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By Tyler Erzberger
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Ivory Coast finished the three games in their group stage at the World Cup and are for the first time moving onto the knockout stages.
With speed throughout the lineup and an art of creativity behind them, they're a team that no one will have an easy time with in the Round of 32 onward.
What grade do the Elephants deserve for their performance, though?
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Let's find out.
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Expectation
To say that I underrated Ivory Coast coming into the tournament would be a massive understatement.
I thought they were a good team with a few exciting players, but I had them far below the likes of Germany and Ecuador in terms of strength. A big win over Curaçao would be nice and possibly enough to get them into the knockouts, but third place seemed destined for the African side.
Reality
From the first 45 minutes against Ecuador, I knew: I terribly overlooked Ivory Coast. Even though they didn't score until late on in that Ecuador game to take the victory, their pace and overall play around the ball was superb. Next against Germany, they lost on a late winner, but Ivory Coast outplayed the four-time World Cup champions for most of the day.
And on Thursday when they needed a win over the feisty underdogs of Curaçao, Ivory Coast didn't buckle under any sort of pressure. They got an early goal, added on another not too long after, and then played the game out like an experienced team heading into the Round of 32.
Regardless of how their next game goes, it's been a nearly perfect performance put forth so far by Ivory Coast.
Final Grade: A
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