The 21-year-old Benfica forward scored a hat-trick on his first World Cup start, fizzing one goal in from an impossible angleThere was a notable absentee on Tuesday night from the World Cup last-16 game between Portugal and Switzerland. Specifically, the Swiss. Granted, Switzerland would make their belated entrance in the second half, a cameo appearance to console the thousands of fans who had come to support them.But the result was no longer in doubt, and ultimately their presence was largely inconsequential. A reminder, if any were needed, that elite football has no place for those who are not prepared to put in a defensive shift. Continue reading...
Switzerland’s captain provided a freeze-frame history primer of the troubled relationship between Albania, Kosovo and SerbiaMaybe Fifa does have a sense of humour after all. Certainly there was a note of dark comedy in the news, relayed breathlessly over the PA on the final whistle, that the player of the match in this fraught Group E decider was Granit Xhaka.Not that Xhaka didn’t deserve it. He played well in deep midfield on a steamy night at Stadium 974. He controlled the tempo at times. More to the point Xhaka also controlled the noises off, directing the dark energy that must always accompany this fixture with the poise of a veteran conductor. Albeit, a veteran conductor with one hand down his...
The World Cup favourites showed enough in their win against Serbia to suggest they can perform well against Switzerland even without their star playerBrazil had a decent start to their 2022 World Cup. The first game of the tournament is always a little bit more difficult. An early wrong turn, a miscontrolled ball or a badly placed pass can dictate the story of the game. A team that wants to go on to win the tournament need to realise that and manage the raw emotions and the overall energy of those first minutes. Brazil did that in their 2-0 win against Serbia. But let’s be careful. The three points does not guarantee anything, not even progress to the knockout stage....
Sarina Wiegman’s side produced another fine display in beating Switzerland but how will they respond if they fall behind?It has reached the point where possibly the biggest concern about England is that they are still to lose under Sarina Wiegman’s charge.After 12 wins, two draws and 84 goals scored since her installation it is clear the Lionesses are a force to be reckoned with but, as Euro 2022 hurtles towards us, no one is quite sure how they will react in adversity. Continue reading...
The England manager relaxes his tactical grip for 60 minutes with a bold midfield before reverting to pragmatic typeAs bitty, meandering spring friendlies go this was a quietly fascinating evening at Wembley Stadium. What did we learn? What messages will England take “going forward” from a fortunate 2-1 victory against a dogged Switzerland in a game of weirdly unbound interludes and, at times, a jarringly open England midfield.For one thing, it turns out an hour of Conor Gallagher goes a long way. This was a hugely instructive first England start, although not perhaps in the way those enjoying Gallagher’s flicks and feints, the basic joy of watching a footballer who hares about like a puppy chasing squirrels, might have hoped....