Today’s update comes courtesy of our friend Krishna Moorthy:
“Hello Tom, France played Spain like how Morocco played France. This is the shortest match report I can file.”
While they weren’t as passive as Morocco in that matchup, France’s loss felt as inevitable as Morocco’s, especially throughout the match. Early in the tournament, I sensed that this French team might follow in the footsteps of past greats who never won the World Cup, such as the Netherlands in 1974 and Brazil in 1982, alongside Romania in 1994 and Argentina in 2006. At least those teams exited with some flair, whereas France’s departure last night appeared disjointed and resigned.
However, we shouldn’t overlook Spain’s nearly flawless performance.
Spain’s Stellar Display
What are the contenders for the tournament’s best goals? While I haven’t seen UK TV channels discussing this staple yet, it’s always a worthwhile conversation. Here are five that come to mind: Sidny Cabral’s strike for Cape Verde against Argentina, Alvarez’s similar goal against Switzerland, Isidor’s effort for Haiti versus Morocco, Maeda’s team goal for Japan against Sweden (a delightful play in a tournament lacking many such moments), and Mbappé’s goal against Morocco.
Thomas Tuchel, England’s coach, shared how he copes with the pressures of leading his team to the World Cup semifinals. He said:
“Sometimes you just go on a bike and then you just need a big parking lot, an ice cream in your hand for 15 minutes on a bike and then you feel like you’re 15 years old,”
Tuchel explained that he relaxes by reconnecting with his inner child.
“You enjoy your evening on a warm, summer evening for 15 minutes with the ice cream and you reconnect to the beauty of that feeling that we all have inside of us and that’s sometimes all it needs.” he said. “You enjoy your evening on a warm, summer evening for 15 minutes with the ice cream and you reconnect to the beauty of that feeling that we all have inside of us, and that’s sometimes all it needs.”
Messi’s Enduring Speed
Our data analyst Andrew Beasley pointed out why England should remain cautious about 39-year-old Lionel Messi’s speed:
“And when Messi hits top speed, he can still go at a decent pace. Data on Sofascore shows his top sprint at this World Cup was 30.9 km/h. That is faster than any run Lautaro Martínez (30.5) or Alexis Mac Allister (30.2) has made for Argentina, despite their being more than a decade younger. It is not far behind the best Kane (31.4) or Jude Bellingham (31.1) have offered either.”
Barney Ronay provided a scene-setting assessment:
“There are shared qualities here. Both nations belong to that list of places where football occupies a position of overblown prominence in the national sense of well-being. And on the pitch, these are two well-matched teams; or rather, not really teams, but excitingly wonky collections of parts dragged to this point by star players and wild-eyed comebacks, emotion as opposed to process.”
“Whatever happens in Atlanta, it is unlikely to be rational, cold, or free from further episodes of whiplash. England have been on the edge in their past two matches. Argentina have at least half a team’s worth of players with a thirst for confrontation. High-stakes VAR screen debacle anyone? A third-minute 50/50 with Cristian Romero? Emi Martínez in a penalty shootout against England? Never mind shithousery. Expect a shitmansion, a shitpalace.”
Fans Anticipate Major Event
The World Cup Daily podcast has been released, and I’m listening as I write. Tune in now for plenty of insights, including Philippe Auclair noting that, for the first time ever, most of the world is supporting England in a match against Argentina, which might stir some feelings in readers from Glasgow, Dublin, Cardiff, and beyond.
Fans attending the final will have an opportunity to enjoy an extra pint during the half-time intermission, and their children can persuade them for another tub of popcorn. FIFA has confirmed that half-time will last for half an hour, allowing ample time for the highly anticipated Super Bowl-style show featuring stars like Shakira, Justin Bieber, and Madonna. Or perhaps they will surprise everyone with some experimental unreleased tracks. We can only hope.
Welcome to a significant World Cup day! We’ll be covering all the preparations for the England vs. Argentina semifinal throughout the day, but we should first discuss last night’s events. Spain has secured a spot in the final after delivering, if not a surprise, at least an unexpected moment in a tournament that has sometimes felt overly scripted. The pre-match expectations did not account for France’s lackluster performance.
Spain showcased mastery both on and off the ball, primarily excelling with their possession game, aided by impeccable midfield displays from Fabián Ruiz and Rodri. The entire squad performed superbly, with Pedro Porro emerging as an unlikely Spanish hero after scoring the second goal.
As a result, there exists the potential for a Spain vs. England major tournament final for the fourth consecutive summer, following the women’s World Cup in 2023, the men’s Euros in 2024, and the women’s Euros last year. However, England has substantial work ahead.
