France have lost top players before this World Cup but they still have their razor-sharp centre-forward to score and set up goalsWith 44 minutes gone at the vast, craning, wildly over-engineered Al Janoub Stadium, Kylian Mbappé did something extraordinary, perhaps even unique in modern World Cup history. Basically, he missed an open goal from six yards out. No great shakes. It happens. Ball, bounce, angles, collisions.This is still a kind of physical chaos. Continue reading...
There is time for Messi and Argentina to save their World Cup campaign, however, despite a shock defeat by Saudi ArabiaThere was more time. When you are Lionel Messi, there is always more time. Another split-second to play the pass. Another couple of beats to wait for the space to open up. Another year to mount a challenge. Another World Cup to fight. And here, on a bright warm day in November, with the clocks striking 13 minutes of injury time, there were still a few more seconds for Argentina to make things right.Messi advanced down the right channel, nudging the ball along with impatient taps of his left outstep. A little space had opened up in front of him...
A point from their opening game was a good result, but only if Rob Page’s side can follow it up with victory over Iran on FridayOfficially, Gareth Bale was the man of the match against the USA but even the Wales captain was happy to pass the accolade to Kieffer Moore, whose half-time introduction transformed the game. Moore rejuvenated the Red Wall, who could be forgiven for feeling a tad deflated at the break, and revitalised his teammates. Rob Page conceded his decision to start Daniel James, who was replaced by Moore, alongside Bale in attack, inspired by watching the USA play out a draw against Saudi Arabia in Alicante in September, backfired. “Lessons have been learned,” Page said. “It...
The past four years and the recent election has split the Brazilian population. Tite’s side can heal the woundsThe Brazilian national team arrive in Qatar with a well-balanced squad. Football-wise, that is. A solid and experienced defence, a combative as well as creative midfield, and an attack of the highest technical ability made up of players who complement each other well. All this gives the head coach, Tite, a wide range of possibilities of how to set up.However, a World Cup is not just about the football, as we have seen in Qatar over the past few days. And for Brazil, going in to this tournament, the political situation matters too. Continue reading...
An authentic football match appeared after the opening’s cold theatre but its most important moment was Iran’s defiant stand against singing the national anthemWell, that was unexpected. After the cold, cold theatre of Qatar 2022’s opening game, elite sport reimagined as a despot’s light-show, something remarkable happened on Monday afternoon in Doha.As night fell over the vast, swooping Khalifa International Stadium (all these World Cup structures are vast and swooping; unless specifically told otherwise, assume vast and swooping) England and Iran produced something that felt jarringly real, oddly warm, suspiciously authentic. Continue reading...