After a blistering weekend of games, the FIFA World Cup returned on Monday with action kicking off across the United States. The tournament has served up some thrillers so far, and the fifth matchday was no exception.
This was the type of matchday where you could predict the winners just by looking at the fixture list. Except that’s not what happened. Teams with fewer resources, fewer star players, less World Cup pedigree, the types of teams not ‘expected’ to win, fought back and gave the favorites
a bloody nose.
Spain, Belgium, Uruguay, Iran. One of these is a favorite for the title. One is at the tail end of a golden generation of talent. One is a South American powerhouse. One, despite being beset by political headwinds, still boasts a strong reputation on the Asian continent. They were the favorites, the ones meant to get ‘easy’ wins. Turns out nothing is that easy.
Football is supposed to be the people’s game, but the upper echelons are dominated by the elite. Nothing symbolizes that more starkly than the existence of this tournament. The FIFA World Cup is meant to be a showcase of that upper tier, the very best of the best.
However, this matchday shows that there is still space for the little guy, if only to act as a spoiler.
Spain shocked by Cabo Verde
If you’re a fan of goals, this game was not for you. If you like anything else about football, then this was an absolute stunner.
Before kickoff, most expected Spain to cruise to a routine win. Then we watched the game. Desperately missing Lamine Yamal, the Euro 2024 title holders beat their heads against a resolute Cabo Verde defense so organized it would make even prime Diego Simeone blush.
Of course, Spain did not help themselves one bit. Their gameplan was painfully pedestrian — send the ball to a winger, then cut inside or cross, straight to the head or boot of a waiting Cabo Verdean. Fans in the stadium were treated to the spectacle of Ferran Torres and Mikel Oyarzabal failing to beat their man over and over again. Truly the pinnacle of football. Bravo.
Snark aside, what Cabo Verde achieved here deserves full plaudits. Every single player locked in for the full 90 minutes. Special mention goes to Sidny Lopes Cabral on the left hand side, who had to defend Lamine Yamal in the final 20. To shut down that 18-year-old demon and not even commit a foul (except one — a single yellow, also Cabo Verde’s only foul of the game) demonstrates the absolute peak of concentration.
It was only with Yamal on the pitch that the Spaniards looked anywhere close to scoring. Even then, it wasn’t enough. The resolute shape of the 5-4-1 employed by Bubista managed to frustrate a team 61 places above them in the FIFA World Rankings. Call it a clinic, call it a masterclass, call it whatever you want. It was special.
Honestly, aside from goals, this game really had it all. Individual duels on the flanks, counterattacks, old school defensive discipline, and more than a few close calls. Cabo Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha probably grew a few extra white hairs today. He will, however, look forward to the afterglow of an incredible 0-0 win.
Because after all that, it really does feel like a win for Cabo Verde.
Belgium suffocated by ascendant Egypt
At a glance, this seemed like the real big blockbuster tie of this matchday. Separated by only 10 places in the FIFA rankings, Belgium and Egypt carry the vibe of two middleweights duking it out. Not quite favorites, but not quite minnows either.
The game started even, with each team feeling the other out. The stalemate was broken in the 20th minute when Emam Ashour sent a bullet rocketing past Thibaut Courtois to make it 1-0. The Belgians did seem to up their momentum after conceding, but it was not enough to prevent Egypt from going into halftime with a 1-0 lead. This was the first time Egypt have EVER achieved that feat in a World Cup.
The second half was end-to-end action, with Belgium throwing bodies forward and Egypt trying to hit on the counter. Then Rudi Garcia subbed on Romelu Lukaku and he literally scored seconds later (okay it was an own goal, but that story isn’t as cool). The rest of the half continued with both teams trading jousts, not content with a draw.
A draw is what they got, though. On balance, Egypt probably were the better side, but the margins were so thin it could have gone either way.
Saudi Arabia bunker down against an Uruguayan assault
There was a slight hint of slapstick in the buildup to this fixture, what with Uruguay being blocked from entering the US due to a snafu with … their plane’s paperwork. You could make a topical joke about that, but let’s leave the low hanging fruit for the comments.
Uruguay eventually did manage to hit the pitch for their World Cup opener vs Saudi Arabia. With the latter confirmed to be hosting the 2034 edition of the tournament (if we as a species make it that far), it could be seen as sneak preview of how the host nation may perform.
The first half went well for the Saudis. They had the advantage on the balance of play, bombing down the wings to give Uruguay conniptions. Eventually, the breakthrough came from a goal by Al Amri in the 41st minute, which came after a period of sustained pressure that the Uruguayans simply could not weather.
Marcelo Bielsa decided to change things for the second half, subbing on Juan Manuel Sanabria and Agustín Canobbio for Matías Viña and Darwin Núñez. It paid off, with Uruguay discovering a renewed intensity and almost scoring within seconds of kickoff. Next came Manuel Ugarte’s shot that hit the post, right around the hour mark.
The pressure bore fruit in the 80th minute, when Maxi Araújo pounced on a deflection from the keeper to make it 1-1. Uruguay continued with a relentless onslaught that would have obliterated a lesser team, but Saudi Arabia somehow managed to hold on for a draw.
This was not a defensive masterclass like Cabo Verde. Saudi Arabia pulled this off with sheer stubbornness.
Iran vs New Zealand
Speaking of teams that had trouble getting into the US …
Iran came into the game the favorites, far above New Zealand in the rankings. They also started the game as favorites should, dominating possession and creating chances. Then New Zealand went down the other end and scored from a wonderful sequence, created by Chris Wood’s marvelous pirouette and control.
The Iranians looked rattled after that, and took time to regain their dominance. They did manage to hit the post around the 22nd minute, and only luck kept New Zealand from conceding. That same luck came up short in the 32nd minute when Ramin Rezaeian got on the end of an important through ball by Shahriyar Moghanlou. 1-1.
In the second half, Iran seemed to start with more of the same, so imagine the irony when New Zealand once again went against the run of play, Chris Wood orchestrating a marvelous assist to Elijah Just. Not to be undone, Iran came back with double the vigor, eventually equalizing just ten minutes later thanks to a gorgeous cross by Rezaeian.
The game went back and forth from there, both teams refusing to give ground. The day, however, belonged to the draw, as Iran and New Zealand had to settle for a 2-2. What a game for the neutrals. Attacking football at both ends, quality play, plenty of goals to satisfy. The matchday ended with a bang.
FOUR draws, though. When was the last time that happened in a single World Cup matchday? This was the first time in 68 years, apparently.
Cut FIFA some slack …
Are they a hopelessly corrupt, greedy, morally bankrupt, poisonous organization that clings to the body of the beautiful game like a lamprey to the flank of a whale?
Yes, of course they are.
They also have good ideas. The expanded format of the World Cup has been one of them. After all the doomerism about the added teams and their lack of quality, things on the pitch have been more evenly matched than expected. Meanwhile, fans of smaller nations get the unforgettable feeling of seeing their countrymen on the very biggest stage.
Now, did FIFA do this for beautiful sentimentality born from a true love of the sport? No. All the extra teams, extra games, water breaks, commercials, etc. serve one purpose, and that is generating revenue. But expecting FIFA to do the right thing for the right reasons is like expecting a dog to sit and also juggle.
In the end, FIFA did get this one right, even though they got other things wrong. The big games, the France and Germany and Brazil and Argentina matches, are all just around the corner. Just wait for the knockout stages.
It’s a World Cup, not an international version of the UEFA Champions League. It’s not all about the biggest teams. For many nations, the group stage of the World Cup is the end of a long journey, not the beginning of one. They are giving it their best go, and they are not leaving embarrassed.
That should be respected. Even if some of the results happen to be one-sided.
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