2:05 PM ET
Rob DawsonCorrespondent
LUSAIL, Qatar -- For a contention that's usually won by a planetary heavyweight, the World Cup is inactive the spot for shocks. But adjacent successful a tourney that tin propulsion up 1 oregon 2 surprises, Saudi Arabia's 2-1 triumph implicit Argentina connected Tuesday inactive managed to stun the planet.
The effect astatine the Lusail Stadium was truthful unexpected that it instantly started the statement astir whether it is present the World Cup's biggest upset of each time. Cameroon, who bushed holders Argentina successful 1990, oregon Senegal, who got the amended of reigning champions France successful 2002, mightiness person thing to accidental astir that implicit time, but Herve Renard's broadside are present precise overmuch portion of the conversation.
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"We made past for Saudi football; it volition enactment forever," Renard said. "When you are coming to the World Cup, you request to judge successful yourself. Everything tin hap successful football."
Lionel Messi's effect was 1 of daze -- he said his Argentina broadside were "dead" aft Tuesday's effect -- and respect for the underdogs who took down 1 of the presumed favourites to triumph it all.
"We knew that Saudi Arabia is simply a squad with bully players, that they determination the shot good and that they propulsion the [defensive] enactment a lot. We worked connected it, but we rushed a bit. We person to spell backmost to the basal of who we are. We person to deliberation astir what's next."
"I americium precise blessed astir this effect that we person been capable to get against this precise storied team," said Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais. "We person prepared ourselves. We were 100% acceptable and hopefully we volition person amended results successful the future. I felt we were particularly bully successful the past minutes due to the fact that we secured our 3 points."
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According to sources, Saudi Arabia are putting portion of their occurrence down to their mentation aft securing what they judge is the champion grooming crushed successful Qatar astatine Sealine Beach. The installation astir an hour's thrust southbound from Doha was secured much than 3 years ago, agelong earlier the different qualifiers began their scramble for hotels and pitches. As a squad picked exclusively from their home league, they were besides capable to play 4 warm-up games implicit the past period earlier kicking disconnected their World Cup. In contrast, Argentina, who inactive had players competing successful home games astir Europe connected Nov. 13, managed to acceptable successful conscionable 1 fixture against the UAE.
Saudi Arabia, ranked 51st successful the world, inactive astir apt didn't expect overmuch from their opening crippled against 1 of the pre-tournament favourites, but the statistic suggest they had each crushed to oculus a spot successful the knockout rounds adjacent earlier arriving successful Qatar.
It's not antithetic for teams to suffice for the last-16 aft being seeded 3rd oregon 4th successful their groups. At the past World Cup successful Russia, Denmark, Sweden and Japan each progressed contempt being seeded extracurricular the apical 2 portion 5 of the 8 apical seeds failed to triumph their groups.
Holders fare adjacent worse. The World Cup hasn't been retained since 1962, and successful the past 14 tournaments, the reigning champions person lone reached the semifinals of the adjacent variation twice. France person arrived successful Qatar arsenic holders knowing that 4 of the past 5 past champions person been knocked successful the groups.
In 2010, New Zealand managed to propulsion disconnected 1 of the top World Cup shocks by holding champions Italy, who finished bottommost of their group, to a 1-1 draw. Similar to Saudi Arabia, Ricki Herbert, who coached the Kiwis successful that tournament, told ESPN that the cardinal to getting a effect against 1 of the satellite football's heavyweights is the preparation.
"We looked astatine the imaginable areas we believed we could exploit and maximise the strengths that we could connection connected the night," helium says. "Confidence, belief, courageousness and subject were immoderate of the cardinal elements. We wanted to commencement the crippled good and to guarantee that we made it hard for the Italy squad to settee into immoderate comfy position. We didn't privation to springiness them the accidental to commencement to powerfully dictate the game.
"It was surely an outstanding show by the squad crossed the afloat 90 minutes, and a effect that made New Zealand a household sanction crossed the footballing world. Personally, it was an highly arrogant moment."
Aliou Cisse, who played for Senegal successful their 2002 opener against France successful South Korea and is present managing his state successful Qatar, says portion of the strategy has to beryllium astir accepting that you cannot spell toe-to-toe with teams filled with immoderate of the champion players successful the world.
"You person to support good and beryllium bully with the shot erstwhile you get it," helium said up of his team's decision to Netherlands connected Monday. "But you person to support erstwhile you person to defend."
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Saudi Arabia surely did that against Argentina, showing conscionable wherefore they were capable to support six cleanable sheets during qualifying and topped a radical that included Japan and Australia contempt scoring conscionable 12 goals successful 10 games. Renard said aft triumph implicit Argentina that helium would springiness his players conscionable "20 minutes" to celebrate, though immoderate got a caput commencement by playing euphony done portable speakers arsenic they came grinning done the mixed zone.
"A bully solemnisation for 20 minutes and that's it," said Renard. "There's inactive 2 games, oregon more, for us. We request to deliberation astir looking guardant due to the fact that we inactive person 2 precise hard games [against Poland and Mexico]."
Saudi fans person travelled crossed the borderline into Qatar successful their thousands, hopeful of seeing their squad match, oregon adjacent better, their show successful 1994 erstwhile they reached the last-16 and, if they get there, they volition present fancy their chances against anyone. King Salman adjacent declared Wednesday a nationalist holiday successful Saudi Arabia, a royal bid recommended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, truthful the state could celebrate.
In 2018, Russia knocked Spain retired successful the 2nd circular contempt sitting 60 places beneath them successful the satellite rankings. It's inactive the biggest upset successful the knockout rounds since FIFA implemented a ranking strategy and a reminder that, astatine a World Cup, thing tin happen. Just inquire Argentina.
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