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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

USA vs. Netherlands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Australia vs. Argentina

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

World Cup Roundup – Groups G and H

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

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

Group G

Winners – Brazil

Runners Up – Switzerland

Eliminated – Cameroon, Serbia

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

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

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

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

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

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

Group H

Winners – Portugal

Runners Up – South Korea

Eliminated – Uruguay, Ghana

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portugal vs. Switzerland – Tuesday, December 6th – 11 AM PST

World Cup Roundup – Groups A and B

FIFA is a criminal organization that sells a legal product, and Qatar have been more than happy to overpay for that product as it helps them sportswash their country.

Group A

Winners – Netherlands

Runners Up – Senegal

Eliminated – Ecuador and Qatar

The Dutch went for a stroll today and beat Qatar 3-0 without ever getting into full gear. Qatar are a flat-out bad team that should never have been at this tournament. They only qualified because they are the host nation and did not bring a competitive edge to this group. Well done to the Dutch for winning, but let’s not pretend that it was a challenging match for them today. Dutch striker (and rumored Manchester United transfer target) Cody Gakpo is one to watch in the race for the Golden Boot, given out to the tournament’s top striker.

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Senegal vs. Ecuador was a much different affair. The way the the group shook out, the winner of this match would join Netherlands in the next round. Ecuador only needed a draw technically, but The African side won 2-1 and it was not an easy match for either side. Winger Ismaïla Sarr put the Senegalese ahead 1-0 from the penalty spot on 44 minutes after winning the penalty himself via a foul, but Ecuador persevered and got an equalizer on 67 minutes from midfielder Moisés Caicedo. It was a tap-in from close range for Caicedo, after the ball was flicked on from a corner. Poor marking from Senegal, but well done to Caicedo for being in the right place at the right time.

Ecuador’s jubilance was perhaps a tad strong though, as the Ecuadorians conceded again just three minutes later when center back Kalidou Koulibaly powered it home from about 8 yards out. Senegal had won a free kick in the right channel, and the clearance from Ecuador unluckily fell straight to Koulibaly. Center backs aren’t always the best finishers, but there was no mistake from the big man on this occasion. Ecuador pushed and pushed in the final 20+ minutes to find the miracle goal to send them through, but the west Africans held firm. It was tense, but it was clear that Ecuador’s main goal-scoring threat Enner Valencia was not 100% fit this match. It will be disappointing from their point of view to go out like this, especially after the good results against Qatar and the Dutch.

Some of my more observant readers will note that I predicted Netherlands and Senegal to get out of this group before the tournament started! Happy to be right with a prediction for once!

Group B

Winners – England

Runners up – USA

Eliminated – Iran, Wales

England needed only a draw to advance today, and they even could have done so with a loss as long as it wasn’t by four goals or more. But as the England match kicked off and got underway, it was very apparent that Wales would not be scoring four goals against them. The first half was goal-less but much better for England than their previous match against the USA. Striker Marcus Rashford went close after being through on goal early on, only for his effort to be snuffed out by a very alert Welsh keeper in Danny Ward. Wales maybe had a half chance or two towards the end of the half, but England keeper Jordan Pickford was never seriously tested. England were doing a much better job of running the counter-press and looked to be worthy of a goal.

England finally turned all their positive possession and attacking intent into a goal on 50 minutes when forward Phil Foden won a free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the left of center of the goal roughly 20 yards out. After a discussion among some of the players, Rashford stepped up and hit the ball very sweetly with his right foot. It flew over/through the Welsh wall and flew into the right corner of Ward’s net. A great strike from a great player!

England got their second roughly a minute and a half later, when Rashford won the ball high up the pitch on the right wing. He played the ball forward to striker Harry Kane, who was on the edge of the right side of the penalty area. Without even looking up, Kane hit a low cross that was met at the far post by Foden, who slotted home with his first touch from a tight angle. Another great goal, but for a different reason. The first goal was a marvel of technical skill. The second goal was the result of aggressive pressing and a sublime final ball from Kane.

At 2-0 the match was mostly done and dusted, but Wales responded with their best chance of the match when a deflected strike from distance nearly wrong-footed Pickford, but he recovered enough to push the ball away. England got their 3rd on 68 minutes when Rashford was allowed to run into the box and cut inside substitute left back Connor Roberts. He lashed a fierce shot straight at Ward, who made a colossal error by allowing the shot to slip between his legs. It was poor from Ward, but take nothing away from Rashford. Goalkeeping errors only happen as a result of aggressive play, and England were very aggressive today. Rashford now suddenly finds himself in the race for the Golden Boot!

The Welsh looked finished, and truthfully England looked much more likely to score a fourth than Wales did to get their first. The substitutes were running wild for a bit there. England will be very happy with this result after the rather tepid display against the Americans, and it proves that England are at their best when they play aggressively and press high up the pitch. Sitting back and defending, simply put, does not suit this group of players. We need to carry this aggressive form forward as the tournament progresses.

Wales will of course be disappointed to not have done better at this tournament. They only scored one goal and earned only one point as a result of it. They have quality in this team, but they could never put it together for 90 minutes. Their best half of play was the second one against the Americans in the opening group match, but one half of good play out of six is usually not enough to secure progression. It will be interesting to see how star players Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale handle this loss. Bale says he isn’t retiring from Wales, but we will see if his mind changes about that once he’s back on his beloved golf courses. One thing that’s for sure is that he looked like a passenger today, and had to go off at half time due to apparent injury.

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The match between USA and Iran was much more closely-contested. The Americans were the better team by far in the opening 45 minutes. They were running at Iran and controlling possession effectively. While they squandered numerous chances and were caught offside one or twice, they got their breakthrough via attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic, who bundled the ball home from close range after a good cross from right back Sergiño Dest. Pulisic hurt himself while scoring and had to come off, but the Americans were good value for their lead. Iran was struggling to put passes together and to hold on to the ball. Iran did not have a shot on goal in the opening half.

The Iranians did grow into the game a little more as the second half started and wore on, but they struggled to seriously test USA keeper Matt Turner. Iran’s final ball was lacking all match, and despite 9 minutes of extra time, they could not find the equalizer that would have sent the Americans home. After a solid defensive effort, USA held on to win 1-0.

While the Iranians were disappointing, I can’t really blame them for playing as poorly as they did today. It’s very clear the players and their families are under a heavy degree of scrutiny by the Iranian government, and there were rumors pre-match that any sort of protest by the players against the regime would result in harm happening to the players’ families. I can’t imagine having to play under those conditions. Not taking anything away from the USMNT today, but I have to question just how much those negative emotions impacted their play. #standwithwomen #iranianwomen #mahsaamini

For the Americans, this was more of the same. They are young, fast, and athletic; but it’s very clear they lack a strong center-forward. They would be a much more dangerous team with a Kane or Olivier Giroud of their own. They need a big, strong forward who can hold off a challenge in the box and finish with aplomb. The defense has played well so far, and I have been especially impressed with midfielders Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, but the Round of 16 will be a much tougher test than Iran was today.

I also thought England and USA would get out of this group before the tournament! 4 for 4 so far!

USA vs. Netherlands – Saturday December 3, 2022 at 7 am PST

England vs. Senegal – Sunday December 4, 2022 at 11 am PST

World Cup Roundup – England Remain Top of Group B, Qatar Eliminated

Qatar is a terrible country with terrible laws and FIFA are holding a World Cup on the backs of slave labor.

Qatar vs. Senegal

Senegal won 3-1 and never really looked like being seriously threatened. Qatar are simply not good enough to compete at this level, and they only qualified because they’re the host nation. I do not wish any ill will towards the individual players in the team, but its frankly a sham that they’re even here at the tournament. Very happy to see them go out. They are not only the first team eliminated this year, they are the first host nation to be eliminated after two matches.

Ecuador vs. Netherlands

The surprising Ecuadorians managed to get themselves a 1-1 draw with a much more talented Netherlands side thanks to a late goal from Enner Valencia, who is now top-scorer at this World Cup with 3 goals. Striker Cody Gakpo had put the Dutch ahead with a very good strike early on, but the Dutch could not find a second and Ecuador came away with a very important point.

Group A is now down to three teams – Ecuador, Netherlands, and Senegal. Given that the Dutch play Qatar in their last match, they’ll be fancied to go through. Second place (and maybe first, depending on the goal differential) is going to come down to the Ecuador vs. Senegal match. Ecuador’s hopes are pinned largely on the fitness of Valencia, who was stretchered off with injury in this match after scoring.

Wales vs. Iran

This was the minor upset of the day, with Iran winning 2-0 thanks to two late goals. The game was choppy and staccato for most of it’s duration, but it all really kicked off in the final 15 minutes of play. Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off on 86 minutes for a bad foul after he failed to get to the ball ahead of an onrushing Iranian forward. The collision was a tough one to watch and it’s hard to argue against the red card there. Wales were down a man and their starting keeper, which certainly had an effect on them.

Iran got their breakthrough goal towards the end of 9 minutes of stoppage time via substitute midfielder Roozbeh Chesmi. The Welsh defense only half-cleared a cross from the left, and it fell to Chesmi in acres of space just outside the box. He unleashed a finessed shot from the edge of the box into the right side of the goal past substitute keeper Danny Ward. A late winner is always sensational to witness, and this was no exception. All the Iranian fans in attendance were beside themselves, and rightly so.

Wales poured forward to find an equalizer, but were instead hit for a second in the 11th minute of stoppage time on the counter-attack by winger Ramin Rezaeian. Iran had an extra man over on the Welsh, and it was a simple pass and chipped finish that sealed a famous three points for them. Well done to those lads for going and getting a result like this. There is an awful lot of political turmoil in that country right now, and the emotions of winning a match like this might give their fellow countrymen (and women!) something to cheer for when it’s desperately needed.

Wales, for their part, were very poor. They were never really in this match. Their two best players – Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey – failed to make any significant impact. While Wales are not mathematically eliminated, they need a victory over England and for the other match to go their way in order to get out of this group. They currently sit bottom of the group on 1 point. Iran are 2nd with 3 points.

England vs. USA

Alright, here we go. This is the one I have been waiting on since the groups were announced. As an England fan living in America, this one was always going to be a special match. I was secretly expecting England to win, but mainly I really did not want the Three Lions to lose. American football fans online are insufferable when they win, and if they beat England the vitriol would be positively prolific. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one to forget for the neutral. A 0-0 draw is usually not a formula for an entertaining match.

The headline here is that England played poorly and the Americans played slightly better than most expected. Striker Harry Kane had the first half chance at the goal around the 10 minute mark, but his effort was blocked by a US defender. American midfielder Weston McKennie blazed over keeper Jordan Pickford’s bar from inside the box about 10 minutes after that, and then USA midfielder Christian Pulisic hit the crossbar from a tight angle on 33 minutes. England’s next good chance came just before half time, with midfielder Mason Mount’s effort parried away from distance by American keeper Matt Turner.

There were even fewer chances in the second half. England were defending well thanks to Harry Maguire and John Stones, but the attack was absolutely dismal. Maguire was on hand to clear a succession of corners around the hour mark, but again England could not find consistency going forward. Kane looked decidedly off the pace today, as did wingers Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka.

And once again, the main question about this England team is the manager. Gareth Southgate named an unchanged side today and also did not really change the tactics from the Iran match, which ultimately was to England’s detriment. But the much bigger issue is his repeated inability to make the substitution or tactical change that enables England to find a way through. Most would agree with bringing Jack Grealish on, but why also a defensive midfielder in Jordan Henderson when England need a goal? But why not start Grealish outright? Why wait so long to bring on winger/forward Marcus Rashford when Saka and Sterling are clearly struggling? Why keep starting Mason Mount when we have the likes of Phil Foden on the bench? Why not use Foden at all? These honest and fair questions surrounding his managerial skills will continue to be asked every time England doesn’t get a good result. Southgate clearly believes in the players that he likes and he believes heavily in his system. That’s fine and it’s produced some decent results for England, but once teams figure out that system he needs to be able to change it on the fly. England have plenty of talent, it just needs to be put to good use.

At the end of the day though, a draw is not the worst thing in this situation. England remain top Group B on 4 points, while the Americans are 3rd with 2. England are still in a good position to get out of the group, but they are far from guaranteed to be group winners. They will need to beat Wales outright in order to win the group. If they draw or lose, then all three of the other teams could find their way to the next round.

The Americans can take a fair amount of pride in this result, but it’s clear they lack a finisher. They frustrated England very effectively today, but I questioned the tactic of trying to beat England in the air when it came to their own attacking play. It was clear that Maguire was dominating the area in the air, and he struggles at times with smaller and quicker attackers. Americans would be fair in asking why Gio Reyna was not brought on until late. but they need a victory over Iran to progress. Another draw won’t be enough.

Group B Matchday 1 – Americans Held by Wales, England Steamroll Iran

First things first – FIFA and the government of Qatar are absolutely horrendous entities. This tournament should not have been held in this country.

USA vs. Wales

Let’s start with this one since most of my readers are Americans. Classic game of two halves here. The Americans came out with tenacity and a high work-rate in the first half, and Wales really struggled to get a foot in the game. The Americans’ ability to press high up the pitch was causing Wales all kinds of problems. Even when they were on the ball, they couldn’t find space to hit long passes. The work rate and passing of Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah were particularly impressive. It seemed that the Welsh were tactically okay with letting the Americans have the ball while trying to hit the Americans on the counter-attack via speedy wingers Daniel James and Gareth Bale.

That tactical plan did not really work in the first half though, and the Americans cashed in on a golden opportunity on 36 minutes courtesy of winger Tim Weah (son of former Balon d’Or winner current President of Liberia, George Weah). Some neat passing in midfield led to Christian Pulisic being allowed to run towards the Welsh goal unchallenged, and Weah made an excellent diagonal run in behind the back-4. Pulisic spotted his run and played an excellent ball to him, and Weah then used the angle created by his run to re-direct the ball home past keeper Wayne Hennessey. It was nothing less than the Americans deserved for their tenacity, possession, and work-rate. Wales limped into half time after that, but they managed to keep the Americans from adding another.

Wales manager Rob Page brought on striker Kieffer Moore at half time, and his impact was felt almost immediately. In the first 45 minutes, Wales had no outlet. They had no one up front who could hold onto the ball and/or win fouls while supporting players ran up the pitch. Moore changed all that. His big frame was very useful for Wales, and all of a sudden they had a lot more possession in their attacking third. Moore had a header go over USA keeper Matt Turner’s crossbar around 66 minutes that he really should have better with. But as with the Americans in the first half, you sensed a goal was coming.

And indeed, the Welsh got their vital equalizer on 83 minutes from the penalty spot. While this referee can be rightly criticized for some of his decisions in this match, the penalty decision was spot-on. USMNT defender Tim Ream was marking Bale in the box when he elected to go through the back of Bale in an effort to win the ball. He did make some contact with the ball, but it is generally a very bad idea to go through the back of an attacking player in your box with a 1-0 lead. His knee came into contact with Bale and Bale went down like he’d been shot, as is to be expected at this level of the game. The referee pointed to the spot, and Bale stepped up to dispatch the penalty with power into the right hand corner. Turner did go the right way to make the save, but there was just too much power and height on the ball to keep it out. 1-1, and the first goal scored by a Welshman at the World Cup in 64 years!

As stoppage time approached, the already-physical game became even tougher, with challenges flying in from both sides. Neither team was really able to fashion a good chance. Substitute Wales winger Brennan Johnson tested Turner with a shot from a tight angle, but that was about it. The match ended 1-1, which was probably a fair result given how it played out. The Yanks were better in the first half, the Welsh better in the second. USA supporters will be disappointed with how the match ended, and the Welsh will be disappointed with how it began. Both teams will need to play better to make a deep run at this tournament.

If I’m a USA supporter, I am very concerned about the health and fitness of McKennie. He was the best player on the pitch in the opening 45 minutes, and the game really changed when he went off. I am also concerned about the 2nd half response by USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter, or perhaps the lack thereof. For some mysterious reason (and this may have partly been due to McKennie coming off), the Americans stopped attacking the Welsh through the middle of the pitch. They instead elected to get the ball wide and try and find headers from aerial crosses, but that seemed to be futile against a much taller Welsh back line. The Yanks are at their best when the ball is at Pulisic’s feet and he’s allowed to run at defenses, as made obvious by their goal today. They will need to re-establish that strategy going forward.

England vs. Iran

England were expected to win this match given the gulf in talent between the two sides, but very few expected a 6-2 result. Iran were ranked 20th in the world coming into this match, the highest-ranked Asian side at the tournament. They usually cause problems for more-talented opposition and only lose by the odd goal here and there, if they lose at all.

England were the dominant team throughout the match, but it must be noted that it took England 35 minutes to breach the Iranian goal. It was only then that a fine cross from left back Luke Shaw found midfielder Jude Bellingham’s head in the box, and he powered a thunderous header beyond substitute keeper Hossein Hosseini. Once the first one went in, the floodgates opened. Wingers Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling added their names to the scoresheet next, and it was 3-0 at halftime to England. Saka got another goal on 62 minutes as well, and England were well on their way to three points and the top of the group.

The Iranians did not stop trying however, and they were rewarded with a goal on 65 minutes from the talented Mehdi Taremi. England failed to clear a long throw-in from Iran, and when the ball was played to Taremi he smartly powered home the ball into the roof of the net. England keeper Jordan Pickford could do little about it. It was never anything more than a consolation goal, though.

England continued to attack, with striker Harry Kane finding substitute winger Marcus Rashford, who cut inside from the right wing and slotted home under Hosseini for England’s fifth. Rashford had only been on the pitch for 49 seconds when his shot found the back of the net, so he made sure his impact was felt. The action dulled a bit after that, but England were awarded a 6th goal on 90 minutes after striker Callum Wilson found midfielder Jack Grealish unmarked in the box. Grealish swept home the pass and England were essentially home and dry.

The referee had to have his say, however. First, he missed an obvious foul on center back Harry Maguire in the first half that would have given England a penalty. Secondly, he awarded a monumental 13 minutes of stoppage time today. That is well above the average, but I suppose it is acceptable given the long injury delays in the first and second half. He awarded a penalty to Iran very late on, and while it did not affect the outcome of the match, it was a good example of inconsistent application of the rules. If the penalty late on for a shirt pull was a penalty, then so was the shirt pull on Maguire in the first half. Again, it matters not for today, but in a closer match it could matter quite a bit.

England were by far the better side and deserved to win this match. For a team that has struggled to score goals recently, scoring six in the opening match of a World Cup is fantastic. Some questions remain defensively, but the ruthless finishing today more than made up for it. Credit to the Iranians for never stopping, even though it would have been understandable if they did.

Even more credit to the Iranians however for not singing along with their national anthem before the match. This was done on purpose in protest against their current governmental regime and its treatment of women within Iran. A very ballsy move indeed, and it’s significantly braver than any form of “protest” against Qatar planned by European nations. Iran is playing for something bigger than just their team, and I wish them nothing but the best of luck in this group.

All four teams resume play on Friday, November 25th. USA vs. England and Wales vs. Iran. England are in the driver’s seat after today, but nothing has been decided yet. Four massive matches tomorrow, including Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia, Mexico vs. Poland, Denmark vs. Tunisia, and France vs. Australia.

World Cup Group B Preview – Yes, the One With the Yanks In It

England. Wales. Iran. USA.

For the first time since 2010, England will play the Yanks in the group stage of a World Cup. I do think that England and the USA are probably the favorites in the group, as I already wrote in my Quick n’ Dirty World Cup picks post. However, let’s take a deeper dive into this group and figure out what’s going on. And remember – this tournament should not be happening in Qatar, and FIFA is the most corrupt organization on the planet.

USA

I normally let my Yank friends and colleagues discuss the USMNT (which of course stands for United States Mutant Ninja Turtles) for me as I don’t routinely follow them, but given that they are in England’s group this tournament I have been following them a little more closely. At World Cup 2010 in South Africa, the Americans drew with England 1-1 and then managed to later win the group! That would be a fantastic result for them again this time around, but this group is much different than the one in 2010.

This is the most talented USMNT I have seen assembled for a major tournament. They have some undeniably good players, mainly in attack. Giovanni Reyna, Joshua Sargent, and Tim Weah all play for big clubs across Europe, and Christian Pulisic is the most naturally-talented American player I have ever seen. Pulisic and Reyna also have Champions League experience, with Pulisic being the owner of a winners’ medal. I do not think the Americans will struggle to score goals, provided manager Greg Berhalter allows them to run at defenses.

Where the concerns come in are with the rest of the team. The midfield might be ok as long as Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams are able to find the attacking players with key passes. However, the defense looks extremely thin outside of Sergiño Dest. Most of the defenders in this team do not play in Europe, and I am concerned about them having to rely on the aging legs of DeAndre Yedlin at fullback. The goalkeepers, at least two of them, aren’t regular starters at their clubs and the current No. 1 Ethan Horvath plays in the second division in England. There just isn’t a ton of top-level experience in this side apart from the forwards and McKennie.

A further concern is the form of the Americans coming into this tournament. To say the least, it hasn’t been convincing. They failed to win their CONCACAF qualifying group, and in their recent friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia they failed to score a single goal. Most Americans will tell you that Berhalter is largely responsible for those failures. From my limited perspective, Berhalter needs to shape his tactics and team selection around scoring goals and defending from the front. I do not think the Americans are good enough in defense to hold out against quality opposition for 90 minutes. The best strategy for the USMNT is to get out on the front foot first though and make the opposition work. They must press high and win the ball in forward areas.

The team spirit of the Americans at these tournaments is usually very good. To quote famous match commentator Martin Tyler, “Americans always believe they can do it.” There is no more apt a quote. Americans always believe they can win games, even when all logic and reason says they won’t. Self-belief is ingrained in American culture, and while it has its downsides it certainly can be helpful in football.

Overall though I think this current crop of American talent needs four years to mature. This tournament might have come just a bit too soon. They are of course not the pushovers they were 20 years ago, but I still think there is a gap in quality between the Yanks and the elites of the world.

Wales

The Welsh have not been to a World Cup since 1958, but that long absence has made them very hungry for some success. They qualified via an emotional playoff against Ukraine in which the entire football world was rooting against them, so there are no questions as to their mental toughness. It’s true they are small in terms of population of geography, but the talent and experience in this Wales team makes me think they are one of the biggest sleepers going into this tournament.

They are of course led by talismanic forward Gareth Bale, who is the most talented player Wales has ever produced and he just won the MLS Cup with Los Angeles FC. He will lead the forward line, probably supported by Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson and Fulham winger Daniel James. In midfield they have the aging but still reliable Aaron Ramsey, along with Joe Allen and Harry Wilson. There is also a lot of experience in defense via Neco Williams, Chris Gunter, and Ben Davies. Wayne Hennessey is also a massively experienced keeper and had a fantastic outing in the playoff against Ukraine. This is both the first and last World Cup for Bale and probably Ramsey as well, so they will be giving their all.

The big question for Wales is their depth. Aside from the starters I named and maybe one or two more players, the Welsh do not have the depth of some of the bigger teams. They will have to rely on their starters in order to do well at this tournament. That might work during the group stage to a degree, but I do not feel they have the depth for a long run. However, anyone who disregards the Welsh in this group will do so at their own peril. They have talent, experience, and are in good form coming into the tournament.

The Americans play Wales in their first group match on November 21st.

Iran

So as a non-Iranian its easy to not pay attention to this team and not take them seriously due to their lack of talent. And objectively, they are the least-talented team in this group. Most of their players play in the Iranian domestic league, although there are a few notable names who play in Greece, Turkey, and Croatia. Iran are probably strongest in attack similar to the Americans, with Karim Ansarifard, Mehdi Taremi, and Sardar Azmoun all looking to make a name for themselves at this tournament.

Also, when a team is lacking in talent, they can sometimes make up for it in tactical prowess and team spirit. There are many occasions both at the club and international level where a less-talented team has gotten a result against a better team simply because they had a better tactical plan. That will be Iran and manager Carlos Quieroz’s mantra going into this tournament. They’re not idiots, after all. They know they lack the talent that other teams in this group have. Still though, they are one of the best Asian teams in the world and have had a good run of form coming into this tournament. They won’t just roll over and concede that they’re just happy to be here.

Iran’s greatest strength however is not their talent, nor their coaching. Interestingly, it is the current political tension in their country and the team spirit that results from it. Many of these players support women’s rights in Iran and are critical of the current regime. They know that they are ambassadors for their culture and people, not necessarily their government. I think they will want to show the world what Iran is really about. The people of that nation are much more progressive than their government is generally speaking, and they have a chance to show support for the women of their country by playing well at this tournament. Ansarifard has already done a bit of that recently when he scored a goal for his club and then removed his team shirt to display a message of solidarity with women in Iran.

It would be beyond surprising for Iran to progress out of this group, but it is certainly not impossible. They are much more likely however to ruin another team’s chance of progression.

England

The Three Lions are my team of choice and I usually don’t like to make predictions about them due to superstition, but I can give some general previews about the expectations around this team. England fans expect this team to win the World Cup every time it comes around, no matter how delusional that may be. As has been said many times on this blog, England have only won the world Cup once, and it was a staggering 56 years ago.

But the past five years or so have provided some justification for those lofty expectations this time around. The past five years have been the most successful in England’s history, aside from 1966. In 2017 we reached the semifinals of the Nations League, in 2018 we reached the semifinals of the World Cup in Russia, and in 2021 we reached the final of the European Championships. No trophies were won at any of those tournaments sadly, but this is the most consistently good this team has been in my lifetime. Manager Gareth Southgate and this current generation of English talent are the primary reasons for this success.

There is no denying England’s star power in attack, and the defense should probably be pretty solid as well. The midfield is admittedly a little on the light side after the starters, but if England do poorly at this tournament a lack of talent will not be the reason why. With world-class players like Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Luke Shaw, and many others all currently in the form they’re in, we are capable of beating every team at this tournament. On paper, at least. There is also a lot of depth for England, particularly in attack and defense. We are chock full of first-team starters at their respective clubs. Indeed, our bench players are better than some other teams’ starters.

But England’s greatest issue at this tournament will be Southgate’s conservative approach and tactics. It’s true that the system implemented (3 at the back, with a slow buildup towards the goal) works fairly well, but on the off occasion it doesn’t, England struggle to adapt. Southgate has a ton of faith in the players he likes, and for whatever reason he is slow to respond to negative events in a given match. The best teams know how to win in more ways than one, and I am concerned that Southgate is either unwilling or unable to realize that. Will he roll the dice when needed? Will he make the correct adjustment that leads to a win? We will have to see. If England do not play well this tournament, it will be his job on the line. Failure to get out of the group would be unacceptable for a team of this caliber.

Personally, I want to see a ruthless England in this group stage. Nay; a positively villainous England. It’s no secret that most of the world won’t be cheering for us for a variety of reasons, so it’s time to embrace that villainy and use it to our advantage. Let’s go out and put 4 goals past each team. Let’s dive to the floor like Italians whenever a tackle comes in. Let’s go out there and commit some professional fouls in the first 10 minutes of matches so oppositions know we aren’t messing about. I don’t want us to just win, I want the opposition utterly demoralized. We already have the talent, but now we need to be nasty! If we have to go out, I want us to go out kicking and screaming every inch of the way.

England plays their first match against Iran on November 21.

England Uninspiring in Defeat – Congratulations to Wales

With the club season now fully over and done with, all attention turns to the national sides and the various tournaments, qualifiers, and friendlies that will be played during the month of June. Just when you thought you were getting a break from footie, here comes more matches! To be honest there probably are too many matches each year. The numerous fixtures are draining on the players and it’s difficult for casual fans to keep up with what sort of fixture is being played.

The Nations League has started for England and many other European countries. This “league” was created to replace friendly fixtures and to give them a little more competitive impetus. It remains to be seen just how important these fixtures are. Some of the players take them seriously, but many superstars have little interest in playing glorified friendlies after a long season. Manchester City and Belgium star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is one player who has recently voiced his dissatisfaction with the set-up. Really though, like everything with UEFA/FIFA, it’s about money. It’s all about increasing match revenue and TV ratings, which in turn creates more money for UEFA and the FA of a given country.

England’s first match was yesterday against Hungary. The match was played in Budapest, but it was supposed to be played in an empty stadium as a penalty on the Hungarian FA for allowing racist chants from supporters the last time England played there during World Cup qualification. Hungary’s FA has however found a loophole in that punishment, as they filled the stadium with roughly 20,000 or so children 14 and under with one adult per every 10 kids. It seems they can sell youth tickets to a match, even when they are not supposed to be making any money at all off ticket sales. UEFA doesn’t really seem to have a problem with this either, which proves that their anti-racism campaign is an utter joke and that they don’t really care about addressing the problem of racism in football. If the options are either 1) making money or 2) actually doing something to effectively punish an FA for racism, UEFA is going with option 1 every time.

The match itself was downright boring, with England losing 1-0 after a fairly dubious penalty decision which striker Dominik Szoboszlai converted from the spot. England’s style of boring football under manager Gareth Southgate reared it’s dull head again, and many have criticized Southgate for not really going for it. He needs to decide on a back-3 vs. a back-4 for England. Given that we like to build from the back, the make-up of the defensive back line is key for building attacks. Both formulas can be successful, but he needs to make up his mind and figure out what personnel are best-suited for the formation in question. Being overly-defensive cost us against Italy in 2021, and also against Croatia in 2018. I realize this was effectively a friendly after a long and grueling season in which England were missing some regular starters, but this result and the manner it was achieved does not make me feel excited about the prospect of the World Cup in November. The match on Tuesday against Germany will be more indicative of where England is as a squad. Any match against Ze Germans is never a friendly.

***

The positive action from today was Wales defeating Ukraine 1-0 and qualifying for their first World Cup in 64 years! The winning goal was the result of a free-kick from superstar winger/forward Gareth Bale, which took a deflection off the head of Ukraine winger/forward Andriy Yarmolenko before going in. The Welsh join England, USA, and Iran in Group B at World Cup 2022!

Commiserations to Ukraine of course. This was a team that the whole world – aside from Wales – was cheering for. They’ve had a really rough go of it recently as a country, and their football team doing well was one of the few positives they could hang their hats on. Indeed, had there not been an active war in their country, these qualification matches would have been sorted out earlier this year. Their victory over a frankly hapless Scotland side earlier this week gave them so much hope for qualification, only to fall short against Bale, keeper Wayne Hennessey, and the Welsh defense. All of the Ukrainian players are still heroes though, and as an England supporter I am happy to not have to deal with them come November. Ukraine will be back, though. Andriy Shevchenko is a talented manager, and they have the footballing heritage to rise again.

Take nothing away from Wales though, as they were underdogs with something to prove in their own right. This was Bale’s last chance at a World Cup, and his free-kick is the reason that Wales are in it. Due to their lack of depth in talent, the Welsh usually go as Bale goes. If he plays well, they have a strong chance to win. If he doesn’t play well or is marked out of the game, Wales usually struggle. He is the most decorated British player in the history of Real Madrid, and he knows this will be his final chance to make his mark on the most prestigious tournament in the world.

Excited for a British derby in Qatar!

United Get the Season Off to a Flying Start With Victory Over Chelsea

Well I think it’s safe to say that no one was expecting a 4-0 victory for either side, let alone one with United winning. Going into the match I think most reasonable minds expected a tense and low-scoring affair.

And to be fair, that’s what it was for the first 60 minutes or so. Chelsea came out in the first 15 minutes and dominated possession, and it was only thanks to the post that striker Tammy Abraham was denied an opener. Midfielder Ross Barkley looked to be in particularly dangerous form, along with Abraham and winger Pedro. United had to do a lot of defending in that opening period, but despite being on the back foot I was very impressed with new signings Harry Maguire (aka Slab) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (AWB). Both of them were tremendous throughout the match. More on them below.

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring from the penalty spot against the run of play in the 18th minute. Chelsea’s French center back Kurt Zouma clumsily fouled Rashford in the box, and a penalty was given. I’m fairly sure United midfielder Andreas Pereira suffered a foul earlier in the build-up as well, but referee Anthony Taylor correctly played the advantage and Rashford dribbled the ball into the box. He was fouled again by Zouma and the ref gave the penalty. Taylor himself had a very good day by all standards and I am happy the referee and VAR were largely a non-factor in this match.

United had to endure a bit more pressure after that, as Chelsea searched for an equalizer. It almost became a game of which team can “out-press” the other. Both teams used their pacy forwards and wingers to press the back lines throughout the first half in an effort to win the ball high up on the pitch, which resulted in some very entertaining (and also nerve-wracking) end to end football in the first 45 minutes. The defense and keeper David De Gea did just enough to keep Chelsea out though, and United got to half time with a slim 1-0 lead despite Brazilian left back Emerson hitting the post again for Chelsea. It was good to be ahead for sure, but the Red Devils were certainly not out of the woods.

More of the same happened in the opening 15 minutes of the 2nd half. Chelsea were on the ball quite a bit, and United had to dig in and defend some more. Emerson once again hit a powerful shot that was pawed away by keeper De Gea. Once the 60th minute hit though, it was all United. Maguire won the ball back outside our own box and played the ball to Rashford out wide on the left. Rashford used his electrifying pace to bring the ball forward, and then played a ball out wide right to Jesse Lingard. By that time, Anthony Martial had made his way into the box and joined Rashford in the penalty area. After a nifty exchange between Lingard and Pereira in the right channel, the latter hit a cross into the box that was bundled over the line by Martial for United’s second. Chelsea’s Spanish right back Cesar Azpilicueta switched off for a second and Martial gained a favorable position on him before he poked it home with his first touch. Martial actually missed it with his right foot but the ball hit his opposite knee anyway and rolled over the line. It doesn’t matter how they go in, as long as they do! A great counter-attack by United. Sir Alex Ferguson was watching from the stands today and you know he would have been very happy with a goal like that.

I think Chelsea’s mentality was very fragile after that. They looked like the better team for large portions of the match, yet still found themselves down 2-0. That’s disheartening for any team. I think that was part of the reason for how quick United got their third.

The match had barely restarted when United won the ball in midfield, and our excellent Frenchman Paul Pogba hit a sublime pass over the top into Rashford, who had made a very intelligent run into a gap between Zouma and Azpilicueta. Pogba had actually been somewhat quiet in this match up until that moment. He looked to be about a half-step behind everyone else in the first half, to be honest. But the talent and quality of Pogba is such that he can play like crap for most of the game but still conjure up a moment of magic out of nowhere. Rashford’s first touch was excellent as he knocked the ball ahead of him, and once the young Englishman is away on the ball there are very few people in the world who can catch him. He took his time, composed himself, and slotted home to his right past keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. It was an absolutely sublime goal that came completely out of nowhere. Even the match commentators were still talking about the 2nd goal when Rashford was through for the 3rd! After a quick VAR review for offside, the goal was awarded and the United players knew they were free and clear. It was great to see everyone celebrating the goal together as a team. Two goals within 90 seconds of each other are incredibly difficult for any team to come back from.

Chelsea’s misery wasn’t over either. They poured men forward in search of a goal, and in the 80th minute they found themselves with a free kick in an attacking area. The ball played in was crap though and it fell to Scott McTominay in the United box. McTominay saw Pogba peeling in for a pass in front of him, and after receiving the ball Pogba played a lovely 1-2 with Martial in the left channel. After the return pass from Martial, Pogba was free to run forward with two Chelsea defenders attempting to corral him. Pogba played a pass out to the right at the edge of the box to substitute winger (and another new signing) Daniel James. James at first seemed to be unsure if he should shoot or cross it back, but after a mishit he composed himself and unleashed a shot. The ball took a deflection off  the leg of Emerson and wrong-footed Kepa for United’s fourth. It was a goal on his Premier League debut for James, which served as a nice cherry on top of United’s day. Again, it was very good to see the whole team celebrating as one. McTominay in particular was very vocal in leading the celebrations, and everyone was incredibly happy for the 21 year-old. To score in front of the Stretford End for United on your debut is the stuff dreams are made of!

Chelsea didn’t really do much more after that, and the match ended without many further incidents of interest. While Rashford (2 goals), Pogba (2 assists), Martial (goal), and James (goal) all had very good days, I think Man of the Match for me either goes to Maguire or AWB. Along with Victor Lindelof and De Gea, they were fantastic in United’s defense and were very deserving of the clean sheet today. Not conceding in the opening period was very important, as it gave the attackers more time to get involved in the game. Psychologically, if you know you have some very good defenders in your team, you are more inclined to take risks going forward. If it works you can get a goal, and if it doesn’t you know that your defense will help you to recover the ball. Like in many other sports, defense wins championships. AWB won basically every tackle he attempted, while Slab Head was a commanding, physical presence in the box and never looked unsure of himself.

It was not a perfect game for United, but it was about as good as anyone could have expected from the opening match. We do look a little light in midfield, especially when Pogba isn’t playing well, but that didn’t hurt us too much today. It’s very clear that our defense has markedly improved, and our forwards are hungry for goals. When this team puts in the work required, we will be difficult to beat.

I am excited to see where we go from here. I don’t think we will be able to effectively run the high-press for the entirety of this long season, so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have to switch up his tactics slightly for other matches. Of course, this is only one match and it would be foolish to make predictions this early, but this is a fantastic foundation to build on going forward. A 4-0 victory over one of the traditional “top 6” sides is a huge confidence booster for this team. OGS’s summer plan of buying young and hungry players with something to prove seems to have been a wise ploy so far.

On a brief aside, for the American readers of my blog, Christian Pulisic made his Premier League debut for Chelsea today as a substitute in the 2nd half. He was shepherded by AWB for most of his time on the pitch, and didn’t really have a chance to impact the match because of that. He did look to be quick and made a few good runs into the box, but Chelsea’s mentality was gone for most of the time he was on and the ball wasn’t really played to him. I think he needs more playing time before we can decide if he can hack it in the Prem or not.

United travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers for their next Premier League match on Monday. Wolves were a problem team for United last season, so they will be looking to exact a bit of revenge on them hopefully. If we play like this again though, I don’t think Wolves will have the ability to consistently stop us.

Glory Glory Man United!

US Women Take Down the Dutch, Win Record 4th World Cup

I think it’s important to start off here by acknowledging the historical level of dominance the USWNT has over their sport. What they have achieved not only in this World Cup but historically as well is simply amazing. The stats are incredible, of course.

For those who don’t know, there have only ever been 8 Women’s World Cup tournaments in history, and the first one was in 1991. The USA have won 4 of those World Cups. Half of them. No other team has more than 2. To go 4-4 in the World Cup is absolutely incredible for any country. They were runners-up in 2011 as well and as far as I could tell have never finished worst than third. That’s incredible. This current team has won a record 12 consecutive World Cup matches, and while they were tested by England and Spain, the USA somehow always did just enough to keep moving on. Congratulations to them; it is fully deserved.

While they weren’t at their best for portions of this match against the Netherlands, it was only thanks to a heroic effort from the Dutch keeper Sari Van Veenendaal that kept the US out at first. She looked to be in rare form this match and it was interesting that this was the first match for the USA in this tournament where they failed to score in the opening 10-15 minutes. With the match 0-0 at halftime and the Dutch keeper playing so well, I wondered if the Dutch were setting us up for what I like to call a “smash and grab job”. You hang on for dear life in defense and hope you can get a goal through a set piece or corner late on, then hang on again for the win. This is a tactic commonly used by teams who aren’t as good in possession as their opponent.

Unfortunately for the Dutch, that did not materialize. The US was awarded a penalty after a VAR review 15 minutes in to the 2nd half. Alex Morgan was fouled by a Dutch defender that the referee initially did not call, but the VAR official signaled for a review. For me it probably was a penalty due to the high boot that made contact with Morgan’s arm. Morgan can be a tad dramatic at times but a kick to arm studs-up is very painful and worthy of a foul. Purple-Haired Lesbian Soccer Goddess Megan Rapinoe stepped up and wrong-footed Van Veenendaal to put the Americans ahead with a confident strike. She has done incredibly well this tournament, and at age 34 it may sadly have been her last one. She won Player of the Tournament as well! It’s true most of her goals came from the penalty spot, but her creativity and leadership on the pitch would be irreplaceable on almost any other team.

But because the US team is ridiculously stacked talent-wise, they have players who can hurt you all over the pitch. Rose Lavelle is one such example. She picked up the ball in midfield and sprinted forward, running directly at the Dutch back-line. Stupidly, they kept backing off of her and backing off her, which she took as an invitation to shoot. She knocked the ball onto her left foot later and hit a low and powerful shot into the right corner of the goal. Crystal Dunn contributed massively on the play by delivering a crunching tackle that won possession for the Americans in a forward area, so credit to her again. Lavelle had looked dangerous on the ball in spells in previous matches, but she usually lacked an end product. That was not the case today. She scored the biggest goal of her career in this match, and at only 24 you know she is far from done.

The Dutch were probably guilty of being a bit gun-shy in this match. They looked afraid to shoot the ball in situations that cried out for a shot on goal. If you don’t shoot, you usually don’t win. After the US penalty the Dutch had to push forward to try and find a goal of their own and were therefore more exposed at the back, and the fast the US forwards were having fun running at them and running into open spaces along the back line. Lavelle’s goal came from such a situation. At 2-0 it was basically over, and the Dutch never really looked threatening.

Consistency and efficiency I think is a good way to summarize this US team and the tactics employed by manager Jill Ellis. The Thailand match aside, the US never scored more than 3 goals in a single game. They never scored more than 2 in the knockout stages. Obviously they didn’t need to score more given their world-class defense, but plenty were skeptical of Ellis’s conservative style in the build-up to the tournament. It almost bit them in the ass against England, after all. But, you can’t argue too much with back-to-back World Cup wins. Results speak for themselves. That said, it is obvious that while the Americans are still the best, the gulf in class between them and the rest of the world is decidedly shrinking. It will not be as straightforward for them in 2023, mark my words.

On a tangentially-related note, the USMNT was in action this evening against Mexico in the Gold Cup final, which made today a very big day for US football/soccer. It’s rare for both the men and women to play on the same day, even more rare that both were playing in the finals of major tournaments. Sadly the Americans lost to Mexico 1-0 in a rather tepid affair in which they blew a few big chances in the first half. Despite a good run of form in the tournament, it’s clear the men’s team still has a lot of room for improvement.

There’s a bit of a break in football over the next few weeks before Manchester United’s preseason tour begins, so there won’t be many posts. I want to work up a United season review/preview for next season for sure, but other than there shouldn’t be much. Maybe if a major transfer happens or something.