World Cup Roundup – Team Chaos Reigns Supreme

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

Croatia vs. Canada

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

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

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

Morocco vs. Belgium

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

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

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

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

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

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

Japan vs. Costa Rica

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

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

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

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

Spain vs. Germany

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Morocco vs. Croatia

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

Spain vs. Costa Rica

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

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

Belgium vs. Canada

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

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

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

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

Germany vs. Japan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Real Madrid Crowned Champions of Europe in Paris

The Super Bowl of Europe happened today, and it featured two giants of the game in Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF at the Stade de France in a rematch of the 2018 final. Liverpool were looking to add a 7th European Cup to their trophy cabinet and take some revenge from losing that 2018 final, while Madrid were looking to win it for an amazing 14th time. It was a lovely evening in Paris weather-wise, although the match was marred by ineptitude from UEFA and stadium officials who couldn’t figure out how to get fans in the queues into their seats. The delay of about 36 minutes probably impacted the match one way or another, and for UEFA to blame it on fans arriving late was nothing but comical. It is positive that there were no major issues with violence, but seeing fans tear gassed and maced just for trying to get in when they had a ticket to do so is a disgrace.

A lot of the pre-match talk centered on how each team would play the game from a tactical perspective, and it was agreed by most of the talking heads on television that Liverpool would probably be the more adventurous and attacking side, while Madrid would try to hold on as best they could and try to steal a goal when the chance presented itself. There was also concern from a Liverpool perspective about fatigue and injuries, given that they have played a whopping 63 games this season and also had to play their starters more frequently in the past few weeks than Madrid did.

And indeed, the first 40 minutes or so carried the theme of Liverpool domination with the Madridistas doing just enough to keep them out. All-world forwards Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah had good chances to take the lead, but the massive Belgian goalkeeper between the posts for Los Blancos had other ideas. Thibaut Courtois produced several fine saves in the first half that kept Liverpool at arm’s length while the Madrid forwards were struggling to get on the ball and create chances.

Some major controversy came just before halftime though, when Madrid striker Karim Benzema put the ball in the back of the net from about 6 yards out after Liverpool failed to properly clear the ball. Benzema appeared to have scored a good goal, but it was ruled out for offside. After a lengthy VAR check, it was determined that Benzema was offside. It is true that he was in an offside position, as there was only one man between him the goal when the ball rolled to him. However, Benzema’s position wasn’t the issue. The key question was whether or not the ball to him came from a deliberate move by a Liverpool player. Replays showed the ball ricocheting to Benzema after a collision of Liverpool defenders in the box, and the VAR official determined that ricochet to be unintentional. The goal was ruled out, despite some serious dissention from the public and the match pundits. The first 45 minutes then finished 0-0 without further incident.

The second half kind of went much like the first as things got back underway. Madrid grew into the game a little bit, but it was still mostly Liverpool asking all the questions. That changed on 59 minutes when Real drew first blood, with the help of a bit of good fortune. Madrid winger Federico Valverde was allowed to run into the box by the Liverpool defense, and he fired what appeared to be a shot towards the goal low and powerful along the ground. His shot went wide though, but luckily it went straight into the path of young Brazilian forward/winger Vinicius Jr. Vinicius had beaten his marker and was open at the far post, and he simply re-directed Valverde’s driven shot into the goal, with Liverpool keeper Alisson unable to do anything about it. Seemingly from nothing, Madrid were ahead 1-0. Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold can probably be apportioned a good deal of fault, as he was the one caught out of position and napping when Vinicius darted past him. Such is the risk of playing TAA at right back – he is an excellent attacking player but can suffer from defensive lapses at very inopportune moments.

Liverpool kept at it though, with wave after wave of red attacks repeatedly crashing against a white wall of Madrid defenders. Courtois continued his domination from the first half well into the second as well. It must be said that even though Madrid defended well today, Liverpool probably should have done better with some of the chances they had. Salah in particular was guilty of missing some shots that he would normally put away, most glaringly when he had a breakaway down the right side but couldn’t get the ball past Courtois at the near post. It was a tense and nervy final 30 minutes, but Liverpool ultimately could not fashion an equalizer. The final whistle blew and Madrid won 1-0.

From a neutral perspective it was a good final, but it does feel like Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp played directly into the hands of Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti’s tactics. Madrid midfielder Casemiro was given the liberty to drop back into defense when needed, which created a back-5 for Madrid that was incredibly difficult to break down. It seemed like the Scousers were relying on winger/forward Luis Diaz to win his battles with Madrid right back Dani Carvajal and create chances from the left wing, but Diaz (and his eventual replacement Diogo Jota) were pocketed by Carvajal the whole evening. Combine that with a goalkeeping masterclass from Courtois, and you get a team that was very difficult to score against.

Congrats to Real Madrid on winning their record 14th European Cup and completing a Double, as they had already won La Liga this season. A case could be made for Carvajal to be Man of the Match, but realistically it has to go to Courtois. He made an incredible nine (9) saves today, the most in a CL Final since 2003-04. Without him, Madrid probably lose this match. A big day from the bulky Belgian!

Gonna take a second to laugh at Liverpool too. Yes they had a much better season than Man United so I can’t laugh too hard, but there is an element of schadenfreude in seeing them lose. A month ago the Scousers were singing songs about winning the Quadruple, only for them to finish the season with two domestic cup trophies. They lost to Madrid today and couldn’t wrestle the Premier League title away from Man City, which is funny to anyone who hates them. I guess sometimes you do have to walk alone.

Only one club football match left now, the Championship Playoff final at Wembley tomorrow between Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town. Very much hoping Forest can win and secure promotion to the Prem. After that is done though, the club season is over and all attention turns to the UEFA Nations League, with England set to play four matches during the month of June. There will be posts for all those matches of course, and I still will be addressing the situation with the World Cup in Qatar coming this fall/early winter.

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, Day 2 – We Finally Have an Upset!

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

Netherlands vs. Czech Republic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Belgium vs. Portugal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow

Croatia vs. Spain (9 am PDT)

France vs. Switzerland (Noon PDT)