World Cup 2022 Diary: Third place game, Croatia 2 Morocco 1. Croatia were the deserved winners in an unusually entertaining 3rd place match at the World Cup finals in Qatar. 

What Next For Croatia And Modric?

By Dave Bowler

The third place play-off match at the World Cup is a pretty weird concept but on occasion, it brings forth a decent game, as was the case with Croatia defeating Morocco 2-1. With the real pressure off and, in all honesty, with both sides having gone further in the competition than anybody would have expected, they approached the game not as an anti-climax, but something to be embraced.

Croatia were deserving winners, cementing a third place finish having been runners up four years ago. That is a remarkable achievement for such a comparatively small nation, but they leave Qatar wondering where the future will take them. There is little doubt that they will remain competitive for this is a country with a real gift for producing talented footballers on a regular basis.

But with Luca Modric 37, and surely never to grace the World Cup again, he leaves a giant hole for them to fill. No team this good is ever a one man band, but Modric is as close to irreplaceable as it gets, for there are few midfielders around who can dictate the direction of a game as he can. With his impending departure, will we see a change in style and emphasis from the Croatians? That will be one of the more intriguing stories to unfold over the next few years. Meanwhile, Croatia are favorites with the European bookies to win this one. Check out Euro soccer betting here.

Morocco Look To Build On World Cup Legacy

Meanwhile, what of Morocco, the greatest African side ever at a World Cup? They continued to impress and enchant to the very end and football fans all across the globe will be sad that they will now disappear from our screens for a while to come. What is essential now is that they build on the success for next time around.

That will be easier said than done for many if their players have now gone from being respected within the game to suddenly being in real demand by bigger and bigger clubs with deeper and deeper pockets. Keeping your focus amid that takes some doing, One of the greatest elements of their success has been their unity, that ‘all for one�spirit. Retaining that is central to them repeating this success in 2026. Croatia should be their inspiration there, for time and again, they have shown it can be done.

Read Dave Bowler’s World Cup round up every day

Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own a fall.
A must read for all fans. Order your copy in time for the holidays. 

World Cup 2022 Diary: Semi Final, France 2 Morocco 0. France beat Morocco to set up a mouth-watering final with Argentina in Lionel Messi’s last ever World Cup match.

France vs Argentina: A World Cup Final For The Ages

By Dave Bowler

France 4 Argentina 3 was probably the best game of the 2018 World Cup, on the day that Kylian Mbappe became a world star. Four years on, those two nations meet again, this time in the final itself. If we get a game anything like that quality, it’s going to give us one of the great World Cup finals of all time.

France were made to work before they could join Argentina in that final by the Moroccan side who have been the wild card of the competition. When Hernandez gave the French a fifth minute lead, the left-back producing a well thought finish to open the scoring as France opened brightly, it was the first goal an opponent had scored against Morocco, having scored an own goal in the 2-1 win over Canada.

France Exploit Weakened Morocco

Giroud then proceeded to hit the post and fire wide from a central position and it looked as if France were going to batter a Moroccan side wearied by the shootout wins over Spain and Portugal and weakened by defensive injuries.

But needing to show a different side of their talents, from the half hour mark onwards, Morocco began to get to grips with the game and began asking plenty of questions. Lloris made a fine save from El Yamiq as Morocco ended the first half on a real high.

They continued to have good possession in the second period, but France had steadied the ship to some extent, notably with the arrival of Thuram as a sub, rather more willing to track back on the left than Mbappe, who moved into the centre.

There were still a few alarms for the French but Morocco’s excellent approach play was not matched by the quality of the final pass or shot. Without that cutting edge, the concession of that early goal was a heavy blow indeed and while France weren’t entirely secure at the back, the fact that they had that goal in the bag, something the other sides had failed to achieve, meant they were always in control.

Morocco Break Glass Ceiling For African Football

Kolo Muani sealed victory in the 79^th minute, within a minute of coming off the bench. Mbappe was the instigator, his mesmerising feet taking him away from three defenders inside half a yard of space, his shot squirting across goal to give Kolo Muani his first international goal with a tap-in from three yards.

The better side won in the end and have set up what could be a brilliant final, but even in defeat the night belonged to Morocco who have crashed through one glass ceiling by going all the way to the semi-finals of the competition, a first for any African nation.

They have given the lie to all the ancient, creaking stereotypes about African football lacking discipline and organisation, they have played with real courage and belief and they should be nothing but proud of their achievements. If only they had a real goalscorer�/p>

Read Dave Bowler’s World Cup round up every day

Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own a fall.
A must read for all fans. Order your copy in time for the holidays. 

Argentina Beat Croatia 3-0 To Reach Their Sixth World Cup Final

By Dave Bowler

Modric comes to the end of the line. Messi stands on the brink of what has long seemed to be his destiny. That was the outcome of the semi-final between Croatia and Argentina, an absorbing contest for much of the first half, a foregone conclusion for all of the second.

In the end, Croatia’s durability finally fractured, perhaps worn down by consecutive bouts of extra-time and penalties, perhaps simply unable to withstand an increasingly confident looking Argentina, and an irrepressible Messi.

Not that he is the only weapon in the Argentine armoury for on this night, he was pretty much matched by Alvarez, creator of the penalty which Messi converted with ferocious intent after 34 minutes, scorer of the two goals that then sealed victory. The second was worthy of winning any game, collecting the ball from his captain inside his own half and then driving forward with absolute conviction and electrifying pace.

You might argue that he was fortunate with two ricochets from Croatian defenders that fell kindly, but that’s unfair. He made his own luck with the quality and determination of his play, unbalancing them, forcing them into errors on which he capitalised.

Alvarez Goals Help Argentina To Final

Messi was the creator for Alvarez’s second, dashing away down the right. If he no longer has the acceleration to leave defenders in his wake, he still has the footwork to leave them looking foolish and he employed that to the full before teeing up Alvarez to slot in.

There was no denying the merit of the Argentine win. The better team by far, they look to be coming to the boil at the right moment. That opening defeat against Saudi Arabia, and the dreadful first 45 minutes against Mexico are a distant memory as they are clicking to gear certainly as an attacking force. Questions remain about their defensive solidity, exposed by the Dutch in the previous round, though Croatia were never really able to raise a sufficient gallop to exploit any potential weakness.

It was a sad end for the glittering career of the magnificent Modric, only the third place game left ahead of him at this exalted level, but not even he could turn the tide in his team’s favour. That tide seems to be carrying Messi along with it, though there will be concern that he looked to be struggling with his fitness in the opening half an hour. Surely the fates will not deny him that second final now?

Read Dave Bowler’s World Cup round up every day

Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own a fall.
A must read for all fans. Order your copy in time for the holidays. 

Morocco Make World Cup History As First African Nation To Reach A World Cup Semi Final..While England Go Home.

By Dave Bowler

Dreams go on, dreams fall apart. It’s the nature of the World Cup, and the reason why knockout football is the best and purest form of the game �Champions League and Europa League etc please take note. 

For Morocco, the impossible dream remains alive. The first African nation to ever reach the last four of the World Cup, their victory over Portugal came, once again, by doing exactly what they do best and not being swayed from it for a moment. The best defensive side in Qatar, they were once again brilliantly organised, wholly committed, but added to that is a growing confidence and stature.

En-Nesyri gave them a first half lead with a strong header and from there, Portugal, however many attackers they threw on, including Ronaldo, didn’t really look as though they were going to claw the game back. You can have 73% of the ball, but if you can’t produce anything with it, it is of no value to you. If this World Cup that has been overflowing with on screen stats at the drop of a hat has shown us anything, it’s that none of them matter. It’s goals that count.

Farewell Cristiano Ronaldo

Morocco looked comfortable throughout until that inevitably nervy last few minutes, while Portugal only looked increasingly desperate. The end, when it came, was not just that of a game, but of an era, for Ronaldo will now never add the World Cup to his haul, having won pretty much everything else he has ever entered. Time waits for nobody though and his is now gone, certainly at this level.

As noted after Morocco came through the last round, the World Cup has never produced a real outlier as a winner. That might no longer be true in a week or so, because who will want to face Morocco and the footballing equivalent of 90 minutes of banging your head against a wall?

England Lose, As They Always Do

France are the team next up after they came through against England. It could have gone either way, but whenever you use that phrase, it’s a given that in the end, England will lose.

When it really matters, when it comes down to the knockout games against the big nations, England always lose, and always have since 1966. They have not had a single win against a serious nation at the top of its game in a knockout fixture since Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick �Germany in the Euros in 2021 doesn’t count, as their performance in Qatar underlined.

Having been lauded for their attacking talent, they couldn’t score from open play. Defensively, while they dealt well with Mbappe, they allowed Giroud a free header. You can’t do those things at elite level and hope to get away with it.

As manager, Southgate will inevitably take some criticism for the exit but in truth, the blame does not rest with him. Indeed, he has done more to mask England’s deficiencies than any manager since Sir Alf himself. The problems are more deep seated, and they lie largely within the Premier League.

Too much too soon for England’s elite

It pays young English players far too much, far too soon. It ensures that none of them need ever leave their comfort zone, much less the country. Wouldn’t footballers like Foden, Rashford, Grealish all be better for three years trying to make their way in Spain, Italy, Germany? Is it any coincidence that Bellingham has been their best player in Qatar, a youngster who has had the guts to go and test himself in another country?

England’s elite players are, by and large, too soft, have it too easy and, in that final analysis at the highest level, that is the difference between winners and losers. That may be a harsh lesson in the immediate aftermath of an emotionally crushing defeat, but it’s one that has been avoided for too long and far better to do that than wallow in the self-pity of ‘cruel on England�headlines that are being served up.

To suffer a cruel exit once is, well, cruel. To do it every two years, like clockwork, and still fail to do anything about it, is masochism.

Read Dave Bowler’s World Cup round up every day

Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own a fall.
A must read for all fans. Order your copy in time for the holidays. 

Grant Wahl Death At World Cup Due To Heart Issue

On a personal note, we at First Touch send our sincere condolences to Grant’s wife, Dr. Celine Gounder and all of his family and loved ones. We have worked alongside Grant in many a press box since before the 1994 World Cup when any form of soccer coverage here was as rare as hen’s teeth. We thank him for all his hard work and inspiration during that long journey over the past three decades.

Grant explained on his podcast Thursday that he had been suffering from pain and discomfort for the past few days. He visited a local clinic and was given antibiotics. On Friday he collapsed and was rushed to hospital.

“He received immediate emergency medical treatment on site, which continued as he was transferred by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital,� said a statement put out by the World Cup organizing committee.

Death Threats In Qatar

Grant Wahl’s passing happened just days after an incident when he was refused entry to a prior World Cup game, and detained briefly, for wearing a rainbow tee shirt, of all things. Eric Wahl, Grant’s brother is speaking out on social media and believes that foul play was involved. Eric, who is gay, explains in a video that he is the reason his brother wore the rainbow shirt to the USA match.

“He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed.�/p>

Sports Illustrated have released the following statement; “We were proud to call him a colleague and friend for two decades �no writer in the history of SI has been more passionate about the sport he loved and the stories he wanted to tell,�the statement read.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has of course released his own statement. “It is with disbelief and immense sadness that I have been made aware of the passing of renowned sports journalist Grant Wahl, whilst reporting on a quarter-final match during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.�/p>

Infantino did not express how gay he was feeling at the time.

World Cup Diary: Quarter Finals, Brazil 1 Croatia 1 (Croatia win on penalties), Argentina 2 Netherlands 2 (Argentina win on pens). Brazil were rocked by Croatia as rivals Argentina and Lionel Messi triumphed in their penalty shoot-out with the Dutch.

By Dave Bowler

If you wanted a reminder of the truism that elite sport is played as much, maybe more, in the head than on the pitch, then today’s World Cup quarter-finals did the trick. Had logic prevailed, then Brazil would be preparing to take on the Netherlands in the semi-finals next week. But, as is so often the case, logic did not.

Brazil Beaten On Penalties By Croatia

Take the first game, Brazil against Croatia. For long periods, it had been a stultifying affair. Croatia, admittedly producing by far their best performance of the competition, had clearly concluded that their best hope of progress was most likely via penalties, and the best way to get there was to keep possession of the ball. This they did extremely well, as you would expect from such a technically capable outfit with such a gifted orchestrator as Modric. They did it with no real ambition, but it got them to extra-time with barely an alarm.

Finally though, Brazil had their moment. At the end of the first period of extra-time, Neymar received the ball 35 yards out, played a pass and drove at goal. Fatally, Modric stood and watched him go as the Brazilian played a one-two, rather than tracking his run. That enabled Neymar to play a second one, muscle his way through onto the return past, circumnavigate the goalkeeper and drive the ball into the roof of the net. A terrific goal.

And that’s when the brain fog descended. A second goal ends the game at that point, but they seemingly didn’t want it. In that second period, first through a corner, then through a free-kick in the opposition half, Brazil, a side built to score goals, chose not to put the ball into the area, but instead to try to run down the clock. Such muddle headedness brings with it similar confusion of the feet. They clumsily gave away possession, Modric set Croatia on their way and suddenly it was 1-1 and penalties after all.

Neymar Penalty Error

To compound the error, when it came to the spot kicks, incomprehensibly Brazil chose Neymar to take the fifth penalty, a penalty that never came thanks to the spectacular failings of his colleagues. Rule 1 of penalty shootouts is that the first penalty is always the most important, and you get your best taker on that job to set a positive tone in the shootout.

You do not let him feed his ego by taking what he fondly expects to be the winning one ten kicks down the line, because there’s every chance you won’t get there. Brazil didn’t.

They are now on their joint longest period without winning the trophy since they first lifted the World Cup, some 24 years. That first long, dry period came to an end when they won in 1994 in the USA, so now is a good time for you to get the best odds on them ending what will be a 24 year barren period in 2026. In the USA.

Dutch Fightback Ends In Tears

In the second game, both sides had their moments of potentially fatal stupidity. Going 2-0 up after 73 minutes, Argentina fell into the trap that so many sides find themselves in and simply stopped playing, looking to see out time �an especially bizarre tactic in a World Cup where eight, nine, ten minutes are routinely being added on, only extending the agony.

Invited to attack and with nothing to lose, the Dutch threw on taller and taller players, shoved the centre-backs up front and launched the kind of route one barrage we haven’t seen since Bobby Gould masterminded Wimbledon’s reenactments of the Dambusters�raids. Argentina retreated further and further, played less and less, and eventually paid the price.

Weghorst gave the Dutch hope with a guided header but time gradually ticked away. But in the final seconds, the Netherlands produced one of the sublime moments of the competition, a fabulously worked free-kick full of guile and deceit that dummied the Argentine defence and most of the crowd before Wieghorst swept the ball in.

Messi Steps Up

Having got back in the game via that blitzkreig approach, you’d expect the Dutch to carry it into extra-time against a shell-shocked Argentina who were there for the taking. One more shove and they were gone. But no, the Netherlands returned to their ponderous build up from the back, passing largely aimlessly among themselves. With that, their advantage was gone.

Argentina regrouped in the first period of extra-time and in the second, they swarmed around the Dutch goal, now fully in command of the game again. They couldn’t quite find the winner, but the momentum had completely swung their way again, and they took that into the spot kicks.

Smarter than Brazil, Messi took their first �and scored. Coming after van Dijk had missed, that put Argentina in control and they never lost it. As seems to happen at every World Cup, the Dutch were out and left to lick yet another self inflicted wound�/p>

Read Dave Bowler’s World Cup round up every day

Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own a fall.
A must read for all fans. Order your copy in time for the holidays. 

Gonçalo Ramos Arrives At World Cup With A Hat-Trick For Portugal

By Dave Bowler

The knockout stages finally gave up their first real upset as Morocco defeated Spain. They took the long way home to do it, sending one of the competition favourites out on penalties.

sdxx Upset though it was, it was also predictable in its way for we had seen Spain lose in precisely the same fashion to Japan at the end of the group stage just a few days ago. Pass, pass, pass, pass, then eventually fail to score. Morocco, defensively as sound as pretty well any team in the tournament, must have soaked up the video of that game just as well as they soaked up the Spanish attacks.

Scoring goals of their own is something that Morocco do not excel in, but when you get to the knockout stage, that need not be a problem as long as you can keep a clean sheet. They took the game all the way to penalties with barely a scare along the way, bar Sarabia’s shot which clipped the post after 123 minutes.

Spain Miss Three Penalties

When it came to the spot kicks, you might have thought that Spain’s technically gifted players, who had again put together well over 1,000 passes in the game, would have been the favourites. Yet they produced three penalties so inept, they made Japan’s from yesterday look convincing. Possibly they thought the aim was to pass to Bono in the Moroccan goal, which certainly gave Morocco the edge in the shootout. Sorry�/p>

For Spain, perhaps every bit as much as earlier casualties such as Germany, this result must lead to some dark nights of the soul. The nation that revolutionised the game with tiki-taka a decade and a half ago, they must now question whether their unquestioning devotion to possession has gone from being a lethal weapon to a fatal fetish. What shall it profit a team if they shall keep the ball for the whole game and still lose? It is a method ingrained in their footballing culture, but perhaps it is time for change?

For Morocco, into the World Cup’s last eight for the first time, the question is how much further can they go? There is something about the Greece of the 2004 Euros about them. They are indomitable in defence, organised, determined, gutsy. They were the polar opposite of the way South Korea set up against Brazil last night and not only did they avoid humiliation, they won the game. Unlike the Euros, the World Cup has never had a real outlier as its winner. It seems highly unlikely that Morocco might be the side that changes that, but it has to happen sometime�/p>

Portugal In the Mood As Ronaldo Benched

They’ll need to get past Portugal first and, however well they defend, if Portugal are in the same mood as tonight when they simply thrashed the Swiss, their chances don’t look great. In a round where France, Brazil and England in particular have issued statements of intent, Portugal joined their ranks with one of the most impressive displays of the competition.

That they did most of the work while Ronaldo was on the bench was fascinating to say the least. Demoted either as a disciplinary measure after his obvious displeasure at being substituted in the previous game, or because the old legs aren’t quite as mobile as once they were, it was a big call by Portugal’s boss Santos. He must have been thrilled and relieved in equal measure as replacement Gonçalo Ramos, with 33 minutes of international football behind him before tonight, opened the scoring on 17 minutes and went on to score the tournament’s first hat-trick.

The game was finished as a contest at 4-0 some ten minutes into the second half, the Swiss limiting the damage to 6-1 by the end of the game, which might be seen as some consolation given the carnage that might have been inflicted. It was a mighty display from Portugal, most particularly from their younger players, which was perhaps its most exciting facet. Morocco might be the absolute outsiders but Portugal could yet be this World Cup’s dark horses.

Things are about to get interesting.

Read Dave Bowler’s World Cup round up every day

Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own a fall.
A must read for all fans. Order your copy in time for the holidays. 

By Dave Bowler

It didn’t take long for the ‘World Cup of surprisesâ€?to become the ‘World Cup of the blindingly obviousâ€?did it? Four knock-out games so far and four eminently predictable winners, some after a bit of a struggle, some very comfortable.

England were, eventually, in the latter category, after a first 35 minutes against Senegal where they looked very average and where, had it not been for Pickford in goal, they might have been facing a very different game. Pickford, like Maguire, is a player who saves his best form for the national side and while there has been a clamour for both to be dropped on the basis of some decidedly ropey club form, neither has ever let Southgate down and quite rightly get the nod as a result.

One terrific save and another very good one, both from Dia, kept England on terms. It’s axiomatic that the emerging nations need all their best players to be available, and one wonders if Mane had been fit and on the end of those chances just where the game might have gone. But Senegal simply don’t have the depth to miss a star like him and carry on regardless.

HARRY KANE SCORES

England finally found their rhythm, Bellingham impressing once again, and once Henderson had put them in front after 38 minutes, the game was already a foregone conclusion. Kane scored his first goal of the competition at just the right time to finish the game as a contest in the added time just before the break. Saka completed the rout early in the second half, after which the game was little more than a training exercise. England rarely had to get much above walking pace as they passed the ball around at will, making Senegal chase shadows.

England did all they needed to do to progress and looked efficient in doing it. They have not had the most taxing of competitions thus far, only the USA giving them a real game, and the jury is out on whether that is good for them or not. It should have left plenty in the tank physically and mentally, but has the lack of real opposition dulled the edge? Only time will tell, but thus far they have looked strong without ever needing to approach top gear.

Poland did at least give France a game for a while, producing by far their best display of the tournament in defeat to the holders. Much more proactive than in the group stages, Zielinski had a great chance at 0-0, Lloris producing a fine save, but even then, it felt like only a matter of time before France would find a goal.

It duly came for Giroud on the brink of half-time, manufacturing a fine finish to open the scoring and notch his 52nd international goal, taking him beyond Henry.

KYLIAN MBAPPE LEADS FRANCE

It then became the Mbappe show as once again, this attacking force of nature took centre stage. Pace, intelligence, physical power, calmness and a rapier sharp finisher’s instinct, Mbappe is already beginning to dominate this World Cup as he did the last.

There is something in his movement, in the way he carries himself, even his facial expressions that recalls another footballer who dominated consecutive World Cups when he was just a kid. As we all send our best wishes to the ailing Pele, the greatest of them all, Mbappe is a worthy World Cup heir.

And that raises a fascinating question for the footballing scholars to ponder. While Messi is understandably regarded as the finest player of the 21st century for the consistency of his brilliance over a decade and more, he has yet to be the dominant personality at a World Cup – although perhaps he may be in the process of putting that right. But if Mbappe can carry France – a side decimated by injury in the build up – to another title, and if he dominates the competition again, doesn’t that make him Pele’s real successor rather than Messi?

Read Dave Bowler’s World Cup round up every day

Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own a fall.
A must read for all fans. Order your copy in time for the holidays. 

By Dave Bowler

The United States and Australia bowed out at the first knockout stage today, the younger footballing nations seen off by the established royalty of the Netherlands and Argentina. But for those wanting to see change at the top of the game, even in defeat there were seeds for optimism because both losing sides took their opposition pretty much all the way before finally having to concede.

In the early game, it was the USA who had the first real chance, Pulisic just unable to take advantage of it, Noppert making a terrific save. From there, the Dutch produced a goal of real beauty, passing it across the team, through the pitch, side to side before Depay was picked out to apply the hammer blow. That was the Netherlands embracing their heritage.

The USA would not be knocked off their stride though, Weah drawing another great save from Noppert and had they got to the break at 1-0 down, they could have drawn real belief from it. But with the last touch of the half, Blind clipped home a precise finish and it was uphill from there.

Still they would not be beaten, Ream having a bundled effort cleared off the line, Wright another, Turner producing two excellent saves at the other end. Wright’s inventive – or fortuitous flick – halved the areas in the 76th minute, but just as the US were gathering themselves for a final assault, a momentary lapse of concentration proved fatal. Dumfries was left with freedom of the penalty area to slot in and finally end the contest.

AUSTRALIA TAKE ON ARGENTINA 

If moments of quality up front sealed a tight game in the Netherlands�favour there, Argentina’s win came in very similar circumstances after Australia had the measure of them for long stretches of the game.

The first half was in stalemate when Argentina had a slice of fortune in the opposition area, Otamendi’s dreadful first touch falling perfectly into Messi’s path for him to guide a beautifully judged shot just inside the far post. Could the Argentine number 10 finally be the chosen one at a World Cup? Messianic stuff.

The folly of always trying to play out from the back was exposed in the second half as Ryan in the Australian goal was put under pressure that his feet couldn’t handle. Alvarez swooped down to feast upon the crumbs and at 2-0, that looked to be that.

Aussies don’t quit of course, and back they came. With 13 minutes left, Goodwin’s drive from distance took a deflection off Fernandez and nestled in the net for 2-1. Behich then waltzed – Matilda optional – through the Argentine defence, past four challenges before his shot was brilliantly blocked. In the 97th minute, it needed a superb save from Martinez to deny Kuol, and finally Argentina were home and hosed.

OPTIMISM FOR TEAM USA IN 2026

The United States and Australia can both take great encouragement from this World Cup but of course, the game is about winners and losers, and they were both on the wrong side of that equation.

In the end, the thing that separates the USA, Australia and all the emerging nations is that ability to produce that piece of rare magic that transforms the organised into the brilliant in those pivotal moments in a game.

At the most rarefied level, it is that, more often than not, that decides the winners and the rest. Until one of those coming countries produces, not necessarily a Messi or a Ronaldo, for they are generation definers, but at least a world class finisher or creator, they will always toil in the shadows. But this World Cup has at least suggested that that moment is coming closer. Perhaps it will be Pulisic and Weah in 2026�/p>

Read Dave Bowler’s World Cup round up every day

Sir Alf Ramsey: England 1973 focuses on the final full year of Sir Alf’s reign as England boss. The nation that won the World Cup in 1966 failed to even qualify for the 1974 tournament. Ramsey was suddenly a man out of time, both on and off the pitch. The failing fortunes of the England team mirrored those of a post-Empire nation heading for its own a fall.
A must read for all fans. Order your copy in time for the holidays.