As the World Cup has become a truly global competition, befitting the original vision of Jules Rimet and FIFA, it is helpful to identify how the representatives from each of the confederations have performed to see if there are any indicators of how far the game has truly progressed in each region of the world and to assess how level the playing field is when these teams take the field.
Below are the raw matchup statistics for each of the 5 confederations represented at this edition (no Oceania representative following New Zealand’s defeat at the hands of Mexico in the CONCACAF/OFC playoff). Statistics are only for the Group Stage and do NOT include instances where UEFA teams matched up against each other (more on that later).
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) (4 teams)
Australia: 3 losses; 3 goals for (GF), 9 conceded (GA).
Iran: 1 draw, 2 losses; 1 GF, 4 GA
South Korea: 1 draw, 2 losses; 3 GF, 6 GA
Japan: 1 draw, 2 losses; 2 GF 6 GA
CUMULATIVE AFC RECORD: 0 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses; 9 GF, 25 GA; goals per team average: 2.25 GF, 6.25 GA
BOTTOM LINE: Beyond the 4 individual countries, the AFC as a whole will be very disappointed with their representation at this World Cup. It wasn’t too long ago that South Korea was a World Cup semifinalist, after all, and that team looked in disarray and defensively naïve throughout their matches. Japan’s performance was especially disappointing, given that this is a team that has only missed out on being quarterfinalists because of a Golden Goal (2002) and a penalty shootout (2010). Expectations have become typically high for both of these teams, but not unreasonably so, which makes the performance of the joint 2002 hosts all the more of a letdown.
Conversely, Australia was considered by many to be the whipping-boy for the tournament, but they earned credit for their performances even as they were defeated. Whilst not having any real bearing on the AFC’s performance, it has to be said that Tim Cahill’s wonderstrike against the Netherlands merits consideration for the goal of the tournament. Iran at various stages looked good enough to advance, coming close on several occasions to taking a late lead against mighty Argentina. However, their lack of finishing and inability to sustain pressure ultimately did them in, and having merely 1 goal to show is simply not good enough at this level.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) (5 teams)
Algeria: 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss; 6 GF, 5 GA
Cameroon: 3 losses; 1 GF, 9 GA
Ghana: 1 draw, 2 losses; 4 GF, 6 GA
Ivory Coast: 1 win, 2 losses; 4 GF, 5 GA
Nigeria: 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss; 3 GF, 3 GA
CUMULATIVE CAF RECORD: 3 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses; 18 GF, 28 GA; goals per team average: 3.6 GF, 5.6 GA
BOTTOM LINE: Reasonably encouraging performance by the African continent here, with 2 teams qualifying for the 2nd round and both Algeria and Nigeria gave good accounts of themselves before losing to stronger opponents. Algeria showed its game had come a long way since their mainly defensive efforts in 2010, with M’Bolhi, Halliche, Djabou, and Slimani especially standing out. Nigeria once again showed its maddeningly consistent inconsistency of playing at its best against better opponents but inability to put away lesser teams.
There really should have been 3 African teams advancing, but for some reason, the Ivory Coast players seemed content to hold on for a draw against Greece when they had the upper hand, and they ultimately paid for their complacency, with Greece’s 93rd-minute penalty (above) eliminating them. Ghana, who played a fantastic game against the Germans, also really only have themselves to blame. Even with their tough draw in Group G, they had a good chance at repeating their 2010 run, but found themselves playing from behind twice. Cameroon’s ability to merely qualify is fairly dumbfounding, given their simply poor performance, and they have now turned in a last-placed and next-to-last placed finish in successive World Cups. It now appears time for the former quarterfinalists to make way for a new African team to emerge.
Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) (4 teams)
Costa Rica: 2 wins, 1 draw; 4 GF, 1 GA
Honduras: 3 losses; 1 GF, 8 GA
Mexico: 2 wins, 1 draw; 4 GF, 1 GA
United States: 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss; 4 GF, 4 GA
CUMULATIVE CONCACAF RECORD: 5 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses; 13 GF, 14 GA; goals per team average: 3.25 GF, 3.5 GA
BOTTOM LINE: Once ridiculed as a confederation with two teams dominating and the others struggling to keep up, this is the region that arguably took the most steps forward in this World Cup, with the exception of Honduras, who failed to show the form they showed during qualifying and exited with barely a whimper. Costa Rica stunningly became only the 4th team in World Cup history to have the dubious honor of getting eliminated without losing a match. One can only dream about what they might have been able to achieve had their top goalscorer Soborio not been ruled out. In Keylor Navas, Joel Campbell, Óscar Duarte, Celso Borges, and Bryan Ruiz, they have a solid core to the team that should become stronger after this experience.
Not to be overlooked are Mexico and the US. El Tri gave a good showing in the group stage, beating Cameroon in more convincing fashion than the scoreline suggested, holding Brazil to a draw behind marvelous goalkeeping by Memo Ochoa, and running rings around Croatia. The United States also deserves plenty of credit for emerging out of Group G, coming within seconds of defeating Portugal with one of the bravest performances in this World Cup. Questionable tactics by both teams saw them crash out in the 2nd round, but they both have solid foundations to build upon now.
South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) (6 teams)
Argentina: 3 wins; 6 GF, 3 GA
Brazil: 2 wins, 1 draw; 7 GF, 2 GA
Chile: 2 wins, 1 loss; 5 GF, 3 GA
Colombia: 3 wins; 9 GF, 2 GA
Ecuador: 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss; 2 GF, 2 GA
Uruguay: 2 wins, 1 loss; 4 GF, 4 GA
CUMULATIVE CONMEBOL RECORD: 13 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses; 34 GF, 17 GA; goals per team average: 5.66 GF, 2.83 GA
BOTTOM LINE: Even though the region will be represented in the final, the draw was not entirely kind, as a sense of footballing fratricide ensued when the 4 South American teams in the top half of the knockout draw were reduced to 1, the remaining 3 all eliminated by fellow South American teams. While Brazil losing to Germany was not entirely a surprise, the manner of Brazil’s defeat exposed some glaring weaknesses at the heart of their game, and much work remains ahead for them. Colombians will have every reason to be proud of their quarterfinal finish, even as they sullied that with a somewhat thuggish gameplan against the hosts. James Rodriguez stood out as one of the tournament’s stars, and Juan Cuadrado also stood out in the supporting cast. It was almost if Radamel Falcao’s absence was not felt.
Chile’s attractive style has garnered many fans, but they fell short in the 2nd round again, and could use a bit more defensive steel to complement their attacking philosophy. Ecuador and Uruguay will be disappointed with their finishes, the former for not being able to make more of an impact as debutants in a fairly open group, and the latter for the controversy surrounding the team and showing their inability to adapt without a missing star in both their losses against Costa Rica and Colombia.
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) (13 teams)
Tallies not including UEFA v. UEFA matchups (5 games)
Belgium: 2 wins; 3 GF, 1 GA
Bosnia-Herzegovina: 1 win, 2 losses; 4 GF, 4 GA
Croatia: 1 win, 2 losses; 6 GF, 6 GA
England: 1 draw, 1 loss; 1 GF, 2 GA
France: 1 win, 1 draw; 3 GF, 0 GA
Germany: 1 win, 1 draw: 3 GF, 2 GA
Greece: 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss; 2 GF, 4 GA
Italy: 2 losses: 0 GF, 2 GA
Netherlands: 2 wins; 5 GF, 2 GA
Portugal: 1 draw, 1 loss; 4 GF, 3 GA
Russia: 2 draws; 2 GF, 2 GA
Spain: 1 win, 1 loss; 3 GF, 2 GA
Switzerland: 2 wins; 5 GF, 1 GA
CUMULATIVE UEFA RECORD: 13 wins, 7 draws, 9 losses; 41 GF, 31 GA; goals per team average: 3.15 GF, 2.38 GA
Note: UEFA v. UEFA matchups – Spain/Netherlands, Italy/England, France/Switzerland, Germany/Portugal, and Russia/Belgium – had 21 goals total. Added into the goals average, UEFA teams scored 4.77 and conceded 4 goals per team.
BOTTOM LINE: More than half the European teams did not even make it past the Group stage, including teams of whom much more was expected, like Portugal, Italy, England, and Croatia. Greece showed that it has become more than a defensive team, but still lacks the technique to pose any real scoring threat. Switzerland progressed about as far as could be expected, and with the right coaching, this young team could emerge with a very attractive offensive-minded approach behind young guns Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri, Haris Seferović, and Josip Drmić. Russia was frankly disappointing. With an aging squad, they will have to dig deep to provide promise as the 2018 hosts. Spain exited meekly, but their impact on the sport as a whole since 2008 is undeniable, which will be their remaining legacy from this tournament.
Two squads that had rosters full of individual talent and youth played encouragingly, but with vastly different results: England’s young players like Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, and Ross Barkley injected excitement into their attacking play, but glaring defensive weaknesses saw them go home early. Meanwhile, Belgium, with tremendous individual talent in all facets of the game, did well to advance to the quarterfinals. With a more cohesive effort to work as a team rather than a collection of individuals, they have the potential to become contenders.
Germany underwent a rebuilding of the national team setup following their early exit from two straight tournaments after last winning it all in 1990, and the result has been 4 straight semifinal berths, including two finals. Where they fell short in 2002, this current German squad will look to go one better, and in the process make history for UEFA as the first European team to win a World Cup in the western hemisphere. Looking at their performances throughout the tournament, it would be difficult to argue against their deserving to be in the Final.
Overall, what do the individual confederational stats tell us? Can regional patterns really be gleaned from their cumulative performances in the World Cup, even as player movement has become a truly global affair where a Costa Rican lines up in the Dutch Eredivisie, where Japanese players ply their trade in Italy and England, and where Colombians line up in the French league, and where Asian national teams have been coached by Dutch, Portugese, Italian, and Brazilian coaches in recent history?
Historically, these are the preconceived notions of how teams from specific regions play the sport:
South America: Flair teams, showing a passion for attack.
Europe: Efficient teams, more often than not placing an emphasis on results over style.
Africa: Talented teams, but very frequently lacking discipline.
Asia: Physically closing the gap, but still tactically and technically behind.
North/Central America: Workmanlike, with moments of brilliance, but generally grinding out results.
And the statistical tale of the tape from this World Cup’s Group stage?
South America: 13 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses; 34 GF, 17 GA; goals per team average: 5.66 GF, 2.83 GA
Europe: 13 wins, 7 draws, 9 losses; 41 GF, 31 GA; goals per team average: 3.15 GF, 2.38 GA
Africa: 3 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses; 18 GF, 28 GA, goals per team average: 3.6 GF, 5.6 GA
Asia: 0 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses; 9 GF, 25 GA; goals per team average: 2.25 GF, 6.25 GA
North/Central America: 5 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses; 13 GF, 14 GA; goals per team average: 3.25 GF, 3.5 GA
OR……..
South American teams showing an ability to put plenty of goals on the board, even as they shipped some at the back; European teams doing enough to win in close games; African teams showing an ability to score, but unable to prevent goals at the other end; Asian teams unable to win, score, and defend; and North/Central American teams not among top scorers, and keeping results close.
The phrase “The more things change, the more they stay the same” comes to mind, but you draw your own conclusions.
(GIF credits: @flybyknite unless otherwise noted)
(Confederation logos: wikipedia.com)
(FIFA logo: FIFA.com)