Premier League: The Worst Loss in Manchester United History

This is going to be short because frankly I’m disgusted. United lost 7-0 today to Liverpool at Anfield. Only 1-0 at halftime, but as soon as the second goal went in just after half time the floodgates opened and United got shellacked. Complacency and a total lack of urgency did us in. It was the worst game I’ve seen Casemiro play in a United shirt, along with a complete lack of tactical discipline by the back four. I turned this match off once it was 4-0, and I am happy I did. Goals scored by Cody Gakpo, Mohamad Salah, Darwin Núñez, and Roberto Firmino.

United are now decidedly out of the title race. It was a long shot anyway, but there’s no chance now. This is a hugely humbling experience for this squad and it shows that there is still work to be done, despite the massive improvement under manager Erik ten Hag this season. Liverpool were simply better for most of the game, with United completely capitulating as the second half wore on. Very poor. United have only lost 7-0 in the top flight once before, and it was in 1931!

The only thing to do after a match like this is get up off the turf, dust yourself off, and get ready for the next one. I expect a response from this team in the next match against Real Betis in the Europa League on Wednesday. It sucks that it was the Scousers who beat us like this, but perhaps a severe humbling is exactly what we needed. ETH demands accountability from his players, and he was given plenty to work with today.

United remain third in the Prem table even with this loss, with a four point lead over Tottenham with a game in hand. A terrible result today, but as long as the damage is limited to this one result, the Red Devils will be alright.

World Cup Quarterfinals: Match Previews (Day 1)

FIFA are a disgrace and Qatar’s government is repressive and cruel.

I’ve had 2-3 requests for match previews, and now that there are fewer matches to write about it’s become more feasible to do them. Simply too many matches before now! But yes, it’s quarterfinals time and this is very much the business end of the tournament. Bad teams do not make it this far, and every team is here for a reason. Some thoughts and predictions on Friday’s matches!

Brazil vs. Croatia – Friday Dec. 9th 7 AM PST

This is an intriguing matchup for a number of reasons, as 5-time winners Brazil take on 2018 runners-up Croatia. Brazil are probably the team’s best tournament so far, scoring goals for fun up front while being incredibly stout at the back. The third goal they scored against South Korea in their Round of 16 match was nothing short of sublime. It’s insane that striker Richarlison has been a part of two very good candidates for goal of the tournament. Despite a loss to Cameroon in the group stage, Brazil look very strong right now. They have talent by the truckload in the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Casemiro, and Thiago Silva. Their manager Tite has built them on defense and slowly loosened the reigns on his attackers as the tournament has gone on. But the horses have been allowed to run freely now, and they should continue doing so. As long as they keep their team mentality positive, they should win this match.

That being said, Croatia will not be as easy to dispatch as South Korea was. They boast a very talented and experienced midfield, and as shown in the Round of 16 against Japan, they can conjure up a goal out of absolutely nothing. Croatia’s chances in this match will largely be dictated by how their midfielders – Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic, and Ivan Perisic – all play. Modric in particular will be the one with the team on his shoulders, like he usually do. He is Mr. Croatia and despite his age he will leave everything he can on the pitch for them. If that midfield is allowed time on the ball they have the talent and experience to create chances. A concern for the Croatians is the lack of a dominant center forward. They have not scored many goals this tournament, and the form of the strikers is the main reason why. Brazil can score at will, and I do not know if the Croatians will be able to keep up.

Prediction: Brazil 3-1 Croatia

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

This matchup is going to be terrific, in my opinion. We have two of the traditional major powerhouses if world football pitted against one another, and it just so happens to feature probably the greatest player of all time. It’s also probably the closest one we have to a toss-up in terms of a winner.

All eyes will be on Lionel Messi both at home and worldwide as he leads his team against a well-coached and sneakily-talented Dutch side. Messi is probably at his last World Cup, and there is no way he is going to want to go home in the quarterfinals. He will need to be accounted for every time the Argentines have the ball within 40 yards of the Dutch goal. He scored against Australia in the Round of 16 and it would be unwise to bet against him doing so again. That said, Messi is not the entirety of this team. Argentina made it to the final in 2014 using the tactics of “defense + Messi”, and that defensive prowess has once again resurfaced. The Argentines, led by Nicolas Otamendi and Lisandro Martinez, are extremely physical in defense and will be tough to break down. I also like that Messi has slightly more help in attack and midfield in this tournament talent-wise. The concern is their tactics and team spirit should they start losing. They could be doing everything right in attack except for scoring, but as soon as they go down 1-0 they seem to forget what works for them and they try to play it through their midfield, which isn’t their strong suit.

The Dutch on the other hand are a very curious team. Ahead of schedule, perhaps? I am very familiar with their manager Louis Van Gaal as he used to manage Manchester United, and while his style of play did not usually provide for the most entertaining football, he did win us the FA Cup in 2016. His style at the club level is different from the national team level, though. For the Dutch, he tailors his team selection and tactics to the opposition, as it were. He set up his team to play possession and passing in the group stage, but then against the Americans he sat his men back and let the Americans have the ball, knowing they wouldn’t be able to break them down. The Dutch hit the Americans on the counter for their first goal just 10 minutes in and never looked back. They also used their wingbacks Daley Blind and Denzel Dumfries to great effect. They also have the in-form (and highly sought-after) striker Cody Gakpo up front, with winger/forward Memphis Depay usually up alongside him in support. Factor in center back Virgil Van Dijk, and it becomes clear that the Dutch have more than enough talent to beat Argentina. It will be interesting to see what tricks Van Gaal has up his sleeve to try and neutralize – or at least minimize – the threat of Messi.

Prediction: Netherlands 2-2 Argentina, Dutch advance on penalties

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.