England fall short again
Everyone will have their own opinion but it could be argued that Gareth Southgate deserves more time as England manager despite England losing to France in the quarter finals of the World Cup. Southgate's position looked under threat before the tournament because of England's poor form in the UEFA Nations League but the Nations League feels as important as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy compared to the World Cup and in the big tournaments despite England coming up short they have impressed. In 2018 in Russia England reached a semi-final for the first time in a World Cup since 1990. At Euro 2021 it was a final and a runners up spot only because of penalties. So a quarter final loss can look like a backwards step but against the reigning world champions it didn't feel like that at all.
England were arguably the better side after a shaky first half hour and by the second half they had almost strangled the game, like suffocation they were dictating the pace against the normally brilliant French. Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham genuinely worried the French defence. Harry Kane was an ever present danger and for the most part Kylian Mbappe was kept quiet though he did have his moments. The one player England couldn't deal with was Antoine Griezmann shamefully rejected as the player of the 2018 tournament he was like a mix between Zinedine Zidane and Franz Beckenbauer if he wasn't attacking and playing others in he was clearing the mess up left by his team mates. In the end it took a wonderful strike by Aurelien Tchouameni and then in the second half Olivier Giroud to win the game for the champions but England had come close. Ultimately Southgate's side couldn't score from open play but when England attacked and especially when Saka had the ball there was panic in the air and that led to England being awarded two penalties. One was scored and one incredibly wasn't. Harry Kane took both and for his 2nd in not keeping with his usual cool and calm character he fired over. Perhaps with eight minutes to go it had got to him, perhaps the weight of having to dig the nation out of another hole had been too much or perhaps had he converted he would have become the all time leading goalscorer for England, the absolute best centre forward at least statistically in 140 years, it just became evidently too much. The irony that he was up against his team mate Hugo Lloris at Tottenham well only the footballing Gods can write such scripts. It was nice to see Lloris embracing Kane at the final whistle though. England are out, but France knew about it, a titanic game of epic struggle did not go England's way yet again but with such a young squad they may just start as the favourites to win Euro 2024.
Croatia shock favourites Brazil
This was a week for tears and not just for England as is the norm at the business end of a World Cup. Brazil so hotly tipped to win their sixth World Cup were the first to fall at the quarter final stage. The focus was on Neymar the heir to the past Selecao greats that roamed the footballing world with their outrageous skill, belief and of course the most important thing: goals. Neymar has always seemed like a player that gave us flashes of brilliance rather than wowing us with consistency of brilliance but his new campaign in Ligue 1 with PSG had started well and he came into this competition as perhaps the stardust that Brazil needed. He left with tears and the image of hugging Croatian player Ivan Perisic's son. It was a strong image that told us how football's emotions can affect young and old.
Neymar did well, but perhaps not well enough but he did score a good goal, a winning one on most days to give Brazil the advantage over Croatia and with three minutes left in extra time it seemed inevitable that Brazil had made it to the semi-finals. Not so, how cruel football can be but how incredible it can be for the opposition. Croatia engineered and driven by Luka Modric who plays more like he's 27 and not 37 never gave up and Bruno Petkovic converted the equaliser harshly deflecting off of Marquinhos Neymar's team mate at PSG. Penalties it was, and like against Japan Dominik Livakovic was the hero and Brazil blew it. Marquinhos had to score and his thundering shot hit the post and the tears for different reasons flowed in the centre circle. In the end Neymar had had a decent World Cup despite missing two group games through injury but it hadn't been enough and he didn't even get to take a penalty in the shoot out, perhaps he should have swapped running order with Marquinhos but it never felt like it was going to be Brazil's day. The fall out has seen manager Tite resign offset by his dancing just a few days before as he witnessed his side demolish South Korea, again football can be cruel. Why can't Brazil reach the successes of yester year? Perhaps it is down to the fact that they have no real consistent and deadly centre forward. Yes there is Richarlison, Vinicus Junior and Neymar can play there too but they are missing a Ronaldo and a Romario, players who don't miss good chances and can put the game to bed early on.
As for Croatia they keep on believing in themselves and for a nation of just 4 million this is a story that keeps on reinventing itself and they might just reach back to back World Cup finals….
Argentina show quality but not class
Argentina and the Netherlands were involved in a cynical, dirty but dramatic game in which it ebbed and but didn't flow. The referee wouldn't allow it and was too trigger happy to brandish so many yellow cards. Granted it was deserved at times but it felt like a poor performance. As for the game all eyes were on Lionel Messi who is easily having his best World Cup experience. There is a passion and hunger within him not seen before in the tournament. In this huge game he assisted for the first goal and scored the penalty which had put his side 2-0 up. Back to the first goal though in which Nahuel Molina scored. But it was all about the pass, Messi sliced open one of the best defences in the competition, he had risen as so many greats have done so in the past to find that extra gear that extra level. But what made this game dramatic was how the Netherlands fought back. It was 2-1 to Argentina and into the 11th minute of injury time with the referee going to blow Netherlands had one final chance from a free kick. Ironically taking a leaf out of Argentina's own book when they used a trick passing free kick against England at the 1998 World Cup the Oranje did the same and it came off and dramatically we headed into extra time. In this period only one side was in it, you'd expect it to be Netherlands and yet Argentina found an extra gear and had chance upon chance perhaps justifying their inclusion in the last four. In the end it came down to penalties which is never a good thing for the Dutch given there not so great record from the spot kick and they were out. Louis van Gaal who has had a remarkable managerial record in the game for the past 35 years resigned and at 71 he may never coach again. He also has a bigger battle on his hands with prostate cancer and everyone will be wishing him the best. For Argentina Messi's dream remains alive to finally win a World Cup but you do wonder if their cynicism at times will be the outdoing for them, however they certainly have the skill on the pitch.
Morocco stun Portugal
Neymar's tears may well have been upstaged by Cristiano Ronaldo's as his dream of winning the World Cup is surely over now at 37. Portugal were dumped out by Morocco in a surprise result that was wholly deserved for the African side. Portuguese manager Fernando Santos who has had a motionless face of rock since the competition kicked off, deep in thought pacing up and down the touchline for every game for 90 minutes reminded one of a bookmakers punter pacing during a sports event in a high street shop. But it was the manager that hinted to Ronaldo that his international career was coming to an end, why he was benched and why he didn't start this quarter final match. And yet even he had sympathy with the great Ronaldo and duly let him play for much of the second half, however apart from a good one on one chance Ronaldo couldn't make a difference. Morocco have to be respected for their organisation and defence, which were both supreme. They still look light up front however Youssef En-Nesyri's goal where he remained suspended in mid-air for the header ironically reminded one of Ronaldo at his peak. Portugal could well have scored two of the best goals of the tournament had Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix's brilliant shots gone in but in truth they created little in the final third when it really mattered.
Ronaldo by himself went off crying at the final whistle, it has been a torrid year for him where nothing has seemed to go right. One has to wonder if he will take the money to play in the Saudi Arabian league or will be find another club in the Champions League? If he opts for the money option his career will be over for many observers of the game, his international career does look to be though. Ronaldo may well dream that there will be another success for him but over the last few weeks he has come across as petulant, he needs to find himself once again, or perhaps quite simply despite his amazing fitness time has caught up with him.
The Semi-Finals:
Argentina (1.80) vs Croatia (5.00)
France (1.50) vs Morocco (7.00)
To win the World Cup: France 2.00, Argentina 2.75, Croatia 8.00, Morocco 9.00
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