Mbappe and Bellingham with the world at their feet
World Cup Diaries: Day 15.
World Cup Diaries: Day 15.
Act One — The reigning champions stroll into the quarter-finals
FRANCE 3 (Giroud 44, Mbappe 74 and 90+1)
POLAND 1 (Lewandowski 90+9)
Longer term readers may remember that I’d originally planned to write exclusively on the fortunes of the defending champions from France following a random pre-tournament selection from my non-football watching son. But I seem to have veered wildly off course, writing a diary (of sorts) and barely covering Les Bleus at all. But that’s ok. I am a professional sports writer after all and quite frankly, I’ve been enjoying the writing and creation of these diary entries and that is what this World Cup is all about for me, a Liverpool fan pining for the return of his heroes dressed in red and for a month, give or take, I’m going to enjoy writing on the fortunes of games of football I couldn’t really give a hoot about!
After wresting control of the television from my beautiful son I asked for his totally disinterested score prediction, to which he replied 3–1 to France (He honestly did!) whilst I proffered my prediction after his of 3–0 (Yes I honestly did!). Now take another peek at the final score above and see the lateness of Lewandowski’s consolation goal and the beautiful irony that a faintly ridiculous VAR decision at the end of an already dead game had on family relations!
The game was over. I’d predicted the exact score. Then VAR poke their bureaucratic nose where it’s not wanted and definitely not needed, and ruin the footballing reputation of your humble narrator in front of his own son. Damn you VAR and with all sincerity, please leave our game alone.
Please?
The day’s first game today somewhat bucked the trend of the World Cup so far in so much as the second half was arguably worse than its first 45 minutes. Poland surprised me. They were tenacious, more than occasionally free spirited enough to engage in the attacking half of the pitch and arguably again they created the game’s first real golden goal scoring chance when on 37 minutes, an almighty scramble erupted inside the French penalty area as first goalkeeper Hugo Lloris saved wonderfully from the impressive and energetic Piotr Zielinski and as the ball pinballed and rebounded around their area, Theo Hernandez provided a brilliant defensive block before a second or two later, Raphael Verane hooked the ball clear from his own goal line. Add in captain Robert Lewandowski’s fizzing long range drive on 13 minutes that had Lloris scrambling across his goal and Poland were a sporadic goal threat as well as being watertight defensively.
If only they’d held out for a minute or two longer and entered the changing rooms at half-time 0–0 rather than trailing to a Kylian Mbappe inspired assist for Olivier Giroud’s 44th minute goal.
In truth, I wasn’t overly impressed with the defending champions this evening but they were only really playing at a collective 70%. Defensively sound, the attacking six all impressed me to greater and lesser degrees and they were worthy, worthy winners, but unimpressively so. Much like the Netherlands yesterday they had a truly stand out performance amid a hyper clinical performance that wins games and tournaments. Ousmane Dembele was perhaps the pick of the attacking bunch (Mbappe aside) but there’s much more cohesive attacking prowess to come from this incredible attacking unit.
Which brings us in conclusion to the 23 year old Parisian with the world at his feet and a second consecutive World Cup winners medal firmly in his gunsights. He assisted Giroud with the game’s opening goal before scoring the second brilliantly past Wojciech Szczesny in the Polish goal, and into the top left corner, before improving and beating his own footballing trick minutes later by curling his second goal into the top right corner. Kylian Mbappe was a menace all evening and the fulcrum of the attacking pace and elevation of intensity for his team. His pace and willingness to simply run at opposing defenders audibly raises the expectation in the crowd as well as their bums from their seats. He twisted and turned poor Matty Cash into knots (who despite his Aston Villa allegiance I have a lot of time for his overlapping attacking tendencies when I see him play in the Premier League), and I felt more than a little sorry for the English born naturalised Polish full-back. Cash was run ragged and overmatched, but there are very few if any full-backs in the entire world who can match Mbappe when he’s on such blistering form.
The young Frenchman really is in a world of his own and although only on 70% this evening, he’s surrounded by a BIG team in every sense. Big winners. Big personalities. Big mentalities. France are also a big physical team who again, even at three quarter pace and intensity, were far, far too big, strong and powerful for a Poland team who exceeded my expectations but were still soundly beaten.
I haven’t seen a better team at the World Cup yet. The defending champions are looking ominous.
Act Two — Teenager Bellingham inspires an insipid England into the Last 8
ENGLAND 3 (Henderson 38, Kane 45+3, Saka 57)
SENEGAL 0
For 35 minutes this evening England were dreadful with a capital D and under the pump marked pressure. Senegal’s “Lions of Teranga” were magnificent with their high pressing forward line of Ismaila Sarr and Boulaye Dia and the intention seemed to be to condense a high pressured containing game within England’s half and especially a rushing pressure on their central defenders John Stones and Harry Maguire. To exemplify their approach, please see the way the Senegalese strikers hounded the aged English defenders on just 4 minutes and Dia in particular running between the two defenders as if they were running in heavy mud. Senegal were leaving themselves open to the counter attack but their impressive forward press in the first half an hour saw the two strikers combine time and again. Sarr skied a fantastic chance over the crossbar on 20 minutes before he stole a loose ball from Bukayo Saka on the touchline on 31 minutes before feeding his strike partner Dia who forced England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford into a strong one armed save when a goal seemed certain.
England were rocking, out of sorts and being totally outplayed.
Enter 19 year old Jude Bellingham.
Aside from the simple assist provided to Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson for the game’s opening goal and the bloody desire to win the header that set up the move for England’s second goal (and the physicality and vision involved too before his inch perfect pass into the run of Phil Foden to set up eventual goal scorer Harry Kane), the 19 year old from Stourbridge near Birmingham was imperious this evening and a 75th minute “Man of the Match” performance of the highest quality. An old head on youthful shoulders (the build of a youthful Patrick Viera is also a huge bonus!), Bellingham played it the way of the veteran beside him Jordan Henderson, receiving the ball, finding the nearest white shirt, be available for the ball, pass and move, see the ball pass the ball the Spanish way, pass and move the Liverpool way, keep your team ticking over and keep that precious bag of wind under the control of your team. He also has the happy knack of being in goal scoring or goal providing positions on the field ala his hero Steven Gerrard and if you think the young Viera, prospective Gerrard comparisons are wild, wait until you see my fellow Liverpool fans gushing this evening throughout the internet at how Henderson and Bellingham played in the same midfield together and how this could be a future Liverpool midfield, and did you see the way they embraced together after the first goal?
Bellingham’s transfer ticket will be too hot for Liverpool to cash in this Summer alas. He’s a superstar in the making and it’s to manager Gareth Southgate’s credit that this kid is at the core of his starting XI. I’ll end with the Liverpool love in by saying that Jordan Henderson deserved his goal and I take great delight whenever the man who has won everything the domestic game has to offer is pilloried and mocked (presumably because he doesn’t register on the fantasy football statistics) yet he puts in yet another exemplary performance of the timeless art of water carrying that precious commodity of a football around a field, and under your team’s unhurried control. You overlook the merits of a water carrier at your peril.
Just ask the manager of England’s opponents in the quarter-finals this Saturday. He’ll be sure to have an opinion on the subject.
But before we do: Harry Kane is off the mark in the World Cup and was pivotal in his floating number 10 role for the other two goals this evening. Two assists aside, I thought Phil Foden’s touches and movements as he cut inside from the left wing were impressive enough to warrant a starting place on Saturday and Bukayo Saka’s impudent flick for the third goal capped a good if not great performance.
I also feel for Senegal as I’ve cheered for them throughout the competition and their merry band of singing and dancing fans will be a highlight of the World Cup and a big miss in the final two weeks.
So to France and England’s opponents in Saturday’s quarter-final. Both teams were strong favourites this evening and both were underwhelming yet successful and victorious. There can of course be only one winner come Saturday evening and the defending champions must be overwhelming favourites. As stated above, I saw a big, burly and commanding French team earlier this evening and a team far and away the best cohesive footballing unit left in the tournament. It’s easy to say that England have to match France with their physicality and their attacking creation. It’s just as easy to say now, five days ahead of the game, that France will comfortably and dominantly dismantle a shaky and aged looking England defence. Nor is it correct to say it’s Mbappe versus Bellingham.
But it’s a mighty fine prospect to look forward to on Saturday, just two youthful kids, with the world at their feet.
Thanks for reading. In addition to the delights that can be found within the cave of wonders that is my archives, I’m penning a day to day diary of the World Cup, and here are days 12 through 14:
Vamos Messi! Netherlands next after they expose the naivety of the USA
World Cup Diaries: Day 14medium.com
The Indomitable Lions and a World Cup win for the ages
World Cup Diaries: Day 13.medium.com
Belgium and Germany depart on yet another day of VAR inspired madness
World Cup Diaries: Day 12.medium.com