Algeria fans shouted ‘fix’ as West Germany and Austria played out a mutually suitable scoreline in 1982’s ‘Disgrace of Gijón’You have to pity the youth of today. They were born to banter, they think it’s normal behaviour to tell complete strangers on the internet what they have had for their tea. And worst of all, they have never experienced proper World Cup villainy. There was Luis Suárez’s handball in 2010, yes, but that was a fleeting moment from an individual rather than an extended body of work shared between a whole squad. The World Cup – which is about great stories as much as great football – is so much richer when a team leaves the rest of the football...
Brazil have recovered from their 7-1 shame in 2014, while Germany maintain their winners’ aura and Russia have to show they can lay on a world-class partyIt should not come as any surprise for Brazil and Germany to be earmarked as favourites for the World Cup in Russia. After all, they are the two most decorated countries in the tournament’s history (not forgetting absent friends Italy, who, like Germany, have four gold stars embroidered over their crest, one behind Brazil’s five).But when you add some context, some nuance, it reveals something about sport’s capacity to drag the badly defeated back up from the floor that most bookmakers are not willing to separate two heavyweights who flabbergasted the planet with the...
Gareth Southgate’s young England side gave the world champions plenty to think about and have the potential to go on to better thingsThe kids are, it turns out, all right. Or in the case of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a little better than all right on a crisp, fun night at Wembley when Gareth Southgate’s enforced gamble in selecting the most inexperienced England team in 40 years to take on the world champions was a measured success.Southgate has often been portrayed as a strikingly beige figure in his short England reign, an FA insider bringing with him all the chin-stroking touchline charisma of a friendly, doomed supply teacher who really hopes everyone will stop talking and listen to him discuss sedimentary rock...
VARs have been used in major European football leagues and international tournaments as part of an ongoing trial, but some players remain unconvincedA video assistant referees, or VAR, is set to feature in an official game in the United Kingdom for the first time on Friday, as England host Germany in a friendly at Wembley. The system is already used in several high-profile leagues, but the ongoing trial has not gone totally smoothly. Here is the lowdown on football’s next big technological step: Related: The Recap: sign up for the best of the Guardian's sport coverage Related: The Fiver | Another major triumph for masculinity in 2017 Continue reading...
Twenty-three nations have booked their places for the World Cup in Russia, with the holders and Brazil looking in good shape but we rank England in 13th place, below IcelandIf the world champions were frustrated by their failure to win continental honours at Euro 2016 they have certainly taken it out on everyone else since. Germany won 10 qualifying games out of 10 and, even if San Marino’s presence in Group C needs taking into account, a record 43 goals scored suggests things are back in their old working order. So too did their Confederations Cup title in July, achieved with an experimental squad; Joachim Löw can select from an unrivalled depth of talent and, while winning back-to-back World Cups...