The Half & Half Scarf Football Podcast - Episode 57
Welcome to Episode 57 of the Half & Half Scarf Football Podcast with Nick & Dom.
Early spoiler alert if you have been living in a cave or under a rock and don't know the results of the 2 WC Semi-Finals - ha ha.
As the World Cup enters the real business end, we have just 2 games that decide the finalists – (and also the two who will contest the most pointless game in world sport – the laughingly named “Bronze Final"). What is the point of that?????
There were certainly a couple of shocks – well one shock and one shocker!
This is the first time ever that the top 4 nations in the FIFA World Rankings have made the final 4 in ANY World Cup competition. That in itself is amazing, but how did it play out?
We don’t do tactical breakdowns, but as two very experienced match-going fans, we do bring our observations to bear in a podcast discussion and chat which we hope you will find interesting.
France v Spain
The Irresistible Force v The Immovable Object, except that the irresistible force was like an electric vehicle with a flat battery and it never got going.
Was it the exceptional performance of Spain, and let’s face it, they were brilliant – (if also VERY comfortable), or were France genuinely THAT poor and found out as a result?
Is it most likely somewhere in between – and perhaps we will find out in the Final, which Spain cruised though to in second gear.
Who shone, who disappointed, who was invisible and who was in total and utter control throughout?
This was a result that many didn’t see coming, but this is also the third summer in a row that a Spain side has beaten a French side in a senior men’s football tournament – so is it really a surprise?
One thing is certain, the French lost the plot and sulked their way to the Bronze Final in a right strop! I bet they cannot wait.
England v Argentina
Make sure the kids are not listening or watching……
The evening after the night before as we record this special episode, we are still shaking our heads as to how a team with at least some element of threat, if not total control can go from that to less than 12% possession immediately after scoring to immediately after conceding their second Argentinian goal – letting one of the world’s greatest players have the freedom of Atlanta to completely run the show for half an hour?
Baffling and annoying in equal measure.
We reveal a pre-match dark-arts stat that maybe gave a clue as to how they would play and how they would get away with their aggressive tactics.
So, did Argentina come for a game or a fight – their first have disgraceful display would certainly indicate the latter – but after England scored, they concentrated on what they are quite brilliant at – so why not from the start?
At the end of the match, several of the Argentina players unveiled a Malvinas Flag and an incendiary banner, a clear breach of FIFA rules, which usually means sanctions such as match bans. Does ANYONE think that FIFA will issue any to their clear favourites – no chance.
As always, lots to get your teeth into.
What do you think? Are we right, are we wrong, do you have a different view or opinion? If you want to comment or reach out, please do. We would love to hear from you......
We hope that you enjoy this episode more than we enjoyed the game last night.
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