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- [00:00]
Contentful Marketer
Marketers. You know that feeling when your creative clicks, when that social post sends engagement through the roof, when your outside of the box campaign hits ROI positive, when a personalized homepage turns prospects into customers. It's utter marketing bliss. Contentful helps you create tailored omnichannel experiences without working overtime. No stress, no limits, only possibilities. Get the feels@contentful.com this Monday.com ad was
- [00:29]
Adam Leventhal
created by a team of people and AI agents. The agents wrote the copy and managed
- [00:34]
Contentful Marketer
the timelines, while our human creative director made sure it all made sense.
- [00:38]
Adam Leventhal
Easy. Create your own AI agent today on
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Matt Slater
Monday.com
- [00:45]
Sponsor Voice
this episode of the Athletic FC is sponsored by BOSS, businesswear provider for the US Men's National Soccer team. Long before kickoff, the performance has already begun. For the players, the crest is not simply worn, it's earned. Boss understands what it takes to build something worthy of a crest. Constant refinement, precision in every stitch. And as the USMNT steps into the spotlight on home soil, BOSS is outfitting those who wear the badge, empowering them to step forward with confidence, express their individuality and be their own boss in relaxed, lightweight and breathable tailoring from Boss Performance and soccer fans, BOSS has you covered too. Whether you want to look and feel as sharp as your hero's emboss performance or show your pride from the stands in jerseys, polos and jackets in national colors and badges, own the moment with confidence. Discover the BOSS performance collection as worn by the US Men's national soccer team and the fan capsule of jerseys, polos and jackets in national colours. Wear your passion your way and be your own boss@boss.com or at your nearest boss store,
- [01:48]
Monday.com User
the Athletic FC.
- [01:53]
Adam Leventhal
Hi there and welcome to the Athletic FC podcast with me, Adam Leventhal. Sir Captain Kane Steven saves England. Once again, controversy for the USA as Balogun sees red after scoring against Bosnia and Herzegovina. And Belgium bounce back in spectacular style to see off Senegal. Well, here in the studio we have the Athletics, Karl Anker and Liam Toomey. And we have to be honest, this could have been a very, very different podcast, but for the wonderful Harry Kane.
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Sponsor Voice
Kane. Kane could get a shot in. Oh yes. Oh yes.
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Matt Slater
England have never needed.
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Liam Toomey
Yep, dump the running order. Inquest pod.
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Adam Leventhal
Yeah, that was close. That was close.
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Karl Anker
A little too close for my liking.
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Sponsor Voice
Yes.
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Adam Leventhal
Yeah, it was. So USA, Belgium and England through to the round of 16. England coming from behind to beat Dr. Congo. Two 1. Captain Kane saving the day as we said, witnessed in Atlanta by Jack Pitt Brook.
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Jack Pitt-Brooke
It was a very strange game. I thought that England was So poor for certainly the first 20 minutes when they went one nil down. It really felt quite a lot like Iceland at that point. England then turned around second, second half of the first half, got back in the game, had a lot of chances, but really they needed Harry Kane as ever to sort it out for them at the end. He equalised with the header, then scored a brilliant second. And I think it's only fair to say after this game that Kane is probably England's greatest ever player. That's 84 England goals now, 20 in major tournaments. And England's chances of doing anything at this World cup rest entirely on his shoulders. But I think on the other side of the argument, England was so poor again defensively for long stretches here. They conceded early on. Johan Wisse hit the post at the end of the first half. That would have made it 20 to Dr. Congo. And I think it would have been very difficult for England to come back from that. And I think anyone who's seen England defend in the last few games, I mean they conceded so many chances against Panama, even against Ghana, they should have conceded a penalty. And I imagine that will probably come back to bite them at some point this tournament, maybe it will be Mexico in the last 16, maybe it'll be Brazil in the quarterfinals, but I don't think this England defence is good enough to win a World Cup. I think part of that problem is individuals. The defenders they have out on the pitch are not necessarily top players. I think it's also structure. England are not as good as they used to be at pressing the opposition to stop them from attacking. So that's probably the biggest worry that I have as I prepare to go to Mexico for the last 16.
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Adam Leventhal
So, yeah, Jack covering the good, the bad and the ugly of England. But let's start with the good, shall we? Let's start with Harry Kane, Jack calling him England's greatest ever player. Here's some stats for you. 84 goals in 118 caps, 31 more goals than any other Englishman. Closing in on the all time appearance record, which has been held for a very, very long time by Peter Shilton. He scored 20 goals in major tournaments, 13 in World Cups. Joint sixth on the all time list. Jack is right, isn't he, that he's the greatest ever England player?
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Liam Toomey
Certainly on the volume argument. I mean, there will always be people that will argue he hasn't got a tournament win to his name. Maybe that changes this summer. Doesn't look super likely at this point, but if you just look at the goals The. The longevity, I think, and increasingly him showing up when he's needed most, which I think we're so unused to seeing an England superstar be a superstar in. In the biggest moments. And he rescued England against Congo.
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Adam Leventhal
Greatest ever.
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Karl Anker
Greatest ever of the 21st century. I'll say. I think when the chips are down and the lights are bright Harry Kane is there in the cold, in the dark Harry Kane is there. When you're in the little bit of the ocean where your feet can't quite touch the ground Harry Kane is there and look, it hasn't.
- [05:41]
Liam Toomey
It sounds like this could be an England song.
- [05:43]
Karl Anker
It could be. Could be. It hasn't always worked. He had a very poor Euro 2024 by his lofty standards. I think Euro 2020 was actually the tournament of Raheem Sterling more than any other England player. And I think Sterling's. That tournament, I think, is perhaps the greatest tournament I've seen of England players start to finish 21st century, if you want to put that amendment. But it is incredibly rare for a top England player to go to this many tournaments and have this many good performances. Wayne Rooney only has one World cup goal, and that was in a pretty poor game in the 2014 tournament where England crashed out the group stages. So many great England players of the 21st century in particular have failed to step up. They've come into. After exhausting Premier League seasons, or had. Because of the nature of the Premier League, they've had this sort of ago and beef with other top four top six rivals. Whereas Harry Kane's just come in and gone, I'm going to do whatever is necessary to put this team further forward. And that second goal is absolutely stupendous. I was sat next to Liam Farmer in the office and I'm sorry, Liam, I'm going to tell the world that you asked Kane to pass it, you asked Kane to shift the ball and then he does that. And we all put our hands on our heads going, how on earth have you done this? Anthony Gordon running over to the corner afterwards, going up, yeah, too hot gesture. And, yeah, we're not. We are not used to having. We being England fans, are not used to having strikers capable of that sort of brilliance in those difficult moments. It's been so often glorious failure where you have that shot and it hits the bar or you. You spoon it or you biff it right at the last minute. But Kane not only found a way to get that extra interspace to get the shot off, but has that. I said on the Tifa podcast last Night somehow managed to find that extra 5 to 10% to go. I've had however many shots denied by this goalkeeper today. Jude Bellingham's had however many headers denied by this goalkeeper today. If I'm going to score, I need to do something extra special. I'm going to roof it and just to take that extra second to strike the ball in a way that's going to go up instead of just on target or just left and right. It's phenomenal. Phenomenal football player, and I think he sometimes gets put down upon because he played for a top multiple team that wouldn't win anything, or because of the fact that he's not the most captivating or charismatic speaker. But he is one of the best football players in the world without a shadow of a doubt.
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Liam Toomey
You can see it in the way his England teammates talk about him as well. You know, Anthony Gordon after this game saying he's having the best season of anyone's ever had, other than Leo Messi. And I think even Jude Bellingham, who has often been accused of being about himself or having an individualistic personality, even he said Kane's the best England player ever. You can see the reverence in the way they talk about him and also in the way that they play around him. I think he's been helped in this tournament by the fact that Thomas Tuchel has selected a squad that we've mentioned this before, which is basically the guiding philosophy is how will you play around Harry Kane, from the wingers to the midfielders? And that has put him in a better position to succeed. But he's still got to go out there and be the superstar when England need it. And I felt he wasn't in top gear right at the start of this tournament, and neither were England. But I thought he was broadly excellent in this game, even before he scored, the threat that he carried consistently and he fully deserved his two goals.
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Adam Leventhal
And Kane mentioned it afterwards, talking about hero moments. Obviously you can have the argument as to whether you want a team to be better functioning and not relying on just one ephemeral moment, albeit that's what football is about. So it is quite a nice thing. But that was Kane's moment, wasn't it? I know Jack Pitt. Brooke has been writing about this. It's a great piece. You can read it on the Athletic right now that, you know, Gazza had had his moment against Scotland, David Beckham against Greece in that World cup qualifier. People will remember this for a long, long time, won't they?
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Karl Anker
Oh, yeah. This is going on The BBC montage. This is going to go on the. When Harry Kane eventually retires and receives all sorts of honors from the Royal family, this goal will be part of the BBC News packages. Harry Kane remember when he scored this goal? Because I think it just exemplifies Harry Kane, unlikely looking individual, picking the ball up in a frankly difficult space and then finding a way to score a goal that makes everyone go, how? Yeah, how have you done that?
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Adam Leventhal
And it flew in, didn't it? 94 km an hour.
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Karl Anker
His ball striking is phenomenal. And he's never made a secret of how hard he works, on how hard he hits a football.
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Adam Leventhal
And you can see from how he celebrates and how he talks about England. And I've got this slightly muddied view at the moment because I'm watching Dear England dramatization. So I've also got his, his sort of characterization in my mind, but I know that it does mean so much. Yeah, to him and you can see that. And we're going to miss him when he's gone. I mean, you were talking about his age, what, he's 33 now. Who knows?
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Liam Toomey
He's only got probably two more World Cups.
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Adam Leventhal
Exactly by. Yeah, but I mean, you know, how much do you think this means to him?
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Liam Toomey
I think it's massive because he hasn't had. He hasn't been blessed with club success throughout his career. He's now emerging as a. As a serial winner at Bayern, getting the trophies that his players deserve for a long time. And I think he's probably brought that validation back to England as well. And I think it's made him a better England player. I think over time he's also grown into the captaincy and become more of a leader. And you can see that he's not necessarily, you know, a Churchillian speaker, but I think he's improved on that end. And I, I think his communication with his teammates is probably way higher than, you know, and much more of a priority to him than it is necessarily his communication in interviews or anything like that. It's clear his teammates play for him, respect him. Tuchel obviously has a huge reference for his game, having coached him at Bayern as well. And we knew this before the tournament, but it's clearer than ever now. England will go as far as he takes them.
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Adam Leventhal
We've done the good, let's do the bad. Now, how bad were England prior to that hydration break, really? They had chances and DRC had a wonderful goalkeeping performance. But England weren't functioning right, were they?
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Karl Anker
Can I shock you I think I quite like that. No, I don't think England would have won that game if it wasn't for the hydration break. Jack said that was Iceland 2016 levels before the hydration break and I'd say again the gap between the second start of the second half and the second hydration break, England were again very, very poor. This England team right now, defensive errors all over the field, individual errors that to my mind seem to have something to do with fatigue physically and mental fatigue. The wingers against the Ar Congo, Rashford and Maduecki were particularly poor and I think their final ball in so many situations in that first half across were particularly poor. I think Aaron Wan Bissaka got the better of playing against his former club teammate in Marcus Rashford and Nono Madawake. Liam, you'll be able to speak about this more than me. He does not seem to trust his right foot and that is just going to inhibit so many probe things about this England team. If you've got two wingers who Rashford's a bit more comfortable using his weaker foot but if they're not able to get past players and get that 1v1 separation from a defender and then deliver that final ball, then the how are you going to interact with Harry Kane is nullified because you're meant to be helping supply this. Rashford was something we've seen a lot more now he's at Barcelona. He's now beginning to cut inside more and getting these big looping crosses towards the back stick and they were successful eventually. But I think there's no surprise. You saw the changes from Tuchel. Anthony Gordon obviously getting two assists for Harry Kane, but also Saka, who for all intents and purposes is basically playing on one leg and yet is playing at such a more efficient rate than pretty much any of the players who've played on the wing for England so far. So I don't know if Saka can play 60 minutes in the next game, but it might be time to start him and just see how much he can give you before you eventually have to take him off for his own
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Adam Leventhal
production and reverse it and have Madoeki as the. As the impact player. I mean, you can speak to what Karl was saying there.
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Liam Toomey
Yeah. Although if the left wing is any guide, the one that starts the game is rubbish and the one that comes on plays well. I think if you're Tuchel, where do you go with Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford at this point? Because it just seems like the one that gets to go against tired legs does well. I think the wingers kind of hurt England defensively as well early in the game because we know Rashford isn't. Doesn't go for you as much on that side of the ball as Anthony Gordon does. But also Nonny Madueke's never been known really for his defensive diligence. And Congo, perhaps maybe they've been reading the English media coverage in the lead up to this game and the national crisis around the right back position because they consciously overloaded that side and targeted that side for their goal. And Jed Spence gets drawn in. There's no one else, which would normally probably be the right win helping out. And Sipenga's completely free at the back post and finishes excellently. But I thought the wingers starting for England contributed to their problems at both ends of the pitch.
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Adam Leventhal
I wanted to focus on Jed Spence. Cause obviously mentioned there by Liam, he's seemingly the fall guy for this. And it's not that we're pointing, we're all pointing our fingers at him. Thomas Tuchel is pointing and shouting repeatedly.
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Karl Anker
Yeah, but it's strange, I have to say.
- [15:51]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, well, tell me.
- [15:52]
Karl Anker
I think it is unusual to see a player repeatedly be the target, target or be in the ire of the England manager so often. There was a moment in the second half where Spence has a throw in and it's attacking ways this way. And he stops and turns and goes, I want to play it safer. And Tuchel just breaks him and he's pointing like, no, you have to play it forward. You have to play it forward. And you're so going, how is this helping him?
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Adam Leventhal
Yeah.
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Karl Anker
And for. For Dr. Congo's goal. Spencer's marooned on an island because Konza and Guehi, they've moved across. Yeah, moved across and doubled up, which they shouldn't be doing. And Noni Madueke has left him on an island. So there have been two or three times where I feel Jed Spence has been. Yeah, okay, he's been left at the scene of the mishap, but I think he has reasonable expectation. Go like, why have you all left me here? What do you expect me to do? I'm one of the newest members to this squad.
- [16:49]
Adam Leventhal
But is he looking like a player that should be in that squad to
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Liam Toomey
you in terms of his utility? I understood why Tuchel picked him because I think he wanted a fullback that could play on either side. And the things that he said about Spence were he's basically the fastest defender England have got and he enjoys defending. I don't think he necessarily enjoys defending two players at once, which is what he was asked to do for Congo's goal. But I, I must say this doesn't shock me with Tuchel having covered him at Chelsea and it was part of my concerns about him coming into the tournament is that his touchline demeanor can be downright petulant at times and I've always thought that. I've always feared that it doesn't send the right message to his players and he typically has one or two players that he seems to pick on. Yeah, you can't always know in advance who they'll be, but it definitely seems to be spent at this tournament. Callum Hudson Odoi Callum Hudson Adoy Timo Werner got a lot of it as well. I mean some of these players, you know, their decision making can cause a coach frustration. But like Carl says, I don't see how it's necessarily helping him. You know, a lot of England players have dressed it up as. Tuchel's got high standards. You know, he, he, he's like this in training because he wants us to play a certain way. He is a very detail, system oriented coach. You have to pass here in this situation there isn't a lot of autonomy. Maybe if you're Harry Kane, you're Jude Bellingham, you've got a bit of autonomy. Everyone else has to play to the system and yeah, that's always been part of Tuchel. That I think can be grating for
- [18:25]
Adam Leventhal
players who plays it right back. Now then, I think Spence.
- [18:29]
Karl Anker
I think this is going to be the summer of Spence really. But for better or worse, this is going to be the summer of Spence
- [18:34]
Liam Toomey
in a fashion sense with the Jewel.
- [18:37]
Adam Leventhal
For better or worse.
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Karl Anker
For better or worse. For better or worse, there are no other viable alternatives to right back, I think. And I think Spence's recovery pace and his appetite for 1v1 defending will be useful. What could happen if we get more than 30 minutes of saka and Spence on the same wing? Because that on paper, if I'm playing a football game, that works. So let's see if it can work in real life in syncuy elimination in the Azteca.
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Adam Leventhal
Let's talk about that. How much of a chance do you give England at the Azteca?
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Liam Toomey
A million miles above sea level, 2,200 meters, isn't it?
- [19:17]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, I've over egged it a bit.
- [19:19]
Liam Toomey
I mean they're the more talented team but the circumstances of the game certainly favor Mexico. They've been playing in Mexico City already so they're, you know, they're obviously born in Mexico, played at altitude. A lot of these players, a lot anyway, but they're fully adjusted to it within the context of this tournament. England will get there a couple of days before and will not have that opportunity.
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Karl Anker
There is no time to get acclimatized.
- [19:44]
Liam Toomey
I think the first goal is absolutely critical. If they concede the first goal as they did against Congo, and put themselves in a situation where they're trying to break down a low block at altitude, this is a Mexico team that defended very well at this tournament. You're also looking at the right back situation. Mexico's best player, best attacker, Julian Quinonez, is on that side. So they've definitely got the tools to hurt England. I think if they score first. It's looking very, very bleak because England came on strong at the end against Congo and I've been in that stadium in Atlanta. It's an enclosed atmosphere, it's a managed climate you can push at the end and I think they did overwhelm Congo in the end. They won't be able to do that, I don't think at the Aztec Foreign
- [20:35]
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- [21:05]
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- [22:11]
Adam Leventhal
Now to our discussion of the day, sponsored by Threads. Last night, we asked our Threads followers, what was your first World cup heartbreak? We'll come to them in a minute. First in the studio, ask you guys, what was your first World cup heartbreak?
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Karl Anker
Carl, I'm going to tell you my first one as an adult. Ghana vs Euroguide 2010. So there's been plenty of England games where I've, as a child, England been eliminated and I've shed a tear and I'm like, oh, my God, this is awful. England get eliminated 2010. And I don't cry. Such was the manner of the German victory. And I went, oh, this is it. I managed to get through a World cup without crying. Amazing. And then it happens. Luis Suarez.
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Adam Leventhal
Yes.
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Karl Anker
Asmojan. Oh, and he's missed. And I just. I leave a restaurant known as Bungo Bar in London with my Ghanaian friends and my uncle and I. Yeah. And just start crying. I go, this is it. Football is just pain. And I will cry at every World cup elimination for the rest of my life. So, yeah, Luis Suarez, you won the greatest strikes ever seen. But I'm. I'm not a fan of yours.
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Adam Leventhal
No, I can imagine. Liam.
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Liam Toomey
It has to be World Cup 98. England, Argentina. I'd only just got over Euro 96, which was the first tournament I remember and felt like the world had ended when England lost to Germany. And then the Argentina game. I'd fallen in love with Michael Owen, the prodigy, like, obviously everyone else. And that game, I mean, it's one of the great World cup games, I think, in retrospect, for drama, Simeone Beckham and then the penalty shootout. Yeah, it was just a kind of crack crash course in the hope that then kills you as an England fan frequently at major tournaments.
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Adam Leventhal
Yeah, there's quite a few people that agree with you on 1998. David Beckham's Red card. That was another one that was raised Italian 90. This is the same as me. I go back a little bit further. G. Rees, great song, great team, bad penalties. That's how he summed it up. Mexico 86. Hand of God outrage. But then having to applaud the second. That was from Random fan. Dom. Thank you for your takes in the studio. Thanks for your takes on Threads as well. For your chance to be featured in our next discussion of the day feature, head over to Threads, follow the Athletic FC and join the conversation. Okay, let's get back to the knockout action then. And to the USA's 20 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Reaching the round of 16 is only half of the story because following Balogun sent off in controversial circumstances after putting the US One up, Henry Bushnell was there to see it all.
- [25:00]
Liam Toomey
For the Athletic, this was a complicated
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Henry Bushnell
round of 32 win for the U.S. men's National Team. On one hand, they were pretty convincing and dominant. They beat Bosnia 2 nil, and they never really looked like losing the game. And all around the country, tens of millions of people were watching at the public parties in their basements or living rooms, celebrating this team like they've really never celebrated a World cup knockout win before. On the other hand, Fuller and Balogan got sent off in the second half, the first player since it on to score and then get red carded in a World cup game. And that's going to make the next round complicated. US will play Belgium in the round of 16 without Baligan, who's really been. I don't know if you even want to call him a breakout star. He's just been a star that has elevated this team over the past three years, ever since he committed to the US in. In 2023. So it remains to be seen how the US adjusts without him. There's been a lot of controversy about the red card, the process, the VAR process that led to it, the inability of the US to appeal that at all. So that will be a big story over the coming days. But this is also a night to celebrate. It's the second World cup knockout win in program history. It's the first that wasn't in the middle of the night. The last one against Mexico in 2002, kicked off at 2:30am Eastern time because it was happening in South Korea. This is on home soil. The whole country is really getting behind this team. The coming week is going to be arguably the biggest week in American men's soccer history. And if they beat Belgium, the following week would be that as well. So everybody's really riding high, and I think they should be.
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Adam Leventhal
Yeah. A bit of a bittersweet one, wasn't it, for the US Little bit of a red line debate in the studio, please. On the red. Definite red or unlucky. Pick your weapon.
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Karl Anker
It's a red.
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Adam Leventhal
It's a red.
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Karl Anker
It's a red. I know you can say you don't like it, but it's a red. You can't do that. Why? It's uncontrolled, it's dangerous, and it's a red.
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Pablo Torre
But he was.
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Adam Leventhal
His body was out of control. It wasn't. It was. That was. That's the accidental side Right, sure.
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Karl Anker
But you're not.
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Adam Leventhal
It's a red. Okay, It's a red.
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Liam Toomey
That's why I think it's both unlucky and a red. I think. I don't. You can't have any complaints. And it didn't look like the USA players had any complaints in the moment. Baligan didn't seem to protest. I think he knew the contact that he'd made and he was just more devastated in the moment. It's clear he didn't mean it.
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Karl Anker
Oh yeah, he did not mean that in the slightest.
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Liam Toomey
But unfortunately, if you stud down someone's calf reaching towards their Achilles, it's dangerous play whether you intend it or not. And so, yeah, I don't think it's particularly controversial. It's a big shame because Balogun has been one of the best players in this tournament and he's been, you know, the. Well, I mean, Pulisic is always the poster boy, isn't he, for the U.S. but Balogun has been their best attacking player and now they've got kind of one arm behind their back as they take on Belgium.
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Karl Anker
To me, he is the straw that stirs the drink. Everything just works a lot better when he's there. He's. Because of the way the USA is set up to play with this very 2015 Tottenham Hotspur counter press. Balogun is your de facto Kane style figure upon which everyone orbits and they use as a hook and to create what they need to do in that final third.
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Adam Leventhal
So you take the stirrer out and what happens
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Karl Anker
a lot harder to get your drink right.
- [28:33]
Adam Leventhal
But can they, can they go on? Can they, you know, speak to the, the. The fact that it has captured a nation now and carry themselves forward with. With other guys in the squad?
- [28:46]
Karl Anker
Yes, in theory.
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Jack Pitt-Brooke
The.
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Karl Anker
I don't think the squad has a player as good as Baligun within it who can play at number nine. But there are options. And because of the way Pochettino set the team up as a. As a counter pressing side, there are other means of attacking other than just supply the ball to Balogun. But I don't think there is going to be a player as effective at turning a half chance into a goal as he can. So it can be done. Belgium have been unconvincing throughout the entire tournament. It can be done. It will be difficult, but if you are the United States, if you want to reach a round of World cup play that you've not reached in quite some time, you need to be able to do something that you've not done in quite some time.
- [29:26]
Liam Toomey
The key thing is whoever replaces Balogun doesn't compromise that press because that's what the US team has been based on under Pochettino. That's their identity. They win the ball high up the pitch, they attack quickly and then they convert those chances. Now, that last bit could be the problem without Balogun there, because he's provided that clinical edge more than anyone else. And we've. We saw in Belgium's game against Senegal, which we'll talk about if you don't score enough goals to put them away. Oh, sorry, Carl.
- [29:56]
Karl Anker
We'll get to it later.
- [29:57]
Liam Toomey
They're not quite gone. And so I think the US have a real, real chance, with or without Balogan against Belgium. But it's a shame, principally for him, that he'll miss the game.
- [30:08]
Adam Leventhal
Let's strike while the iron's hot. And talk about Belgium beating Senegal. If you didn't catch the game, Senegal were 2 nil up and coasting towards victory. Belgium were arguing with each other, actually arguing with each other. Trossard and Tielemans were at each other's throats. And then Belgium, out of nowhere, turned it around. It was incredible, wasn't it?
- [30:34]
Karl Anker
My apologies to anyone in the United Kingdom who went. Senegal A2 and A. It's the 80th minute. I'm gonna go to bed now. Cause you've missed one of the most remarkable World cup games, 21st century, perhaps even in history, is one of the. You were saying, the latest comeback in World cup history, possibly. Well, if you include extra time rather than penalties. I went to bed furious at what Senegal did and I woke up even angrier. It abhorrent display from the sub Saharan African nation boggles the mind at how poor the they manage those final 15, 10 minutes. Papa Thal has had there been really, really big questions asked of him, of essentially what you've got now is two bands of Senegalese talent. You've got the group that has been marshalled by Koulibaly at centre back and led by Sadio Mane up front. And they have been very, very successful with Senegal in the past, most notably winning AFCON in 2021, I want to say. And then you've got essentially a new group that has largely been on the bench that very clearly outside looking in, should be playing now and taking over. And before the game kicked off, I went, Tao needs to make changes. Koulibaly shouldn't start polar young players and Sonico should in theory breeze pass a Belgium team that are in their own do not have their golden generation anymore. They have aged out and then he did and they were 2 nil up. And the second goal is. That needs to be goal. A tournament contender. Absolutely.
- [32:06]
Adam Leventhal
It was incredible.
- [32:07]
Liam Toomey
I love. I've got a particular soft spot for a chest control of a ball coming over the shoulder. I think that's one of the hardest things to do in football. And, yeah, it's my. Lesa's control was fantastic and obviously the finish was good, but the touch sets it up perfectly.
- [32:23]
Karl Anker
Ian Wright was on ITV coverage and he was explaining how hard it is to get that chest contact. I believe Roy Keane also said, when you are trying to get that ball under control, half the challenge is make one. You keep your eye on it and also make sure your arm doesn't get involved because it can so easily be a handball. And Ian Wright observed, if you're a defender or anyone in that, all you are doing in that moment is hoping the attacking player gets the touch wrong. Because if the first touch is great, then you are dead as a defender. And if they get the first touch correct, then tees you up for what is nearly always one of the best goals you've ever seen. And it was a phenomenal goal that should be a winning goal. And they threw it away through a series of deeply naive substitutions, where Senegal just consistently retreated further and further towards their own goal. Lamine Kamara came on and he's had a very poor tournament. This is a player who was being discussed by Manchester United fans, Liverpool fans, top six fans going, oh, this Lamin Kamara guy seems pretty good. Maybe we should have a look at him. And now I'm seeing or many fans going, oh, maybe he conceded the. He conceded the penalty. Just poor substitutions, no emotional regulation, complete lack of game management and. And a Senegal team that just completely lost their heads. No, no rudder, no handbrake. If I still had hair, I would be tearing it out. So kudos to Belgium for realizing once they went 2:1 up that the momentum could swing. Congratulations to Roman Lukaku because you consider his very poor Qatar 2022. The fact that he came in, not only did he break up the fight between two.
- [34:11]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, he stepped in.
- [34:12]
Karl Anker
He stepped in. He's in a fascinating state. If you remember the rukaku of maybe 10 years ago, that now he's almost purely a facilitator now he's. He's still attacking that right half, right hand channel, the half space. But it's a lot more about. I am pinning center backs with my body and then I'm going to get knock ons and flick on knock ons, flickons and knock the ball on for other players to score. I think Trossard is a phenomenal attacking Swiss army knife and that's really digging Belgium out of some dangerous situations. Look, if you're a North American and you're just getting into soccer and World Cups and you wonder why people go, that 20 is a dangerous lead. There you go. Now you know.
- [34:54]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, exhibit A. And who knows, for a Belgium side that looked in disarray, that might be. That might be the performance, the comeback that just sparks them into gear and it should now be a great game against the States.
- [35:14]
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- [37:41]
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- [38:15]
Adam Leventhal
So Belgium were tested. Are you ready to be tested?
- [38:18]
Karl Anker
Let's do this.
- [38:18]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah. Okay. Shout out your name if you know the answer. Here we go. Day 22. Do you know which nation holds the record for most consecutive failed World cup qualification attempts? Wow. That is a question.
- [38:36]
Liam Toomey
Consecutive.
- [38:37]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah. Do you know which nation holds the record for the most consecutive. Yes.
- [38:42]
Karl Anker
Is it China?
- [38:43]
Jack Pitt-Brooke
No.
- [38:44]
Adam Leventhal
Think about a team that has never been to the World cup and you'd expect.
- [38:50]
Karl Anker
This is Carl.
- [38:51]
Adam Leventhal
Yes.
- [38:52]
Karl Anker
Is it India?
- [38:53]
Adam Leventhal
No. I'll give you the continent.
- [38:56]
Liam Toomey
Okay.
- [38:57]
Adam Leventhal
Europe.
- [38:57]
Liam Toomey
Right. They're obviously really small European. Sorry, Liam. They're obviously really small European, like Luxembourg or something.
- [39:05]
Karl Anker
Look at that.
- [39:06]
Adam Leventhal
Is it very good? Very good.
- [39:10]
Liam Toomey
I wasn't sure how long they'd been trying.
- [39:12]
Adam Leventhal
They have never qualified for the World cup despite making 22 attempts between 1934 and 2026.
- [39:22]
Karl Anker
And they never will.
- [39:24]
Adam Leventhal
Who knows?
- [39:25]
Liam Toomey
Brutal.
- [39:26]
Adam Leventhal
There you go.
- [39:26]
Liam Toomey
If it expands, you know.
- [39:29]
Adam Leventhal
Well done, Liam. I like that. Okay, let's deal with what we actually have on day 22. More World cup knockout drama, we hope. European champions Spain, they take on Austria. Switzerland play Algeria in the day's final game. Arguably the pick of the bunch, though, is Portugal against Croatia. And the Athletics senior news reporter Matt Slater is in Toronto for it and he joins us now. So Portugal, they've struggled through their Group with draws against Dr. Congo and Colombia. And then they got that win when Cristiano Ronaldo turned up against Uzbekistan. Are they any good from what you've seen so far?
- [40:08]
Matt Slater
Obviously, they clicked against Uzbekistan. Okay. Colombia was a very exciting game. Good game, end to end. Certainly the. The sort of latter stages of it. I was watching live. Congo, not so good at all. But then, of course, England have just seen that maybe that, you know, that's not. That's, you know, a bit more understandable. Look, I think obviously the conversation has been about Ronaldo, hasn't it? Obviously. And, you know, are they carrying him? Are they playing with 10? Look, it feels like it's complete deja vu. I definitely had this conversation. I definitely wrote these stories in Doha. I know I did them in Germany. Nothing seems to have moved on. Portugal have got a good team, good players. You know it. Yes, I can see that. That unique skill. Is it unique. But that special skill he has that he still can do to a very, very high level, is it worth the fact that he's not doing anything else at all? You know, I think we've all got our views on that. But anyway, they haven't. They are still wedded to Ronaldo and, you know, we shall see if that is enough. Against Croatia, who I have seen, they were good. They were good against Ghana. It was a really good game. And Modric, who, of course is, you know, the same vintage, was fantastic in that game. Box to box. Absolutely brilliant.
- [41:27]
Adam Leventhal
Now, we heard from Henry earlier on about how the US Is obviously gripped by the tournament, considering how well the USMNT are doing. You've been based on the east coast, Boston and Philadelphia. What's it been like there?
- [41:40]
Matt Slater
Well, I mean, it's a good question. I was really impressed with how Philadelphia have embraced the tournament. And it's quite an interesting one for them because it's a massive year. They're calling it their big year. I won't list all the events I'm writing about this, but the 250th birthday of the country is a big, big deal for them because Declaration of Independence was signed there. It was the first capital. It was a really important city in the war of independ against. Oh, I wonder who that was. But it doesn't matter. Everywhere I went, people wanted to talk to me about the World Cup. Whether they kind of grant, whether they were soccer guys or gals or not, they wanted to talk about it. I saw volunteers, I saw signage. I think Philadelphia went for it. And I. And I really hope Philadelphia Gets what it. What it wants from. From staging not just the World cup, but these other big events, too. There's a good one at the end of the year for them as well. It's the 50th anniversary of Rocky, which of course is like, you know, they're fam. Favorite, sporting some Boston. I got there the day they were packing up their fanfest, which I think kind of says it all really about why Philadelphia perhaps felt it really had to go for it. And while somewhere like Boston, which of course is a far more established place, maybe, maybe doesn't and didn't. Now, they, of course, absolutely lucked out in getting the Scots there. And you could still see in the bars, half the taps of the bars were still, you know, we've run out. And they were kind of still talking about it. So different. Philadelphia was more World cup, if that makes sense. It was on fet, as they say in France, for the Tour de France. They really. It was a party atmosphere.
- [43:25]
Adam Leventhal
And Matt, finally ahead of the tournament, like a lot of us, we were writing about the contentious issues of this World Cup. We're three weeks in now. Is there anything that you were wrong about at the start of the tournament? Anything that's changed your mind as well?
- [43:39]
Matt Slater
I don't know if I've changed my mind. I was wrong about a few things, for sure. I was very worried. I did a lot of stuff on tick prices, and I was concerned that there would be more empty seats and that FIFA had overpriced these things. And that would be a shame, right, because there'd be empty seats. Now, I have seen some empty seats, and I think there's some issues or some interesting questions to explore about some of these attendance numbers that are being posted. Germany, Paraguay, for example, there was a very stubbornly empty section over halfway in expensive seats that never filled. Now, they were not on the concourse because I was checking. They just didn't come. A few hundred. And there were a few hundred missing at the Ghana Croatia game as well, because I think some Ghanaian fans struggled to get in. Maybe there was some issues, maybe with their tickets. There was a talk of some fake tickets, tickets didn't arrive, blah, blah, blah. But every other game in Philly was full. So I was wrong about that. And in some ways it kind of, you know, FIFA and Infantino with their insistence on these prices, that America is rich enough, there are wealthy enough people here to pay these prices. They were right. And I was checking the resale prices. I thought they would come down more as well, but they didn't really. They remained stubbornly high. So, yeah, I guess I was wrong about America's capacity and willingness to pay top dollar for live sport.
- [45:14]
Adam Leventhal
Matt, thank you very much indeed. Obviously a lot more from Matt on the Athletic throughout the tournament. Just a quick word from. From you guys. Obviously we've sort of stuck a flag in the fact that Portugal, Croatia will be a lot of fun. Spain, Austria. You looking forward to that one?
- [45:29]
Karl Anker
Very much so. I don't think we've seen even 60% of what Spain can offer. They were my pick to win the tournament for a ball is kicked and I really, really, really excited about Lamina Mal in knockout World cup football.
- [45:43]
Adam Leventhal
Can they bubble up hotter than Francis Pot?
- [45:49]
Karl Anker
I think it's because they're going to.
- [45:50]
Adam Leventhal
They're going to face them.
- [45:51]
Schwab Advertiser
They are.
- [45:52]
Karl Anker
The biggest problem France will face before the World cup final, the ability of Pedri and that midfield in particular to circulate the ball, should in theory be a poor matchup for a France midfield that doesn't necessarily always have the legs to regain possession constantly. I am saying this knowing that n' Golo Kante is just chilling on the bench menacingly, but also if Jamal catches fire, that is a problem for the France team in a way that I don't think England or any other European team really can shore up France. Morocco will be a problem for France if that game happens because Morocco are very good, but yeah, Spain's the one that I'm very excited to see.
- [46:37]
Liam Toomey
But Spain have to get past Austria first and they need to raise their level a bit from what was quite a forgiving group stage for them. I mean, they've defended well Spain and they've control games. They haven't quite found that extra gear and attack yet. And I think that's obviously been heavily linked to the fact that Lamina Mao has been so conservatively managed so far. But it, to me it's a fun game because it's like the purist style makes fights of possession versus pressing. You know exactly what Austria are going to do. They're going to come at them really, really hard man for man, pretty much all over the pitch and Spain are quite well set up to deal with that in terms of having players that can play through and around pressure but. But any mistakes could be punished.
- [47:20]
Adam Leventhal
Liam, thank you very much indeed. Carl, thank you to you as well. Thanks to Matt, to Henry, to Jack as well for featuring on the show as well. Remember, all of the World cup coverage on the Athletic app is free to read and there is some great stuff on there at the moment. So do get stuck in. We will be back with you tomorrow. See you then.
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