World Cup Round of 16 – Yanks Out, Argentina Hold On

FIFA is a corrupt institution and Qatar loves that about them. They’re both disgusting.

No more draws at this point! We have to have a winner in all matches, which means extra time and penalties if the score is level after 90 minutes.

USA vs. Netherlands

The Dutch were favored to win this match and they did so, 3-1. Today was a lesson for the Americans. A lesson in tactics, and a lesson on how to properly utilize talent.

That being said, the Americans probably should have scored the first goal today. It was only the third minute when attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic found himself 1-on-1 with Dutch keeper Andries Noppert, but Pulisic’s angled shot was saved by the keeper’s legs and then cleared by the Dutch defense. A lack of finishing has haunted the Yanks this whole tournament, and it came back to bite them again from the off.

The Dutch then opened the scoring on 10 minutes via forward Memphis Depay, who slotted home past keeper Matt Turner after an extremely slick 21-pass move from the Dutch. Wingback Denzel Dumfries got a cutback cross in for the final ball, and the Americans failed to pick up the late run of Depay. Naïve defending, really. Every attacker has to be accounted for when the opposition is running forward, and the Yanks simply didn’t account for Depay. The Americans then poured men forward to find an early-ish equalizer, but that unfortunately played right into the hands of the Dutch. They won a throw-in in their final third, and the Americans failed to recover the ball quickly enough and clear it. Dumfries crossed in from the right again, and fellow defender Daley Blind was quickest to the cross. He also slotted home past Turner relatively easily after beating his marker to the ball. It was 2-0 at halftime and the Dutch were very much in control.

That control continued into the second half. It was very much more of the same. The Dutch were happy to sit back and concede possession to the Americans, betting on the idea that the Americans couldn’t break them down. That strategy was effective until 76 minutes, when the USMNT got a goal back from striker Haji Wright. A low cross in from the right wing by Pulisic caught the heel of Wright and the ball deflected up into the air at an odd angle. Noppert couldn’t get near it as it flew in at the far post, and the Americans were right back in it! A fluke goal that needed more than a bit of luck, but as has been said many times both on this blog and other places, it doesn’t matter how the ball goes in – as long as it does.

Optimism for the USA was shattered just five minutes later though, as the Dutch got a third via Dumfries after more naïve defending. Dumfries was completely unmarked at the back post, and it was child’s play for Blind to cross it to him. Dumfries hit it first time on the half volley, with Turner having no chance at saving it. Again, very poor defending and the Dutch wingbacks got the Americans again. The Yanks kept trying and kept creating half-chances here and there, but the Dutch also came very close to a fourth late on as well. No more goals were scored though and the Americans found themselves going out.

Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal deserves a lot of credit for his tactical set-up in this match. He is a wizened warrior of football management, and he completely outplayed his USA counterpart Gregg Berhalter today. He told his team to sit back and be happy with letting the Americans have possession, but when they won the ball they were running forward immediately. It’s the same thing the Americans do to bigger teams, in the end. His players were also patient off the ball and clinical in finishing their chances, whereas the Americans were not. As has been stated by many in recent days, the Americans need a ruthless center-forward. Not only to finish off chances, but also to aid in hold-up play and defend aerial crosses into the box. Berhalter could not figure out what to do about the Dutch wingbacks today either. Dumfries and Blind were absolutely brilliant today, as was the Dutch defense overall. The Americans, somewhat mystifyingly, kept trying to aerially cross the ball into the box, which is a bad idea when the hulking figure of Virgil Van Dijk is in central defense.

While the Americans will of course be disappointed, there are some positives to take away. They got out of their group, and the core of this team is still in its early 20s. Players like Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, and others will all be in the prime of their careers at the North American World Cup in 2026. I do think however its time to move on from Berhalter as the coach. I do not believe he is tactically astute enough to lead the Americans to success down the road. His tactics were all wrong today and he’s been more of a hindrance to this team than an asset in several matches now. The Americans still have a bit to go before they are world-beaters, but they’re on their way there.

Australia vs. Argentina

This matchup was similar to the first one today in the sense that it is a powerhouse of world football taking on a side that isn’t known for footballing prowess. But there was still a ton of pressure on Argentina to deliver, while the surprising Aussies were almost playing with house money. Argentina won 2-1 in an affair that was much closer than many would have expected it to be.

Argentina dominated the possession in the opening thirty minutes or so, but their possession lacked an overall purpose and they were usually passing it between their center backs at the halfway line. Australia set up to zealously defend their penalty area, and they were using their height and size to keep the smaller Argentines at bay for the most part.

The Albiceleste got their breakthrough on 35 minutes though, and it was once again That Man Lionel Messi who got the goal. The Argies won a free kick on the right wing, but the initial cross into the box from Messi was cleared. The ball eventually came back to him though, and this time he played the ball along the ground back out towards the edge of the area. A diagonal pass back into the box found center back Nicolas Otamendi, who deftly laid the ball off for Messi. He took a touch, and the Aussie defenders were too far off of him. They were only about a yard and a half away from him, but for a player like Messi that is more than enough room. He slotted home a low shot that keeper Matthew Ryan saw too late and couldn’t get to. Good build-up play from the Argentines, and Messi is still Messi.

The Socceroos managed to get to halftime only down one, and in the second half they came out with a little bit more pressure on the Argentine back line. They seemed to be trying to force an error from keeper Emiliano Martinez, and to be fair they almost got to him twice. Ironically, it was an error from their own keeper that allowed Argentina to get their second. Ryan received a back pass in his own area, but two Argentine forwards were closing on him rapidly. He took a touch to try and get himself out of trouble, but the loose ball was seized upon by striker Julian Alvarez, who then had a simple finish for 2-0. It was a bad goal to concede for the Aussies, just as they were starting to grow into the game.

It was a nervy finish for the South Americans though, as Australia got a goal back on 77 minutes when a wild shot from forward/winger Craig Goodwin took a massive deflection off center back Enzo Fernandez and flew into the back of the net. This was the bit of luck the Aussies desperately needed. Replays showed that Goodwin’s shot was probably going to go well wide, so it was credited as an own goal by Fernandez. Say it with me now – it doesn’t matter how they go in, as long as they do.

The Aussies kept pushing, although they were almost caught out by the Argies on more than one occasion. They came insanely close to finding an equalizer in the 7th minute of stoppage time, when keeper Emiliano Martinez made a game-winning save from substitute Australia forward Garang Kuol. The whistle went shortly after that though and the Argies got themselves over the line. Given their dominance in the match, it was much closer than it needed to be. Argentina will have to find more goals going forward, but anything is possible for them because they have put a decent squad of attackers together who can support Messi.

I don’t think Australia should be too down on themselves. They were beaten by arguably the greatest player of all time today, and it took him 35 minutes to get going. They also have a good crop of players coming through right now, and I would expect them to make noise in 2026 as well. Their tactics weren’t too bad, there is just a massive gulf in talent between them and the bigger sides. Talent doesn’t always win matches, but it did this time.

Quarterfinals: Argentina vs. Netherlands – Friday, December 9th 11 AM PST

World Cup Roundup – Groups A and B

FIFA is a criminal organization that sells a legal product, and Qatar have been more than happy to overpay for that product as it helps them sportswash their country.

Group A

Winners – Netherlands

Runners Up – Senegal

Eliminated – Ecuador and Qatar

The Dutch went for a stroll today and beat Qatar 3-0 without ever getting into full gear. Qatar are a flat-out bad team that should never have been at this tournament. They only qualified because they are the host nation and did not bring a competitive edge to this group. Well done to the Dutch for winning, but let’s not pretend that it was a challenging match for them today. Dutch striker (and rumored Manchester United transfer target) Cody Gakpo is one to watch in the race for the Golden Boot, given out to the tournament’s top striker.

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Senegal vs. Ecuador was a much different affair. The way the the group shook out, the winner of this match would join Netherlands in the next round. Ecuador only needed a draw technically, but The African side won 2-1 and it was not an easy match for either side. Winger Ismaïla Sarr put the Senegalese ahead 1-0 from the penalty spot on 44 minutes after winning the penalty himself via a foul, but Ecuador persevered and got an equalizer on 67 minutes from midfielder Moisés Caicedo. It was a tap-in from close range for Caicedo, after the ball was flicked on from a corner. Poor marking from Senegal, but well done to Caicedo for being in the right place at the right time.

Ecuador’s jubilance was perhaps a tad strong though, as the Ecuadorians conceded again just three minutes later when center back Kalidou Koulibaly powered it home from about 8 yards out. Senegal had won a free kick in the right channel, and the clearance from Ecuador unluckily fell straight to Koulibaly. Center backs aren’t always the best finishers, but there was no mistake from the big man on this occasion. Ecuador pushed and pushed in the final 20+ minutes to find the miracle goal to send them through, but the west Africans held firm. It was tense, but it was clear that Ecuador’s main goal-scoring threat Enner Valencia was not 100% fit this match. It will be disappointing from their point of view to go out like this, especially after the good results against Qatar and the Dutch.

Some of my more observant readers will note that I predicted Netherlands and Senegal to get out of this group before the tournament started! Happy to be right with a prediction for once!

Group B

Winners – England

Runners up – USA

Eliminated – Iran, Wales

England needed only a draw to advance today, and they even could have done so with a loss as long as it wasn’t by four goals or more. But as the England match kicked off and got underway, it was very apparent that Wales would not be scoring four goals against them. The first half was goal-less but much better for England than their previous match against the USA. Striker Marcus Rashford went close after being through on goal early on, only for his effort to be snuffed out by a very alert Welsh keeper in Danny Ward. Wales maybe had a half chance or two towards the end of the half, but England keeper Jordan Pickford was never seriously tested. England were doing a much better job of running the counter-press and looked to be worthy of a goal.

England finally turned all their positive possession and attacking intent into a goal on 50 minutes when forward Phil Foden won a free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the left of center of the goal roughly 20 yards out. After a discussion among some of the players, Rashford stepped up and hit the ball very sweetly with his right foot. It flew over/through the Welsh wall and flew into the right corner of Ward’s net. A great strike from a great player!

England got their second roughly a minute and a half later, when Rashford won the ball high up the pitch on the right wing. He played the ball forward to striker Harry Kane, who was on the edge of the right side of the penalty area. Without even looking up, Kane hit a low cross that was met at the far post by Foden, who slotted home with his first touch from a tight angle. Another great goal, but for a different reason. The first goal was a marvel of technical skill. The second goal was the result of aggressive pressing and a sublime final ball from Kane.

At 2-0 the match was mostly done and dusted, but Wales responded with their best chance of the match when a deflected strike from distance nearly wrong-footed Pickford, but he recovered enough to push the ball away. England got their 3rd on 68 minutes when Rashford was allowed to run into the box and cut inside substitute left back Connor Roberts. He lashed a fierce shot straight at Ward, who made a colossal error by allowing the shot to slip between his legs. It was poor from Ward, but take nothing away from Rashford. Goalkeeping errors only happen as a result of aggressive play, and England were very aggressive today. Rashford now suddenly finds himself in the race for the Golden Boot!

The Welsh looked finished, and truthfully England looked much more likely to score a fourth than Wales did to get their first. The substitutes were running wild for a bit there. England will be very happy with this result after the rather tepid display against the Americans, and it proves that England are at their best when they play aggressively and press high up the pitch. Sitting back and defending, simply put, does not suit this group of players. We need to carry this aggressive form forward as the tournament progresses.

Wales will of course be disappointed to not have done better at this tournament. They only scored one goal and earned only one point as a result of it. They have quality in this team, but they could never put it together for 90 minutes. Their best half of play was the second one against the Americans in the opening group match, but one half of good play out of six is usually not enough to secure progression. It will be interesting to see how star players Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale handle this loss. Bale says he isn’t retiring from Wales, but we will see if his mind changes about that once he’s back on his beloved golf courses. One thing that’s for sure is that he looked like a passenger today, and had to go off at half time due to apparent injury.

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The match between USA and Iran was much more closely-contested. The Americans were the better team by far in the opening 45 minutes. They were running at Iran and controlling possession effectively. While they squandered numerous chances and were caught offside one or twice, they got their breakthrough via attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic, who bundled the ball home from close range after a good cross from right back Sergiño Dest. Pulisic hurt himself while scoring and had to come off, but the Americans were good value for their lead. Iran was struggling to put passes together and to hold on to the ball. Iran did not have a shot on goal in the opening half.

The Iranians did grow into the game a little more as the second half started and wore on, but they struggled to seriously test USA keeper Matt Turner. Iran’s final ball was lacking all match, and despite 9 minutes of extra time, they could not find the equalizer that would have sent the Americans home. After a solid defensive effort, USA held on to win 1-0.

While the Iranians were disappointing, I can’t really blame them for playing as poorly as they did today. It’s very clear the players and their families are under a heavy degree of scrutiny by the Iranian government, and there were rumors pre-match that any sort of protest by the players against the regime would result in harm happening to the players’ families. I can’t imagine having to play under those conditions. Not taking anything away from the USMNT today, but I have to question just how much those negative emotions impacted their play. #standwithwomen #iranianwomen #mahsaamini

For the Americans, this was more of the same. They are young, fast, and athletic; but it’s very clear they lack a strong center-forward. They would be a much more dangerous team with a Kane or Olivier Giroud of their own. They need a big, strong forward who can hold off a challenge in the box and finish with aplomb. The defense has played well so far, and I have been especially impressed with midfielders Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, but the Round of 16 will be a much tougher test than Iran was today.

I also thought England and USA would get out of this group before the tournament! 4 for 4 so far!

USA vs. Netherlands – Saturday December 3, 2022 at 7 am PST

England vs. Senegal – Sunday December 4, 2022 at 11 am PST

World Cup Roundup – England Remain Top of Group B, Qatar Eliminated

Qatar is a terrible country with terrible laws and FIFA are holding a World Cup on the backs of slave labor.

Qatar vs. Senegal

Senegal won 3-1 and never really looked like being seriously threatened. Qatar are simply not good enough to compete at this level, and they only qualified because they’re the host nation. I do not wish any ill will towards the individual players in the team, but its frankly a sham that they’re even here at the tournament. Very happy to see them go out. They are not only the first team eliminated this year, they are the first host nation to be eliminated after two matches.

Ecuador vs. Netherlands

The surprising Ecuadorians managed to get themselves a 1-1 draw with a much more talented Netherlands side thanks to a late goal from Enner Valencia, who is now top-scorer at this World Cup with 3 goals. Striker Cody Gakpo had put the Dutch ahead with a very good strike early on, but the Dutch could not find a second and Ecuador came away with a very important point.

Group A is now down to three teams – Ecuador, Netherlands, and Senegal. Given that the Dutch play Qatar in their last match, they’ll be fancied to go through. Second place (and maybe first, depending on the goal differential) is going to come down to the Ecuador vs. Senegal match. Ecuador’s hopes are pinned largely on the fitness of Valencia, who was stretchered off with injury in this match after scoring.

Wales vs. Iran

This was the minor upset of the day, with Iran winning 2-0 thanks to two late goals. The game was choppy and staccato for most of it’s duration, but it all really kicked off in the final 15 minutes of play. Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off on 86 minutes for a bad foul after he failed to get to the ball ahead of an onrushing Iranian forward. The collision was a tough one to watch and it’s hard to argue against the red card there. Wales were down a man and their starting keeper, which certainly had an effect on them.

Iran got their breakthrough goal towards the end of 9 minutes of stoppage time via substitute midfielder Roozbeh Chesmi. The Welsh defense only half-cleared a cross from the left, and it fell to Chesmi in acres of space just outside the box. He unleashed a finessed shot from the edge of the box into the right side of the goal past substitute keeper Danny Ward. A late winner is always sensational to witness, and this was no exception. All the Iranian fans in attendance were beside themselves, and rightly so.

Wales poured forward to find an equalizer, but were instead hit for a second in the 11th minute of stoppage time on the counter-attack by winger Ramin Rezaeian. Iran had an extra man over on the Welsh, and it was a simple pass and chipped finish that sealed a famous three points for them. Well done to those lads for going and getting a result like this. There is an awful lot of political turmoil in that country right now, and the emotions of winning a match like this might give their fellow countrymen (and women!) something to cheer for when it’s desperately needed.

Wales, for their part, were very poor. They were never really in this match. Their two best players – Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey – failed to make any significant impact. While Wales are not mathematically eliminated, they need a victory over England and for the other match to go their way in order to get out of this group. They currently sit bottom of the group on 1 point. Iran are 2nd with 3 points.

England vs. USA

Alright, here we go. This is the one I have been waiting on since the groups were announced. As an England fan living in America, this one was always going to be a special match. I was secretly expecting England to win, but mainly I really did not want the Three Lions to lose. American football fans online are insufferable when they win, and if they beat England the vitriol would be positively prolific. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one to forget for the neutral. A 0-0 draw is usually not a formula for an entertaining match.

The headline here is that England played poorly and the Americans played slightly better than most expected. Striker Harry Kane had the first half chance at the goal around the 10 minute mark, but his effort was blocked by a US defender. American midfielder Weston McKennie blazed over keeper Jordan Pickford’s bar from inside the box about 10 minutes after that, and then USA midfielder Christian Pulisic hit the crossbar from a tight angle on 33 minutes. England’s next good chance came just before half time, with midfielder Mason Mount’s effort parried away from distance by American keeper Matt Turner.

There were even fewer chances in the second half. England were defending well thanks to Harry Maguire and John Stones, but the attack was absolutely dismal. Maguire was on hand to clear a succession of corners around the hour mark, but again England could not find consistency going forward. Kane looked decidedly off the pace today, as did wingers Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka.

And once again, the main question about this England team is the manager. Gareth Southgate named an unchanged side today and also did not really change the tactics from the Iran match, which ultimately was to England’s detriment. But the much bigger issue is his repeated inability to make the substitution or tactical change that enables England to find a way through. Most would agree with bringing Jack Grealish on, but why also a defensive midfielder in Jordan Henderson when England need a goal? But why not start Grealish outright? Why wait so long to bring on winger/forward Marcus Rashford when Saka and Sterling are clearly struggling? Why keep starting Mason Mount when we have the likes of Phil Foden on the bench? Why not use Foden at all? These honest and fair questions surrounding his managerial skills will continue to be asked every time England doesn’t get a good result. Southgate clearly believes in the players that he likes and he believes heavily in his system. That’s fine and it’s produced some decent results for England, but once teams figure out that system he needs to be able to change it on the fly. England have plenty of talent, it just needs to be put to good use.

At the end of the day though, a draw is not the worst thing in this situation. England remain top Group B on 4 points, while the Americans are 3rd with 2. England are still in a good position to get out of the group, but they are far from guaranteed to be group winners. They will need to beat Wales outright in order to win the group. If they draw or lose, then all three of the other teams could find their way to the next round.

The Americans can take a fair amount of pride in this result, but it’s clear they lack a finisher. They frustrated England very effectively today, but I questioned the tactic of trying to beat England in the air when it came to their own attacking play. It was clear that Maguire was dominating the area in the air, and he struggles at times with smaller and quicker attackers. Americans would be fair in asking why Gio Reyna was not brought on until late. but they need a victory over Iran to progress. Another draw won’t be enough.

Group B Matchday 1 – Americans Held by Wales, England Steamroll Iran

First things first – FIFA and the government of Qatar are absolutely horrendous entities. This tournament should not have been held in this country.

USA vs. Wales

Let’s start with this one since most of my readers are Americans. Classic game of two halves here. The Americans came out with tenacity and a high work-rate in the first half, and Wales really struggled to get a foot in the game. The Americans’ ability to press high up the pitch was causing Wales all kinds of problems. Even when they were on the ball, they couldn’t find space to hit long passes. The work rate and passing of Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah were particularly impressive. It seemed that the Welsh were tactically okay with letting the Americans have the ball while trying to hit the Americans on the counter-attack via speedy wingers Daniel James and Gareth Bale.

That tactical plan did not really work in the first half though, and the Americans cashed in on a golden opportunity on 36 minutes courtesy of winger Tim Weah (son of former Balon d’Or winner current President of Liberia, George Weah). Some neat passing in midfield led to Christian Pulisic being allowed to run towards the Welsh goal unchallenged, and Weah made an excellent diagonal run in behind the back-4. Pulisic spotted his run and played an excellent ball to him, and Weah then used the angle created by his run to re-direct the ball home past keeper Wayne Hennessey. It was nothing less than the Americans deserved for their tenacity, possession, and work-rate. Wales limped into half time after that, but they managed to keep the Americans from adding another.

Wales manager Rob Page brought on striker Kieffer Moore at half time, and his impact was felt almost immediately. In the first 45 minutes, Wales had no outlet. They had no one up front who could hold onto the ball and/or win fouls while supporting players ran up the pitch. Moore changed all that. His big frame was very useful for Wales, and all of a sudden they had a lot more possession in their attacking third. Moore had a header go over USA keeper Matt Turner’s crossbar around 66 minutes that he really should have better with. But as with the Americans in the first half, you sensed a goal was coming.

And indeed, the Welsh got their vital equalizer on 83 minutes from the penalty spot. While this referee can be rightly criticized for some of his decisions in this match, the penalty decision was spot-on. USMNT defender Tim Ream was marking Bale in the box when he elected to go through the back of Bale in an effort to win the ball. He did make some contact with the ball, but it is generally a very bad idea to go through the back of an attacking player in your box with a 1-0 lead. His knee came into contact with Bale and Bale went down like he’d been shot, as is to be expected at this level of the game. The referee pointed to the spot, and Bale stepped up to dispatch the penalty with power into the right hand corner. Turner did go the right way to make the save, but there was just too much power and height on the ball to keep it out. 1-1, and the first goal scored by a Welshman at the World Cup in 64 years!

As stoppage time approached, the already-physical game became even tougher, with challenges flying in from both sides. Neither team was really able to fashion a good chance. Substitute Wales winger Brennan Johnson tested Turner with a shot from a tight angle, but that was about it. The match ended 1-1, which was probably a fair result given how it played out. The Yanks were better in the first half, the Welsh better in the second. USA supporters will be disappointed with how the match ended, and the Welsh will be disappointed with how it began. Both teams will need to play better to make a deep run at this tournament.

If I’m a USA supporter, I am very concerned about the health and fitness of McKennie. He was the best player on the pitch in the opening 45 minutes, and the game really changed when he went off. I am also concerned about the 2nd half response by USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter, or perhaps the lack thereof. For some mysterious reason (and this may have partly been due to McKennie coming off), the Americans stopped attacking the Welsh through the middle of the pitch. They instead elected to get the ball wide and try and find headers from aerial crosses, but that seemed to be futile against a much taller Welsh back line. The Yanks are at their best when the ball is at Pulisic’s feet and he’s allowed to run at defenses, as made obvious by their goal today. They will need to re-establish that strategy going forward.

England vs. Iran

England were expected to win this match given the gulf in talent between the two sides, but very few expected a 6-2 result. Iran were ranked 20th in the world coming into this match, the highest-ranked Asian side at the tournament. They usually cause problems for more-talented opposition and only lose by the odd goal here and there, if they lose at all.

England were the dominant team throughout the match, but it must be noted that it took England 35 minutes to breach the Iranian goal. It was only then that a fine cross from left back Luke Shaw found midfielder Jude Bellingham’s head in the box, and he powered a thunderous header beyond substitute keeper Hossein Hosseini. Once the first one went in, the floodgates opened. Wingers Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling added their names to the scoresheet next, and it was 3-0 at halftime to England. Saka got another goal on 62 minutes as well, and England were well on their way to three points and the top of the group.

The Iranians did not stop trying however, and they were rewarded with a goal on 65 minutes from the talented Mehdi Taremi. England failed to clear a long throw-in from Iran, and when the ball was played to Taremi he smartly powered home the ball into the roof of the net. England keeper Jordan Pickford could do little about it. It was never anything more than a consolation goal, though.

England continued to attack, with striker Harry Kane finding substitute winger Marcus Rashford, who cut inside from the right wing and slotted home under Hosseini for England’s fifth. Rashford had only been on the pitch for 49 seconds when his shot found the back of the net, so he made sure his impact was felt. The action dulled a bit after that, but England were awarded a 6th goal on 90 minutes after striker Callum Wilson found midfielder Jack Grealish unmarked in the box. Grealish swept home the pass and England were essentially home and dry.

The referee had to have his say, however. First, he missed an obvious foul on center back Harry Maguire in the first half that would have given England a penalty. Secondly, he awarded a monumental 13 minutes of stoppage time today. That is well above the average, but I suppose it is acceptable given the long injury delays in the first and second half. He awarded a penalty to Iran very late on, and while it did not affect the outcome of the match, it was a good example of inconsistent application of the rules. If the penalty late on for a shirt pull was a penalty, then so was the shirt pull on Maguire in the first half. Again, it matters not for today, but in a closer match it could matter quite a bit.

England were by far the better side and deserved to win this match. For a team that has struggled to score goals recently, scoring six in the opening match of a World Cup is fantastic. Some questions remain defensively, but the ruthless finishing today more than made up for it. Credit to the Iranians for never stopping, even though it would have been understandable if they did.

Even more credit to the Iranians however for not singing along with their national anthem before the match. This was done on purpose in protest against their current governmental regime and its treatment of women within Iran. A very ballsy move indeed, and it’s significantly braver than any form of “protest” against Qatar planned by European nations. Iran is playing for something bigger than just their team, and I wish them nothing but the best of luck in this group.

All four teams resume play on Friday, November 25th. USA vs. England and Wales vs. Iran. England are in the driver’s seat after today, but nothing has been decided yet. Four massive matches tomorrow, including Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia, Mexico vs. Poland, Denmark vs. Tunisia, and France vs. Australia.

World Cup Group B Preview – Yes, the One With the Yanks In It

England. Wales. Iran. USA.

For the first time since 2010, England will play the Yanks in the group stage of a World Cup. I do think that England and the USA are probably the favorites in the group, as I already wrote in my Quick n’ Dirty World Cup picks post. However, let’s take a deeper dive into this group and figure out what’s going on. And remember – this tournament should not be happening in Qatar, and FIFA is the most corrupt organization on the planet.

USA

I normally let my Yank friends and colleagues discuss the USMNT (which of course stands for United States Mutant Ninja Turtles) for me as I don’t routinely follow them, but given that they are in England’s group this tournament I have been following them a little more closely. At World Cup 2010 in South Africa, the Americans drew with England 1-1 and then managed to later win the group! That would be a fantastic result for them again this time around, but this group is much different than the one in 2010.

This is the most talented USMNT I have seen assembled for a major tournament. They have some undeniably good players, mainly in attack. Giovanni Reyna, Joshua Sargent, and Tim Weah all play for big clubs across Europe, and Christian Pulisic is the most naturally-talented American player I have ever seen. Pulisic and Reyna also have Champions League experience, with Pulisic being the owner of a winners’ medal. I do not think the Americans will struggle to score goals, provided manager Greg Berhalter allows them to run at defenses.

Where the concerns come in are with the rest of the team. The midfield might be ok as long as Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams are able to find the attacking players with key passes. However, the defense looks extremely thin outside of Sergiño Dest. Most of the defenders in this team do not play in Europe, and I am concerned about them having to rely on the aging legs of DeAndre Yedlin at fullback. The goalkeepers, at least two of them, aren’t regular starters at their clubs and the current No. 1 Ethan Horvath plays in the second division in England. There just isn’t a ton of top-level experience in this side apart from the forwards and McKennie.

A further concern is the form of the Americans coming into this tournament. To say the least, it hasn’t been convincing. They failed to win their CONCACAF qualifying group, and in their recent friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia they failed to score a single goal. Most Americans will tell you that Berhalter is largely responsible for those failures. From my limited perspective, Berhalter needs to shape his tactics and team selection around scoring goals and defending from the front. I do not think the Americans are good enough in defense to hold out against quality opposition for 90 minutes. The best strategy for the USMNT is to get out on the front foot first though and make the opposition work. They must press high and win the ball in forward areas.

The team spirit of the Americans at these tournaments is usually very good. To quote famous match commentator Martin Tyler, “Americans always believe they can do it.” There is no more apt a quote. Americans always believe they can win games, even when all logic and reason says they won’t. Self-belief is ingrained in American culture, and while it has its downsides it certainly can be helpful in football.

Overall though I think this current crop of American talent needs four years to mature. This tournament might have come just a bit too soon. They are of course not the pushovers they were 20 years ago, but I still think there is a gap in quality between the Yanks and the elites of the world.

Wales

The Welsh have not been to a World Cup since 1958, but that long absence has made them very hungry for some success. They qualified via an emotional playoff against Ukraine in which the entire football world was rooting against them, so there are no questions as to their mental toughness. It’s true they are small in terms of population of geography, but the talent and experience in this Wales team makes me think they are one of the biggest sleepers going into this tournament.

They are of course led by talismanic forward Gareth Bale, who is the most talented player Wales has ever produced and he just won the MLS Cup with Los Angeles FC. He will lead the forward line, probably supported by Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson and Fulham winger Daniel James. In midfield they have the aging but still reliable Aaron Ramsey, along with Joe Allen and Harry Wilson. There is also a lot of experience in defense via Neco Williams, Chris Gunter, and Ben Davies. Wayne Hennessey is also a massively experienced keeper and had a fantastic outing in the playoff against Ukraine. This is both the first and last World Cup for Bale and probably Ramsey as well, so they will be giving their all.

The big question for Wales is their depth. Aside from the starters I named and maybe one or two more players, the Welsh do not have the depth of some of the bigger teams. They will have to rely on their starters in order to do well at this tournament. That might work during the group stage to a degree, but I do not feel they have the depth for a long run. However, anyone who disregards the Welsh in this group will do so at their own peril. They have talent, experience, and are in good form coming into the tournament.

The Americans play Wales in their first group match on November 21st.

Iran

So as a non-Iranian its easy to not pay attention to this team and not take them seriously due to their lack of talent. And objectively, they are the least-talented team in this group. Most of their players play in the Iranian domestic league, although there are a few notable names who play in Greece, Turkey, and Croatia. Iran are probably strongest in attack similar to the Americans, with Karim Ansarifard, Mehdi Taremi, and Sardar Azmoun all looking to make a name for themselves at this tournament.

Also, when a team is lacking in talent, they can sometimes make up for it in tactical prowess and team spirit. There are many occasions both at the club and international level where a less-talented team has gotten a result against a better team simply because they had a better tactical plan. That will be Iran and manager Carlos Quieroz’s mantra going into this tournament. They’re not idiots, after all. They know they lack the talent that other teams in this group have. Still though, they are one of the best Asian teams in the world and have had a good run of form coming into this tournament. They won’t just roll over and concede that they’re just happy to be here.

Iran’s greatest strength however is not their talent, nor their coaching. Interestingly, it is the current political tension in their country and the team spirit that results from it. Many of these players support women’s rights in Iran and are critical of the current regime. They know that they are ambassadors for their culture and people, not necessarily their government. I think they will want to show the world what Iran is really about. The people of that nation are much more progressive than their government is generally speaking, and they have a chance to show support for the women of their country by playing well at this tournament. Ansarifard has already done a bit of that recently when he scored a goal for his club and then removed his team shirt to display a message of solidarity with women in Iran.

It would be beyond surprising for Iran to progress out of this group, but it is certainly not impossible. They are much more likely however to ruin another team’s chance of progression.

England

The Three Lions are my team of choice and I usually don’t like to make predictions about them due to superstition, but I can give some general previews about the expectations around this team. England fans expect this team to win the World Cup every time it comes around, no matter how delusional that may be. As has been said many times on this blog, England have only won the world Cup once, and it was a staggering 56 years ago.

But the past five years or so have provided some justification for those lofty expectations this time around. The past five years have been the most successful in England’s history, aside from 1966. In 2017 we reached the semifinals of the Nations League, in 2018 we reached the semifinals of the World Cup in Russia, and in 2021 we reached the final of the European Championships. No trophies were won at any of those tournaments sadly, but this is the most consistently good this team has been in my lifetime. Manager Gareth Southgate and this current generation of English talent are the primary reasons for this success.

There is no denying England’s star power in attack, and the defense should probably be pretty solid as well. The midfield is admittedly a little on the light side after the starters, but if England do poorly at this tournament a lack of talent will not be the reason why. With world-class players like Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Luke Shaw, and many others all currently in the form they’re in, we are capable of beating every team at this tournament. On paper, at least. There is also a lot of depth for England, particularly in attack and defense. We are chock full of first-team starters at their respective clubs. Indeed, our bench players are better than some other teams’ starters.

But England’s greatest issue at this tournament will be Southgate’s conservative approach and tactics. It’s true that the system implemented (3 at the back, with a slow buildup towards the goal) works fairly well, but on the off occasion it doesn’t, England struggle to adapt. Southgate has a ton of faith in the players he likes, and for whatever reason he is slow to respond to negative events in a given match. The best teams know how to win in more ways than one, and I am concerned that Southgate is either unwilling or unable to realize that. Will he roll the dice when needed? Will he make the correct adjustment that leads to a win? We will have to see. If England do not play well this tournament, it will be his job on the line. Failure to get out of the group would be unacceptable for a team of this caliber.

Personally, I want to see a ruthless England in this group stage. Nay; a positively villainous England. It’s no secret that most of the world won’t be cheering for us for a variety of reasons, so it’s time to embrace that villainy and use it to our advantage. Let’s go out and put 4 goals past each team. Let’s dive to the floor like Italians whenever a tackle comes in. Let’s go out there and commit some professional fouls in the first 10 minutes of matches so oppositions know we aren’t messing about. I don’t want us to just win, I want the opposition utterly demoralized. We already have the talent, but now we need to be nasty! If we have to go out, I want us to go out kicking and screaming every inch of the way.

England plays their first match against Iran on November 21.

History Beckons for Christian Pulisic in the Champions League Final

Europe’s Super Bowl kicks off at noon Pacific time tomorrow, May 29. For only the third time in the history of the competition, two English sides will play each other for the chance to be crowned champions of Europe. The UEFA Champions League final is a game that every footballer dreams of playing in as a kid, and is dwarfed in importance only by (probably) the World Cup final that happens every four years. The players of Manchester City and Chelsea will want to add their names to the annals of football history tomorrow in Porto, Portugal.

There are tons of storylines to analyze here just like with any massive matchup between two massive clubs, but all you really need to know is that City are vying for their first European Cup and Chelsea are trying to win their second one. The clubs finished 1st and 4th in the Premier League respectively, and most pundits are probably giving the edge to City given their excellent strength in depth. Manager Pep Guardiola has been trying to win another European Cup for the better part of a decade, having last won it with Barcelona in 2011. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was in the final last year with Paris St. Germain, but lost to German side Bayern Munich.

However, my readers are overwhelmingly American, so I’d like to focus on a more American storyline. For the first time ever, there is an American playing for each side in a CL final, and one of them has a very good chance of becoming the first American to ever score in a Champions League final. City have backup goalkeeper Zack Steffen, while Chelsea have attacking midfielder and wunderkind Christian Pulisic. Steffen likely will not get on the pitch barring an injury to starting City keeper Ederson, but Pulisic has a very legitimate chance of not only playing but also starting and scoring. He reaches milestones for Americans in European football every time he steps on the pitch, but it would be truly remarkable if he became the first American to score in a CL final. As I have written before, Pulisic is the most naturally-talented American player I have ever seen. There have been good American players before in England such as Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, and of course Landon Donovan; but all of them pale in comparison to Pulisic. He is fast, has a ton of lateral quickness, and is a nightmare to deal with when dribbling. His passing and decision making are sometimes suspect, but there are few players better on the ball in the open field. He runs circles around guys until there’s an opening for a shot, and he’s usually on-target.

Of course it is entirely possible that neither of them gets on the pitch, given that Steffen is a backup and Pulisic has competition for his place in the starting XI from England midfielder Mason Mount, but having Americans even just on the bench is huge for the US Men’s National Team. The CL final is the pinnacle of club footballing competition on this planet, both in terms of physical talent and the tactical nous required to be successful. In any sport you want your players playing at the highest possible level, and having not only one but two Americans in this match is vital for their development and experience. If Pulisic can play well in a CL final, then all of a sudden a World Cup qualifier against Honduras or Nicaragua becomes a lot less daunting. Same for Steffen – if he can stop a shot on goal from world-class Man City players like Kevin de Bruyne or Sergio Aguero, then everything else he faces after that becomes a lot easier to handle because he would have a better idea of what to expect and prepare for.

Pulisic and Steffen are part of a crop of promising young American players, many of whom are playing for big clubs in Europe. In addition to those two, there is also Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona), Tim Weah (Lille), and Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig) to name a few. All of these Americans playing for these big clubs in Europe is fantastic for their development and experience. It may be a tad too soon for the USMNT to challenge at the 2022 World Cup, as all of these guys are still in their early 20s or younger and don’t have a ton of playing experience yet. However, all of these opportunities for Americans at big clubs is priming Team USA for a World Cup run in 2026. Conveniently, venues in North America will be hosting that tournament for a bit of home-field advantage. If the Americans can find themselves a manager with a tactical plan that serves the strengths of all these young and dynamic guys, the Americans will be among the favorites to win it. The will only get better over time, assuming they keep playing at very high-profile clubs such as City, Barcelona, and Juventus that routinely challenge in Europe. I know the Americans have struggled recently due to internal drama at the US Soccer Federation and coaching changes, but the talent appears to be coming together nicely.

So while tomorrow is not the be-all and end-all for Pulisic and Steffen, every American should tune in to watch and see how the two are developing. A big performance from Pulisic should encourage Americans to be enthusiastic and optimistic about the national team for the first time in awhile. Americans who don’t routinely follow the game often dream of beating Europeans at their own sport, and that just may happen in 2026 if the players keep developing as they are. History calls for both of them tomorrow though, and Pulisic may just be the one who answers.

A Draw – But Now Just One Point Away from the Champions League

It’s been a tumultuous few days for Manchester United, after exiting the FA Cup at the weekend in rather tepid fashion at the hands of Chelsea. I was going to write a separate post about the match, but I figured since United took the match off from playing I could take a match off from writing. It truly was a dismal performance, which was down to a combination of fatigue, injuries, a forced change in tactics, and a poor team mentality. Ultimately, after I calmed down a little bit, I realized that an FA Cup exit was worth it if it meant securing the top tier of European football next season.

I’ve discussed the importance of the Champions League before, but I think it bears explaining again. Not only is it the highest level of football in terms of level of skill, it is also very lucrative. Teams can expect an extra £20 million in revenue from the extra televised matches, and in United’s case it would mean saving an additional £22 million in rebates to Adidas, our kit maker. That £42 million could really come in handy next season for signing new players or much-needed upgrades to Old Trafford.

Thanks to Tottenham Hotspur beating Leicester last week, United were level on points with Leicester City and only a point behind Chelsea in the race for the top-4. A win would put United in strong position to secure a place in the top-4, while a draw would also be helpful but less so. The only thing that would be disastrous is a loss. The opposition today was an East London club called West Ham United, sometimes shortened to just West Ham or the Hammers. They came into the match on the lower end of the table, but knew that a draw and the resulting point would mean that they are mathematically safe from relegation this season. Their main striker Michail Antonio has been in sensational form since the restart, scoring the most goals out of anyone in the Premier League. With solid midfielders like Declan Rice, Mark Noble, and Tomas Soucek, it’s a wonder that West Ham aren’t doing better than they are.

In contrast to recent matches, United looked very sharp in the first five minutes. Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes both went close to giving the Red Devils an early lead. West Ham settled in more though and grew into the game as the half wore on. United looked slow in possession and gave away the ball far too easily on many occasions – a trend that would continue throughout the match.

West Ham worryingly got the opening goal via the penalty spot from Antonio, who sent David De Gea the wrong way. No valid complaints about the penalty call. West Ham had a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, when Rice struck it towards United’s wall of players and Paul Pogba put his hands up to stop the ball from hitting him in the face. It was a clear penalty unfortunately, although I suppose it’s a natural reaction to raise one’s hands to prevent something from hitting it. Still though, Pogba should have taken it on the face. As a footballer, that’s part of the game. Pogba, for his part, apologized to the team after the match so he clearly knew he screwed up. Down 1-0 at halftime though was still terrible and I had a very apprehensive feeling in my mind.

But to their credit, United kept pressing forward in the early part of the second half and were rewarded for their endeavoring play. Pogba made some amends for his earlier error by bringing the ball forward and playing it to striker Mason Greenwood on the edge of the Hammers penalty area. Greenwood played some incredible 1-2 passes with fellow striker Anthony Martial, with Martial doing very well to draw defenders and create space for Greenwood. After 4 quick passes the ball was at the feet of Greenwood, and he made no mistake with the finish past West Ham keeper Lukasz Fabianski. Still thoroughly impressed with the teenager Greenwood and I loved Martial’s hard work to create the chance for him. Center forwards do more than just score goals, and I think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has finally implanted that idea firmly in Martial’s head.

The match slowed down more after the United goal, despite both sides striving for a winner. De Gea made a great save to tip the shot of West Ham midfielder Jarrod Bowen over the bar, and substitute striker Odion Ighalo went close later on for United after some great dribbling by Greenwood in the penalty area. Although it was nervy at times, the match ended 1-1 and United temporarily moved into 3rd place in the table.

A win would have been better, but a draw will a do in this situation. United, at least temporarily (as Chelsea played later on in the day) had a 1 point advantage over Leicester and a goal differential tiebreaker over Chelsea despite being level on points, which meant that United jumped two places in the table from 5th to 3rd.

United’s players look tired; it must be said. OGS is in between a rock and a hard place here. Many fans are calling for midfielders Fred and Scott McTominay to get more playing time so as to rest Bruno, Pogba, and Nemanja Matic more, but it does not appear to be that simple. Despite Fred and McTominay playing well before play was suspended, they haven’t consistently looked their best since play resumed. Neither of them is a naturally creative midfielder, either. They typically do not look to play that killer forward pass like Bruno or Pogba would. Matic is our only natural defensive midfielder at the moment, and his possession and ball retention are key to shaping the United attack. McTominay and Fred do not appear to have these skills at the same level as Matic, at least not currently. Our best XI has a midfield 3 of Matic-Pogba-Bruno, but when we rest any one of those 3 players we don’t look good enough.

Only one Premier League game left, though. Sunday morning America-time away to Leicester City. A win or a draw will ensure United qualify for the top 4, no matter what.  If United were to lose, they would then have to hope that Chelsea also lose to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Only one point away from ensuring that we continue on our return to glory. One measly point. Leicester can score, but their defense is suspect. Come on United!

Rival Watch

Chelsea knew that a point would ensure that they finish in the top-4, but they were playing the champions-elect Liverpool at Anfield, always a very tough place to get any kind of result. I won’t do a whole recap, but the match ended 5-3 in favor of Liverpool. It was a thriller of a game and it was interesting that Liverpool very much did United a favor today. Chelsea are a very inconsistent team and their manager Frank Lampard has to wonder what more he has to do to get them to play consistently. One thing he could do it seems would be to play American midfielder Christian Pulisic more. He had a hell of a game today and almost single-handedly rescued Chelsea from an even more-embarrassing result with an impressive goal and even more impressive assist. He looked like the best player on the pitch once he came on. I knew this guy was good, and he seems to be growing into a true superstar. Americans, take note!

Prem Table:

3. United – 63 points

4. Chelsea – 63 points (-15 GD)

5. Leicester City – 62 points

United Get the Season Off to a Flying Start With Victory Over Chelsea

Well I think it’s safe to say that no one was expecting a 4-0 victory for either side, let alone one with United winning. Going into the match I think most reasonable minds expected a tense and low-scoring affair.

And to be fair, that’s what it was for the first 60 minutes or so. Chelsea came out in the first 15 minutes and dominated possession, and it was only thanks to the post that striker Tammy Abraham was denied an opener. Midfielder Ross Barkley looked to be in particularly dangerous form, along with Abraham and winger Pedro. United had to do a lot of defending in that opening period, but despite being on the back foot I was very impressed with new signings Harry Maguire (aka Slab) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (AWB). Both of them were tremendous throughout the match. More on them below.

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring from the penalty spot against the run of play in the 18th minute. Chelsea’s French center back Kurt Zouma clumsily fouled Rashford in the box, and a penalty was given. I’m fairly sure United midfielder Andreas Pereira suffered a foul earlier in the build-up as well, but referee Anthony Taylor correctly played the advantage and Rashford dribbled the ball into the box. He was fouled again by Zouma and the ref gave the penalty. Taylor himself had a very good day by all standards and I am happy the referee and VAR were largely a non-factor in this match.

United had to endure a bit more pressure after that, as Chelsea searched for an equalizer. It almost became a game of which team can “out-press” the other. Both teams used their pacy forwards and wingers to press the back lines throughout the first half in an effort to win the ball high up on the pitch, which resulted in some very entertaining (and also nerve-wracking) end to end football in the first 45 minutes. The defense and keeper David De Gea did just enough to keep Chelsea out though, and United got to half time with a slim 1-0 lead despite Brazilian left back Emerson hitting the post again for Chelsea. It was good to be ahead for sure, but the Red Devils were certainly not out of the woods.

More of the same happened in the opening 15 minutes of the 2nd half. Chelsea were on the ball quite a bit, and United had to dig in and defend some more. Emerson once again hit a powerful shot that was pawed away by keeper De Gea. Once the 60th minute hit though, it was all United. Maguire won the ball back outside our own box and played the ball to Rashford out wide on the left. Rashford used his electrifying pace to bring the ball forward, and then played a ball out wide right to Jesse Lingard. By that time, Anthony Martial had made his way into the box and joined Rashford in the penalty area. After a nifty exchange between Lingard and Pereira in the right channel, the latter hit a cross into the box that was bundled over the line by Martial for United’s second. Chelsea’s Spanish right back Cesar Azpilicueta switched off for a second and Martial gained a favorable position on him before he poked it home with his first touch. Martial actually missed it with his right foot but the ball hit his opposite knee anyway and rolled over the line. It doesn’t matter how they go in, as long as they do! A great counter-attack by United. Sir Alex Ferguson was watching from the stands today and you know he would have been very happy with a goal like that.

I think Chelsea’s mentality was very fragile after that. They looked like the better team for large portions of the match, yet still found themselves down 2-0. That’s disheartening for any team. I think that was part of the reason for how quick United got their third.

The match had barely restarted when United won the ball in midfield, and our excellent Frenchman Paul Pogba hit a sublime pass over the top into Rashford, who had made a very intelligent run into a gap between Zouma and Azpilicueta. Pogba had actually been somewhat quiet in this match up until that moment. He looked to be about a half-step behind everyone else in the first half, to be honest. But the talent and quality of Pogba is such that he can play like crap for most of the game but still conjure up a moment of magic out of nowhere. Rashford’s first touch was excellent as he knocked the ball ahead of him, and once the young Englishman is away on the ball there are very few people in the world who can catch him. He took his time, composed himself, and slotted home to his right past keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. It was an absolutely sublime goal that came completely out of nowhere. Even the match commentators were still talking about the 2nd goal when Rashford was through for the 3rd! After a quick VAR review for offside, the goal was awarded and the United players knew they were free and clear. It was great to see everyone celebrating the goal together as a team. Two goals within 90 seconds of each other are incredibly difficult for any team to come back from.

Chelsea’s misery wasn’t over either. They poured men forward in search of a goal, and in the 80th minute they found themselves with a free kick in an attacking area. The ball played in was crap though and it fell to Scott McTominay in the United box. McTominay saw Pogba peeling in for a pass in front of him, and after receiving the ball Pogba played a lovely 1-2 with Martial in the left channel. After the return pass from Martial, Pogba was free to run forward with two Chelsea defenders attempting to corral him. Pogba played a pass out to the right at the edge of the box to substitute winger (and another new signing) Daniel James. James at first seemed to be unsure if he should shoot or cross it back, but after a mishit he composed himself and unleashed a shot. The ball took a deflection off  the leg of Emerson and wrong-footed Kepa for United’s fourth. It was a goal on his Premier League debut for James, which served as a nice cherry on top of United’s day. Again, it was very good to see the whole team celebrating as one. McTominay in particular was very vocal in leading the celebrations, and everyone was incredibly happy for the 21 year-old. To score in front of the Stretford End for United on your debut is the stuff dreams are made of!

Chelsea didn’t really do much more after that, and the match ended without many further incidents of interest. While Rashford (2 goals), Pogba (2 assists), Martial (goal), and James (goal) all had very good days, I think Man of the Match for me either goes to Maguire or AWB. Along with Victor Lindelof and De Gea, they were fantastic in United’s defense and were very deserving of the clean sheet today. Not conceding in the opening period was very important, as it gave the attackers more time to get involved in the game. Psychologically, if you know you have some very good defenders in your team, you are more inclined to take risks going forward. If it works you can get a goal, and if it doesn’t you know that your defense will help you to recover the ball. Like in many other sports, defense wins championships. AWB won basically every tackle he attempted, while Slab Head was a commanding, physical presence in the box and never looked unsure of himself.

It was not a perfect game for United, but it was about as good as anyone could have expected from the opening match. We do look a little light in midfield, especially when Pogba isn’t playing well, but that didn’t hurt us too much today. It’s very clear that our defense has markedly improved, and our forwards are hungry for goals. When this team puts in the work required, we will be difficult to beat.

I am excited to see where we go from here. I don’t think we will be able to effectively run the high-press for the entirety of this long season, so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have to switch up his tactics slightly for other matches. Of course, this is only one match and it would be foolish to make predictions this early, but this is a fantastic foundation to build on going forward. A 4-0 victory over one of the traditional “top 6” sides is a huge confidence booster for this team. OGS’s summer plan of buying young and hungry players with something to prove seems to have been a wise ploy so far.

On a brief aside, for the American readers of my blog, Christian Pulisic made his Premier League debut for Chelsea today as a substitute in the 2nd half. He was shepherded by AWB for most of his time on the pitch, and didn’t really have a chance to impact the match because of that. He did look to be quick and made a few good runs into the box, but Chelsea’s mentality was gone for most of the time he was on and the ball wasn’t really played to him. I think he needs more playing time before we can decide if he can hack it in the Prem or not.

United travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers for their next Premier League match on Monday. Wolves were a problem team for United last season, so they will be looking to exact a bit of revenge on them hopefully. If we play like this again though, I don’t think Wolves will have the ability to consistently stop us.

Glory Glory Man United!

The Transfer Window Closes and the Premier League Returns to Action

Early August is the season of the sports tease. My two favorite sports that I watch are the NFL and European football, and both start around the same time of year. The NFL’s preseason is just getting underway, while United’s preseason and the British summer transfer window are officially in the books. Everything is just getting started and I am sick of waiting for my sports to come back!

With the window closed, no club in Britain may acquire a player contracted to another club until the window re-opens in January. British clubs can still sign “free agent” or non-contracted players, but there aren’t many of those and the ones available aren’t very good.

In contrast, the European transfer window is still open, and will be for most of the leagues abroad in until September 2. Each country’s football association set the dates of their respective transfer windows. British clubs voted last season to move the deadline day up from the end of August last season. I think the idea was that it would ensure that each manager’s squad was more or less settled before the season began the following weekend. However, this move seems to have backfired a bit. British clubs are now at a disadvantage, because the European giants now have more time to get finances together to buy a player from England. Moreover, if a player leaves for Europe from England after August 8th, the English team can’t sign someone to replace him. Perhaps the Football Association will hold another vote about this to see if this is what clubs in Britain really want.

Anyway, short window or not, I am semi-pleased with the business Manchester United has done. There are positives and negatives here, and I think the Glazer family and Chief Executive Ed Woodward have done somewhat OK here. To recap, we brought in Welsh left winger Daniel James, English right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and English center-back Harry Maguire. We definitely strengthened the defense, which was one of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s objectives in the close season. The club spent about £140 million collectively on these players. A lot of money to be sure, but given that we are one of the richest clubs in the world, we can afford it.

We lost Ander Herrera on a free transfer, Antonio Valencia’s contract wasn’t renewed, and we also sold Romelu Lukaku for a rumored fee of £74 million. I have already aired my grievances about the Herrera situation, but I was pleased with the Lukaku transfer. OGS made it clear last season that he wants to use Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as his strikers, and Lukaku became surplus to requirements. We got a lot of money for him out of Inter Milan, which is great for a player we don’t seem to need anymore.

My concerns however outweigh the positives from this window. We still don’t have a Director of Football/Technical Director. The supporters, including myself, have expressed their discontent with this on social media which hopefully reignites the fire under Woodward to bring someone in. As good as Woodward is at making money for the club, he is not good at keeping track of contracts and managing the overall footballing direction of the team. The Board of Directors like him because he makes money, but eventually they need to realize that profits are directly tied to success on the pitch. A DoF with a vision for the club would enable us to consistently compete again. The funds we got for Lukaku need to be re-invested into the club, and hopefully that’s what happens. I can’t imagine the uproar if we don’t buy a midfielder in January.

Now, to be fair, it does seem that we at least had a plan for this window. Get young, British players who have something to prove and stay away from the bloated wages commanded by established stars. This explains part of the reason why the Paulo Dybala transfer from Juventus fell through. The Argentine attacking midfielder wanted a ton of money each week and it was clear the only reason he would consider coming is for the wages. This club doesn’t need players like that. Let someone else overpay him, I say. Had he come, I have a feeling Dybala may have turned into Angel “Snake” Di Maria 2.0; a guy who plays well at first but then falls out with the club over petty bullshit because he didn’t really want to be here anyway. We have signed players who seem to embrace the club’s philosophies and values. That is good.

But again, problems remain. We still haven’t signed a midfield replacement for Herrera and our midfield looks incredibly thin. Paul Pogba is our best player and arguably the best midfielder in the world, but aside from him we are shockingly lacking in creativity in the middle. Scott McTominay looks to be a good defensive midfielder, but players like Andreas Pereira and Fred are going to need to step up their games massively this season when teams double and triple team Pogba. Clubs will believe that if you stop Pogba, you have a good chance of stopping United. Fred and Pereira will have to show them otherwise. Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic are no longer fast enough to play against the bigger clubs, and I hope to see OGS make McTominay our starting defensive midfielder.

Martial and Rashford will need to score 20+ goals this season for us to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Pogba will need to add 10-15 goals and as many assists. I would also like to see more midfielders and defenders getting in on the goal scoring action as well. Five goals over the course of the season off the massive head of Maguire from set pieces would be great, for example.

OGS has also had a summer to tweak his tactics and develop new strategies with the team, so hopefully our play is a little less one-dimensional this season. I’d like to see different formations throughout games tailored to the strengths of the players on the pitch. That’s what a good manager does; he puts his players in the best position possible to win matches. OGS knows that managers can have incredibly short tenures in this day and age, so he will be keen on coming out of the gate strong.

The Premier League returned to action today with Liverpool’s 4-1 win over newly promoted Norwich City. Sadly, Liverpool don’t seem to have slowed down any after their incredibly successful campaign last year. Even though it was the bloody Scousers, it’s great to see the Premier League back. It’s one of the most entertaining leagues in the world and I am excited for this new season.

OGS and United get the season underway at Old Trafford against Chelsea FC on Sunday morning (Aug 11) America-time. It’s rare to have such a big match on opening weekend, and it is one full of intrigue and headlines. Chelsea and England legend “Fat” Frank Lampard is now the manager in West London after his successes at Championship side Derby County last season, so it’s match-up of former players as managers for both clubs. OGS and Lampard have dueled on the pitch before, and now they get to duel from their respective technical areas. USA star Christian Pulisic will also be making his Premier League debut for the Blues, so many Americans will be keen to see how he does in a very physical league.

Needless to say, I am excited. Let’s get this party started! Let the goals, drama, and Hot Takes commence!

 

What’s Wrong With the US Men’s Team?

It seems there have been some massive problems for the Americans for a few years now, stretching back to before the 2018 World Cup. They seem to be on a very long run of poor form, and are losing matches against countries with inferior talent and funding. The recent 3-0 loss to Venezuela, a country with a barely functioning government, was particularly embarrassing. With their Gold Cup campaign kicking off against Guyana on June 18, the USMNT (which will always look like US Mutant Ninja Turtles to me no matter how many times I see it) finds itself at a crossroads. A deep run into this tournament could show that the US at least has some sense of direction, while an early exit will only compound existing problems. It seems that as good as the US women are, the US men are just as bad.

Failing to qualify for Russia 2018 was an unmitigated disaster for the Americans, given their long record of previous qualifications. Indeed, qualification out of the CONCACAF region was always the easy part for the US. It used to be that they would kick everyone’s butt in qualifying (except for maybe a split with Mexico) and would only stumble once in the tournament and facing higher quality opposition from Europe or South America. Last summer was the first time they failed to qualify for the WC since the 1980s. US fans expected a re-build after that dark chapter, but now it’s a year later and the team doesn’t appear to have improved any. They’ve gone through 3 managers in that time, and very much resemble a rudderless ship in choppy seas.

Granted, the CONCACAF region has gotten better in recent years, with sides like Panama and Costa Rica improving significantly and challenging the USA and Mexico as the top sides in the region. Mexico themselves have improved as well. But, despite a tougher region, you have to feel that there is something desperately wrong with the Americans. Given their level of funding and zealous support, they should be doing a lot better than they are doing.

So what’s going on then? Is it a lack of talent? Talent development? Coaching? Level of interest among Americans as whole? Poor organizational leadership by the US Soccer Federation? All or some of the above? Every article you read online seems to point the finger at a different reason and as a result there is a bevvy of debate on why the Americans currently suck so bad. Given all the different issues highlighted online and in sports media, it seems the problem is multi-faceted and can’t be attributed to just one issue solvable via quick-fix.

Full disclosure: I am merely a casual follower of the USMNT, so I don’t want interject my less-than-educated opinion on a team I don’t regularly follow. I can give you all the Hot Takes and info/analysis on England and Manchester United you want, but given the complexities of these issues with this team I would feel like a charlatan if I tried to diagnose the USMNT myself. I do Hot Takes for sure, but I don’t do Dumb Hot Takes!

For those reasons, we turn to an old friend of mine and huge USA fan, Jesse. He watches the team regularly and is knowledgeable in football/soccer along with many other sports, so I reached out to him for his perspective on what’s happening:

“The biggest problem I see with the USMNT is a broad one; it’s a top to bottom issue. Development of talent, coaching of talent. and a general sense of ignorance. It’s clear there is men’s soccer talent in the US (Michael Bradley, Christian Pulisic, Landon Donovan, and Clint Dempsey to name a few). I get football, baseball, and basketball are much more popular here unlike in other countries, but of the millions registered to play in the US, where do we go so wrong with fully developing more talent? Part of that could be the system’s reliance on Major League Soccer (MLS). Jurgen Klinsmann was right to say playing overseas was better. The MLS just doesn’t have the competition that the Premier League or Bundesliga does. Coaching is included in this. Why did it take a year to hire a guy like Berhalter when Julen Lopetegui, the former Spain coach who expressed interest in the job, didn’t even get an interview? I don’t know much about (Gregg) Berhalter’s system, but it seems there are clear problems with it.

Overall, there’s just a cultural ignorance in the program. Spain, Germany, France all recognized their shortcomings in their programs, and turned it around quickly for some international success. The USMNT is stuck in the past. There’s no urgency or plan, just a sense of everything will fix itself. If they want international success, they need to do some soul searching and realize they need some help and try not to do everything themselves.”

When I asked him how he felt about the sacking of Klinsmann and subsequent re-hiring of former head coach Bruce Arena (who has since been sacked in favor of Berhalter):

“Odd. They were desperate for a quick fix and went with something they were familiar with. Obviously that ended in disaster. I would have (kept Klinsmann), yeah. He may have taken them as far as he could as manager, but you can’t just get rid of a soccer mind like that completely.”

Jesse and I seem to agree that the problems facing the USA are multi-faceted, and it all does indeed appear to stem from a lack of leadership at the top levels of the federation. Poor leadership decisions have exacerbated an already bad situation.

It’s really a perfect storm of a situation from the perspective of a manager or coach. You have to compete with the other bigger American sports for talent, and most of the best athletes go to other sports. The talent you do get is not developed properly in the MLS due to it being a crappy league, and the US federation is maddeningly encouraging young American players to stay in the MLS. To make things worse, having three different managers in a year leaves players confused about how they’re supposed to play, and old habits can be hard to break.

Chelsea winger/forward Christian Pulisic is the future of US soccer and must be treated as such. He is the only bona-fide star currently in this men’s side. Stalwarts like Donovan and Dempsey have retired, and while Bradley is still playing he is on the wrong side of 30. If the Americans can somehow figure out a way to put some additional talent in around Pulisic, they could return to form again. How they go about doing all of that though will remain to be seen. The MLS isn’t getting better any time soon, so more American players must be sent to Europe to ply their trade.

It’s my opinion that Berhalter must be given a chance to set up and coach the team in the way that he wants to. Whether he was the best available candidate is obviously up for debate, but for better or worse he’s been appointed and he is who the players have to work with now. He has to deal with the remains of the systems implemented by Arena and Klinsmann, and he won’t be able to fix the problems overnight. To be clear, I do not know if Berhalter can produce some magic formula that fixes everything, but he at least deserves the opportunity to try things his own way. US Soccer has to back him by constructively helping develop the talent required to take down the likes of France, Brazil, Argentina, England, and Germany.

None of this will happen instantly, but getting some good results in the Gold Cup will at least stabilize the waters around the US ship and possibly inspire some hope for the future. As an England supporter I honestly do hope they sort it all out soon. Tournaments like the World Cup tend to be more entertaining when the Americans play in them.