COMMENTARY

When the favourites fail, the underdogs have their day

Picking the overall winner of this action-packed, unpredictable World Cup is a futile exercise

Iceland fans chanting during the match between Argentina and Iceland at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow last Saturday. Their country, the smallest nation to ever compete in the World Cup, survived the Argentina onslaught.

PHOTO: REUTERS

CALL it opening day jitters, if you like. Or maybe a bad case of stage fright? Whatever it is, many of the top teams at the World Cup are fluffing their lines and the underdogs are relishing every minute of it.

The month-long tournament in Russia, which only began last Thursday, has