World Cup Willie - Week 3

It's all hotting up as sides begin to fly home. Scott has your essential sideways look at week 3

I don't know if your work had a sweepstake for this year's World Cup. Mine did, but I’m at the stage in my job where any attempt to lighten the mood beyond work, like a night out, anything free or even giving us bottled water in the heatwave is treated with as much suspicion as a £5m gift from a Thai crypto king.

I only ask because finally after about 700 games, we are starting to get teams flying home and thus crushing your sweepstake dreams for another couple of years until the European Championship arrives and some people think football starts again.

Some of the reactions to teams going home have been incredible and right up my street. Bear in mind I got into an argument with some sap for booing Newcastle off after the home derby embarrassment, so the reactions of South Korea and Uruguay have been a breath of fresh air for yours truly.

Infantino’s endless global quest for votes has meant that it's actually very hard to get knocked out in the first phase. Very hard. Then if you do, watch the sparks fly.

Italy got pelted with tomatoes after 1966 of course, but tomatoes can't be wasted in these cost of living crisis days, so the people of Seoul and Montevideo just went with pure old vitriol instead which is as free as a bird.

Koreans swarmed to the airport and held up flags like “Korean football is dead”. The coach Hong Myung Bo then arrived after doing his duty free. Public enemy number one. Even the President has called for an inquiry into why he was given the job. The whole country smells a bit of good old corruption.

In a move which I don't approve of, the players were softly applauded. The coach did resign after getting his luggage and a police escort out of the airport. Looks like he’s the fall guy. He leaves with a toblerone and some aftershave from the airport but swapped his career and dignity for them.

Uruguay on the other hand had a nightmare scenario tournament. First round exit with a massive support when they had genuinely considered the semi finals a target. Bielsa always gives good copy and his reaction to the exit has become as legendary as when he did his shopping in Morrisons in Leeds in his shorts straight after training.

Whatever Bielsa was trying, it didn't work. What we know about his training methods and emphasis on running a million miles an hour and pressing like a lemon squeezer and inflicting that on an aging squad full of cliques looked doomed to failure, but not group stage ‘doom to failure’. The Argentinianisms didn't help either.

Bielsa followed Steve Clarke in having a meltdown in the immediate post-match interview. Those are harshly timed, but coaches have got interviewed immediately after games for years now. Clarke came across as surly, but Bielsa lost the plot pre-interview, shouting, screaming and going out in a blaze of glory.

Someone framed the golden video of him screaming and looking like a hippo with its mouth wide open. This to a hippo is a way of communicating, but the only communication Bielsa was giving off was that he wasn't particularly bothered about leaving amicably. After about six days, he gave a rambling interview which lasted an hour and a half - he had resigned and one of the great mavericks is probably riding off into the sunset with most people wondering whether he was actually that good to start with. Leeds fans will tell you otherwise.

Clarke and Scotland parted ways despite signing a new four-year deal this year, but the other big hitters who went home early, Turkiye, stuck with Vincenzo Montella. At least he refused to resign anyway. A bit of a difference.

The unluckiest team to go out in the first round were undoubtedly Iran. They were unbeaten but needed to beat Egypt. Shoja Khalizadeh turned home in injury time to apparently win it. The celebrations were immense; the scorer himself put some sunglasses on and posed for photos. However VAR, as ever, spoiled the fun as his toe was offside. They then hit the bar in the 96th minute but a draw meant they would go through as a best third place if either Algeria or Austria won their game.

In a situation which can be best described as ‘iffy’, both sides scored in injury time to confirm qualification for both and Iran dropped below Senegal on goal difference in the third place table. The “most victimised team at the World Cup” were out and you had to feel sorry for them. Don't think their coach looked like a hippo in the interview for your information.

So to recap, apart from the ones mentioned above, Czechia, Qatar, Haiti, Curacao, Tunisia, New Zealand, Iraq, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Panama bit the dust.

The round of 32 (I know, I know) on Sunday night/ Monday morning saw two massive countries go out. The Germans and Dutch had been hoping to win the trophy, but both will go back to a disgruntled home country with so many more questions than answers.

The Netherlands were very good in the Group stage and were minutes away from putting out a much fancied Morocco side, but yet again, they failed on penalties. An affliction they can't seem to rid themselves of. Koeman surely won't be asked back again.

The Germans though have major problems. The win at any cost mentality born into the players from years and years of international success by swathes of generations of players has been replaced by a team looking full of square pegs in round holes and zero confidence against a very limited but defiant Paraguay. Nick Woltemade summed up the whole team with a pitiful penalty. Germany used to break the mould; now they are just like the rest of us. For them, there is no bigger kick in the groin than that.

Canada are still there after seeing off an ultra defensive South Africa who at one point passed between keeper and centre half FIVE times. They wanted penalties but were awful. Canada playing in LA was a bit of a shock to the system.

France and THAT front four were too good for Sweden. Isak would have fit in that front four nicely two years ago, but he must have been wondering where it all went wrong as France toyed with a team who didn't win a single match in qualification.

Mexico will play England, of course, in a magnificent next round tie with the altitude and passion of Mexico baying for an England side yet to play a decent full half, but still there.

Mexico got through easier than expected against an Ecuador side ebullient after beating Germany a few days before. England, as you all saw, relied on Harry Kane and on Wissa hitting the post when it was easier to score. Despite an electric showing at times, DR Congo go home. They did however erase the ghosts of Zaire’s comical showing in 1974.

Monday saw two gripping games, both settled late, as Brazil beat Japan and Norway beat Ivory Coast.

Brazil, like England, have not fired yet either and looked in trouble at one down to Japan, but dragged themselves through. Bruno was at his best in the second half and did the most to pull Brazil through. They look very beatable though and look to be playing on the edge every game and just hanging on. Someone will probably stamp on their hands at some point.

Norway and Haaland eventually saw off the Ivorians with a goal he didn't mean at all. Please no more of this Viking rowing shit. It sits just behind the Wonderwall antics in terms of cringe.

How did Senegal blow that one ?

They were superb for 80 odd minutes against an ageing Belgian side who fought amongst themselves and made Germany look like the future of football. Senegal were two up on 86 minutes, but still lost and this lack of killer instinct was seen all the way through the World cup and one of the most talented teams there lost three out of four games.

USA saw off a surprisingly negative Bosnia, despite being down to ten men. The American side looked slick and confident, but may rue Balogun’s sickly challenge as he really had looked a focal point up until now.

While the World Cup thus far hasn't set alight whatsoever, little gems have occurred and with just a few shocks so far, most of the big guns will inevitably meet.

Maybe it's just simmering.

Scott Robson