Champions League Final: Manchester City Outlast Inter Milan to Win the European Cup and the Treble

The biggest match in club football each season was played earlier today at Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, and it featured English champions Manchester City versus Italian giants Internazionale Milan. All of the intrigue pre-match was focused on manager Pep Guardiola and City, as they had an opportunity to do something done only once before in English football – winning the Treble (Premier League, FA Cup, and CL/European Cup). City have come agonizingly close to winning Europe’s biggest competition in previous seasons, only to fall short in the final or semifinals. Inter and manager Simone Inzaghi for their part were looking to play spoiler and bring home their first European Cup since 2010. City were heavy favorites coming into the match given how well they have played this season, but there was a bit of a head-scratcher pre-match when Guardiola elected to tinker with his line-up and switch to a back-3 in defense instead of the usual back-4. Guardiola has a reputation for trying to out-think his opponents in final matches, and it has bitten him in the behind before.

It was warm and humid in Istanbul at kick off, and the teams spent the first few minutes feeling each other out. City winger Bernardo Silva had a good chance 8 minutes in when he dribbled into space in the box and lashed a shot wide of the far post. Inter’s defense solidified a bit after that, and City found it hard to create good chances. They didn’t get their next real opportunity until just past the 30 minute mark, when all-world striker Erling Haaland turned his defender and got a shot on goal. The angle was tight however, and Inter keeper André Onana was able to parry it away with his leg. Inter were getting the ball forward decently well themselves, but there was a lack of sharpness from them on the final pass. Too often they were shooting from distance instead of passing.

City were dealt a blow on 36 minutes when star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne was forced off through injury, and a lot of the action stopped too due to his substitution. It was unfortunate for him and a big loss for City, as there are times when de Bruyne is unplayable in the middle of the park. Was this their curse rearing it’s ugly head again? De Bruyne was replaced by midfielder/winger Phil Foden without further tactical adjustment from Guardiola. There weren’t many goal-mouth chances after that though, and it was 0-0 at halftime. Inzaghi was likely the happier of the two managers at the break, as his back-3 defenders Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni had all done very well.

The second half started similar to the first – lots of possession in midfield for both sides but few chances created. Inter striker Lautaro Martinez was put through on goal by a wayward City back-pass, but City keeper Ederson was able to cover and clear the danger. City began another push for a goal shortly after that error though, and they were rewarded for their endeavors on 68 minutes. Center back Manuel Akanji brought the ball towards the edge of the box before slipping a pass through to Silva, although the angle of the ball took him wide to the right of the goal. He hit a cut-back cross towards the middle, but it hit an Inter defender and bounced into space inside the box. City’s defensive midfielder Rodri was on hand to pounce on it, and he side-footed a shot through the bodies in front of him. It was hit low and with a bit of power, and it settled neatly into the corner of the Inter net. Onana had no chance, and City celebrated wildly. The big Spaniard Rodri is not a goal-scorer normally, but he showed great technique with his finish from about 16 yards out.

Inter almost got an immediate response on 71 minutes when wingback Federico Dimarco saw his header hit the cross bar. It bounced right back to him after that, but his second attempt at a header was accidently blocked by substitute Inter striker Romelu Lukaku. Incredibly bad luck for the two of them there. Foden then almost sealed the trophy a few minutes after that with a lovely turn on the edge of the area that put him through on goal. His shot was a little rushed though and he didn’t get power or placement on it, and Onana was able to make a cat-like save down low. Milan then got another brilliant chance for an equalizer, only for the headed effort from Lukaku to be miraculously saved by Ederson from a scant five yards out. Replays showed that this was again nothing but dumb luck for City. Ederson completely missed the ball with his hands, but his left leg just so happened to be in the way and the ball went out for a corner. How it didn’t go in for Lukaku, I will never know.

Ederson was required to make one final save from a header after a corner deep into stoppage time, but that was the final action of the match. The whistle blew after 5+ minutes of stoppage time and City won their first European Cup in their history. They were probably the better team on the day, so from a pure footballing standpoint no one claim that they stole it or got outplayed. Congratulations to the individual players, particularly their English ones (Foden, winger Jack Grealish, and center back John Stones). The fact that they can lose a player like de Bruyne in the first half and not really miss him shows just how loaded with talent this team is.

But how did they accumulate all this talent? How did City assemble such a dominant roster? Well they have a ton of money for one, as they are owned by the government of Kuwait, a small but oil-rich nation in the Middle East. They have spent billions of pounds on this team, and the European Cup is the biggest reward possible for that investment. Many big clubs in England and across Europe have a ton of money though, so it’s not really their financial value I take issue with.

For me, there will always be an asterisk next to this trophy and every other trophy won by this current iteration of Manchester City. They are currently under investigation by the English FA and UEFA for 115 separate violations of the Financial Fair Play laws, meaning that it’s possible (even likely) they broke numerous rules on buying and paying their various players. No one dressed in sky blue will care about that today, but it is something worth considering for the neutral. The Premier League must punish City for these violations, otherwise it sends the message that whoever has the most money is going to win the big trophies. That might be fine for other sports, but such blatant rule violations from a nation-state backed club are an affront to the traditions of the game. However, City are just as good in the legal department as they are on the pitch. They have an army of lawyers that will fight these charges and allegations, and it’s possible that they may get away with committing these violations unpenalized. The various governing bodies of European football really need to look at their Financial Fair Play rules and actually enforce them with points deductions and the taking away of trophies if they want to prevent this sort of thing from happening. They can’t just fine a club and expect behavior to change. Issuing a fine to a club like City is laughable. They’ll just pay it and then carry on doing what they were doing!

So not a classic match in terms of drama, but still a decent game of football to end the season on. Inter fought until the bitter end. Credit to Guardiola and his players, but that is where the credit stops. And no matter how many Trebles City win, Manchester United will always be the first one to do it. We also did it without the backing of an oil state, and mostly with academy players!

FA Cup Final: United’s Good Season Ends on a Sour Note

The whole of Manchester travelled south to London earlier today for the FA Cup Final, featuring Manchester City vs. Manchester United. Despite the long and storied history of the Manchester Derby, there has never been one in an FA Cup Final before today. City and manager Pep Guardiola are the precipice of winning the the Treble, while this match was United’s final one of the season and their last chance to win silverware. The atmosphere inside a packed and sun-drenched Wembley Stadium was jubilant and boisterous in the run-up to kick off. United were not playing at full strength going into this match, thanks to the injury absences of striker Anthony Martial and winger Antony dos Santos. Both of them would have started this match had they been fit.

Unfortunately for the Red Devils, they were behind just 12 seconds into the match after an exquisite finish from City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan. A long ball was played forward and won on the edge of the box by midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, and no one was covering Gündoğan as it fell right to him. It was a great finish of course and United keeper David De Gea had no chance at it, but it was a soft goal to concede that was really down to poor marking in the United midfield. With this goal, Gündoğan set a record for the fastest goal in the FA Cup Final and it put United under serious pressure immediately. Whatever Plan A was for the Red Devils, it was now out the window.

However, the lads did well to weather the storm. There was a serious danger of us collapsing having conceded so early, but the back-4 stuck to the task and held United together while the midfield and forwards sorted themselves out. United got an earned equalizer on 33 minutes from the penalty spot, after City winger Jack Grealish was adjudged to have used his hand in an attempt to clear a cross in the penalty area. The handball rule has serious flaws to it, but it was indeed a handball as the rule is currently written. Grealish had his hand over his head and the ball struck it. A discussion needs to be had in the close season about the how to re-word the rule, but this was indeed a penalty per the current letter of the law. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes stepped up to the spot and sent City keeper Stefan Ortega the wrong way for 1-1. Great fightback by United to get an equalizer, and it was all square going into half time.

City went ahead again however on 51 minutes, and this goal was probably even softer than the first one. City had a corner and the ball was whipped in by De Bruyne, who had spotted Gündoğan unmarked on the edge of the area. De Bruyne expertly put it on his left foot, and Gündoğan hit it first time on the volley from the edge of the area. It went through a sea of bodies in the box and nestled into the lower left corner of the goal. De Gea could have gotten over to it a bit quicker, but as to why Gündoğan was left unmarked at the edge of the box I will never know. Very poor defending, and City punished United for it.

City came close to getting a third a few times including having a goal waived off for offside, but United had a few chances of their own as the second half wore on. Substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho went close after some neat dribbling in the box, only to see his shot go just wide of the far post. Midfielder Scott McTominay also almost netted an equalizer in stoppage time during a goal-mouth scramble, but the City defense did just enough to put the ball out over the crossbar. The final whistle eventually blew and Manchester City won the FA Cup.

What’s most annoying about this result is that United had their chances to win, they just didn’t execute as well as City in the final third and conceded two soft goals. Had City come out and flattened us it would have been hard to complain about the result, but this one is agonizing due to the fact that United could have easily won it. City did not play up to their standards today, but they still won due to being clinical at the right times. The case could be made that the referee did not do much to help United with several questionable calls, but that doesn’t change the fact that United weren’t good enough going forward. Maybe a full strength side gets a different result today, but we’ll never know.

Still though, United had a very good first season under manager Erik ten Hag and this result does not spoil the progress made. They are still League Cup winners and will be playing in the Champions League next season. No one dressed in red should feel too bad about how the season has gone overall. However, United’s ownership cannot stall now. This club needs investment, and it needs it badly. It’s not just about buying new players, either. The Glazer family as owners must stop extracting funds from the club to line their own pockets and instead reinvest the profits into the club’s infrastructure. City have benefited from over a billion pounds of investment from their Kuwaiti owners in the last few years, and they are winning trophy after trophy as a result. United can do that too with less greedy owners. The club’s most urgent needs right now are a striker, a second option at goalkeeper, and ball-carrying midfielder.

It will be interesting to see what happens this summer for United, particularly for the long-tenured De Gea, center back Harry Maguire, McTominay, and midfielder Fred. We need to remove some of the hefty wages from our wage bill, and some hard decisions will indeed be made in the coming weeks. I trust ETH to make the right decisions in terms of continuing the rebuild, but I do not trust our ownership to back him in the way that he needs. The sooner this club is sold, the better. More on that in a separate post down the road. I will also cover the Champions League Final next Saturday, and I will be supporting Inter Milan.

For the last time this club season: GLAZERS OUT!

Euro Qualifier: England Earn a Massive Result in Italy

The Three Lions of England kicked off their qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 earlier today when they travelled to Naples, Italy for a match with the reigning European Champions at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. These two nations are easily the two best ones in Group C, so this match was a massive one as the winner would firmly be in the driver’s seat to win the group. England manager Gareth Southgate selected a similar team from England’s last match at World Cup 2022, which raised some eyebrows from the pundits. It could be argued that Italy and manager Roberto Mancini were under more pressure to get a good result today, given that they were at home and (rather hilariously) failed to qualify for last fall’s World Cup.

While Italy created the first two half-chances from set pieces in the opening minutes, it was England who were in the ascendancy for the majority of the first half. Midfielder Jude Bellingham tested Italy keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from distance after an excellent run, but the big keeper was able to palm the shot over his crossbar. England won a corner a few minutes later though, and they found themselves ahead thanks to a scrambled finish from midfielder Declan Rice on 13 minutes. Winger/forward Bukayo Saka played a high and looping cross towards the back post, which was controlled well by striker Harry Kane. Kane got a shot away, but it was blocked by the Italian defense only for it to rebound straight to Rice. Rice took a touch to steady the ball, but then showed good instincts to knock it into the goal from about 6-7 yards out. Well done to England for converting a set piece, but Italy were at sixes and sevens. They had three men covering England center back Harry Maguire, and as a result their defenders were out of position when the rebound fell to Rice. Maguire is a big threat in the air, but it’s farcical to use three men to mark him when Kane is also in the box. Poor marking, but England were nevertheless up 1-0 and good value for their lead.

As noted, England had a ton of possession in the first half, and they could have had a second goal if not for a poor decision made by England midfielder Kalvin Phillips. Italy gave the ball away in a bad position straight to Phillips, but Phillips elected to shoot from distance. The shot was powerful but it went wide, and he probably should have opted to play in Kane on a run just ahead of him. If he played the ball in to Kane, Kane likely scores.

Kane did get the opportunity to write his name in the history books when England were awarded a penalty on 44 minutes. Another corner from Saka hit an Italian defender’s arm as it was played towards the back post. Initially the referee only gave a corner, but VAR was consulted and Serbian referee Srđan Jovanović pointed to the spot. After a slight delay, Kane stepped up and calmly put the ball into the right side of the goal. This goal was historic because it meant that Kane is now England’s all-time leading scorer, having surpassed former England forward Wayne Rooney. More on Kane below, but England were 2-0 up and looked to be in cruise control. They really should have had 3 just before halftime though, when Kane found winger Jack Grealish with a low cross. Grealish was only about 5 yards out and in acres of space to shoot with Donnarumma out of position, but he shanked the ball wide of the far post. He really should have scored! But if you told me England would be 2-0 up against the Italians in Italy at half time, I would have happily taken it.

The second half was much different though. I am not sure what Mancini said to his men in the locker room, but clearly it had great effect as the Italians were suddenly filled with energy. While England had been bossing the midfield and winning all the second balls in the first half, that very much switched to the Azzuri in the second. While England defended fairly well for the first 10 minutes or so of the second half, the Italians pulled them apart on 56 minutes to tally a response. Italy had the ball in the final third and it was at the feet of midfielder Nicolò Barella. Maguire stepped up to challenge Barella, but his tackle was poorly timed and Barella was able to get a pass to attacking midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini just outside the box. Striker (and debutante) Mateo Retegui had slipped himself in behind Maguire in space, and Pellegrini found him with a sublime reverse pass through the legs of Rice. Retegui took a touch to steady the ball and fired home with a splendid shot high into the opposite corner from 12 yards out. The whole goal was the result of Maguire being out of position and England losing the ball in midfield as well. Rice could have done better to intercept the pass as well, but credit to the Italians for taking advantage of England’s sloppy passage of play.

The final 30 minutes and stoppage time of this match were nervy ones for both sets of supporters in the stadium. The Italians continued their dominance, with England struggling to get out of their own half. Every time England cleared the ball up the pitch, it came right back at them. Southgate needed to change things, but he seemed content to leave his original 11 on while Mancini was rolling the dice with subs like he was at a craps table. Italian substitute winger Wilfried Gnoto was a particularly troublesome threat for England. His bouncing cross into the area on 77 minutes was inches away from meeting the head of a fellow attacker, and he was constantly making runs at England right back Kyle Walker.

Things really kicked off just moments after that though, when it appeared that an Italian defender handled the ball in his own box while under pressure from Kane. This time there wasn’t even a stoppage or a VAR review though, so Italy got the ball back up the pitch quickly. They were in a very promising position in their attacking third when England left back Luke Shaw delivered a challenge on Retegui. Jovanović stopped play to award a foul, and was immediately surrounded by both sets of players. Jovanović had been having trouble maintaining control of the match in the second half, with several questionable calls against England (and probably against Italy too). England were furious that VAR hadn’t stopped play to check the handball, while the Italians were screaming for Shaw to be booked and thus sent off. Shaw had been booked just minutes earlier for time wasting, but that was one of the aforementioned questionable decisions by Jovanović. After a what was almost 30 seconds of indecision, Jovanović did indeed show Shaw a second yellow and sent him off. England would have to play the final 10 minutes and stoppage time with ten men. Southgate sent on left back Kieran Trippier to replace show, replacing winger Phil Foden who had just come on about five minutes before that.

England defended the ensuing free kick well, and Southgate quickly sent on further defensive reinforcements with the introductions of right back Reece James and midfielder Conor Gallagher. It must be said that even though they were down to ten men, England somehow improved in the final moments of the match. They were getting blocks and tackles in, and Kane had started winning the ball high up the pitch again. They didn’t create any scoring chances, but they didn’t need to. They just needed to win throw-ins and fouls as often as possible, because each one would take precious time off the clock. After a less-than-expected five minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle went and England were victorious on Italian soil for the first time since 1961!

So while it was a game of two halves in which England nearly choked it away, the most important thing is that they held on to win. England under Southgate have a history of scoring first in big games, only to choke away a victory later on. They did that against these very same Italians in the summer of 2021 at Wembley when they lost in the Euros final. But that was vitally not what happened today. Despite going down to ten men after some chaotic and one-sided refereeing, they held their effing nerve and didn’t concede again! This team can score goals and they play some beautiful football at times, but they need to learn to be ruthless at the end of big matches. The players showed real grit and determination today, and that is refreshing in a big match such as this one. Interestingly, it could be argued that England should have had this match put away at halftime. If Grealish scores his big chance, it’s 3-0 to England the second half is very different. Credit to the players, and credit to Southgate for making the right subs.

Special commendations to one Mr. Harry Kane. As mentioned above, the 29 year-old Tottenham Hotspur striker became England’s all-time leading goal scorer with his spot-kick goal today! He now has 54 England goals to his name, and he is far from being done. While it’s true that his trophy cabinet is a little on the empty side, there is no questioning his dominance as a center forward. The statistics speak for themselves – Kane is the best pure goal-scorer to ever put on an England shirt. Not only does he have the record for most goals scored, he also has the record for most goals scored in competitive matches. He scores important goals. He came close to breaking the record last fall against France in that now-infamous quarterfinal, but he missed his penalty over the bar. Finessing it past Donnarumma today was a bit of redemption, though. A big penalty scored with relative ease in a very important match. He will look to extend his record over this qualifying campaign and help England qualify for Germany in 2024.

England will fly home after this match and prepare for their next qualifier against Ukraine at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. This was a fantastic start to the 2024 qualifying campaign, and Ukraine will provide another tough test. They are probably the 3rd-best team in Group C talent-wise, and the players will want to give their war-torn home nation something to be happy about. Shaw will be unavailable for selection due to a red card suspension, but that’s actually fine by me. Shaw has played for Manchester United a lot this season, and he needs some mandated rest.

Three Lions on the Shirts!

Premier League: Manchester is RED!

Manchester United played host to cross-town rivals Manchester City earlier today at Old Trafford, in a tie that is referred to by many as the Manchester Derby. This matchup is always fiercely contested and full of drama, with today being no exception. United and manager Erik ten Hag were looking for a bit of vengeance after City shellacked them 6-3 earlier this season. City, led by manager Pep Guardiola and all-world striker Erling Haaland, were looking to gain ground on league leaders Arsenal. Given City’s budget and resources, they are expected to challenge for the title every season. They were of course second in the Prem going into the match, while United were level on points with Newcastle in 3rd. As usual, this was a very high-stakes match for both sides.

The opening 45 minutes were fairly open in terms of chances created, and although neither team recorded a goal in the first half, United looked more likely to score. Attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes saw his shot from a tight angle go just wide of City keeper Ederson’s far post on 10 minutes. Striker Marcus Rashford was also causing problems for City down the left hand side of the wing, and he was through on goal around the half hour mark only to see his shot smothered by the onrushing Ederson. There were several other decent-to-good chances created by United, only for the City defense to clear the ball at the last second. City’s closest effort of the half came just before via halftime when a swerving, long-range effort from right back Kyle Walker flew just wide of keeper David De Gea’s post. While United did well to keep City from registering a shot on target in the first half, there was some concern about them finishing their own chances.

City looked to take advantage of United’s lack of finishing in the early part of the second half. Guardiola’s men were growing into the game and finally establishing some possession. Substitute winger/forward Jack Grealish was brought on around 57 minutes, and he made an immediate impact with the opening goal of the game right on the hour mark. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne took advantage of a gap in the defense and ran into the United penalty area. He reached the end line and squeezed an aerial cross in just before the ball went out. The United back line failed to pick up Grealish’s run towards the goal and he headed home the cross past De Gea from close range for 1-0. A good goal, but De Bruyne never should have been allowed to run into the box. You can’t let a dangerous player such as him get into that position, because he’ll either punish you himself or more likely he’ll find the perfect pass for a shooting chance. Poor defending, but City took advantage while United (up until that point) had not done so.

It wouldn’t be the Manchester Derby without a bit of controversy, and we got a more than generous portion of it on our plates when United equalized on 78 minutes via Bruno. United had responded well to going down by re-asserting themselves in the attacking third and establishing more possession, but this was their most dangerous move up to that point. The ball was played over the top of the defense by midfielder Casemiro towards Rashford. Rashford was in an offside position when the ball was played to him, but he cleverly did not touch the ball while running onto it. The City defense had largely stopped playing, assuming the linesman’s offside flag was going to go up. It did not however, and Rashford left the ball for Bruno who lifted it over Ederson and into the goal from about 20 yards out. A great finish from Bruno, but the offside flag had been raised once the ball went in. Bruno, Rashford, and roughly half the United team ran over to remonstrate with the linesman, and eventually referee Stuart Atwell went over and consulted with his linesman as well. After a discussion, the goal was awarded and United were level! More on this goal below.

City were clearly mentally shook by the goal, and the Red Devils smelled blood in the water. It took them only four minutes to get the second goal. United recovered the ball in their own half, with Bruno then playing a difficult reverse pass out to the left wing and into the feet of substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho ran forward and into the left side of the City penalty area. He attempted an aerial cross towards the goal, but it was blocked and bounced right back to him. He twisted around a bit and this time got in a lower cross with his left foot, which seemed to take the City defense by surprise. His low cross found Rashford in front of the goal, and he stabbed it home under Ederson from about 3 yards out. A big lapse in concentration from City’s center backs, there. Garnacho did well to lose his marker and get the cross in, but the marking from City was almost non-existent. Rashford is in the best form of his career right now, and he was never going to miss from there.

It was a tense final 12-13 minutes or so, but United held on and won 2-1! A huge, huge victory for us and a big message from ETH to the footballing world. His tactics and team selection were spot-on today, and he must be given all the credit in the world for the job he’s done in turning this club around. He has empowered his players to be at their best while still holding them accountable if they don’t play up to the standard he’s set for them. It’s insanely difficult to walk that fine line, but he’s done it masterfully. Fantastic matches from Bruno, Rashford, Casemiro, midfielder Fred, and center back Luke Shaw, but I also want to highlight the contributions of right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. His poor form and low confidence last season led many to believe his United career would soon be ending, but he played exceptionally well today and in the past few matches. He’s always been known to be a good tackler of the ball, but it was his attacking contributions today that need extra praise. His mazy run on 66 minutes where he went around three City players galvanized the team and the fans in the stadium! Can’t understate the importance of his play today.

As for the first goal, a close examination and reading of Law 11 must be done. Law 11, which is one of the Football Association’s Laws of the Game, dictates the rules surrounding offsides. I won’t write the whole law out because it’s long and boring, but the argument here centers on whether or not Rashford “interfered” with a City player’s ability to play the ball when he ran onto Casemiro’s pass. Replays showed he did not touch the ball, but he was running right behind it for about 3-4 yards before he left it for Bruno to finish. The eye test suggests that Rashford was “interfering” with the ball by being so close to it, but the letter of the law seems to clash with what most would consider to be “interference”. Rashford did not touch the ball, did not block off any defenders, nor did he impede Ederson from running out to make a save. City’s defense had largely stopped on their own because they thought offside would be called, which is an unprofessional move. In every sport, you play until the whistle! Had they made a better attempt to get to the ball, offside against Rashford probably would have been called. The argument could be made that the law needs to be re-written to address the subjectiveness of what is “interfering” and what isn’t, but there was no offside with how the rule is currently written. Lastly, had City played better over the course of the match and scored more than one goal, this alleged offside is a non-issue.

United are now in sole possession of 3rd in the Premier League table, just one point behind City in 2nd. Don’t look now, but United are also just 5 points back of league leaders Arsenal. For the first time in a long time, I can confidently say that United are in the title race! It’s only January so there’s a ways to go still, but I am more than happy with where the club is competitively right now. They just took on the best striker in the world in Haaland and didn’t let him have a single sniff of the goal. We are playing with a confidence and desire not seen since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson. After several seasons of inconsistency, I am finding joy in being a United supporter again.

The lads should celebrate tonight, but as of tomorrow the focus needs to be back. Next match is a trip to London on Wednesday for another Premier League clash with Crystal Palace. Three points are needed (and expected) due to having to play league leaders Arsenal away in the next match.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

World Cup Quarterfinals – Morocco Make History, France and Their Referee Progress

This post is dedicated to American soccer journalist Grant Wahl and Qatari photojournalist Khalid Al-Misslam. Both of them died in Qatar recently and very suddenly. Wahl was (rightfully) a vocal critic of Qatar’s government and a very well-respected sports journalist. The causes of death for each of these gentlemen are unknown, but any time a journalist dies in a repressive country like Qatar, the death needs to be fully investigated. It’s unknown if foul play was involved or not as their causes of death have not been released, but there is always that suspicion when a public critic of a country unexpectedly dies while in that country. Also, whatever Qatar or FIFA says about his death should probably be met with a high degree of scrutiny.

Portugal vs. Morocco

Morocco made history last Saturday when they beat Portugal 1-0 and became the first African team to progress to the semifinals of the World Cup! Huge result for them, and it cannot be understated just how important that victory is for African football. Their style of play is not pretty and it has attracted plenty of criticism, although most of that is coming from the players of teams they have already beaten. It doesn’t matter what tactics a team uses to win though, so long as they’re legal. And of course, there’s nothing improper about parking the bus!

Striker Yousseff En-Nesyri got the only goal on 42 minutes, after he got his head to a lovely cross from left back Yahia Attiat-Allah. He beat Portuguese keeper Diogo Costa to the ball, and his downward header bounced over the line and back up into the roof of the net. The fans in the stadium were overwhelmingly in support of Morocco, and the crowd erupted into pandemonium once the ball went in. The Moroccan defense, marshalled by defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, then did their now-customary job of holding firm while waves of Portuguese attacks crashed against their defense for the entirety of the second half.

Despite going down to 10 men in stoppage time, the Moroccans held firm and were the winners at the final whistle. Well done to them all. They’ve now scalped Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. The Iberians for their part were not direct enough in this match. They had all the possession of course, but that possession was not purposeful enough. It’s going to take something special to breach this incredibly stout Moroccan defense, and Portugal lacked the creativity to find a goal. The north Africans shut down in-form striker Gonçalo Ramos, and striker Cristiano Ronaldo was once again ineffective. Ronaldo has not officially retired from Portugal now that his team is out, but this was surely his last chance to win it. I would almost be sad if he wasn’t so egotistical.

Well done Morocco! All of Africa, the Middle East, and this author will be supporting you going forward!

England vs. France

Alright, let’s get this post-mortem examination over with. England were the better team for the majority of the match. Simple as. France had a good spell to open the game, but England grew into possession and were the more dangerous team as the match went on.

France’s opening goal was a quality strike from distance by defensive midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, but the goal is tainted by the fact that Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio missed an obvious foul on England winger Bukayo Saka in the build-up to the goal. France wouldn’t have been on the ball in the first place had the foul been properly called! Not making excuses for England’s defending after the missed foul and it was indeed a wonder strike from Tchouaméni, but it never should have counted in the first place. Simple as.

England got back into the match just after halftime when Saka was fouled (again) in the box by Tchouaméni, and this time Sampaio remembered he had a whistle. He blew for an obvious penalty, and striker Harry Kane stepped up to the spot. After a long-ish delay he dispatched the penalty with authority by sending France keeper Hugo Lloris the wrong way. Kane is now tied with Wayne Rooney as England’s all-time leading scorer!

The match continued in back and forth fashion, with Sampaio missing fouls on England players left and right. England were trying to play the game, while France was content just to foul our lads every time they got close. Sampaio was enabling this tactic by not calling fouls. He called yellow-card worthy fouls on occasion, but then failed to apply the appropriate punishment. He was mostly awful for England the whole match.

The Frogs forged themselves ahead again on 76 minutes unfortunately, and it was from a strong header by striker Olivier Giroud. The big man was allowed to steal into a good position by the England defense, and he headed home from close range. England keeper Jordan Pickford had no chance to get to it. England’s defense let them down on this goal, but it was the only legitimate goal France scored in this match. Giroud is damn near unplayable in the box sometimes, so every effort must be made to stop the cross from coming in the first place.

England had a golden chance to go level again in the 80th minute or so when substitute midfielder Mason Mount won England yet another penalty. He was ran into by French fullback Theo Hernandez while attempting to get on the end of a cross. Sampaio didn’t indicate a penalty right away though. VAR had to intervene and send him over to the monitor to check again. He did award the penalty after VAR got involved, but he wouldn’t have otherwise. It was as clear a penalty as the first one he awarded, so where’s the consistency?

Unfortunately, Kane skied the penalty over the bar and he joins the numerous ranks of England players who have missed key penalties at the World Cup. I was devastated for him. He had done so well in this match and England overall had played well, but it was still a missed pen. Kane doesn’t need me to tell him he has to put those away. He knows. England did not get another chance as good as that one, despite forward Marcus Rashford blazing just over the bar from a free kick in the dying seconds. The final whistle blew and all twelve (lol) French players on the pitch were elated.

Whenever England go out of a major tournament, there’s always a grand inquiry as to why. Was it the players? Manager Gareth Southgate? Some other crappy reason? Well, this time it’s especially maddening to try and figure that out because England didn’t do a whole lot wrong in this game. France were good in spells, but their defense is suspect and really only scored one valid goal in the whole match. Now it’s true that Kane needs to be burying his penalties and there’s no getting around that, but aside from that there isn’t much more England could have done here. Maybe Southgate should have gotten midfielder/winger Jack Grealish on earlier, but on the other hand his substitute Mount had won the penalty earlier. Can’t really blame England were attacking, playing with purpose, frustrating star forward Kylian Mbappe, and they almost nicked a result despite being hacked to death by the French. Southgate had them doing what every England fan wanted them to do!

The wait for another World Cup goes on. It’ll be 60 years without one come 2026. It is insanely difficult to be an optimist about this team, but we will still be very good in four years. We have a lot of players in their early 20s who got experience at this World Cup, and most of them will be at Euro 2024 as well. I didn’t expect to be saying this pre-tournament, but I want Southgate to stick around as well. What he may lack in tactical prowess he makes up for in facilitating team chemistry and a positive environment. He understands that the players’ collective mentality is of vital importance at a major tournament, and he has created an environment where England players look forward to playing for their country instead of worrying about being vilified. More relaxed players equals better football, as it were.

Speaking of, very happy to see a majority of England fans not vilifying Kane after he missed his penalty. Our lads took a beating from “fans” on social media after Euro 2021, but I am happy that has not been repeated. You can’t expect our most talented players to want to play for the national side if they’re going to be roasted and lampooned by the traditional media and social media should they lose. We have to support them, and when they play as well as they did, it’s a lot easier to do so. I do hope though that Sampaio stubs his toe rather hard in the coming weeks and that it hurts him way longer than it should.

Three Lions on the Shirts!

Semifinals – Morocco vs. France – Wednesday December 14th 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.

England Hold Ze Germans to a Draw in Munich

The series of glorified friendlies known as the UEFA Nations League continued today, with the Three Lions in hostile territory against a German side that might have been looking for a bit of revenge after England eliminated them from the European Championships last summer. Neither side was really playing at full strength and this match comes at the end of a long and grueling season for players from both nations, so as is usually the case it’s hard to take away much from a match like this one.

Germany were the better side in the first half though, and comfortably. They had two goals ruled out (correctly) for offside, but England’s defense was opened up rather easily several times. England were holding on for dear life at times in the first half, and were lucky to not be down 2-0 or worse. There was just no creativity in attack and no one looked like they had any idea what to do. That pattern is becoming a worrying trend under manager Gareth Southgate.

England were indeed pegged back on 51 minutes thanks to a deflected strike from midfielder Jonas Hoffman. England keeper Jordan Pickford managed to get a hand to the shot and probably should have done better to keep it out, the lion’s share of the blame for the goal has to be put on center-back Harry Maguire. He was drawn out of position when he tried to intercept the ball, and it was simple for the German attacking players to pass the ball to Hoffman who was largely on his own in the box. Maguire usually plays well for England, but it seems his poor club form has finally spilled over to the national side. I still believe he is a top center-back, but he needs to step away from the game (and social media) for about a month or so. He needs to get his head right and fix the mental side of his game desperately.

But credit where credit is due – England grew into the game after that. Substitutes Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish were magnificent as the half progressed. All of a sudden, England had options going forward. Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling, the attacking starters in this match, didn’t really have it today. I think Saka was tired from being played so much this season and Sterling picked up a slight injury early in the game. Both were limited in attack as a result. The final 20-25 minutes or so were good from England in the sense that there was a belief about them. England teams of old would have effectively rolled over and surrendered in a match like this one, but these lads kept pushing and they should be commended for it.

They were rewarded for their efforts in the final 10 minutes when striker Harry Kane was brought down in the box by a German defender. The contact in the box was clear, but VAR was consulted to ensure that Kane was onside before he made his run into the box. Candidly, the decision was marginal but it was upheld in the end. Kane stepped up to the spot and buried a low and powerful shot into the bottom left corner, with German keeper Manuel Neuer sent the wrong way. England were level, and moreover they were good value for their goal. Yes there was a little bit of luck on the penalty decision, but often in football and in life you have to create your own luck to an extent. You have to be in a position to get lucky, and that is exactly what happened today. Congratulations to Kane on his 50th England goal, now only three behind Wayne Rooney’s all-time England record.

Again, it’s hard to take away any future lessons from this match, but I don’t think anyone can complain about a 1-1 given how dominant Ze Germans were in the first half. What is abundantly clear is that the conservative approach from Southgate has to go. He seems to think England’s best defense is passive possession, but many are of the opinion that England are at their best when in attack mode. It’s no mystery why we got better once Bellingham and Grealish came on. Those two players offer talent in attack, while the players they replaced do not. Mason Mount had a below-average season at Chelsea and Kalvin Phillips was injured most of the year for Leeds United, so it’s curious why they even started in the first place. Southgate should get credit for bringing them on, but he also deserves criticism for not having them on from the get-go. Playing conservative cost us against Croatia in 2018 and against Italy last summer, and I think this style of play will ultimately be Southgate’s undoing if England don’t win a trophy soon. Personally, I’d rather lose while really going for it than lose via passive possession.

Speaking of, England fans need to stop being knobheads when they travel abroad. Seven England supporters were arrested by German authorities earlier in the day, and the charges are all related to drunken debauchery. These are the reasons why no one likes England supporters. We show up, drink all the beer, break stuff, and leave. I have no problem with passionate support for a team, but to act like entitled dickheads and to not respect the host nation reeks of arrogance.

England still sit bottom of Group 3 on one point, but a loss today would have really set us back. Still all to play for in the very early stages of this “tournament”. Rematch with Italy on Saturday!

England Cruise to Victory Over Ivory Coast – International Friendly

England played their second of two international friendlies during this break earlier today when they hosted Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) at Wembley. England don’t usually play many African sides, but today they faced a side full of players with Premier League/European top flight experience. Serge Aurier, Eric Bailly (from Manchester United!), Nicolas Pepé, Franck Kessié, and Sebastién Haller are all incredibly talented and play important roles at their clubs. I like seeing unusual match-ups because it’s a good idea to play teams from all around the globe, so England can see different tactical approaches to the game and be ready for anything during a tournament. The Ivorians are ranked much lower in the FIFA world rankings than previous opponent Switzerland, but this could easily be a difficult test for the Three Lions. Manager Gareth Southgate made an array of changes to his starting XI from the Switzerland match, including benching Harry Kane and starting Raheem Sterling, Jude Bellingham, and striker Ollie Watkins. As has been said before on this blog, the name of the game in friendly matches is to figure out all the different ways you can potentially win a match, and what players deserve a shot in the final World Cup squad.

Thankfully, England abandoned the back-3 in defense that did not really work against the Swiss in favor of a traditional back-4. And from the start, England were all over the Ivorians. They were pressing well, forcing the opposition into errors, winning free kicks in dangerous areas, and creating chances to score. Sterling looked particularly lively in his familiar second-striker/attacking midfielder role, and he seemed to be the catalyst behind all attacking play. Bellingham was also in fine form playing on the right side of a midfield-3. His intelligence and creativity both on and off the ball are amazing to watch. He was unfortunate to see a shot deflected onto the post when it seemed almost certain he was going to score after a very clever run into the box. Winger/midfielder Jack Grealish also went close with a low shot at the near post that was barely held onto by Ivorian keeper Ibrahim Sangaré.

England did get the opener however on 30 minutes, thanks again to the creativity of Sterling. A loose forward pass from Grealish was recovered by Sterling in the left channel, after which he dribbled it into the box with the Ivorian defender giving him far too much space to operate in. He spotted Watkins making a run to the back post, and he played a rather simple cross along the ground that none of the defenders or keeper decided to clear. Watkins had a tap-in from 2 yards out and it was 1-0 England. A simple goal in the end thanks to poor defending, but credit to Sterling for his persistence and creativity and a congratulations to Watkins on opening his England scoring account. England deserved the goal for their dominance in the first 20-25 minutes.

Surprisingly, the Ivorians were down to 10 men on 40 minutes after right back Aurier was shown a second yellow card and given a subsequent red. He had been booked on 32 minutes for a pull on the shorts of Grealish, but his second one came after he visibly disagreed with a non-call from the referee. Once play had stopped, the ref came back to him and showed him a second yellow for dissent. You don’t see many sending-offs in friendlies and it’s perhaps a tad harsh on Aurier, but Tottenham supporters will tell you that a red card in a match is not a huge surprise for Serge Aurier. As a professional though, he has to know that he can’t go mouthing off to the ref once he’s already been booked. He’s asking for trouble there, and he got it. The West Africans were then required to play with only 10 men for the final 50 minutes or so.

And England cashed in on that advantage right on the stroke of halftime with a very pleasing to watch team goal. Center back Harry Maguire played a long pass forward to Watkins, who’s quick and deft touch-pass found Sterling on a run just off to his right. Sterling then carried the ball to just inside the box before firing off a high and powerful shot with his left foot, but it was blocked away by Sangaré. The rebound however fell straight to Grealish on the left side of the goal, and he simply played it back to Sterling low and along the ground. Sterling stuck out his right foot and deflected the ball into the back of the net. Good vision from Maguire, excellent touch and pass from Watkins, and some unselfish play from Grealish to go right back to Sterling. At 2-0 in a friendly with the opposition down to 10, the second half felt more like a formality than a requirement.

And as is often the case in friendlies, the pace of the game slowed down significantly in the second half. Ivory Coast were determined to keep the score at 2-0, as they came out in a very defensive shape and spent most of their time trying to clog up the middle of the pitch. England still had a few good chances to get a third, but it seemed like it wouldn’t quite come off for them. Southgate made the majority of his changes on 60 minutes, swapping out four players including Watkins for Kane. I’m sure Kane was chomping at the bit to get on the pitch, given that the opposition looked a little suspect at the back and they were down to 10. It was a golden opportunity for him to reach 50 England goals. Again though, England could not find a way through and it seemed destined to end 2-0.

All formalities were concluded when England did manage to get a third goal, late into stoppage time via center back Tyrone Mings. England had a corner on 92 minutes, and the ball was played into the box high up by substitute Phil Foden. Mings jumped highest to reach it, although the ball seemed to come off the front of his face more than the usual crown of the head. In any event, the ball went down into the ground and bounced into the goal with Sangaré unable to get near it. The whistle went shortly after that, and England were 3-0 winners.

So takeaways then? Well, Bellingham needs to be a starter for England if he continues playing like he is. He was easily Man of the Match today. The Ivorians had no answer for his runs into the box or his ability to find the right pass in the right situation. He has all of the natural talent in the world and the footballing brain to match it. But does his creative and attacking style of play have a routine place in Southgate’s conservative approach? That remains to be seen. Southgate likes to play Mason Mount or Foden in Bellingham’s place usually. No denying the talent of those players, but against a tough defensive side in a closely contested tournament match, Bellingham’s abilities could be the deciding factor. He’s only going to get better, too. I say he needs to start at the World Cup if he stays in this kind of form. Sterling and Grealish were phenomenal today as well, although their places in the squad are fairly solidified. Perhaps Watkins, Mings, and left back Tyrick Mitchell had the best days though, as they all laid down fairly significant markers to be included for World Cup 2022. It will be difficult for Watkins to unseat Kane as the starting center-forward, but having him on the bench would be a welcome addition.

Oh, and one more thing, England fans need to stop booing Maguire. He was booed during his first touches today and that is disgusting. It’s true he hasn’t had the best season at United and he isn’t the most popular player off the pitch, but he always plays well in an England shirt. Moreover, booing him will not help him improve. Players low on confidence do not need their confidence lowered any further by idiot supporters. I am happy Southgate has condemned the fans’ behavior in this regard.

England will have tougher tests than this though before the World Cup gets underway in December. The UEFA Nations League matches this summer against Germany and Italy will be much tougher tests for England. At this stage of things though, you have to feel that England are among the favorites to do very well next winter. I will at some point do a post about this upcoming World Cup and some of the controversies involved with it.

Manchester United and the Premier League return to action next Saturday, with the Red Devils hosting Leicester City.

England Draw With Hungary, Match Marred by Fan Violence

England took on Hungary today at Wembley Stadium in London, in what was the 8th match out of 10 in World Cup 2022 qualification. England had already beaten Hungary 4-0 away in Budapest earlier this year, but they’re a more talented side than they appear at first and have gotten some famous results earlier this season.

The match ended 1-1, with both goals coming in the first half. Hungary took a surprising lead from the penalty spot via forward Rolland Sallai, who sent England keeper Jordan Pickford the wrong way as he slotted home. The actual penalty was earned by right back Loïc Négo, who collided with a high boot from England left back Luke Shaw just inside the box. The contact on Négo’s head was minimal, but the problem was Shaw having his boot that high up in the first place. It’s a long-established rule in football that your foot can’t be up high near the head and neck of other players, and Shaw has to know better there. He is asking for trouble with his foot that high up, and he wouldn’t have even needed to fly in like that if he was quicker to the ball. But he was lackadaisical in getting over to the bouncing loose ball, and Négo put him under pressure to make a clearance. Unfortunately, he did not clear the ball effectively.

England did get an equalizer 13 minutes later, having put their foot fully down on the gas pedal after the Hungary goal. The tying goal was courtesy of three Manchester City players – Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, and John Stones. Grealish was probably England’s best attacking player the whole match, and he won a foul in the right channel after some of his trademark nifty dribbling. Foden stood over the dead ball and delivered a very dangerous diagonal cross into the box. It was met at the far post by Stones, who simply stuck his foot out and the ball bounced off him and into the net. Wembley erupted in celebration, and it was great to see England scoring from a set piece.

The Three Lions had the better of the chances and the majority of the possession for the rest of the half and indeed the rest of the game, but they could not put the ball past Hungarian keeper Péter Gulácsi. He made several fine saves on Raheem Sterling, but overall the credit must go to Hungary manager Marco Rossi for his tactical set-up. They were in a 5-3-2 and set up very compact, making it hard to break them down. They also pressed England at precisely the right times, and England admittedly lacked ideas in terms of creating chances. I applaud Gareth Southgate for realizing that his initial tactical set-up was wrong and actually making substitutions, but today the problem was that he made the wrong substitution. Bringing on Bukayo Saka for Grealish was mystifying when both Sterling and Harry Kane were far more ineffective. Saka needed to come on, but not for Grealish. He was the only one really running at the Hungary back line, so to take him off almost did them a favor. It was just an overall disappointing performance on the pitch, but credit to the Hungarians for playing well and forcing England to stumble slightly on their path to World Cup 2022.

England are still atop Group I, but their lead has narrowed to 3 points after Poland’s victory over Albania. England have a massive game against Albania in a month, and the last one is against minnows San Marino. Win either of those, England are virtually in. Ideally they would take 3 points in both games, and they will indeed need to be better than they were today against a highly-motivated Albanian team.

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Unfortunately, the first 10-15 minutes of this match were marred by clashes between the London Metropolitan Police and some of the Hungarian supporters inside the stadium. I normally am not one to defend the police, but there is a section of the Hungarian supporters that are absolute knobheads. They held up a banner protesting the England players kneeling before the opening whistle, and were jeering loudly when one of England’s Black players touched the ball. Absolute racist bastards and the images of them throwing punches at the police were disgusting to watch. It seems the police eventually got the situation under control and at least one arrest was made, but I couldn’t believe just how brazen the actions were of those few dozen supporters. I know for a fact that not all Hungarians are racist hooligans, but that loud minority of them is very loud indeed.

Which begs the question: where is UEFA on this? Why has the Hungarian FA even been allotted tickets for their supporters at this match? There is supposed to be a ban on fan attendance at their home matches for this exact sort of behavior the last time England played Hungary, so why are they allowed in our stadium? It’s this sort of thing that makes the whole “Say No to Racism” campaign feel hollow and frankly fake. When actual racist incidents happen, UEFA does nothing about them and leaves it up to the local authorities to sort out the shitheads. Hey UEFA, fucking punish this kind of conduct! Lifetime bans for fans who engage in racist conduct. Points deductions from teams if fans engage in racist conduct. I understand that England is not free from sin in this department, so these rules would apply to our fans as well. The fans also must self-police more effectively and call out racist conduct when they see it! I’m fed up with this behavior and it needs to stop.