D3D4 columnist Darren Young is back to round-up a very entertaining final week of group matches…

World Cup Review – Final Group Games

First of all, you might want to stop reading now as what I know about football could fit on the flag of Xherdan Shaqiri’s boots.

You see, in my predictions on D3D4’s pre-World Cup 2018 podcast, I tipped a Brazil v Germany final. I’d factored in that they could meet in the knockout stage if one of them didn’t win their group and felt that was unlikely. What I failed to factor in was that one of the teams might finish bottom of it. And that Manuel Neuer would ignore the second thing they teach you at Goalkeeper College – 1.1 save shots; 1.2 don’t try to dribble down the left wing.

For once, ‘Turniermannschaft’ – the ‘tournament team’ – didn’t turn up and they were just shafted. After a shocking opening game v Mexico, the last-gasp win against Sweden had given Joachim Low a sniff of getting his much-criticised team to the next round. But South Korea had other ideas, going out in a blaze of glorious failure, and taking Germany along with them for the ride. In truth, the original sweeper-keeper, Neuer, had been playing Russian roulette for a long time. It was always high risk; one big mistake wiping out several years of brilliance at a stroke. It wasn’t just him though; they were pretty awful all over, failing to match the improvement in athleticism and pressing that other teams have shown. For instance, where England have added pace to their attack, Germany appeared to have added lead weights.
I should have seen it coming though before I did my predictions. World Cup holders just don’t do well next time around. France (2002) Italy (2010) and Spain (2014) all went out at the group stage. Only Brazil (2006) went further. This year, the pre-World Cup favourites survived a scare or two against Serbia before booking their place in the last-16. Although less than convincing at times, they had the thing Germany lacked; invention and pace up front. Even when they were on the back foot, they had the speed and invention of the likes of Gabriel Jesus to stretch the opposition’s defence. If only Germany had a young, lightening quick forward, fresh from a great season with Manchester City to call upon.

Although he frustrated and delighted in equal measure, Neymar showed signs that he is finding form and fitness, while his theatricals and tantrums have never been in doubt. Someone said he was ’26 going on 13’ which is extremely unfair. There are a lot of very sensible 13-year olds out there who don’t deserve that.

The German’s defeat was also (eight years to the very day after Frank Lampard’s ‘goal’) down to the introduction of VAR. The first Korean goal would have been chalked off in any previous tournament, but just because it was right here doesn’t mean it’s been a qualified success. It’s worked well at times, like for South Korea’s goal, but not at others, and the problems are mostly self-inflicted. I thought it was there to correct ‘clear and obvious refereeing mistakes’ not there to be used ‘whenever a player(s) makes an imaginary rectangle shape in the air’. And that’s where FIFA and the referees have ended up getting caught out and the teams getting their knickers in a twist.

Iran seemed to have decided to base their final game strategy on winning via VAR. It was a brave move, but almost worked as they constantly harangued the referee until he lost the plot and went to the little side-screen for almost everything. This eventually gave Iran their penalty as the law of averages stated that they’d be successful at some point if they appealed for everything. It might have made for a fascinating spectacle at the time, but it’s also a worry if that’s the way football is going. The sight of Spain’s Apas, in the other game, frozen in time waiting for the ‘check to be completed’ before he could begin his ‘goal’ celebration could become the norm in the future, with almost every goal being subject to review and the ‘green’ light from a man in a van. We might not have noticed it as England buried Panama under a deluge of goals, but four of the six goals had an element of doubt – ‘they’re just running a check for a potential offside’ – before we could jump up and down properly.

Thankfully, there was no such drama for them and Belgium in the conclusion of Group G, the only battle was for top spot, apparently. Knowing their next opponents and potential route into the latter stages made for a match that told us virtually nothing other than the Belgian reserves are better than the English ones.

But anyone wondering if England wanted to head the group only need to ask this question. You are losing a World Cup match. Do you a) bring on the top scorer in the competition or, b) bring on Danny Welbeck?

If you answered B, as Gareth Southgate did, then it tells you all you need to know. The only man who wanted to not win more than Southgate was Belgium’s boss, Roberto Martinez, who celebrated the game’s only goal like a man whose pre-match sentiments hadn’t been fully taken on board. He still, however, managed to make his celebration look cooler than Michy Batshuayi’s.

For what it’s worth, I get it. A World Cup comes along every four years and a manager usually gets one shot at it. If our manager believes that his shot stands a better chance in the more-European section of the draw than by taking on Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay or France, that makes a lot of sense. To avoid injuries, like the one James Rodriguez suffered for Colombia, makes even more. But it won’t stop the English fans and media going from one extreme to another; best summed up by the slightly dishevelled girl the BBC dragged in front of camera as she stumbled out of a fan park and who said ‘I thought after Sunday we were going to smash this World Cup but now I’ve watched that…no chance’

Talk about realistic expectations.
I simply didn’t want this stage to end, it’s been so enthralling. But it has and here’s what else went on in the final round of games.

 

Group A

You’re only as good as when you finally run into a good team and Russia proved this as Uruguay dampened the early excitement with a back-down-to-earth thumping of them in the Samara Arena. Any team that can defend like they do, whilst relying on Suarez and Cavani for goals, has to have a puncher’s chance. To put this unbalanced group in perspective, when Cavani scored the third for the South Americans it came from a rebound from the Russian goalie’s first save of the World Cup. In the dead rubber, Egypt missed the chance to win their first ever World Cup finals match when they lost to the Saudis despite their 45-year old keeper saving a penalty and Mo Salah putting a smile and a brave face on a what-might-have-been tournament for him with a fantastic opening goal.

 

Group B

As already mentioned, VAR made/ruined the resolution of this group depending on where you sit on the whole technology debate. Of the key incidents, it was hard to find anyone – expect Mark Lawrenson – that didn’t think Ronaldo was fouled for the penalty he missed, and equally difficult to find anyone – except the beleaguered referee – who thought that Iran’s spot kick should have been given. I thought the Ronaldo ‘red card’ check was laughable – if that was a sending off then we’d have five-a-side in most games played in the UK. In the end, the Iranian’s had a chance to progress but blew it in injury time. Spain, who without VAR would have lost 2-1, were the real winners; advancing in top spot without ever really being convincing although David De Gea did finally make his first save.

 

 

Group C

It said a lot about the entertainment on offer so far that Denmark and France were booed off after the competition’s first, and so far the only, goalless draw. France, you could argue, earned the right to rest players for more important matches (especially given what happened in Group D later) and Denmark weren’t to blame for cashing in with a point from the bore-draw. As it turned out, in the other game, Peru finally found their shooting boots to get a win and eliminate the Aussie’s in the process although the Socceroo’s also showed that any team who doesn’t have a striker capable of taking chances will be in trouble. Good news for the teams that do going into sudden death matches.

 

Group D

We finally welcomed a certain Lionel Messi to the Russian party and Victor Moses almost sent him straight back home again without any cake. With so much attacking talent on the pitch in the end as Argentina went for broke, it was left to a Manchester United reserve defender to break Nigerian hearts – nearly wake Diego up – and send the somewhat fortunate Albicelestes through to a last-16 match against France and the first truly ‘big match’ of this World Cup. It also means at least one more former winner will be packing for home by the end of the weekend. Nigeria complained pre-match that Croatia’s weakened team was unfair – ‘concentrate on your own match’ springs to mind – but they still kept their 100% record with a win over an unlucky Iceland who were, like many other teams here, a goal scorer away from better things.

 

 

Group E

Mexico had won their first two games but nearly came a cropper after losing by three goals to Sweden but progressing after South Korea’s heroics.

 

Group F

As Brazil unconvincingly rolled on, the Swiss and Costa Rican’s cancelled each other out (the Swiss keeper making an early bid for best save and most comical own goal in the same game). Brazil remain favourites for now, but not for long as next up are Mexico and according to The Simpsons, it will be they who meet Portugal in the final – inexplicably moved from Moscow to Springfield – on 15 July.

 

Group G

Tunisia beat Panama 2-1. And I found myself checking out how this deadest of dead rubbers was going, telling you even more about the England match.

 

Group H

As this group was concluded before England’s (not sure why – do FIFA use a different alphabet? – it was less a group finale and more a ‘who will England play/want to play’ exercise. As with this World Cup in general, it was full of twists and turns as Japan bounced from top to third to second, while Senegal and Colombia fans bounced up and down when Poland scored. Then after a forgettable 80 mins, the Colombia goal resisted 10 minutes of intense Senegalese pressure while Japan and Poland sat on the ball for the final ten minutes of their game and Japan finally went through on yellow cards. Confused? All will be revealed in the next edition of Match of the Day.

 

Perhaps, mercifully, there’s a day of rest on Friday. But what ever will we do from mid-afternoon onwards?

Looking forward to the knockout stage already!