John Giles: Forget Spain, Argentina, Germany or Portugal – Japan is the team that will really miss this World Cup

This may seem like a great thing to say, but in an unpredictable and inconsistent World Cup among favorites, Japan It turned out to be the team with the best balance so far.

Add a decent goalkeeper to the team that gave Belgium a lesson in the round of 16 and there is a good chance that Japan is still in this competition.

I know some would say that they were naive to stack In the last moments, they looked for a winner against Belgium and left themselves wide open for the counterattack that settled the match, but they have just did what they did from the first minute of this tournament.

It is good to watch and the tournament will be the poorest for them leaving at this stage.

Not the same for Spain, Argentina, Germany and Portugal, they are all on the beach now and could not

We saw the last of Lionel Messi and it was a pretty miserable way for him to leave the scene, dropped by his manager and the rest of his teammates

themselves in the foot before a ball was kicked and we will never do it What they could have done with Julen Lopetegui in charge

They looked like a tired team against Russia and in many ways it was a sad end for some great players, but that's football.

My own choice Brazil is improving steadily rather than by visible jumps and I still have a big problem in the back of my mind that finds it difficult to solve the problem that they have with creativity in the midfield.

Paulinho and Casemiro are good solid defensive midfielders with barely a creative bone between them and it's hard for me to imagine a Brazilian team that will win the World Cup without a spark of genius at middle of the park.

that Brazil's record is very good over a long time and that Neymar behaves and that Coutinho shoots, they are a handful ahead.

But they do not have a midfielder like Luka Modric who did not play well against Denmark but helped Croatia cross the line with a second brave penalty in the shootout after Kasper Schmeichel saved the first in normal time.

I was impressed by France in its fairly complete victory over Argentina. see Kylian Mbappe emerge as a global star. Oddly enough, his outstanding performance of two goals and the spotlight that surrounds it could help France in the long run.

All indications are that he is a humble young man who takes advice and understands his luck and longevity. that it continues …

The boost it gives to France goes through its objectives and the fact that Paul Pogba is now firmly in the shadow of Mbappe. I saw very little writing about it and nothing much about Pogba itself. It must be a good thing and I would say that Didier Deschamps is very happy.

I must say that I am still not sold on Deschamps and I am still convinced that he does not know what is his best team. . France will receive a real test of Uruguay.

I mentioned at the beginning how Japan sometimes opened Belgium and this must be a source of concern for Roberto Martinez who emphasized the certainty that all ducks are swans for managers. the victory is a triumph of determination

Belgium was lucky to pbad and, on the surface, it seems that Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne do not hear

or l 39; one or the other. this will be exposed when you reach the stage of the quarterfinals of the World Cup where, in this case, Brazil will wait for you.

Herald Sport