Group B brings the Pyrenees derby, the confrontation between the two last champions of Europe - the duel between Spain and Portugal, already in the first round, on May 15 in Sochi, which will probably decide who goes to the round of XNUMX from the first and who from the second position.
Because Iran and Morocco, although they are not naive national teams at all, are not given a great chance to make it through the hellish competition.
SPAIN - A WINNING COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND YOUTH?
To get a sense of what kind of squad Spain is coming to the World Cup with, it might be better to first look at the list of players who couldn't get on the plane to Russia.
These are just some of them: Alvaro Morata, Marcos Alonso, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro (Chelsea), Ander Herrera and Juan Mata (Manchester United), Javi Martinez (Bayern), Jose Callejon (Napoli), Vitolo (Atletico Madrid). .
"Furija" has a hellishly strong team, but it also had one four years ago in Brazil - then it was eliminated in the group, after the debacle against the Netherlands and a smooth defeat against Chile...
Everything is a matter of form, inspiration, moment - and the leaders of the Federation decided that it was the moment for Julen Lopetegui, the young coach, the Basque, the former goalkeeper of Real and Barcelona, whom they trusted so much that before the World Cup they extended my contract until 2020, not realizing that the former goalkeeper shockingly accepted Real Madrid's offer two days before the start of the championship!
Lopetegui, who honed his skills as a coach leading the youth and youth national teams of Spain, decided that the backbone of the new "red fury" would be the players he once coached in the U19 and U21 teams, who are now in their best football years.
Among them are De Gea (Manchester), Koke (Atletico), Thiago Alcantara (Bayern), Rodrigo Moreno (Valencia), Dani Carvajal, Isco, Lucas Vazquez and Nacho (Real Madrid)... and even younger Marco Asensio ( Real) and Saul (Atletico).
With the support of more experienced guys who are world and European champions - Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Busquets, Iniesta, David Silva... "fury" has, at least it seems so, a killer combination of younger and more experienced...
The way in which Spain recently dismantled Argentina (6:1) in a friendly match, even though the rival played without Messi, revealed the great, perhaps championship, ambitions of the national team that climbed to the top of the world in 2010 in South Africa.
But in order to move towards the finals, the Spaniards must first deal with the European champions and Cristiano Ronaldo - the match with the Portuguese is scheduled for June 15 in Sochi and will be the first big derby of the 21st World Cup.
PORTUGAL - EUROPEAN CHAMPION STILL WAITING FOR WORLD CUP SUCCESS
Most of the European champions would be in the short circle of favorites at the next World Cup.
When it comes to Portugal, the situation is not so clear, although a team that has a scorer like Cristiano Ronaldo must be viewed in a special way.
The Portuguese definitely belong to the second category of favorites at the World Cup in Russia, and it seems that this role suits them the most, because they have never fared well in history when they were expected to win major competitions.
Now, two years after the Euro cup, Portugal is going to the World Cup with the intention of staying in the tournament as long as possible and slowly building its way to the finals. Just like in France 2016...
Although there shouldn't be any problems in the group - Spain is the favorite for first place, it would be said that Portugal is guaranteed at least second place, and little hope remains for Morocco and Iran...
"The first goal is to get through the group, the second is to reach the quarter-finals. Then we'll see - said coach Fernando Santos, who, while putting together the World Cup team, gave up some of the key players from the Euros, such as Nani, Eder, Andre Gomes...
It was the experienced Santoš, who proved himself as a coach leading Greece, who brought peace to the national team and taught the public how to strike a balance between realistic ambitions and expectations.
"There were periods when we had big stars, but it's as if we didn't watch other national teams that had more of them than us. At one time, the expectations were huge, and the players couldn't cope with it - Santoš pointed out.
Throughout history, Portugal has not been famous at world championships. He participated six times, and his best result was third place with Eusebia in 1966 in England.
Eight years ago in South Africa, he reached the 1/8 finals, he was a semi-finalist in 2006, while he finished in the group in the remaining three appearances.
Ronaldo is 33 years old, has been in the national team since 2003, and has long since acquired the status of the greatest Portuguese footballer. He played the most matches (149), scored the most goals (81) in history, but still has a lot more to offer...
IRAN - "PERSIAN STARS" WITH A GENTLEMAN ON THE BENCH
For the first time in history, Iran tied appearances at the World Cup, thanks to Portuguese Carlos Queiroz - a gentleman on the bench, who has not experienced defeat in a competitive match since the last World Cup in Brazil and the match with Bosnia and Herzegovina (3:1). Montenegro is also in that series (Iran's victory under Gorica in a friendly match, June 2017).
Only Iraq, meanwhile, defeated the "Persian Stars" on penalties in the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup. It is no wonder that Iran became the first Asian team to win a visa for the World Cup in Russia.
However, that's where the ambitions end, or so it seems, after the World Cup draw sent Iran into Group B, with Spain and Portugal.
Queiroz, however, was not dissatisfied, on the contrary...
"I am personally happy, Portugal and Spain are two special teams for me," said the coach of Iran.
Why special? Queiroz is Portuguese, while in Spain he had the most glamorous job in his coaching career - he managed Real Madrid, the first generation of "galacticos", with Zidane, Beckham, Figo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and other mega-stars.
Sir Alex Ferguson wrote a lot of praise for Queiroz, his former assistant at Manchester United, in his autobiography, and this is how the Iranian football public perceives him, who secretly believe in miracles with such a coach...
The first star selection of Iran is the striker of Russian Rubin Kazan Sardar Azmun, who will feel at home when the "Persian stars" meet Iran on June 20 at the "Kazan Arena".
There is also Reza Gohanejar, the midfielder of Dutch Heerenveen, but also the once great talent of Ashkan Dežag, who did not reach the heights that were predicted for him, so now he wears the jersey of Nottingham Forest.
MOROCCO - LEAD BY AN AFRICAN FOOTBALL SPECIALIST
The Moroccans are happy to be part of the World Cup again, in which they have not participated since 1998 and the tournament in France, and it is the Frenchman who is most responsible for the progress of the "lions".
The selector in question is Erv Renard, a specialist for the Black Continent, because in his career he also managed the Ivory Coast, Zambia, Angola...
Renard is the only coach who won the Cup of African Nations with two different national teams - in 2011 he did it on the bench of Zambia, and three years later with the "elephants".
Now he has a devilishly difficult job at the World Cup with Morocco in a group where his national team is given no chance of progressing.
Morocco finished the qualifying group (which also included Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon and Mali) undefeated, with three wins and a draw each.
The fact that they did not concede a goal in six qualifying games (scored 11) shows how organized the team is.
And if Renard is the greatest strength of the Moroccans, then Mehdi Benatia is the selector's extended hand on the field.
"It is probably the best stopper in Africa," it says on the official FIFA website.
The Juventus defender is undoubtedly the first star, and in Russia the public will also pay attention to Nabil Dirar (Fenerbahce), Real Madrid's right back Ashraf Hakimi, Younes Belhanda (Galatasaray), Fajkal Fajr (Getafe), Ajax's Hakim Ziyech...
Morocco will play in Russia for the fifth time at the World Cup, and its best score was 198 in Mexico when it reached the round of XNUMX and lost to West Germany.
At least in one match at the World Cup, "the lions are favorites, albeit a slight one - it's the first match against Iranon on June 15 in St. Petersburg.
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