After days of hype, endless previews and enough dramatic music to invade a small country, game day finally arrived. It started exactly as expected, with Argentina demonstrating that football is as much about psychology and gamesmanship as it is about passing the ball. There were niggling tackles, theatrical tumbles, mysterious injuries that disappeared the instant possession changed and constant conversations with the referee. Actual football ...
The Pub Was My First Mistake
After some pressure from my stepson, it was off the chaise longue and down to the pub for last night’s game, a decision I would later come to regret. One side of the pub was watching a television around two seconds ahead of the side I was sitting on, which meant cheers, groans and anguished cries were erupting before I had any idea what had happened. There is nothing quite like watching a dangerous attack ...
I should probably start this post by admitting that one player, amongst many heroes last night, stood out as a towering example of why Thomas Tuchel is an elite football manager and I am a Chaise Lounge enthusiast.
Anthony Gordon.
Thunder, Rain and Mexican Fire
As rain delayed the start of the match, nothing could dampen the crackling atmosphere inside Mexico’s fortress. This was never going to be a polite little kickabout. It had ...
Welcome to Football’s Highest Exam
England face Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, which is not ideal if you were hoping for a relaxing early Monday morning, a gentle stroll into the quarter-finals, or a football match that doesn’t also resemble a science experiment.
The Azteca sits around 2,240 metres above sea level, which is roughly 7,200 feet in old money. That means the air is thinner, the lungs have to work harder, and footballers ...
England Survive, Somehow
So, England move smoothly into the next round.
No problem. Easy win. On we travel.
You know I’m lying, don’t you?
That was about as smooth as a flight through a thunderstorm, with the drinks trolley loose and the pilot asking if anyone on board has ever played Football Manager.
England are through, but they are not firing. In fact, if Harry Kane had been injured, they would probably be home already, ...
