FA Cup: Manchester United Shock Liverpool in Quarterfinal Classic

There’s no denying that this hasn’t been a good season by the illustrious standards of Manchester United. They won’t be winning the Premier League, the top-4 seems like it will take a borderline miracle to attain, they lost their League Cup crown earlier in the season, and they are out of all European competitions. They’ve been incredibly inconsistent all year, with injuries playing a massive role in their sputtering form. The Red Devils’ last realistic chance at any trophy this season is in the illustrious FA Cup – the oldest single-elimination football tournament in the world. United squeaked by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground 1-0 in the 5th round, which set up an incredibly juicy quarterfinals tie with their hated rivals Liverpool earlier today at Old Trafford. While these two sides have their own rich histories and traditions of winning, title-contenders Liverpool were the heavy favorites to move on to the semifinals at Wembley Stadium.

But under-fire United manager Erik ten Hag and the squad had other plans. United were the dominant team for the first 10 minutes or so, and cashed in on their dominance thanks a rebound finish from midfielder Scott McTominay. They couldn’t add another one in the first half though, and Liverpool struck back twice at the end of the first half via midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and winger/forward Mohamed Salah. United scored via winger Antony dos Santos (playing at left back today) on 87 minutes though, which forced extra time at 2-2. Liverpool then went ahead again on 105 minutes via attacking midfielder Harvey Elliot, only for United to continue to fight back and get a 3rd from winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Finally, in the dying seconds of stoppage time and after a breathless 120 minutes of football, United winger Amad Diallo found the opposite corner with a low finish after a breakaway. Old Trafford erupted in joy as the ball rolled past Scousers keeper Caoimhin Kelleher for 4-3. Diallo ended up being sent off on a second yellow card for removing his shirt during the goal celebration, but it was an absolutely legendary 30ish minute cameo from the Ivorian winger.

I blitzed through the goals and major incidents recap mostly because there are so many other talking points to discuss. For one, ETH may have saved his job next season with this performance. I have long been a defender of ETH because I generally believe his footballing philosophy is one that can win matches, but it was becoming more and more difficult to defend him with each head-scratching lineup or substitution. But today, he got it 100% right. It was extremely unorthodox at times, with numerous players playing out of position and we didn’t seem to have a midfield late on in the match, but it somehow worked. I could have sworn I saw us in a 4-1-5 formation at some point! I also saw Antony at left back, Bruno Fernandes in central defense, and Harry Maguire was effectively a striker! It was ludicrous, but again, it worked. Bringing on Diallo and Antony ended up being brilliant moves as well. It was chaos ball, but maybe some chaos is just what was needed to make the Scousers uncomfortable.

But moreover, I think the big headline from today is not about ETH, nor is it about United beating their biggest rival in a classic football match. The biggest takeaway from today from the perspective of the supporters is that the Red Devils finally showed some fight. They kept trying to win the match and never stopped, and it paid off big time. Far too often this season and last, this has looked like a team that lacked a competitive spirit. Every once in a while they show some spine, but more often than not United have repeatedly shown a lack of backbone in bigger matches once they get punched in the face. Even with a lead, if they concede a cheap goal or a call from the referee doesn’t go their way, they have often just capitulated and lacked a desire to carry on fighting. That did not happen today, however. Indeed, it was just the opposite. They got a somewhat surprising lead, but conceded two very cheap goals just before halftime. It was sadly expected by many (including me) that they would yet again surrender and not really try in the second half. But they came out with dogged determination, Liverpool were a bit sloppy with some of their chances, and they got an equalizer late on to force extra time. They could have easily capitulated again when Liverpool went ahead 3-2 on 105 minutes, but they just kept running forward and getting the ball ahead to the attacking players. Again, it paid off when Rashford made it 3-3. That put them in a position to go and win it, and they took advantage of some questionable tactics by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to go and win the match.

Brilliant match today. Absolutely brilliant. Likely the best one during the ETH regime. To beat our biggest rival in the FA Cup quarterfinals as underdogs in the dying seconds of extra time is the stuff dreams are made of. Excellent matches from Rashford, Bruno, McTominay, Maguire, Diallo, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, winger/forward Alejandro Garnacho, and Antony. Some special recognition to right back (left back?) Diogo Dalot as well, who did not put a foot wrong for 120 minutes. When this team believes in themselves, they have the ability to beat some of the best teams in Europe. Well done to the home supporters at Old Trafford too, who were raucous from start to finish.

It’s true this season has not gone well. It’s true that inconsistency and injuries have plagued the Red Devils all year. It’s true that we are still at the beginning of a massive overhaul that will continue for several more seasons. Today made all of that much easier to digest, though. I believe this will show both the Glazers and new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe that ETH is the man to guide us through this rebuild and get us back the promised land. All of the problems surrounding the club can be temporarily forgotten, because today we knocked the Scousers out of the FA Cup. Hope the lads get some good celebrating in tonight.

United have been drawn against Championship side Coventry City in the semifinals of the FA Cup, to be played in about a month’s time at Wembley. They have some difficult matches to be played in the Premier League between now and then, but all eyes are now on the weekend of April 20/21. The top 4 would still be a great achievement given how this season has gone, but honestly, if I had to choose, I’d want us to go and win the FA Cup. Let’s turn this crap season into something positive by finishing strongly with a trophy. Manchester City take on Chelsea in the other half of the semifinal.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Europa League: A Frustrating, Maddening, and Downright Annoying Draw

Manchester United played hosts to Spanish side Sevilla CF earlier today in the Europa League quarterfinals at Old Trafford. This was the first leg of a two-leg tie, with the return leg in Andalucia next Thursday. Although United were without leading scorer Marcus Rashford due to injury, the Red Devils were still favored to progress in this tie. Sevilla have been in bad form for a good chunk of the season in La Liga, and they are on their 3rd manager (Jose Luis Mendilibar) of the season as well. United manager Erik ten Hag was expecting intensity from his players in both attack and defense, and he would have wanted United to kill off this tie early if possible. They were boosted by the return of defensive midfielder Casemiro, who had been unavailable due to suspension for roughly the past month.

Things could not have gone much better for United in the first 20+ minutes. They had the ball in the back of the net just 27 seconds in to the match thanks to a crisp run and pass from winger Antony dos Santos and a finish from fellow winger Jadon Sancho, but the offside flag went up and the goal was ruled out. United kept at it however, and were rewarded with a goal on 14 minutes from midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. A slick passing move down the left hand side of the pitch saw the ball at the feet of midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who spotted Sabitzer ahead of him standing on the shoulder of the last Sevilla defender. Bruno played the ball along the ground, and Sabitzer used a magnificent first touch to create space between himself and his marker. He unleashed a shot towards goal, and it took the slightest of deflections off the leg of the Sevilla defender. That deflection put the ball in the air, and Sevilla keeper Bono (no, not that Bono) couldn’t get to it. 1-0 to United! Interesting positioning by ETH and the midfielders for this goal. You would normally expect Sabitzer to be playing the ball in to Bruno given their usual positions in the team selection, but credit to Sabitzer for being forward enough to take the shot. Sabitzer is not an attacking midfielder, but ETH deployed him there today and the results paid off.

The big Austrian wasn’t done either. He got his and United’s second goal on 21 minutes thanks to a great counter-attack primarily orchestrated by striker Anthony Martial. Sevilla had the ball forward, but the cross in to the box was cleared by Casemiro. The clearance was made in the direction of Martial, and he did well to get to the ball and win it from the Sevilla player closing down on him. After a nifty first touch, he brought the ball forward expediently with Sabitzer, Antony, and Sancho joining him. He spotted the run of Sabitzer directly ahead of him, and played a perfect pass into his path. Sabitzer was through on-goal by himself, and he shot the ball with his left foot around the onrushing Bono. He buried it from about 12 yards out for 2-0! A great counter-attacking goal and a brace for Sabitzer! Martial is not only a great finisher (when healthy), but his link-up play and passing are vital to ETH’s tactics. He must stay fit if United are to continue playing well.

At 2-0 most thought it would merely be a question of how many United scored, but there were no more goals in the first half from either side. United probably should have had more though, but too often they were undone by indecision at key moments. Sancho was the main culprit guilty of this. He had the ball in a promising attacking position at least twice in the first half, only for him to take too long to make a decision. The chance would then evaporate, and Sevilla would be let off the hook. Sevilla forward Erik Lamela was lucky to escape a red card for a challenge on Casemiro on 37 minutes, and then Bruno was harshly yellow-carded for a handball just outside the area on 41 minutes. That meant he would miss the return fixture in Spain next week due to yellow card accumulation. Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitić put the resulting free kick from a promising position over keeper David De Gea’s bar. The visitor’s best chance of the half came deep into stoppage time when a header from a corner was parried into the air by De Gea and then cleared out from under the crossbar by the massive frame of United center back Raphael Varane. It was 2-0 at halftime, but worryingly Varane had to come off due to injury. He was replaced by fellow center back and club captain Harry Maguire.

Sevilla improved after the break, particularly in the middle of the pitch. They had a lot more energy all of a sudden and United were struggling to get onto the ball. The addition of the pacey and experienced winger Jesus Navas was likely a big part of the reason for that. Sevilla were not creating too many dangerous chances in attack, but they were winning possession more frequently and completing more passes. Antony remained the most dangerous player for United. His pace was causing problems for Sevilla’s left back, and he was trying to pull off one of his trademark left-footed goals where he cuts inside his marker from the right wing. He almost got United to 3-0 around 61 minutes when one of those very moves resulted in his shot hitting the inside of Bono’s far post and bouncing away. Bruno and Martial were replaced shortly after that by midfielder Christian Eriksen and striker Wout Weghorst. Sancho was replaced by winger Anthony Elanga, and Antony was also later taken off on 81 minutes, replaced by fellow winger Facundo Pellistri. Things seemed to be in hand for the Red Devils.

But the final 6 minutes plus stoppage time of this match was one of the most bizarre and unlucky passages of play Old Trafford has ever seen. To start off, Sevilla managed to pull a goal back on 84 minutes thanks to a bad mistake from United left back Tyrell Malacia. Malacia had been having a below-average game generally speaking, but he really let the side down when he failed to clear a cross towards Navas at De Gea’s back post. The ball had a lot of pace on it and Navas’s effort back across was hopefully at best, but it took a wicked deflection back off Malacia and into De Gea’s net from close range. 2-1 United, and Sevilla had life again. To make matters worse, center back Lisandro Martinez went down unchallenged on 86 minutes, appearing to injure his ankle or heel. Non-contact injuries are usually the scariest ones, especially this time as Martinez had to be carried off the pitch.

Sevilla continued their domination, with winger Lucas Ocampo in particularly fiery form. He was creating everything for them in the final few minutes. They registered more shots on target in the final two minutes plus stoppage time than they did in the whole match previous. The bad luck continued to flow for United into stoppage time, when they conceded the equalizer. A cross came in from Ocampo on the right wing, with substitute striker Youssef En-Nesyri rising high to head it back across goal. The ball hit Maguire straight against his massive head and deflected backwards, with De Gea not able to react in time to it. 2-2, with United guilty of conceding two own-goals. Incredibly frustrating. Maguire knew nothing about it, either. It just bonked him on the head from close range.

Sevilla had one or two more half chances to get a winner, but the final whistle blew and the match ended in a draw that never should have been. United were in cruise control for 80 minutes, and were half an inch away from being 3-0 up and the tie effectively over. It must be said that United’s substitutes let them down today. ETH’s hand was forced into making changes by injuries and yellow cards, and the players who came on simply were not good enough. Our goal threat dried up as soon as Bruno and Martial went off. Meanwhile, Mendilibar’s subs worked like a charm, and his side were galvanized by United failing to score more than two. Navas and En-Nesyri really shined under the bright lights. It’s possible that ETH maybe got his tactical changes wrong once the subs came on too, but bad luck was a huge factor in the result as well. It’s so damn annoying to concede two goals in such a fashion. The first one was mostly on Malacia, but the second one was simply an unlucky bounce. Sevilla would argue they deserved a bit of luck of course, and maybe they did given their dominance in the final minutes.

By far the biggest concern for United though is the health of Martinez, and Varane to a lesser extent. They are the best center-back pairing United have, with Martinez in particular being of crucial importance to the back line. He has been a bulldog back there all season, and his presence will be sorely missed. It is unclear just how long he will be out, but the biggest hope is that he hasn’t damaged his Achilles tendon. If he has, he faces more than a year out in recovery, and it’s possible that he’s not the same player when he gets back. ETH dismissed an Achilles injury in his post-match comments, but obviously more will be known in the coming days. He certainly will not be available for the next match. The grueling fixture list really caught up to United today. They are now without Varane, Martinez, Rashford, midfielder Scott McTominay, and possibly left back Luke Shaw for the match on Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, United will travel to the East Midlands of England for a Premier League match with Nottingham Forest. Forest are in a relegation battle and desperately need points, and they will be inwardly buoyed by United’s poor ending to this match and the growing injury list. United need three points to continue pushing for the top-4, and Forest need anything positive to improve their chances of staying up. That match will be a battle for sure. United then travel to Spain for the reverse fixture in this tie on Thursday, April 20th. At 2-2, it’s now anyone’s tie.

We’re Back! Manchester United Defeat Burnley in the League Cup

The World Cup has ended and there’s barely any time to catch our breath because the Red Devils resumed their domestic season today with a 2-0 win over Championship-side Burnley in the League Cup Round of 16. A number of players for United were not quite available yet due to recovering from the World Cup, so there was quite a bit of rotation for manager Erik ten Hag. Meanwhile, Burnley manager Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany was looking for his team to continue their good form before the break and pull a shock upset of United at Old Trafford.

This match was fairly open throughout, and it was obvious that United were missing some key pieces in midfield and defense. However, this is the League Cup. It simply does not have the gravitas and importance as the other trophies United will play for this season, so it’s probably a good thing that players like Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and Harry Maguire did not play. This did lead to a shortage at center back for ETH though, so defensive midfielder Casemiro was deployed next to Victor Lindelof in central defense. Reserve keeper Martin Dubravka also found himself starting over usual keeper David De Gea.

There was a good tempo to the game, and Burnley had the first chance in the opening minutes. United steadied themselves though and eventually were in the lead on 27 minutes when midfielder Bruno Fernandes found the run of right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka towards the end line. AWB did very well to get on the end of the aerial pass and hit it back across goal with one touch, where the ball found the run of midfielder Christian Eriksen. Eriksen side-footed a shot into the roof of the Burnley net, with keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell (what a name!) having no chance at saving it. A very fine goal by the lads in red indeed! No rust or lack of chemistry there. Three touches and it was in the back of the net! Well done to AWB in particular for timing his run and getting on the end of the pass from Bruno.

United had created some good chances up until that point, but Burnley were doing fairly well themselves. They put together some more fine attacking moves in response to the goal, but they couldn’t quite finish them off. Dubravka was contributing to Burnley’s positive response, unfortunately. He was caught on the ball on more than one occasion, and that led to some very nervy moments indeed. Burnley’s finishing was questionable, but so was Dubravka’s keeping. Still though, at halftime it was 1-0 and all was there to play for.

The second half continued to be very open, with both sides pushing men forward when the opportunity presented itself. However, it was United who would strike for the second time on 57 minutes via winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Rashford, fresh off his World Cup campaign where he scored three goals for England, picked up the ball just inside his own half after being fed by Scott McTominay. Rashford saw space ahead of him so he took off running with the ball at his feet, and none of the Burnley defenders could get near him without conceding a foul. He used his lightning quick pace to dribble into the right side of the area, before darting between two defenders and lashing a low shot towards goal. He was aiming for the far corner, and his shot dipped in for 2-0 even with The Peacock diving for it. A goal of a different sort than the first one, but it still counts all the same. Rashford showed he will have no problems getting back to business for United, despite the break.

Burnley’s best chance came late on when striker Ashley Barnes flashed the ball wide of Dubravka’s post after a bad giveaway by Casemiro. It was a mistake by United, but Burnley again failed to capitalize. Dubravka also had some more questionable decisions in the second half and was almost caught out again more than once. United defenders even had to clear the ball off the goal-line at one point. It was good covering in the end, but Dubravka had easily the shakiest clean sheet I have seen in some time today. He kept the ball out and at the end of the day that’s all he has to do, but it was nervy indeed.

The final whistle blew and United qualified for the quarterfinals of the League Cup, with ETH able to make subs late on with the intent of re-acclimating the players to club football. A very good game from Rashford, AWB, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Martial, and Bruno. A very questionable game from Dubravka and even McTominay, who struggled to consistently stay in the game despite his assist to Rashford. Casemiro was mostly dominant while deputizing at center back, but he did make the error that almost led to Burnley scoring. Getting more players back as the month of December closes out will be important. Very happy to see Martial play in a match and not get injured during it, but another striker is still needed in January to finish off the chances we create. No more Cristiano Ronaldo, after all.

The Premier League resumes for United next Tuesday, when they play newly-promoted Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on December 27th.

Glory Glory Man United!

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 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

Lionesses Come From Behind to Beat Spain, Advance to Semifinals

The quarterfinals of Women’s Euro 2022 kicked off today, and it featured a mouth-watering fixture between host nation England and an up-and-coming Spain side at the Amex Stadium in Brighton. England won Group A handily, while Spain finished second to Germany in Group B. Even though England were probably favorites in this match, no one was underestimating the Spanish. Much like Spain’s men’s team, the women’s team is capable of maintaining possession with ease, and it can be very difficult to take the ball off of them.

And indeed, the first hour or so was dominated by La Furia Roja. They were compact in possession and England were having a hell of a time just getting on the ball. When England were on the ball, they looked slow and lethargic. The Spanish were able to capitalize on their dominance just after half time when Real Madrid striker Esther González slotted home past England keeper Mary Earps. Given the lack of goal scoring chances for England up until that point, a sense of all-too-familiar dread crept over the England fans. It could even be argued that the Spanish should have had another one just a few minutes later, if not for the heroics of Earps.

This game changed however upon some poor Spanish substitutions and a complete switch of tactics by England manager Sarina Wiegman. The Spanish took off several attacking players and elected to try and defend their lead. England switched from a back-4 to a back-3, which allowed players like Beth Mead to push higher up the pitch. The Spanish seemed to be more stretched out defensively as a result, and the press from England became much more effective.

England were six minutes plus stoppage time from going out of the tournament. They were that close to losing this. But then a goal arrived on 84 minutes, and it was crafted at Carrington training ground. A cross was played into the box from the right, and it was headed down by Manchester United striker Alessia Russo straight into the path of her club teammate (and best friend) Ella Toone, who bundled the ball over the line for England’s equalizer. The Amex erupted in celebration, despite the protestations of the Spanish who felt that Russo fouled her marker in the build-up to the goal. VAR was consulted however, and the goal stood. A massive sigh of relief came over the stadium when the goal was confirmed. England pushed for a winner in normal time, but it was not to come. Extra time and potentially penalties would be the order of the day.

But not to worry, because England found themselves ahead on 96 minutes thanks to an absolute worldie from attacking midfielder Georgia Stanway. She received the ball from midfielder Kiera Walsh in space, about 45 yards from the goal. None of the Spanish players elected to press her, so she ran forward about 20 yards with the ball. The Spanish kept backing off of her and giving her room, so she elected to shoot from just outside the box. It was truly a wonderful strike with her right foot, crossing in front of the Spanish keeper in the air and into the far corner. It was truly a goal worth winning a match!

Even though they were ahead and in the driver’s seat, England still had to see off the opposition, who were hell bent on winning their first ever knockout game as a women’s side. Due to fatigue from both sides though the final 18+ minutes were rather disjointed. The Spanish created one or two moments for potential heart attack, but England’s defenders were all brilliant at closing the game out. Earps was not really troubled in goal, despite the Spanish having lots of possession at the end when trying to find their own equalizer.

We knew going in that the Lionesses can score goals. We knew that they were a very complete team. The win today however showed that this team has another world class trait: resilience. They hadn’t been behind at any point in the tournament up until today, and they handled the adversity splendidly. The players were clearly frustrated when they went behind, but they never stopped pressing, running, and haranguing the Spanish when off the ball. It’s true the Spanish didn’t help themselves with their substitutes, but Wiegman deserves a lot of credit for the win today as well. Without the tactical change to a back-3 and making some key substitutions, it’s entirely possible that England lose this match 1-0. A note to men’s manager Gareth Southgate – sometimes you’ve got to roll the dice if things aren’t going your way!

England have now reached the semifinals of their last four major tournaments. Truly an era of dominance in terms of consistency. We just need a trophy now. Two more matches with winning results, and England will have their first one since 1966. The Lionesses will now face either Sweden or Belgium in the semifinals of Women’s Euro 2022!

Three Lion(esses) on the Shirts!

Euro 2020(1) – Quarterfinals Day 2 – Danish Delight and England Dominance!

The second matchday of quarterfinals saw Denmark take on Czech Republic in Baku, Azerbaijan while England were drawn against Ukraine in Rome, Italy in the night fixture.

Once again, this post is primarily going to be about England. I will not apologize.

Denmark vs. Czech Republic

I won’t dwell on this too much but I must note that I hated the location this match was played in. Azerbaijan isn’t even in Europe geographically but because the country paid UEFA a lot of money and has loose COVID restrictions, they got to host a European Championships quarterfinal. Never mind the extra travel for the teams, a poor atmosphere for fans, or the warmer temperatures; there’s money to be made! Greedy bastards.

As for the match itself, Denmark controlled the first half by a considerable margin and are still clearly playing like a team possessed. They have some talent in their side but what’s really pushing them through is the desire to play well for Christian Eriksen, their still-sidelined teammate that gave the world quite a scare when he collapsed on the pitch in the opening match.

Denmark scored from a corner in the opening 5 minutes when defensive midfielder Thomas Delaney found himself unmarked and headed past Czech goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik from about 14 yards out. The header was a low bouncer with power on it that look easy to stop for a keeper but I can assure you they are probably among the hardest shots to stop. The rest of the half was the Czechs trying to keep possession and the Danes hitting them on the counter attack. They looked dangerous every time the ball broke their way, and the Danes also did well to win it high up the pitch and create chances that way. The Danes second was a real work of art, primarily the final pass from left back Joakim Mæhle. He hit an absolutely delicious cross with the outside of his right foot into the box, which was inch-perfect for striker Kasper Dolberg to redirect into the back of the net with his shin. Good technique on the finish from Dolberg to be sure, but the pass from Mæhle might be the assist of the tournament. It is so hard to cross the ball accurately while running, and even harder to do it with the outside of your foot. It was truly sublime and the Danes were in cruise control going into the break.

The Czechs tapped the brakes on the Danes though and firmly took them out of cruise control when Patrik Schick added to his impressive tally this tournament when he redirected a cross past Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel. It was early in the half and it was precisely what the Czechs needed to get back into the match. But all that fluidity and endeavor shown by the Czechs evaporated after the goal. The Danes collected themselves a bit and started possessing the ball more, and for the remaining 40 minutes or so both sides really only fashioned a few half-chances at most. Stoic defending from the Danes, and a lack of creativity from the Czechs. Perhaps fatigue was a factor in the heat of Baku.

Denmark won 2-1 and advanced to their first Euro semifinal since 1992. Truly a remarkable achievement and they deserve all the cred it for it. They await the winner of England/Ukraine.

England vs. Ukraine

Much like the aforementioned Danes, Czechs, and the Swiss yesterday, Ukraine are a team that plays better than the sum of their parts. They only have 2-3 standout players, but they have a strong sense of unity and they seem to really enjoy playing spoiler against bigger teams. I do think the Ukrainians have the ability to score via players like winger Oleksandr Zinchenko and midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko, so they will need to be contained by the English defense. I think there are questions about the Ukrainian defense though, and I want to see England use our forwards to run at them and create openings at the back. I think Raheem Sterling will once again heavily feature, as it was his dribbling that led to a goal against Germany. I’d like to see him on the right wing though, instead of on the left, though. Seems more effective from the right.

England interestingly reverted to a 4-2-3-1, a big change from the 3-4-3 they used to beat Germany. Jadon Sancho finally got the start England fans have been clamoring for, but Jack Grealish was curiously absent from the starting lineup. Its clear that manager Gareth Southgate likes to use him as an impact substitute. There was also a start in midfield for Mason Mount, who also started the first match against Croatia but hasn’t featured since due to a positive COVID test. The lineup was still somewhat conservative, but so far that approach has worked for England, even if it isn’t the most entertaining. I (and many others) want to criticize the approach from Southgate more, but he’s bought himself some room to operate in with the win over Germany. Our bench is much deeper than Ukraine’s anyway, so I expected some key substitutions to be made if things weren’t going our way. Sterling started on the left wing again, so Southgate didn’t listen to me on that one.

But he should not listen to me at all, because England came out and scored in the 4th minute after a delightful pass from Sterling (who was on the left, lol) found a run from Kane into the penalty box. He beat Ukrainian keeper Heorhiy Bushchan to the loose ball and toe-poked it up and over his outstretched leg. Great pass, great run, great finish. Sometimes it really is that simple. It was a nightmare start for Ukraine but an absolute dream for Kane and England.

England created a few more good chances in the first half, notably from Declan Rice and Harry Maguire, but failed to score them. Ukraine grew into the game a little bit and had a good spell of possession later on, but failed to create a real grade-A chance. There were just one or two poor giveaways in midfield by England and keeper Jordan Pickford was required to make a decent save at his near post from Ukrainian striker Roman Yaremchuk. It was a save he should make every time, but it was still moderately concerning that he had to make such a save.

England went into halftime 1-0 up though, despite cooling off a little after the red hot start. I was generally pleased, but I wanted a second goal fairly early on to really kill off the match. Ukraine were starting to believe in themselves a little as the half wore on and I wanted that optimism smothered as soon as possible. I got exactly what I wanted 2 minutes in when Kane won a free kick in the left channel for England. Manchester United’s Luke Shaw stepped up to take the free kick, and he found the massive head of club teammate Maguire at the far post. Maguire headed the pass back across the keeper and into the opposite corner for 2-0. A goal crafted on the Carrington training ground in Manchester! An absolutely thumping header too!

England were probably home and dry after that, but they didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal at all. If anything, they pressed down harder. A scant four minutes later, Mount brought the ball forward from midfield and played it to Sterling. Sterling was closed off by defenders but that created space for Shaw, who was on an overlapping run behind him. Sterling backheeled it to Shaw who knocked in another lovely cross with a first time hit, and he hit Kane straight in the forehead with it. Kane nodded the ball down and through the legs of Bushchan for 3-0. It was a close range finish for Kane but he still did very well to get the ball down with enough power to get it through the keeper’s legs. I had to pinch myself at 3-0 because it didn’t feel real.

Kane went close to a third goal and a fourth for England just after the hour mark with a very sweet hit on the volley, but he had to settle for a fine save from Bushchan. The angle and distance of the shot truly would have been a spectacular goal, but again the keeper was equal to it. The resulting corner was the source of England’s 4th goal, though. Mount took the corner as four English players flashed down towards the goal, and the first man to it was defensive midfielder and substitute Jordan Henderson. He got clean contact on it after losing his man and it was a simple redirection of the pass into the far corner after that. Poor marking from a probably now-jaded Ukraine and the keeper had no chance. Well done to Henderson for getting his first ever England goal! The quarterfinal of a major tournament is a great time to get it.

4-0 after 63 minutes. I couldn’t believe it. Completely blown away by the performance and there was still almost half an hour left. The only thing to ensure now was the maintaining of the clean sheet. England have not conceded a goal at Euro 2020(1) yet and the professional thing to do would be to keep it that way. Pickford’s first truly challenging save of the match was in the 74th minute when the ball fell to Ukrainian defender Yevhenii Makarenko, who struck the ball with power towards the goal. Pickford got his hands up to parry it away, but it was an awkward save from fierce strike. One or two more half chances were created by both sides after that, but all the real action was done. Ukraine were spent physically and mentally towards the end and England didn’t really press in attack any further. A lot of substitutions were made late on in the second half as well by Southgate in order to protect the players on yellow cards from suspension. Kane was also taken off to a standing ovation from England fans in attendance at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

As someone who has been watching England for over 20 years, I can tell you that England have not traditionally made it look this easy. This was dominance in a tournament I haven’t seem from this team since…ever? Sure, we usually beat minnow teams like Andorra or San Marino 4-0, 5-0, etc., but those are usually qualifiers or friendlies that aren’t nearly as important as games like this one. Put bluntly, ever since 1966 England have been choke artists. Choking in the big moments with a level of consistency that should not be physically possible. Always had loads of talent, almost always had a half-decent manager, but we could just never put it all together when it mattered most. That happened today though. England looked like a well-oiled machine for most of the match, and we ran the opposition ragged. It’s a very unfamiliar experience for England fans, but a nonetheless positive one.

It is true that Ukraine didn’t play well, and that they are not the most talented opposition England have faced so far, but they set up with a back 5 from the outset of the match and were clearly intent on defending well as a unit and then hitting on the counter. But England blew that plan to pieces with the early goal from Kane. Completely shattered them for the next 20 minutes after that. Then, just when they were starting to recover and grow into the game a a little, we destroyed them again with the early goal in the 2nd half from Maguire. It was over at 2-0, and England just poured it on from there. It was ruthless, and I loved it.

Respect to the Ukrainian players and manager/legend Andriy Shevchenko, but England were just better today through and through. Of course, this was only a quarterfinal and the tournament is not over. England now advance to only the third Euro semifinal in their history and the first one since 1996. Also of note is that this is now three semifinals in a row for England – World Cup 2018, Nations League 2019, and now Euro 2020(1). They will play Denmark at Wembley Stadium in London next Wednesday. I will do a separate preview of that massive fixture and the other semifinal between Spain and Italy beforehand.

Semifinals are set! One of these four remaining teams will win Euro 2020(1)! All remaining matches are at Wembley!

Italy vs. Spain (July 6, noon PDT)

England vs. Denmark (July 7, noon PDT)

Euro 2020(1) Quarterfinals – Two Tense Matches on Day 1

A few days off were needed for travel purposes, but the Euro 2020(1) quarterfinals got underway today with the first two games. Next two are tomorrow. All 8 of the remaining teams went in to the weekend knowing they were only three matches away from European glory. Spain took on Switzerland in St. Petersburg, Russia before the heavyweight fight between Italy and Belgium in Munich, Germany.

Spain vs. Switzerland

The Spanish were favorites coming into this match, as they boasted a lot more talent than the Swiss and are in a very rich vein of form. They have scored 10 goals in their past two matches, which is always impressive at a tournament. The Swiss however will not be afraid of anyone, having already slain the Goliath known as France. Importantly however, their captain and best midfielder Granit Xhaka was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. With Xhaka out, I thought the task just might be a tad too tall for the Swiss today.

It was clear from the outset what each team’s strategy was. The Spanish started out with their traditional possession-based game and the Swiss were quite content to let them have the ball a bit. The Swiss pressed on occasion and were trying to force the Spanish into mistakes high-up the pitch. That’s not a bad strategy as Spain can be prone to mistakes at the back, but it all went to hell for the Swiss less than 10 minutes in when Spain left back Jordi Alba fired a shot from a loose ball into the Swiss penalty area. The shot was somewhat hopeful and speculative, but it was effective nonetheless as it was redirected into the Swiss goal past keeper Yann Sommer on accident by defensive midfielder Denis Zakaria. Alba was credited with the goal initially by UEFA but they later changed it to an own-goal from Zakaria, which was probably harsh on Zakaria as Alba’s shot appeared to be on target. In any event, it was unlucky for the Swiss.

The rest of the half passed mostly without incident. Somewhat tepid, to be honest. Switzerland were again unlucky to see starting forward Breel Embolo go off after 20 minutes with a hamstring injury, and Spain were guilty of wasting a good chance that resulted from a free header by left back Cesar Azpilicueta. Aside from that though, not much else happened in the first half.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, not a lot between the two sides. The Swiss were starting to ask more questions of the Spanish defense though, and Zakaria was again unlucky to see his header go just wide from a corner. The Swiss had an excellent chance come via midfielder Steven Zuber who forced a fine save from a tight angle by Spanish keeper Unai Simon.

The Swiss got their equalizer however just five minutes after that shot across the bow via Xherdan Shaqiri, a man affectionately known as “The Cube” by supporters due to his box-like physique. Two Spanish defenders (Pau Torres and Aymeric Laporte) both went for the same ball and their collision resulted in a loose ball that was pounced on by Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler. Freuler did well to find Shaqiri a few yards to his left, and The Cube made no mistake with a finish along the ground and off the inside of the left-hand post. The Swiss had fought back again, despite not really looking like doing so for good portions of the match.

Freuler found himself in the center of things again a few minutes later, but this time for negative reasons. He went into a tackle with both feet and his feet lifted off the ground, and made some very harsh contact with the Spanish player on the ball. English referee Michael Oliver went straight into his pocket and produced a red card. Upon review it was a rash tackle, and while you don’t always get a red card for such a challenge, it is very risky to try and tackle with both feet. You are inviting danger when you do that, and Freuler was punished for it.

Spain went into the ascendency after that due to the Swiss being down a man, but they could not make the most of their advantage and failed to score another in normal time. Extra time would be needed, which was a significant disadvantage for the tiring Swiss players. Having to play another 30 minutes with 10 men whilst having already played a full 90 is positively exhausting. However, again, Spain could not take advantage, despite some excellent chances falling to striker Gerard Moreno.

Penalties came and it was evident the fatigue being felt by the Swiss players. Spain missed two penalties themselves, but the Swiss could only convert one of them. Simon made two fine saves for sure, but I saw some very tired penalties from the Swiss. They were either hit too soft or blazed over the bar, because when fatigue sets in to the legs it is very difficult to maintain your technique and control when striking the ball. Perhaps if all 11 men had played until the end it would have ended differently, but of course now we’ll never know.

Credit to the Spanish for converting their penalties, but I would be very concerned about the semifinal if I was a Spaniard. The theme of poor finishing and defensive mistakes continued today, and against a more talented side they could have easily lost.

Spain advance to the semifinals at Wembley in midweek, where they await the winner of Belgium and Italy.

Belgium vs. Italy

Loads of talking points for this match, as it probably is the most intriguing fixture of the quarterfinals. Italy have the history of winning basically everything at major tournaments, although up until this tournament started there were questions concerning inexperience among this current batch of Italian players. They’ve done well this tournament, but their previous match against Austria caused some concerns among supporters about their ability to kill of teams effectively.

The Belgians come in with their current “Golden Generation” of players that are absolutely desperate to win the first major trophy for their country of any kind. Center forward Romelu Lukaku was in excellent form, but the major concern for Belgium was the fitness of star players Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. Both of them are carrying injuries, but De Bruyne in particular is key to Belgian success at this tournament. As I have said before, there are serious arguments for De Bruyne being labelled as the best attacking midfielder in the world. De Bruyne did play in this match but Hazard did not.

Two great managers here too – Roberto Mancini for Italy and Roberto Martinez for Belgium. Interestingly, the last time these two managers faced off it was during an FA Cup final at Wembley, with Martinez’s Wigan Athletic pulling a shock upset over Mancini’s Manchester City.

The match was a little slow to start things off, with neither side really threatening the other in the first 10 minutes. Italy had the ball in the back of the Belgian net on 12 minutes though after a free kick found center back Giorgio Chiellini for a tap in, but after a VAR check the goal was correctly disallowed for offside. Chiellini was about a foot ahead of the ball when it came off his fellow defender Leonardo Bonucci. The tempo of the match did increase after that though, as Belgium knew they were given a let off. Romelu Lukaku did well to force a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma low to his right after good work from De Bruyne on a counter-attack. Gauging how this match would go from that point, it was likely that the team that made the fewest mistakes would go on to win. These teams were simply too evenly matched to call it one way or another. Good for the neutral of course, but nerve-wracking for supporters of the two countries.

You could call this fixture a chess match given all the tactical switching and formation changes by both teams throughout the opening half, but people tend to think of chess matches as boring and this game was anything but. End-to-end play that felt at times more like basketball than footie. The pace and energy from both teams was absolutely relentless.

The Italians broke the deadlock on 31 minutes via midfielder Nicolo Barella after a poor giveaway by Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen. The ball fell to the dangerous playmaker Marco Veratti who played in Barella, and he made no mistake with his finish over the top of Belgian keeper Thibault Courtois. Italy were even more energized by their goal and were able to grab another one from winger Lorenzo Insigne 12 minutes later. The first Italian goal was good, but the second one was a work of art from Insigne. He carried the ball about 50 yards, slaloming past a Belgian defender before shooting from the edge of the box. He got a lot of curl on the ball and the pace of it gave Courtois no chance to save. Truly breathtaking and a candidate for goal of the tournament.

The drama of the first half was not over though, as a penalty was awarded to Belgium just two minutes later in stoppage time. Teenage Belgian winger Jeremy Doku did well to beat his marker with pace in the left channel, and he went down inside the box after a shove in the back. The penalty was probably soft by most standards and the Italians were strenuously complaining, but VAR checked and the penalty stood. It’s a bit rich for Italians to complain about players going down too easily anyway, when they are the ones historically known as egregious divers. Lukaku stepped up to the spot and coolly put the ball past Donnarumma after sending him the wrong way.

The chaos continued in the second half, with both sides fashioning good chances but neither being able to finish them. Both Lukaku and Insigne were on fire and there were times when neither defense could get near those two players. There were more injuries and fouls in the second half as well, which wasn’t surprising given the effort and energy being put in by the players. The stoppages were really just temporary lulls in this hurricane of a match.

But the onus was on the Belgians to find an equalizer, and the Italians made subs that indicated they were going more defensive for the final 15 minutes or so, including switching to a back-5. They battened down the hatches and simply let Belgium come at them. It should be pointed out that as the game went on the Italians were engaging in what I like to call “shithousery”, meaning they were doing everything and anything to slow down the game without being penalized for it. They were taking their time with injuries, fouls, substitutions, and just generally wasting as much time as possible. While these Italians might play more attractive football than in the past, they clearly have not forgotten their traditional methods of gamesmanship mastered by their predecessors. I don’t like it as a tactic, but of course every team does it in matches of great importance.

The Belgians just couldn’t fashion another solid chance against the impregnable Italian back line, and the whistle finally blew. Italy held on to win despite a valiant effort from Belgium.

Italy will play Spain on Tuesday, July 6 at Wembley.

Tomorrow

Czech Republic vs. Denmark (9 am PDT)

England vs. Ukraine (Noon PDT)

I like England’s chances against Ukraine but they are a team with nothing to lose. No side should be taken lightly at this point. If a team makes the quarterfinals of a major tournament, that team is there for a reason.

Euro 2020(1) Round of 16 Final Day – EEEEEENGLAAAAAAAND

The last two Round of 16 matches took place today in London and Glasgow, Scotland respectively. England took on bitter rivals Germany, while Sweden and Ukraine dueled in the later fixture.

Spoiler alert: this post is going to mostly be about England lol

England vs. Germany

I didn’t sleep well last night because I was thinking about this match and all the things that could possibly happen. Hundreds of talking points were flashing through my mind and they still are right now. Germany has traditionally dominated England at major tournaments, and even though they were sub-par in the group stage they still boast an insane amount of talent. England were doing alright coming in to the match, having won the group but didn’t really amaze anyone in the process. Defending very well, but not really creating a lot going forward.

England manager Gareth Southgate has received criticism for his conservative and defense-minded line-ups this tournament, but he apparently doesn’t mind them that much because he did the exact same thing today. I myself even questioned how wise it was to leave some of England’s best attacking players on the bench against a big nation like Germany. Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips were in a double-pivot in front of a back 3, with Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, and Bukayo Saka in attack. Wingbacks Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw were also out there to help with both defense and attack depending on if we had the ball or not. The Germans, with manager Joachim Löw in charge of what could be his final match (retirement), lined up in their familiar 3-5-2 similar to England. It was expected that they would use their in-form wingbacks to win the ball high up the pitch and create overloads in the channels, which would then be used to get in behind England’s defense.

The first half swung back and forth in terms of momentum, with the Germans dominating the opening 10 minutes or so. Midfielder Leon Goretzka was through on goal at one point early-ish on and Rice was forced to foul him in a very dangerous area. Fortunately the resulting free kick came to nothing, but Rice was booked for his actions. England created a chance or two themselves from Sterling and center back Harry Maguire, forcing saves from the ridiculously talented German keeper Manuel Neuer. England keeper Jordan Pickford was forced into a fine save of his own in the first half as well, doing well to get low enough to stop German forward Timo Werner’s shot from a tight angle. In all honesty, that was probably the best chance overall for either side, arguably until Kane was denied a shooting chance in first half stoppage time by the outstretched leg of German center back Mats Hummels. Kane was clean through after the ball fell to him, but Hummels was in the right position to clear it. Both sides had some chances, but it was 0-0 at the half.

Pickford was called into action early into the second half again, this time jumping up high to get a fist on a scorcher of a shot from German winger/forward Kai Havertz. It really was a fantastic shot from Havertz and it would have gone in if not for an even more fasntastic save. Pickford isn’t tall by goalkeeper standards, but his vertical jump and reflexes are fantastic. Things were rather dull after that for a little bit, though. Both teams kept losing possession in midfield and as time crept closer to the end the dreaded prospect of penalties loomed larger and larger.

But then the moment came. An absolutely wonderful moment. Attacking midfielder Jack Grealish had been subbed on for Saka, and his creativity was vital in the buildup. In the 75th minute, Sterling went on a run towards the German defense and passed it off to Grealish on the left side of the box, right near the edge. Shaw was in a forward position for really the first time all match, and Grealish played a diagonal pass to him. Shaw ran forward with the ball, while Sterling (now in the box) took a step backwards to make sure he was onside. Shaw played a cross towards Sterling and Kane, and Sterling was able to get his right boot on it and push England into a 1-0 lead. He did a quick check for the offside flag, but it was down. The celebrations were absolutely mad. I am going to remember this goal and this moment for the rest of my life.

With it being 1-0 after 75 minutes and the Germans not really creating much, there was a feeling that this could finally be our day. Sterling almost went from hero to villain though a few minutes later after his lazy back pass was intercepted by Havertz and then played quickly to the legendary German forward Thomas Muller. Muller has been a goal scoring machine in the past, and even though he is not as quick as he used to be he is the last player you want to see on a breakaway. Defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones were after him with Pickford charging straight at him, but Muller got a clean shot away though that really looked like it was going in. It miraculously bounced harmlessly wide of Pickford’s goal though, and Sterling’s blushes were spared. Sometimes you need a bit of luck to win games like this, and it’s about bloody time we got some.

England fans were then given another wonderful moment to treasure when England brought the ball forward and it was played wide to Grealish on the left. He hit a beautiful cross into the box that found Kane virtually by himself, and Kane buried it past Neuer for 2-0. It was very good to see him get on the scoresheet finally at this tournament. If he finds some form, watch out! At 86 minutes, England were home and dry, if not literally due to the London rain then at least metaphorically. Utter elation. The final few minutes went by without much further incident, other than the curious substitution made by Löw to bring on midfielder/defender Emre Can when he is not primarily an attacking player. Many of the more cynical German fans are actually rather pleased that his reign as manager has now ended due to decisions such as this one. He won the World Cup with them in 2014, but they view him as “washed up” to an extent now. They sure didn’t like losing in such a fashion to England, though!

I was close to tears when the final whistle went. I started jumping around like a madman and singing songs. I video called my mother and grandparents in England and they were simultaneously crying and laughing as hysterically as I was. Have you ever had that moment where you finally triumphed over something that has repeatedly defeated you? Passing a big test, getting an ideal job, learning a new skill, etc.? Have you ever had that moment of divine satisfaction where you finally achieve the goal you’ve been trying to achieve since forever? That’s what happened today. We’ve beaten Germany before sure, but we haven’t beaten them at a major tournament since 1966, when England last won the World Cup. When we do beat them, it’s in a friendly match or in a match that doesn’t otherwise count for much. But not today though. We showed up, executed our plan, and got the victory when it mattered the most.

Southgate and his coaching staff deserve full credit for that plan and the players executed it more or less perfectly, one or two minor blemishes aside. He was a man truly on the hot seat going into this tournament and was facing the sack if England didn’t do well, but this victory is huge for him, the team, and the nation. The defensive midfield was excellent throughout, while Maguire and the other defenders repelled every cross into the box that came in. Tackles all over the place. Shaw, Rice, Phillips, Stones, Maguire, Walker, and Grealish were all phenomenal today. Sterling and Kane did well to reward the manager’s faith in them despite a rocky start to the tournament.

I think what Southgate has done is that he has created a team that’s very hard to beat and very annoying to play against. He knew our defense needed work after the 2018 World Cup exit, so he set about shoring that up first and foremost. He realized that teams that do well at major tournaments are usually the ones that defend the best. Italy in 2006, Germany in 2014, Portugal 2016, etc. Our defenders are good of course, but he has the midfield set up in a way that doesn’t allow many direct attacks straight at them. We saw this against the talented Croatian midfield too. Because teams can’t get at us through the middle along the ground, they attack us on the wings with crosses which plays to our strengths in terms of heading the ball away. Maguire is a monster of a human with a massive skull. He can head the ball away all day! As long as we defend well from set pieces, we are tough to break down and we end up frustrating the opposition.

Still all to play for though. This felt like a final but it was not the final, of course. Southgate even said that this means nothing if we don’t go win the whole thing now. Still seven other teams left in this tournament, although England now face a rather favorable draw. They knew they would play the winner of Ukraine/Sweden if they got through Germany.

Sweden vs. Ukraine

Left winger Oleksandr ZInchenko scored first for Ukraine, then Sweden equalized via striker Emil Forsberg just before half time. This scrappy and disjointed match was 1-1 at full time and extra time was needed. Sweden had defender Marcus Danielson sent off for a rash and violent tackle though in extra time, and further injuries and stoppages did not allow for much flow to the game. The hero in this match was Artem Dovbyk though, who found himself free at the very end of extra time to head home and send Ukraine, somewhat surprisingly, into the quarterfinals. Many had Sweden picked to win this match, but a failure to capitalize on chances and the red card really cost them. Well done to the Ukrainians for getting this far though. Zinchenko and Andriy Yarmalenko are truly two very talented players. Credit to their manager (and all-time goalscorer) Andriy Shevchenko for getting his men to this point when many did not have them getting out of their group.

Quarterfinal Matches

Switzerland vs. Spain, Friday 9 am PDT – St. Petersburg, Russia

Belgium vs. Italy, Friday Noon PDT – Munich, Germany

Czech Republic vs. Denmark, Saturday 9 am PDT – Baku, Azerbaijan

England vs. Ukraine – Saturday Noon PDT – Rome, Italy

Wrap Up of Champions League Quarterfinals and United-Sevilla Preview

With the semifinal of Paris St. Germain vs. Red Bull Leipzig already locked in, it was time to determine the other two teams in the semifinal match. The winners of Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich and Manchester City vs. Olympique Lyonnais would advance to play each other.

Barcelona 2 – 8 Bayern Munich

That is not a typo in the scoreline there. It seems like it should be, but no – Bayern scored 8 (eight) goals against Barca and thoroughly demolished them in every way. It would almost take a separate blog post to list out all the goal action, but Thomas Müller (x2), Ivan Perisic, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski, and Phillipe Coutinho (x2) were all scorers for the dominant German side. Barca got an early own goal via Bayern center back David Alaba and a 2nd from Donkey Face Luis Suarez just after half time, but Barca never got within 2 goals of Bayern after that. 

There are many reasons for such a lopsided victory, which was a record in many different ways. For one, Bayern are an absolutely ruthless and well-oiled football machine, and they do nothing but churn out goals. Every single player in the side from the goalkeeper to the forwards is excellent on the ball, and they can all pass with precision and power. Add in the fact that they seem to be able to communicate with each other telepathically at times, and you have the recipe for an incredibly dangerous team. Alaba’s blemish and a few wasted chances early on by Barca aside, Bayern were almost perfect today. All credit to their German manager Hansi Flick because I think Bayern are the best club team in the world right now and it will be difficult for any team left in this tournament to beat them. If they weren’t the favorites before, they certainly are now.

Fun fact: I learned today that Bayern have a guy from Canada playing for them! I haven’t seen a Canadian playing in Europe in ages, let alone for a major club side like Bayern. Shout out to left back Alphonso Davies for representing North America well today with a scintillating run and assist on Kimmich’s goal.

I think the other reason for the major defeat today is that Barca are a powerhouse in decline. They have been a dominant side in both Spain and Europe for the past 10-12 years thanks to the efforts of legendary players like Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Neymar, Suarez, Xavi, Carlos Puyol, and Andres Iniesta to name a few. However, the superstars they have left are all now on the wrong side of 30 and the club has not invested properly in replacements. They have relied on the greatness of Messi to bail them out for a very long time, and because he is the greatest player of all time that strategy has worked in the past. But he’s 33 now, and today he couldn’t bail them out. Bayern didn’t let him anywhere near the ball for long periods of the game and Barca’s attack was stifled significantly.

It would be easy to lay the blame for Barca’s worst loss since 1951 today solely on the players and manager Quique Setien, but truth be told the problems Barca have go much deeper than just the players and manager. I think the massive defensive errors, poor player selection, and poor tactics on display today are all symptoms of an overarching disease. As stated briefly above, the players brought in by the Barca board of directors and president Josep Bartomeu have not panned out in the way they were expected to. Further, they have let key players go that probably should have stayed, such as Coutinho. His departure stings especially because technically Coutinho is only on loan to Bayern and scored twice against his parent club today.  They are paying him to score against them! The club’s famed La Masia youth academy is not turning out quality players on a consistent basis, either.

This team plays stale tactics with players that are not where they used to be physically. It’s obvious that Setien is getting sacked before too much longer, but nothing will change at the club unless Bartomeu and the board are also sacked. The structure of the club needs to be rid of the egos that have created such a toxic environment there. Will Messi stay? Will Messi go? That is just one of many questions that need to be answered if Barca wants to return to it’s previously elite status.

Manchester City 1 – 3  Olympique Lyonnais

Before I get into the analysis here I need to take a moment to laugh at Man City. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Ha.

Right then. City came into this match as heavy favorites, and before kick off this game had a feel similar to the Atalanta/PSG match. You knew PSG were likely to win it, but Lyon’s team play and tactics are solid so you weren’t quite sure who would come out on top. City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola is considered one of the best managers in the world and he has a plethora of talent to choose from in any given game. Despite his successes at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Man City in their respective domestic leagues, he has struggled in Europe since leaving Spain. Man City have never won the Champions League and with Real Madrid and other giants like Juventus and Barcelona out of the way, there has never been a better opportunity for City to do well.

As has been a theme in this tournament though, nothing has gone according to script. Despite having the possession advantage for the first 20 minutes or so, City found themselves down 1-0 on 24 minutes after a goal from French left back Maxwell Cornet. A long ball over the top of the City defense fell to Cameroonian forward Karl Toko-Ekambi, but City keeper Ederson was quick off his line and got a block in on the shot, but the ball rebounded to Cornet who deftly hit the ball around Ederson and into the left side of the goal. It was just what Lyon needed to make City start worrying and begin to doubt themselves. The scoreline did not change after that in the first half, even though Cornet was forced to make a key block on England forward Raheem Sterling that could have easily led to a City goal. Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes was called into action on several occasions to make saves and also break up crosses into the box. It looked awkward at times for him but he and the Lyon back 4 did just enough to keep City out in the first half

City were in the ascendancy for the first 25 minutes or so of the second half, and it was via Sterling and all-world midfielder Kevin de Bruyne that they got their equalizer on 69 minutes. Sterling did well to beat his man in the left side of the penalty area, and he cut the ball back towards de Bruyne who streaked in and side-footed past Lopes. De Bruyne had been in excellent form throughout the match and the captain was easily City’s best player on the day. Excellent vision, passing, free kicks, and ball control from the Belgian today. Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus was unlucky to not put City up 2-1 when the ball fell to him in the right side of the penalty box. He tried to hit the ball on the volley first-time but accidentally struck the top of the ball, meaning most of the power in his shot went straight into the ground. The ball bounced harmlessly over the goal and out for a goal kick.

Lyon did not fold under the pressure though, and to their credit they kept attacking. Lyon manager Rudi Garcia played an absolute blinder tactically today. Guardiola was out-witted, and not for the first time this season. Garcia put on substitute striker Moussa Dembele for the largely ineffective Memphis Depay, and the dividends were paid almost immediately. City’s back line were caught high up on the pitch, and the ball was played through towards Ekambi who had made a run behind the City defense. He appeared to be offside, but let the ball run through his legs to Dembele who was streaking in behind him and to his right. Dembele had shed his marker Aymeric Laporte and after a few touches slid it under Ederson and into the City goal for 2-1 Lyon. This was a controversial goal due to not only the potential offside by Ekambi, but also due to a foul on Laporte by Dembele before he received the ball. Dembele appeared to clip the heals of Laporte in order to get around him, causing him to fall. However, VAR confirmed the goal and Lyon had restored their lead 2-1 on 79 minutes. City fans probably felt particularly aggrieved by the decision.

City pushed for an equalizer and almost had one on 85 minutes when a good cross from Jesus on the right side found an unmarked Sterling about 7 yards from goal with the keeper stranded on the other side. Sterling hit the ball first time but somehow turned the ball over the top of the goal and out of bounds. It was a very bad miss from him. Indeed, from that position and that close in it’s harder to miss than it is to put it in. City were punished for this error just 59 seconds later when the ball was won by Lyon in midfield and brought forward by substitute Jeff Rene-Adelaide. He played the ball to his left and found midfielder Houssem Arouar, who cut inside onto his right foot and lashed a shot at the City goal. The ball was only parried by Ederson and not very well, as it fell straight to Dembele who scrambled it over the line for 3-1. Sheer bedlam on the Lyon bench and utter dejection from Guardiola and City.

City forged a few more good chances in the dying minutes, but as was the case for most of the match, they could not convert and struggled to get shots on target. Many questions will be asked of Guardiola after this stunning defeat, such as why he failed to bring on more creative players when down 2-1 despite having 3+ substitutions left. City fans can only blame the referee for so much here. This loss was largely down to the tactics of Guardiola. City had 72% of the possession today but could only manage 7 shots on target over 90 minutes. That’s a very low shot-on-target rate for a team with players the caliber of which City has. Lyon’s keeper was in good form and their back-4 generally played very well to be sure, but City spent far too much time passing it around near the halfway line, and nowhere near enough time getting men forward and creating shooting chances. There was some poor finishing on display to be sure, but the missed chances hurt more when you don’t create many of them. It will be interesting to see what happens with Guardiola and the ownership of Man City going forward.

Lyon advances to play Bayern Munich in the semifinals of the Champions League.

Preview – Manchester United vs. Sevilla (Europa League Semifinal)

The Red Devils will take on Sevilla FC from the south of Spain in Cologne, Germany on Sunday at noon PT / 3 ET America time. This is a one-off match with the winner advancing to the Europa League final on Friday August 21.

United will hope for a cooler day than the sweltering weather they played in against Copenhagen, as a warm day will favor the Spanish opposition. The south of Spain is incredibly warm 8-9 months out of the year, so a bit of heat won’t really bother them. Manchester, in the northwest of England, is usually rather cold and I don’t think a lot of our English/northern European players are used to playing in heat.

Anyway, enough about the weather. I was impressed with Sevilla’s performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers in their quarterfinal match, although their victory was not without flaws. Sevilla are very good in possession, and Argentine midfielder Ever Banega pulls the strings for them in attack. He is a little past his prime at age 31, but clearly still capable of running a game for his side. They also look solid in defense as well, having shut down the Wolves attack for most of the second half.

I did see opportunities for Sevilla to be hit on the counter-attack though. The speedy Adama Traore was able to run at the Sevilla center-backs once or twice in the first half, and with some more clinical finishing Wolves may have found themselves ahead. That encourages me. Wolves have 1 player that can break quickly and attack. United have at least 4-5. I think if United sit back and absorb pressure, we can get at them on the counter-attack. Of course the passing and the timing of the counter-attacks will need to be spot-on, but I think the play of Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire will be especially important. Martial for his hold up play and passing when other forwards are running to join the attack, and Maguire for his ability to clear crosses in the air in a way that gets United off and running on the break. My expected line-up:

Romero

AWB – Lindelof – Maguire – Williams

Matic – Pogba

Greenwood – Bruno – Rashford

Martial

Paul Pogba will be given license to push forward when appropriate, and look for Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood to switch sides occasionally if the attack isn’t clicking. I expect Sevilla to try and attack us down their right side and expose the defensive frailties of Brandon Williams, so it will be the duties of Maguire and Nemanja Matic to ensure he gets extra help when he needs it.

Glory Glory Man United!