BfB

Collective

The highlight of the first day of fixtures was Lionel Messi’s hat trick for Argentina and so eyes were on him for the South American’s game with Austria. Austria are an interesting team devoted to manager Ralf Rangnik’s pressing philosophies and improving because of them conjuring this clash as the individual brilliance against the collective effort.

As it was a terrible penalty decision gave Messi a chance to score a record breaking 17th World Cup goal with the aplomb of a dunked biscuit falling into a cup of tea. Messi forwent that and put the ball wide.

Perhaps the soul of an artist could not live with the injustice. When it did come, the goal befit the stage, but it owed much to the approach play and then deft fake by Thiago Almada as well as the cutback by Facundo Medina.

Genius is collective.

The Austrians were in the game but probably not of the game, and when Messi hacked in an 18th World Cup goal no one would say there it was not the proper result. Algeria, who await Austria in the third game, have a score to settle with Austria about the “correct result” from 1982.

Algeria, for their part and at the end of a night of games where the weather ruled, were able to beat Jordan 2-1 to set up the grudge game. Algeria are slipping under the radar of the World Cup as being amused to be making up the numbers but losing to Argentina is no disgrace, but the structure of the tournament and the way 3rd placed teams can go through there is a chance that Algeria and Austria could both go through if they some how agree to draw.

At least, if Algeria suggest such a thing, they will know that the Austrians understand the context.

Trouble

The French had little trouble with Iraq in a languid first half until weather came in and lashed both teams, suspending the game until a storm passed, which at least afforded a break from listening to more discussion about Kylian Mbappé and his goal total relative to Lionel Messi. This is the World Cup, and it is justified in itself.

Still Senegal played Norway without France and Iraq having finished but when the extended hydration break cleared the French motored past the team from the Middle East, winning 3-0 while the Norwegians beat Senegal in fear of storms.

Senegal could argue that they played very well in both their defeat to France, and the loss to Norway in which Erling Haaland scored two but with a minus three goal difference their progress seems unlikely as one of the eight best third placed teams leaving a team with a lot of potential going home.

For the Senegalese they may end up wondering how this opportunity passed them by. The game with the French slipped away quickly, last night less so, but both did and they won admirers not games, not that many people are admiring them when Mbappé and Haaland are eating attention.

Norway deserve their progress, on balance, and continue the trend of teams with very good forward lines and very ok defensive set ups doing well. France, England, the USA, Argentina and on and on. This is a World Cup for those who enjoy a team balanced towards the forwards, or people who talk about taking handbrakes off, as if the shift in the meta of the game is a matter of personal choice by a manager.

Didier Deschamps has, I imagine, thought about how to build his team which tilts towards forward players with a little more rigour than “Est-ce que j’enlève le frein à main?”

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Mexico being booed off at half time during a tepid 0-0 with South Korea was a surprise, and indicative of the model that puts three teams through per group. Just as Andy Burnham was being announced as the winner in Makerfield a mistake from the Korean keeper saw a ball fall to Luis Romo who found himself poking the ball into an empty net.

There is a metaphor there if you want it. The win will keep Mexico in Mexico, which is important, but casts a doubt on Korea who were called on to battle for the game, did not seem to be able to summon that flight. South Korea looked thin, and to lack creative imagination. They will probably make the second round, but how much further they can go is very in doubt.

South Africa’s approach to the World Cup, and to their game with Czechia seemed to be a kind of robust determination to grind their way into the second round and while their first of the second games to be played was not a superb watch there is something admirable about watching a team lose for a game and half and still believed.

A second half penalty equalised and leaves them needing to beat South Korea to get through, which sounds difficult and probably will be. Czechia have to go to Mexico with only a single point. Both South Africa and Czechia have left themselves with large tasks in the last group game.

Grim

Canada made short work of Qatar with Jonathan David announcing himself once again with a hat-trick. David is a player who keeps suggesting that more people should take notice of him, and then fading away. His move to Juventus and his performance for Canada could establish him as the striker he threatens to be, but also he might look good then not be heard of for ages.

Jesse Marcsh’s Canada are a strange team. They seem to have no identity other than a general effectiveness which is exactly what they used to overpower Qatar 6-0. Qatar lost their discipline and end up down to nine men. Sympathy with Qatar was not especially common but when Assim Madibo was sent off for a grim scrape down Ismaël Koné. The World Cup seems to be done with Qatar, and it seems that Qatar are done with the World Cup.

Switzerland enjoyed the 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina probably more as a result than a performance. Johan Manzambi broke the deadlock in the second half having come off the bench and caused enough imbalance that neither the Bosnians or the Herzegovinans could resist.

The Swiss deserve some credit for this game. They respected an opponent who proved limited but only after an attritional game where the Swiss were solid when attacked and and found an attacking thrust when needed.

Cover Version

Iran’s problems are well known, but seemingly did not include Belgium who seemingly missing Roberto Martinez created a cover version of their former manager’s Portugal with an immobile Romellu Lakaku upfront and no penetration at all.

Iran drew with Uruguay in the first game and had the better chances in the game. When Belgium’s Nathan Ngoy was sent off after the hour the chance for the Iranians to progress was there, but Iran found it difficult to force the play and ended up taking a second draw. A win over Egypt will put them though, but that is a big ask.

New Zealand took a stab at that big ask taking the lead over Egypt, but Egypt remembered they were good and took the game 3-1. For all sorts of reasons watching Mohammed Salah score the winning goal in a World Cup game felt very good.

Heights

Spain took on Saudi Arabia, and made short work of them. There is a conscious attempt by the media to suggest that exciting winger Lamine Yamal will be Lionel Messi / Christiano Ronaldo for a new generation which seems a little unfair. Not wanting to suggest Lamine Yamal can not impact a game – he can – but most players are not iconic talents and we should not expect anything else.

It could be possible for Lamine Yamal to be the best winger in Europe and have a great career without reaching the heights of Messi or the fame of Ronaldo, or it is possible that the pressure of those comparisons crush a good player into a Freddy Adu sized ball and he ends up playing for Spurs.

Spain won 4-0 because Spain played well, all of them, rather than specifically because of Lamine Yamal.

Elsewhere Uruguay seem to have escalated the process of breaking up with Marcello Beilsa who, perhaps, would have been more happy coaching Cape Verde where he could perhaps has more scope. Nevertheless a rather direct direct free kick from Kevin Pina seemed to focus the mind of the South Americans and after going a goal down, Beilsa’s men were 2-1 up at half time.

Which of course should have been it but was not. Helio Varela got onto a mistake and equalised in one of those moments that makes for a minor legend. Uruguay seem to have fallen out of love with Beilsaball, and Beilsa is obviously going to move onto another chapter. Cape Verde need a win over Saudi Arabia to go through.

Unacceptable

Portugal are just not good, but expect to be better than Uzbekistan, and the fifth minute front post finish by Christiano Ronaldo was presented by no lesser tactical force as Lee Dixon as being the riposte to his absolute failure to be a force in the majority of games. Such slim returns seem to be unacceptable when Dixon watches Viktor Gyökeres for Arsenal.

Nevertheless Portugal were able to gird through the Central Asia side 5-0 with Ronaldo performing well in that way that a multi-million point striker does when he scores a few in the third round of the FA Cup against a guy who is balancing football with his business as a plumber.

Nevertheless Christiano Ronaldo – who should have been banned for this match after being sent off in qualifying, and who proved himself to be without use in a vaguely competitive game, and who stands apart from the other two players in this tournament who are used of sexual assault in that he is cheered not booed – managed to create some “absolute cinema” moments of short form content, which seems to the point of this long first round.

Rounding off the games, if not this overlong article, was Colombia who beat DR Congo in an entertaining and lively affair which Daniel Muñoz settled late on with a low drive. DR Congo go on to play Uzbekistan in the final game and a win in that should be enough to put them though to join Colombia in the next round, which given that for their one point from two good performances perhaps should not be an opportunity they have.

Nevertheless

Having experienced England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana – hopefully not through the medium of Alan Shearer moaning his face off – Panama took to playing Croatia rather well, the island nation seeing a chance to get to three points against the Europeans who are – at long last – looking tired.

Not so tired though that in the second half they could not score the only goal of the game, a simple finish by Ante Budimir after a rare good approach play the Croatians who seemed listless and second best to a Panama side that played well. Nevertheless Panama go out but have to stay around to play England in a few days.

England’s draw with Ghana gave rise to some thoughts about why this second round of games has largely not been very good.

Mystery

Japan are a mystery in many ways, specifically that they seem to have a mental block around knock out games, but the 4-0 win over Tunisia was the group stages at their finest with the Samurai Blue showing their superb side against a Tunisia team who really do not seem very happy playing in such a defensive way.

Going down by the same margin, while not at all being defensive, were Sweden who took a 5-1 spanking from The Netherlands who threaten to be an interesting team. I’d love to tell you more, Dear Reader, but I was DJing at the time because I am a Polymath.

Those DJing excesses also stopped me seeing Germany’s 2-1 last minute win over Ivory Coast which sounded like a lot of fun, and Ecuador’s 0-0 with Curacao which did not.