The first day of the second round was a great one. I didn't start out with a favorite in Wales - Iran, but by the time Iran opened the scoring, I found myself cheering for them. Red card on the Welsh keeper was a bit harsh, I thought. It was a strong collision, but he went for the ball and there was no malicious intent toward the player. Besides, a red card always throws the game off-balance. Not that Wales would have gotten more from the game, but the red card throws a shadow over the Iranian victory, which was thoroughly deserved. A lot has been said about politics at this World Cup, and the Iranians are bringing the right kind of politics into it: clearly stating their position in regard to the social turbulence in their country, and the better they do in this competition, the more they can inspire their compatriots to push for change.
Kudos to them for keeping their mental composure after the battering against England. They do now have a great chance at qualifying, though it's not to be taken for granted. USA has played two very good games and is unlucky not to be on 4 points, rather than 2. So USA - Iran is gonna be a VERY interesting game!
England will probably win the group, as Wales have been poor and I don't really see them getting anything from the last game. I haven't seen any of the England - USA game, but I'm really happy with the outcome. All the pubs were full to the brim - England playing in the World Cup on a Friday evening, and both Maria and I were dreading the prospect of a high-scoring game, which would have punctuated our show with regular shouts. Such is the nature of Barons Court Theatre that when a loud event happens in the pub upstairs, we hear it. So our desire for an uneventful game has been heard by the theatre gods.
Group A also has an interesting battle for second place. I saw the first half of Senegal - Qatar, and although it's obvious that Qatar is one of the weakest teams in the tournament and Senegal won easily, I thought Ecuador brought a better game plan. Which showed against the Netherlands as well. I mean, the sensible bet is an easy win for Netherlands, and it looked like that after the early goal. But there's so many things that the Ecuadorian team does well, and so much to admire about them, that in the end it almost felt like they deserved more than the 1-1.
They are super-disciplined; maybe only South Korea can maintain the formation as well as they do, from what I've seen. They have their soul in the game, and they work really hard. Add to this a bit of South American technique and flair, and a couple of star players - current or in the making - and you get one of the most exciting teams at this World Cup outside the big boys' club.
Of course, it can all fall flat in the last game against Senegal, though somehow I doubt it will. It's gonna be tight and dramatic, but it matters a lot that Ecuador has the option of a draw as well. And judging by the closing minutes of the game against the Netherlands - when they slowed down a touch and signaled they'd settle for a draw, they are good at game management as well, something I've only seen in Brazil and France so far.
So yeah, I'd go England, Iran, Netherlands, Ecuador from here.
Just as I was complaining yesterday that I don't get to watch enough games, I actually manage to see a good chunk of each. I watched the first hour of Switzerland - Cameroon, and I thought, for the first half at least, Cameroon played better. Goes to show, playing better stands for naught if you don't take advantage of the time you have the ball. Switzerland came out of the dressing room with a lot more purpose and scored immediately. Not sure how the rest of the half panned out, but I think the direction of the game might've reverted a bit.
What with a number of Swiss players having Albanian roots, I imagine they'll be merciless against Serbia, which means Cameroon can already book the plane home. Shame, really, but a reminder that at this level of the game it's all about small margins with immense consequences.
A big plus of this World Cup is the strength of African teams. We're moving away from having the one African sensation, and more and more towards having Africa represented to a level close to Europa and South America. Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal have all brought strong, respectable teams, while Tunisia and Morocco are bringing the Maghrebian African representation. Add to this the love of football and the growth of the game in the Middle East, and the beautiful game is truly going global.
I mean, yes, Ghana lost to Portugal, but they gave a great account of themselves, drawing level on 1 and making the Portuguese nervous after that second goal. Portugal played well, dominated the game and are deserving winners, yet the result somehow still feels harsh on Ghana. I remember their 2-2 draw against Germany in 2014 as one of the best game of the tournament, yet Ghana still had nothing to show for it, and were eliminated in the group stage despite being equals of the eventual world champions.
They still stand a chance this time around, despite an impressive Portugal display the group is still wide open. Anything can happen in Uruguay - Portugal and I wouldn't even put it past the Koreans to hold off for a draw against the Lusitans. I mean, yeah, Uruguay was the slightly better team against South Korea, but judging by the first half, a draw feels like the fair result.
Uruguay is a few notches below that beautiful team of 2010, while South Korea bring the typical SE-Asian insane amount of effort to the table, backed by a strong discipline. It's amazing how well the Koreans were keeping the shape of their formation throughout. Plus the spark of Son, always a goal threat.
And lastly, Brazil. Luckily I saw the whole game, and it finally feels like the Celesao have put the horrible 2014 defeat to Germany behind them. The Brazilian game was pure poetry, and there was only ever going to be one winner. 2-0 makes me feel that the Serbs actually got away with it a little bit. And of course, THAT Richarlison goal! Without a doubt goal of the tournament so far!
The Serbs gave a poor account of themselves, but even if they had played better, I don't think it would have made much difference. Brazil doesn't have the stellar line-up of the 90s or 00s, but give them a month, they might just become one.
So with the first round of group games over, I feel like England, France, Spain, Brazil and Portugal are looking really strong, while Argentina and Germany are the disappointments. Of course, nothing is decided just yet, but I do dare say the future world champions will be one of the five above.
It does annoy me no end I don't get to watch enough football. And while some might argue about what exactly 'enough' means, I think 8 hours of football a day is just about right. 'Oh, but can it be any football?' Of course not, but this is the World Cup! We'll get to the tough games soon, but actually, I like it when it's not all Brazil - Argentina or Netherlands - Germany. The more exotic the better! Qatar v Ecuador? Brilliant! Croatia v Morocco? When else do I have the opportunity to learn something about either of these countries?
And my oh my, so much of my knowledge of geography and geopolitics comes from watching football!
It's even worse when I don't see a game that finishes 0-0, as then I have no indication as to who played what. In my book, Croatia - Morocco was a clear win for the Croatians, but apparently not. Who knows, maybe there is something to Sammy Eto's predictions and Morocco will make the final. (Spoiler alert: they won't)
With Belgium playing poorly and Canada the other contender, Morocco have put themselves in a good position with this result. My money is still on Belgium & Croatia, but we'll see.
Same thing with Belgium - Canada. Upon seeing the score, I'm tempted to think it's a predictable win and that Belgium could've probably scored more. The reviews paint a different picture though, saying Canada was the more offensive team and they missed a penalty. So I don't know. Both Belgium and Croatia have aging teams, so the premises are there to see an upset in this group.
Talking about upsets... Germany! Not only did they lose to Japan, but the Japanese were worthy winners. Yes, Germany had more possession and attacked more, but that doesn't mean anything when you can't convert chances. Japan, on the other hand, were absolutely clinical in front of goal and were unlucky not to score again in the closing minutes. Of course, substitute Takuma Asano will be rightfully hailed as the hero of the game, but Japan were true to the football we have come to expect from them: never stop running. Add to this some purposefulness in front of goal, and you can beat anyone. Even a German team lacking direction.
This result makes for a very interesting Group E, the one I thought was the most interesting anyway. Though, to be fair, I expected more from Costa Rica. Tiny country, but with an immense love of football, and they always give a good account of themselves in the World Cup. Not so much last night. I only saw Spain's 7th goal, which was conceded extremely easy, but the scoreline leaves little doubt about the kind of battering it must've been. Poor Keylor Navas, this must've been the revenge of an entire La Liga frustrated by all the losses to Real Madrid.
So fair to say Spain has won the group. I am hoping for some sort of Costa Rican revival - a draw with Germany might well be on the cards, why not? I don't see Japan getting anything against Spain, but if they play the game of their lives against Costa Rica, it doesn't even matter. And here's a long shot from me: Germany eliminated from the groups come next week, but winning the World Cup in 2026.
The first day of 4 matches, and I actually watched them all today - very likely the only day I'll manage to do that. Just as well, we had 4 hours of football without a goal. But sometimes is not about that.
Argentina - Saudi Arabia 1-2
He's not the best of all time, he's not the best of his time, he's not even the best Argentinian of his generation, that accolade goes to Aguero. Scored from a fictional penalty, but missed from 16 yards with a clear line of shot, with 10 minutes to go and 1 goal down, for the sake of doing an extra turn. Kudos to the Saudis for not shying away from the fight, and coming out deserved winners. Yeah, there was some bit of running down the clock at the end there, hence the 6 yellow cards, but towards the end of the game it was the Saudi keeper asking the doctors to move faster. Well done, Saudi Arabia, only one more step towards qualification. By the way, what's your human rights record like?
Denmark - Tunisia 0-0
Relatively dull game, getting slightly more animated towards the end. I am disappointed in Denmark, and pleasantly surprised by how well Tunisia held their own. It's probably not gonna be enough, but going home proud of the performances is still something. I thought both teams should've had a penalty for handball, the Danish handball a bit more obvious, but it didn't happen equally. So bad refereeing still, only in this case two wrongs did make a right.
Mexico - Poland 0-0
I thought Lewandovski's penalty was soft as well. He missed, so it doesn't matter. Bit of a waiting game this one, feels like the teams were afraid to be too aggressive. Poland had the physicality, Mexico had the speed and technique, but neither knew how to use their talents for maximum advantage. This group is now wide open, and no one is guaranteed a spot.
Australia - France 1-4
Brilliant start for the Socceroos, but at the end of the day it was a typical men against boys. Once they got going, France looked in control and completely dominated. Nothing to be ashamed of, ozzies, you did your best and that's all anyone can ask for. The gulf in class is simply too wide.
Two more heavyweights starting tomorrow, Germany and Spain, and they're in the same group! Let's see how that pans out!
It has started, and the politics interwoven with football is set to continue, and it might be that the story at the end of the month will be that this World Cup is a failure, mostly for off-pitch reasons. I will, however, stay interested in what happens on the actual pitch. That's where the football is. All the rest is white noise.
Qatar - Ecuador 0-2
This is actually the only game of the first 4 that I watched in full, recorded, last night. The Qataris were poor, poorer than I expected, while Ecuador executed a perfect game plan. Score early to impose, don't let them get in the game, and don't let the crowd get behind them. Now, that early goal was canceled because of an offside that will probably go into history books for the technology used to find it. Otherwise, no one in their right mind would have thought that's an off-side. And it kind of feels that rules might need to change soon so that they keep up with technology.
Otherwise, Ecuador is a nice surprise. Weak opponents, true, but they'll be more of a challenge than I initially thought. Bad news for Senegal.
Senegal - Netherlands 0-2
Senegal had the energy and technique, while the Netherlands had the experience and maturity. Going by the first half an hour, the Dutch looked a bit clumsy and unsure in attack, but fully in control of the outcome. They will win the group with relative ease, but things might get sticky for them in the knockout stages.
England - Iran 6-2
Well done England! I haven't seen much of the game, but the scoreline is emphatic and it looks like I was right when I said that England, for the first time in my lifetime, has a real shot at winning it. Southgate has found a good formula for the team, and that lost Euro final did them good. Now they're ready to take the extra step.
USA - Wales 1-1
I'm glad Mark got to see the game live and I'm surprised Wales didn't win this easily. But I've seen nothing of the game, so I'm now curious to see SUA playing. Their game against Iran will be interesting, but the surrounding hype will probably be mostly about politics.
First four games day tomorrow. Let's see how that pans out, and how much Amsterdam really cares about it.
Straight out with it: I'm excited about this World Cup. I don't even think it's special; I'm as excited as about any World Cup. But Leo, it's in Qatar!
Well, let's see what that means: it's a nation with virtually no football history. Ah, like South Africa 2010, or Japan & Korea 2002 you mean? But isn't one of the points of the World Cup to expand the reach of the beautiful game, to move into countries, continents, and territories with no tradition of football, and make new generations and new cultures dream of achievements that include a ball?
But Qatar is controversial because of human rights abuses! True. And how lucky that football is here to help with that! When we're talking about human rights abuses, what is it exactly that we care most about?
Too many workers died when building the stadiums. I know, it's deeply regrettable, as is the exploitation of cheap labor force from SE Asia in Qatar and throughout the Middle East. And I don't want to come across as insensitive in any way, but it does feel like a solution for this should come from UN, not FIFA. Why did we not protest as the workers were dying? Why were there no administrations, sanctions, bans or investigative committees into Qatari construction sites 3-4 years ago? Because, by the way, construction workers are being exploited and dying now, while building stuff that isn't stadiums. Why do we not stop that?
Discrimination against LGBT+ and women in Qatar. The most valid point of protesting this World Cup. Unfortunately, these are two areas where the beautiful game itself is behind society. It is deeply troublesome that in this day and age there are only a handful of publicly gay professional footballers, just as troublesome as the huge pay gap between men's and women's games. Look, I know we got problems. We're working on them.
No alcohol sale during World Cup. Oh weah! While I do agree this makes for a poor fan experience, it's a commercial rather than a political issue. Boycott the world cup because it doesn't sell beer is actually a very valid position. So there'll be less US & European fans in the stands. I can see the downside to it, but I can also see the upside of 1.2 million Saudis watching the World Cup. Swings and roundabouts, really.
But it's in the winter! Look... I don't like it. Less work in the summer means I usually can get more time off to watch the games. Means that I usually see a good chunk of the tournament somewhere sunny and where the sea is close. This time around, I'm having a really busy and quite stressful time during the World Cup, and I'll struggle to watch as many games as I'd like. Having said that, there'll be none of the players and commentators complaining about the long and hard season they had. In fact, this World Cup takes place when players should be in peak form, so hopefully, it will impact the football positively. It might affect the form of the teams for a few games after the World Cup, but all the better: it makes the domestic leagues more interesting!
But Qatar only won because they bribed national federations! Oh my God, don't tell me FIFA is corrupt! By this point, I am fully aware that all my arguments are personal preference rather than apology. And it's true that I don't like it - I don't think anyone does - that such a treasured and far-reaching cultural phenomenon as football is controlled by one of the most corrupt organizations on Earth, but somehow it doesn't feel like the solution comes from the pitch. By all means, investigate, arrest and disgrace all FIFA officials, it that is what it takes, but what can the players do? Any breakaway attempts have resulted in much worse ventures, and the men in suits will quickly hijack any successful initiative that comes from the pitch. This is a structural issue we have in society at large, not just in football.
So yeah, Qatar makes for a controversial host. Clearly. But are we aware that the previous tournament was held in Russia? Or that the second World Cup ever, in 1934, was held in Mussolini's Italy, and the cheating was as blatant as it was overt? Clearly, the World Cup and the whole gigantic machinery of football has huge problems. We are trying hard to ringfence the basics against them though: it's 11v11 and a ball. Ok, stop bringing match-fixing in the conversation!
For a neutral, none of my arguments stand. They're not meant to convince. I wouldn't be convinced by them. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm excited and will watch the World Cup despite the huge issues surrounding it. Because - and this is an argument I use a lot - if we'd let all of the world's problems be sorted by a game of 11v11 with a ball on a grass pitch, we'd have a lot less of them. The issues start once we step out of the grass pitch.
Ok, one hour of apologies and 2 minutes of talking about football, which might be a good indicator of how the whole tournament might pan out.
I'll quickly take a look at the groups, and we'll reconvene here once the group stage is over to see how I've fared.
Group A: As much as I have good memories of Ecuador, and of the beautiful teams they bring to the WC, of Agustin Delgado or Antonio Valencia, they are a small team and I don't see them coming out of a group with Netherlands and Senegal. It does look like Senegal might be the strong African team, and they're always making a statement, I wouldn't even mind if it's this year that an African team finally makes it through the quarters and into the semi-final. We'll see. Qatar will probably finish last, and the world will rejoice.
Group B: Iran, oh Iran! In a group with US and England, there'll be plenty of scope to talk politics around the games. And hopefully, some of that will help the cause of women in Iran, and of the Iranian people in general. The nightmare they're living through has lasted for too long. They won't go out of the group, but they can still help their nation, which is probably more important. England and Wales will go forward, sorry USA.
Group C: Somehow I'm always sympathetic towards Mexico. Maybe it's the good football they're playing, maybe it's all the books I've read as a child about Mexico '70. But this year I will cheer them on even more than usual, and hopefully I'll get to see some of the games together with my Mexican brothers from Cuckoo. Will they qualify? Tricky, but not impossible. Hold off for a draw with Poland, or even beat Poland, score a lot against Saudi Arabia and make the game against Argentina redundant. So hopefully it will be Mexico and Argentina going forward. Even Mexico and Poland, if we let ourselves dream a bit.
Group D: Haha, Australia always hold their own well. It will come to naught, this is a clear case of France and Denmark, but we'll have good games. I don't know much about Tunisia, their game against Australia will be interesting. This group is very predictable, but will probably be very spectacular.
Group E: It might look like a clear-cut Spain and Germany, but if Spain are not careful, both Costa Rica and Japan will be ready to take their place. It's not gonna be a walk in the park is what I'm saying.
Group F: Yeah, this is dull. Belgium and Croatia will qualify. Morocco might try something and, while we welcome Canada to their first ever World Cup, this game is not played with sticks.
Group G: Ok, Brazil have a point to prove and some image to defend, clear winners. But second? Switzerland or Serbia? My gut says Switzerland, I'll even go as far as saying Cameroon will finish above Serbia.
Group H: Uhh, hard to forget Ghana's heartbreak in South Africa 2010, what with Suarez's hand of the cannibal and missed penalty in the last minute - God bless your soul Asamoah Gyan, because he sure didn't bless your boot. This time around, I don't see Ghana going as far as back then. Portugal and Uruguay to go through, with Portugal hopefully winning the whole thing, please and thank you. I know, I know, Ronaldo talked to Piers Morgan and this fact alone is enough to disqualify someone as a human being in my eyes. But look, Portugal can win stuff without Ronaldo, too! Remember Euro 2008? Yeah, more of that please. Oh, South Korea are also in this group. Well, good luck Son!
Anyways, I'm late for work. Apparently, Qatar will win 1-0 this afternoon, because it's fixed. Go put all of your savings on a bet for correct score if you're that convinced. Oh, you're not?
Also, can someone please translate this song in Portugese for me?
