World Cup Final – Lionel Messi Leads Argentina to Victory

This was a fantastic tournament on the pitch. Not quite the best tournament of all time, but still very good nonetheless. We should remember it for the football, not who hosted it.

I can remember watching World Cup finals going back to the late 90s, and I have to say that this was the best one I have ever seen. An absolutely thrilling match in every way.

Argentina vs. France

The opening half of this match belonged to the South Americans, full stop. They were better in possession and looked much more threatening in attack. They went up 1-0 on 23 minutes from the penalty spot, after Argie winger Angel Di Maria went down in the French penalty area. The contact on Di Maria from French winger Ousmane Dembélé appeared to be minimal, but Di Maria is a master of making the most out of contact in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. The legendary attacking midfielder and captain Lionel Messi stepped up to the spot, and with the eyes of the entire world on him, he calmly sent French keeper Hugo Lloris the wrong way for the first goal of the match.

La Albiceleste extended their lead on 36 minutes after a very swift and precise counter-attack. They won the ball just outside their own box and after a series of neat passes involving Messi and striker Julián Álvarez, the ball was played to midfielder Alexis Mac Allister in space just outside the French penalty area on the right side. Mac Allister hit a deft diagonal pass back across the face of goal along the ground, where it found Di Maria streaking toward the back post. He redirected his first-time shot back across Lloris and into the right hand corner of the net. He wheeled away in celebration of a beautiful counter-attacking goal. Di Maria has not played much this tournament due to injury and fitness issues, but he still an incredible player and he certainly contributed heavily today. The two goal deficit forced France into tactical substitutions on just 40 minutes, a rarity at this level. At 2-0 though, Argentina went into halftime with one hand on the Jules Rimet trophy.

But it was indeed only one hand. They needed to come out and continue attacking the French, but for whatever reason they did not seem as committed to doing that as they were against Croatia in the semis. This approach was a cause for concern. Yes it was 2-0, but the Argentines have given up two goal leads at this very tournament. Their defense is good, but they have problems holding up to sustained pressure with no outlet. Almost any defense would. They kept France out for about 34 minutes or so, but everything changed on 79 minutes when French striker Randal Kolo Muani was fouled in the box after beating his defender to the ball. Truth be told, if the light contact in the box on Di Maria earlier was a penalty, then this one was definitely a penalty. Muani sold it well, but the contact on the back of his leg was much more significant than the one on Di Maria earlier. Superstar striker Kylian Mbappé stepped up to the spot and planted the ball past a diving Emiliano Martinez in goal to pull one back for Les Bleus. Martinez frustratingly got a hand to the ball, but the shot had so much power on it that he couldn’t keep it out.

This match turned into absolute bedlam just a minute later though, barely after the restart. France won the ball in the Argentina third, and Mbappé played a very neat 1-2 with forward/winger Marcus Thuram on the left side of the Argentine penalty area. Thuram’s neat ball over the top found a sliding Mbappe, who swept home with an impressive finish from about 16 yards that Martinez had no chance at. A truly impressive goal from a very impressive striker. Argentina were shell-shocked and the French were in ecstasy. The Argies had this match won, but they lost their heads for just a moment France punished them. The goals in quick succession late on were also typical of France. They had done largely nothing in this match in terms of creating dangerous chances, until they all of a sudden decided to start playing aggressive roughly 80 minutes in. Argentina brought this on themselves though. A third goal at any point before then would have salted the match away, but they played too conservative and took their foot off the gas. There was chances for both sides after that goal, but after 90 minutes and stoppage time it was still 2-2.

Extra time would be needed to decide this match, and the chaos would continue for another 30 minutes. Argentina had been attacking more since the French goals, and France’s defense was looking shaky at best. Lloris had to spectacularly deny Messi the winner in stoppage time from long distance. They’d always manage to get the final block or clearance in, but Argentina were in the ascendancy for the first half of extra time. They got their reward on 108 minutes from the magical Messi once again. The Argentine front 3 combined well with a series of passes that quickly found substitute striker Lautaro Martinez. Martinez unleashed a wicked shot from about 12 yards out on the right side that Lloris did well to save, but the rebound fell straight to Messi who powered a shot over the line. A French defender cleared the ball out quickly, but he was at least 3 yards inside his own goal and the ball definitively crossed the line before he cleared it. Messi celebrated with his teammates and after a quick VAR check for offside, the goal stood. 3-2!

Argentina supporters had thought they won it. And normally, a goal that late is the winner. But France weren’t done. There would be one more twist of the knife, and it came on 118 minutes when France were awarded a second penalty. A shot from Mbappé towards goal was blocked by Argentina, but it came off the elbow of right back Gonzalo Montiel in the area. I saw this exact same thing happen in a Paris St. Germain match in the Champions League a few seasons ago – a defender jumping and turning in the air to make a block that results in a handball. Defenders are trained to turn their backs to the ball when trying to clear an oncoming shot, but a side effect of jumping into the air is that one’s arms tend to be raised up to one’s sides. Under the old handball rules this kind of deflection likely would not be a penalty as the defender wouldn’t even be looking at the ball, but nowadays if the arm is an “unnatural position” when it contacts the ball, it’s a penalty. What constitutes “unnatural” however is not always clear. It looked harsh on Montiel, but it’s the correct call under the current rules. Mbappé confidently stepped up and dispatched his penalty to complete his hat-trick on the day. He sent Martinez the wrong way, and in doing so became just the second man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final. 3-3!

The French got one more gilt-edged chance in stoppage time of extra time when Argentina failed to clear a bouncing ball over the top and it fell to Kolo Muani on the edge of the area. Martinez rushed out and made himself big, and in doing so pulled off one of the biggest saves of the tournament with his left leg. Kolo Muani should have scored and he knew it. The final whistle blew though shortly after that and we were headed to penalties.

Penalties are always a test of nerves, and it was the Argentines who had slightly more nerve. The keeper Martinez is a big man of course but he has an equally big personality, and he is never short on confidence. His aura alone was much more imposing than that of Lloris. Aside from Mbappé, I wasn’t really impressed with any of the French penalty takers. They weren’t willing to take risks with their shots in the same way Argentina was. The French missed one penalty wide, and I think 1-2 more of them were saved by Martinez. When Montiel redeemed himself for the penalty by scoring the winner, Messi sank to his knees in the center circle and yelled with joy while he was mobbed by his teammates. Argentina won 4-2 on penalties!

Leo Messi is the greatest player ever. Hands down, no two ways about it. People talk about Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Cristiano Ronaldo all being the greatest, but it’s Messi. He has the skills, the accolades, and now he has a World Cup to hang his hat on. He has brought Argentina it’s third world cup and it’s first in 36 years, and the reactions from the people in the streets of Buenos Aires was magical. Pure elation and joy. Well done to Messi, all of his teammates, and manager Lionel Scaloni. His tactics in this match almost cost them, but not even a poor 2nd half plan could stop Messi achieving destiny. Watching him raise the trophy with his teammates was amazing to behold. His little kiss on the trophy as he walked past it earlier will be an iconic photo for years to come.

Despite the Herculean efforts of Mbappé, he could not drag his country over the line. France’s injuries finally caught up to them, and truth be told they were lucky to still be in the match despite doing basically nothing for the first 78 minutes. In most scenarios, Argentina wins this handily 2-0 in 90 minutes. It was primarily due to Mbappé that France even made it to penalties. While Messi is done at the World Cup, Mbappé is only just getting started. If France can have better luck with injuries next time, they can still easily win it in 2026.

Individual Awards:

Golden Gloves winner (best keeper) – Emiliano Martinez

Best Young Player – Enzo Fernandez

Golden Boot (top scorer) – Kylian Mbappé (8)

Golden Ball (best player) – Lionel Messi

And with that, the World Cup is over for another four years. I’ve really enjoyed doing these write-ups, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to read. Wish it was a different result for England, but us losing is nothing new. Now it’s time for a few days off before the domestic leagues start again. Manchester United play in the League Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday, Dec. 21! Congrats to Argentine center back Lisandro Martinez on bringing a World Cup winner’s medal back to the red half of Manchester!

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 – Magical Messi Shines

This post is dedicated to victims of oppression, in Qatar and the world over.

Argentina vs. Croatia

Not many picked Croatia to make it to this stage of the tournament. They were considered to have peaked in at the 2018 tournament when they made the final. They were too old and too slow. But they have shown that experience gets you a long way in major tournaments, and their team mentality is collectively very strong. They had beaten two teams on penalties already and would look to keep this match against a dangerous Argentina side at 0-0 for as long as they could. Their workhorses in midfield – Luka Modrić, Marcelo Brozović, and Mateo Kovacić -would need to play an almost perfect match.

Argentina meanwhile seemed to be a team living slightly recklessly. They shockingly lost their first group match to Saudi Arabia 2-1, but recovered to win their group. They were then comfortably in the lead against Australia in the Round of 16 before giving up a goal that led to a nervy finish, and then were nearly knocked out of the tournament by the Netherlands when they surrendered a two goal lead late on. They won on penalties, but Argentina had certainly ridden their luck to get this far. They had been doing this weird thing where they got a two goal lead and then stopped attacking, opting instead to play more defensively. The decidedly mixed results it yielded led many in Buenos Aires to question the tactics of manager Lionel Scaloni late-on in matches.

Sadly, no matter the outcome, a legend would likely be finished after today. This would be the last World Cup the 37 year-old midfielder Modrić, the greatest player in the brief history of Croatia as an independently competing nation. It was also more than likely the last World Cup for the iconic Argentina attacking midfielder Lionel Messi, a man who many consider to be the greatest player of all time. His résumé speaks for itself, but the one glaring omission is a World Cup trophy. He has won literally everything else individually, at the club level, and for his country.

This match was a tense affair for the first 30 minutes, with maybe a slight edge to Argentina. Neither team was really forging anything dangerous, but Argentina’s attackers were moving the ball more fluidly up front. The match was blown wide open however on 33 minutes when Croatia keeper Dominik Livaković was adjudged to have fouled Argentine striker Julián Álvarez in the penalty area. I thought the foul was harsh on the big Croatian keeper at first, but replays showed Livaković was late coming off his line to collect a loose ball and Álvarez got a touch to it before Livaković barged into him. It was probably a penalty in most scenarios. Álvarez went down and the referee pointed to the spot. It was time for a Messi moment. He stepped up and buried the penalty high and straight on, with Livaković diving out of the way after guessing wrong. Messi celebrated with his teammates and with the mostly Argentine crowd.

The goal forced Croatia to change their game plan and move towards attack, which unfortunately is not their strong suit. Striker Andrej Kramarić has proven himself to be a good goal-scorer at times, but he lacked the physicality needed today for the Croatians in the penalty area. They simply had no one to pass it to up there at times. Croatia did well to move the ball through midfield, but their attacks always broke down at the end. Sometimes they couldn’t even move it through their usual rhythm of passes though due to a very effective Argentine press. The Croatians usually do not get overrun in midfield, but it almost happened several times today.

Croatian backs were up against the wall on 39 minutes when Argentina got their second, this time via Álvarez himself. It was a good counter-attack by Argentina, although Alvarez carried the ball most of the way on his own. He showed amazing balance and strength to ride the challenges coming in from Croatian defenders, and he got a little lucky with the bounce at the end of his amazing run, but he toe-poked it home past Livaković from close range to spark even wilder celebrations. It went to halftime at 2-0 with the Croatians well and truly behind the 8-ball. A stunning solo goal from the young man!

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalić was forced into tactical substitutions at half-time, and he brought on additional attacking threats. The Croatians were able to sustain a little bit of pressure to open the half, but they still struggled to create shots on target. Throughout this match, they were mostly limited to long range efforts or set pieces. Argentina’s defense held firm throughout, thanks in part to Manchester United center back (and substitute on the day) Lisandro Martinez.

But then Messi decided he wanted to have his signature moment and claim this tournament as his own. He picked up the ball on the right wing just inside the Croatian half, and he was being marked by center back Joško Gvardiol. Gvardiol had emerged as one of the best defenders at this World Cup, and at 22 you would think he could stick to the 35 year-old Messi fairly easily. That was not the case though. Messi demonstrated again why he is the best player ever with a twisting and turning run with the ball that left Gvardiol unaware of what country he was in. It was truly a thing of beauty to watch. Messi has better close control on the ball than anyone ever, and he made getting the end line and around Gvardiol look easy. Livaković had closed down the angle for a shot though, so Messi quickly hit a cutback cross along the top of the grass to the onrushing Álvarez. He hit the ball first time low and away from Livaković for 3-0. Álvarez got the goal, but Messi was the architect. A signature run from the diminutive magician.

Croatia kept throwing men forward, but truthfully never really tested Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez. Again, it was long-range efforts or set pieces that they failed to convert. In the end, the star-power of Argentina shown through. The final whistle blew and they were in the World Cup final again! Congrats to the Albiceleste and to Messi. He gets one final shot at the Jules Rimet trophy. The last time Argentina was in the final was 2014 when they lost to Germany, but this Argentina team is better than the 2014 iteration Messi dragged to the final. He has support in attack this time. Álvarez has been extremely good, and they have been getting goal contributions from midfield. The defense has also been difficult to penetrate, but most importantly they figured out they need to keep attacking today. Much like England, Argentina’s best defense is a good attack. When in doubt, give Messi the ball and let him work! They did that today and they won in dominant fashion instead of scraping by at the end.

Commiserations to Modrić and Croatia. They simply didn’t have enough in attack to compensate for the firepower of Argentina. That penalty in the first half really ruined things for them. Throwing men forward left them perilously exposed to counter-attacks. They have come from behind before in this tournament, but conceding two in five minutes was absolutely devastating. They did their nation proud though. These lads never stopped running and they never stopped trying to get back into the game. A very professional display that all 3.9 million Croatians can be proud of! Scalping Brazil on penalties will go down in their history as a legendary result. I am sure they will give Modrić a proper sending off should he decide to call it quits.

World Cup Final – Argentina vs. France/Morocco – Sunday December 18th – 11 AM PST

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: 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: 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 Round of 16 – Croatia Survive, Brazil in Cruise Control

This post is dedicated to the 6,500+ workers who lived and died in brutal conditions during construction of the stadiums for the World Cup. Qatar and FIFA don’t recognize their contributions, but I do.

Japan vs. Croatia

This was the more intriguing of the matchups today, with the surprising Japanese taking an aging but wizened Croatia side. It was thought by many that Japan would be the more industrious team, and given their spectacular results against Spain and Germany, many had them favored to beat Croatia. But this match ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, and we had our first penalty shootout of the tournament which the Croatians won 3-1.

This looked like Japan’s match to lose in the opening 45 minutes, though. They were dominant in terms of possession and chances created. They got their opener just before halftime, when a cross from a nifty corner-routine fell to Daizen Maeda, who slotted home from close range with Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic beaten. The Blue Samurai were good value for their goal too, and many figured they would go on to wrap it up given the rather listless effort from Croatia up until that point.

The second half was an odd one though, in the sense that the Japanese were still probably the better side, but the Croatians had figured out how to slow them down significantly. They had more possession in Japan’s final third, but for the first 10 minutes or so there was no opening to be had. But the Croatians found themselves level on 55 minutes thanks to a very well-placed header from winger Ivan Perisic. An aerial cross from defender Dejan Lovren was played into the box, and Perisic did well to get goal side of his marker and head the ball down and away from Japan keeper Shūichi Gonda. It was a goal almost from nowhere, but the experience of Croatia shined through there. At this level of football, it is suicidal to switch off defensively, even for just a second or two.

The match finished after 90 minutes at 1-1, although Japan were probably still the more attack-minded side. That carried on into extra time as well, and Japan had one or two half chances in that period as well. It was clear by the end though that they were physically spent. They had run themselves ragged, and I was concerned about their physical and mental fatigue going into the penalty shootout. Croatia were not quite playing for penalties, but they certainly seemed less enthusiastic about getting the ball forward.

That concern was well-founded, because what I saw from Japan was a series of 3-4 of the worst penalty kicks I have ever seen taken. No power, no placement, no venom in any of the shots. Livakovic was the Croatian hero on the day and credit to him for making three key saves, but any keeper worth his salt would have saved those. Croatia’s penalty takers weren’t spectacular either, but they did happen to convert more of them than Japan did.

The lesson from this match is that sometimes there is no justice in football. You can be the more attacking and endeavoring side, but if you don’t convert enough of your chances, the opposition can get right back into a match fairly easily. Croatia were fairly negative today, but in the end their experience in penalty shoot-outs shown through. They did just enough to win, and sadly that was all that was needed. Japan need to take great pride in what they achieved at this tournament. They played some great football and shocked the powerhouses with their industriousness, tactics, and neat passing. If they can get themselves a world-class striker with that same work rate, they will be a threat to anyone. A credit to them and their supporters for a very classy display the past few weeks.

Brazil vs. South Korea

This one was over before it barely got started. The 4-1 victory for Brazil today was a statement – a message to the rest of the teams left in the tournament that they are confident and expect themselves to lift the Jules Rimet trophy in a few weeks’ time. A dominant display from the South Americans, particularly in the opening 45 minutes.

Winger Vinicius Junior got the samba party started just 7 minutes into the game when he swept home a delightfully-placed finish into the opposite corner from the left side of the box. The Koreans had left him perilously unmarked, and although they got themselves in the way of Vinicius rather quickly, he showed great composure to place his shot into the far corner instead of just blasting it. A goal that early was the worst possible situation for South Korea, as their game plan was undoubtedly to defend as well they could and take chances on the break. But now they would be forced to chase the game, and you don’t want to have to chase the Brazilians.

There was more calamitous defending on 13 minutes though, when Brazil striker Richarlison went down in the Korean penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot. VAR replays showed a minimum amount of contact on Richarlison, but there was contact nevertheless and the penalty decision was allowed to stand. Star forward Neymar stepped up to the spot, and after a bit of a delay he slotted it home past keeper Kim Seung-gyu. The shot didn’t have a ton of power on it, but the placement (low and away from Kim) was perfect. Neymar will likely be Brazil’s all-time leading scorer once this tournament is over, and that is an illustrious list to be at the top of.

Richarlison himself then got in on the act on 29 minutes, and this was probably Brazil’s best goal of the day. Fantastically precise teamwork and passing around the Korean penalty area. Richarlison juggled the ball on his head about 20 yards in front of goal before finding a teammate on the edge of the area. The ball was then played to center back Thiago Silva, who found the continuing run of Richarlison and he finished with his left from close range after taking a touch for control. That’s not a very good description, but there was so much intricacy to the goal it’s about the best I can do. A fantastic example of team football and the South Koreans were hypnotized by it. I don’t blame them – everyone who saw them do it was hypnotized by it.

Vinicius then turned provider just before half time, when his looping cross over the top found the late run of attacking midfielder Lucas Paquetá. There was a lot of congestion in the box and it was unclear who Vinicius was crossing it to at first, but Paquetá arrived just as the ball was coming down and finished to the right of Kim in South Korea’s goal. It was the perfect seal on a near-perfect half of football for the 5-time World Cup winners. South Korea looked thoroughly dejected, and understandably so.

Brazil obviously took their foot off the gas in the second half, and being four goals to the good you can understand why. They were still running at the Koreans and creating chances, but the impetus on display in the first half was missing from the second. The Koreans got a consolation goal on 76 minutes thanks to a good strike from midfielder Paik Seung-ho, but that was the only major action the second half. The result never looked seriously threatened, as Brazil were just happy to pass it around amongst themselves and keep the Koreans at bay.

But yes, a statement of intent from manager Tite and his players today. This was their best performance of the World Cup so far, and I have a feeling they are going to continue in this dominant fashion. If they weren’t favorites to win the tournament before today, they certainly are now. It was obvious that they have way more talent than South Korea, but I was disappointed with South Korea’s tactics today. I thought they were going to park the bus and hit Brazil when the opportunity presented itself, but that bus seemed to have a flat tire today. Absolutely naïve defending for the first and second Brazilian goals. And once they were 2-0 down, it was basically over. They couldn’t get close to Brazil in attack, and they couldn’t keep them out in defense. That is a recipe for a beatdown.

Quarterfinals – Brazil vs. Croatia – Friday, December 9th – 7 AM PST

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!

---

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.

---

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