Have you ever wondered why you feel anxious when facing the unknown? The answer lies in evolutionary biology, which dictated that those who maintained a healthy skepticism survived while those who went on to struggle for trouble unwound their mortal coil. Familiarity does not breed contempt; it actually gives us a warm feeling. Football fans sadly lost that warm feeling after England played a brand of attacking football to beat Croatia 4-2, but that familiar feeling of reveling in English mediocrity returned for the second leg as England huffed and puffed in a supposed group game against a supposed minnow nation.The Three Lions shirt is a remarkable magical object, one that can turn a world-beater into a mediocre player overnight. Take it Wayne Rooneyone of the Premier League’s greatest players, whose performances in an England shirt in every tournament since Euro 2004 left much to be desired. The Man Utd legend has just one World Cup goal to his credit. That means he hit more balls than he put in the net at the World Cup. England’s performance against Ghana, in that sense, was a remarkable throwback to the times of a bygone era, what Don Draper would call the pang of nostalgia and England fans would call utter tosh.But while English fans will reflect if they are cursed with the albatross of the second match, a man who would have laughed is the godfather of all football managers: Sir Alex Ferguson. A proud Scotsman, Ferguson refused the England job twice and said: “There was no way I could contemplate taking the England job. Can you imagine me doing that? A Scotsman? I always joked that I would take the position and relegate: make them the 150th ranked country in the world, with Scotland 149.“And the fact that it was his former assistant Carlos Queiroz’s Ghana who blew England away would have made him laugh even more, as would the fact that England had 78.8% of possession and still failed to find the back of the net, the highest possession figure recorded for a goalless World Cup draw since 1966.For old time’s sake, Queiroz also pulled some classic Ferguson lines after the match, asking if VAR was working at the World Cup, if the VAR referee had gone on holiday in the second half, and if he had gone out for a coffee.Before he made Fergie-like breakthroughs in international football, Queiroz was the man who helped build Ferguson’s third great team at Manchester United. Ferguson was a big fan, calling him the assistant who challenged him intellectually and the “closest you could get to being the manager of Manchester United without actually holding the title”.
Under Queiroz, United moved away from their swashbuckling 4-4-2 style, with two wings and two central midfielders, towards a more flexible 4-3-3 that gave them more balance in midfield, more fluid forwards and a counter-attacking structure that could also defend. It was the form that helped turn United into a more serious European force. One game that stands out was Manchester United’s Champions League semi-final win over Barcelona in 2008, decided by a classic Paul Scholes goal and a defensive masterclass over two legs in which Barcelona dominated possession and still lost. One wonders if United’s two encounters with Barcelona in the 2009 and 2011 finals might have been a little different if Queiroz had still been around.He was also instrumental in signing players from Portugal and Brazil, including Cristiano RonaldoNani and Anderson, and helped turn Ronaldo from a touch and tease teenager into an athletic specimen who became the complete footballer, the one whose rivalry with Lionel Messi dominated almost two decades of football.Like his compatriot and former student Jose Mourinho, the first goal of Carlos Queiroz is not to lose, which leads to what has been called “sufferball”, where both teams suffer, but only one does it willingly. Against England, Queiroz had a clear structure: a disciplined mid-block, a tight back line, Thomas Partey screening the defense, and England was forced into wide possession without becoming a serious goal threat. Ghana had no desire to win the high ball from England’s centre-backs. Instead, they protected the center, cleared the attacking midfielders of England and prevented Harry Kane from dropping into pockets and combining. As DAZN’s analysis said, England had “width without penetration”.At half-time, England had 78% of the ball, but only a clear view of goal. At the end of the match, they had 19 attempts, but could only produce three shots on target. That was no accident. Ghana allowed England to circulate possession in harmless areas, then closed down the areas that mattered: the lane in Jude Bellingham, the pocket that Kane wanted to occupy, and the middle areas where England’s wide players wanted to cut inside. When the ball went wide, Ghana’s defenders kept their shape, the center backs protected the box, and Partey discovered the danger zone in front of them.It was Queiroz-ball in its purest form. You can hold the ball, you can pass around, you can have all the numbers but you won’t score. It was the kind of spectacle that warmed the cockles of a Scotsman’s heart, especially one who loathed the English.
Return of GOAT?
From the Portuguese managers, it is time to return to the players of Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo, whose failure to score grabbed the headlines in the first leg scored twice in a 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan and announced to the camera that he was back. The real question, despite his two goals, is: should he still be around?
Sure, Ronaldo scored 10 goals for Portugal in the World Cup to pass Eusebio and become Portugal’s most prolific player, but Eusebio only played one World Cup. The fact remains that this was Ronaldo’s first major tournament goal from open play in five years. When asked about Messi in the mixed zone, Ronaldo remained silent perhaps because, as The Athletic noted, Messi’s five goals came against teams ranked in the top 30. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is ranked 50th in the world.In the day’s other games, Croatia did what they usually do in World Cup tournaments to keep their qualification hopes alive, as Modric turned the clock on his 200th international appearance, becoming the fourth man to achieve this unique feat. Colombia also beat DR Congo 1-0, meaning they could still dream of topping the group ahead of Portugal. Even more impressive than Colombia came despite DR Congo’s mascot, Lumumba Vea, standing tall with his hand raised in the stands.
Day 14 Look ahead
Group B CUT: 1:30 AMWe are now in the business end of the group which means that all group matches will now be at the same time so no one can game the system. Group B matches will be Switzerland vs Canada to decide who controls the group. Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Qatar is effectively a shootout and a draw won’t help either and whichever team wins will be in a good position to qualify for third place.Group CDOG: 3:30 AMIn group C, Brazil take on Scotland. Brazil have four points, Scotland have three, meaning a draw will help them both qualify. If Brazil win, Scotland could still qualify, but that will depend on other matches. Morocco takes on Haiti and like Brazil they are on four points and only need a draw to confirm qualification. Haiti, on the other hand, could still remain mathematically alive if they manage to beat Morocco.Group ACUT: 6:30 AM Co-hosts Mexico take on the Czech Republic. The first are already through after two wins while the Czech Republic has a point and must beat Mexico to stay alive. Meanwhile, South Korea takes on South Africa. The Asian giants have three points and could qualify with either a win or a draw.
Premier League representative
The Premier League likes to walk the biggest show on earth. Real soccer fans insist it’s the World Cup. But how many Premier League players are there in this tournament? According to league data, 182 players linked to the Premier League (169 current and 13 registered for 2026-27) will feature in the World Cup. Now, while the Premier League presenters are shocked to learn, there are other leagues in the English football structure that bring the total count to around 200 players at the World Cup. German clubs have 109 players. French clubs have 86. Spain has 86. Italian clubs, despite Italy not qualifying, still have 49 players. Meanwhile, 44 of the players ply their trade in MLS.
Meme WATCH
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