World Cup Round of 16 – Croatia Survive, Brazil in Cruise Control

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

Japan vs. Croatia

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brazil vs. South Korea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

World Cup Roundup – Goals Galore!

FIFA is still terrible. Qatar is still terrible. This tournament should not be happening in a place with social laws that would be antiquated even 100 years ago. The pitch invader at the Portugal match today carrying a rainbow flag and championing women’s rights has more integrity in his pinky toe than every member of FIFA combined.

That being said, we finally got some high-scoring matches today, and it’s about bloody time! There have been far too many 0-0 draws at this tournament, but today we had 14 goals scored across 4 matches!

Portugal vs. Uruguay

This was the big headline matchup of the day, and while the score line was a decisive 2-0 to the Portuguese, it was a very tense match throughout. It was goal-less at halftime with Portugal dominating possession, but Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur came closest when his long run with the ball was snuffed out by Portuguese keeper Diogo Costa just before Betancur could shoot. The Uruguayans were also defending well, and they kept the opposition out for the first 45 minutes.

Portugal went ahead however on 54 minutes when a high-arcing cross from midfielder Bruno Fernandes nestled into the bottom corner of keeper Sergio Rochet’s net. Striker Cristiano Ronaldo was running onto the cross and leapt into the air to try and get a touch on it, and while he clearly missed the ball it fooled Rochet enough as to where he didn’t run out to collect the cross. Without Ronaldo’s run and leap I think Rochet makes the save, but Ronaldo did not get a touch on the ball in spite of animatedly claiming that he did. Bruno’s goal, but it doesn’t go in without Ronaldo leaping for it.

The Uruguayans responded by bringing on additional attacking threats, and striker Maxi Gomez was unlucky to hit the post from just outside as the box as the South Americans pushed for an equalizer. Costa was beaten, and maybe an inch to the left sees this match levelled. But the majority of Uruguay’s attacking threats were nullified repeatedly throughout this match. Much like the Portuguese in the first half, they simply couldn’t create that one clear chance they needed. Every shot was blocked, and every final pass was cleared by the resilient Pepe at center back and the rest of Portugal’s back line.

They got their second via the penalty spot, although for me it was never a penalty for hand ball in a million years. The Uruguayan defender was sliding across the ground to make a challenge on Bruno, and when Bruno passed it away it the defender’s hand while his hand was on the ground and trailing slightly behind him. 100% accidental for me, but that’s not the rule anymore. The referee adjudged the defender’s hand to be in an “unnatural position” (whatever that means) and the penalty stood. Bruno stepped up to the spot and sent Rochet the wrong way for 2-0. Bruno now has 2 goals and 2 assists in this tournament and is really showing how valuable he is to this team.

Credit to Portugal for defending well today, but I am disappointed with the Uruguayans, particularly up front. This is a squad that boasts the likes of Darwin Nunez, Luis Suarez, and Edinson Cavani. All of those strikers are world-class or world-class adjacent, and as a result I expected a lot more from them in terms of goal-scoring not only today but in their previous match as well. They sit bottom of Group H on 1 point, and will need to beat an impressive Ghana side outright to progress.

Congrats to Portugal on securing advancement to the Round of 16. They’ve done just enough in both matches to earn 3 points, with Bruno being the star of the show so far. A draw against South Korea in the final guarantees first place in the group.

Brazil vs. Switzerland

This was the only match with a single goal scored today, and it was by the Brazilians who held on to win 1-0. While they were the better side for most of this match, the Swiss definitely had their chances to get a surprise goal. Their build-up play via counter-attacks was very good, but they couldn’t find the key vital pass.

The Brazilians thought they went ahead early on in the second half via winger Vinicius Jr., who’s finessed shot found the far right corner past keeper Yann Sommer. VAR checked the goal and it was determined that Vinicius was marginally – and a very thin one at that – offside when the ball was played to him. It was close, but that’s often how these matches go at this level.

Brazil finally did their goal on 83 minutes, and it was from an unlikely source. Some neat build-up play on the left wing saw the ball played to midfielder Casemiro in the penalty area, and he struck a sublime curling effort into the far corner of Sommer’s goal. The finish was similar to that of Vinicius earlier, but this time there was no question of offside. A great goal from a man described by teammate and superstar striker Neymar as “the best midfielder in the world.” A lofty title, but given that he has an argument to be titled as such, I am very happy that Casemiro plays for Manchester United!

Brazil also secured progression to the second round today, joining France and Portugal. They need only a draw against Cameroon to win the group. Switzerland are also in good position to progress, but they will need to beat Serbia in their final Group G match to guarantee a place in the Round of 16.

Cameroon vs. Serbia

Goal-fest! This thriller of a match ended 3-3, with the Cameroonians fighting back from 3-1 down in the second half to keep themselves alive at this tournament. Had they lost, they would have been eliminated. They showed real heart and team spirit today.

Cameroon took the lead on 29 minutes after a cross from a corner was bundled home by center back Jean-Charles Castelletto. Nothing fancy about it, but a goal nonetheless. Cameroon were pegged back in first half stoppage time however when a Serbian free kick was re-directed home via the head of center back Strahinja Pavlovic. Cameroon where then stunned again just 2 minutes later when they lost the ball in their own third, and midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic finding space to power a low shot home from just outside the edge of the penalty area. Cameroon went from winning the match to facing a World Cup exit in the span of about 120 seconds!

To compound their misery, Serbia got their 3rd on 53 minutes from striker Aleksandr Mitrovic, who had been in scintillating form the whole game. He is probably Serbia’s best player in terms of talent, and a player like him needs to be on the score sheet. It was a simple finish from just inside the 6 yard box, and the Cameroon defense was nowhere to be seen. Poor marking, but a professional finish from Mitrovic nonetheless.

The match continued to provide twists though, as just 10 minutes later the Cameroonians got one back from substitute striker Vincent Aboubakar, who beat the offside trap before chipping a finish over Serbian keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. Initially, the goal was ruled out for offside, but a VAR check determined that Aboubakar was onside when he received the ball. Fine margins, but the goal stood.

Cameroon smelled blood in the water and kept pushing for the equalizer, and it was a scant three minutes later that they got it. Aboubakar did well to again beat the offside trap which gave the Cameroonians a man over in attack, and he then simply crossed the ball in from the right along the ground. Forward Eric Choupa-Moting was up alongside him to slot home with Vanja completely taken out of the play. It was a fantastic turnaround for the Indomitable Lions from west Africa!

Serbia were the more dangerous team in the final 25 minutes, with Mitrovic going close several times. His positioning and runs into the box were causing them all kinds of problems, but he could not find a winning goal for his side. The points were shared on the day when the final whistle blew.

Both teams are still alive in this tournament, but they are on the outside looking in. Cameroon face the tough task of having to beat Brazil to progress, while Serbia need a win over Switzerland to guarantee any kind of progression. The Swiss only need a draw though, so it could be tough for Serbia to break them down. Mitrovic will need to have another day like today for them to go through.

South Korea vs. Ghana

This was another thriller with five total goals scored, and the Ghanaians won 3-2 at the final whistle.

The Koreans were the better side for the opening 20 minutes or so, but Black Stars center back Mohammad Salisu got things underway on 29 minutes when he bungled home after a mad scramble in the box resulting from a free kick. The Koreans simply didn’t clear their lines, and letting the ball bounce around in the box like they did is very dangerous. The second goal on 34 minutes was much better in terms of quality, with forward Jordan Ayew whipping a delicious aerial pass into the box that found the head of midfielder Mohammad Kudus. Kudus was facing away from goal when he made contact, but showed excellent awareness to head the ball up and over Korean keeper Kim Seung-gyu. Midfielder Thomas Partey was then unlucky to not get a third after he made contact with the ball at close range from a corner, but somehow the ball inexplicably went over the bar from barely a yard out!

The Koreans came out strong again in the opening part of the second half, and this time they capitalized on their possession and chances. Striker Cho Gue-sung pulled one back for his nation with a close range header on 58 minutes, although Ghana keeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi probably should have kept it out as the shot was low and very close to him. Still though, at 2-1, the Koreans had life. They got their equalizer just three minutes later, and again it was Cho on scene to drive home a powerful diving header. Crosses from the left had been Ghana’s weakness all match, and that trend continued with this goal. The marking in the box was fairly good from Ghana, but Cho just wanted the ball more. He outjumped his marker and absolutely buried the header. It was 2-2 and with barely an hour gone, both sides knew there was plenty of time to find a winner.

Ghana struck back just seven minutes later, and it was well-worked goal finished off by Kudus. A low cross from the left was fired into South Korea’s penalty area, and the ball was deftly left to run by a Ghanaian attacker directly into the path of Kudus. His marker was too far away from him, and he re-directed the ball back across Kim Seung-Gyu’s goal and into the opposite corner. The shot was somewhat close to the keeper, but he couldn’t get down to the ground in time to stop it.

South Korea then dominated the final 20 minutes or so in desperate search of an equalizer, but a combination of last-ditch defending, poor finishing, and poor final balls kept the Koreans frustrated. After what seemed like an eternity of stoppage time for Ghana, the whistle blew and they were winners.

Ghana now find themselves second in Group H, which means they are in a good position to progress to the next round. Portugal have already claimed the other spot, which means that South Korea must now beat those same Portuguese to progress from this group. They are third with 1 point, tied with Uruguay but ahead on goal differential. Ghana need a win over a desperate Uruguay side to guarantee progression, but they could also progress with a draw and a South Korean loss.

The second round of group matches is now complete! Congratulations to Portugal, France, and Brazil for already securing qualification. Commiserations to Qatar and Canada for already being eliminated.

World Cup Roundup – Portugal Escape Ghana and a Goal of the Tournament Candidate

Qatar is still terrible. FIFA is still corrupt. This tournament should not be held there.

Uruguay vs. South Korea

This match ended 0-0, which is a good result for South Korea but disappointing for Uruguay. They have too much attacking talent to be scoring zero goals against a side like South Korea. All credit to the Koreans though for defending well the whole 90 minutes. Lots of attacking intent on display from both sides, but neither side could make a breakthrough.

Switzerland vs. Cameroon

Many people including myself had this pegged as a draw, but credit to the Swiss for grinding out a 1-0 win. Striker Breel Embolo got the one and only goal in this match just after half time, and it was via some very neat build-up play by the Swiss. Embolo slid home a cross from the right virtually unmarked though, and that cannot happen at a World Cup. Cameroon’s defense was nowhere to be seen. Even though it was a momentary lapse of concentration, even just a momentary lapse can cost you the game. It will be very difficult for Cameroon to get out of this group now.

Portugal vs. Ghana

This was probably the most entertaining match of the day, as it was a 5-goal thriller that ended with Portugal winning 3-2. The first half was a snoozer aside from a disallowed goal by striker Cristiano Ronaldo. Things really kicked off in the second half. Ronaldo, freshly released from Manchester United, became the first man to score at five different World Cups when he pushed Portugal ahead from the penalty spot on 66 minutes. The foul on him that led to the goal was dubious at best, but Ronaldo converted when called upon. Ghana found an equalizer on 73 minutes via Andre Ayew, but Portugal were back in front just 5 minutes later thanks to wunderkind Joao Felix. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes found his run with a lovely weighted pass down the right channel, and Felix hit the ball first time past the Ghanaian keeper.

Portugal got a third via another exciting young talent in winger Rafael Leao, who played in his first ever World Cup match today. Ghana gave the ball away in midfield and Portugal sprang into instant attack, with Bruno bringing the ball forward in space. He found Leao off to his left, who opened his hips and re-directed the ball into the far corner with one touch. A very quick and well-executed goal.

Portugal thought they were home and dry being up 3-1 on 80 minutes, but Ghana showed some backbone and got their second goal via winger Osman Bukari on 89 minutes. A long ball was played down the left wing and run onto by a Ghanaian winger, and after shaking off his marker the ball was crossed into the center. Bukari was mysteriously mostly unmarked, and he made no mistake with his header past keeper Diogo Costa.

Portugal almost conceded a third extremely late on. Costa had the ball in his hands in his own penalty area and put it down to kick it out, but failed to see Ghanaian striker Iñaki Williams standing behind him just inside the goal. Williams sprinted out and took the ball from Costa legally, but he slipped at the vital moment and could not get a shot away before the ball was cleared by the Portuguese defense. Costa very nearly cost his team the game with his lack of awareness, and Williams will be ruing that missed opportunity for years to come.

Portugal are good in attack but their defense is suspect, and it’s the same for Ghana. It will be interesting to see how these teams do against the potent attack of the two other teams in the group.

Brazil vs. Serbia

This was the last match of the day, and while the action was somewhat tepid for awhile things eventually got going for the Brazilians, who won 2-0.

Serbia defended really well in the first half and while it was clear that Brazil looked to be the more dangerous team, they couldn’t find a way through. Star forward Neymar was being fouled and harassed every time he was on the ball, and the Brazilians looked very disjointed in attack overall. It just wasn’t quite coming off for them, and the longer it stayed at 0-0 the more it felt like Serbia might get a result from the match.

But striker Richarlison was on-hand to make sure that didn’t happen on 62 minutes, when he scored from close range off a rebounded save. Winger Vinicius Jr. powered a shot towards goal from the left hand side of the box, which keeper Vanja Milinković-Savić could only parry. Richarlison reacted quickest to the rebound and prodded it home for 1-0, sparking wild celebrations in the crowd and on the bench. It’s always a heart-stopping moment when the ball is loose off a rebound, and unluckily for the Serbs it fell almost straight to the opposition.

Richarlison was just getting warmed up though. He got Brazil’s second through a spectacular effort on 73 minutes that sealed the points. He received a cross from the left hand side along the ground, and used his left foot to hit the ball into the air. He turned on a dime with his right leg rising into the air, and he hit the ball on a very sweet volley low and away from Vanja. It was a beautiful display of athleticism from Richarlison and it’s probably the goal of the tournament so far.

Serbia did not really create many chances in response, and by the end it was Brazil more likely to get a 3rd goal than for Serbia to get their first. It was frustrating for Brazil for about an hour, but if Richarlison is going to play like this for the rest of the tournament, Brazil have to be among the favorites to win the tournament. Their team is incredibly deep and also hungry. Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times, but paradoxically have not won it for 20 years. This team has the depth and talent to end that dry spell.

Real Madrid Crowned Champions of Europe in Paris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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