A Huddersfield Town player hadn’t played in the World Cup for over 40 years until last week. Now we’ve had three play, and another feature on the bench. This last two years have been an incredible time to be a Town fan, and seeing our players playing in a World Cup really brings that home for me.
Here’s a quick roundup of how Town’s players got on in the opening round of World Cup fixtures…
Aaron Mooy – unlucky to lose to France
The only Town player to start a game in the World Cup so far, Mooy was a standout performer in the Socceroos’ defeat to France. Mooy was his typical, terrier-like self, and helped to break up France’s play and frustrated their star-studded lineup with his hustle and bustle.
Mooy’s often played in the number ten role for his country, but in this game he played in defensive midfield alongside Mile Jedinak (whom Alan Lee memorably elbowed in the head a few seasons ago). Given the opposition, Mooy had to play a disciplined role and shield the defence, so his opportunities to get forward were limited.
The good news is, Australia’s spirited performance against France gives hope that they can get results from their remaining games against Denmark and Peru. I’d expect we’ll see more of Mooy’s creative skills in those games too, as the shackles will be loosened a bit.
https://twitter.com/kylejabbott/status/1007950970872090624
Zanka & Lössl
Zanka and Lössl both seem to be having a great time in Russia, judging from their social media feeds. Which is nice, because their opportunities on the pitch could be limited. Lössl is behind Kasper Schmeichel in goals, so will probably be warming the bench for the tournament. Zanka did manage to get some time on the pitch in Denmark’s opening game against Peru.
The Danes were a but lucky to come away with the 1-0 win, after Peru spurned some excellent scoring chances, including a horrendous penalty miss. Zanka played his part in the victory, coming on after 82 minutes and helping his country hang on to their slender lead.
The good news is that Zanka didn’t put a foot wrong, but that’s mostly because he didn’t do a great deal. His pass success rate was 100%. But he only made one pass. Given the (sometimes unfair) criticism he gets for his distribution, it’s an impressive stat.
The @FIFAWorldCup wow! Thanks for all the kind messages #htafc fans … Og alle danskerne self 🇩🇰😉 pic.twitter.com/fAiSDwRWis
— Mathias Zanka (@mzanka) June 16, 2018
Ramadan Sohbi
All the focus for Egypt’s opening game against Uruguay was on a different Premier League winger on the bench, as Mohammed Salah’s recovery from injury didn’t come soon enough for this game. It was a surprise that Sobhi was also benched, but he did come on after 81 minutes.
Sobhi wasn’t able to stop his team losing 1-0. He made five touches of the ball, got a tackle in and passed the ball four times. So it wasn’t exactly a hugely influential performance, but hopefully he’ll get more of a chance in the later games.
What’s coming up in round two?
Ramadan Sohbi’s Egypt take on Russia on Tuesday evening, in a game that Egypt have to take something from to stand a chance of getting into the next round. Salah is likely to feature in this game, but will Sobhi? Russia’s 5-0 scoreline was impressive against Saudi Arabia but the Saudis looked little better than a pub team, so I think Egypt might have a good chance.
Thursday sees a fixture that most Town fans will be taking a keen interest in, as Aaron Mooy’s Australia take on Zanka and Lössl’s Denmark. A win for the Danes would almost guarantee them a place in the knockout stages, whereas defeat would mean Australia would be leaving early.
From a Town perspective, it would be beneficial to have our players out of the tournament as soon as possible, so they can rest up ahead of the next Premier League season. Having said that, I’m still hoping that all of our players do well at the tournament, and I’d be delighted to see them get out of the group stages.
I am on holiday in the Sun , watching World Cup matches , with a beer in hand and a blonde lady besides me. Come on England. ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️