ALL PRE WORLD CUP FRIENDLIES 🧵
I’ll be keeping up to date with all pre tournament friendlies in this thread.
Looking at gametime, key players, stats and more.
It could be helpful, so like and bookmark ✅
👇
I’ll of course add this to my morning match report notes again for the morning people.
But confirmation that Dumfries is in fact suspended for tonight’s friendly
🚨 JUST IN: Nico Paz has still not recovered from his muscle discomfort and is a concern for the coaching staff. They will push him in training sessions to see how he responds. He is being monitored closely to determine whether he remains in the squad. @gattiluc ⚠️⚠️
We’re backkkkkkk for World Cup Fantasy 🚨
Myself, @uclfantasypod and our new co-host @Big4FPL previewed Group A + B, ahead of the tournament 👇
https://t.co/osD6q057yE
@HarishNarayan08 Yeah 100-%. He’s a very good player that’s for sure. But there was also quite a lot of times he couldn’t influence the game for Como. Hopefully he recovers!
Morocco 🇲🇦 4-0 Madagascar
Goals: Saibari x2, Rahimi, El Kaabi
Assists: El Khannouss, Ounahi, Ounahi also won a penalty.
This was a routine win for Morocco, arguably they need to be facing tougher opposition rather than stat padding against the likes of Madagascar and Burundi, but a good test against Norway lays ahead
This was also their second friendly, second big win, and second clean sheet.
First team Bounou wasn’t in the squad for this one, he felt discomfort, but the coach it wasn’t serious
It was a back four for Morocco, Salah-Eddine played LB, due to Mazraoui playing RB because Hakimi missed out with the recent Champions League final
Diop and Halhal were in CB. Masina isn’t in the squad for the World Cup, whilst Aguerd wasn’t ready to play the match. So far from the normal backline for Morocco.
Bouaddi and Amrabat played central midfield.
Ezzalzouli played LW as we’d expect, the big news on right wing was that Brahim Diaz didn’t start, but featured.
El Khannouss played in the 10. Saibari played up front which interests me a lot. Although El Kaabi came on the second half.
En Nesyri wasn’t called up for the Morocco squad either, along with other big names like Boufal.
Mazraoui was very good: 2 big chances created, 3 key passes.
Ezzalzouli with 3 key passes, 2 attempts on goal, 1 on target
Khannouss got an assist, 2 key passes, 2 attempts on goal and 1 big chance missed
Saibari as mentioned played up front, scored 2, 7 attempts on goal, missed 2 big chances as well, was fantastic
All 3 attackers managed that in just the first half
Ounahi came on second half, won a penalty, got an assist.
El Kaabi also scored and had 2 attempts on goal
Diaz played 9 minutes and hit the post
Not full strength for Morocco, did a job!
Added to my pinned friendly thread ✅
So significant friendlies today:
Denmark v 🇨🇩 DR Congo
Netherlands 🇳🇱 v 🇩🇿 Algeria
Panama 🇵🇦 v D.Republic
South Korea 🇰🇷 v El Salvador
Match reports as usual for you in the morning
@fpl_Akib48 I’ve been super busy with group preview pods and videos and these friendlies. I’m also moving house at the same time 😅. I’ll defo be making a new draft video soon though!
I’ve added match notes on minutes, key players, injuries and key information for the following games:
Haiti 🇭🇹 v 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Croatia 🇭🇷 v 🇧🇪 Belgium
Morocco 🇲🇦 v Madagascar
Wales v 🇬🇭 Ghana
To my pinned thread
Haiti 🇭🇹 4-0 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Goals: Providence, Joseph, Pierott, Lacroix
Assists: Isidor, Arcus, Pierott
Haiti scored 4 goals, kept a clean sheet, had more attempts on goal 13 v 12, just a bit more possession and more corners.
First team goalkeeper Placide started.
It was a back four of:
Experience (LB), usually Lacroix starts ahead of him who featured second half.
Ade and Duverbe at CB, although you’d expect Delcroix ahead of the latter, he too featured second half.
Arcus at RB, who is a regular starter for Haiti
First team CMs Pierre and Jacques started the game as we’d expect in the WC.
Providence on the LW as usual, with Casimir on the RW.
There was no Bellegarde in the 10 as we’d expect, he featured towards the end.
Isidor and Nazon started together which is interesting, both up front. Both important players. However we’d maybe expect just one of them to start.
This was mostly a main starting XI but we’re missing key players in the first half. 3 of their goals came in the second half when those key players came on, which was telling.
New Zealand:
Losing 4-0 to Haiti is far from ideal prep for them. They did however similar shots, more corners and similar possession, so maybe bad luck played a small role, or just poor finishing.
Paulsen started over Crocombe in goal which was interesting. Crocombe has had a good season at Millwall.
Cacace at LB wasn’t a surprise, nor was Surman at CB, or Payne at RB. Boxall didn’t start as we’d expect but came on second half (CB)
Stamenic at CM as we’d think, Rufer started in the other spot, but Bell and Thomas weren’t in the squad.
Randell (LW), Just (RW) as we would predict. Along with the usual Singh in a 10 role.
Chris Wood started up front.
Overall, it was concerning, they played most of their first team, most of the Haiti goals come in the second half though when New Zealand were subbing off key players whilst Haiti were subbing on key players.
Pinned my friendlies thread ✅
Haiti 🇭🇹 4-0 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Goals: Providence, Joseph, Pierott, Lacroix
Assists: Isidor, Arcus, Pierott
Haiti scored 4 goals, kept a clean sheet, had more attempts on goal 13 v 12, just a bit more possession and more corners.
First team goalkeeper Placide started.
It was a back four of:
Experience (LB), usually Lacroix starts ahead of him who featured second half.
Ade and Duverbe at CB, although you’d expect Delcroix ahead of the latter, he too featured second half.
Arcus at RB, who is a regular starter for Haiti
First team CMs Pierre and Jacques started the game as we’d expect in the WC.
Providence on the LW as usual, with Casimir on the RW.
There was no Bellegarde in the 10 as we’d expect, he featured towards the end.
Isidor and Nazon started together which is interesting, both up front. Both important players. However we’d maybe expect just one of them to start.
This was mostly a main starting XI but we’re missing key players in the first half. 3 of their goals came in the second half when those key players came on, which was telling.
New Zealand:
Losing 4-0 to Haiti is far from ideal prep for them. They did however similar shots, more corners and similar possession, so maybe bad luck played a small role, or just poor finishing.
Paulsen started over Crocombe in goal which was interesting. Crocombe has had a good season at Millwall.
Cacace at LB wasn’t a surprise, nor was Surman at CB, or Payne at RB. Boxall didn’t start as we’d expect but came on second half (CB)
Stamenic at CM as we’d think, Rufer started in the other spot, but Bell and Thomas weren’t in the squad.
Randell (LW), Just (RW) as we would predict. Along with the usual Singh in a 10 role.
Chris Wood started up front.
Overall, it was concerning, they played most of their first team, most of the Haiti goals come in the second half though when New Zealand were subbing off key players whilst Haiti were subbing on key players.
ALL PRE WORLD CUP FRIENDLIES 🧵
I’ll be keeping up to date with all pre tournament friendlies in this thread.
Looking at gametime, key players, stats and more.
It could be helpful, so like and bookmark ✅
👇
Wales 1 v 1 🇬🇭 Ghana
Goal: Yirenkyi
Home to Wales, most teams would struggle in Cardiff City.
Ghana had less possession than Wales, less shots (11 v 18), less big chances 3 v 4), but produced more xG (1.79 v 1.52).
I think it was a good overall performance for Ghana in Wales, and to rack up that xG in Cardiff was impressive.
Ghana were also against a very strong starting XI from Wales.
Goalkeeper Asare didn’t start the game, as we’d expect in the World Cup, he did feature second half though
It was a back 4 from Ghana, Mensah played at LB, Opoku and Adjetey in CB, Oppong was unused in the bench, Senaya at RB who doesn’t feature much usually.
Partey was in CM as expected, alongside Owusu, who shouldnt start ahead of Yirenkyi
Jordan Ayew started the game, and played most of it unlike other key starters in attack
Attack was botched together it seems. Semenyo was an unused sub, but Inaki Williams played 15 minutes, whilst Thomas Asante played second half.
This clearly wasn’t Ghanas first team which makes the draw even more impressive. Wales had the second best home record in qualifying and the best in euro 2024 qualifying, so this was a good result
Ayew had 2 attempts and missed a big chance.
Key players did little though overall.
Wales 1 v 1 🇬🇭 Ghana
Goal: Yirenkyi
Home to Wales, most teams would struggle in Cardiff City.
Ghana had less possession than Wales, less shots (11 v 18), less big chances 3 v 4), but produced more xG (1.79 v 1.52).
I think it was a good overall performance for Ghana in Wales, and to rack up that xG in Cardiff was impressive.
Ghana were also against a very strong starting XI from Wales.
Goalkeeper Asare didn’t start the game, as we’d expect in the World Cup, he did feature second half though
It was a back 4 from Ghana, Mensah played at LB, Opoku and Adjetey in CB, Oppong was unused in the bench, Senaya at RB who doesn’t feature much usually.
Partey was in CM as expected, alongside Owusu, who shouldnt start ahead of Yirenkyi
Jordan Ayew started the game, and played most of it unlike other key starters in attack
Attack was botched together it seems. Semenyo was an unused sub, but Inaki Williams played 15 minutes, whilst Thomas Asante played second half.
This clearly wasn’t Ghanas first team which makes the draw even more impressive. Wales had the second best home record in qualifying and the best in euro 2024 qualifying, so this was a good result
Ayew had 2 attempts and missed a big chance.
Key players did little though overall.
Added to my pinned friendlies thread ✅