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!

World Cup Quarterfinals: Croatia and Argentina Progress on a Wild Day

Now more than ever we must remember that FIFA is a corrupt cartel and Qatar is exploiting that greed for their own benefit.

On the pitch, it was an absolutely brilliant day. Both matches went to extra time, and both matches went to penalties! Days like today are what make the World Cup so special.

Brazil vs. Croatia

This was the early match of the day, and it got underway at a rather slow pace in the opening 20 minutes or so. Neither team was really willing to take the risk of sending men forward. Each team had half-chances, but at half time it was 0-0 and unfortunately a little on the tepid side of things.

Brazil kicked into gear a little more after the resumption of play, and they began to display the talent they have in attack. Keeper Dominik Livaković was called into action early and often, with his save from a deflected clearance on 46 minutes where he effectively did the splits to keep the ball out among the highlights. Striker Neymar was then denied from close range by a last-ditch block. Livaković then denied Neymar again with a save from close range at a tight angle on 55 minutes. Attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta was also denied from close range by Livaković just 10 minutes later. Every time Brazil came close to scoring, it seemed like the big keeper was always in the way. Croatia would have the occasional spell of possession here and there, but they failed to register a shot on goal in the opening 90 minutes. They have their Dynamo Zagreb-based keeper to thank for getting them through that very one-sided second half. He made a stunning 8 saves in 90 minutes.

At 0-0 though an additional 30 minutes would be needed to sort out the winner. Croatia got the first half-chance but saw a shot blazed over the bar from a good position. Brazil then forged themselves ahead on 105+1 minutes thanks to a brilliant team goal orchestrated by Neymar. He played a quick succession of 1-2 passes with two Brazilian teammates very rapidly, all while continuing a run forward into the box. The touch passes in the build-up were sublime. Neymar almost lost possession right at the end from a Croatian tackle less than 5 yards from goal, but the ball fell to him again. He took a touch to get around the onrushing Livaković, and then blasted it into the roof of the net! It was s spectacular passing move, and it saw Neymar equal the scoring record of the legendary Pelé, both of whom have now scored 77 goals for Brazil. An amazing goal and amazing achievement from an amazing player that was worthy of being the match winner!

But someone forgot to ask Croatia how they felt about that. Interestingly, despite be 1-0 to the good, Brazil kept sending men forward. I know attack is their philosophy and scoring goals is something they take very seriously, but it was curious that they were leaving themselves exposed at the back to such a high degree. Croatia noticed the tactic as well, and they got their equalizer on 117 minutes on a classic counter-attack. The ball was brought forward through midfield rather easily, as Brazil had four men still standing in Croatia’s box. It was played out to the left to winger Mislav Oršić, who dribbled the ball into the box before playing a cross along the ground just inside Brazil’s 18 yard box. Brazil then failed to pick up the late run of striker Bruno Petković. He was mostly unmarked and hit the ball first time, seeming to hit the ball into the ground slightly. It took an awkward bounce and settled into the corner of the goal, with the diving keeper Alisson beaten. It took Croatia 117 minutes to get a shot on target, but they scored with their very first one! It was absolute bedlam inside the stadium. The Brazilians were in shock.

The final whistle blew without too many further incidents, as both teams were utterly spent. A penalty shootout would decide this one. Going into it I was concerned about Brazil’s mentality, having had the game won and then conceding so late. You have to think it affected them, as they lost 4-2 in the shootout. Livakovic further cemented his national hero status with a save, and another penalty from Brazil came back off the post to seal it for Croatia. For their part, Croatia’s penalties were all very good. All of them hit with power and placement, just like they probably practiced them. These Croatians are stone cold assassins! Incredibly strong team mentality.

This will go down as an upset in the history books, and Brazil will be a nation in mourning for at least a week. This was a prime opportunity for them to win the whole tournament, given all the talent they have. They had the match won, but overly aggressive tactics and tired legs let Croatia back into it. All credit to the Croatians for showing resolve and determination. And how about the story of two Dinamo Zagreb players being heroes on the day? Given that this team has players in England, Spain, and Italy, I think it’s great that the men who effectively won the match for them still play in Croatia. Livaković will be tempted by lucrative offers from the bigger leagues very soon though, no doubt.

Croatia in the semifinals of the World Cup for the second straight tournament! Underestimate this lot at your own peril.

Netherlands vs. Argentina

It was going to be hard for this match to top the dramatics of the first one, but it did.

This match was also somewhat tepid for the opening 30 minutes or so, with both teams making runs at the opposite defenses, but nothing really came of them. Both defenses were holding firm. The match sprung to life on 35 minutes though when the Argentines went ahead via right back Nahuel Molina. I don’t want to bury the lede though, as this goal was crafted purely by the genius of attacking midfielder Lionel Messi. He is the greatest player of all time for a variety of reasons, and everyone knows about his dribbling and goal-scoring abilities. But today he displayed a tactical and positional awareness not possessed by many others in this sport. He was moving with the ball in midfield running kind of diagonally towards the Dutch goal, about 45 yards away from it. He – somehow – spotted the run of Molina into the area, after which he played one of the best passes I have ever seen directly into his feet. Molina took a touch and beat the onrushing Dutch keeper Andries Noppert to the ball and slotted it home for 1-0. Good composure on the finish for sure, but Messi didn’t even look up for the pass! His head was down the whole time! He just seemed to know that Molina was there, and he pulled off a minor miracle to get the ball through the sea of legs in between the two of them. Simply sublime from Messi the magician. It was 1-0 at halftime and the Albiceleste were good value for their lead.

The second half quickly began trending in favor of Argentina as well. They were simply the more confident side now that they had a lead. They more or less controlled the game while the Dutch were limited to half-chances on counter-attacks. Argentina got their second goal from the penalty spot thanks to Messi, after Dutch wingback Denzel Dumfries was adjudged to have fouled left back Marcos Acuña on the very edge of the box. The contact was light, but it was there and of course Acuña went down like he’d been punched in the face. The ref pointed to the spot, and Messi dispatched it rather simply. At 2-0 on 73 minutes, it felt as if the South Americans were in cruise control for the quarterfinals.

But Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal knew a change was needed, and he had been making subs throughout to try and conjure up a goal. But the wily old manager had a few more tricks up his sleeve. He brought on striker Wout Weghorst, a 6’6” giant of a man, and Van Gaal told him to play as a forward destroyer. His job was to simply outjump the diminutive Argentine center backs and knock the ball down to teammates in the penalty box. It was a roll of the dice but 2-0 down the Dutch had nothing to lose. They began to throw men forward in large numbers, and it payed off on 83 minutes when Weghorst found the back of the net himself with a flicked header! The cross from the right was a good one, and Weghorst showed great technique to use the muscles in his neck to flick the ball into the far corner past keeper Emilio Martinez. It was poor marking from Argentina, but game on nevertheless!

Now this is where the match started getting out of hand. It had been a physical match, and Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz had been doling out the yellow cards left and right. The physical nature of the match had led to some tempers flaring over the course of the game, but things really kicked off when midfielder Leandro Paredes cleared the ball forcefully and directly into the Dutch bench. The Dutch substitute players and coaching staff stormed the field, and it seemed like we were about to have a massive brawl on our hands. There was some pushing and shoving, but cooler heads prevailed and several more players were shown yellow cards. What was odd though was the lack of a red for Paredes. Lahoz really should not have left him on the pitch. There were also some very questionable tackles put in by players already on yellow cards, none of which were enforced by Lahoz. Overall, he really did a poor job with this match. His only saving grace is that he got so many things wrong for both teams that they almost cancelled each other out. Paredes really should have been off the pitch, though.

I tell you all of this because it led to a whopping 10 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the 90, and the Dutch got their equalizer right as that 10 minutes was expiring. It came from a well-worked set piece, and it is the closest thing you will ever see to a buzzer beater in this sport. The Dutch won a free kick just outside the Argentine penalty area, and it was taken by midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. Everyone expected him to shoot due to the advantageous position of the ball, but he instead played a short pass forward into the feet of Weghorst, who had positioned himself next to the wall of Argentine defenders. He took a touch and used his size to hold off his marker before slotting home from about 7 yards out past a bewildered Martinez in goal. Ecstasy for the Dutch, agony for Argentina. Just like their South American counterparts earlier, they had the match won but let the opposition back in it. The goal was scored at the 101 minute mark! And it took a fair bit of…let’s say gumption and gall to attempt something like that at this stage. Van “Gall”, as it were. Credit to Van Gaal and his players for being prepared for the situation. The whistle blew shortly after the re-start and we were headed to extra time!

The first 15 minutes of it was uneventful, aside from each manager making substitutions in the event of penalties. Argentina crafted some half-chances in the second half of extra time, but this match was always heading to penalties. And what a shoot-out it was! Argentina went ahead 3-1, but then the Dutch managed to tie it up at 3-3. The Dutch then missed again however, and then striker Lautaro Martinez buried home the 4th and winning penalty for his side. Heart attack after heart attack in both these matches. A sad day for the Dutch, but their team is mostly pretty young still and they will be even stronger for having gone through this. But ultimately it was Messi’s day, and his last World Cup marches on.

Semifinals: Argentina vs. Croatia – Tuesday December 13th, 11 AM PST

World Cup Quarterfinals: Match Previews (Day 1)

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: Brazil 3-1 Croatia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

USA vs. Netherlands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Australia vs. Argentina

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

World Cup Roundup – Groups G and H

Qatar is engaging in the hypocrisy of inviting the world to their country then getting mad when the world brings its culture along. FIFA don’t care because they’ve already been paid.

In my blog post yesterday I called for more high drama, and while today wasn’t as dramatic as yesterday, our drama reservoirs are nowhere near empty.

Group G

Winners – Brazil

Runners Up – Switzerland

Eliminated – Cameroon, Serbia

Brazil came into their match against Cameroon knowing they were already through to the next round, which is perhaps a partial explanation of their 1-0 loss to Cameroon today. While they bossed possession and chances for the most part, they really struggled in the final third. The absence of all-world forward Neymar was noticeable. I do think Brazil boast plenty of attacking talent and they should have won this match without him, but their inability to breakdown a usually below-average Cameroonian defense is a concern for them in the next match if Neymar is unavailable again.

Even though the west African side is going out today, they can hang their hats on a very solid performance today against one of the favorites to win the tournament. Striker Vincent Aboubakar was on hand in stoppage time to head home the winner, after which he was promptly sent off due to removing his shirt in celebration and receiving a second yellow. Some people called this a boneheaded move by Aboubakar as he knew he was on a yellow already and removing the shirt after a goal is an automatic yellow card by rule. But given the late stage of things and the result in the other match, I suppose his actions are understandable. He likely knew Cameroon were going out, so he figured he’d exit with a bit of panache. Can’t say as I blame him. If you’re going to go out, go out with style!

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Serbia vs. Switzerland was the thriller in this group, with five total goals scored and a 3-2 final result in favor of the Swiss. The Swiss knew they could potentially get away with a tie to secure progression, while Serbia needed a win and help from Cameroon. There was also an element of rivalry about this match, as two Swiss players (midfielders Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka) are ethnically Albanian, and there is a long and very messy history of sectarian conflict between Serbs and Albanians that still exists to this day. The animosity shown towards Xhaka in particular was apparent. To be clear, I am not taking sides on this particular conflict, I just find the idea of an ethnic/cultural rivalry spilling over into football fascinating.

The first half of this match was madness! Shaqiri struck first for the Swiss on 20 minutes, but in-form Serbia forward Aleksandr Mitrovic got an equalizer just six minutes later. The Serbs then took a vital lead on 35 minutes thanks to striker Dusan Vlahovic. The pendulum swung back the other way though just before halftime, when Swiss striker Breel Embolo leveled the score once again. After 45 minutes the match was finely poised, and given that neither side was defending all that well, we appeared to be in store for more goals.

There was only one more goal scored though, though it came off the back of a very well-worked team goal from the Swiss. Midfielder Remo Freuler finished off the neat move by wrong-footing Serb keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic for 3-2. I thought the Serbs would respond immediately to going behind, and while they did throw men forward to try and find an equalizer, the Swiss stabilized themselves at the back a bit and held on for the rest of the half. Serbia tried their damnedest to find a winner, with Mitrovic having most of the chances, but they could not find another goal.

The Swiss have progressed out of their group at four of the last five World Cups, and they have the talent to cause problems for any opposition they face. I wonder if their defending is consistently good enough for a deep run, though (here would be the place to make a Swiss cheese joke). Serbia can take pride in fighting until the end, but ultimately there will be disappointment as they probably had enough talent to get out of this group as well. But their defending was even worse than the Swiss defending today, so they will be going home.

Group H

Winners – Portugal

Runners Up – South Korea

Eliminated – Uruguay, Ghana

This group was the more dramatic one of the day, and it’s difficult to know where to start. The big upset was South Korea stunning Portugal 2-1. Portugal were already through going into this match, but they showed no signs of complacency early on as they had the lead from winger Ricardo Horta just 5 minutes into the match. It was a simple cutback cross from right back Diogo Dalot that opened up the Korean back line, and Horta was in the right place at the right time to fire home. Portugal looked good to go on and win the match, but were pegged back on 27 minutes after center back Kim Young-gwon swept home from close range. The ball was played in from a corner and took a deflection off a Portuguese defender before it fell to Kim, who was less than 5 yards from the goal.

But a draw wouldn’t be good enough for the Koreans. They needed a win today, although they found themselves penned-in their own half for much of the rest of the game. Portugal went close to a second goal several times, with striker Cristiano Ronaldo missing some clear opportunities to score. The Koreans got their next chances on 65 and 67 minutes, but were denied a goal thanks to saves from keeper Diogo Costa. They kept Portugal at arm’s-length over the next 20 minutes or so, and finally got their winner in stoppage time.

South Korea’s superstar forward Son Heung-min had been rather quiet by his high standards over the course of the group stage, but he wrote his name all over the headlines today by providing the game winning assist. The ball broke to him and he carried it up the pitch in space, eventually meeting three Portuguese defenders on the edge of the penalty area. He did well to hold on to the ball and control it while waiting for support, and once it arrived he played a neat pass to forward Hwang Hee-chan. Hwang took a touch to create space and then powered a shot home with his second touch. Great work from Son down the right, and a clutch finish from Hwang to see them through. South Korea’s supporters and players were beside themselves!

Son had to drag this team to victory today, and I feel he is going to have to do that again as the tournament progresses. As goes Son, as goes South Korea. He is their national hero right now though, and if he even gets just half a yard of space in the right area, he will punish the opposition. Portugal for their part will be disappointed to have conceded a late winner, although it must be said they could have finished it off several times today had they not been so wasteful in front of goal. The world saw today what Manchester United fans have seen all season; Ronaldo is simply not what he once was. Fortunately though the Portuguese have a strong squad around him, so I still think they will go far in this tournament.

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With the South Korean’s win they secured second place, but that spot was very much up for grabs until their stoppage time winner.

Ghana thought they might take the lead in the opening 20 minutes of their match against Uruguay after being awarded a penalty, but keeper Sergio Rochet saved forward Andre Ayew’s rather tame effort to keep the match scoreless. Uruguay then finally got some goal-scoring thanks to attacking midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta, who netted twice in the span of six minutes in the first half. Striker Luis Suarez was heavily involved in the build-up to both goals, registering an assist on the second one.

But Uruguay knew they needed to score as many as possible, because if South Korea beat Portugal, both sides would be level on points. The two sides were all level on goal difference, but South Korea found the tiebreaker on goals scored with their late goal. The Uruguayans for their part kept attacking and attacking, but they could not find a third goal no matter what they tried. Ghana were creating the occasional half-chance here and there, but they never really looked like seriously threatening Rochet’s goal aside from the penalty. Their final ball was either lacking or their shots were going wide/high.

The Uruguayans were furious late on when they felt they should have a penalty after an alleged foul on striker Darwin Nunez in the box, but it wasn’t given to them. That led to some ugly scenes at full time, with the Uruguayan players surrounding the referee and appearing as if they were going to assault him. The referee did well to stand up to them, but it was a fairly classless display by a team that had no one but themselves to blame today. Had they played better earlier in the tournament, the penalty decision wouldn’t have mattered either way.

Ghana had one thing on their minds coming into this match: revenge. At the 2010 World Cup during the Round of 16, Suarez made himself public enemy number one in that country when he flagrantly used his hand to clear a Ghanaian goal-bound shot away. He was sent off for that, but the Ghanaians missed their penalty and Uruguay advanced. Although they did not beat Uruguay today, they did just enough to keep them from advancing and thus exacted some degree of revenge. To be fair, Suarez is a generally despicable person. I think he’s a racist, a cheat, a shithouser of the worst variety, and he generally has one of the most punch-able faces I have ever seen. He looks like a rat, to put it simply. It’s no wonder he’s viewed in Ghana by many as an incarnation of the Devil himself. But his tears on the bench after Uruguay went out will sustain me for several days, as this was probably his last World Cup. It’s always nice to see a villain get what’s coming to him.

And with that, the group stage is over! Congrats to everyone who progressed, commiserations to all who did not (except Suarez). The Round of 16 kicks off tomorrow, and there are no more draws at this point. We have to have a winner in all of these upcoming matches, which means the prospect of a penalty shootout is very much on the table. Who will advance to the quarterfinals, and who will be going home? We will soon find out!

Brazil vs. South Korea – Monday, December 5th – 7 AM PST

Portugal vs. Switzerland – Tuesday, December 6th – 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.

Welcome to Manchester, Erik ten Hag!

The Dutch manager of club side Ajax has signed a 5 year deal to manage MUFC, and he will take over once this season ends.

Ten Hag is known for emphasizing physical tenacity and intensity, and he likes to utilize younger players to achieve that style of play. He has typically employed the 4-3-3 this season for the Dutch champions, and he will likely continue that approach when he comes to United. He wants every single player in his XI to be technically gifted with the ball as well. He has won several trophies in the Netherlands, including two Eredivisie titles. He has no managerial record in England, but it seems that he knows how to win on the continent. His biggest challenge will be changing the current toxic culture of the locker room. I want to see him instill some competitive drive in these players. The lack of desire to win has been United’s undoing several times this season, and that must change. Do we need a new club captain? Maybe, and that will be one of things he needs to decide on.

This next transfer window over the summer will be vital for his plans. There will be a lot of turnover from this disappointing season, and it could be as many as 10 players coming in/going out as the rebuild goes on. Along with current manager Ralf Rangnick and sporting/technical directors John Murtough and Darren Fletcher, he will be in charge of implementing a coherent transfer policy. For too long, United have simply purchased players that they thought were good players. There was no consideration for whether or not those players fit a given manager’s system (Cristiano Ronaldo, for example). It is my hope that Ten Hag bucks that trend. He needs to say to the directors, “Right, this is how we’re going to play. I want these players because I think they’re going to fit that style the best. I want to get rid of these other players because they don’t fit the style of play. Make it happen.”

But of course, I question just how sustained any kind of success will be with the current ownership. It seems that Ten Hag has had his concerns about funding assuaged, but it will take sustained investment from the Glazers if United wants to return to it’s glory days. So far, in the 7 managers we have had since 2012, that has not happened.

I wish nothing but the best of luck to Ten Hag. He’s going to need it.

Euro 2020(1) Round of 16, Day 2 – We Finally Have an Upset!

The next two knockout matches happened today in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020(1). Netherlands took on Czech Republic in Budapest, Hungary and there was a highly enticing matchup between Belgium and Portugal in Sevilla, Spain.

Netherlands vs. Czech Republic

The Dutch came into this match as group winners and appeared to be in great scoring form. They tallied 8 goals in the group stage and won all 3 matches despite some worries in defense. They were favored over the Czechs probably due to the amount of talent they have in attack, including players like Memphis Depay, Georgino Wijnaldum, and Denzel Dumfries. They have pace and quickness that I thought would very much trouble the Czech back line.

The Czechs came in having placed 3rd in Group D, and despite that finish they have showed flashes of footballing competence, primarily from striker Patrik Schick. He has the goal of the tournament already with his 50 yard chip vs. Scotland, and the Czechs may have surprised a few with their team displays thus far. Much like Austria yesterday, what they lack in superstar talent they make up for in team unity, discipline, and tactical nous.

Despite a lively start from the Dutch and the Czechs growing into the game a little later, the first half ended scoreless. Each side had crafted the occasional half-chance here and there, but the ball was frequently changing possession in midfield while both sides attempted to stamp some degree of authority on the game. You felt that the second half would be much more intense as the two sides tried to find a winner.

And the second half was really where this game changed. About 10 minutes after the restart, Dutch defender Matthijs De Ligt was adjudged to have handled the ball just outside his own penalty area. The ref issued a yellow card at first, but after a VAR check the foul was upgraded to a red card. There was no penalty due to the handball being outside the penalty box, but the Dutch did suffer the consequence of having to play the last 35 minutes or so with only 10 men. The red card was certainly controversial, but it did appear that Shick would have had a clear goal scoring opportunity if not for the handball. Further, while it’s not 100% clear if De Ligt intentionally handled the ball, he has to be aware as a professional footballer that using your hand for any reason is always a bad idea and should be avoided at all costs. It was an awkward situation for De Ligt to deal with, but had he simply fallen on the ball there’s a good chance he would have won possession or at least a foul for his team. Instead though, he was off and the Dutch had to sacrifice an attacking player to shore up the defense. To add insult to injury, De Ligt is arguably the best defensive player in the Netherlands squad. Losing him was very much a double-whammy.

The red card really emboldened the Czechs and they became the more dominant side fairly quickly. There are talented players in this side, and they showed that by scoring the opener that really put the Dutch on the back foot. A cross from the right corner was over hit, but retrieved by Czech defender Tomas Kalas and played back into the box. The ball went over one Czech head but fellow defender Tomas Holes (pronounced HO-lesh) was at the back post to nod the Czechs in front. It was a very impressive header and a good cross back in, but again there were questions as to what the Dutch defense was doing. Holes was basically unmarked and was able to use his position to generate power on his header. Ecstasy for the Czechs, misery for the Dutch.

The Dutch then pushed for an equalizer due to not having any other choice, but that is always risky when you are a man down. They had plenty of possession in the closing minutes but the Czech defense shut them down time and time again. The Czechs then broke quickly and Schick got his 4th goal of the tournament after a fairly simple cross in to his feet from the left side. He hit the ball in stride and glided it past Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg at his near post. Even though there was about 10 minutes left still, you felt that the Dutch were done. They couldn’t break down the Czech defense or put them consistently under pressure, and all credit to the Czechs for taking advantage of having an extra man.

This is by far the biggest upset of the tournament so far, and it’s what the tournament was crying out for. De Ligt blamed himself entirely for the loss, but he’s being a tad harsh on himself. Yes the red card changed everything, but the Dutch response to it was also lacking. The Dutch were being looked at by some as a contender to win the whole thing after their performance in the group stage, but today they were undone by a well-organized and disciplined team. Such is the beauty and agony of football – sometimes the team with the best players loses and that is precisely what happened today. Schick is now joint top-scorer at this tournament and who is to say that the Czechs can’t continue winning? This victory will galvanize them and do wonders for their self-confidence and belief. Well done to them!

The Czechs will travel to Azerbaijan for a quarterfinal matchup with Denmark.

Belgium vs. Portugal

This matchup is one of those that makes football fans salivate. Both teams are loaded with superstars, and both teams are probably among the favorites to win the tournament. Portugal are reigning European champions and boast the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Ruben Dias among their ranks. There are some question marks about Portugal’s tactical set up on occasion, but again they have more than enough talent to go win this thing.

Belgium have traditionally been underperformers at major tournaments, and while their window to win a first major international trophy with this current “Golden Generation” is slowly closing, it’s still cracked open a bit. They will be relying on all-world talents like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard to go and get them some goals. De Bruyne in particular is, for me, the best attacking midfielder in the world right now.

The first 30 minutes or so were pretty tentative, perhaps even spilling over into the category of testy. Neither side’s attack really got going at first, and the match had the feel of a heavyweight title bout where neither fighter wants to make a mistake early on. Both defenses were highly organized and defending well. Many attacks from both sides simply just petered out when it came time for the final pass or final move to create a chance. Ronaldo did well to test Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois with a dipping free kick from about 25 yards on the right side and striker Diogo Jota should have done better from close range shortly after that.

Belgium however opened the scoring about 3 minutes before half time when the ball fell to Thorgan Hazard (Eden’s younger brother) on the edge of the penalty area about 20 yards from goal. He took a touch to get the ball onto his right foot, and then lashed an almighty shot towards Rui Patricio in the Portuguese goal. The strike swerved in the air and wrong-footed Patricio, and he could not recover to get over to the ball until it was already in the back of his net. Not many expected Thorgan to get a goal, but with that strike he showed that it’s not just his older brother that can score goals in that family. At halftime, it was 1-0 and Belgium were buoyant.

The Portuguese knew they would need a swift response having gone down just before the half. Bruno and wunderkind Joao Felix were brought on by Portugal for more power in attack, and indeed they began to see more of the ball in the Belgian half of the pitch. Belgium held strong though and Portuguese attacks repeatedly came to nothing. The tension grew throughout the match as well, with players pushing and shoving each other after fouls. Somewhat frustratingly for neutral viewers, the Portuguese were hitting the deck every time the Belgians challenged for the ball in an effort to win free kicks. To be fair, some of the challenges were heavy and worthy of fouls, but no one wants to watch the players on their team fall over anytime the opposition is near them. It is part of the game, but its cynical and negative.

The best chances for Portugal came with about 10 minutes left when a cross came in from a corner that was headed at the goal from point blank range by Dias. Unfortunately for him, the header was straight at Courtois and he parried it with his fists. He got a ton of power on the header, and if he managed to hit it anywhere else but straight forward it would have been an equalizer. Portugal left back Raphael Guerreiro was then unlucky to hit the base of the post with a shot from distance. They pumped cross after cross into the box, but they were all met by a Belgian head. They tried to play through the middle on the ground, but again Belgium always managed to get someone in the way.

All credit to the Belgian back line, in particular the center backs Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld. They are getting long in the tooth but their experience cannot be discounted, as evidenced by their positioning and tackling today. Those two dealt with everything that came at them and did so fairly convincingly as well. Everyone knew Belgium could score, but the age of Vermaelen and Alderweireld led many to speculate that they couldn’t keep pace defensively. Having a confident center back pairing is always good, but especially so in tournament play. Indeed, defensive prowess is primarily how Portugal won Euro 2016.

But the defending champions are out now! Time to get some new blood in there if you ask me. Belgium have never won a major trophy as a team before, and they showed today they can beat another heavyweight if need be.

Belgium will take on Italy in yet another mouth-watering fixture next Friday in Munich.

Tomorrow

Croatia vs. Spain (9 am PDT)

France vs. Switzerland (Noon PDT)

Euro 2020(1) – Round of 16, First Matches

The knockout stages of Euro 2020(1) got underway today and the first two games featured Denmark vs. Wales in Amsterdam, followed by Italy vs. Austria at Wembley in London.

Denmark Brush Aside Wales

On paper this was an intriguing matchup. Neither side is a traditional “powerhouse” in terms of population or tradition of winning big trophies, but I figured that meant the match would be fairly open and both teams would really go for it. Wales have two and half superstars in Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, and Manchester United’s own Daniel James. Denmark don’t really have much in terms of star players but a look at the team sheet shows a team that is perhaps more talented collectively. They have several good to very good players, while the Welsh are decidedly average outside of the aforementioned superstars.

One factor in play here today that is not normally as influential was the emotional component. Major tournaments are always emotionally draining at the knockout stage, but Denmark have the “advantage” of playing for their stricken teammate Christian Eriksen. He was released from the hospital in Copenhagen a few days ago but there’s no indication of when (or if) he will play again. The rest of the team have been galvanized by the adversity and today showed a unity that is rare to find among national sides that don’t spend a lot of time playing together. Every neutral was a fan of Denmark today.

And indeed it was Denmark that were the better side throughout this match. Wales had a good spell in the first 10 minutes or so of each half, but for the other 70 minutes it was all Denmark. They were better in possession, better in attack, and better on defense. The scoring was opened via a fine strike from Kasper Dolberg from about 19 yards out midway through the first half. It was only 1-0 at halftime though and you knew that Wales had a chance because of players like Bale and Ramsey. Those two only need one moment of magic, one chance, to find an equalizer.

However, the Danish defense and midfield were excellent at marking those two and keeping them from getting involved. Bale is most effective when he can receive the ball in space and use his dribbling to create openings, but that simply didn’t happen today. When not in possession, Wales looked rather uncreative and lacked ideas on how to beat the Danes. I don’t think I even heard the commentators say the names “Bale” or “Ramsey” for large portions of the match.

Some very poor defending lead to a second Danish goal and a second for Dolberg. A cross was played in from the Danish right side, and Welsh substitute defender Neco Williams panicking a little and heading the ball back across the face of his own goal. The ball fell to Dolberg and he slotted home for a second after he dug the ball out of his feet. Good play for the Danish for the first one, but bad play by Wales for the second. At 2-0 you felt it was mostly over, and despite a Welsh push later in the half the only result was a 3rd goal for Denmark, this time scored by Joakim Maehle. At 3-0 it was well and truly over, but that did not dissuade the Danish and they went and got a 4th via Martin Braithwaite in stoppage time. Braithwaite was offside for me but in this situation it doesn’t really matter. There was also a Welsh player sent off, but again it matters little in terms of the result.

Wales did well to get out of their group but they were definitely second best today. They can perhaps feel hard done by due to some questionable refereeing decisions, but you can’t blame the ref for a team not creating chances. They need help in the center of the park in terms of providing service in to Bale and Ramsey that simply wasn’t there today. Credit to the Danes for being organized and playing for a bigger purpose simply than just winning matches. I didn’t think the Danes would make it this far without Eriksen (their best player), but they have more than made up for his absence with the victories over Russia in the group stage and this victory in the Round of 16.

The Danes may just end up being the “Cinderella” team of this tournament. They play the winner of Netherlands and Czech Republic in the quarterfinals.

Italy Squeaks By Austria

Italy have been the best team at the tournament so far, winning all their group matches by multiple goals while simultaneously not conceding any. They love attacking down their left side when going forward, and are anchored by two excellent center backs in defense, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Both of them are very old, but despite their collective age of 70+ they are incredibly tough to break down. While this Italian team lacks a lot of the superstars of old, they make up for it with tactics. They are managed by former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, and indeed he has them playing very much like a Premier League side and not like the Italian sides of old. The Italians traditionally won with patient build-up play and possession, but this Italian team succeeds with aggressive pressing and winning the ball back as soon as it is lost. They had not really played against opposition with real quality until today though.

Austria are always somewhat of a wild card at these tournaments. Before Euro 2016, many fans and pundits had them as a dark horse candidate to win the tournament, but they crashed out at the group stage. This time around no one is expecting a lot from them, but they’ve gone and done better than they did five years ago by reaching the Euro knockouts for the first time in their history. They have superstars of their own in utility-man David Alaba and forward Marko Arnautovic, but there are question marks about the midfield for them. A lot of the creative duties tend to fall on Alaba when he isn’t in defense, and they don’t have many more creative players like him. Where to play Alaba has been a big headache for Austrian manager Franco Foda. Alaba can play almost anywhere on the pitch, but there is only one of him at the end of the day and he can’t be everywhere at once no matter how hard he tries.

As expected, Italy dominated the first 45 minutes and clearly looked like the side that was going to score. Austria defended just well enough though and kept Italy out. The Azzuri’s best chance was a quality Ciro Immobile strike from distance that hit the post. Austria didn’t create much for themselves either, but keeping Italy from scoring has proven to be difficult to do this tournament so credit to them for doing so. The second half was much different as Italy did not really create much going forward, despite having a lot of possession in Austria’s half of the pitch. It then became Austria who were asking more questions of the previously impervious Italian defense, and they definitely caused some problems for Italy with their physical play.

Arnautovic had the ball in the back of the net on 66 minutes after a counter attack and a find headed pass from Alaba, but the Austrian celebrations were cut short due to the offside flag. VAR did a check however and it did appear that Arnautovic was maybe a foot ahead of the last Italian defender just before he nodded past Italian keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Italy were saved by the linesman but should have took that passage of play as a warning shot. For the rest of normal time however, they did not. It ended 0-0 after 90 minutes which meant that another 30 minutes of additional time would need to be played.

Mancini made some key substitutions just before the additional time started, bringing on Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina. Italy has a strong bench and he knew some kind of change was needed in order to jump start his lethargic team. Chiesa rewarded him 5 minutes later by scoring the first goal of the match from a tight angle. A cross came in from left back (and probably Man of the Match) Leonardo Spinazzola that found Chiesa in space on the right hand side, and after some good control in the box he lashed home past the Austrian keeper. Pessina got Italy’s 2nd about 10 minutes later. A cross once again came in from the left hand side and Austria failed to clear it. The ball was knocked into the path of Pessina by Italian defender Francesco Acerbi, and Pessina did well to finish from the left side. At 2-0 with only 15 minutes left in extra time, it seemed over.

Austria didn’t think it was over though, as they got a goal back from a corner six minutes before the end of the match. It was a poor goal to concede really and a bit of a clusterfuck defensively from the Italian point of view, but credit to Austrian forward Sasa Kalajdzic for sticking his head out there and getting contact. Corners usually don’t result in goals, but they can be vital for a team that doesn’t get the lion’s share of the possession. There was a tense finish to the match, but Austria never really created another solid opportunity and Italy saw the match out to the finish, winning 2-1. Austria’s goal was the first one conceded by Italy in over 12 matches.

Italy got the job done in the end, but they showed today that they are mortal. They can indeed be beaten, which didn’t seem likely before today. If you can defend from crosses and don’t mind playing a little bit on the back foot, you can frustrate them and eventually they’ll stop creating so many chances. You will need to score a goal of your own though. Austria found a formula to win today, and had they executed even slightly better Italy may have gone out.

Italy will play the winner of tomorrow’s mouth-watering Belgium vs. Portugal fixture in the quarterfinals. No matter which team they play, it will easily be their toughest test of the tournament. They should definitely still be considered among the favorites to win the whole thing, but some kinks in the armor were on display today.

Tomorrow

Netherlands vs. Czech Republic (9 am PDT)

Belgium vs. Portugal (Noon PDT)