacao 47) Qatar 46) New Zealand 45) Haiti 44) Saudi Arabia 43) Cape Verde 42) Iraq 41) Jordan 40) Ghana 39) Bosnia and Herzegovina 38) Scotland 37) Sweden 36) South Africa 35) Czechia 34) Paraguay 33) Tunisia 32) Panama 31) Uzbekistan 30) Congo DR 29) Egypt 28) Iran 27) South Korea 26) Australia This leaves just Japan left for my Asian ranking. I think South Korea hasn't been showing good quality at all of late, but they've been known to show up in the big tournaments, so we'll see. I would've said the same thing about Australia recently and had them ranked a bit lower but something feels a little different going into the main stage here. I also think they can compete in Group D.

Hey I can totally understand having Ghana higher than World Rankings and recent results because of the country's pedigree. It does seem like ages since they opened African Qualifying by losing to Comoros. Even though the island nation is on the upward trend, the loss was still embarrassing, no doubt. To me, the loss was a microcosm of what they'd been doing the past few years which have led to their paltry international ranking. They could certainly turn the switch on and as LewisGT stated, they have the talent to do so. Hazey's Rankings 48) Curacao 47) Qatar 46) New Zealand 45) Haiti 44) Saudi Arabia 43) Cape Verde 42) Iraq 41) Jordan 40) Ghana 39) Bosnia and Herzegovina 38) Scotland 37) Sweden 36) South Africa 35) Czechia 34) Paraguay 33) Tunisia 32) Panama 31) Uzbekistan 30) Congo DR 29) Egypt 28) Iran I'm going to go Iran here, but there is also a chance they just fall flat on their faces and who would blame them when their country is going through much bigger things at the moment? Normally I would give them the edge over Egypt, but because of my apprehension to anoint them as the top tier Asian side they usually are I think they are right there with them in Group G (I also have Egypt at #30 and Iran at #33 in my own personal World Rankings) but think Iran has slightly better history at the World Cup.

That's for sure, but I don't think any of the hosts nations this time have been sublime going in. I was also going to add that the Davies injury puts more concerns on Canada. Before that, I would have had Canada as tops, but in reality I think Mexico's home field advantage is more impactful so I would have them as the CONCACAF nation with the most expectations. USA...the less said about what they've been putting up for results the last year or two, the better (the dismantling of Uruguay in a friendly aside).

Hazey's Rankings 48) Curacao 47) Qatar 46) New Zealand 45) Haiti 44) Saudi Arabia 43) Cape Verde 42) Iraq 41) Jordan 40) Ghana 39) Bosnia and Herzegovina 38) Scotland 37) Sweden 36) South Africa 35) Czechia 34) Paraguay 33) Tunisia 32) Panama 31) Uzbekistan 30) Congo DR 29) Egypt Next, I will go with Egypt, the country that used to dominate the ACON but never get to the World Cup and now it's kind of the opposite. In my opinion, they could've been challenged more by Burkina Faso in their qualifying group, but I think Burkina Faso has fallen off from their "glory days", at least based on their lackluster performance in qualifying and their 'just good enough' Round of 16 advancement and blowout loss to Ivory Coast. So I don't think Egypt was really had to do too much to be here, The three-headed dragon of Salah, Mohamed, and Marmoush up front is still dynamic though, so this could be the year they get the first ever World Cup win. They've been placed in a group with a couple of good options for that with Iran and New Zealand. The former will be an extremely important match to secure 2nd place.

Hazey's Rankings 48) Curacao 47) Qatar 46) New Zealand 45) Haiti 44) Saudi Arabia 43) Cape Verde 42) Iraq 41) Jordan 40) Ghana 39) Bosnia and Herzegovina 38) Scotland 37) Sweden 36) South Africa 35) Czechia 34) Paraguay 33) Tunisia 32) Panama 31) Uzbekistan 30) Congo DR This is where I have the intercontinental playoff winners, Congo DR, returning to the World Cup for the first time since they were Zaire. They indeed will be kicking themselves if they hadn't made through the playoff, as they kind of controlled their main qualifying group over Senegal but punted away a 2-0 lead to them at home, after drawing them in Senegal earlier. They will really think back to their lost points at Sudan as well, who they definitely out-class. I have them ranked just above Uzbekistan because their physical style of play will be tough for anyone to handle. That will be a real battle for 3rd in Group K, in my eyes. If either team wins the match, they could advance to knockouts, a draw puts both their campaigns in doubt.

Friday 15th May Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool (20:00) Sunday 17th May Manchester United 3-1 Nottingham Forest (12:30) Brentford 2-0 Crystal Palace Everton 1-1 Sunderland Leeds United 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Fulham Newcastle United 2-2 West Ham (17:30) Monday 18th May Arsenal 2-0 Burnley (20:00) Tuesday 19th May AFC Bournemouth 2-2 Manchester City (19:30) Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur (20:15)

Hazey's Rankings 48) Curacao 47) Qatar 46) New Zealand 45) Haiti 44) Saudi Arabia 43) Cape Verde 42) Iraq 41) Jordan 40) Ghana 39) Bosnia and Herzegovina 38) Scotland 37) Sweden 36) South Africa 35) Czechia 34) Paraguay 33) Tunisia 32) Panama 31) Uzbekistan While I think Iran/Australia have question marks going into this World Cup, I still have them ranked slightly higher. In fact, I have Uzbekistan ranked this highly simply for that fact. We all know they've been World football's bridesmaids for years now until 2026. Uzbekistan has been a side that has consistently been game against their bigger Asian foes such as Iran & Australia. They've pulled slightly ahead of the likes of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar in recent years, to the point where you'd probably pick them to win those matchups. They've also shown they can beat Japan and South Korea, but their problem has always been consistency. So many qualifying campaigns would start with a 1-0 away victory in Japan and a draw against Iran and then they'd go home lose to an UAE or something; which would de-rail any momentum they had. Most of their players reside in the Uzbek league, so nobody really knows what to expect, but don't underestimate them. As long as the lights aren't too bright, they should hold their own because they have the technical quality to compete. As I've said before, Panama are not the squad you saw get destroyed by England eight years ago. That being said, they are still not on England or Croatia's level. They'll probably lose like 2-0 instead 6-1 this time, but they could also pull a Costa Rica 2014 in this group. Croatia is aging even if nobody wants to admit it and England...well we all know they have a history of disappointing when expectations are high. I think they beat a Ghana team that is far less than your father's Ghana. I agree Tunisia is likely headed for a last place finish and because of that I probably have them ranked too high. However, if they had been put into easier group, things might be different. They better get points from Sweden or they aren't getting them. On paper, I have them ranked higher, simply on their qualifying campaign and consistent form over recent years, but everything LewisGT pointed out is true. They do keep the game under control, with a strong defense. Remember. they beat France in 2022 using the same style. Good defense travels well and Tunisia can always frustrate teams like Netherlands and Japan, who are loaded with attackers and will find a brick wall in front of them here. They are a poor man's Morocco. Expects 1-0 defeats.

Hazey's Rankings 48) Curacao 47) Qatar 46) New Zealand 45) Haiti 44) Saudi Arabia 43) Cape Verde 42) Iraq 41) Jordan 40) Ghana 39) Bosnia and Herzegovina 38) Scotland 37) Sweden 36) South Africa 35) Czechia 34) Paraguay I'm going to put Paraguay down here, which shows where I think they would finish in Group D (USA, Australia, Türkiye). Great job qualifying, but it was an expanded format, as we know. They can hold opponents down, expect their matches to be pretty snoozy, but they're going to struggle to score. Like, at all. They'll always play it very safe, while everyone else in the group will take chances.

Adidas is always my favorite brand (I haven't worn a non-Adidas pair of sneakers in over 20 years) and I love their classic emblem, minimalized away kits, especially for Spain and Mexico. Those are probably my favorite two.

My favorite kits: Mexico HOME+AWAY South Africa HOME Brazil HOME Morocco HOME Germany HOME Curacao AWAY Spain AWAY Uruguay HOME Norway HOME England HOME+AWAY

Hazey's Rankings 48) Curacao 47) Qatar 46) New Zealand 45) Haiti 44) Saudi Arabia 43) Cape Verde 42) Iraq 41) Jordan 40) Ghana 39) Bosnia and Herzegovina 38) Scotland 37) Sweden 36) South Africa 35) Czechia This where I am placing Czechia who I think are in competition with (#36) South Africa for bottom tier of Group A, on paper. There is a world where I see South Korea finishing last, based solely on their recent form, but they usually tend to get up for big tournaments. Nothing about Czechia ever really excites me but then I forget any squad buoyed by Schick and Souček has a chance to make waves.