Today’s insights come from Krishna Moorthy, a friend of the blog:
“Hello Tom, France played Spain like how Morocco played France. This is the shortest match report I can file.”
While France was not as passive as Morocco during their game, their defeat felt inevitable, much like Morocco’s. From the tournament’s early stages, it became apparent that this French team might join the ranks of past great teams that never won a World Cup, such as the Netherlands in ’74 and Brazil in ’82. However, unlike those teams, France’s exit last night appeared disjointed and resigned.
Nevertheless, this should not overshadow Spain’s nearly flawless display.
What contenders have emerged for the tournament’s best goal? Surprisingly, UK TV channels have not highlighted this yet, but it’s a topic worth discussing. Here are five that come to mind: Sidny Cabral for Cape Verde against Argentina, Alvarez’s similar strike versus Switzerland, Isidor for Haiti against Morocco, Maeda for Japan against Sweden (a lovely team effort in a tournament lacking such moments), and Mbappé against Morocco.
England coach Thomas Tuchel shared how he manages the pressures of leading a team to the World Cup semifinals. As reported:
“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,”
“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.”
Tuchel explained ahead of England’s match against Lionel Messi’s Argentina that he finds relaxation by connecting with his inner child.
“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,” he said on Tuesday. “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.”
Andrew Beasley, our data expert, highlighted why England must remain cautious of 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 perspective:
“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 wellbeing. 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.”
The latest episode of World Cup Daily is out, and I’m listening to it now. Tune in for insightful commentary, including Philippe Auclair’s assertion that, for the first time ever, a majority of the world is supporting England in a match against Argentina, which may agitate fans in Glasgow, Dublin, Cardiff, and beyond.
Fans attending the final can enjoy an extra pint during halftime, while their children can nag for another tub of popcorn, as FIFA has confirmed that halftime will last half an hour. This extended break will allow for the highly anticipated halftime show featuring artists like Shakira, Justin Bieber, and Madonna. Or perhaps they will surprise us with unreleased experimental tracks. We can only hope.
Greetings to all, and welcome to an exciting World Cup day. We’ll be providing coverage of the buildup to the England vs. Argentina semifinal throughout the day, but we must first address last night’s events. Spain has secured a place in the final after what can be described as an unexpected moment, in a World Cup that has occasionally felt overly scripted. The pre-match hype did not include France failing to show up as one of the surprises.
Spain’s performance was exemplary, both in possession and out of it, with the majority of play occurring in the former category, showcasing their remarkable ability to maintain control. This was bolstered by flawless midfield displays from Fabián Ruiz and Rodri. The entire squad performed admirably, and Pedro Porro, who scored the second goal, is emerging as an unlikely hero for Spain.
This all sets the stage for a potential 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 significant challenges ahead.
In summary, here’s your essential reading from the game in Dallas:
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- US sports
