Investigation into 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids found no smoking gun with the most entertaining revelations being FA’s inept attempt to host the eventWell, that escalated quickly. Midway through Tuesday afternoon Fifa’s sudden decision to publish the whole of the Garcia report into the conduct of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids felt like a momentous, possibly vital moment of outage. Here it was at last, the chance to digest Garcia’s toxic innards; to find, perhaps, the smoking machine gun at the heart of this entire epic saga of human folly and greed.An hour or so later, as the pages flickered past, Full Garcia already felt like something else, perhaps the great unreadable post-modern football novel we’ve been...
On the eve of the Confederations Cup, the focus for officials is on having a smooth event now that shows fans there is nothing to fear from coming to Russia for the 2018 World CupWith less than a year to go until the World Cup kicks off at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, excitement is building inside Russia as the country prepares to host the Confederations Cup, the eight-team warm-up tournament designed as a dress rehearsal for 2018.As the authorities promise a spectacular, exciting finals next year, the setup is beset with all the usual worries that accompany a major tournament, as well as a couple of Russia-specific ones. Related: Fifa ‘has come up short’ in protecting Russia 2018 stadium workers Related:...
Kieran Tierney, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Raheem Sterling impress, and Gordon Strachan does enough to warrant more time despite a shattering finaleThe England support drew unfavourable comparisons between their oldest rival in international football and San Marino, suggesting, impolitely, that Scotland were inferior to Europe’s whipping boys. Below the belt, but given their team’s problems against a committed but limited side it was not an occasion when England were in a position to revel in supremacy despite extending their unbeaten qualifying record to 35 games courtesy of Harry Kane’s injury‑time equaliser. The visitors were passive in the face of a ferocious Scotland start and, despite improving to take a degree of control, another illustration of Joe Hart’s weakness on his left-hand...
Gareth Southgate’s search for a permanent England captain may be over after Harry Kane’s pedigree shone through in denying Scotland victoryIn the end, Harry Kane did almost everything Gareth Southgate had hoped he might. This game had gone, the visitors apparently broken by Leigh Griffiths’ pair of free-kicks, when Raheem Sterling cut inside and flung over one last desperate cross from the left and there, opening up his body in mid-air to meet the delivery as sweetly as he could, was England’s captain to guide home a first international goal in 13 months. The manager leapt into the air, his manic celebrations born as much of relief as delight. He had been at pains to point out that talent, eventually,...
Leigh Griffiths’ majestic brace had Hampden Park daring to dream, but despite a rousing display the lasting impression is of yet more glorious Scottish failureIt probably should not be a shock that new chapters in the extensive back catalogue of glorious Scottish sporting failures are still being written in 2017. How familiar this was; how painfully familiar.Cold analysis should surround Scotland’s concession of two horrendous goals, the kind that undermine international campaigns and cost managers their job. The goals scored by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Harry Kane were horribly reminiscent of the type Scotland have continually shipped in recent times. Another blunt truth is that a point against England probably is not going to be much use in this World Cup...