Page 38 – The Pulse of Football

Jul

2024

Lamine Yamal: The breakout star of EURO 2024

Just over a year ago playing in the semi-final of a European Championship against France ended in heartbreak for Lamine Yamal.

By Ben Bocsák

Back in May of 2023 in the remote village of Felcsut, Yamal’s Spain had taken on the French at the U17 European Championship.

Just as he did in Germany earlier this week, Yamal scored a sensational goal on the night, cutting in from the right onto his left foot and hitting a shot that careened off the post into the top corner of the net.

But that night, France ended-up scoring three goals in the space of twenty minutes and knocked Spain out of the tournament.

Yamal crashed to the ground with his head buried in his hands after the final whistle. This was still just a 15-year-old boy, already playing an age-group above and already dominating.

Despite the tournament ending in disappointment Yamal finished as the competition’s joint top-scorer and took plenty of plaudits for his individual performances.

Already, he was showcasing the kind of qualities that now a whole continent has gotten to know over the course of the last few weeks at Euro 2024.

“That’s one of the things about him, he is always so relaxed. Whether he is playing in the U15s, U17s or the senior team, he is never fazed.” Former La Masia coach, Albert Puig, who worked with Yamal in two different age groups, recalls to FotMob with a smile.

From a young age, Yamal has been identified as a potential talent at Barcelona. He mesmerised scouts at the club’s academy on a trial at just six years old, while he was already playing against boys who were a year or two older than him.

Within the club’s ranks he progressed through the age-groups at rapid speed and made Barcelona bend their academy rules in order to accommodate his development.

“The progression was like nothing we have seen before,” Puig says.

“Three years ago, he was still playing with guys of the same age. The main change started two years ago. The academy director at La Masia didn’t believe in putting players in higher age-groups but in Lamine’s case we were obligated to do it.

“Everyone knew he was wasting his time playing with guys of the same age. He needed a challenge in front of him. So, he was one of the first players who our academy director decided to put into older teams. But that only happened around two or maybe three years ago. So, he started to play U16 when he was only U15, and he was still the best in the U16 team. And then the following season he started playing with the U19 team.”

By 15-years-old Yamal was regularly training with Barcelona’s first team and last year became the youngest player to play for the club in a century at just 15 years and 290 days old.

At the time of making his debut Yamal had yet to sign a professional contract for the club. Puig believes his debut was an incentive for him to stay at Barcelona with plenty of clubs circling around him from the rest of Europe.

“Barca has economic problems so it’s normal that they turn to La Masia for quality players to try to bridge the gap in the quality of the squad. In that special moment I think Barca also wanted to show him real evidence that they believed in him in order for him to sign his first professional contract.

“He had a lot of options to go to other big clubs away from Barcelona for bigger amounts than he got at Barca but the club wanted to fight against this and offered him the opportunity to train with the first team and also make his debut.

“Lamine is a smart guy. He knew the best options for him and for his development was to stay here at Barcelona.”

The choice to give him his debut may have been motivated by ulterior motives, but Yamal took the opportunity handed to him and he’s shown over the course of last season what he is capable of – breaking records and putting in eye catching performances week in week.

Not just for Barcelona, but for Spain as well. Where the beginning of his career had similar undertones.

“He made his debut for Spain a little bit like why he made his debut at Barcelona,” Puig explains.

“He came because he also had the option to play for Morocco and to make him choose the Spanish side the Federation called him up to the first team. Maybe in that moment they didn’t believe a lot of him at that level. It was like a ‘gift’ to convert him to the Spanish side. But after a few matches it was obvious it’s not only a gift, Lamine showed he can play at that level and he could be a starter for Spain almost immediately.”

Since making his debut Yamal has 10 goal contributions in 13 international caps for Spain averaging a goal or assist every 80.4 minutes. At Euro 2024, only his fellow compatriot, Dani Olmo, has more goal contributions than the teenager. As per FotMob statistics, he has also created more big chances (6) and chances (16) than anyone else at the tournament.

12 months on from the disappointment against France in Hungary, Yamal got his revenge in the semi-final of Euro 2024 and has put himself as one of the emerging faces of football’s new age in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo and post-Lionel Messi era.

On the eve of the final, he will turn 17-years-old, and he will hope to celebrate with a win against England. But no matter what happens, Puig knows this is just the beginning for his young protégé.

“This is a big chance for the national team. They have beaten Italy, Germany and France with conviction. Now you have in front of you maybe one of the favourites of the competition. So, we will see.

“But I know Lamine is by far the most special and different player I ever coached at La Masia. I hope he will remain in Barca and become the biggest player of the team for many years.”

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2024

A tournament to forget for Kylian Mbappe

And just like that, France went out of Euro 2024 not with a bang but with a fizz. It was ultimately a disappointing campaign for Les Bleus, getting knocked out by Spain in the semi-finals having only scored one goal from open play, but no one will be as disappointed as Kylian Mbappé.

By Alex Roberts

After almost single-handedly dragging his side to the World Cup trophy at Qatar 2022 before falling at the final hurdle and losing to Argentina, the hopes of a nation were firmly set upon the 25-year old’s capable shoulders.

He started well. Mbappé was dangerous in their opening game against Austria despite playing as a more traditional number nine instead of his preferred left-wing, registering four shots and an xG of 0.81.

Then, it happened. Mbappé was forced off in the final minute of normal time with a gnarly broken nose following an aerial duel with big Austrian centre-half, Kevin Danso. Still, France managed to get the 1-0 win thanks to an own goal from Max Wöber.

The scramble to see if he could play the next game against the Netherlands started. A mask was fitted and chosen before UEFA inevitably ruled against him wearing one painted with the red, white, and blue of the Tricolour.

Unfortunately, Mbappé wasn’t ruled fit in time, and France missed him. It ended 0-0, France had most of the possession with 63% and more shots, 15, than the Dutch but they missed Mbappé’s clinical edge, his ability to score from almost any angle.

With their qualification on the line, Mbappé was brought back for their last game of Group D against Poland. Again, the French didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory. The main man’s 56^th minute penalty was cancelled out by Robert Lewandowski’s in the 79^th and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

The group stage had come and gone; France made it out in second place with Austria finishing first having only scored one goal of their own. Defensively they were solid, conceding just once, but their attack left a lot to be desired.

Fans thought, ‘surely, they were just conserving energy? Saving themselves for when they get to the big time’. Belgium awaited in the round of 16, the golden generation may have come and gone, but they’re certainly one of the big boys. Perhaps this would be when France and Mbappé really turn up.

Mbappé was back on his preferred left-wing with Marcus Thuram playing as the number nine. Everything was lined up for him, but he never really affected the game. A 0% shot accuracy and zero chances created tells you all you need to know.

Once again, France were through by the skin of their teeth. 37-year-old Jan Vertonghen’s own goal was eventually enough to see them progress to the next round. Own Goal was now their top goal scorer, a spot usually reserved for Mbappé at major tournaments.

Ahead of their next game against Portugal, Mbappé addressed his poor form. When asked about why he no longer makes any runs in behind he said, “It depends on the team. When we had Paul Pogba, I could just blindly make a run and he would find me. Now I have to adapt to a different situation.”

He was right. No one in the French midfield had the ability to pick out a pass like Pogba could. Adrien Rabiot is mobile and hardworking but doesn’t really have an eye for a pass, N’Golo Kanté is arguably one of the best midfielders of his generation, but for totally different reasons, and Aurélien Tchouaméni is an intelligent defensive midfielder, but his best asset is his positioning and reading of the game, not passing.

After the excitement of Germany and Spain’s high octane football bonanza, the France vs Portugal game brought fans back down to earth. It may well have been the most boring game of the tournament, and that’s saying something.

Mbappé was once again inoffensive. Of his five shots on goal, three of them were from outside of the box, and the two that were inside were blocked by Portuguese defenders. He was eventually brought off in the 106^th minute as the game went to penalties.

Diogo Costa was unable to replicate the penalty heroics that saw Portugal through in the previous round and France were somehow in the semi-finals. There, they faced their biggest challenge yet, Spain.

In the first 20 minutes, Mbappé and France were looking like they should. Some lovely movement from Mbappé fooled Jesús Navas and he was able to deliver a pin-point cross for Randal Kolo Muani to head home.

Then, 16-year-old, Lamine Yamal scored what may be the goal of the tournament. A beautiful long-range curling effort left the stadium stunned and took all the wind out of France’s sails. Just four minutes later they were behind thanks to some lovely footwork and a fantastic finish from Dani Olmo.

France had their chances but none of them came from Mbappé. Only one successful dribble throughout the entire game and only 29 touches mean he was barely involved at all.

Their tournament ended there, disappointed by what could have been. Now all Mbappé has to look forward to is finalising his move to Champions League winners, Real Madrid. It’s a tough life.

The football may not have been great, but Mbappé will be remembered for what he did off the pitch, speaking out against the French far-right before their election. Given the gravitas of his voice, that’s the most important thing he could have done.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2024

Euro 2024: FotMob Team of the Round for the Semi-Finals

We have our Euro 2024 finalists. Spain and England came from behind in their respective semi-finals to claim 2-1 wins over France and the Netherlands to book their place in Sunday’s showdown clash in Berlin. Both games were fairly tight, edgy and, as a result, with the exception of two standout performers for La Roja, players struggled to really catch the eye. But who did enough to land themselves a spot in the FotMob XI across the semi-finals and why?

By Sam McGuire

Goalkeeper: Bart Verbruggen

The 21-year-old was beaten in the very last minute by a stunning Ollie Watkins strike that arrowed right into the bottom corner. Everything about the finish was perfect and that is why the Brighton shot-stopper hasn’t been criticised. He was the highest-performing goalkeeper across the two mid-week matches having made two saves while completing almost 80% of his passes. His use of the ball was a huge positive for the Dutch with the goalkeeper helping his side play out from the back on multiple occasions.

Right-Back: Jules Koundé

The Barcelona full-back made his way into the FotMob XI once again. Koundé has gone under the radar at this tournament, perhaps due to the fact France have struggled to really impose themselves at Euro 2024. They failed to live up to the pre-competition hype. But the 25-year-old has quietly gone about his business and he did exactly that in the loss to Spain. He completed 76% of his passes and 100% of his dribbles. He won all three of his tackles, recovered the ball on six occasions and was only dribbled past once. Koundé also won 10 of his 16 duels, doing a fairly decent job up against Nico Williams.

Centre-Back: Kyle Walker

Walker, deployed on the right-side of a back three, was solid enough for the Three Lions in their comeback victory over the Netherlands. For starters, he finished with a pass success rate of 93%. He also finished with a 100% dribble success rate, albeit he only attempted one. The Manchester City man won all of his tackles and 67% of his duels. The England No. 2 did fairly well up against an in-form Cody Gakpo.

Centre-Back: Virgil Van Dijk

Van Dijk put in a big performance for the Dutch in their defeat to England. The Liverpool skipper completed 92% of his attempted passes, he made six clearances and recovered the ball on three occasions. The 33-year-old won 100% of his ground duels and 50% of his aerial duels in what was a fairly dominant showing. Van Dijk also tested Jordan Pickford late on in the second half and will probably be disappointed not to have done better with the attempt on the England goal.

Left-Back: Marc Cucurella

Eyebrows were raised when Luis de la Fuente named Cucurella in his squad. It was an even bigger surprise to see the Chelsea full-back in the starting XI in place of the in-form Álex Grimaldo, but the decision to go with the former Brighton man has been an inspired one. He’s been a key cog in the Spain team and the 25-year-old did another solid job for La Roja against France. He was positive and accurate in possession, completing 85% of his passes and 80% of his long passes. He won 100% of his tackles, three of his five ground duels and made four ball recoveries.

Midfield: Lamine Yamal

What can you say about Yamal?

A 16-year-old should not be doing what he is doing in men’s football. He scored one of the goals of the tournament to level things up for Spain after picking the ball up on the right, cutting inside and curling an effort past Mike Maignan from distance. He also carved out two chances and was heavily involved without the ball, winning five of nine duels.

Not many manage it, but Yamal eclipsed Kylian Mbappé on Tuesday evening and it wasn’t even close.

Midfield: Dani Olmo

Olmo was only starting due to an injury to Pedri but, just as he has done throughout the competition, he made a huge difference for Spain. The RB Leipzig man scored what turned out to be the winner after a brilliant piece of skill to latch onto a William Saliba clearance before dancing past opponents and rifling an effort into the bottom corner, albeit there was a deflection off of Koundé. He also completed 85% of his passes and completed two of his three dribbles to cap off a fine display in the heart of the midfield for Espana.

Midfield: Xavi Simons

What a goal by the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder. Simons reminded everyone exactly why he’s one of the most in-demand players in Europe this summer with a sensational strike to open the scoring in the game between the Netherlands and England. The 21-year-old bounced Declan Rice out of the way before firing an effort beyond Pickford and into the top corner from 20-yards out. The Dutch No. 7 also created one chance in Dortmund last night and could’ve perhaps won the game late on when he mistimed a half-volley. Still, it was a good showing, with and without the ball, as the former on-loan RB Leipzig man won five of his seven ground duels and two of his three attempted tackles.

Attack: Harry Kane

Kane wasn’t heavily involved for England but he certainly made it count when he was. The skipper won a controversial penalty and scored from the spot to level things up for the Three Lions. He landed both of his efforts on target and created an opportunity. The Bayern Munich hitman also completed 72% of his passes in what was a well-rounded, old-school centre-forward’s display. It won’t make his personal highlight reel but what he did was so important for the team.

Attack: Randal Kolo Muani

Kolo Muani scored his first goal of the tournament to get France off to a flyer in their semi-final clash with Spain. He expertly guided a header into the corner after a fine Mbappé cross. He was neat and tidy in possession, completing 75% of his passes, but France really did struggle to get him as involved as they perhaps would’ve liked. Still, he did enough to justify his inclusion and vindicate Didier Deschamps’ faith in him.

Attack: Álvaro Morata

The Spain skipper grafted without the ball and led by example in the comeback victory over France. He involved himself in 15 duels, recovered the ball on three occasions and won 100% of his tackles. He also assisted a goal, all while completing 89% of his attempted passes in what was a selfless display. He wasn’t as much of a threat as he might’ve wanted to be but he ensured Spain remained active in the final third. So, he took one for the team and it paid off.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2024

James Rodriguez is enjoying his renaissance at the Copa America

It has, in fact, been a very long time since James Rodríguez got fans all over the world on the edge of their seats with two assists and a goal in Colombia’s opening match at the 2014 World Cup. It has now been a full decade since he went on to push Colombia to the quarter-finals, falling short to hosts Brazil despite a goal from Rodríguez that ended with him as the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals and those two assists.

By Jon Arnold

“Hopefully he’ll continue to progress because he’s very young,” legendary Uruguay manager Óscar Washington Tabárez said at the time.

He didn’t. At least, not really. The amount of times Rodríguez has attempted to mount a bounce-back campaign really is remarkable.

Yet, a decade after making the Best XI at the World Cup, Rodríguez once again is in the position of competing for the Best Player award at a major tournament. Yes, Rodríguez has turned back the clock, but what’s striking is how effortless everything looks when compared to how difficult things have been for him in the interim.

After the World Cup, he moved to Real Madrid from Monaco on a huge transfer but was unable to earn a regular place in Zinedine Zidane’s XI. That saw him head to Bayern Munich, where his first season was satisfactory but his second season again saw him fall flat. Then it was in to the footballing wilderness with quick stops at Everton, with Al-Rayyan in Qatar, with Olympiacos and now with São Paulo.

It would be easy to think that things are clicking for Rodríguez in Brazil, but the truth is that it appears the Colombia national team is his happy place. Even with São Paulo, he is playing rarely and isn’t scoring or setting up goals when he does. Instead, manager Nestor Lorenzo has made him very comfortable during the Cafeteros’ current 25-match unbeaten run, taking him back to that warm, safe place.

The Copa América has been a continuation of World Cup qualification, in which Colombia sits third after six matches with three wins and three draws.

In the United States, Rodríguez has registered a goal from the penalty spot and five assists in four matches. Critics will say he’s running up the numbers against opposition less daunting than many of the teams his rivals are facing. Supporters will say that not even those good numbers don’t tell the full story.

More often than not, Rodríguez is setting up the move, enjoying being the focus of the Colombia attack and finding scoring chances that recall the brilliance of 2014 when he had the ball and the whole world at his feet.

It’s a rotating cast of players in front of Rodríguez who are benefitting from his placement on set pieces or from the run of play. Three Colombia players have a pair of goals in the tournament, and five others have one for a total of eight scorers so far – many of them on the scoresheet thanks to Rodríguez’s magic.

It’s enough to make everyone think back a decade and feel the nostalgia of a different time. The effect is so strong, a reporter in the mixed zone after the match insisted on asking Rodríguez only bizarre otherworldly questions. “Do you sleep with the lamp, genie?” “Are you aware you’re not a human-being when it comes to soccer but an alien?” When Rodríguez laughed it off when an “I don’t think so”, the Colombian insisted, “I do.”

“The hardest part is still to come, the semis and hopefully we can get to a final that we all want,” Rodríguez said during that exchange.

When Rodríguez does sleep – in a lamp or a more conventional bed – he has to be dreaming of what it would mean to deliver his country its first major trophy since long before his own World Cup high point. The 2001 Copa América, played in Colombia, is the only time Colombia has been able to win a major competition.

If it can get past Uruguay in Wednesday’s semi-final and win in the final, it will no doubt be thanks to Rodríguez and the way he is pulling the strings, setting up attackers, turning back the clock and reminding everyone the good ol’ days aren’t so far gone after all.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Copa America live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2024

Preview: Uruguay vs. Colombia

The second Copa América semi-final pits arguably the two most rousing teams at this tournament against each other.

By James Nalton

Uruguay scored nine goals in the group stage, and Colombia scored five in their quarter-final against Panama alone. We’ll gloss over Uruguay’s quarter-final against Brazil and hope the… let’s say different kind of entertainment in that game, was an aberration.

Uruguay are coached by Marcelo Bielsa and have Darwin Núñez leading the line. This can lead to some entertaining unpredictability and bursts of all-out attacking play, and they’re not afraid to go long to the bustling striker.

The directness of Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri has also stood out in this regard.

At the same time, Bielsa’s side have one of the best defensive records in the tournament so far. The one goal they did concede was a 95th-minute consolation strike scored by Panama’s Michael Amir Murillo.

Watch this Uruguay team and wonder why midfielder Nicolás de la Cruz has never played in Europe, then see his collection of trophies won with River Plate and consider he might not have needed to.

The impressive Venezuelans were the highest-rated team at this tournament, but Uruguay aren’t far behind them.

Colombia aren’t bad, either.

If you hadn’t watched any of the Copa América so far and were reading a preview of a Colombia knockout game exclaiming James Rodríguez the star of the show, you might think the article is from ten years ago. But this is happening here and now, and it is to be savoured.

This isn’t just some nostalgia trip, or a manager playing a player in their thirties because they feel they have to.

Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo is utilising James in such a way that it has led to the most productive tournament from the attacking playmaker since he starred in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

James leads the way for assists in this tournament with five, goals plus assists combined (6), chances created (15), and has the highest FotMob rating of any player at this Copa so far.

Only Lionel Messi has a higher expected assists score, both in total and per 90 minutes, and if James’s stats were attached to Messi, the Argentine would be receiving tremendous plaudits.

There’s a focus from James to go with his world-class technique which is especially apparent at set pieces. This, combined with the quicker, direct, tricky players such as winger Luis Díaz and midfielder Richard Ríos, has formed an attacking unit for Colombia that can be unstoppable.

Both Díaz and Ríos are among the top dribblers at this tournament, while in defence, right back Daniel Muñoz of Crystal Palace has also stood out.

Both these teams have been well supported at this tournament, so on and off the pitch this promises to be a passionate semifinal match in Charlotte.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Copa America live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2024

FotMob Daily Briefing: Four things to look out for in the second semi-final at EURO 2024

The Netherlands and England will face each other on Wednesday for the privilege of setting up a meeting with Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

By Graham Ruthven

Both teams have made the most of landing on the perceived weaker side of the bracket to make a run to the semi-finals, but now must lift their performance levels to take the next step and move within one match of Euro glory.

Will Cody Gakpo prevent Bukayo Saka from playing his own game?

Without Bukayo Saka, England likely would have exited Euro 2024 in the quarter-finals. Indeed, the Arsenal winger produced a moment of magic to draw England level against Switzerland and posed a threat throughout down the right side through his dribbling and willingness to drive at defenders one-on-one.

In Cody Gakpo, though, the Netherlands boast an attacker who will be just as dangerous on the same wing. Gareth Southgate’s decision to stick with a back three would put pressure on Saka to help out Kyle Walker and stop him from being isolated by Gakpo which in turn could limit the England winger’s effectiveness getting forward.

Midfield battle will focus on Kobbie Mainoo and Tijjani Reijnders

Kobbie Mainoo has given England some much-needed dynamism through the centre of the pitch at Euro 2024 and the same could be said of Tijjani Reijnders for the Netherlands. Both players will be tasked with carrying the ball through the lines on Wednesday, but which midfielder will fare better?

While Mainoo will have Declan Rice alongside him to provide security, Reijnders will have Jerdy Schouten. With neither team expected to truly open up, it will be on these two ball-carrying midfielders to create overloads and create pockets of space ahead of them. This will be a barometer of the Netherlands and England’s performance level during the match.

Would a fit again Luke Shaw change England’s balance as a team?

The left back position has been a constant point of discussion throughout England’s Euro 2024 campaign. That is because until recently The Three Lions didn’t have a fit and available left back with the right-footed Kieran Trippier filling in. Luke Shaw, however, could start against the Netherlands having come off the bench in the quarter-final.

Having Shaw – a natural left-footer – in the lineup from the start could give England better overall balance. This was apparent in the 32 minutes Shaw played against Switzerland when his overlapping runs provided greater options to Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze. His energy could help England exploit any space behind Denzel Dumfries.

How will England handle the physical threat of Wout Weghorst?

Wout Weghorst is frequently a social media punchline, but the 6ft 6” striker has made a serious impact for the Netherlands at Euro 2024. He changed the game off the bench against Türkiye in the quarter-final and gave the Dutch a much-needed focal point in their attacking line. Weghorst could start against England.

Marc Guehi and John Stones haven’t faced a physical threat at Euro 2024 like Weghorst whose movement inside the penalty area is better than most appreciate. Ronald Koeman might opt to start with Memphis Depay as his centre forward, but Weghorst will surely feature at some point. He gives the Netherlands a different dimension.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2024

FotMob Reaction: Argentina reach Copa America Final

Argentina saw off Canada with minimal fuss in their Copa America semi-final matchup in New Jersey, though Jesse Marsch’s side might think they could have made more of the attacking situations they created.

By James Nalton

The defending champions reached the final in Miami with a 2-0 win at the MetLife stadium, the home of NFL sides the Jets and the Giants and the venue for the 2026 World Cup final, thanks to goals in each half from Julián Álvarez and Lionel Messi.

Though this South American tournament was being played in North America, the stands for this game were filled with the blue and white of Argentina, most wearing Messi shirts.

There were pockets of the red and white of Canada, but this was a distinctly Conmebol crowd, despite the tournament being played on the northern side of the Americas.

On the pitch, Argentina didn’t really get out of first gear. In the final, when they face either Uruguay or Colombia, they might be made to pay for some of their defensive lapses in transition.

As it was, Canada created some good moments but didn’t have the quality to execute on the break.

Argentina sauntered out of East Rutherford with what was, in the end, a comfortable win.

Messi finds the spotlight at the right time

Having had a couple of measured first-half sighters go off target, Messi’s first goal of the tournament was a more instinctive, poachers effort.

Lurking in front of the goal as the ball found its way to Enzo Fernández on the edge of the area, he was perfectly placed to turn the ball past Maxime Crépeau.

At first, it looked like he might have been offside, but Messi had taken advantage of a ragged Canada back line that was slow to regroup as the ball was half cleared.

Messi seems to be getting into the mood at just the right time. Prior to this game, his only goal contribution was one assist in the group stage opener against the same opponent, and he also sat out the group game against Ecuador completely.

If coach Lionel Scaloni has got his timing right, Messi could peak at this tournament at the final in Miami, where he currently plays his club football in Major League Soccer. The story is set for it.

Canada almost cause trouble

For Canada, it felt like they had great opportunities to create good chances, rather than a case of them missing chances.

The pass before the chance, and some composure in their buildup play, was lacking.

The New Jersey heat may have affected the energy levels of the players to some extent, and much of Canada’s game is built around a tireless work rate on and off the ball. Still, this was far from a slow-paced game and in some ways suited Marsch’s tactics.

They constantly had their eye on the counter-attack, even if they were not effective at executing it. Nevertheless, they posed a continuous threat via this route to goal, on the off chance one such move might come off.

A couple of their biggest chances fell to substitute Tani Oluwaseyi later in the game, and though they weren’t entirely clear-cut, he might be disappointed to not see at least one of them find the net and make for a nervous final few minutes for Argentina.

The stats tell a tale of one team creating two big chances and scoring them, and another creating two big chances and missing them.

At least Canada now know they can trouble the heavyweights of international football, and have something to build upon.

Emiliano Martínez could be as important as Messi

Argentina’s goalkeeper isn’t usually far from the spotlight when he dons his national team colours. Colours that are currently dyed into his hair.

On one occasion, a clearance of his, hit high into the humid night air, hit the Skycam — the camera which is suspended from each corner of the stadium roof and follows the action around the pitch from above.

Martínez must have thought it was getting too close to the pitch and sent it a warning.

Despite Canada’s general wastefulness, the Aston Villa man did have to make a couple of stops in this game. A close-range effort from Alphonso Davies tested his concentration as much as his reflexes.

This wasn’t his most challenging of tests, but the opponents in the final are likely to be more effective in the final third than Canada.

With the ever-looming possibility of a penalty shootout in such a final, Martínez will continue to relish his role as one of the big characters who helps define this successful Argentina team.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Copa America live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jul

2024

Preview: Netherlands vs. England

The second semi-final at EURO 2024 takes place on Wednesday evening in Dortmund as the Netherlands and England do battle to see who will have the privilege of facing Spain in Berlin for Sunday’s final.

By Nathan Evans

Both nations have faced similar frustrations during their respective campaigns, with Ronald Koeman’s side finishing third in Group C, while the Three Lions have been rather lacklustre from an attacking perspective – in contrast to how they looked on paper before the competition began.

But that all now goes out of the window as Signal Iduna Park hosts the latest clash between two footballing nations who have shared some notable past meetings. From Koeman’s antics during the pair’s famous 1994 World Cup qualification match to the Netherlands’ 3-1 extra time victory in their last head-to-head fixture during the UEFA Nations League finals, a new chapter will be written this midweek.

To say this semi-final is an intriguing affair would be an understatement. England would have been considered heavy favourites for this match from a pre-tournament perspective but given Gareth Southgate’s sides lack of cutting edge and in-game energy so far, the Dutch seem the side to beat on Wednesday.

But despite their limitations at this tournament in Germany, England have really built a resilience that has not been seen from them in a long, long time. A 95^th minute Jude Bellingham equaliser against Slovakia in the Round of 16 highlighted that first, before Bukayo Saka managed the same feat versus Switzerland in last Saturday’s quarter-final.

The Three Lions even looked incredibly comfortable during the ensuing penalty shootout, dispatching all five of their spot kicks with absolute conviction, a far cry from prior competitions that have cost them so dearly.

Even despite that outcome, it’s clear to see that Southgate’s side will simply have to perform better during the 90 minutes to keep this talented Dutch outfit at bay. Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has looked excellent on the left wing at EURO 2024 to date, netting a joint competition-leading three goals, whilst his national and club teammate Virgil Van Dijk remains a rock in the backline.

Additionally, Xavi Simons remains more than capable of producing magic at the drop of a hat in midfield and in Denzel Dumfries, the Netherlands still possess one of Europe’s most potent attacking full backs.

As a result, expect England to remain in their back three shape, as seen against the Swiss in their quarter final victory, as they’ll try to suffocate the Dutch attack where possible. Then England fans will be hoping that their side can finally click and reach their full potential in order to qualify for a second successive final at the UEFA European Championships.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2024

Jacob Shaffelburg: The Canada winger who jolts the Reds with his energy

There always was a plan, but it looked like Jacob Shaffelburg had surprised even himself by scoring for Canada against Venezuela. He ran to the corner and then recalled the plan: Go to the bench, grab the shirt of injured winger Tajon Buchanan and hold it up in his honour.

By Jon Arnold

Canada definitely miss Buchanan, who broke his tibia in training ahead of the Copa América quarter-final, but Shaffelburg has been such a dynamic wide attacker for the Reds that opposing full-backs still have plenty to think about. Now the player christened the “Maritime Messi” thanks to his Atlantic Coast roots and his dynamic style of play, goes against the original Messi hoping to spring a surprise and get Canada into the Copa América final.

Perhaps Shaffelburg doesn’t look like the type of player who would be drawing attention during Argentina’s film session ahead of the teams’ Copa América semi-final. With a mop of curly hair styled into a modern mullet and sometimes sporting a wispy moustache, the uninformed may say it’s more likely he’d fit in at the hotspots of East Nashville rather than GEODIS Park where his club team Nashville SC play their matches.

Underestimate the winger, though, and you’ll soon be chasing after him. He ended the quarter-final with five touches in the opposing area and completed one of the four dribbles he looked to pull off. He also won five duels as Canada continued to put an aggressive style of play on the field. He also won a number of free kicks and overall brought a jolt of energy onto the field for Canada in a stadium filled with Venezuela supporters.

Canada manager Jesse Marsch now will feel comfortable utilizing Shaffelburg from the opening whistle or bringing him in to change the tone of a match as a substitute.

“He’s got confidence in me. I think he knows I’m a player who works off not too much information, just kind of lets me be free and run,” Shaffelburg said when asked about his pre-match instructions from Marsch. “It was just running in behind, doing what I do best. That was it.”

If there’s an issue, it may be that Shaffelburg is putting too much into each match.

“It’s hard to withstand it the whole time. Something I’ve got to work on is playing full 90s and balancing out all my sprints, but it’s been a lot of fun,” he said.

But while that’s something to build on in the future, right now Marsch and his staff can utilize the 24-year-old for an hour before bringing in an alternative like Liam Millar who came in to see out the game against Venezuela, which Canada eventually won in a penalty shootout.

Seeing Canada in the Copa América semi-final may be jarring, but behind Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and other rising stars, the North American squad is looking to become regulars in the late rounds of tournaments like the Copa América and Gold Cup. It may be time to stop being surprised Canada is hanging with the big boys in the region. It’s definitely time to stop being surprised that Shaffelburg is influencing matches. He also scored for Canada in the play-off against Trinidad and Tobago to get to the tournament. Tonight, he’ll look to add another jaw-dropping moment to the resume.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2024

Analysis: Why France and England’s ‘Sufferball’ styles are not the same

France and England could be on a collision course for the Euro 2024 final, although both Spain and the Netherlands might have something to say about that. If it does materialise, however, many fear it could be one of the most hard-to-watch major tournament finals given the two teams’ boring style of play. However, there is a key difference between them that could strongly influence their chances.

By Neel Shelat

If we had to pick a word of the tournament for Euro 2024, it would probably be ‘Sufferball’. The term is used to describe the painful-to-watch styles of play that teams often adopt in tournament football, with the intention being to grind out results in tight matches by being extremely risk-averse. The chief proponents of this approach in Germany have been France and England, but there is a critical difference between the two which we may soon see.

France: Suffering for Success

Didier Deschamps is looking to become the only man to win both the World Cup and European Championship as a player and manager, and he wants to do it by hook or crook. He has been quite defensive about his style of play in more ways than one – both in terms of its implementation on the pitch and when asked about it in press conferences. “If we’re boring you, you can watch something else”.

The 55-year-old tactician can boast of a mightily impressive record in charge of Les Bleus having taken them to the Euro 2016 final, brought the World Cup home in 2018 and broken the champions’ curse in 2022 to reach the final once again. Even so, it is now six years since their last major trophy, and this mini-drought seems to have prompted Deschamps to somewhat change his approach.

Over the years, Deschamps has been happy to let his teams attack with a decent amount of freedom. France were the top scorers at Euro 2016 when they lost to Portugal in extra-time and won the next World Cup by defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final having scored four in a prior knockout tie against Argentina as well. He has since been forced to put the handbrake on a little as a lack of defensive solidity cost France in the Round of 16 of Euro 2020 when Switzerland beat them on penalties after a 3-3 draw, and again in the last World Cup final.

France’s national team is currently enjoying something of a golden generation, spearheaded by Kylian Mbappé but with world-class players in all positions from Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield to William Saliba in defence and Mike Maignan in goal. This team can really be shaped in any way the manager wants, so now, Deschamps is trying his hand at completely locking things down defensively.

He has always used a solid defensive block rather than press, but now, his side’s in-possession approach has also gotten much more risk-averse. In big games in the current tournament, he has dropped a forward for a midfielder to form a trio including Tchouaméni, N’Golo Kanté and Adrien Rabiot – all of whom are more concerned with protecting the back line than going forward to pose an attacking threat.

At least from the defensive perspective, this approach has worked as France have kept the most clean sheets and conceded the fewest goals at the tournament. That is not to say that they have not had any lapses, but one of their world-class defenders has almost always bailed them out.

The question for Deschamps, though, is why he needs to protect his back line so much when he already has the tournament’s strongest defensive unit. One may argue that he is better off adding more attacking threat instead given the fact that France set an unwanted record by becoming the first team to go four games without a single open-play goal from any of their players (and extended it to five in the quarter-final). Upon closer inspection, though, it becomes clear that their tactics are not the biggest problem in this respect.

Les Bleus have had a hard time in front of goal due to two major factors: a lack of stability in the attacking department and a glaring lack of clinicality. The first issue can be put down to the lack of an established striker as well as Mbappé’s weakened performances following his injury, which in turn should also explain the second. The problem is not that France are not getting into promising positions, but instead that their players are then making bad decisions and/or executing poorly.

Had they made more of their chances, we could easily be lauding France as one of the best teams of the tournament rather than discussing their issues. Now, there is a debate to be had about whether Deschamps’ move to an ultra-risk-averse approach is the best way to approach tournament football as one of the favourites, but either way, it should be clear that his underlying ideas going into the tournament made sense and have worked to a decent extent.

We should also note that France’s approach is not best suited in any way for matches against fellow risk-averse opposition such as Belgium or Portugal but instead geared for games against more proactive sides. So, all the suffering could well be worth it IF they get the better of Spain tonight.

England: Suffering without Success

At surface level, Gareth Southgate and England may seem quite similar to Deschamps and France as both managers have overseen a sustained period of success for the national team. At this tournament, they are both unbeaten with seemingly similar Sufferball approaches yielding the same aggregate goal difference of +2 across five matches.

England should not see that as a sign that they have performed at a similar level to France because the quality of opposition they have faced has been vastly different. While Les Bleus have taken on the Netherlands and Austria in the group before sending Belgium and Portugal packing in the knockouts, the Three Lions scraped through a straightforward group with Denmark, Serbia and Slovenia before enjoying a relatively simple knockout route, facing Slovakia and Switzerland so far.

Even though they have not been tested by opposition of the strongest calibre, England have struggled. They could only score once in the group, needed Jude Bellingham’s late heroics to save them from a premature Round of 16 exit, and only overcame Switzerland on penalties.

Southgate’s tactics have held his exceptionally talented squad back in this tournament. He has made and doubled down on some decisions such as starting Trent Alexander-Arnold in a midfield role in which he spent more time in front of the ball than behind it, or insisting on using Kieran Trippier as a left back despite his right-footedness and inability to pose a threat going forward on that flank.

As a result, England’s attacking has been completely one-dimensional with almost everything going through Bukayo Saka on the right wing. Consequently, they are very easy to defend against – at least in terms of coming up with a plan to stifle that tactic. Worse yet, they can also be gotten at by pressing high as Jordan Pickford has been very trigger-happy with long balls.

The real issue is that the Three Lions’ in-possession approach has nothing to do with being risk-averse or trying to support the defence. It is quite simply bad as a consequence of a poorly designed plan which has not been fixed and is thrown out of the window in the hour of need.

Contrary to France, England are still in the tournament because a couple of game-changing moments from their forwards have masked much larger attacking issues and some potential defensive frailties. They are far from solid in either aspect, so unless Southgate makes some much-needed changes, they could well be exposed in the next match or two.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.