Spain showcases its biggest advantage over France, Lamine Yamal’s hot streak goes on, and Folarin Balogun opens up on his overturned red card.
Here are today’s quick hits.
1. Spain’s victory one for the collective
All World Cup we have been singing the praises of France, this collection of glittering superstars who were combining to play some of the best football the tournament had ever seen.
Beyond Les Bleus, it felt like the tournament of the individual as all the world’s best players took their turn in the spotlight.
Spain was simply sensational in victory over France. (Getty Images: Hector Vivas)
But Spain’s progression to the final is somewhat of a rebuke to that, as the best-drilled and most organised side — the best team, in other words — is now through to the last game.
“One of the key factors that got us into the final was keeping possession of the ball,” man of the match and goal scorer Pedro Porro said.
“It’s a victory for an incredible team, a group of spectacular players — a victory for all 26 players.”
Pedro Porro celebrates his goal for Spain. (Getty Images: David Ramos)
French coach Didier Deschamps recognised the strength of the Spanish after the game.
“Technically, we were second best,” he said.
“The Spanish are very good at breaking up moves by reading interceptions and passes. We would have liked to cause them more problems going forward.”
2. Lamine Yamal’s incredible tournament record
Lamine Yamal, who turned 19 only days ago, is one of the brightest talents in the world. On Monday (AEST), he will play in a World Cup final.
And simply placing his name on the team sheet will fill Spain with confidence thanks to this remarkable stat.
He has a perfect record of 12 wins when starting for Spain in major international tournament matches in the Euros, and the World Cup.
Yamal has received some criticism for his lack of stand-out moments in this tournament, but those critiques overlook a few crucial things.
Firstly, he’s 19. Secondly, he was injured coming into the tournament and has been building his fitness throughout.
Thirdly, and most impressively, he has been playing a rather selfless role in a team that is all about the collective. For instance, Pedro Porro’s second goal against France doesn’t happen without Yamal holding a sacrificial position out wide, dragging Lucas Digne with him and allowing Porro the space.
His maturity and tactical awareness are beyond his years.
3. A whopping half-time show awaits
All the stars are here! Justin Bieber! Shakira! Madonna! Burna Boy! PS22 Chorus! Gustavo Dudamel!
And how do you fit all of these icons of the music industry into one World Cup final half-time show? When FIFA itself has mandated that the maximum length of a half-time break is 15 minutes?
Why, you simply ignore your own rules, of course.
Shakira, Shakira! (Reuters: Ricardo Moraes)
Reports suggest the half-time break in Monday’s final will be 30 minutes long to accommodate a Super Bowl-esque half-time performance by the aforementioned litany of stars.
This is on top of the pre-game closing ceremony, which will somehow feature Tom Cruise, Robbie Williams and IShowSpeed.
If the final gets to penalties, we are in for a long morning.
4. Folarin Balogun admits red card ‘noise’ affected US
US striker Folarin Balogun conceded that the reaction to his overturned suspension in the World Cup went from elation among his teammates to a sense of uneasiness that impacted the side’s final match of the tournament.
In a visit to “CBS Mornings,” Balogun described the whirlwind of emotions that started with his red card in a Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina to FIFA rescinding his mandatory one-game ban for a round of 16 match against Belgium.
Folarin Balogun after the US’s defeat to Belgium. (Reuters: Troy Wayrynen)
Resentment for the USMNT grew after US President Donald Trump admitted that he reached out to FIFA for a review of the decision.
Belgium dominated the hosts in 4-1 victory.
“It was a difficult game against Belgium, and that can kind of overshadow whether we were focused or not,” Balogun said during his studio visit.
“From me, being inside the camp and inside the set-up, I know we had full concentration going into the game.”
And yet the team carried the weight of what became a heavy dose of world politics.
“My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team, but when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy,” Balogun said.
“And I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves. Because it is something that is so unique.
“The closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult [with] a lot of outside noise. That’s hard to avoid.”
5. Senegal claims team doctor was trained as a gynaecologist
The president of Senegal’s football federation has claimed the team doctor lacked the specialist background needed to support the squad during the World Cup.
Federation chief Abdoulaye Fall said the team doctor was “trained as a gynaecologist”, and the issue was discovered late and had raised concern among players about the level of medical support available.
Senegal’s World Cup ended in a heartbreaking defeat to Belgium. (Getty Images: Emma Ottosen)
“Based on the feedback I received, the players were not sufficiently reassured about being supported by him,” Fall said. The federation sought additional medical expertise to reassure the squad, he added.
“We had to find convincing expertise so they could feel reassured, because health comes before everything,” Fall said.
The Senegalese Association of Sports Medicine rejected the allegations as “unfounded and defamatory” in a statement.
It said the team doctor, Abderahmane Fediore, holds a specialist diploma in sports medicine and sports biology from Cheikh Anta Diop University’s faculty of medicine.
ABC/Wires
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