Euro 2024: England Escape Slovakia

England took on Slovakia earlier today in Gelsenkirchen, Germany at the Arena Aufschalke in the Euro 2024 Round of 16. England were heavy favorites entering the match, but their form coming into the game was worrying for many of their fans. They been stuck in second gear for the entirety of the group stage, having only scored two goals in three matches. There have been many questions about the tactics and line-ups put out by manager Gareth Southgate, with many supporters clamoring for changes to the starting XI and to have a generally more positive and attacking style of football. Slovakia, for their part, stunned Belgium in the group stage and did just enough to progress out of their group in 3rd place, so they would not be pushovers. Slovakia have only played England 5 times and lost 4 of them, but they did manage a draw against the Three Lions at Euro 2016.

The match was a little slow to start, with England yet again content to pass it along the back line. It was possession, but it was passive possession without too much venturing forward. Slovakia were the team interested in getting forward when on the ball, and they were creating a lot more than England did. The Slovakians were rewarded for their endeavors on 25 minutes when they broke forward on a long ball over the top, and got the opening goal through winger/forward Ivan Schranz. England’s back line failed to clear the ball over the top, and it was controlled on the edge of the box by forward David Strelec. Schranz was on an intelligent run in behind the England defense, and Strelec found him with a reverse pass directly into his path. Schranz hit the ball with the outside of his left foot, and England keeper Jordan Pickford could do nothing to keep it out of the right corner of his goal. Terrible defending from England, but all credit to Slovakia for taking advantage of the situation. A good goal, no two ways about it. The Slovakia supporters in the stadium lost their minds in celebration, and rightfully so.

England got back on the ball fairly quickly, but again there was no rhythm or intention about their play. They just kept passing it along the back line and occasionally into shallow midfield, with the Slovaks more than happy to sit back deep and defend their lead. England forced a series of corners towards the end of the half, but they could not find a breakthrough. At halftime, England were down 1-0.

The second half was much of the same in the first 15 minutes or so, and England were almost embarrassed by Strelec again when England lost possession off a throw-in and Strelec let go of a shot from the halfway line. Pickford was too far off his line to get to it, but mercifully, the shot faded away and to the right at the last moment. Had England conceded a second in such embarrassing fashion, it likely would have been match over and an early flight home. They were really hanging on at times. England thought they had an equalizer on 55 minutes when winger/forward/midfielder/who knows Phil Foden tapped in from close range, but the goal was (correctly) called back for offside. Foden was just ahead of the ball when it was played to him, although he didn’t need to be given that he was in acres of space. Frustrating, but it showed that England can score fairly easily when they move the ball a little bit quicker.

England had another “almost” moment when a cross from the left side found the head of striker Harry Kane about 7 yards out from goal, but his header lacked direction and the ball went wide of Slovak keeper Martin Dubravka’s goal. You’d have bet the mortgage on Kane scoring from there, which made his miss feel like it just wasn’t going to be England’s day. Midfielder Declan Rice later saw a long range effort strike Dubravka’s right hand post, after which it bounced back to Kane for an attempt. His scissor kick was too powerful though, and it bounced harmlessly over the top of the goal.

Southgate did make some changes to try and get some life into the team, and England did get better as the clock ticked towards full time. England were truly desperate towards the end, and did not look like they would be able to conjure up an equalizer. They were piling men forward though finally, so it was always going to be a nervy finish for both sets of fans in the stadium and around the world.

Late into stoppage time, England were awarded a throw-in on the right wing. Right back Kyle Walker took it, and he launched the ball into the box as hard as he could. It was flicked on by the head of England center back Marc Guehi, and it fell directly to midfielder Jude Bellingham about 10 yards from the goal. The ball was high in the air though, so Bellingham had to contort his body and legs to get in position to strike it. He caught the ball sweetly with an overhead scissor kick, and it bounced into the left hand corner of Dubravka’s goal with him rooted to the spot. An equalizer! Not only that, but a stunning equalizer on 95 minutes! England fans were ecstatic, and there was massive collective sigh from everyone as well. Slovakia were stunned, having defended so well for 94 minutes. The match ended barely a minute or so after that, and instead of going home, England were allowed to fight on for another 30 minutes.

England kept the pressure on that they had sustained for the final 10 minutes or so of normal time, and were rewarded for that pressure just as extra time got underway. A free kick from the right wing was crossed into the box by substitute midfielder Cole Palmer, only for it to meet the fist of Dubravka, who punched it out. It only went as far as the edge of the box though, where it was hit back into the mix by substitute midfielder Ebrechi Eze. The ball bounced into the air, and it was flicked across the face of goal by the head of substitute striker Ivan Toney. The ball hung in the air for a split second, and Kane was on hand to head it home from about 3 yards out! Great positional instinct from Kane, but even better instincts from Eze and Toney to keep the ball in a dangerous area. Well done to Toney in particular, who had come on just before Bellingham’s goal and likely didn’t think he would have much of a role to play. Slovakia failed to properly clear their lines though, and England punished them for it.

However, there was still 29 minutes of extra time left to play. England were not home and dry just yet, and Slovakia reminded them of that a few times with some “nearly” moments of their own. Maddeningly, England reverted to dropping deep and defending again after they took the lead. They were inviting pressure, but some good defending and fairly routine saves from Pickford saw England snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It was insanely nerve-wracking, but they did just enough to secure passage to the quarterfinals.

Once again though, England were not good enough throughout the match and probably did not fully deserve to win. They defended well for the most part, but the midfield was an absolute mess and there were long passages of play where they did not create any chances. Bellingham’s goal in the 95th minute was England’s first shot on goal for the whole match! That’s inexcusable. A team with this level of talent on it should not be struggling as much as they do in attack. But its the same story as the last three matches – players are being played out of position and they have been coached to play passively and retain possession.

I think Southgate is done after this tournament. Unless England go on and win the whole thing (unlikely), Southgate will be out of a job. It’s monumentally frustrating to watch this England team, and most of that is on Southgate. He refuses to significantly change his line-ups, and seems intent on employing players out of position. Foden is useless on the left wing. Fullback Kieran Trippier is even more useless at left back. Foden and Trippier play as if they have never met one another. Palmer is not a right winger. Eze is not a left winger or a left back. Kane frequently has to drop deep to get on the ball, and that is not where he is most effective. There are a lot of questionable decisions being made by Southgate before the lads even set foot on the pitch, and they are not being set up for success.

One silver lining for the next match is that Southgate is going to have to change things up out of necessity. Guehi was (questionably) yellow-carded early in the match, which was his second yellow of the tournament. He will miss the next match on a 1 game suspension. Trippier was also injured late on, so he might not feature next Saturday either. There would be no better time for left back Luke Shaw to find some fitness. If he is not fit though, who will Southgate deploy at left back? Unclear at this time. As has happened in the last three matches, England still have questions that remain unsolved. Changes need to happen and will happen, but the extent of them remains unclear. Honestly though, even with all these players out of position, England should still be relatively comfortable against a side like Slovakia. The fact that it took a world-class goal in the 95th minute just to prolong the match is an indictment of Southgate’s poor tactics. Keeping passive possession is fine sometimes, but not when you are down 1-0 for close to 70 minutes!

In an attempt to not be completely doom and gloom, there were a few positives. It was right of Southgate to start Kobbie Mainoo over Conor Gallagher in midfield alongside Rice. Mainoo was arguably England’s most consistent player today. Southgate was also right to bring on Palmer, Eze, and Toney. That is undeniable. He waited a long time to make those changes, particularly in the case of Toney, but they were the correct changes nonetheless. England looked much sharper in attack with two forwards on the pitch instead of just one. He adjusted his tactics, and with a good amount of luck, the adjustments paid off. England also scored two goals for the first time the whole tournament, and they did well to slow Slovakia down in the second half and extra time.

As has been stated before though, England must improve. They will play Switzerland in Dusseldorf, Germany next Saturday (July 6 at 9:00 a.m. PDT) in the quarterfinals, and the Swiss are significantly more talented than Slovakia. Eventually, England’s luck is going to run out. You do need luck to win at a major tournament, but you can’t solely rely on luck. The team has to be set up correctly and the style of play can’t be limited to passive possession. There’s still an opportunity to change things!

Three Lions on the Shirts!

Euro 2024: England Held by Slovenia, But Still Win Group C

England played their third and final group match of Euro 2024 earlier today, taking on Slovenia in Cologne, Germany. It was a scorching hot day in northwest Germany, so both sides knew going in this could end up being a slog. England knew that a win and possibly even a draw would see them top the group, depending on the result between Denmark vs. Serbia. England were also through to the knockout stages as of yesterday, when Albania lost to Spain. The rules around progression from the group stages are different this year, with the top two teams from each group advancing, along with the four best 3rd place teams (based on points, goal differential, and other factors). It can be kind of tricky to explain, but the main takeaway is that England had already clinched progression to the knockout stages before this match even started.

Slovenia were quick out of the blocks, and forced the first shot on goal of the match. It was a tame header from striker Benjamin Sesko though, which England keeper Jordan Pickford collected easily. England eventually got on the ball more, but when they did it was the usual harmless and tepid position that they’ve been guilty of the last two matches. No one was willing to run forward, no one was willing to pass it forward, and no one was willing to dribble a little bit and take on their defender. This lasted for about 20 minutes or so. England did have the ball in the back of the net around the 25 minute mark after a neat pass and move and from winger(?) Phil Foden and midfielder Declan Rice, which was tapped in by winger Bukayo Saka. Unfortunately, the goal was (correctly) ruled out by the linesman for offside. Foden was about half yard behind his man when Rice played him the ball. Frustrating, but that moment should have provided a formula for an England goal. When they move the ball quickly in attack, the Slovenians won’t be able to keep up.

Unfortunately, England seemed to ignore this formula and continue to play passive and slow possession that often ended up in nothing happening. On some occasions, they would lose possession in dangerous areas and allow the Slovenians to run at them. There were one or two half chances for them in the first half that made Three Lions supporters sweat more than the heat did. Make no mistake – Slovenia were not over-awed by England nor the occasion, particularly in the first half. They were well organized in defense, and keeper Jan Oblak had little to do. At halftime it was 0-0, with Slovenia surely the happier of the two sides.

England manager Gareth Southgate brought on midfielder Kobbie Mainoo at halftime for the ineffective Conor Gallagher, and after about 4 or 5 minutes, England were in possession and control of the ball a lot more. That is not solely down to Mainoo, but he certainly helped. They were still struggling to create clear chances, but they had snuffed out Slovenia’s attack for the most part. Substitute midfielder Cole Palmer and winger Anthony Gordon eventually came on, and it was these subs that were probably England’s best players on the day. Palmer got on the ball and created a half-chance for himself, after which Gordon did well to dribble at his man and create a chance. There were one or two other “good buildup but misplaced final pass” situations for England, but the match ended 0-0.

Fortunately for England, Denmark vs. Serbia also ended 0-0, so England won Group C on 5 points. Denmark finished second, with the Slovenians third. Serbia are eliminated. Group C ended up being a bit of a snoozer overall. Very few goals and a lot of 0-0 draws. England will play on next Sunday, with a likely opponent being the Netherlands, but that is not set in stone as of yet due to tomorrow’s fixtures. But by winning the group, England have avoided the fearsome quartet of Spain, Portugal, Germany, and France, all of whom are on the other side of the bracket. They cannot play any of those teams until the final.

But that is about the extent of the good news. England’s performance today was not a reassuring one for fans, not by a long shot. They failed to score for the first time this tournament against a side they should likely be scoring against. Again, the play was slow and lethargic for long portions of the match. There was very little effort from England’s players to get forward and take chances. This has to change. The system is certainly part of the problem, because it’s not allowing the players to play where they excel. I think the lack of productivity feeds into itself, because the body language of the players today was very nervous and anxious.

Southgate needs to fix this, and it needs to be fixed now. He started Gallagher in place of midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold today, but that was the only change he made from the last match and it didn’t do anything. Bringing on Mainoo, Palmer, and Gordon was correct, but Gordon got little to no time to do anything. Foden still looks lost on the left wing. Midfielder Jude Bellingham was anonymous for the second straight match. Striker Harry Kane was dropping deep too often and not leading the line like he is supposed to. Left back Kieran Trippier needs to be dropped, too. He slows down play far too much and still acts like he has no idea Foden exists in front of him.

One potential solution would be to drop Gallagher and move Bellingham to the number 8 position, alongside Rice at the 6. That would allow Foden to move into his natural number 10 position, and Gordon can take his place on the left wing. If left back Luke Shaw ever gets himself fit, he needs to be played over Trippier. These are just a few of many ways in which this team could be improved. Most importantly of course, the manager must take the shackles off these lads. They need to be encouraged to run forward and take on players, because most of them have the natural talent to do so.

Southgate seems to have made up his mind, though. He is going to live and die by this “system” of his. Hopefully, he at least starts Mainoo, Palmer, and Gordon in the next match. We need energy and drive in this team, not passive possession. Happy to see the lads moving on and winning the group of course, but much improvement is still needed.

Three Lions on the Shirts!

Euro 2024: Tepid England Draw with Denmark

England’s second group game of Euro 2024 was held against Denmark in Frankfurt on June 20. Thanks to the draw between Slovenia and Serbia earlier in the day, England would win Group C and qualify for the knockout stages if they beat Denmark. The stadium atmosphere at kickoff was wonderful, with both sets of fans in full voice during their respective national anthems. Denmark are widely regarded as the second best team in this group in terms of talent, with some truly top class players such as midfielder Christian Eriksen, striker Rasmus Højlund, defender Andreas Christensen, and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. England would need to be at or near their best to make sure all three points were taken.

And for the first 20 minutes or so, England looked very strong. Aside from an early and rather tame shot straight at England keeper Jordan Pickford, England dominated the possession and chance creation. Midfielder Phil Foden appeared to be in better form than his previous match, and he created a good chance for himself with some neat dribbling before misfiring on his shot.

England took the lead on 18 minutes after a Danish defensive error. Their left back was lazy in chasing down a loose ball, and he failed to see England right back Kyle Walker blazing towards him over his right shoulder. Walker stole the ball off the defender, then dribbled it into the box. He put a cutback cross in towards winger Bukayo Saka, but the ball took a few deflections before falling straight to the feet of striker Harry Kane. Kane was only about 6 yards out, and he tapped the ball home with the inside of his left foot like he was at home in his garden. Great bit of effort from Walker to set it up, and the Three Lions got a little bit of luck with the deflections in the box. 1-0 to England!

But once England had the lead, something very predictable and very annoying happened. England began to sit back in defense and let the Danes have the ball. They were content to sit back and break up attacks, while reticent to go forward in search of game-killing goal. This has been a hallmark of manager Gareth Southgate’s tenure, and it’s been especially apparent at this tournament. That’s how they continued to play as the half wore on, and it was downright boring to watch.

As was foreseeable, England were punished for their conservative approach on 34 minutes when Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand lashed home a low and powerful shot from long range. England had lost the ball in a dangerous area, and suddenly Denmark had men in numbers near the box. No one stepped up to close down Hjulmand, and his finish from 20 yards or so beat Pickford at his far post, rattling in off the inside of the post. The Danish fans erupted in cheers while England could only look on. The shot was truly exquisite, but England fans felt like the equalizer could have been avoided with more aggressive attacking play. The half finished 1-1, with Denmark the happier of the two sides.

The second half was even more tepid than the first half. Foden was trying to make things happen, but no one else around him was really doing anything. Denmark still had plenty of the ball, and there were spells where they looked more likely to score than England did. Midfielder Jude Bellingham was anonymous, Kane went missing after his goal, and England were incredibly passive when in possession. They even lost possession numerous times in dangerous areas, and had to be bailed out by yet another strong defensive performance from center backs Marc Guehi and John Stones.

The match ended 1-1, with both sides only creating half chances sporadically as the match fizzled out. There were some nervy moments for England whenever Denmark won a corner, but the points were shared at the end of the match. England remained top of Group C on 4 points, but missed out on clinching the group and moving on to the knockouts. A victory over Slovenia in the final group game guarantees progression. A draw may also do it if Denmark draws with or loses to Serbia.

England were bad in this match. No two ways about it. Outside the first 20 minutes, it was a terrible performance. There are several issues with the current set up of this team from a tactical perspective, and Southgate is to blame for not fixing them when they became apparent in the last match against Serbia. For starters, it seems that he has to choose between Foden and Bellingham. They both shine in the attacking midfield, but they are not as good when played elsewhere. Foden was good today, but Bellingham was not. Bellingham was good against Serbia, but Foden was not. Southgate has to make a choice there. I suggest dropping Foden for a natural left winger in Anthony Gordon, then bring on Foden for Bellingham late in the match if need be. I understand the level of Foden’s talent and that he would start on almost any team he played for, but for England he has to take a backseat to Bellingham. This team is unbalanced, and the Foden/Bellingham issue is a big reason why.

I also don’t know why Southgate insists on playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield when that is clearly not his best position. He plays right back for his club, although he is much more like a traditional right winger given his talents in passing and crossing. For whatever reason though, Southgate thinks he should play as a defensive midfielder next to Declan Rice. There’s just no other way to explain it – he just simply isn’t meant to play there. He also needs to be benched, with either Conor Gallagher or Kobbie Mainoo starting ahead of him.

Perhaps the biggest issue though is the style of play. Not only is it conservative, right now its uncoordinated as well. There were multiple instances where Pickford and his back line were not on the same page in terms of ball distribution. Pickford clearly wanted to play it long, but players like Walker and Rice were frequently directing him to play it short to a nearby defender. Pickford just ignored them, tried to play it long into a sea of red shirts, and Denmark would inevitably end up with the ball again. England would get stuck in their own half for minutes on end because Southgate is insisting on style of play that his players are not accustomed to. Our players have a ton of experience at building from the back and establishing possession that way, and Southgate must employ a style that suits them.

I get that England are still in a good position to get out of the group. It’s not really the results that are the problem. The problem is that England are simply better than this, and we have a manager who is failing to get the most out of his players. He puts square pegs into round holes all over the pitch, then doesn’t let them play attacking football anymore after scoring the first goal. It’s one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever seen. We can easily score 3 or 4 goals against almost anyone! I am imploring anyone within shouting distance of Southgate to tell him to let these lads play!

My biggest fear is that all this criticizing is in vain. Southgate is likely going to continue playing this way. Hopefully he at least changes the team selection for the Slovenia match, but he is virtually guaranteed to play conservative again if England take the lead. Many are calling for the Football Association to sack Southgate mid-tournament, but that isn’t likely to happen either. What is for sure is that Southgate has a lot he needs to figure out, and he needs to figure it out quickly. Even though England are likely to get out of the group, the opposition in the knockout rounds will be much tougher. It’ll be another lost tournament for England if they can’t figure out their tactics and best line-up. Slovenia on Tuesday at noon PDT in Cologne!

Three Lions on the Shirts!

Premier League: An Impressive Victory at Everton

Manchester United traveled 30 miles west to Liverpool for a match against Everton FC at Goodison Park yesterday. This was the first match after the resumption of the international break, and the Red Devils were happy to have left back Luke Shaw back in the team after a long injury layoff. Manager Erik ten Hag handed a debut to 18 year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who started alongside midfielder Scott McTominay in the center of the pitch. Everton, their supporters, and manager Sean Dyche were definitely motivated to get a positive result in this match, having (wrongly, in my opinion) been docked 10 points by the Premier League for violations of the Financial Fair Play rules.

Despite the restless and raucous atmosphere inside Goodison, it was United who got off to a flying start just 3 minutes into the match when winger/forward Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring with an absolutely stunning overhead bicycle kick. I could describe it in detail, but Bill Shakespeare himself couldn’t put the words together to describe this beauty of a strike!

The goal went viral quickly, and if you haven’t seen it, give it a watch. It was good play from United to get it up the pitch quickly, but the cross from right back Diogo Dalot was a little bit behind Garnacho. All credit to the 19 year-old Argentine for his technique and the audacity to pull off something so grand. 1-0 to United!

Everton were unmoved, however. Despite being behind, they were mostly the better side for the rest of the first half. Keeper Andre Onana was on hand to make a double save around the half hour mark, after which the ball was cleared off the line by Mainoo. The United defense was holding up alright, but in attack they were again struggling to create chances for a second goal. Despite Everton’s dominance, they couldn’t capitalize and it remained 1-0 at halftime.

United got their second goal on 50 minutes, thanks to finally catching a break from VAR. Striker Anthony Martial looked to have been fouled in the box by Everton right back (and former United player) Ashley Young, but the referee did not give a penalty and also booked Martial for diving. VAR checked the incident though, and upon replays it was clear that Young stuck his leg out and tripped Martial in an effort to get to the ball. Martial’s yellow was rescinded and a penalty was given. Initially, midfielder Bruno Fernandes had his hands on the ball to take the kick, but then he walked over and handed the ball to winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Rashford stepped up and buried the penalty into the upper-left corner of the goal, with Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford unable to do anything about it. Rashford has been in poor goal-scoring form this season, so perhaps Bruno sensed he needed this penalty to raise his confidence a bit. Aside from this goal though, Rashford had another poor performance. His passing and awareness were bad for most of the game. He does not seem to be injured, but rather distracted. His head isn’t in the game, as it were. A very recent post of his on social media indicates he is mourning the death of a family member, which may be part of the reason for his absent-minded play. If that’s the case, I don’t blame him at all for playing poor today. I hope he takes care of his mental health first and foremost, and I think the penalty will help with his confidence. 2-0 to United!

United continued to run at the Everton back-4 in search of a third, and came close a few times before eventually getting that third goal from Martial on 75 minutes. The ball was won in midfield thanks to a good press, and there was an exchange of passes between Martial, Bruno, and substitute winger Facundo Pellistri near and beyond the center circle. Pellistri played a return pass to Bruno on the edge of the area, who found Martial on a run just ahead of him with a beautifully weighted pass. The Everton defense was all over the place, and Martial took a touch to knock it into space before deftly lifting the ball over the onrushing Pickford. 3-0 to United, and game over! Everton managed to hit the crossbar a few minutes after the third goal, but there was no major action after that.

For the first time this season, United looked convincing away from home. This is also the first time they’ve won by multiple goals on the road in close to a full season. All three forwards scored in this match, which is yet another positive that hasn’t happened often this year. The first goal will grab all the headlines, but for me the most important goal was the third one. The first goal was a piece of individual brilliance, and the second goal was the result of VAR actually working as it’s supposed to, but the third was the exact sort of goal ETH has been looking for all season. We pressed in midfield, won the ball back in the center of the park, and were quickly away down to the other end to create a chance. Press + passing = goal. That is the footballing philosophy that ETH wants this team to employ. We don’t need 70% possession. We don’t need 500 passes. We need to get the ball, pass the ball, and score a goal. It’s what this team is built to do, and it’s fantastic that they finally remembered how to do it. Brilliant from Martial, Bruno, and Pellistri. Also a quick shout-out to Mainoo, who had a very impressive debut. He’s only 18, but bossed the midfield like a man ten years older. His passing, positioning, awareness, and tackling were all excellent.

The challenge now is to go out and do it again in the next match. Consistency must be the next step in the process. It’s no coincidence that some good form has returned now that some key players have finally returned from injury. Everton are not the best team of course, but to win like this in a very hostile atmosphere is nothing to minimize. This was a big win, no two ways about it. As I have said many times though, winning like this means nothing if they can’t go out and replicate it.

United have won 5 out of their last 6 Premier League matches, and find themselves 6th in the table. They are just four points from fourth, and a scant six points off the top. They next play Galatasaray in Istanbul on Wednesday, which will make Goodison look like a tea party in terms of the atmosphere. Turkiye is an insanely difficult place for foreign clubs to play, and frankly I won’t be upset if the result is less than positive. The European campaign this season may already be doomed due to previous results, and I don’t want the club to have to play in the Europa League for the rest of the year should they fail to finish 2nd in the group. Let’s give it a good effort, but if we lose it’s not the end of the world. This team needs to focus on the Prem and the FA Cup the rest of the season.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: Victory Over Everton

Manchester United played host to Everton FC last Saturday at a sunny but cold Old Trafford in the Premier League. United and manager Erik ten Hag needed a victory to maintain the club’s push for the top-4, while Everton and new manager Sean Dyche were looking for any kind of positive result to help them escape the relegation zone. The two sides were at opposite ends of the table coming into this match, and the Toffees knew it would take something special to get a result today given the respective forms of both sides. There are no guarantees in football of course, but this was a match where United should dominate.

That is precisely what happened, particularly in the first 45 minutes. Put succinctly, this was the most dominant first half display seen by the Old Trafford faithful in years. Midfielder Marcel Sabitzer fired just wide of Everton and England keeper Jordan Pickford’s right hand post just 3 minutes in. United were constantly on the ball and making runs in behind the Everton back line. Striker Marcus Rashford was through on goal on 8 minutes, but was denied by Pickford. That was a theme of the first half – United’s pacey wingers and forwards getting in behind the back line, with midfielder Bruno Fernandes or one of the center backs pinging a long ball over the top for them to chase. And indeed, it was working well in every way but scoring. Right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka was guilty of a particularly bad miss on 12 minutes when a shot from winger Antony dos Santos rebounded off the post directly to him, only for him to turn it wide from 5 yards out with the goal open. It’s true he’s not a goal-scorer, but it was harder to miss than score from that position. It was the only poor grade on AWB’s report card though. Defensively he was fantastic, which is his primary job.

Everton had their best (and maybe only) chance of the half on 19 minutes when striker Ellis Simms found himself in space in the box, only to drag his shot wide of keeper David De Gea’s far post. United were still the dominant side, but despite registering 21 shots on target in the first half, the only goal came on 36 minutes from midfielder Scott McTominay. United had the ball on the right hand side of the box, and McTominay made a late run in from midfield towards the right hand post of the goal. Winger Jadon Sancho found him with a sublime pass through the defense, and McTominay’s marker was too far away to challenge him. McTominay let loose a powerful shot from close range with his right foot, and it beat Pickford at his near post. Pickford was angry with himself after conceding the goal as most keepers are annoyed when they concede at their near post, but he was probably extra angry because up until then he was the reason that Everton weren’t behind. His one and only mistake in the half cost him. That’s the game sometimes, and United were good value for their lead. 1-0! There were a few more chances for United before half time, including Antony forcing Pickford into another sprawling save, but no more goals were scored in the opening 45 minutes.

The Toffees improved after the break, although it must be said that it would have been difficult for them to have played worse than they did in the first half. They created a few half-chances from set pieces, but United slowly and surely resumed their dominance. Bruno forced another fine save from Pickford with his header after a good United passing move on 67 minutes. The resulting corner concluded in another shot from AWB that Pickford again saved. United then got their second goal that sealed the points just four minutes later. A(nother) long ball over the top from center back Lisandro Martinez was badly misjudged by Everton right back and captain Seamus Coleman, and his resulting poor touch on the ball gave Rashford the opportunity to pounce on it. He dribbled the ball into the box quickly before playing it across the middle to fellow striker Anthony Martial, who took a touch and re-directed the ball low along the ground past Pickford for 2-0. A bad mistake from the normally steady veteran Coleman, but well done to Rashford and Martial for capitalizing in emphatic fashion. Martial getting back on the score sheet is important for his confidence and recovery after his injury issues earlier in the season. More importantly, it was all three points sealed.

The final few minutes were only noteworthy for injury-related reasons. On the positive, United midfielder Christian Eriksen returned to the pitch after a few months’ recovery. His presence in midfield was key to United’s unbeaten run earlier in the season and it’s fantastic that he’s back for the final push at the end of the season. On a sour note though, Rashford went off with a nasty-looking right leg injury towards the end of the match. The final whistle eventually blew without too many further events of note.

ETH was very critical of the fixture congestion this season in his post-match interviews, claiming that Rashford’s injury is largely the result of having to play 60+ games this season. The conversation needs to be had about how to fix this problem, so that the super stars of this league are less likely to miss playing time. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution. There won’t be a World Cup in the middle of next season which will help, but there’s so many matches these days that it’s almost impossible to fit them all into a 9-month season and still give the players time to rest and recover. If Rashford misses time, United will be reliant on the injury-prone Martial and the less-than-clinical Wout Weghorst for attacking options.

Anyway, well done to the Red Devils for dominating the match, particularly in the first half. The lack of finishing is of some concern given that this match should have been won by 4 or 5 goals, but Pickford is an excellent keeper of course and he can keep a team in the game by himself on his best days. United remain in 4th place with this win. They are level on points (56) with Newcastle, but the Yorkshire side have a superior goal difference. United are three points clear of Tottenham Hotspur in 5th, and they have a game in hand. The push for the top-4 remains a tight one, but United are currently in a good position to return to the Champions League next season.

United next play on Thursday, April 13th when they host Spanish side Sevilla at Old Trafford in the Europa League quarterfinals. Here’s to hoping they do most of the heavy lifting in the first leg of this tie, as it is always difficult to play away in Spain.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Euro Qualifier: England Cruise Past Ukraine

The Three Lions played host to Ukraine earlier today at Wembley Stadium in their second qualifier for Euro 2024 in Germany. Having already gotten off to a fantastic start against Italy, England would be looking to do the same against a potentially tricky Ukrainian team. There is no single group of players who have more team unity and collective spirit than Ukraine right now. They know that most of the Western world, aside from their immediate opponents of course, would be hoping that they do well during qualification so that their people could have something to celebrate. The pre-match festivities were centered on the struggle of Ukraine in their war against Russia, and the English FA was also hosting a charity drive to help the victims of the war. When you pair that “bunker” mentality and spirit with talents like striker Mykhailo Mudryk and winger Oleksandr Zinchenko, this match could easily turn into a long day at the office for England. Managers Andriy Shevchenko and Gareth Southgate would have expected both their teams to put up a strong fight.

Unfortunately, the one word that sums up most of this match was “tepid”. This is the first game I have watched in ages between any two teams where not much really happened. There was so much inaction for the opening 35 minutes or so that the camera operators were more frequently showing the joyous Ukraine supporters dancing around than anything happening on the pitch. England were the better side in terms of possession and pushing forward, but they were only creating half-chances at best. Ukraine was doing even less, as they were often struggling to get out of their own half.

England pushed themselves into the lead however on 37 minutes when the newly-crowned all time leader in England goals, Harry Kane, rose over the head of his marker to poke home a cross from winger/forward Bukayo Saka. England had been threatening for a few minutes prior to the goal, but they finally got the ball over the line via Kane. Not a super remarkable goal, but a good cross from Saka and good positioning and strength from Kane. He now has 55 goals in an England shirt, and that tally will only continue to rise. The only question people have about Kane now is how many he’s going to have by the time he retires.

England capitalized on their dominance again just three minutes later, and it seemed the Ukrainians were mentally rattled a little bit. Saka did most of the work by himself this time. He collected a short pass from midfielder Jordan Henderson on the right wing just outside the box, then shrugged off his marker with relative ease. After taking a touch or two, he unleashed a beautiful curling shot from about 20 yards out that flew into the opposite top corner. Ukraine keeper Anatoliy Trubin could do nothing but pick it out of his own net afterwards. His defenders let him down by allowing Saka to have so much space. It was a truly wonderful strike from a player in absolutely top form right now. Saka is having an amazing season at the club level, and his form has carried over to the national team. 2-0 to England, and they were feeling very comfortable indeed.

Shevchenko would have wanted a response from his men in the second half, but it never really materialized. Aside from some instances where England were forced into key defensive tackles, the Ukrainians never really got going at any point. It’s disappointing from their point of view. Talent-wise they should be challenging teams like England, but they looked very disjointed with their passing today. Not a lot of direction or purpose about them, and they weren’t communicating well at all. There were times when it looked like none of the Ukrainians had met one another before. As the clock ticked closer to full time, England looked much more likely to get a 3rd goal than the Ukrainians were to pulling one back. I don’t think they even registered a shot on Jordan Pickford’s goal. The second half was frankly boring, aside from a few England half-chances towards the end. Shevchenko has a lot of work to do with this group if they want to qualify for next summer’s tournament.

The final whistle blew without much fanfare, and the England lads celebrated an efficient victory. England have 6 out of 6 points from their first two matches, and that was objective number one for Southgate and his players. There weren’t a ton of goals scored in either match, but this one was an improvement over the Italy match on Thursday if only because the Three Lions were much more in control over the entirety of the match. Two very strong matches defensively. I would have liked to see one more scored against Ukraine today to really underline England’s superiority, but having sole possession of the lead in Group C with some easier matches coming up is certainly nothing to complain about. Southgate will be happy with the result, especially given he was without several normal starters who withdrew from the squad either due to injury or other reasons. He will be happy that he has the strength in depth necessary to get wins even without those star players. Good games from Kane, Saka, attacking midfielder James Maddison, and the England defense as a collective.

The international break is now over, which means that all the players return to their clubs for the final sprint to the finish of the season. England next play on June 16, 2023 away to Malta in another Euro 2024 qualifier. The next match I will be recapping is Manchester United away to Newcastle on April 2nd in the Premier League.

Three Lions on the Shirts!

FA Cup: A Scrappy Victory Over Everton

Manchester United hosted Everton at Old Trafford today in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. This was the first match in football’s oldest single elimination tournament for both sides this season, but their respective forms coming in to the match couldn’t be more different. Manager Erik ten Hag has United flying high having won six in a row in all competitions, while Everton manager (and former England international) Frank Lampard knew he was very much on the hot seat after Everton’s rather dismal run of form. Both managers fielded fairly strong teams for this match, which isn’t always the case in the early rounds of these tournaments. Almost all pre-match pundits and online “experts” were picking the Red Devils to win comfortably.

Things did indeed get off to a flying start for United when they found themselves ahead just 4 minutes into the match when winger/forward Antony dos Santos tapped home a cross from forward Marcus Rashford. Rashford brought the ball forward down the left wing and hit his cross along the ground which rolled past two Everton defenders. Antony slid in at the last second and nudged the ball in from close range at the far post with Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford stranded. Good job by the Red Devils to get the ball forward quickly and well done to Rashford for putting the ball in a dangerous area, but it must be said this goal was largely the result of poor defending by Everton. Rashford’s low cross really should have been cleared by either of the Everton defenders it rolled past. A goal emblematic of Everton’s problems this season – a lack of confidence and self-belief.

Those doubts were eased somewhat for the Toffees when they got an unexpected equalizer just ten minutes later. A cross was played in from the right side of the United penalty area low and directly at keeper David De Gea, who mysteriously couldn’t quite get the ball cleared away from in front of the goal. It looked like De Gea was trying to kick the ball away first time, but his control was poor and the deflection fell straight to Everton center back Connor Coady who provided the simplest of tap-ins. An absolute howler from De Gea, it must be said. Left back Tyrell Malacia maybe could have done better to prevent the cross from coming in, but De Gea should be clearing that cross every time. Very poor decision from him to use feet like that. De Gea is a player that is reliant on confidence to play well. In the past, he has let his mistakes get the better of him mentally, and they can compound as a result. He’s made some very fine saves in the past few matches and he is still the undisputed No. 1 keeper at United, but he cannot let this mistake go to his head in the coming matches.

Everton were rejuvenated by their goal, and kept running at United for the rest of the half. When United were on the ball, they seemed to lack ideas in the final third and really struggled to break a down suddenly much-more-awake Everton back line. It was 1-1 at halftime.

United came out in the second half on the front foot again though, and were soon rewarded for their attacking intent when Rashford caused Coady to turn the ball into his own net on 52 minutes. The in-form Rashford did well to take the ball to the end line and get in a cross from the left hand side of the box. Coady probably had time to take a touch and clear it, but he wasn’t aware of the space he was in and took a wild swipe at the ball. All he ended up doing though was lifting it over Pickford, who again had little chance to remedy the situation. Rashford won’t be credited for the goal, but he created it virtually on his own. Sometimes you get lucky when you play with attacking intent!

The next 20 minutes or so were filled with more disjointed attacks and solid defending from both sides. Everton had the ball in the back of the net via substitute striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin around the 75 minute mark, and at first it appeared to be a good counter-attacking goal from Everton. After a VAR check though it was determined they were offside in the build-up, and the goal was disallowed. United escaped with a bit of luck on that one. There was definitely an offside in the build-up on the right wing, but it was the second time United failed to clear the ball after a cross from near the end-line. Credit to the big man Calvert-Lewin for stealing across the face of his marker to turn the ball in. It was still 2-1 to United though.

The final major action of this match came deep in stoppage time when substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho was brought down from behind in the Everton penalty area. Garnacho had beaten his marker and was close to providing a cross when the Everton defender effectively jumped on his back. Stonewall penalty. No doubt about it. Rashford stepped up to the spot and beat his England teammate Pickford with a low shot for 3-1. The final whistle went shortly after that and United were through to the 4th Round!

So yes, a victory. Always nice to keep winning. Rashford was excellent, midfielder Casemiro was excellent, and fellow midfielder Fred put in a very tidy shift off the bench. All praise and plaudits to them. However, this match again underlined United’s need for a big/hulking center forward. We need not only a deadly finisher, but a strong player on the ball who can hold up play with his back to goal. A striker of any sort would improve the team, but a big physical specimen would be ideal. Rashford is playing out of his skin so far this season, but if he is unavailable for any length of time, the attack is going to suffer. Striker Anthony Martial, winger Jadon Sancho, and Antony all need to be scoring/assisting more. It is also clear that there is a significant drop off in the play of our midfield once Casemiro is subbed off. I have been beating the drum for a defensive midfielder for ages, and now that we finally have one we seem intent on riding him into the ground. Casemiro is a truly exceptional player, but we need to be developing his replacement now. He won’t be able to play in every match, and the midfield can’t rely solely on him to function.

United will look to improve in their next match, when they host League One side Charlton Athletic at Old Trafford in the League Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, January 10th.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

World Cup Round of 16 – France and England Clinical

The government of Qatar is repressive and fascist. FIFA is corrupt and hypocritical. Simple as.

Neither match was a close one in the end today, but we have ourselves a serious showdown set in the quarterfinals here.

France vs. Poland

This was the early match of the day and defending champions France won fairly comfortably in the end 3-1, but there were undoubtedly a few moments of panic for them before and after they scored the opening goal on 43 minutes via Olivier Giroud. The Polish defense gave him far too much space and he was able to redirect a shot back across goal. Giroud actually hit the ball into the ground a bit first, which caused it to bounce over the hand of Polish keeper Wojciech Szczęsny and in for 1-0. It could be argued though that Poland should have already been ahead, and would have been if not for some goal line clearances by the French defense around the 35 minute mark. Szczęsny had been brilliant up until then, but his defense really let him down.

France were the better team on the day, as they were frequently the ones pressing the Polish and winning the ball high up the pitch to create chances. When the opposition’s front four contains Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Antoine Griezmann, giving the ball away to them is suicidal. The Polish were lucky to hold the French out for the first 40 minutes, and they were also fortunate to keep it at 1-0 until the 76 minute mark.

It was then that Mbappe decided to take over the game, and he did so by scoring two goals in quick succession, each of them powerful and precise finishes over Szczęsny that gave him absolutely no chance. Mbappe is one of, if not the, best players in the world right now and he showed why with those two goals. Everyone knows he’s a world-class sprinter, but he showed a real striker’s instinct and technique today too. Mbappe is the current top scorer at this World Cup with 5 goals.

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski got a goal back for his side from the penalty spot in the dying seconds of the match, and while it fooled French keeper Hugo Lloris it was nothing more than a consolation goal. Even Lewandowski knew it was just going to be one for the statistics, and of no other real significance.

France decisively move on to the quarterfinals. They look incredibly strong right now, even if it took them a while to score today. I was concerned about their injuries and team spirit coming into this tournament, but so far those worries have been unfounded. It helps that Mbappe is in absolutely scintillating form right now. Poland will be sad to be going home, but they lost to an extremely good team today.

England vs. Senegal

My stomach was turning itself inside out in anticipation of this match. England were favored coming in, probably in part due to the unavailability of Senegalese all-world winger Sadio Mané (injury) and industrious midfielder Idrissa Gueye (suspension). But the team known as the Lions of Teranga were not to be underestimated, as they are the reigning African champions.

And indeed, it was the Senegalese who were on the front foot almost from the off. They were using their pacey forwards to press England’s defense high up the pitch, knowing that England like to play the ball out from the back. This tactic employed by manager Aliou Cissé worked quite well for a bit, and they almost caught England out several times. Their best chance came around half an hour into the match, when forward Boulaye Dia found some space in the box and lashed a powerful shot towards goal that required a rather magnificent save from England keeper Jordan Pickford. He stuck out his left arm and held it firm to deny Dia, and England cleared.

England had a lot of possession in the opening 35 minutes or so, but they weren’t really doing anything with it. The middle of the park was devoid of England shirts, so there was nowhere for the center backs to pass it to. However, England finally got a meaningful attack going down the left wing on 39 minutes, and it resulted in the first goal from midfielder Jordan Henderson. A neat backheel fell to striker Harry Kane, who spotted the run of midfielder Jude Bellingham ahead of him. His weighted pass made it through the defense, and Bellingham latched onto the ball just outside the box. He ran into the box as his marker was level with him, but his cutback cross found Henderson in space. Henderson hit it first time along the ground, and it rolled into the goal just past the reach of keeper Edouard Mendy. A massive relief for England and very much against the run of play, but we’ll take it! Henderson is the 8th different English player to score at this tournament.

Senegal pushed forward to try and find an equalizer, but it was England who got an important second goal on the very stroke of halftime. England won the ball back via Bellingham after a deflected cross fell into his path, and he carried the ball forward while riding challenges from the opposition. He found winger/forward Phil Foden ahead of him to his left in a one-on-one with a defender. Foden hit a return pass into the path of Kane, who was running forward in support and unmarked. The ball deflected off a defender before falling to Kane, who took a touch and then buried a powerful shot into the net from about 12 yards out, just to the right of the penalty spot. Mendy had no chance, and Kane is now just one goal behind Wayne Rooney’s all-time England scoring record. Kane has been a wonderful facilitator of play so far this tournament, but getting him on the scoresheet today was very important. He showed his striker’s instincts with that finish, and England will need those instincts going forward.

The England fans in the stadium and around the world went from anxious to buoyant in the span of about 8 minutes! Cissé was forced into making three changes at halftime, but they failed to make much of an impact as England got the next goal on 57 minutes from winger/forward Bukayo Saka. This time it was Senegal giving the ball away in a dangerous area, with it being brought forward by Kane. Kane was tackled though and the loose ball fell to Foden, who beat a defender on the left wing before spotting the diagonal run of Saka across his man. The cross from Foden was inch-perfect, and Saka deftly lifted it over Mendy with his first touch for 3-0. England were running rampant and well on their way to the quarterfinals.

The tempo of the game slowed down a bit from there, as both managers made changes. England boss Gareth Southgate was keen to get some of his key players off to save them for the next match, while letting the talents of the bench players shine as well. Although no more goals were scored, England were closer to finding a fourth than Senegal was to finding a first. In the end it was a very satisfactory day for the Three Lions, if a bit nervy to start off.

Credit to Southgate for sticking to his guns and going with the team he felt was right. I was surprised at the omission of forward Marcus Rashford and the inclusion of Henderson in the starting line-up today, but both of those worries were without merit. It turns out that Southgate might just know what he’s doing, although I certainly could do without the slow starts in the future. In the first half hour I feared this game would go the way the one against the Americans did, with it ending 0-0 and England generally looking lackluster. But once England moved the ball up the levels of the pitch with pace and purpose, there was little Senegal could do about it. The first goal today was a product of Southgate’s system, make no mistake about it. The players’ positioning on the wings and playing the ball out from the back led to the opening for Kane to find Bellingham. The system does not always work of course, but today it did.

A special shoutout to Bellingham, who was Man of the Match (among many fine candidates) for me today. The 19 year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder showed a range of skills today I have not seen from an Englishman since maybe…ever? He can pass, he can dribble, he can head the ball, he can tackle, he has positional awareness, and while he did not score today he did so against Iran in the first match. This lad can do it all, and he can do it all at an extremely high level. If he keeps going like this, he can develop into the best midfielder in the world. Not being hyperbolic.

CAM ON INGERLAND!!!

Quarterfinals – England vs. France – Saturday, December 10th at 11 AM PST

World Cup Roundup – Groups A and B

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

Group A

Winners – Netherlands

Runners Up – Senegal

Eliminated – Ecuador and Qatar

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

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

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

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

Group B

Winners – England

Runners up – USA

Eliminated – Iran, Wales

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qatar vs. Senegal

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

Ecuador vs. Netherlands

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

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

Wales vs. Iran

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

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

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

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

England vs. USA

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

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

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

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

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

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