World Cup: Tournament lives on despite shady deals
England's Harry Kane celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game from the penalty spot during the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match at Mexico City Stadium, Mexico.
It was all going too smoothly. The World Cup that we feared would be marred by corruption and political shenanigans had in reality been a welcome distraction from such events, as the world was reacquainted with why it once loved the USA. But with one phone call, the integrity of the entire tournament and the sport’s governing body in particular, was thrown back into the quagmire of corruption.
The phone call to get the United States striker Folarin Balogun reinstated for the Belgium game, after getting a red card against Bosnia, is a major stain on the profile of the competition and further besmirches the low reputation of Fifa. In the end, it really did no favours for the USMT and Balogun, who lost not only the game but all the goodwill they worked so hard to engender across the tournament, only to embolden the football-loving public to actually wish for the demise of the US men’s team at the hands of Belgium.
One would hope that this scandal might produce the environment within Fifa to actually set up a genuine independent process outside the influences of international leaders and Fifa’s own governing body, to adjudicate red-card and other appeals for any player or side that genuinely feels hard done by a referee’s decision. But maybe such a logical process is too much to hope for.
Back to more pleasurable happenings on the field, and the Red Devils accomplished 4-1 win over the States sees them into the quarterfinals as unlikely as it looked when they scraped by an unlucky Senegal in the Round of 32. Their reward is a last eight encounter against Spain, who have been on an impressive run to this point when they won the Iberian derby against Portugal and Ronaldo. That 1-0 win sees Spain become the first team in World Cup history to claim six straight clean sheets that include the five they played here in the US so far and their last match in the last world Cup in Qatar, when they drew 0-0 against Morocco, eventually going out on penalties. In combination with that, the Spanish keeper, Unai Simon has now played 609 minutes of World Cup football without conceding a goal.
Along with France, the Spanish have looked the most impressive sides, and now, for the first time in World Cup history, there will be no representation from either Brazil, Germany, Italy or Netherlands in the quarter final, there is a very strong path to final glory for the European neighbours.
The French managed to get over the brutish skillset of Paraguay that would not have been out of place in the UFC ring on the White House lawn, as the French were left black and bleu after the encounter with the South Americans. The referee was criticised for not picking up some of the more egregious assaults by the Paraguayans, but to be fair to him, I don’t think he could believe his own eyes, such was the blatancy of their attacks.
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The highlight of the week was the Argentina v Cape Verde game last Friday night, Saturday morning. For one, we were blessed to witness five great goals, including what I think was the goal of the tournament so far with Messi’s opener for Argentina, (even though Lopes Cabral extra-time strike for Cape Verde runs it close). But the determination, bravery, and sheer dogged resolve to fight by the Cape Verde team was inspiring.
They ran the world champions ragged. Cape Verde did not exit the tournament with a moral victory they will feel hard done that they didn’t progress and in the final minutes of extra time, it was Argentina that were holding on desperately for the win. That it had an Irish connection with Pico Lopes made it all the sweeter and inspiring. The Argentineans then struggled to make it past Egypt on Tuesday but for a miraculous Messi-led late revival that may indicate that the South Americans may not be as solid as we once thought.
Another side that deserves great credit is England. The Three Lions not only overcame the ‘is it on is it off?’ –‘7pm or 1am?’ debate due to the weather, they also overcame a fancied Mexican side yet to concede in the tournament, at home in the amazing Azteca Stadium where Mexico had only lost twice in 88 games. England did so, while a man down and battling altitude sickness at 2,250 m above sea level.
Goalscorers Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are close to becoming England legends. I guess we can indulge ourselves with these two Irish passport holders too.
The last of the Round of 16 saw the Swiss scrape past Colombia in the penalty shootout in one of the poorer games of the tournament.
At this point we don’t know how the first quarter-final last night played out but it would not be a surprise if Morocco made life very hard for the French.
Tonight, we will see whether the resolve Belgium gained against the US will stand to them against the mighty Spanish. Let the fun roll on.
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