World Cup 2022 draw results; Quang Hai accepts the challenge of going abroad

Germany and Spain in the 2022 World Cup

Unlike the Netherlands in Group A, Germany were drawn into what is considered the group of death, with Spain, Japan and the winner of the play-off between Costa Rica and New Zealand.

The opponents of the top two teams in Group A in the Round of 16 will be the top two teams in Group B, which includes the top seeds England. The British media is delighted that Gareth Southgate's team is in the same group as Iran, the US and Wales/Scotland/Ukraine. England were held to a draw by the US in the 2010 World Cup group stage, and they have not yet met the other teams in Group B at the World Cup.

Group C could also be a bit of a mixed bag, with Argentina, with superstar Lionel Messi, being heavily favoured. The opening game between Mexico and Poland could decide the second place in the group, with Saudi Arabia having only made it past the group stage once at the World Cup.

Argentina will have to try to top the group to avoid the risk of meeting France in the round of 16 like the 2018 World Cup. But France will not have an easy time to top Group D, as Denmark is in good form having reached the Euro 2020 semi-finals. Tunisia has never passed the World Cup group stage, while the remaining positions in Group D belong to Peru, UAE or Australia. These three teams are not too difficult to play against the two European representatives.

World Cup 2022 group stage draw results.

That curse makes Brazil worried, but at least they can feel comfortable in the group stage, when they only meet Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon. Switzerland may be the toughest opponent for Neymar and his teammates, as they eliminated France in the round of 16 of Euro 2020.

In a similar situation, "European Brazil" Portugal fell into a group that was not too difficult. Uruguay was the toughest opponent for superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates, while Ghana and South Korea were still at a lower level. But this was an opportunity for Son Heung-min to show his mettle and create a surprise like when South Korea beat Germany in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.

The opening match of the 2022 World Cup will take place between Qatar and Ecuador at 5:00 p.m. on November 21, 2022, Hanoi time. The most anticipated match of the group stage between Germany and Spain will take place 6 days later.

Quang Hai accepts the challenge of playing football abroad

Quang Hai’s contract with Hanoi FC will expire on April 12, and he has refused to renew it because he wants to play abroad. However, there are many opinions surrounding Quang Hai’s decision. In the past few years, a number of famous Vietnamese players have gone abroad but were unsuccessful.

Asked about this before the training session with Hanoi FC on the afternoon of April 1, Quang Hai said: "Accepting the challenge is a success for me, on a personal level. Whether I can adapt to the new environment and play on the field or not, is a matter of the future. Players who have gone abroad before have brought many lessons. I always take that as experience to learn, accumulate and develop in the right direction that I have outlined."

"I cannot reveal specifically which team I will join. But I certainly always want to play in a higher football environment to challenge myself, gain experience and learn more," the Vietnamese player added.

Quang Hai practices before the final match in V-League.

Quang Hai will play his last match in the V-League for Hanoi FC at 7:15 p.m. on April 4 - a make-up match against Viettel. "Leaving Hanoi FC, I also have many regrets, such as the camaraderie and support of the fans. I hope to play at my best and help the club achieve good results in the final match. Our goal is to win 3 points. But Viettel is a strong team, with many good players such as Hoang Duc, Thanh Binh, Tien Dung... Hopefully, the two teams will create a good match for the capital's football fans," Quang Hai said.

Ronaldo won the Goal of the Month award for the first time

In the 12th minute of the match at Old Trafford on March 12, Ronaldo received the ball in the middle after a backheel from Fred. It took two more touches to adjust, but the Man Utd striker fired a cannon from about 25m, sending the ball into the top corner, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

This goal helped Ronaldo surpass 7 other nominees to be honored by the Premier League in March. The 37-year-old striker thereby received the Premier League's Goal of the Month award for the first time.

Ronaldo in the long-range shot that opened the scoring in Man Utd's 3-2 win over Tottenham on March 12. Photo: PA

In the Player of the Month category, Kane equalled the record of seven wins previously held by Sergio Aguero - former Man City star. Kane's form is a hope for Tottenham to compete with Arteta's Arsenal for a top-four finish at the end of the season. The two teams will face each other again in a make-up match in January, which was postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the Arsenal squad.