Messi’s Continued Brilliance and Golden Boot Race
More magic from Lionel Messi was on display yesterday, showcasing his unparalleled ability to find the net. The competition for the Golden Boot remains intense. Details on the contenders can be found here.
I have often thought a live blog dedicated to Saturday Kitchen Live would attract considerable interest over the weekend, with viewers debating recipes and rating Matt Tebbutt’s introductions. If the Lifestyle team is reading, I am available for this role.
Last night’s meal was fish tacos, and I am now using the leftover guacamole with eggs. I suspect I might face consequences before the Mexico match for showing my true colours.
As the England match remains scheduled for a 1am kick-off on Monday, please share how you plan to watch it. Will you be out or at home? Will children be allowed to stay up? Have you taken Monday off or will you be working from home?
England Prepare for Mexico Challenge
Declan Rice expressed confidence that England are prepared to face whatever challenges Mexico presents in Sunday’s match at the electrifying Estadio Azteca.
From persistent hostility to the challenges of high altitude, Thomas Tuchel’s squad anticipates various obstacles as they aim to emulate Sir Alf Ramsey’s 1966 team and achieve lasting glory.
England faced an additional complication shortly before departing for Mexico City, as FIFA deliberated whether to move the last-16 match to an earlier time due to potential weather disruptions.
Tuchel’s team arrived on Friday to confirmation that the match would remain at 6pm local time (1am Monday UK time), rather than being moved forward by six hours. Further uncertainties may arise before the game begins.
“It’s kind of going to be like an away game for us,” England midfielder Rice said. “They’ve played every game in Mexico so far, been at home the whole tournament, so for us it’s just being able to go there and deal with what’s going to be thrown at us.”
Mexico boasts an impressive record at the Azteca, having lost only two of their 89 competitive matches at this stadium, which England are visiting for the first time since Diego Maradona’s famous ‘Hand of God’ helped Argentina to a 2-1 quarter-final victory.
Impact of Altitude on Performance
Nicola Davis provides insights into how altitude affects athletic performance.
Max Rushden discusses the experiences of Bolivian farmers and the challenges posed by altitude.
“The Azteca is around 2,200m above sea level – which means Dan Burn will be 2,202 metres above sea level. Presumably the Mexican hotel will give him a toddler single bed, legs poking out of the open window as the home fans’ car horns beep all night. We saw what happened to the Ecuador lads. How noise cancelling can noise-cancelling headphones get? How many decoy hotels do England need to get a good night’s sleep?”
Barney Ronay is preparing for the significant match in Mexico City, questioning whether this is when England will finally perform at their best.
“Croatia were physically overwhelmed. Ghana were not. Panama took England down into a pit of pain. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were slick, fearless and a bit unlucky. Through all this the lurking feeling has been: OK, when will it start? No, I mean really start. When will it hit the groove? When do they need to actually be good?”
We look ahead to the England game. Yesterday was somewhat chaotic with rumours about the kick-off time change in Mexico. My phone was buzzing with school fathers excited at the prospect of not having to stay up until 3am BST to watch the full game.
One father plans to watch Brazil v Norway and then the film Mike Bassett: England Manager before the England match. Additional viewing ideas are available here.
African Teams’ Performance Analysis
Jonathan Wilson has examined the African teams' performances in the tournament and whether they have underperformed.
“Nine African sides made it through their groups, and those who had insisted Caf deserved better could claim vindication. Uefa and Conmebol, the South American federation, got 13 and five sides through to the last 32 respectively. It was Asia and, surprisingly, North and Central America who underperformed, only Japan and Australia making it through from the AFC and only the three hosts from Concacaf. In that regard, this has been an excellent World Cup for Africa, even if Tunisia did turn in one of the worst performances by any side in history. By falling behind after seven minutes then four minutes and three minutes in their three games, they broke Mexico’s 96-year-old record for most time spent trailing in a World Cup, taking the mark from 240 minutes to a remarkable 256.”
The latest edition of the Daily has been released. Listen to Max and Baz now!
Australia suffered a defeat to Egypt on penalties in a notably poor shootout performance. Changing goalkeepers was a bold decision, especially as Mat Ryan made a significant error.
Zlatan Ibrahimović offered some comforting remarks.
Jack Snape reflected on what might have been.
Jurgen Klopp Confirmed as Germany Coaching Candidate
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed ongoing negotiations to become Germany’s next head coach, stating he feels “recharged” after leaving Liverpool.
Klopp is the German Football Federation’s preferred candidate following Julian Nagelsmann’s resignation on Friday, four days after Germany’s penalty shootout loss to Paraguay in the round of 32.
“Julian has stepped down and the (federation) is working on the succession and has approached me in the course of those considerations,” Klopp said from New York on German broadcaster Magenta TV, where he serves as a World Cup commentator.
We will soon proceed to the FIFA kick-off draw, but first, a review of Friday’s matches.
Many football fans will welcome Ghana’s elimination, as their performances were largely unengaging.
Ed Aarons witnessed Ghana’s defeat to Colombia in Kansas.
Thanks to David. sports desk provides a comprehensive editorial response to the current situation. Our team’s versatility often confounds opponents.
In an early tactical adjustment, Will Unwin, better acclimated to altitude, will now take over while I recuperate. There is much more to cover from last night’s games, including Australia’s penalty shootout mishap against Egypt.
A game of this nature warrants its own photo gallery, which we have provided. The collection includes some remarkable moments.
Cape Verde’s Brave Performance Against Argentina
“We did our best and we did it with bravery. Never did we fail to stay true to our identity, which is why I am so proud of what my players did.”
These are the words of Cape Verde coach Bubista after his team gave Lionel Messi and Argentina a formidable challenge in Miami.
Rival coach Lionel Scaloni, marking his 100th match in charge of Argentina, expressed relief. “We suffered a very difficult game, we are still here but it won’t be easy, this is a very difficult [tournament]. I hope the fans can have a drink now to relax for a bit.”
Additional quotes from last night’s thrilling 3-2 match are available here.
Cape Verde Eliminated After Classic Match with Argentina
The highlight must be the classic encounter between Argentina and Cape Verde. Barney Ronay, who witnessed the match at Miami Stadium, recounts how the small island nation pushed the World Cup holders to the limit.
“Cape Verde, once again, were not done. They pressed, won three corners in quick succession. And with 102 minutes on the clock made it 2-2, with a moment of startling brilliance from Sydney Lopes Cabral, a goal that felt like one of the great World Cup moments, shades of Josimar ‘86, mixed with François Omam-Biyik, 1990 and all that.
“Cabral took the ball way out on the left, nipped inside, measured his strides, and produced the most beautifully pure right foot shot into the far corner past Emiliano Martínez, the ball seeming to hang in the damp Florida air, a perfect white orb, following that delicious parabola into the far corner.”
Hello and welcome to live coverage of day 24 at the World Cup. We will provide reactions to the thrilling events of day 23 and build-up to the first last-16 matches: Canada v Morocco and Paraguay v France.
