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 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.

Defeat at Villa Park

Manchester United traveled to Villa Park in Birmingham, England on Sunday for a Premier League match with Aston Villa. This was United’s third match in 10 days, while Villa had just appointed new manager Unai Emery after the sacking of Steven Gerrard. United fans all know him of course, having faced him several times in the Europa League while he was manager of Spanish side Villarreal.

United lost the match 3-1, with the only United goal being credited as an own-goal by Villa. The Red Devils were punched in the mouth early going down 2-0 in the opening 20 minutes, although there was hope on the stroke of half-time when Luke Shaw’s deflected effort went in for 2-1. Villa sealed the points early on in the second half though, with a 3rd goal on 49 minutes. United couldn’t fashion any more goals, and the Villans were victorious on the day.

I think there are a few reasons why this particular match was lost, and fortunately they are things that are mostly fixable or otherwise wouldn’t be a factor in other matches. For one, as mentioned already, United were on their 3rd match in 10 days, with a lot of the same players featuring in all three matches. They looked tired, simply put. They were a step behind Villa for most of the match and were routinely second best when it came to 50/50 balls. Now the schedule is part of the problem, but the bigger issue here is that this squad is incredibly thin. We have good starters and maybe 2-3 good rotational substitutes, but we are thin in midfield and up front. A striker is still probably the top concern for manager Erik ten Hag and United’s Director of Sport John Murtough, given that one Cristiano Ronaldo was again significantly off the pace again today and is likely gone in January. But more quality is needed in midfield as well. Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes have had good seasons so far, but they cannot play in every match. We need another ball-carrying box-to-box midfielder, and probably another attacking midfielder as well.

Another reason for this loss is pure unlucky timing. One thing to know about football is that when a new manager comes to a club, the players usually up their game a bit to try and impress him so that they get more playing time. They might play with more aggression and take more risks, for example. It’s called the “new manager bounce” and it’s usually good for a game or two. A new manager is not a for-sure indicator that a team will win it’s next match, but sports bettors will tell you it’s definitely something to consider before placing your wager. It just so happened that United were the ones up against the bounce on Sunday.

But not only did Villa get the new manager bounce, they got possibly the best new manager bounce they could get with the appointment of Emery and the next opponent being United. There is no single European manager that has caused United more problems in recent years tactically than Emery, and he did it again on Sunday aided by players highly motivated to play well. This is the man who beat United on penalties to win the Europa League in 2021 after all, and he did that with a much less talented side. Watch out Premier League, Emery is back and he’s out to burn the whole thing down.

Sunday was truly a perfect storm for a loss. The lads were tired due to a lack of squad depth, the opposition had just appointed a new manager, and the new manager just so happened to be extremely adept at stopping United. Nothing to do about this one except shake it off, get back up off the mat, and carry on.

The next match coincidentally however is also against this tricky Villa side in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup on November 10th, although this time the match is at Old Trafford. It would be quite a shame to go out of the grand old tournament in the 3rd Round, so United will need to regroup and refocus. Perhaps a change in the line-up is required as well.

Just two matches left until the winter break for the World Cup! I will do a “pick the winners” post before the event kicks off, and I also plan on doing a preview of England’s group stage. The Americans will find that interesting as well, as they are in the same group!

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 Draw With Leicester / World Cup 2022 Groups

Manchester United returned to action this past weekend in the Premier League, hosting Leicester City at Old Trafford. United knew that only a victory would keep them in the race for the top-4 and Champions League football next season. Unfortunately, due to illnesses and injury, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Edinson Cavani were available for selection. Manager Ralf Rangnick thusly elected to play without a traditional striker, deploying Bruno Fernandes as a “false-9”. There was some controversy among some pundits for choosing this particular approach when Marcus Rashford was available for selection. Rashford has not been in good form this season though, so Rangnick was kind of damned either way.

The tactic didn’t really work though. Bruno was torn between dropping back into midfield to get on the ball and getting forward to get on the end of crosses. He can’t do both. Rashford was brought on in the second half, but he did not make much of an impact either way. He was robbed of a good chance in stoppage time when Anthony Elanga mysteriously got in his way while Rashford was attempting to shoot. No coordination or communication at all there. The match finished 1-1 with United probably having the better of the chances, but it was only thanks to VAR that they did not lose this match 2-1. Leicester scored first but United got an equalizer four minutes later via Fred after Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel could only parry away a shot from Fernandes directly into his path. But for the most part, the false-9 strategy did not work. United looked toothless in attack for most of the match. They defended well (mostly) and were able to put together some good combination passes in midfield (sometimes), but the production in the final third of the field was sorely wanting.

United have a lot of problems to sort out this summer. Our midfielders are not consistently good enough. Both of our best strikers are on the wrong side of 30. The defense plays well enough at times but they still allow roughly one goal per game. When your strikers aren’t scoring, allowing a goal a game is a recipe for draws and defeats. Rangnick said post-match that the players lack physicality and tenacity, and while that is a mind-boggling concept at the professional level it’s hard to argue against him. Supposedly Dutch manager Erik Ten Hag will be brought in this summer and he could indeed get things back on track to a degree, but the problems at this club are bigger than one manager. The players are overpaid and unmotivated, and ownership has no aspiration or ambition beyond making the top-4. Old Trafford needs renovations, and the club’s training ground at Carrington needs revitalization as well. The Glazers have neglected this club for the past 17 years and must be held accountable for their poor stewardship. They need to either sell the club or give over majority ownership to the fans. We will not consistently challenge for trophies as long as the Glazers remain in charge.

***

In more optimistic news, the draw for World Cup 2022 has taken place and England find themselves in Group B along with the Americans and Iran. They will also play one of either Scotland, Ukraine, or Wales. That has not been fully determined yet due to the war in Ukraine delaying their fixture with Scotland. Wales plays the winner of Scotland/Ukraine for the final spot in the group.

Iran on opening night of the tournament will be a challenging fixture most likely, as they always seem to give bigger teams trouble when the spotlights are on. Scotland/Wales/Ukraine will also be tough no matter who ends up qualifying. Scotland and Wales both despise England and will be highly motivated to get a result, and if it’s Ukraine then the entire world will be cheering for them to do well. England are used to being the villains at this point, but it would be especially tough to play against a country that almost everyone in the world feels sorry for right now.

But the mouth-watering fixture is on Black Friday 2022 against the Americans. I was rubbing my hands together in anticipation when I saw the potential for England and USA to be drawn in the same group. I’ll do a much more in-depth preview of the match once it gets closer, but I am beyond excited for this one. The Americans held England to a draw in the group stage of World Cup 2010, and they beat us outright back in the 1950s. England are in very good form right now though, and I am not sold on just how good the Americans are right now. They have talent in attack to be sure, but their midfield and defense are not as consistent.

Some other intriguing match-ups in the group stage:
Argentina vs. Mexico

Argentina vs. Poland (Messi vs. Lewandowski)

Spain vs. Germany

France vs. Denmark

Portugal vs. Uruguay

More to come on World Cup 2022 as it gets closer!

United Escape Norwich With a Narrow Victory

The Red Devils travelled to the East Anglia region of England earlier today to take on Norwich City at Carrow Road in the Premier League. The club known as the Canaries due to their trademark bright yellow kit came into the match bottom of the league table and desperate for any kind of result. Despite United’s stuttering form in the Prem, this was a match they were expected to win. Norwich are bottom of the table for a reason, and that reason is because they can’t score. They’re also missing a number of regular starters through injury and suspension, although they were struggling even when they had those regular starters. United’s recently-improved defense would be looking for another clean sheet. Side note for the American readers: USMNT forward Josh Sargent got a start on the right today and I was keen to see what his contributions would be. It’s good for the US national side to have players getting experience at this level of competition. (spoiler: he had a decent match! Constant thorn in United’s side but could not contribute to a goal today)

To say that this match was entertaining would be mostly a lie. The first 15 minutes or so were especially tepid. United controlled the ball in midfield with Norwich putting most of their players behind the ball and daring United to try and break them down. Left back Alex Telles came closest in that period of play with a free kick that Norwich keeper Tim Krul did well to tip onto the crossbar, but that was it. The first half played out with a chance happening (for either side) maybe every seven or eight minutes, which is a very slow-paced game indeed. The rainy weather plus Norwich’s defensive set-up were probably the main reasons for it being so slow.

And none of Norwich’s first half chances were very good, either. They would put some good passes together on occasion, only for the final ball to be inaccurate or for someone to scuff their shot and not get good contact on it. Some of this was down to United’s solid defensive positioning and key tackles or blocks made at the exact right moment, but many times it was poor execution of manager Dean Smith’s tactics by the Norwich. For example, their best chance of the half ended in a bad first touch from forward Teemu Pukki, and United cleared their lines. Had he been able to sort his feet out, he was 5 yards from goal and largely unmarked. A clear goal-scoring chance flubbed.

United forward Cristiano Ronaldo then popped up on 38 minutes to force a fine save from Krul after Norwich gave the ball away in their own half, and just before halftime United center back Harry Maguire forced yet another save from Krul. He stooped low to get his head on the ball from about 15 yards out and the ball looped high up into the air. Had Krul not gotten back and tipped it over, it would have gone in. The match reached halftime at 0-0.

Norwich were more aggressive in the second half, but again it took about 10 minutes for a legitimate chance to happen for either side. Pukki found himself on the ball just inside the United penalty area and he took a touch or two before lashing a high and powerful shot towards goal that keeper David De Gea did well to push over the bar. De Gea was in sensational form today, despite not having much to do in the first half. Norwich then had a series of corners that ultimately came to nothing, but the crowd at Carrow Road was in full throat and they were definitely keeping the pressure on United.

Marcus Rashford fired a shot wide on the hour mark, and then the match went quite again for another 15 minutes or so with neither side really creating anything. The pivotal moment of the match came on 72 minutes when United were awarded a penalty by referee Darren England (hilariously fitting last name – what if an NFL referee was named Darren America?) after Ronaldo was brought down in the box by Canaries right back Max Aarons. Ronaldo was attempting to jump and head a cross in from the right wing, but Aarons got his left arm up around Ronaldo’s neck and Ronaldo went to ground. VAR confirmed the penalty, and Ronaldo himself stepped up to the spot to take it. Krul has a good record of saving penalties, and he has ruined United’s day in the past with penalty saves.

But this is Ronaldo, the greatest goal scorer possibly ever in this sport. You knew he would dispatch it, and he did precisely that by sending Krul the wrong way. Ronaldo wheeled away to do his trademark “SIUUUUU!!!” celebration and you could almost feel the disgust from the Canaries supporters. There’s a reason why he has the nickname “Penaldo”. It’s because he’s not only good at winning penalties, he’s good at putting them away as well. A critical analysis of the penalty suggests that Ronaldo definitely made the most of the contact from Aarons, but Aarons can’t put himself in that position in the first place. He knows that if he touches Ronaldo up around the neck and shoulders he’s going to go down, and the ref is probably going to award a penalty for it. Ronaldo has been doing this sort of thing almost as long as Aarons has been alive!

United had a lead on 72 minutes, but they were reminded of just how fragile that is on 76 minutes when De Gea was forced into a fine save from a header by Norwich center back Ozan Kabak. His redirect from a cross appear to be going in, only for De Gea to materialize out of thin air and get his arm in the way. Norwich came close again on 82 minutes when a shot from Canaries midfielder Billy Gilmour on the edge of the box took a nasty deflection off United center back Eric Bailly’s knee and flashed just wide with De Gea wrong-footed.

United and Ronaldo should have had a second goal when the Portuguese striker’s shot went over the bar from close range just after that. Rashford had done well to get into the box and create space for a cutback cross, but it was too far behind Ronaldo and he couldn’t get proper contact on the ball. Norwich then had a close-looking set piece that was called back for offside in stoppage time, and the match ground to a halt shortly after that. United were winners and had secured a difficult three points, but it was not a classic or fun match in any way.

There was some concern for United center-back Victor Lindelof, whom Bailly had come on for with about 15 minutes to go in the match. Lindelof appeared to be grabbing his chest and had difficulty breathing, although manager Ralf Rangnick has now confirmed that Lindelof seems to be ok. He reported having an odd collision with a Norwich player and that his heart rate was higher than normal for about 10 minutes, even once he had come off and stopped playing. It was absolutely the right move by the referee to stop play and get him off the pitch before something awful happened. This game means nothing when compared to the health and safety of the players. Hoping for more good news on Lindelof as the week progresses.

Overall, it was a very solid day for De Gea, United’s back four, and the midfield duo of Fred and Scott McTominay. Rangnick seems to have found a solution to United’s leaky defense, and the result is two clean sheets in a row for the first time all season. Keeping a clean sheet is no easy task in the Prem, so to do it twice in a row is huge for a team that has been conceding all season. It was very much a below average day for the forward players though – particularly Rashford and Bruno Fernandes. They both looked to be several yards off the pace today, particularly Bruno. Ronaldo himself was also somewhat out of sync with everyone else as well, despite his penalty heroics in the second half. This lack of goal scoring is somewhat concerning. We have only scored 3 goals under Rangnick so far. It’s true that we have won two of those matches 1-0 and the third was a 1-1 in dead rubber match, but the lack of clinical finishing in the final third is going to come back to haunt us eventually. I’m sure Rangnick will do something to address this problem, because you cannot routinely win in today’s Premier League scoring only one goal a game.

Man of the Match by a considerable margin was De Gea. He posted his 200th career clean sheet tonight, and his saves have once again proven to be worth just as much as goals at the other end. His positioning, athleticism, and pure shot-stopping skills are second to none. In his current form he is a top-3 keeper in the world.

United are now 5th in the Premier League, level on points with 4th-place West Ham but on an inferior goal differential. Next up is another Premier League challenge away to newly-promoted Brentford FC in west London on Tuesday, December 14th. Glory glory Man United!

History Beckons for Christian Pulisic in the Champions League Final

Europe’s Super Bowl kicks off at noon Pacific time tomorrow, May 29. For only the third time in the history of the competition, two English sides will play each other for the chance to be crowned champions of Europe. The UEFA Champions League final is a game that every footballer dreams of playing in as a kid, and is dwarfed in importance only by (probably) the World Cup final that happens every four years. The players of Manchester City and Chelsea will want to add their names to the annals of football history tomorrow in Porto, Portugal.

There are tons of storylines to analyze here just like with any massive matchup between two massive clubs, but all you really need to know is that City are vying for their first European Cup and Chelsea are trying to win their second one. The clubs finished 1st and 4th in the Premier League respectively, and most pundits are probably giving the edge to City given their excellent strength in depth. Manager Pep Guardiola has been trying to win another European Cup for the better part of a decade, having last won it with Barcelona in 2011. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was in the final last year with Paris St. Germain, but lost to German side Bayern Munich.

However, my readers are overwhelmingly American, so I’d like to focus on a more American storyline. For the first time ever, there is an American playing for each side in a CL final, and one of them has a very good chance of becoming the first American to ever score in a Champions League final. City have backup goalkeeper Zack Steffen, while Chelsea have attacking midfielder and wunderkind Christian Pulisic. Steffen likely will not get on the pitch barring an injury to starting City keeper Ederson, but Pulisic has a very legitimate chance of not only playing but also starting and scoring. He reaches milestones for Americans in European football every time he steps on the pitch, but it would be truly remarkable if he became the first American to score in a CL final. As I have written before, Pulisic is the most naturally-talented American player I have ever seen. There have been good American players before in England such as Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, and of course Landon Donovan; but all of them pale in comparison to Pulisic. He is fast, has a ton of lateral quickness, and is a nightmare to deal with when dribbling. His passing and decision making are sometimes suspect, but there are few players better on the ball in the open field. He runs circles around guys until there’s an opening for a shot, and he’s usually on-target.

Of course it is entirely possible that neither of them gets on the pitch, given that Steffen is a backup and Pulisic has competition for his place in the starting XI from England midfielder Mason Mount, but having Americans even just on the bench is huge for the US Men’s National Team. The CL final is the pinnacle of club footballing competition on this planet, both in terms of physical talent and the tactical nous required to be successful. In any sport you want your players playing at the highest possible level, and having not only one but two Americans in this match is vital for their development and experience. If Pulisic can play well in a CL final, then all of a sudden a World Cup qualifier against Honduras or Nicaragua becomes a lot less daunting. Same for Steffen – if he can stop a shot on goal from world-class Man City players like Kevin de Bruyne or Sergio Aguero, then everything else he faces after that becomes a lot easier to handle because he would have a better idea of what to expect and prepare for.

Pulisic and Steffen are part of a crop of promising young American players, many of whom are playing for big clubs in Europe. In addition to those two, there is also Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona), Tim Weah (Lille), and Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig) to name a few. All of these Americans playing for these big clubs in Europe is fantastic for their development and experience. It may be a tad too soon for the USMNT to challenge at the 2022 World Cup, as all of these guys are still in their early 20s or younger and don’t have a ton of playing experience yet. However, all of these opportunities for Americans at big clubs is priming Team USA for a World Cup run in 2026. Conveniently, venues in North America will be hosting that tournament for a bit of home-field advantage. If the Americans can find themselves a manager with a tactical plan that serves the strengths of all these young and dynamic guys, the Americans will be among the favorites to win it. The will only get better over time, assuming they keep playing at very high-profile clubs such as City, Barcelona, and Juventus that routinely challenge in Europe. I know the Americans have struggled recently due to internal drama at the US Soccer Federation and coaching changes, but the talent appears to be coming together nicely.

So while tomorrow is not the be-all and end-all for Pulisic and Steffen, every American should tune in to watch and see how the two are developing. A big performance from Pulisic should encourage Americans to be enthusiastic and optimistic about the national team for the first time in awhile. Americans who don’t routinely follow the game often dream of beating Europeans at their own sport, and that just may happen in 2026 if the players keep developing as they are. History calls for both of them tomorrow though, and Pulisic may just be the one who answers.