Szczepłek: No surprises in World Cup semi-finals — why play 102 games first?

Commentator Stefan Szczepłek reflects on the World Cup, noting that all four semi-finalists were pre-tournament favourites — no real upsets. He provocatively asks whether the 102 group and knockout matches leading up to the final four served any purpose if the expected teams prevailed anyway. The piece is an opinion column questioning the tournament format.

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