FIFA World Cup 2022 Group B Preview: England Favourites, But Rivals Could Cause Upsets
ABP NewsMadrid, Nov 9 A quick look at Group B implies that England should be the clear favourites to breeze through into the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup, and a possible three straight wins will allow Gareth Southgate's side to gain confidence ahead of the knockout rounds. However, any England fan will tell you it's rarely as simple as that, with memories of their struggles in a group comprised of the United States, Algeria and Slovenia in 2010 coming to mind, and a look at other teams in the group also suggests things may not be as straightforward as they seem. Recent warm-up games highlighted that the United States could have problems in central defence, while they also lack a top-quality centre-forward. Other Iranian players to keep an eye out for are Porto forward Mehdi Taremi, who has an impressive scoring record for club and country, while 25-year-old defender Omid Noorafkan may not be as well known, but his ability to play at full-back or in central defence could be important for a side that has a chance of reaching the last 16.