End of Summer Review: Women’s World Cup Reactions; Manchester United Season Preview

We are at the business end of the Women’s World Cup, with the semifinals all set to go. This tournament has been filled with surprises and upsets, which is indicative of a levelling playing field. Perennial favorites such as USA, Germany, Norway, and Brazil are all already out of the tournament, and we are left with four teams who have refreshingly never won the Women’s World Cup. Spain will play Sweden on Tuesday, with England pitted against co-host nation Australia on Wednesday. The matches will be played overnight in the United States and early in the morning Europe time. While the kickoff times have been absolutely brutal for anyone living in the USA, that’s really the only complaint anyone can have. The drama and level of competition in these matches has been nothing short of fantastic. England’s penalty shootout against Nigeria in the Round of 16 was electric, only for it to be topped by the longest penalty shootout in World Cup history (men or women) between Australia and France earlier today. 20 total penalties were taken before Australia finally won!

England have not been at their best so far this tournament in terms of style and flair, but they continue to win matches thanks to thoroughly resilient defensive performances and holding their nerve at the right moments. Pre-tournament injuries were always going to present issues to England this tournament, and unfortunately they have dealt with more player unavailability as the tournament has gone on. Superstar midfielder Kiera Walsh injured herself in the group stage and is not playing at 100%, while Lionesses winger and leading scorer this tournament Lauren James was suspended for this match and will also miss the semifinal against Australia after a red card in the Round of 16. England are fortunately blessed with strength in depth and experience at major tournaments, but they will need every ounce of willpower to get past the Australians in Sydney on Wednesday. The match atmosphere in the quarterfinal earlier today against Colombia was decidedly anti-England, but that will be amplified times ten in the match against the host nation and former British colony. The Matildas are in their first ever World Cup semifinal, and they will do all they can to secure a final on home soil.

But what happened to the Americans? They were the defending champs and a favorite to win it again this year before the tournament started. But they went out in the Round of 16 on penalties to Sweden, after struggling to make it out of their group. While their early exit was joyous to those of us who find USWNT fans’ arrogance and exceptionalism off-putting, it was certainly a major disappointment to a team that is filled to the brim with raw talent. Many casual “fans” who don’t follow the game closely pointed to the team’s political activism and collective attitude as reasons for the loss. That’s potentially a small part of the reason, but a much bigger on-the-pitch issue was their awful tactics. They seemed to be intent on walking the ball into the net, or in the alternative, waiting on a moment of individual brilliance to save them. There did not appear to be a coherent tactical plan from (soon to be former) manager Vlatko Andonovski. His substitutions usually did not make sense, and poor finishing from good chances didn’t help either. As referenced above, the playing field is much more level now in terms of talent and player development, and the Americans failed to take that into account. The result is a lackluster early exit.

Quick shoutouts to South Africa, Jamaica, Nigeria, Colombia, and Morocco. Everyone expected those five teams to go out early in the tournament, but they all defied expectations by making it to the knockout rounds.

***

Manchester United have completed their preseason tour, and the Premier League is officially back underway. The Red Devils’ first match of the new season is not until Monday 8/14 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford, but all other Premier League teams played today or will play tomorrow. My first post-match article will be for the 8/14 match.

This summer transfer window has been a very successful one from United’s point of view. Refreshingly, there are still three weeks left in the window and United have already completed three key signings, a far cry from their usual methods of waiting until the very end of the summer before making a desperation signing. One gets the sense that manager Erik ten Hag has been the main impetus and driving force behind getting all of these transfers done. At the end of last season I said we needed a goalkeeper, a a ball-carrying midfielder, and a striker. As of the beginning of August, we have signed a goalkeeper (Andre Onana), a ball-carrying midfielder (Mason Mount), and a striker (Rasmus Højlund). While Højlund is young and will not be available until early September due to injury, his ability to find the back of the net is something United desperately needed. I cannot count the number of chances we created last year that weren’t scored due to poor finishing.

Given that the window is not closed yet, it seems there will be additional signings made to cover some of the departing players. Midfielder Fred, defenders Harry Maguire, Alex Telles, Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe, Eric Bailly, winger Anthony Elanga, and goalkeeper David De Gea all left Old Trafford this summer. It’s a massive clearing out, with the goal being to bring some balance to the weekly wage bill and also to make room for players who better fit ETH’s tactical system. De Gea and (former club captain) Maguire are the most obvious examples of this. Both were on massive wages, yet neither really fit the club’s overall football philosophy. It’s a tough decision to let them go, but I believe it’s the correct one. I’d like to thank all of these players for their services to United and I wish them all the best. United are heavily linked with midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and defender Benjamin Pavard, both of which could still come to Old Trafford before the end of August to replace some of the outgoing players.

United need to aim for the Premier League title this season. It has been over a decade since they last won it, and we finally have the manager and the squad to achieve it. Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and even Newcastle will present staunch opposition, but there is no reason why a team with this level of talent can’t make a title push. I think the main thing supporters want to see is improvement to our away form, which was horrendous against the “top 6” clubs last season. Moreover, it is no longer enough to shoot for the top-4 and being happy with meeting that goal. We need to be winning trophies. A deep run in the Champions League and one of the domestic cups is also expected. I am sick and tired of watching Man City win everything, like they did last year.

Unfortunately, there are no major updates on the sale of the club. Indeed, it looks more and more likely every day that the despised Glazer family will stay in control. They were supposedly close to selling over the summer, but it’s very unclear just how genuine those intentions were. They still need to go, and fan groups are planning protests throughout the season that will not stop until the leeches have finally left our club alone.

Speaking of protests, there is another batch of controversy brewing among supporters, and it has to do with the potential reinstatement of winger/forward Mason Greenwood to the team. Greenwood has been away from the club for the better part of two years, having been accused of domestic violence and sexual assault from his former (current?) girlfriend, and many have called for him to never wear a United shirt ever again. His criminal charges over the matter have been dropped, but many in the court of public opinion have already deemed him guilty based on social media videos posted by Greenwood’s girlfriend. The author of this blog is not qualified to make a judgment either way as to the veracity of the claims, but I think it is for the best if Greenwood went to play somewhere else. Whether the allegations are true or not, they will be discussed every time he touches the ball. This is the kind of locker room distraction that can really hurt team chemistry, and Greenwood (despite his obvious natural talents) was supposedly not one for team camaraderie anyway. The club should listen to the open letter posted by a female supporters group and terminate his contract permanently.

Here’s to the Red Devils in 2023/2024! Glazers Out!

World Cup Final – Preview: Argentina vs. France

Qatar should get no recognition or goodwill for hosting this event and FIFA needs to be investigated by some sort of regulatory commission for corruption.

Congrats to Croatia for taking 3rd place today. Coupled with a runners-up spot in 2018, this is by far their most successful era. Morocco also deserve a congratulations, as their 4th place finish is the highest ever for an African side.

France vs. Argentina

France: The team known colloquially as Les Bleus are in their second straight World Cup Final and are looking to be the first team to repeat as champions since Brazil did it in 1958 and 1962. They already have two World Cups, having won in 1998 and 2018. They have an array of talented players throughout the team, with the obvious focal point being all-world striker Kylian Mbappe. He has been fairly quiet in recent matches as defenders have been focused on marking him out of the game, but he has been able to contribute with his runs on the ball pulling defenders away from teammates. The main thing I’ve noticed about this France team is that they do a lot with very little. Their past two games against Morocco and England have frankly been unimpressive, aside from brief moments of quality that they take full opportunity of. France only had two meaningful attacks against Morocco, but they scored on both of them. “Clinical” is a good word to use to describe France. Their greatest strength this tournament has been their ruthlessness in front of goal.

That being said, there are weaknesses in this team that did not exist in 2018. Their central midfield is lacking a consistent long-range passer, their fullbacks are backups or other players being played out of position, and they don’t have a ton of depth off the bench. All of these problems are caused by the numerous injuries that happened both before and during the tournament. Paul Pogba, Karim Benzema, Presnal Kimpembe, N’Golo Kante, and Christopher Nkunku would all be in as starters normally, but none of them have played a single minute in this tournament. Fullback Theo Hernandez, deputizing for his injured brother Lucas Hernandez, has had some calamitous moments at left back. Despite the presence of stalwart center back Raphael Varane, this French defense might be their biggest weakness. Argentina’s attackers will know this, and will likely be licking their lips.

Argentina: La Albiceleste are in their first final since 2014 and are looking to win their first World Cup since 1986. The South Americans lost in heartbreaking fashion in that 2014 final to Germany, and they find themselves facing European opposition again this time around. The big headline for Argentina of course is that this will be the last ever World Cup match for their captain and attacking midfielder Lionel Messi. Regular readers of this blog (and basically anybody who has ever taken the time to watch football) know all about Messi, and his plaudits are far too many to list. Suffice it to say, he’s the Greatest Of All Time. Of course, the one and only trophy he is missing from his treasure trove of silverware is the Jules Rimet trophy, a.k.a. the World Cup. This is literally his last chance to win it. He showed against Croatia he still has the mesmerizing ball skills that made him famous, and his contributions will be the key to Argentina’s chances. Messi will undoubtedly be looking at that patchwork French defense with hunger in his eyes and 2014 fresh in his mind. He is already the best to ever a kick a ball, but hoisting that trophy above his head will eliminate all lingering doubt.

Unlike 2014, Messi has a lot more support in attack and midfield this time. Striker Julian Álvarez is having himself a sensational tournament at the young age of 22. He has been the principal and primary beneficiary of Messi’s brilliance in recent matches. When Messi is able to pull defenders out of position, it leaves holes for Álvarez to sneak into and get a shot away. Argentina’s third goal against Croatia in the semis is the perfect example of this. A brilliant run from Messi to pull defenders in, and then Messi finds a mostly unmarked Álvarez for a simple tap-in. I have also been impressed with their build-up play through midfield, and they have the work rates of Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez to thank for that. When you couple attacking support for Messi with an improved midfield and the usual stingy Argentine defense, you start to see that this is a very complete team. Center backs Nicolas Otamendi and Lisandro Martinez have been having very good tournaments respectively.

The tactics of manager Lionel Scaloni will likely determine Argentina’s fate, however. How will they play this should they manage to get themselves into the lead? Will they keep attacking like they did against Croatia and win easily? Or will they go into defensive mode and try to hold on, like they did against Australia and the Netherlands? In those two games they conceded late, and it nearly cost them both times. They had to rely on penalties to beat the Dutch, for example. Put simply, if Argentina get an early goal or two, they should keep their foot on the gas for all 90 minutes. If they start pulling men back on 70 minutes to protect a slim lead, that could be disastrous against a team with France’s attack.

Here’s to an entertaining final where the referee is not part of the headlines!

Prediction: Argentina 2-1 France (Argies get a late winner in extra time)

World Cup Semifinals: Fr*nce Play Spoiler to History

FIFA is a corrupt cartel and Qatar’s government is built on repression.

France vs. Morocco

Argentina booked their place in the final decisively yesterday, and today it was all about determining who would be joining them there for a chance at history. France were the heavy favorites due to their superior talent in attack, but interestingly it appeared that Morocco’s defense may be better than France’s. Most in the stadium and those watching on TV and online were probably supporting Morocco as well, or they were if they liked rooting for the underdog. It’s been a real-life fairy tale for Morocco at this tournament. The first African side to reach the semis, and they have claimed the scalps of Belgium, Spain, and Portugal already. Very impressive from a team that not many gave a chance to.

But in this match, things were bad for Morocco almost from the off. The first goal was always going to be vital in this match, and it was the Frogs that struck first a scant five minutes into the match. A deflected and bouncing cross from the right side fell directly to left back Theo Hernandez, who was unmarked at the back post. He displayed quite a bit of athleticism to get his left foot to the ball, which had bounced up rather high on him. He struck it sweetly though and beat Moroccan keeper Yassine “Bono” Bounou at his near post. It wasn’t really Bono’s fault though, as Hernandez never should have been given that much space. It was the first time I had seen the Moroccans completely lose a man in the box this whole tournament, and they were punished for it.

I was worried how Morocco would respond as they had not been behind in this tournament up until that point, and it must be said they answered fairly well. They began getting the ball out to their wide men more effectively, and they were asking questions of Hernandez and his full back counter-part Jules Kounde. Forward/winger Hakim Ziyech was in particularly industrious form, seeming to pop up everywhere on the ball. The Moroccans were struggling to seriously test Les Bleus keeper Hugo Lloris though. He made a series of routine saves throughout the course of the first half, but I don’t think he was ever seriously worried. The French center backs Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konaté were somehow always on hand to make the vital final tackle, with defensive midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni helping to cover as well. The Moroccans hit the post on 45 minutes but try as they might, they just couldn’t find a way through and the first half ended at 1-0.

France were happy to have the lead of course, but everyone in the stadium was aware that the lead was an incredibly narrow one. Aside from the goal scored by France, Morocco had largely been the better team in the first half. That trend did continue for the most part in the opening stages of the second half as well. They kept running directly at the French defense, and if not again for those vital clearances at the last minute, Morocco could have exposed their back line. The French however started to find their attack again as the second half wore on. Winger/midfielder Antoine Griezmann was a monster in this match for them, particularly in the second half. His ball carrying and ability to win fouls were indispensable for his team today.

The match was put to bed on 79 minutes when France got their second, and maddeningly it was only their second real attack of the match. They worked the ball around the edge of the area well after Morocco gave the ball away in midfield. It eventually found the feet of striker Kylian Mbappe, who dribbled neatly into the area to get a shot away. A tackle came in at the last second though, which caused his shot to skid at an odd angle along the ground and straight into the path of substitute striker Randal Kolo Muani. Kolo Muani had been on the pitch for all of about 40 seconds before being presented with the greatest gift a striker can receive; the ball directly in front of him two yards from goal with keeper beaten. Bono had been trying to cover his near post to account for Mbappe, but the deflection took him completely out of the play. Well done to Kolo Muani for being in the right place at the right time and credit to France manager Didier Deschamps for the substitution as well, but it was a truly unlucky goal to concede from Morocco’s point of view.

Although the north Africans were visibly deflated after the second goal went in, they kept fighting nevertheless. They won a series of free kicks and corners that would have worried French fans, but nothing direct ever really came of them. Their best chance of the match came in stoppage time when a shot from close range was cleared off the line by Kounde with Lloris stranded. It was just not Morocco’s day today, and that happens sometimes in this sport. You can do everything right, but the ball just doesn’t want to go in. France were the more clinical side despite being less attacking-inclined, and they won 2-0. They are the first team with a chance to win successive World Cups in close to 60 years.

For Morocco, that early France goal really did them in. They are not a team built to chase games. They should be proud though. No matter the result today, just getting to the semifinals was a massive achievement for them. They did ever so well in this tournament and will be a nation to reckon with for years to come. Defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat needs to be in the team of the tournament, along with one or two of their back line. Defenders the world over can take lessons from the discipline and tackling shown by Morocco at this World Cup.

World Cup Final – France vs. Argentina – Sunday, December 18th 11 AM PST (there’s also the third place match on Saturday between Croatia and Morocco but I am decidedly unenthusiastic about third place)

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 Quarterfinals: Preview (Day 2)

Do not believe a single thing the Qatar state media says about Qatar. It’s all lies. Same with FIFA. They’re all liars and hypocrites.

Saturday brings us two excellent matchups!

Portugal vs. Morocco – Saturday December 10th – 7 AM PST

Morocco has shocked the world twice already by beating Belgium and Spain, and they will look to do that for a third time against an in-form Portuguese side.

There’s no real mystery as to how this game will go from Morocco’s point of view. They are going to use their well-disciplined back-6 (4 defenders, a defensive mid, and the keeper) to sit back and park the proverbial bus. They will be more than happy to let Portugal have all the possession, just like they did against Spain. When they recover the ball, they will look to quickly play it long towards their pacey wingers/forwards like Hakim Ziyech. If they can get those forwards in behind the Portuguese defense regularly, it could be yet another upset for them. The longer this match stays at 0-0, the bigger the advantage for Morocco. All they need is one good opportunity to score, and they will likely take it. They are just the 4th African team in history to make the quarterfinals of the World Cup, but they will not want their Cinderella run to end here. They will go at the Portuguese when the opportunity presents itself to try and win. They’ll be penned in their own half for most of the match, but Portugal will need to be on their toes if/when the balls breaks for Morocco.

Portugal will be the toughest test for the north Africans so far. They have found good team chemistry despite the dramatics of one Cristiano Ronaldo, and they have a good mix of youth and experience. They scored for fun against the Swiss in the Round of 16, and I expect them to be on the front foot for most of this match. Striker Gonçalo Ramos, along with midfielders Bruno Fernandes and João Félix, will probably be responsible for Portugal’s attacking duties. All three of those players I just listed are in extremely good form right now. Without checking, I am fairly sure that Bruno leads all players in assists at this tournament. They are also much more direct than the Spanish, relying more on getting the ball forward quickly as opposed to trying to pass the opponent to death. Ramos also cannot be given any space when in the box, as he is capable of scoring from a variety of angles. If the Portuguese get a goal in the first half, it could be a very long day for Morocco.

Prediction: Portugal 1-0 Morocco (0-0 after 90 minutes, but Portugal gets the winner in extra time)

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

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Nerves are through the roof for this one. Where to even begin? France are the defending world champions and certainly have the talent to win another World Cup this year. England were semi-finalists in 2018, and were runners-up at Euro 2021 last summer. Both sides are loaded with talent, and both sides have the ability to win this match. Along with Netherlands-Argentina, this match is as about as close as it gets to a toss-up.

The big threats from France come from all-world striker Kylian Mbappe and striker Olivier Giroud, who will be supported by the likes of wingers Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann. All four of those guys are capable of winning matches on their own, particularly Mbappe. The man is in sensational form right now and leads all other scorers in the race for the Golden Boot. He not only has Olympic-caliber sprinting abilities, he also has the ability to score from almost anywhere inside 20 yards. His two finishes against Poland in the Round of 16 were real “poacher’s” goals, as they were hit not only with power but precision and from a fair bit of distance. Put simply, he is the main source of inspiration for the French and will need to be closely marshalled by the England defense. If he is given too much space in the box, France will score. One concern for the French is their number of injuries, and perhaps a lack of pace in the back line. France are extremely deep even with injuries to Paul Pogba, Karim Benzema, and Christopher Nkunku, but as a result of those absences they are perhaps not as deep as they were when they won in 2018. I also think their fullbacks Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez lack a little bit of pace. That hasn’t hurt them so far, but they have not played an attack like England’s yet. This is not to say that the French back line isn’t good, as they are indeed anchored by world-class center back Raphael Varane. I do think however that attacks down the wings will create the most problems for France.

As for England, well, there is no denying their talent in attack. Going forward, this might be the strongest England side I have ever seen. They have the big physical center forward in Harry Kane, and he is often supported by forwards/wingers Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Phil Foden. All four of them have scored at this tournament, and while Kane’s goals are slightly down he has contributed in other ways. His passes from midfield that find the runs of Rashford and Foden have been absolutely deadly. Whether Kane is in the box or distributing from midfield, he will have a very important role to play. Tactically I think manager Gareth Southgate will be happy to concede a little bit of possession to the French, as England’s first two goals in the Round of 16 against Senegal came via quick counter-attack moves. Midfielder Jude Bellingham will also have a vital role to play, as he is usually the one who carries the ball forward through midfield while riding challenges from the opposition. His balance and technique on the ball are among the best I have ever seen from a midfielder his size, and he is still only 19. England’s back line and defense will be tested against the French, but so far they have largely passed all tests presented to them. Interestingly, the best form of defense for England will be a good attack. If we keep the French on their toes and wary of us breaking on them, they will have a harder time throwing men forward.

It’s going to take the collective efforts of everyone in a Three Lions shirt to get a win on Saturday. Total focus and concentration. One error could be the difference between the semifinals and a flight home. This England team has taken so many major steps forward since 2018, and they must continue to do so here. A win over the French at the World Cup would be historic. They are a formidable foe, but then again, so are England. Southgate must take the handbrake off for this team and let them run at the French defense. If we lose, it will be because we played too conservatively.

Prediction: both teams to score at least one, but I am not going to pick a winner. Whatever I say, it will somehow negatively affect England. Superstition abounds right now.

World Cup Round of 16 – Portugal Advance, Morocco Shocks the World Again

The author of this blog is a proud supporter of women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and religious minorities. Qatar, and FIFA by association, are not.

Last matches of the Round of 16 today! Can’t believe this tournament is well over halfway done.

Portugal vs. Switzerland

Portugal were favored coming into this match, but I thought that Switzerland stood a good chance of at least forcing penalties if they were well-organized defensively. I was wrong. Portugal simply have too much quality and they won 6-1, the largest margin of victory so far at this World Cup. Manager Fernando Santos surprisingly omitted striker Cristiano Ronaldo from his starting line-up, which was the biggest headline pre-match.

As indicated by the score line though, it’s clear that Portugal do not need Ronaldo anymore. 21 year-old striker (on in place of Ronaldo) Gonçalo Ramos opened the scoring on 17 minutes with an absolute scorcher of a shot. There didn’t appear to be any space to get a shot away on goal given the tight angle and close range, but the finish from Ramos here was truly spectacular. Rifled into the roof of the net, with Swiss keeper Yann Sommer having no chance at it. Center back Pepe added Portugal’s second from a corner on 33 minutes, with the massive defender getting his head to the ball ahead of his marker. Again, nothing Sommer could really do about it. It was 2-0 at half time and it seemed that the Swiss were already up against the wall.

Portugal’s dominance only grew as the match wore on, with Ramos getting the third from close range on 51 minutes. Left back Raphaël Guerreiro then got it on the scoring with a fine finish on 55 minutes after a pass from Ramos, and then Ramos sealed his first World Cup hat-trick (and the first one of this World Cup) on 67 minutes after being put through on goal by midfielder João Félix. Switzerland did manage to get a goal from a set piece sandwiched between the 4th and 5th goals for Portugal, and it was a close range finish from defender Manuel Ankanji.

Portugal’s sixth goal on the day came in stoppage time, and it was a wonderfully curled home finish by substitute forward Rafael Leão. Utter dominance from the Portuguese today, and there is obviously a massive gulf in talent between them and the Swiss. Ronaldo did come on as a substitute once the game was won, but failed to make a meaningful contribution.

The biggest difference between this Portugal and the Portugal of recent years is the quality they have in the team aside from Ronaldo. Bruno Fernandes, Félix, and Bernardo Silva are all world-class midfielders and their quality shown through today. Not many outside of Portugal knew about Ramos before today, but the whole world knows his name now. A hat-trick at the World Cup has certainly increased his price tag for clubs interested in his services. The whole team played well, though. This was domination from start to finish by Portugal. They will feel extremely confident going into the quarterfinals.

The Swiss are indeed going home but they achieved probably all they could have reasonably expected to achieve. They got out of a tough group with Brazil and Serbia after all. But again, the talent was the difference today. I keep going back to that first goal as a great example of it. Ramos was marked tightly and Sommer appeared to have the angle covered, but he saw that good defending and good keeping and displayed some even better attacking play. Sometimes you can do everything right, and the opposition will still get the better of you.

Morocco vs. Spain

Classic David vs. Goliath story here, with Spain playing the role of goliath. The 2010 world champions and two-time European champions were beaten today by the last African team left at the tournament – Morocco. After 90 minutes it was 0-0, and still 0-0 at 120 minutes. When it came time for penalties, it was the north Africans who showed more poise! After all, why wouldn’t they? This is a team that has already beaten the likes of Belgium and drawn with Croatia at this very tournament.

There aren’t any goals to write about, but this game went how most predicted it would. Spain would have all the possession, while Morocco looked to use their pacey wingers and forwards to hit them on the counter-attack. And for 120 minutes, that’s exactly what happened. The first 45 was tepid as neither team really went for it. Spain had all the possession as noted, but the possession lacked purpose. They began to edge the ball forward more in the second half, but every time they played in a cross or down low through the middle, a Moroccan player was there to clear it or put a block in. At the other end, Morocco did well on several occasions to build attacks, but the Spanish always got back quickly as well to snuff out any threats. Keeper Unai Simón was called into action sparingly, while his counterpart Yassine Bounou (spelled Bono on the back of his shirt for some reason) was decidedly busier.

Attacking midfielder Pablo Sarabia hit the post in the dying seconds of extra time in added time, but that was about as close as Spain got to finding their goal. Penalties loomed large. Interestingly, Spain manager Luis Enrique told the media pre-match that he had required each of his players to take 1000 penalties each in training to prepare for a shoot-out should it happen. If that’s true, perhaps they should have taken 2000 apiece because they were utterly dismal in the penalty shootout. Bounou (who I will refer to as Bono from here on out) made two key saves from midfielders Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets. Their penalties lacked pace and placement, and Bono was all over them. Routine saves, but saves that needed to be made nevertheless.

The Moroccans approached the penalty shootout with confidence though, scoring on three of four attempts. The winner, scored by Spanish-born right back Achraf Hakimi, was particularly ballsy. He went for the Panenka, a term used for a penalty shot chipped in the air right down the middle that goes in due to the keeper diving left or right, first introduced to the world by Czech winger Antonin Panenka in 1976. It’s a risky way to do it though, because if the keeper doesn’t dive it’s an easy save for him and the taker looks like an idiot. But when it goes in, it looks super badass. What a way to send your team to its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal! Ice in his veins.

While Spain were boring and lacking in creativity, a massive amount of credit needs to be given to Bono, Hakimi, center back Nayef Aguerd, center back Romain Saïss, left back Noussair Mazraoui, and defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat. Those six men are the main reason why Morocco progressed today. It was an absolutely brilliant display of team defense and discipline against a more-talented Spanish side. For long portions of this match, it was just Spain’s waves of attack crashing repeatedly against a Moroccan sea wall. Morocco couldn’t get out of their own half for any significant period of time, so the defense was required to be focused and in-position for almost the entire match. Amrabat in particular popped up basically everywhere, and he was usually making a key tackle or interception. Spain did lack creativity going forward today, but all credit to the back six of Morocco and manager Walid Regragui for implementing and executing an amazing game plan.

It’s been said a million times this tournament and I say it again now: you don’t always win on talent alone!

Quarterfinals – Portugal vs. Morocco – Saturday, December 10th – 7 AM PST

World Cup Roundup – Groups E and F

FIFA and Qatar are two sides of the same corrupt coin.

That being said, what an absolute DAY at the World Cup. I still haven’t caught my breath!

Group F

Winners – Morocco

Runners Up – Croatia

Eliminated – Belgium, Canada

The big news in this group is that Belgium have been eliminated after a goalless draw with Croatia in their final group game. Belgium were very disappointing this whole tournament, and that form continued today. They were the better side in terms of possession and chances created, but of course a team doesn’t win simply by having more possession. Striker Romelu Lukaku was guilty of missing at least two gilt-edged chances, and I feel that the Lukaku of 4 years ago would have buried both of them. His form recently though simply hasn’t been good. But the Belgians can’t blame one man for their failure. They weren’t good enough in any of their matches, and the results prove it. Belgium fans will be devastated today, given that this was probably the last chance for players like Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Eden Hazard to play at a World Cup. They now face a ton of questions about their future, and they will answer those questions with out the aide of manager Roberto Martinez, who voluntarily stepped down as Belgium boss after the match. The Croatians did well to manage the game today and got a little lucky, but they’ll be happy to be through to the next round with their draw today.

A very hearty “well done” to the Moroccans today and for their general performance so far. Thy knew that a draw would likely see them through to the next round, but they went and got another victory today over already-eliminated Canada that saw them win their group! Not many would have picked them to do that before this tournament started. Winger/forward Hakim Ziyech got the first goal on 3 minutes when Canadian keeper Milan Borjan’s poor clearance fell straight to Ziyech and he chipped the keeper from about 30 yards out. The Moroccans then got a second about 20 minutes later when a long ball forward found the run of striker Youssef En-Nesyri. Despite being closely marshalled by two Canadian defenders, he got a low shot away that beat Borjan at his near post. The Canadians got one back from an own-goal on 41 minutes, but could not find another.

A day to forget for the Canadian keeper, but a day to remember for every Moroccan! They win their group for the first time in their history and become only the second African team to win their group in World Cup history!

Belgium going out and Morocco winning the group would be the story of the day if not for what happened in the other group.

Group E

Winners – Japan

Runners Up – Spain

Eliminated – Germany, Costa Rica

I don’t even know where to begin with this group. Total chaos and pandemonium from all four teams involved. Every possible mathematical permutation that could have happened did happen at one point or another during today’s matches. There was a very brief four minute window today where both the Ze Germans AND Spain were going out, and while that did not fully come to pass at the final whistles, the Germans going out is still a massive, massive, disappointment for them. Going into their final match against Costa Rica they not only needed to win, they needed a draw from the Spain-Japan match to get out of the group. They did end up winning 4-2 with forward Kai Havertz getting two goals, although it was much closer than the score line suggested. Costa Rica were right there with them most of the way. Even though Die Manschaft won, they still went out on goal difference to the Spanish. That 7-0 in favor of La Rioja against Costa Rica in the opening match ended up being very important indeed, as Spain advanced on superior goal difference. German manager Hansi Flick and all their players will be facing a lot of justified criticism for their performance in this World Cup. They never seemed to fully click. A more thorough examination of their issues is sure to come.

Both matches were great to watch, but the drama of how they impacted each other was the best thing about today. At halftime in both matches it was 1-0 to Spain and 1-0 to Germany, so it stood to reason that they would both hold on and sneak out of the group. Spain were passing the Japanese to death and the Germans looked to be revving up their goal machine.

But Japan had other ideas. In their match, the Blue Samurai came out in the second half and quickly scored two goals (48′ and 51′), one by substitute forward Ritsu Doan and the other by midfielder Ao Tanaka. The first came about due to some lackadaisical play by the Spanish, who were far too casual while playing the ball out from the back. Japan pressed and won the ball in their attacking third, after which Doan received it on the edge of the Spanish penalty area and whipped an absolute cracker of a shot off the hands of keeper Unai Simón and into the back of the net. A goal from nowhere, but that is a tactic the Japanese specialize in.

Japan had the ball forward again moments later, but this time the ball across the face of goal appeared to be just out of reach of winger Kaoru Mitoma. Mitoma still got a foot to the ball for a cross in though, and it was bundled home by the knee of Tanaka from maybe a yard out. The game was stopped for a goal check, and VAR allowed it to stand. Make no mistake, this was an insanely close call. There did appear to be some space between the ball and the end line, but it also appeared that a portion of the back half of the ball did not quite make it over the line. The camera angle made it hard to tell. In football, a ball is only out if the whole ball goes over the whole line, and the ref determined that the whole ball did not cross the whole of the line. The finest of fine margins though!

Japan then converted to a back-6 and essentially played the “attacks versus defense” training drill for the next 40 minutes, and while that is a risky strategy, it ultimately worked. The Spanish never did generate too many good chances after that, aside from two good saves from keeper Shūichi Gonda. Excellent defensive discipline from the Japanese to see it out, and it must be said that Spain were probably not in the mood to help Germany progress by scoring an equalizer.

Japan deserved this result today. I was worried about them after the first half being down 1-0 thanks to a header from striker Alvaro Morata, but their game plan for the second half was perfect. They pressed when they needed to, got a good goal as a result, and then nicked a second with a bit of good luck. They did almost the exact same thing against Germany. They were down 1-0 at the half in that match too, but got two in quick succession at the start of the second half of that match too. When something like this happens once it’s lucky, but when it’s twice it’s obviously a clear strategy.

Japanese manager Hajime Moriyasu deserves a ton of credit for today’s win. Japan’s strategy of holding on and defending for the first 45 and then really going for it in the opening 10 minutes of the second half worked perfectly – and it worked TWICE against two powerhouses of world football. The stats surrounding this team are absolutely mind-boggling. Japan is the first team ever to win a World Cup match with less than 20% possession. Indeed, their 17.7% possession today is the lowest for a winner in any World Cup match ever. They are the first team ever to come from behind and win twice in the group stage. They are the first Asian team to win their group twice. Just stunning in every which way. The party is on in Tokyo tonight!

Japan vs. Croatia – Monday, December 5th at 7 AM PST

Spain vs. Morocco – Tuesday, December 6th at 7 AM PST

World Cup Roundup – Team Chaos Reigns Supreme

Qatar is a terrible place to host a World Cup for everyone except FIFA. Corrupt and rotten to the core, every one of them.

Croatia vs. Canada

Although chaos was the theme of the day, this match was probably the most predictable one beforehand. Croatia romped to a 4-1 victory over the Canadians despite going down early. This match was one of youth and athleticism versus experience and tactics. Canada have a lot of young and talented players, and it was their superstar Alphonso Davies who got their first goal of this tournament and Canada’s first goal ever at a World Cup just two minutes into the game via a header from close range. A historic moment for their nation!

But Croatia were undeterred, to say the very least. They’ve been in this sort of position before at a World Cup, and were runners-up in 2018 for a reason. They scored the next four goals over the course of the match, with two of them coming from winger/forward Andrej Kramaric. It was a brilliant day for him and the Croatian midfield in general, with a masterclass from the aging but still all-world midfielder Luka Modric. They really gave the Canadians a lesson in how to effectively pass the ball around.

Canada have sadly been eliminated from World Cup 2022, joining Qatar. Perhaps their manager John Herdman has learned the hard way not to shoot his mouth off at opposition of this caliber in pre-match interviews. It’s clear the Croatians felt disrespected today, so they were highly motivated to win. Croatia is top of Group F on 4 points.

Morocco vs. Belgium

Okay, time for some chaos now! The Belgians were strong favorites to win Group F pre-tournament, but they lost today 2-0 to a well-disciplined and opportunistic Moroccan team.

This match was a choppy one for the most part, with Belgium in particular struggling to break down a very stubborn opposition. Belgium had the majority of the possession, but that suited Morocco just fine. Belgium’s best effort of the half came early on when Michy Batshuayi’s attempt was deflected away by Moroccan keeper Munir Mohamedi. But the Morroccans broke on the counter-attack via their speedy wingers such as Hakim Ziyech several times and were causing a ton of problems for the aging Belgian defense, either via direct attacks or by winning free kicks. Morocco thought they had a goal in first half stoppage time from a header, but it was ruled out for offside after VAR checked it.

The Moroccans held on in the second half defensively, and the later it got, the more you felt like they might nick a goal. They finally did get a goal on 73 minutes from attacking midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri, who’s free kick from near the corner flag inexplicably dipped under Belgian midfielder Thibaut Courtois for 1-0. Courtois is one of the best keepers in the world, so it was very odd to see him commit such a glaring error. He has to cover his near post from the angle, and he simply didn’t. Morocco didn’t care of course, because they were now en route to a famous victory if they could hold on for 17 minutes plus stoppage time.

Belgium poured men forward trying to find an equalizer. Their best chance came when center back Jan Vertonghen headed it just wide around 80 minutes or so. But Morocco then got their second in stoppage time via another counter-attack, with a pullback cross from the right hand side of the box finding forward Zakaria Aboukhlal in front of the goal on his own, and he made no mistake with a finish into the roof of the net. It sealed all three points for Morocco in one of their biggest results ever at a World Cup.

Belgium are in trouble. They are 3rd on 3 points, but are very much on the outside looking in. They now face the daunting prospect of playing in-form Croatia to try and stay alive and progress to the next round. To make matters worse, Vertonghen and midfielder Kevin De Bruyne are sniping at each other in the press, so one can imagine that the locker room chemistry for the Belgians is rather acidic right now. These Belgians are talented, but I think they might be coming to grips with the idea that collectively they may not be athletic enough to keep up with speedier opposition. Could this group stage be the last hurrah for Belgium’s golden generation?

Morocco are 2nd in Group F on 4 points. Croatia has the tiebreaker on goal differential. The north Africans now face already-eliminated Canada on the final matchday. It is possible they progress even if they lose to Canada, but they will want to of course guarantee progression for themselves.

Japan vs. Costa Rica

This was also another chaotic result, with the Costa Ricans shocking the Blue Samurai 1-0. Japan, fresh off their upset over Germany, were heavily favored in this match not only due to their own strengths but also the defensive frailty of Costa Rica. The Spanish put 7 goals past the Ticos on the first matchday of Group E.

But the surprising heroes on the day were the Costa Rica back four and right back Keysher Fuller, who curled home from just inside the penalty area in the 81st minute after the Japanese gave the ball away in their own final third. Keeper Shuichi Gonda got a hand to the effort but could not keep it out. Some say Gonda was at fault for the goal, but as a former amateur keeper I think that’s a tad unfair on him. It was a well-taken strike after a defensive error. He maybe could have got a stronger hand to the ball, but the Japanese defense can’t give the ball away like that.

Fuller’s goal was Costa Rica’s first of the tournament, and amazingly it was their first shot on goal as well. A very surprising and unlikely result, but this was Costa Rica’s formula in 2014 that got them to the semifinals. Militant defensive discipline and opportunistic goal scoring.

Japan could have progressed to the second round today with a win, but their loss now sees them in 2nd on 3 points. Costa Rica move up to 3rd in the group on 3 points, although Japan has the tie-breaker over them on goal difference.

Spain vs. Germany

This was the biggest matchup of the day on paper and maybe the entire group stage, as these two respective countries are powerhouses in world football. It ended 1-1 which isn’t a chaotic result in and of itself, but it did create chaos in the group standings. Coming into the match their respective moods couldn’t be more different. La Rioja were flying after their 7-0 thumping of Costa Rica, while Die Manschaft were well aware that a loss today would see them almost certainly eliminated from the tournament at the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup.

Both sides were keen to defend well and not concede, and that’s how it went for the first hour or so. I would give the Spanish a slight edge as they had more possession, but the possession wasn’t utilized towards much until just after the hour mark when veteran left back Jordi Alba received the ball on the left wing in space. He spotted the diagonal run of striker Alvaro Morata into the box, and played him the ball along the ground. Morata beat his marker to the ball and clipped it with his first touch into the air and over German keeper Manuel Neuer for 1-0. It was Spain’s most dangerous attack of the match and they did well to capitalize.

Ze Germans immediately went into attacking mode, as they had no other choice but to do so. They started pressing Spain higher up the pitch, and they began forcing some errors. Such an error led to their equalizer, when they lost the ball in their own final third. It was a well taken goal from fairly close range by substitute striker Niclas Füllkrug. He and midfielder Jamal Musiala nearly ran into each other trying to run onto Musiala’s flick around the Spanish defense, but Füllkrug got there first and lashed it into the roof of the net over keeper Unai Simón.

Credit to German manager Hansi Flick for rolling the dice and bringing on Füllkrug when they needed a goal. I’d like to see a certain England manager roll the dice when similarly needed. Musiala had an excellent match as well, particularly when they were pushing for an equalizer. They could not be eliminated today even with a loss, but a loss would have all-but-guaranteed elimination. They are still bottom of Group E on 1 point, and will need a victory over Costa Rica to secure progression. A draw does them no good.

Spain will be slightly disappointed to have given away the lead and the chance to progress, but a 1-1 draw against the Germans is never something to be too upset about. They are still top of Group E on 4 points, and can win the group with a draw against Japan if Costa Rica and Germany draw. They will want to win this group though, so I imagine they’ll go for the win and take Japan very seriously.

World Cup Roundup – Japan Stuns Germany and the Belgians Barely Escape Canada

Qatar is an Islamo-fascist police state still stuck in the Middle Ages, and the money grubbing assholes at FIFA love it. Authoritarianism is bad for humanity but good for them.

Morocco vs. Croatia

This match ended in a 0-0 draw and was a total snoozefest. Good result for Morocco against the runners-up in 2018, but neither side was impressive in attack today.

Spain vs. Costa Rica

This was a demolition of Costa Rica by the Spanish from the get-go. Spain won in dominating fashion 7-0, in what was really a disappointing outing for a Costa Rican side that made the semifinals in 2014. The Spanish under manager Luis Enrique appear to be revitalized, on the other hand. Spain have been inconsistent since their 2008-2010-2012 era of domination, and for many who cheer for La Rioja this tournament was the chance to turn over a new leaf, so to speak. Enrique has opted for youth rather than experience when he picked his team, and so far it is paying off spectacularly. Teenagers like Gavi and Ansu Fati are going to be a problem for years to come.

Given the dominating fashion of this win and what happened with Germany (see below), the Spanish are now firmly in the driver’s seat to win their group. But are they contenders to win it all? Maybe. It’s tough to say at this point. How they play against Germany and Japan will provide more insight into the answer. As for right now though, do not underestimate them. They clearly have the attacking talent to cause problems for anyone.

Belgium vs. Canada

Although Belgium won this match 1-0, it was easily the worst match I have seen from Belgium in at least 10 years. They are chock full of world-class talent but today they looked old, slow, and at times disinterested in playing hard. Canada was all over them from the outset, and it was only through the heroics of Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois that they didn’t go behind. He saved an early penalty after a Belgian handball taken by Canadian winger Alphonso Davies that kept the score level, and Davies will be absolutely kicking himself over that. His penalty was far too close to Courtois and lacked any kind of power. He also may have tipped where his shot was going during the run-up, given the positioning of his hips. He had a golden opportunity to score Canada’s first ever goal at a World Cup, but he bollocks’d it completely. Pressure!

It could be argued though that Canada should have had at least one, maybe two more penalties awarded to them in that first half. One should have definitely been given when a Canadian striker was trod upon in the area, but the referee had already improperly given an offside against Canada. There was another handball in the box later in the half, although to give that one as a penalty would have been harsh. What was clear is that the Belgian back line was at complete chaos for most of the first half, and they were extremely lucky not to concede.

The goal for the Belgians was a good one, although it was their only really good piece of attacking play and it was aided by some poor Canadian defending. A long ball was played over the top by Belgian center back Toby Alderweireld onto the run of striker Michy Batshuayi, who reached the ball before any Canadian defenders did and hit it first time on the volley into the far corner of keeper Milan Borjan’s net. They got the goal right on the edge of halftime, and it felt almost cruel to Canada. This goal was very much against the run of play, but ultimately Canada can only blame themselves. There was no pressure on Alderweireld when he passed the ball, and the run of Batshuayi beat three Canadian defenders to the ball. You can’t get beat over the top like that at this level. Had their positioning been better, they might have been able to clear the pass before it even got to Batshuayi.

The second half was far less eventful, although Belgium continued to struggle maintaining possession and surrendered several half-chances as the game progressed. Canada simply could not find a finish though. They will play better against Croatia and Tunisia, but they really let one slip through their fingers today. Belgium, for their part, will need to step their game up significantly if they want to make a deep run. They were very poor today and it was due to Courtois and dumb luck that they won. I expect players like Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard to play much better going forward.

Germany vs. Japan

This was your shocker for the day, and indeed would be the biggest shock of the tournament so far had Saudi Arabia not pulled its heroics yesterday. Japan won 2-1 after coming from behind against a much more talented German side.

Indeed, this match was eerily similar to the Saudi Arabia match in terms of how it played out. The Germans dominated the first half and went ahead on 33 minutes via a penalty from midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. No real arguments about the call as keeper Shūichi Gonda clearly fouled a German attacker when he slide-tackled to win the ball. Gundogan sent Gonda the wrong way from the spot, and it was 1-0. As with Argentina yesterday, many expected the Germans to kick on from there and win comfortably. Japan did manage to hold on until halftime only conceding one goal however, and that has proven to be a dangerous score line at this tournament. Both the Argentines and the Americans can attest to that.

They then had to rely on more defensive prowess and good keeping from Gonda to keep the Germans out. It seemed that every time a last-ditch tackle was needed, one of the Blue Samurai was on hand to make it. Germany kept getting more and more frustrated the longer it took them to find a second goal. Much like Saudi Arabia yesterday, they were saved by the offside flag and VAR several times.

Japan finally got their equalizer on 77 minutes, having grown into the game in terms of possession and creating chances around the 65 minute mark. A shot came in from the left side of the box from midfielder Kou Itakura that German keeper Manuel Neuer saved, but the rebound fell straight to substitute winger Ritsu Doan, who made no mistake when he stabbed the ball home from 5 yards out. The Germans were shocked, and it seemed like all the bad memories from their failure in 2018 came back into their minds.

Japan blew the roof off the building just five minutes later when Itakura played another ball forward along the right wing that found winger/forward Takuma Asano. He took a touch that knocked the ball into space, and he did well to hold off the German defender trying to take it off him. He got very close to Neuer’s goal before rifling a shot into the roof of the net over Neuer from a tight angle. There was a slight pause from the crowd as it appeared the shot went over the cross bar and into the roof of the net at first, but they erupted once it became clear that the shot had gone in. Great composure from Asano and well done to Japan overall for continuing to fight after going behind.

This Japanese team and their supporters are slowly but surely becoming fan favorites at this World Cup. Not only do they show spirit and togetherness on the pitch, but their supporters are showing that in the stands as well. It is a common site to see Japanese supporters helping to clean stadiums after matches, even for ones that don’t involve Japan! Such a practice is based in the Japanese cultural value of respecting public spaces and keeping them nice for everyone. It’s brilliant, really. I hope the Japanese do go far in this tournament, as they are the sort of team you want to see succeed.

The Germans have a lot of questions to answer after this match, particularly about their defensive play. The winning goal was a simple ball over the top that no one got to before Asano did. Very basic, from a tactical standpoint. Is there something mentally wrong with this German team? If so, their manager Hansi Flick needs to figure out the problem and resolve it quickly. If their defensive issues are not solved, Spain will wipe the floor with them in their next match and it could be a second consecutive group stage exit for Die Manschaft. Such a thought would have been unimaginable 10-15 years ago.

A quick (and rare) shoutout of recognition to Ze Germans though for their pre-match protest of Qatar’s human rights abuses. When they posed for their pre-match team photo, all XI men covered their mouths with their right hands. They were indicating that they would not be silenced by FIFA or Qatar, and the chancellor of the German FA has made it clear that human rights are non-negotiable for this German team. Cynics call it a hypocritical half-measure, while others see it as a way to bring the issues of human rights to the forefront.